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Borleias


Tarrian Skywalker

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Genesis' jovial face turned to a frown when Armiena asked about her mother, his thoughts wandering back to the Elder Draygo after the intial shock of being reunited with Armiena after so long and her welcoming him back into the Order with little thought. His gaze shot down briefly, as if shying away, before it settled briefly on McShipface and then returned to her own, a certain sadness in his eyes.

 

"Actually, we met up on Dantooine at first." Genesis corrected her, his tone slightly somber, but not misleading. "But yes, she followed me to Katarr along with the Luka Sene."

 

Armiena could likely tell Genesis' reluctance to tell, his unease of distracting her with horrific but minor news of her Mother and her last known condition when he left Nar Shadaa lingering in his presence. But whatever the mission here was for her, they were on the verge of it's completion and Genesis' felt no real harm in telling her now.

 

"She fell into cardiac arrest during her venture there, and I was able to keep her alive until we reached Nar Shadaa." Genesis spoke, some regret that she had followed him blindly out onto the dead planet's surface evident in his eyes. "She's in the hospital, stable last I checked, just before I came to find you."

 

Genesis stiffened up, half expecting a slap across his face for getting Misal hurt, while the other half expected a stern cursing. Either way, his guilt knew he deserved it. If he had only listened to Scorpio, to his own gut, perhaps she wouldn't have been placed in such danger.

Edited by Stormhelm
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((Actually, we are boarding Tobias Vos’ ship. It is a YT-2000 named Prism.)).

 

There was a pause as the two Jedi trudged up the boarding ramp of the Prism. Rather than rage or curse at inevitability, Armiena just sighed and sat down heavily on the first available cushion in the freighter’s common room. The veteran Jedi began to doff pieces of equipment--a small datapad, a ring of dataspikes, a small utility knife and comlink--but rather than tidily securing the items, she just let them fall on the deck. A second sigh and Draygo rubbed a hand across sleep-deprived eyes.

 

“You would not have been able to stop her, no matter what you did. If she wanted to follow you, she would have found a way. Stowaway, tracking beacon… hijacking.” There was a courageous attempt at a smile that died quickly. “It wasn’t your responsibility and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

 

Armiena tossed one final piece of equipment onto the deck plates: it was a small metal disc that was studded with holoprojector divots. It bloomed to life in a ghostly blue projection and resolved into a cartoonish icon of a comlink. The veteran Jedi was visibly bracing herself for what she expected to be an emotional communication, closing her eyes and clenching her hands periodically as the seconds mounted and the device struggled to connect while in hostile territory.

 

Finally there was a connection. With the algorithms that Draygo had implanted into the local Holonet still inactivated the local security was thoroughly hostile to Jedi communiques, but audio-only was preferable for the occasion.

 

“Mother?” Armiena hated the fear in her voice.

 

“Master Healer Helgru, Grandmaster,” came the raspy growl of a Mon Calamari. “She’s resting. She’s doing well.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice. “Her first words when she woke were ‘I need to be operational.”

 

There was a muffled commotion in the background.

 

“Is Stormhelm there? I need to… Armiena, dear, please do not waste time on my behalf. This dedicated Healer has these matters well in hand. Redeploy at your…” Heavy breathing was audible. “...At your first opportunity. No--I insist--I will not forgive you if you waste time sitting at the bedside of a convalescent at this critical moment.”

 

“Mother--I can’t just--”

 

“And I’ll not waste the time. Genesis--he has changed. Substantially. He has become a formidable young man, but more importantly…” There were a few deep breaths from the Miraluka and what sounded like an abortive struggle over control over the comlink. “More importantly a good person. Men of his caliber are regrettably rare... You will be a fool if you… if you do not reinstate him into your Order and allow him to begin operating independently.”

 

There was another sound of a struggle. The elder Draygo growled some language that would have made a Corellian dockworker blush, but the Mon Calamari Healer seemed to have been victorious in the skirmish over the comlink, for his was the next voice heard.

 

“Thank you. Your mother has already been through a substantial amount of physical therapy. She is out of danger, but she will require time before she can be considered ‘operational’ again. I will be in contact if anything changes--for good or ill.”

 

The transmission terminated with a decisive click. For a few seconds, Armiena just stared at the comlink--then she began to giggle… then she threw back her head and laugh.. and then begin to laugh hysterically. It was one of those laughs that was simultaneously therapeutic and painful and made one concerned for the health of the one who was simultaneously whooping and crying, hollering and screaming. It was physically hurting her ribs, and tears were streaming from her eyes… and yet the brief exchange had been so absurd that Armiena could not help but embarrass herself.

 

Draygo finally succeeded in composing herself and brushed the loose strand of grey-streaked hair out of her face.

 

“So, it seems you made quite an impression on my mother. That’s not exactly an easy thing to do. She has… exacting standards. It’s not enough to be skilled to impress my mother--you would have needed to demonstrate some significant force of character, some true grit.” A weak smile finally managed to stick on her face and a chuckle threatened at the possibility of another bout of hysterics. “So be it, Jedi Knight.”

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Silence was the one response of Armiena's that bothered Genesis the most, the awkward atmosphere of unknowing thought and emotion. She had always been a vocal and brash Master, fearless in the most admiral context no matter which receiving end you found yourself upon. But silence left one in wonderment of the unexpected consequences and chill one to the bones. In this moment, it left Genesis withdrawn and yet attentive at the same time, unsure of what move to make. So instead, he slowly followed her into the belly of the Prism and stood atop the ramp in anticipation.

 

Her words did not offer any solace, but did react a smirk at the notion that he couldn't have stopped her. It seemed that he wasn't the only one who had changed in the last two years, a more understanding and mildly mannered Master taking seat before him. In truth, Armiena and Misal were more alike than the two would ever admit, especially to each other. And if it hadn't been Misal to follow him, it would have been Armiena. But her duties as Grandmaster had required her, and so Misal took her place. Deep down, Genesis' had always known this to be true. But there was a solemn distinctive difference between them, and one that Genesis' had rarely seen. Where Misal duty laid more toward her family, Armiena's duty laid more toward her life as a Jedi. It wasn't a bad thing, and only recently, an understanding that Genesis had come to possess.

 

Even as the two Draygo matriarchs conversed, it was evident in their tones. There was love evident within their subtle words, unspoken and yet spoken at the same time, but at the same time, their duty came first and foremost. It was almost as if Misal had once led a similar life as Armiena and pushed the younger Draygo toward a better unspoken understanding, a similar exchange that he had once witnessed between Armiena and her son, Aiden. But that was a story that Genesis held no true knowledge of, their history unspoken and interactions few. Perhaps that's why Armiena clung to her pupils and why Misal pushed Armiena toward others. So when the conversation ended and Armiena's hysterical laughing fit progressed, Genesis simply sat there with a gentle smile on his face, finding relief in Misal's improved condition and knowingly understanding Armiena's own.

 

However, Genesis was unprepared for what Armiena spoke next after regaining her composure and letting her relief settle in. Completely taking aback by her settling words left the young Jedi speechless and stunned as he stammered to find his words in response. "I... You... Wait, what?" He studdered out as his mind buckled and words began to form out of thin air. He paused briefly with a forced sigh as he collected his thoughts and focused them into coherent sentences. "If I made an impression, it's only because of you, Master. You took in a troubled orphan and made him into a man, something I thought impossible before I was brought to the Order. To be frank, you and the Order saved me."

 

Genesis could feel the emotional build up of the moment and of the past three years flooding his mind and his heart, an once orphaned child who fought to survive each day finding not only a home, but a purpose to live for outside his own survival. He honestly never believed he would live to see this age, let alone see this day where he became a Jedi Knight, something he could have never fathomed. It was overwhelming to the point that he choked on his own reluctance to cry and inevitably gave into it. After a few moments of joyous tears and sniffles, Genesis wiped his eye and smiled. "I accept Master... I mean Grandmaster." He said with a chuckle that fought against the lump that built up in his throat as he got down to a singular knee. "If you truly believe that I am ready."

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“In my experience, no one is ever ready.” Draygo another chuckle that threatened to run away into hysterics, but the veteran Jedi managed to collect herself. “I was… full of myself when my own Master declared my apprenticeship complete--and please, get up from your knees, this isn’t an occasion for oath-taking.”

 

Draygo grabbed her former apprentice by the hands and fought away In less urgent times, the Jedi Grandmaster would have afforded more time to indulge in this momentous occasion--allow herself to exult in having trained another young man to become a fine Jedi Knight and for that young man to appreciate the mantle just set over his shoulders--but the galaxy had erupted into war on multiple fronts. Minutes were now precious beyond appreciation, and even this mission might have been an unacceptable expenditure. 


“I wish we had more time, but I have a mission that I need addressed, and by someone I know. There are significant Sith fleet movements in the Outer Rim by way of the Arkanis and Sullust sectors. The Rebel Alliance has been trying to halt their advance, but a significant portion of the Colonies are under threat. Sullust and Naboo will be the least of our worries if we can’t halt their advance. We need to know where they they are, where they’re going--and to prepare everyone that’s in their path. There are some things that a Jedi Knight can do that a military man would never dare without months of negotiation. There’s a Rebel task force massing near Bothawui headed by a Mon Cal named Klatchka, you’ll need to coordinate with him. Her. I’m not sure. I know it’s not a lot to work with, but there’s not a lot that we know. Can I count on you?”

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Genesis smiled, sincere and not a worried thought creeping across his serene mind as Armiena spoke of the amassing Forces on both sides. In truth, it was the reason he came to find her, what led him back to the Order and his mission to witness Katarr. Even Scorpio and the Luka Sene knew what laid ahead not just for a few planets and populaces, but for millions, if not more. It would require ever Jedi to play their part, no matter how little and insignificant. Even him. "You need not ask Grandmaster. Just tell me my assignment and where you need me."

 

Calling her Grandmaster rather than Master or Armiena felt weird coming from his tongue, but he was a full fledged Knight now and formalities were a must. Still, his gaze stayed upon her after he spoke like a child's to it's parents when both served, as if saying what couldn't be spoken. For him, becoming a Knight could be played off as a small achievement, but now that he knew the true horrors of what laid in the wake of the Darkside, he knew the weight he would inevitably have to carry and knew he had to be strong enough. The truth of a Jedi wasn't in their stance against evil, it was in the evil they witnessed and carried.

 

"Don't worry. You've trained me well." He spoke amidst the silence, attempting to settle her fears and ease her mind. "So where exactly am I headed? Bothawui?"

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“Indeed. If there is any planet that can withstand an attack from the Sith, it will be Bothawui--and they know what will happen to them if the Sith are able to seize their world. Pogroms, being treated as target practice by the more depraved Sith. They’ll be motivated… huh.” Draygo stared a few meters into the nearest wall, a faraway expression on her face. There was the most peculiar sensation that had just shivered down the back of her neck, an indelible impression that something significant had just changed. Perhaps it was a warning from The Force, or a sudden crack in the Fourth Wall, but she just had an intuition that she must not go to Mon Calamari--more than that, it was impossible.

 

“I… uh, think I will be joining you for a short time. At least as far as Nar Shaddaa. Hard to say. Uh… Vos? Vos! We need to go!”

 

Armiena blinked hard, remembering that she had been flying the blind Jedi Master’s ship during the entire visit--and she had been communicating with Borleias’ security forces. She sprinted towards the cockpit and seized the controls, muttering an excuse to satisfy the consternation of the local traffic control tower--something about a minor family emergency, she thought she blurted out.


Whatever the excuse, it at least won the Prism a priority corridor away from the planet, and the three Jedi soon fled into hyperspace. Their work, though only partially finished, had left a major starfighter base under construction and the local HoloNet thoroughly corrupted.

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"Then Bothawui is where I will go." Genesis spoke with an eager grin, the Miralukian Hybrid taking heed to his Master's words. When she called for Vos, whom Genesis' had yet to meet, he dismissed himself with a bow and went to find a place to meditate and contemplate the emotions that were flowing through him and within him, something he had learnt from Scorpio during his training in the Luka Sene. For a Serene Mind, Balance within one's self must always be maintained. And it never hurt to be self aware of one's innerself. Finding refuge in a small storage area, Genesis' began.

 

Privacy was the first step in his meditations, seclusion from everyone but himself. The second step was to focus inward, collecting thoughts and feelings as a focal point to explore within. Next followed the repetitions of Alchaka, letting the body become reflexive while the mind wandered. Some often chose to practice their lightsaber forms and other certain fighting styles while doing this. But for Genesis, it felt easiest when he simply focused on guiding the Force that flowed around him. And it mimicked a dance to outsiders looking in. And to practice the Force, while delving into the active meditation, often help his control grow. 

 

Telekinesis was his greatest attribute as a Jedi, his ability to manipulate items around him to his will by tugging on the Force that flowed through them. As Genesis focused on the relief and the pride he felt after attaining a rank he had worked so hard on to achieve, a serene calmness flowed through him and into the objects that flowed upon the currents of the Force that surrounded him, dancing elegantly with each of his movements, almost choreographically as they swayed upon the wind.

 

And as the steel beneath him shifted into hyperspace, he continued. Today had brought so much to comb through, and there was much that needed to be focused. Armiena had welcomed him back with open arms and dubbed him one of the Order's Knights, all without any consequence or reprimand. And then there was Katarr, a truth that he had never envisioned, that still plagued his thoughts. The Darkside was a very powerful for, more than even he had realized, and not just in himself. With a deep breath, he hastened his pace, letting his mind wander on these thoughts as his form reacted instinctively.

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By the time Vos and Pim had returned to the Prism, the local underground was fermenting the issues with whatever happened to the holonet. They were also pushing for more first aid kits and other supplies- no weapons. Vos was very clear with that. Weapons would potentially raise suspicion if someone were to start talking. No, he'd supply these folks with droids, medical equipment, and various components for equipment.  

 

Pim had been uncomfortable with the whole process at first but seemed to fit into her role as a specter of darkness. Tobias wanted to get more training on her lightsaber skills. He knew he was behind in his own schedule for her, and was agitated at himself. Things just kept piling up... but according to the shout from up the ramp, Vos gauged it was time to go. 

 

He nodded in passing to the Grandmaster and went to his cabin for the flight. He hadn't worked that much with Armenia this mission, and a part of him did regret that. Hopefully in the future he'd be able to forge that bridge. Speaking of forging though... he did have to return to his work on his other hobby. Deciding to save that for later, he felt the bump as the Prism lifted off and out of the gravity well. 

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