Tobias Vos

This is a sort of pseudo-canon-rp post, I've been slowly working on over the last year or so. Basically Tobias's apprentice gets captures on her Jedi Knight Trials and Tobias busts her out. 8,270 words, 16 pages.... but I am posting it all instead of in chunks. A lot of errors and plot holes, I am sure, but I have been working on this sporadically so that does impact this story. ~~~ JNet And so winter had arrived in this hemisphere of Rhen Var. It was almost as if the winds had claimed the entire airspace above this continent, they fought anything that invaded their territory. Not that it was invaded often, but this was one of those blasted Times that Pim really had to fight the controls to make sure she came at the right trajectory. The Nubian spacecraft she piloted, her master's old ship, was still smooth as ever. In the weeks that they had been here she had several lessons on how to fight the winds... no, that was the wrong mentality- she had to work with the winds. She knew she needed to work with the force, not against it- like a fool. Pim was not a fool, but that was her assessment. Her masters... well he might disagree. If she had time, she would have chuckled. Now wasn’t the time though, she needed to keep the spacecraft banking with the wind. With both hands gripped tightly, she punched through the turbulent layer and then made it down the rest of the way to the hidden landing pad where she saw the YT-2000 known as The Prism. Pim had been away for five weeks on a reconnaissance mission. Leaving her starfighter in a spaceport, getting on a civilian transport- onto another transport- and a third- completed her meeting and then the whole thing in reverse. She hid her lightsaber within her two bags that she carried. While she wasn’t supposed to use it just yet, she had wanted to work on further grip improvements. Something about the size of the hilt was just… off. Resting the craft on her landing struts, and then powering down all the systems except for the R4 navigation droid welded into the droid socket- her tasks were complete. There was a little PIT droid that rushed out of the door and hurried over to her with a cable in one hand, the trickle charge cable for her droid and to keep the systems warmed up to prevent freezing over- a jacket in the other hand. Having done this a few times, she knew what came next. The cockpit opened- the cold air invaded in a flash. Leaping down to the droid, she slid her arms in the sleeves of the parka. Then she bounded into the safety of the hanger. It was only a matter of time before the weatherfront she passed through on her approach arrived here, and it would be wise to jump inside. The little conclave she was at was her masters hidey-hole. Something he made when he was with the sith, but maintained when he joined with the Jedi. He had cloning tanks, communication equipment, and all sorts of other devices Pim had a knowledge of but wasn’t all that invested in… she knew it was important but she couldn’t get her teenage brain to actually care about the details. Her focus was purely on the Force and her skills for her upcoming Jedi Knight trials. Her master had scolded her a few times for operating with blinders on. She was working on it… but if she was honest with herself- she was a teenager. Pim scratched her head as she walked through the main room she thought of as the lobby, but in actuality it was the first room her master had dug out before getting construction droids. Since the ten years he’s been here he had hollowed out a series of rooms throughout the mountain. There was a communications repository, as well as a server room that held servers from Vos’s network of spies, informants, mercenaries and other fringe network types. If one had the desire, they could find out who the staff on the capital of Corellia to the southernmost delinquent taxpayer on Klatooine was. So it was quite detailed… He had described why he had done this, betrayal and his Sith upbringing. It was something that shaped why he had this reclusive cave. That and his, in her personal opinion, weird training habits. Training habits that she was reluctantly growing fond of. When she was out on assignments she followed a pseudo schedule of the training but Tobias had a fetish for being outnumbered in his training. The reasoning was that more often than not a Jedi operated solo or in pairs. It was important to learn how to operate in such a manner so that one could make it out alive. The main training hallway was where she found her master- she checked in and reported out and was dismissed so that she could rest and relax. She had two days off before another assignment so she quickly made her way to her quarters and caught a sanisteam and some food. ~~~ Six days later, two planets, one space station later and Pim found herself about to start the assignment. The pre-work, an elaborate false trail that allowed her to slip into Hutt territory mostly unnoticed. Pim set down on the planet and found a hostel with a small room for a few days. In the morning she’d chase a bounty and then into the local Hutt Crime Ring, hopefully. ~~~ As far as Tobias was concerned, Taris was his least favorite planet. Even with the fact that he had been a slave on a desert planet, a conscript in a jungle planet, and then chose to build his remote home on an ice planet. However, this planet- it just held a complex layer of good then bad memories. He had lost his best friend here. Arriving out of hyperspace brought all those memories flooding back. He wanted to spit in reaction to seeing the world, but why would he spit in his ship? The droids would clean it up, sure, but why be a pig? Mentally, he did just to acknowledge his feelings on the matter. He wanted to leave here but the planet had other plans in store for him, bad plans. Sucking his lips in as he looked with the Force at the planet below him from the cockpit of the ship he had grown to rely upon. It was as good a spot as any to brood. Whited out eyes scanned over the planet and satellites cautiously evaluating if any were employed by the person he was here to meet with. Looking down at his hands he felt the bloody bandage in between his fingers. Dried Zabrak blood. Another furious rage started to boil in his veins and he shunted it aside- saving the emotion for later. Anger was a bad emotion- at least that was the Jedi teaching, Anger will set one free- at least that was the Sith teaching. Tobias had been a member of both Orders, but now… with Adenna really gone… he wanted to finish training Pim and promote her to Jedi Knight before he actually left the Jedi. That didn’t work out. She had been on an assignment from him, and it went too far. Internally, he was mad at himself for not anticipating the Hutts reaction. Or at least not anticipating this quagmire of a situation. Pim had gone down as a member of his crew, Tobias Vos. He knew that name would catch the ears of Drula The Hutt, the Hutt he used to be owned by. The one Vos ran away from. Pim was supposed to help him take down the Hutt, but here they were… she was captured and tortured obviously. Drula’s crime ring was in the employ of Lord Peregrine, and an intimidated employee- but recently the Hutt had been re- expanding his business tactics into areas that Peregrine did not allow. So the Hutt was hiding it, and so his fate was sealed. With this change of behavior there was no way to get Peregrine into see Drula without him summoning all his guards and hired guns. That’s why he decided to send them Pim on behalf of Vos. Invite Vos in or infiltrate if they didn’t check Pim. So naturally they did and Grula went to work on her, ergo why Vos wasn’t angry at Pim getting caught- it was what Grula had done- the evidence was in his hand, the bloody bandana. He would land and go stop Grula, that was his decision. ~~~ In a cantina, of course, Vos called the Grula compound. He told them who he was and that he was here to bargain for his agent. They had to speak with Grulas’ aid of course, who told the guards exactly what Vos had said five minutes prior. So the guards came and “escorted” Vos out. They were good hired guns, they were compassionate to Vos, but they were in charge. They were good because they didn’t hustle the gray haired, blind, carrying a cane and portable air generator. The oxygen nostril tubes remained on his face, otherwise he would have wheezed a lot more. They were good, but dumb, ergo Voss’ ability to cast this illusion and persuade them to help him with the air tank. Not too long after, Tobias and Grula met face to face. “Master Grula” Tobias greeted him, with a crack in his voice and a warble in his voice <<Well, well, well, who have we here? Vos! Where have you been? My people have been trying to return you to me for years! Now that you are here, you are a very old human!>> Vos shrugged, there was only one way this was going to play out so it didn’t matter what he said. “Older, yes. Wiser, yes.” <<Wise?!>> The slug chuckled, eliciting a chorus of laughter from the cronies and hangers on in his court. Not the soldiers. <<Sending your agent who dropped your name instantly?! Foolish human, foolish zabrak.>> “Where is the Zabrak?” Vos wheezed over his air tubes. Grula chuckled again, and waved a hand. A whimper and rattling chains came from down a corridor and a Gamorrean led a young teenage humanoid into the light. An iron collar around her throat, chunks of her skin had been peeled off her face as if they tried to flay her alive. A horn was broken and she was coated in blood. Around her wrists was a pair of binders that were attuned to force users. With his cane in hand, he pointed to the pair. “Release her, I am here.” then stabilized himself by putting his cane down and acting as if he was winded. <<Release her? No, I do not think so. You see, Vos, you left my employ without paying off your debt, the zabrak you sent so graciously will pay off your debt.>> Grula waved a hand and the pair retreated as a guard near Vos kicked out his cane and he fell to his knees with a cry of pain and shock. <<I have a lot of work for her already lined up.>> Vos moved to straighten and reached out a hand to his cane while exaggerating his blindness. There was laughter all around the room. “Grula, please, do what you will with me but- “ <<SILENCE!>> Grula shouted, clearly agitated. <<You scanned him for weapons? Seize everything else and throw him in the pit!>> Vos recovered his cane, and as his hand rested on it, his other hand dropped the air generator. With everyone thinking he was a pathetic cripple who had just lost an agent, no one noticed that the generator wasn’t powered anymore, no one noticed as the old man wobbled to his feet that he had deftly ran his hand up the shaft of the cane and put something inside the middle of it. No one heard the click, or saw the smirk under the air hose. The Guards had searched him, but since his lightsaber wasn’t a detectable weapon without a power source, he had the element of surprise. “Grula!” Vos shouted as guards moved in. “Last chance to give me the girl or I will take your life and everyone in here! So help me by the seven circles of hell, you all will be drenched in your own blood if you do not let my employee free, right now.” Grula was angry now, a hutt snarl crossed his face. <<She’ll pay for that too! You’re blind, crippled, and a fool! You have no standing here! NO POWER!>> Vos barked out laughter- “I was hoping you’d say that.” The audience hushed as they understood a compounding threat when they heard it- but what could this human do? The crowd would have been laughing had not every single being in the room felt this ominous wave spread across the patrons. “Vah are nah tisci bah ch'at Peregrine Order non, ch'abeiuh.” Was all Vos said, and the hutt lost all his color. The audience was instantly on edge. They didn’t know what Vos had said but they saw how Grula’s attitude changed instantly. <<No! WHAT?! KILL HIM!>> Vos sprang into action, using the momentary confusion to his advantage. A gamorrean closed in from either side as a humanoid bounty hunter came up from behind. In an instant Vos dropped the act- his hair returning to its regular color, his posture was now lithe and graceful rather than old and rickety. Even his clothes seemed to fit better. What was most concerning to his enemies- his eye color returned and his skin, what little could be seen, glowed with a faint hue coming from the scars that traced his body. The cane was in his right hand, so he spun it across his body to the gamorean on his left. The crowd panicked as Vos ensured that ugly smile would never be the same- blood and tooth sprayed out onto the floor. As his shoulders pivoted his body to the left, he reached out with his left hand and pushed with the Force. He flew back- the gamorean was bigger than he was so it was reasonable that this would work. It was just enough force to make the green pig stumble back. Leaving Vos with just the bounty hunter- but with a flourish of the cane, the end smashed into its gut. There was a wet sound from the helmet, causing Vos to wince with disgust. Not able to afford the distraction, he knelt and spun to continue the move and brought the ball at the end of his cane down on the gamorean that stumbled back- also breaking the ugly smile there too. As Vos spun on his knee, he took in the crowd and Grula. “Grula, you chose this!” He shouted with a mad intensity on his face, and there was no mistaking the metal on leather as weapons were trained on the lone target. With a mental command the ball at the end of his cane dropped to the floor. The smoke that was trapped inside was now filling the room rather quickly, eager to break its confinement then Vos was instantly covered by the smoke. Then the fireworks started- red, green, yellow blaster bolts flooded the room at the place Vos was last seen. With pre-loading his system with oxygen his muscles were up to the task of moving fast. Vos ran around the inside of a pillar on the first floor and then leaped behind the smoke to a new spot- and launched himself to the second story and started to bludgeon people. Anyone that came close was injured in some fashion. This entire organization had been sliding downhill ever since Vos slacked off his Peregrine activities per orders- so he had no remorse for those in Grula organization. They had all seen a young girl tortured and an old man bullied- there were worse crimes granted, but they would all pay for the former. As soon as all the alleged VIPs were contended with, Vos was just in time to see a group of armored thugs rush the main floor. “Well, if y’all want to be bantha fodder, so be it…” He muttered. Vos picked up a blaster pistol and went to the edge of the overlook. “I’ll give you guys the option to surrender, just walk away.” Tobias stated as he trained the pistol on the group, visible now that the smoke had disappeared. They all raised their weapons. Tobias was already training his blaster on the air generator he had carried in. One shot from a pistol with red bolts was all it took to detonate the generator and make a small explosion. Small, but powerful enough to send shrapnel into each of the guards. Their backup wasn’t too far behind, and they all staggered as they saw what had happened to their comrades. Possibly knowing what the Hutt would do if they ever met again, they started to shoot at where Tobias was hiding. Ducking behind the little cover he had, Tobias found a Quarren with gang tattoos on his face tentacles. Figuring the Quarren wasn’t putting on a false front of a bad guy and was a genuine bad guy, the broken leg and arm would have put the alien in a state of shock. Ejecting the power cell and then the dowel rods from the cell, he put the power cell back into the blaster and did it to another blaster. Placing both blasters on the Quarren, and managed to drop the thug to the first floor. Without putting up too much of a fight too, it was nice and easy. He hit with a wet crack, a loud crunch, and a whimper of pain. The security squad got more backup just as the power cells went critical as two improvised grenades. Sensing that everyone and everything was genuinely hurting on the first floor, he poked his head over the railing of his cover and saw that the forth group was smart and hid in the entrance where Pim had been taken. Grula was also heading down that tunnel. Taking out his cane, he pointed it towards the entrance where the troops were holding position. Then popped around the corner from behind the cover and pressed the internal button in the cane. A small one pound rocket shot out and impacted more or less in the center of the hallway. They were all taken out. Now it was time for the confined space. MAking another quick joke to himself, Vos leapt off the balcony and floated to the ground. Bodies lay about him in one fashion or another. The Quarren had imploded, so he was out of pain. Looking down, his clothes were bloodied and dusty but all in all not too shabby. No baster bolts for a brief moment allowed Vos to think, but a moment was all he got as more guards and bounty hunters came pouring into the hallway. Down the access corridor he jogged, his eyes ablaze with righteous fury. Keeping count of how many dregs he cut down was pointless. It was just one after another. The hallway was roughly 16ft wide and 12 ft tall, with an empty bulkhead opening every few feet. Some of the dregs decided it was a good idea to hide behind these and try to surprise the attacker, and it was a good idea had Vos not been a force user. Clearly sensing the ones hiding, he ripped right through them as they started to pop out to get an angle on him. Blaster fire erupted from the next bunk head, and for the first time, Tobias thought about using his lightsaber. There was an alternative though, the blasters back in the audience chamber. He summoned some pistol, removed the rods from the power pack and threw it down the hallway. Then, he summoned a blaster rifle he was familiar with- and started to answer the blasters aimed at him. Switching the rifle from semi-automatic to fully automatic he pivoted and started laying down suppression fire. The guards didn’t stand a chance, the blasters exploded and they fell limp to the floor. Others let their instincts get the better of them and they started to run. Vos switched the blaster back to semi-automatic and lined up a shot. Time seemed to slow, and that gave him some time to think about his actions- was it Jedi like to shoot a fleeing enemy in the back? Would they try to ambush him later? Should he take them out? Vos blinked and lowered the rifle. Making a face of disgust he checked the rifle's charge and started to jog after the fleeing individuals. He hoped they wouldn’t try to attack him again after he had shown mercy. As he navigated the hallways, his danger sense overwhelmed him- but he didn’t pay any real attention to it, he was in a criminal den and his only ally at the moment- of course his danger sense was heightened. Still doing his best to remain vigilant though, he was caught off guard by a rocket turret. As he rounded a corner and got a few steps down the path, an unmistakable click-swoosh sound and there was the rocket. Vos dove forward, the rocket exploding behind him and showering him with debris. There was another sound, and that was his only warning of another rocket. This one was pushed back by Vos, using the force to slam it back at the turret. With a small detonation, that problem was solved. But with each ending is a new beginning, and just starting to get up, it was the beginning of a new problem. A massive foot caught Vos in the ribs and he was punted into the wall. The rifle slipped out of his grip and clattered away, along with the breath in his lungs. Stars appeared in his vision and then a mighty hand picked Vos up by the neck and another fist rammed into his chest. There was either a large crack or several small cracks at once, and Vos let out a grunt of pain. After a moment, his vision stopped swimming and he saw a basilisk holding him. With its three other arms it started to pummel Vos. Doing what he could, Vos put up a Force shield around his body to try to lessen the beating he was receiving. This didn’t slow his opponent though. It just gave Vos enough time to catch a breath and retaliate. He caught one of the fists pummeling him, that threw the beast off its rhythm- and the look of shock was evident in the eyes of his attacker. In the scuffle his cane had also fallen away, but Vos quickly located it and reached out with the force. He locked eyes with his attacker just as the snap-hiss sounded. The boldness was quickly replaced with fear as the cane saber sliced through the arm holding Vos up. The appendage hit the ground with a meaty slap. As soon as his feet hit the floor, the saber snapped into his hand and a flourish ended the basilisk. He took a moment to catch his breath and look down the hallway. Another group had fortified their position with an e-web repeating turret. Vos closed his visor, sealing himself into his combat suit and deactivated the blade. He turned the cane over to the base and aimed at the turret. Depressing a switch inside the actual cane- a small rocket shot out, fins extending and propellant igniting. The squirrely rocket detonated a moment later, leaving the hallway scorched and littered with debris. He wanted to fall to his knees and take a moment. Just to gather himself back up and collect his thoughts. In the back of his mind there was a little clock that was ticking loudly in reminder that Grula and Pim were getting further from him. Continuing forward he encountered another few small groups of guards and dealt with them as if he were a blowtorch and they were butter. He started to hear the whine of an engine and realized there was a small hutt corvette that had landed in what was obviously a hanger. Through all the hustle and bustle he saw the loading ramp closing. Pulling the Force to himself and letting it deep into his body through his Force Scars, Vos blew forward in a mad dash across the bay. He knew he wouldn’t make it to the ramp in time, so he pulled harder. The Force Scars always hurt but when Tobias drew the Force through them his pain increased rapidly. As soon as he was a hundred feet or so he started to feel the vibration of the corvette, it was going to take off any second. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blur of motion coming at him. It was another force user- carrying a yellow bladed lightsaber. The figure skidded in front of Vos, blocking his path. It was a female Cathar, and she looked vaguely familiar. Regardless, Tobias knew he had to get on that corvette. Releasing some of the power he held, he leapt over the Cathar, she also jumped up and swung at Vos. Who is she? Vos wondered for a brief second He parried, as he reached the pinnacle of his flip. Tobias landed and deactivated his blade and sprinted towards the ship. The Cathar was hot on his heels, but lagging just a little behind. She tried to push him, he just let himself be carried. When she tried to pull on him, he spun around and let loose his second and last mini rocket. The ship lurched, he was so close he could feel the heat from the ships engines. Extending his hand he let the Force leave him and impact the side of the engine housing. The fuel supply hose compressed, the engines sputtered. There was just a small amount of time gained. Reversing his powers' intention he pseudo flew to the ship and he lashed his boots to the side of the hull. The Cathar followed and started to attack him again. Unlashing then relashing to the side of the ship, his feet were mounted to the side of the ship, he was perpendicular to the ground below. This seemed to stump the Cathar as she cocked her head to Vos’s alignment. Underneath the helmet he smiled and pulled hard on his opponent. Surprised, she fell forward and made a wild swing as she fell to the floor. She landed alright but Vos was already scrambling to the top of the ship and away from her range. As soon as he was stable he spun the lightsaber around and into the hull with a downward thrust just as the ship lurched forward. The Cathar growled and leapt forward again, using her claws to grab tiny edges on the hull. She clung on for dear life as the ship shot forward. Vos rotated the blade as it melted the hull plate. The wind whipped at him, trying to peel him away from the ship. Pulling the Force into his body again, he held the lightsaber as a hand hold revitalizing his endurance as the g-forces started to have an effect. Enclosed in his combat suit the wind was the least of his worries. He felt Pim through the force. He could tell she was in terrible pain, but she was amused, and happy. She knew Vos would not stop to get his apprentice back. Pim had almost been killed, almost. As he was feeling her thoughts, so too could she. She felt his determination and resolve. Not all was well though, Vos could feel her start to worry and be nervous. Then, a loud “ker-klash!” Sounded and there was an ejection pod that sounded off. Vos projected determination and curiosity- seeing if Pim would indicate Grula was still there. Pim flooded her presence with affirmation. Grula was on that escape pod, or whatever craft had departed. Vos was in a classic predicament, chasing someone who jumped onto a passing gravtrain in the opposite direction. He closed his eyes and took a moment to compose himself, listening to the force. Vos could feel the Cathar clinging on and starting to worry. He felt the crew of the ship perplexed but following orders. He felt Pim. He felt the crew of that other ship. He felt the Force. While they were miles above the ground now, Tobias deactivated the lightsaber, and stood up. The wind caught his body and he was gone in an eye blink. A spike of alarm and shock from the Cathar, but he couldn’t be worried about that’d right now. He focused on what he was feeling through the force. After a moment, the Cathar lept from the ship in an effort to follow Tobias but she didn’t have any type of environmental suit, she had to be low on oxygen and very cold- so basically desperate. Vos dove through the sky, dipping through clouds, trying to find the craft that was used to escape. He could feel Pim close to him, and looking… looking… He found the shuttle! With his powers he pulled toward the ship with all his might. Rocketing through the air in a free fall he started to plot his landing. There was a pretty big lake below… Trusting the Force, Vos spread his arms like a bird of prey. He had fallen like this only once before on a Jedi covert mission that he didn’t quite agree with but the sensation of free fall was intoxicating. Way in the back of his mind he realized why people actually did this recreationally. Catching a sliver of fear from Pim, Vos projected confidence and trust to her. Pim was getting worried about something. Vos could infer what she was worried about- him free falling. The emotions permeated through her aura- and with good reason. He wasn’t exactly in the safest place and that was worrying her. The ship carrying her was landing next to the pond. Another small internal sliver of amusement shot through the back of his mind- What if the hutt had actually gone somewhere else? Either up to space in that little ship or onto the other side of the planet? The Force was with him, no doubt about that. He was quickly approaching the ground, no shocker there, but the lake was his target and he could tell it was deep enough for him to dive and swim back up. Getting the angle right would also be key, he wanted to hit the lake at an angle and use the momentum to shoot out of the lake towards the ship. Concentrating, he did just that. The surface wasn’t too hard, and it was a bit broken so that was good. It wasn’t as graceful as he was hoping but he shot below the surface, his arms and legs tucked in, his back arched and so his chest caught most of the current and directed him upward, he exploded from the lake, rising up he landed on his feet but momentum being what it was- he had to somersault forward and catch himself. His face plate was broken by the impact, so he removed it and tossed it to the side. He could feel warm liquid running down his face- a broken nose and a fat lip. As he was assessing his injuries, he felt a sharp spike of fear and panic as the Cathar watched what he had done and knew she couldn’t do the same. She flailed as she got closer, losing her composure. He wondered if it was more cats versus water or falling object landing. The former, he couldn’t help with, the latter though, he could. Showing compassion he tried to slow her down. Vos reached out his hand and closed his eyes, she slowed- she slowed- he gritted his teeth- she slowed. There was a loud smack on the water and he opened his eyes. He took a panicked step forward and waited, he couldn’t go back into the lake, he couldn’t risk her attacking him. He just wanted to make sure she was alive- or dead. Part of him knew he should have just ran off and to leave the Cathar to her fate, but the light side… internally he rolled his eyes. The feline lady breached the surface, gasping for air, a primal cry. Vos picked her up through the Force and let her catch her breath. “I have saved your life twice now- I will not be so generous a third time. Are you going to pursue me further?” He shouted across the lake. The Cathar felt for her weapon, realized it was at the bottom of the lake, and hung there- soggy and sad. She shook her head. “Good answer, Grula probably thinks you’re dead, go home.” Gently, he brought her to the edge of the lake and let her land and then collapse. The poor thing was waterlogged, and disheveled. Vos turned his back and just as he took a step the Cathar spoke. “Grula, he has another one of us. More skilled than I, good luck, Jedi.” Vos narrowed his eyes at the label she gave him. For his purposes, he raised his hand into the sky and called to the Force to bring the weight and feel of his own weapon back to him. Remembering the balance of it, the feel, and the connection. He also was reaching out in another way, timing it just right… A loud snap and his weapon was back in his own hand. The air displacement contributed to the illusion he was projecting in addition to the Aing-Tii technique. A pillar of violent energy cracked across the lake and through Vos, radiating to the skies. It was all done in a split moment, and he did get some guilty satisfaction from watching her face. To her it was real, but he was a great illusionist. Not the best, certainly not the worst. Tobias bellowed and laughed “I am afraid, I am no Jedi. Be gone, Cathar! Be gone and live better.” She gasped in shock, she could feel his power. It was almost tangible in the air. Her mind was rolling with decisions that were needed- her fight or flight autonomic response was triggering. Tobias was tired of letting her try to make the right decision. “Very well, hold your breath.” Tobias collected the Force around his hand and shoved the Cathar back into the lake. With a snort from the humanoid and a splash from the feline, Tobias turned to chase down the Hutt and his apprentice. As he traveled away from the lake he heard the alien hit the lake and then a moment later he lost sight of the lake as he used the Force to enhance his speed and he resumed tracking his quarry. A few minutes and he could tell he was nearing some sort of compound through the little forest. This was no time for stealth, he kept having to repeat himself. This was an all out assault. A tag and bag operation. There were multiple turret placements, a shuttle was parked in the middle of the landing field- it looked like an old Empire installation. So many different species that were running around, but there was a group that caught his eye. Mandalorians. Or at least five that were wearing the legendary armor. Plotting his best approach from the perimeter, he watched the mandos and what they were doing. They seemed relaxed, but alert. Like guards who have been on watch for weeks and they haven’t seen anything- but they knew it was a possibility that something might happen. Tobias could oblige. With no ranged weapons he had to rely on his skills with the Force. There was no problem with that, he was quickly burning through his energy and what his body could take. This whole day seemed as if it had happened over months- not hours. Pulling energy around him, Vos started to run forward towards the camp- pulling forest debris with him in a tornado. Leaping over the last hedgerow, he was a cannonball flying through the air. The debris followed and continued their trajectory. It was like a smoke bomb, but also not- this was made to bring their attention to an area and to disorient. Blaster fire erupted from an E-Web but was quickly silenced when a tree limb collided with the Quarren firing the weapon. As Vos hit the ground, he rolled, turning his landing into a slide behind cover. Gripping the E-Webs trigger with the force, he held it down and the turret just spun and fired constantly. This was chaos. It looked as though a tornado had gone through - several of the staff were injured by small flying debris- but the Mando’s were reacting. One of course had to prove how manly he was. “Ho! Jedi! You don’t need to kill and destroy everything, face me in one-on-one combat!” Pinching the bridge of his broken nose, Tobias shook his head. This man was about to die if he wanted that. “How do I know your friends won’t try to intervene?” “On my honor!” the mando called. Tobias cursed that he only had two eyeballs to roll at that remark. “Fine!” Tobias poked his head up, ready to duck back in case they did try to shoot him- or throw something- or sent flames his way. Nothing but the lead mando stepping forward, brandishing a double sided vibroblade. Disconnecting the top section of his cane, the lightsaber came free and he held it in his left hand. Vos and the mando squared up, then started to run towards one another. Raising his left hand with an active saber, the mando helmet tilted up and Vos started to see his own reflection in the visor. Then, there was another beam of light, coming from Vos’s right hand. He had activated the other side of the double lightsaber mounted to his cane, and had angled just right to spear the mando while the mando was in the midst of his own attack. The tip of the saber dug into the base of the neck of the mandalorian, causing him to crumple almost decapitated. “If you had any honor, you would have not been a part of kidnapping and flaying my apprentice.” Tobias boldly stated, and then dropped both of the weapons from his hands as the other mandalorians rushed him. Energy poured through him and into his Force Scars. If he wanted, he could have started a starship's main reactor with the energy. Pulling the Force around him, the wind picked up to really set the scene. Retracting the helmet, he watched as they bore down on him. They only decided to slow down when they got close enough to see the energy streaming off him in tiny wisps, as if he was glowing. It was more than just a visual effect- his scars were burning away the combat layer he had on. His hands were now bare and the scars were painful to even look at; they were such a white light. The cuff fell away and the sleeves were just taters, like tassels. Reaching his right hand out flat, one of his assailants floated up, struggling against the unseen hand. Screaming with impudence, Vos silenced the man as he crushed his entire body by grabbing the armor plates and pushing them together as his hand clenched into a fist. The bloody pulp landed back on the ground. As far as the other three, Vos used the Force to push them back- but didn’t hold back any energy- one of the three flew backwards and hit a wall with an audible wet slap, and then slid down the wall. Another spun while in the air and was impaled against a gun turret. As soon as those two died, all his energy focused on the last one - and he PUSHED so hard that the mandalorian was lost to the clouds. With his sleeve tassels blowing in the air, Tobias stalked forward with intent. A gentle motion from his hand was all that was needed to bend the door out towards him. And there they were, Grula and Pim. Uncharacteristically, Grula had a blaster pistol. Hutts rarely dirtied their own hands. But the blaster was pointed squarely at Pim. Fear struck Grula’s heart and he reacted to this by pointing and shooting at Vos. Holding up his left hand, the bolt froze in midair. It was probably not healthy for the Hutt’s eyes to bulge even further in their sockets. In his coldest voice “All you had to do was accept my agent and abide by my rules, Grula, that's it. But you wanted this, you took it to this level. So now I had to reign you in, and you tortured her.” Fury built in his voice as he went on. “You tortured this poor girl, and now you must answer for that.” Grula trembled more and more, until Vos ripped the blaster from his hand and then he decided to beg for his life. He didn’t give into the emotions, Tobias kept them in check but still had to use them for fuel for his body. Part of him wanted to lash out and use his fists, but ultimately that would be pointless, Grula would just continue on his criminal behavior, trying to make the most money out of drugs, slavery, and violence. Vos could end it, but he couldn’t, not anymore. With wisps of energy still streaming off him, Tobias reached out to his apprentice- his hand outstretched to her. This seemed to bolster her, and he continued to give her strength. She stood a little straighter and managed to walk her way over to her master. The two embraced and that's when all the injured caught up with Vos, all the energy he was building - he just let go of it all. The Force scars dimmed, and it looked like Vos deflated a little bit. ~~~ There he was, her master: Tobias. Pim had worried that he would let her be with her failure and there was no rescue. How wrong she had been. Half her body was flayed and sore so she barely had any energy left to stand at blaster point. The hutt had tried to pull out all the stops to kill or trick Tobias. Unfortunately for the hutt, he was a kath hound- searching for his apprentice. As soon as the blaster was ripped from Grula’s hands, she knew she was finally saved. Immediately she felt better as her master reached out to her through their connection in the Force. He poured his energy into her, jumpstarting the healing process. The pains dulled, and she just felt better overall. There seemed to be a trade off though. Tobias seemed to deflate. Ultimately he let her decide Grula’s fate and then she did what she knew she had to. Pim listened to this lesson like all her others and retained it well. As the pair left the bunker Grula had been hiding in, she left a datapad for the Taris officials to discover citing all the evidence they would need to put Grula away for good. At that moment though, she had to take care of her master who had increasingly got weaker and less coherent. “Pim, take me to this place.” he transmitted a waypoint for her to go to, just a fifteen minute flight away. An empty field on the outskirts of town. As she “borrowed” an airspeeder, she had to help Vos into the passenger compartment. He was silent on the flight, and on the way she did see first responders going to the bunker complex, which brought a slight sense of satisfaction. Quickly replaced by worry for her master though. Upon approach he started to mumble, and motion with his hands… she barely could make out the words. Since it was mostly automated, she connected a datapad to his combat suit for a medical readout. One lung was collapsed, liver was bleeding internally, along with dozens of microfractures in his hands and arms. Two vertebrae were shattered, Vos was in shock and barely holding on. Pim realized he was only being held together by the Force and his willpower. She cursed him for being so stubborn and foolheaded. Now that the Force was leaving his wounds were catching up to him. All the chemicals the combat suit pumped into him had also wrecked his cardiovascular system. Tears gathered in her eyes. She was so happy to see him, to be rescued, but then had to immediately come to the realization these were his last moments, even bacta wouldn’t have been able to save him. There was one other airspeeder that was there to greet him. Jedi Master Tut Maris and Tomin’tiquious. A flash of irritation, these two didn’t help in her rescue?! It was less about her, but more about why didn’t they help their friend?! Their ring leader?! As she realized that she was now in the anger phase of the grief path, she would love to transition to bargaining and maybe that's why Tut and Tom were here, to heal his wounds. She landed in a hurry and jumped out, popping both hatched on the airspeeder. Running around the front of the vehicle she shouted at the green and blue jedi masters. “Help me save him!” She started to pull the wounded man out of the seat only to feel Tut and Tom reach out with the Force to help him out. Carrying him with the Force, they brought him out and walked down the path in the grassy field they were next to. “Pim…” Tobias croaked. Tears streaming down her face next to the two stoic Jedi Masters. “Yes?! How can I save you?!” Vos drew in a ragged breath, his eyes were closed but twitched his hand towards her. She held his hand. “Pim, you must accept…” Vos wheezed. “Accept this…” In a flash, Tobias had transmitted a picturesque view of this forest around a pond, surrounded by mountains. It was so beautiful. But there he was, a little girl in his arms. His clan’s tattoo on the child's face. The girl waved to him, Pim waved back from the forest's edge. The girl climbed down from Tobias’s arms and ran over to her, a good distance away and as she reached Pim, she clenched to her thigh in an almost familial hug. The little girl looked up into Pim’s eyes and Pim saw the girl’s big toothy grin. “Don’t be afraid, Pim, Daddy says it’s okay. He must return to Beyond the Veil. He said you won’t get it at first, but there's more training for you on Rhen Var, you just have to access his files. You should know the password.” Then, just like that, she knew the girl's name- and the password. The little girl winked. “We have to go fishing now, I am hungry! And daddy stinks at catching fish! See you, Aunt Pim!” The girl gave Pim’s thigh another squeeze and she ran off, but stopping at a look from Tobias. The girl turned and simply said “May the Force be with you, Jedi Knight Pim Assairi.” and bowed. “May the Force be with you too, ‘Esie Denna. Look after your father for me.” Pim winked and turned back into the Forest- then came out of the vision. She could feel the tears on her cheeks, she wanted him to stay, but she knew that he needed to go. He would still be there, should she need it. So would Tut and Tom. They reached an old hut that looked like it hadn’t been used in years. “You have never felt The Veil, have you Jedi Pim?” Tom, in his eloquent Chiss way, rhetorically inquired. Pim shook her head and reached out- and gasped. This weird feeling in the Force, that was The Veil? “Years ago, Vos helped Dahar enter the veil here, along with why Vos came back from the Veil to begin with. Vos stayed for Adenna, then he stayed to train you. Your Knighthood was one of his last tasks. He must leave now, the Veil can heal him whereas we cannot.” Pim nodded, and let go of Tobias’s hand. His wet ragged breathing slowed, and as the two Jedi Masters set him down at the threshold of the cabin- Tobias raised his hand and pressed it against the door. While he didn’t open his eyes, he did have a pleasant smile on his face and sighed. Slowly, his hand fell back to his side on the ground, and Pim knew her master was gone. Tut and Tom both put their hands on Pim’s shoulder in solidarity. Their friend, commander, and teacher had also left. Pim silently cried for a few more moments over Tobias’s chest and then sat upright, sniffled, and stood up. The two Jedi Masters had retreated a little bit to give her room, but when she turned her back, Tobias’s body and clothes were gone. She gasped, but Tut poured reassurance to her through the Force. Pim nodded her head and that was that. Pim Asarri held her master's staff in her hand, somehow feeling his confidence and pride resonate from the staff, her bag held the datachip he had given her, and as she took a breath, she exhaled and started her first day as a Jedi Knight. And the first task she wanted to do… was get to a bacta tank.

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.

When he had made his little organization of scoundrel's and swindlers he had made sure to do thorough digging in their backgrounds. Sharv was one of those that had a bumpy history. While there was a bar to clear to work for him, Tobias had specifically recruited Sharv, he was a good check on the fringe in on Boreleias. Granted, he was just a bar tender and cook at a local diner but those individuals were useful in their own right. Explaing this to Pim had only taken a short time, as they waited for Sharv to make a run to his stash spot. While the Deveronian was a scoundrel, he suffered from some mental disorder where he was very particular about his schedule; Tobias was betting even after years of no contact. After dressing for their roles, Tobias and Pim were waiting for Sharv to drive to his drop point. Tobias was standing in the middle of the path, dressed in a dark robe, his hair tied behind his head, hands clasped behind his back. His regular clothes and cane were stashed in the brush, along with Pims. It had only been an hour before the underground affiliate started to drive up. His companion in the passenger seat slowly rose and aimed a blaster rifle at the unexpected visitor. The thug called out asking Tobias who he was and such- the usual threats. With an illusion in place, Tobias reached up to reveal his face, but as soon as he moved his hands the passenger tightened his finger on the trigger. Pim, right on queue, dropped down and ignited her lightsaber, well- the one her master had given her- and they were all bathed in a red light from the weapon. The tip of the saber pointed at the throat of the gunman. A casual threat from Pim was all that the alien needed to hear before relaxing his finger off the trigger and looking down to Sharv. Sharvs face paled as he recoginzed the black robed figure in front of him. The hood dropped around his shoulder and Tobias's fake face was easily recognizable to the driver. After a moment of shock, he barked a laugh- and then started to chuckle. "Well... well! I thought you were dead! I haven't heard from you in years!" Tobias shrugged and used the Force to gently push the companion back into his seat, and Pim hopped off the speeder they were driving. "Indeed. Thats why you continued to collect credits and not report out. So now would be a very good time to catch up." Sharv went rigid for a moment and then relaxed. "I suppose so..." His eyes narrowed; his brain in panic mode as he tried to recall the past three years of intel he had gathered. Tobias, taking a few steps forward to approach the speeder held up a hand- "Not all at once, don't tax that already overworked brain of yours. I am looking to the future, anyways. You will tell me of the resistance movement here on Boreleias." The bald, horned alien looked confused. "I know nothing of that." Tobias chuckled, "Nonsense, my friend. I've paid you- you know something. I've already bought you. Don't make me regret my investment. Beside, I want to help them." Tobias probed the aliens mind for information, just enough to know that he was lying, and influenced it just enough to make him believe he wanted to spill the beans and help the resistance. "Who do I need to talk to?" Sharv looked at his friend, with an obviously lost expression on his face. "They'll kill me if I don't tell them." The passenger nodded his head in confirmation of the unspoken question. "This is Marfla Daunge- he is in charge of one of the cells." Sharv said, sheepishly. Tobias smiled, knowing his false illusion would mimic the movement. "Well, Mr. Daunge, it's a very good thing you did not try to shoot me." The human, Marfla, spoke with a gravelly voice- "And just who are you? And why are you looking for the resistance?" Tobias chuckled, "I am Lord Peregrine, and I want the Sith off Boreleias. So, I was looking to see if we could combine resources and information to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement." A predators smile on his face. Marfla and Sharv shared a glance at one another, then back to the two black clocked figures they presumed were Sith or Dark Jedi. Then they started to chat and establish an arrangement. The conversation would continue on for a few more minutes, then a sharing of comm codes, then they would meet up later on. Tobias and Pim would return to the spaceport to meet back up with Armenia. The two parties went their separate ways. Tobias had Pim check the transmitters she had placed while Tobias was talking, and after they were deemed working properly, they did return to the space port.

As Armenia was taking care of matters, Tobias drifted slowly to his feet. Almost as if he was processing something in his mind that was almost at his capacity to deal with. Rolling his jaw around in its socket, he pondered the light that only he could see. It was his own stands of Force Energy- and he recognized where it was coming from. For a moment he started to panic. She had passed, he was about to lose control, he was about to- No, she was alive, and- awake. Adenna was awake. A rare, blissful smile crossed his face, he was a beacon of joy within the force, and he let out a whoop, silent of course, and the sudden ramifications boxed him in. Vox was training with another at the moment and would do so until at least after this mission. He still had a mission he had to go on with the new grandmaster. Now that Adenna was awake, did that mean that she was back in charge or was Armenia still Grandmaster? Should he refuse to go on the mission and then take orders from Adenna only? Would Adenna want to be back in charge? Could she? Now he was torn in to different directions. He wanted to go to her- but he had a duty to the Jedi now... which was odd. His mind was a torrent of thoughts, until he took a deep breath and settled his mind. Adenna would want to recover a bit at least before resuming, if that was even an option, her duties as Grandmaster. Right now, Armenia was still in charge and leading the fight. They needed to conduct this mission, and return. So he called to Pim in the Force, recalling her back to the ship. It was a good thing too, because just then Armenia walked back through the doorway and asked if he was ready. Just then Pim bounced aboard and her eyes widened at the site of the Grandmaster aboard the ship. "Pim, good timing my padawan. We're leaving." Tobias said, as he started to pack things back up. Her eyes darted between the clothes, Tobias, Armenia, the filthy jumpsuit, and back over her shoulder, and then returned to her master. She seemed at a loss for words, her teenage mind overwhelmed. "I know, but we will have to wait. Master Alluyen will need some time to recover, and the sooner we leave the sooner we're back. Now go on..." Pim bowed, her apprentice braid swung in the air, and then she disappeared. "Grandmaster, departure is yours. The droid crew is up for flying the ship- unless you would like the helm? Piloting is not one of my better skills, heh..." The two were alone in the common room, but Tobias's mind was elsewhere. At least for the moment. He did try to refocus on the mission, but part of him was distracted by Adenna's recovery. By the time the ship would enter hyperspace, his mind would be focused. However, he did reach out gently and send a gentle, warm, welcoming pulse to her- a weak one so that it didnt mess with her.

Vos nodded at Armenia's reply, and after a moment of silence, he openly philosophized. "Funny, isn't it? Jedi are supposed to go all over the Galaxy- yet not form any attachments. We do anyways- family, friends..." He snorted with amusement and gestured with his good arm around the common room. "...things. We grow passionate about these items- and use that passion to fuel our decisions and actions. Something the Sith do. But we do say it is good to care about these things, be passionate to fight for it even. When is the last time we fought for something that is right- that we have no connection to?" Another chuckle and smirk and he waved the same arm in a gesture of 'I'm ranting again, ignore me.' "So you were there... at Corusant..." Vos, his eyes already blind, still drifted off as if he was seeing back into the past. Idly he wondered where Tom's old friend had ended up, she had devoted a number of ships and resources on her own credits to the evacuation. "I've only been catching up recently... but... it doesn't make sense that the planet is still livable, or whatever it is. I haven't been back in... years. Has the moons orbit stabilized? Or is it a rogue planetoid now? Is there a plan for the Jedi to go return to Corusant? Is that why we're scouting Boreleias?"

Tobias shrugged as if Armenia's point about the vest wasn't anything to worry about; to him it wasn't. He smiled without meeting her gaze and took the vest off. It was similar to his scoundrel days and he missed the feel of the regular clothing. Despite belonging to the same order, preferences varied greatly. "You're not wrong, but if you go anticipating combat the more likely it is going to find you. I usually wear a combat sleeve under everything I wear anyways. Besides- to reactivate the connection there I will have to act a certain part- and that requires looking a certain part as well." He sighed, and sat down on the bench by the table. "Helps us remain incognito too, for the most part. A lot of this was from a few years ago under Kirlocca and... " His mood grew dark and he stumbled over the next word out of his mouth. Regret, sadness, and a certain longing spiced his Force Aura and he moved his hand to his nose and sniffed as if pulling back a tear. "...Dahar. so most of this stuff has hidden pockets for saber components or if bulky enough- full hilt sabers." "But anyways, what's on your mind? My apprentice is out trying to find out trandosian friend, so we have a moment to discuss things if you wish. Or there is ale in the cooler." His arm extended to the little kitchenette across the way. His blind eyes not locking onto the little nook, but his former chipper mood was returning.

There was a moment within all the preparation that was called for. While accustomed to his heart beating faster while training and in combat, Tobias found his heart and mind racing at the prospect of leaving Adenna here, without someone he could trust. Sure they Jedi were trustworthy enough- but that was just on the surface. He'd been betrayed by too many over the years- Adenna included, but that was more of the political situation they found themselves in these days. Rebel Alliance, again. Since his eyes were damaged, he refrained from rolling them again- wouldn't want to injure them any more than they already were. The Alliance to restore the old way? Why was it the old way always seemed to be on the end of a beating and then held up on a pedestal. Why couldn't the old way ever stand up and win? Overall winning, not the silly battle by battle winning? His love had made some progress in that realm, and then this happened... now... Armenia was calling the shots. He'd back her up of course, but his mind wandered. Sitting on the edge of his bed, hunched over with his hands crossed in front of him, he looked over his scars- with the Force of course. Again, he sighed, resigned to his fate and the path his decisions would take him. A good faith mission with Pim, Vox, and the Grandmaster. Into a project he'd been ordered to shut down. Part of him wanted to stay with Adenna, another part knew he couldn't, another said he shouldn't anyways, a fourth part wanted her to just wake up and get back into it, a fifth wanted her to wake and run away with her to the scene he often fantasized about. The one where he showed that inquisitor. That imperial knight. That rebel alliance imperial knight. At his, he rolled his eyes. It was that or vomit out of how nauseating the actual term was. How quickly the Jedi had left and put the blinders on. In the middle of his musings, he heard a loud whump followed by an exclamation of pain from a tiny voice from outside his door and down the hall. He rose to investigate. Finding Pim on the floor, holding the back of her head and sucking air through her teeth, she had obviously fallen and hit her head... but where had she fallen from. Apparently his question was on his face- and she responded without Tobias saying a word. "Something new I am trying... it works, but I'm just not strong enough with my control of the Force yet, Master." Pim said, standing up. "I made it half way around the ship, but I obviously need to work on it better." Vos nodded, smiling. He had noticed odd tendrils of Force essence floating around the ship recently. "When you perfect it, you will have to clue me in on what you're doing." Pim nodded back, smiling. "Yes, Master. I.. well..." she went on to explain what she was doing, and the thought process that was leading her to try this out. Tobias was amused- he hadn't thought of something like that, or at least not seriously. The way she looked at the Force was same but different than how he did- and he encouraged her to think outside the box. Her most recent idea, if it worked, would be a remarkable asset in the future. Leaving her to it, he returned back inside his cabin and started back in on his work.

Vos and Pim had returned to The Prism to do some prepping for the upcoming mission, While there had been a few hiccups, Pim was diligently working on several different aspects of the mission- and trying to calm her own fears and worries. Vos was busy reactivating his old contact line on the planet, a Deveronian named Sharv. Refreshing himself on the key phrases and code words, he diligently made sure the ship was in top condition, from the inside. On the outside of the ship, there was some carefully placed markings that would help sell their back story and be able to slip right back through whatever security checkpoints awaited them. One of the things Vos made sure of was the operational status of the fire suppression system. All checks were 'green,' and so he decided he would also rework his cane, so there was a bit of time devoted to obtaining scrap metal and various components. After that was the clothing issues. They certainly could NOT go planet side with just their Jedi Robes. While Vos had plenty of scoundrel's clothing, and Jedi attire was lacking... the others posed a different issue. He began work on that as well.

Heaving a slow and silent sigh, Vos nodded in acknowledgement of Armenia's points. When she finished up, he gave her a warm smile and relaxed a bit. "I just needed to express my concerns was all. As far as Borleias... you just want to set up a listening post and a small base of operations? So you want me to be part of a hit-and-run squad? And if we need some actors, I think these two, well just the one at the moment but..." He waved the thought aside as if blowing smoke away from ones own face. "They might be up to the challenge. When would we need to leave?" ~~~ Pim turned into the cafe and looked around at the various beings and species of the room, looking for something like soup. Today was a good day for soup, no doubt. As she made the rounds, she continued the conversation. "You want back into the action, eh? You don't like the ol' fashion rest and relaxation routine?" it was a gentle dig, a playful move on her end and she hoped he might realize its good to take a breather. She collected her selected food and went over to a table and waited for Vox to join her. stirring the soup with an idle hand Pims eyes got a thousand-yard stare for a brief moment, and she was back to her usual self. "It's good to pace yourself, to practice patience and vigilance. Life is like a journey up a mountain, you take a step up to get to your destination, but occasionally its good to take a moment, look back on what is behind you and where you are now then taking a moment to consider where you were to where you are." Pim smiled again, shrugging "Or I'm just over thinking it..." And she took a sip of her soup. "But, now you know you're Force Sensitive... so, whats your game plan now? Stay here at the temple for some training, become a padawan under a master, or return to your people?" Pim's tone was polite as always, but she had only really every known fellow Jedi, so she was curious about non-Jedi folks and their decision making processes.

"Heh, I am a little handicapped." Vos replied to Draygo's first comment, tapping his cane on the floor and tilting his head towards his left arm. "But, I will request a rematch sometime soon. Keep the blade, I have plenty." He tried to wave the saber away so she would keep it. It was a little important that she did keep that particular blade. She barked at the gathered crowd, and Vos was unsettled by it. It was another abrasive outburst by the Jedi- his mind flooding with memories of his space station and the workers on it- the treatment they had afterwards. He cleared his thoughts as his former sparring partner took an unexpected step closer. What was she doing? Instinctively, he brought his mental guard up- then remembered he was a jedi, she was a jedi. However difficult, he relaxed. Sensing they were about to discuss at length her plans, he motioned for Pim and Vox to leave the observation room and to go eat. Doing this with just two simple hand gestures, he returned most of his attention to Draygo. He needed to sit down, so he motioned for them to walk up a nearby staircase into the training wing’s observation lounge. Exactly where Pim and Vox had been a few moments earlier. He motioned for Draygo to have a seat and join him. Sitting in a plush chair, he rested the cane against its side, and sat forward. Tobias unwrapped the cloth around his eyes and rolled it up tucking it into a satchel he kept near him. The wrapping had collected sweat from the recent sparring match, it was obviously irritating the skin on his face ergo him taking it off. With another wave, he lowered the brightness of the lights in the room from his seat. It was then he finally opened his eyes a crack and looked over to Draygo, who was talking this entire time. The light didn’t hurt, much, so he opened them up the rest of the way. It was the first time in over two months he had opened his eyes. While he was blind in a sense, he hadn’t exercised his eyes that much so he blinked a few times and then looked right at and into the new Grandmaster, seconds after she confided in him. With everything that was just confessed, it felt like he had just been taken out at the knees in a surprise attack. Gritting his teeth and playing other conversations back in his mind, he clenched his fist for a moment in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose. With a sharp sigh and a sharp gesture as if cutting the air with his hand, he locked his scared eyes onto Armeia. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Vos stated through clenched teeth, and almost as a whisper. He had a long retort for the new Grandmaster, giving her a piece of his mind and frustration. Namely how since Dahar, Kirloca, whats-his-face, Adenna, and now… he’d been forced to shut down his spy network, his shipping networks, the security companies, his space station, and a dozen other wrongs. “There’s several problems, to be honest, Master Draygo. So, please, hear me out.” The Kiffar collected his thoughts and checked his frustrations. It wasn’t Armenia, it was the entire situation, over the last few years. “We are in this mess because of the actions of your predecessors, namely… whats-his-face? Grandmaster Pretty Boy.... He basically forced me out of the role you’re implying you’d like me to fulfill, the Spymaster or Shadow. I’ve had both roles before, and I have the networks for both- if you’re asking me to reboot them- I’m going to need certain… understanding from you. Namely, you’re not going to like some things I will do- and if you want to go to Borleias you need to be okay with those small instances. " “And if we’re going to Borleias, you have to promise me a few things- One is that if you’re in danger- you need to leave me behind. The Jedi can’t go through another leadership transition. You also have to explicitly state the goals for this mission. What of my two apprentices? I’m hesitant to bring them along on a covert mission. I may have a few ideas for them if they need a different assignment.” He took a breath, and brushed imaginary dirt from his knee but pressed on; “There also needs to be a level of trust between us, and as we have never worked with one another- and you took the first step with that admission, I’ll tell you one of mine.” He gestured at his dark Jedi Master Robes. “This is the first time I’ve been able to wear Jedi Robes. I’ve never been able to before- then the Dark Sun Station mission, then my shunning, then I went to Gala- there I received these…” He held up his hand, and even gestured to his scars all over. “I finally considered myself a Jedi...After years of helping you all try to get to this point and further… But Gala is healed from it’s Force Scar. I won’t jeopardize my new state- but you still won’t like some things I will do or say. I don’t want to go through another round of transitioning to a new boss, to shunning, to doing the distasteful missions, shunning, and round and round the process goes.” “So, with that all said- I still don’t fully trust you especially the council you named, you gave a spot to Master Eleison- who is an Imperial Knight! Granted she was a Jedi- but NOW she is an Imperial Knight, the leader of that sect. Our two Orders are similar, but we still have different stance on the Force. Kriff, even I have vastly different views of the Force than you and the rest of the Jedi Order...Sarna who has less than a year as a Master…and has some strong Imperial leanings. Kil, I haven’t even heard of until today, but I think she’s a good pick. I think that giving the Imperial Knights any sort of influence to you and your roll is an awful idea. Their insight is valuable, but most of them would cull half the Jedi Order based on their actions and mistakes. I just worry about our apprentices and soldiers with their philosophy- they wouldn’t consider out-of-the-box thinking that could provide better results in some situations… Make sense? Or am I just speaking nonsense at this point? We are the Jedi Order, not the Imperial Knights. You should have Jedi advising you.” He shrugged with both shoulders, but one hand raised up in a hey what are ya gunna do gesture. Tobias smiled, glad to get all that out, and sat back in his chosen seat. Hopefully venting a few frustrations, he wouldn’t suffer any repercussions. “Just speaking my mind, Grandmaster. But as far as Borleias… what are your thoughts?” ~~~ Pim motioned for @Vox to follow her. Clearly her master wanted to chat with the other Jedi in private. "I'm hungry, want to go to the mess hall?" She questioned him, but lead the way there regardless of the Trandosians answer. "So, what is your background? Why'd you come to Nar Shaddaa?"

Vos smiled, it was a bold move that his opponent rushed him in return. The saber and cane wouldn't reach Vos in time and while being blind, he couldn't use his other Force power to summon his hilt back into his hand. What he did though was collapse onto his right leg as he let the momentum carry him forward on the floor and he slid under Draygo. Letting the Force guide his actions, his hand shot up and connected with the hilt before it went past him. Knowing this was the moment the duel climaxed- he rotated back to Draygo- saber at the ready. She had known as well, and was in perfect position to line her blade up with his chest. His, was just slightly out of proper placement. Deactivating the blades, both Jedi Masters bowed to one another. As the betters settled their winnings and losses, Tobias nodded to his opponent. "That was a brilliant move, Master Draygo. Well fought." The man chuckled, and in one motion, he clipped the saber to his belt, called his cane over - which he had knocked out of the way when he caught the single hilt in his hand, and leaned on the cane. "While I fundamentally disagree that Force Users can be holstered- once you open that box there is no putting the contents back in the box. I do not wish to see my fellow Jedi..." He trailed off, chuckling at the realization of what he had just said. Both the seeing and the Jedi part. The smile turned serious as he continued, "...go down that path. People like you are useful, however people like me are dangerous. So, what task did you have in mind that would require our skills?" Tobias turned a touch more serious, wanting to get down to business. ~~~ Pim just looked down from the room they were in. "Whoa. That was wicked." She voiced her thoughts. "Too short though... Oh well." A sly smile spread across her face as she looked at the trandosian next to her. "Well, what do you think @Vox?" She asked him.

However, they could be muzzled- but this was a thought that even Vos wouldn't want to bring to the forefront of his mind and let the evil idea out. He knew of three specific ways to sever someone's connection to the Force forever- and one to make the individuals intelligence drop to a that of a space slug. There had only ever been two being he had ever seen that were holstered in such a way. Banishing the though from his mind he reacted to her last statement- he threw his lightsaber. The Orange blade whisking through the air- at first straight at the Grandmaster- then it deactivated before making a clattering against the floor behind Draygo. In the second before he deactivated the blade with the Force, Tobias started to sprint towards his opponent. About two thirds of the way there, he reached his hand back out to the Grandmaster- and pulled on the whole area around her. There was the a snap-hiss as a blade reactivated behind her. The reactivated blade was still a few maters behind her. But his cane spun and knee-level from directly behind her from against the wall where he had left it. Trying to distract her with the flashing blade and the sound of the reactivating weapon to hide the fact there was a silent instrument. Part of what he pulled on was Draygo herself, but just barely tugging at her, as the lightsaber and cane were his primary concern.

Tobias felt her move- and he jerked his head back just as she was delivering a overhead blow to start things off. His body snapped and he moved backwards, just enough to dodge her attack. While there was a low murmur from the spectators, the Kiffar did not acknowledge the noise. Instead, he planned out a series of strikes and the transitions to each. Mind racing he focused on one thing and one thing alone- peace. He knew that if he started to think over this new Grandmaster he'd lose his temper. That same thing had almost just happened a few minutes ago... Wishing Kirlocca would have stuck around, he was a a bit of a grounding rod for Tobias, a calming presence, instead of just his mind telling him to be calm. That and a thousand other things. He paused here, responding to her statement, opening with a snort "I make life miserable for everyone, unfortunately, not just the Sith." There was no room for pity in the statement, it was a dig at everyone else not understanding how he did things- and a dig against himself for the same exact thing. There was no backlash of emotion or anything from the man, just peace. He came at her with a low-high-high-low-low move that caused a few folks to goggle at what they were seeing. It was on this last blow, he flipped up and over Master Draygo and landed opposite of the corner where he started, facing Draygo. He landed on his good leg, and gently set his right leg down on the mat with ease. Holding this orange blade in his hand, he leveled his arm and dashed at her with only two steps- sweeping the blade in and engaging in another fury of blows. It was great to exercise and cross blades with another Jedi with skill, he relished it- but kept his mind and aura at peace. After a brief minute he let the momentum of a parry move from Armenia carry him backwards a few steps and he heaved a deep sigh and he adjusted his left arm- still in a sling- so that it was more comfortable around his neck. All the while holding the blade ready for the next move from her. If someone looked closely enough- they'd see a smirk on the Jedi's face.

Alas, the quick duel and Kirlocca was out. Tobias held the pose as the wookiee walked out of the room. A glance at his departing friend and Tobias blew him a quick kiss, hopefully that dismissed the seriousness of the situation but spoke volumes all the same. As the door closed, Tobias swung the hilt in one his one hand. "I was looking forward to a free-for-all, would have been quite instructive." With a shrug and a smirk, he refocused on the duel at hand. He swung the blade in a reverse circle, and bent his knees slightly. Settling into a quick overhead defensive guard position, and waited. Lacking vision, he reached out with the Force, feeling the room.

Tobias handed her the secondary blade, the double hilt. It was a shorter hilt than most with three small grooves carved in a subtle helix fashion spiraled around the hilt. "Splendid." A white toothed grin spread across his face. He had a joke for this... and almost said it before the mental filter caught it. He walked a few feet away from the pair. "Best be sure you're on the training setting. Theres a small switch and then you get a more glossy setting." Setting the cane down in a corner, Tobias stretched his right leg out as he walked back to the other two in the room. Casually, he activated the single hilt and a waved it like a scythe in front of him, loosening up his right shoulder. Practicing a transition of Form Five, he settled into a hybrid of Form One; then waited for the others to make the first move. Kirlocca, he'd put money on making the first move- but Draygo seemed like she wanted to take both of them off guard... this was going to be most interesting.

Both beings turned to look back to the new Grandmaster. Tobias let the cane he held immobile on the floor as his hand left it to dig into his sling- he handed the lightsaber stashed away to Kirlocca. As there was already a lightsaber attached to Tobias's belt, actually two, he wasn't stressed about giving out one of the hobby-blades he had, especially to a friend about to go into battle. Tobias felt Kirlocca's mind wander to a familiar thread of thought- "Your thoughts betray you, Master Jedi. I miss him every single day... but... I don't think I ever told you. I found Dahar on Taris. My former companions- Sarah and... DuVos took him Beyond the Veil- and Dahar is doing some good work there. He's at peace and content there so rest your mind and know that he is okay now." Tobias smiled warmly to him then moved onto a different topic.... "Here, take this. I... " Tobias seemed a little embarrassed but it was only in his whispered words to Kirlocca... "I make sabers to help ease my mind when it races and as you can see- I have a few extra... heh. Maybe the Master Draygo wants to spar with us as well- she did call out when you mentioned that after all. Hehe." Tobias ended with a small chuckle and gave the wookiee a lightsaber. It wasn't top tier quality- and there were a few unique features to the hilt. There seemed to be two different power cells and a switch from active mode to training mode. This was also something Tobias had been working on since Kirlocca's funeral on Kashyyyk. Then, he turned back to wait for the new Grandmaster to approach, trying to remember when he had seen her last... He picked up his cane and placed it in front of him with his hands resting atop the device.

Tobias remained there for a moment, still as a statue. Then Kirlocca touched him and brought him back to the present. Vos nodded, "Of course, my friend." And both Jedi turned to attend to what Kirlocca had planned. Before crossing the threshold out of the room, Vos paused and looked towards where Adenna lay- and with a sigh, he walked out. Kirlocca, the tall alien he was was a few steps ahead so Vos scooted to catch up. In a low conspiratorial voice, "I'll plan the welcome back party for you. I haven't got anything scheduled so I have time..." There was a layer of humor in the statement. Vos had felt a very brief moment of disappointment from the wookiee before he rationalized the feeling away. If the wookiee looked behind him, they're be a sly smile on the Kiffar's face. Kirlocca's disappointment was much like Vos's, when no one had asked about his scars or what had happened to his eyes. However, maybe that was for the better... no one called special attention to it so it wasn't like it was directly pointed out. so that was alright he supposed. In the back of his mind he wondered if he should throw a party for the wookiee. A few steps later Vos decided if there was a party there would not be confetti. It'd take years to get all the glitter and everything out of the fur. ~~~ Pim held back a smirk 'Thats it?' the alien had asked. Confident he couldn't sense her, she giggled internally. Then she replied in her head- "Oh, you have no idea..." in a mischievous tone only she could hear. Then after a few moments- she felt him sink into the flow of the Force. After what seemed like an hour, but in actuality was only a few moments, he was connected! Even she was excited for him. In a calm yet distracted tone she replied to him... "Everyone is a little different- and their use of the Force is different. Some people cannot use telekenisis, others cannot run or leap as far as others- you must be cautious as you figure out where your weakness lay. You don't want to fall into a pit trap with overconfidence..." Pim warned. "Now, keep your breathing the same and open your eyes slowly. See the sphere? Reach out to it and since this is your first time- imagine invisible tendrils of energy coming from your hand and wrapping around the sphere and lifting it into the air. Not far, and not fast. You're doing terrific." As she said this, she demonstrated as the sphere in front of her floated up and held there.

Pim tilted her head to the side as she tried register the alien language. She narrowed her eyes as she was concentrating on the words. As it was short and sweet, she got the gist quickly enough and motioned for him to follow her to a more relaxed area of the training room they were in. Finding her way onto a padded mat, she sat down and invited her pupil to sit across from her. Giddy with the chance to teach someone, she placed an orb in front of @Vox. "You will just want to breath first. The Force is around us all- it is what binds the galaxy together. Those that can touch this presence become Force Users." She extended her arm and let the orbs float around her arm in a particular pattern before returning to her lap. "That allows us to have certain abilities that you must practice. My Master says we all have our own skills and our own things we cannot do. I'm skilled with telekenisis- the practice of moving and levitating objects. I'm not that great at the whole fighting thing... at least yet. But we all must start somewhere. To start you should close your eyes and try to feel my presence within the Force- or try to sense the others nearby. And above all else- be calm and patient. I've been doing this for a few years and am still learning new things every day. So, trust me- just breath and reach out with your mind- don't worry about anything else." She was starting to ramble she noticed, so she decided to be quiet and let this newcomer begin his lesson. ~~~ After the hot reaction he had, a moment of solace settled into the Jedi Masters' mind and knew he would be more attuned to the meeting now that the brief flare was over. He pondered about what would happen next- the over all plan and his own plan...

Tobias followed behind his wookiee friend, letting him enter the ward first from their pair. As soon as he felt Adenna there, he tightened his grip on his cane. There was still a heart beat within her- she was still alive. Even to think about her passing was not within Tobias to do. Such things could just break him, mentally. He was already at the precipice of change- he would either stay on the path and climb up- or he would take a step off the hillside to plummet into the darkness and his doom. As both of them stood by her side- Tobias set his cane aside and reached into a pocket in his robes. He pulled out a black metallic rope, inlaid with different colors of gems and crystals- no less than three were kyber crystals. The prominent three were a gentle hue; two of green and one of blue, he wove the cord around her hand that wasn't connected to anything medical related. The gift was done without any ceremony, which was counter to what Tobias had intended. Adenna wasn't one for anything flashy, and her role as a Jedi Grandmaster would not allow her to be gaudy with her appearance- so he had hand-made this specifically for her. Only Kirlocca might have seen, as he was standing right there but Tobias didn't feel nervous about exposing his feeling for Adenna in front of him. Tobias loved her with all his being and just wanted her to wake up. There was some conversation going on behind them, but Tobias didn't pay much attention to it for the moment. With his free hand he moved his blindfold back and wiped the tears away with a swipe of his fingers. His eyes still closed, he reached down to wipe the tears over the necklace and her wrist. There had just been a Force Spell he had done, one that if she awoke would leave a little vision for her, it would explain the necklace- and she would know where it was if it was removed from her person. Then, he opened his eyes for the first time in months- and the light filtered in through his retinas. Using the Force to dull the pain and acclimate to the light, he looked with his altered vision upon his best friend, his lover, his teacher. How he wished he would have pressed the point after the Black Sun Station and he could have been there, with her at the fight that placed her here. His vision was starting to cause a migraine- so he closed his eyelids over his scared eyes and once again he relied upon his senses and the Force to paint his surroundings in just as good of detail as his real eyes used to, with the bonus of watching the flow of the Force and all the colors it provided- even behind the wrapping around his face. Which he pulled down and adjusted it so that it was comfortable on his face once again. "She is, Kirlocca, she has not passed. She is strong and brash. Although, you would have been proud of how... mindful she has been since becoming Grandmaster..." Tobias whispered so only he could hear, and then heard Sandy speak to the group behind him- and his stomach fluttered. He could repair that bridge- but why should he when- his mind hit a roadblock as the discussion behind him and Kirlocca replayed in his minds eye quickly. He slammed mental barriers down all around him, closing his mind to the Force. If he wasn't careful, he'd lose his temper and that was the very last thing any of them needed. Instead, he oriented himself to the conversation and listened. Mentally making a side note that Kyrie was here, maybe she could enlighten him on what had happened on Gala... but that would be for later. Then he really settled in for yet another being to take the Grandmaster role. If he had his datapad he'd have made a note to see if this one made it for more than a few months... or would the fates line up against Armenia as well? It was as if the Grandmasters role was cursed... he ground his teeth as he contemplated what was happening in the other realm- what lazerbrain was making up the rules and plan should be dealt with. Well, at least Armenia was upfront about seizing power this way, that he did have to give her props for. That was all in his mind, though, yet outwardly, he displayed an act of stoicism.

Tobias listened, and chuckled twice. “Who can even say we are sane? But that’s another deep conversation for another time. Since you mentioned it, I’ve been feeling quite rambunctious lately and I want to be back out there making a difference... But I...” He paused, tripping over the words catching in his throat. It was as if some emotion or thought bubbles up to the surface and interrupted him. A tad uncomfortable, Tobias resettled himself and picked up where he left off, “But... I need to be here for Adenna. She’s... sleeping, peacefully, at the moment...” His voice drifted off, lost in the emotions of being attached to someone who is seriously injured and being unable to help them in a significant way. “When this meeting is done, I was going to check in on her. You could come with me if you wanted...” The man shrugged and let the offer hang out there. “But, no pressure of course.” He brought his right hand up to press his new masters robes down in an unconscious movement.

The conversation took a turn as a furry Jedi Master entered the room. Kirlocca made his way across the room and to Tobias. Only as the @Wookiee Jedi closed in did Tobias turn to face the Former Grandmaster. It wouldn't take any sort of Force aptitude to see that he was beyond delighted to be in the presence of the wookiee once again. The man had taken great pains to figure out what had happened since they last saw each other, on Carida, just before he was murdered. Then their conversation on Rhen Var,,, Tobias cataloged how much had happened since those events... He had figured out who had dealt the death blow against the furry alien, found his holocron, led Adenna to purge the last of the darkness inside her then becoming Grandmaster, the Kashyyyk Battle, Dark Sun Station Battle, his temporary exile from the Jedi after that, the exorcism Tobias inflicted upon himself and the subsequent healing of the Force Scar on Gala... and now here they were. The Kiffar felt... tired. That and a bit of the pain from the Force scars that were branded into his skin. Holding his staff in place with his left hand, he reached to his friend and gripped his shoulder with a firm but gentle grip. "It is great to have you back with us, my friend." Tobias released his grip on the shoulder and retrieved his cane. "Indeed- but this is a new direction the Force has been bent to take. This new path is troubling. There is something out there maliciously bending the Force to this new path. Adennas... state is most troubling. It's as if a bratty child was allowed into a forge and ruins a blade simply because of its ignorance of the proper process of creating something useful." Vos chuckled and shrugged, "Metaphorically speaking. At any rate, we are here now and must figure out what to do... again. It seems every few months we have to find a new Grandmaster to lead us. I'd roll my eyes, but the effect is lost with this bandage..." Vos chuckled once again, at his own expense. "How are you feeling? Healthy, tangible, corporeal, connected, sane?" A sly smile indicated he was trying to joke around about a serious topic, in typical Tobias fashion

Tut and Tom chatted together, relaying the events of the past month. The pair even chuckled for a brief moment. Tobias smiled to himself, he was seated behind them and resting his right hand on his staff. The Kiffar wondered about what the circumstances were that was bringing them all together- and just the galaxy in general. Why was it always in turmoil and why were the supposed good guys always back peddling and stalling like a malfunctioning actuator? What could he do to- The thought paused before it finished. He had tried- and he had been shunned by the leadership twice. Deep down he knew he should feel frustration both at himself and the leadership, but the Jedi Order kept changing leaders left and right, and now with Adenna in the state she was currently in- that was what this meeting was going to be about. Sighing, he adjusted the cloth wrapping around his eyes. There was nothing more he wanted than to be back on the front lines and even the little sparring match he had just went through proved he could fight, even while maintaining the ruses. His right hand moved to scratch the stubble growing on his chin, and then he rested his head in his hand. From there, his mind wandered and questions came in and out of his mind in such a rapid pace he was caught up in the mental hurricane, he almost didn't feel when Tut tapped his knee. If half his face wasn't covered up, his eyes would have blinked rapidly and it would appear as if he dozed off , right here in the briefing room. But since he was blind at the moment, he was spared all that. Stretching his back, he leaned forward to whisper with Tut and Tom- and about old plots and schemes. It seems they were feeling rambunctious as well- and with Tut still injured... ~~~ Pim winced with the Trandosian words. She realized that her master was helping her pull the essence of the words from Vox's mind, despite being in another language. She played over what he said in his mind and the attitude behind the words. Face value, she understood. He was an experienced warrior it seemed and would probably obliterate her in any sparing match. "Perhaps not physical combat... you would out class me in a heartbeat." She explained, hesitantly. Then her eyes brightened as sudden realization came over her. Then with an excited tone- "Do you want to learn how to do this?" Her Zabrak smile spread across her face as she held up her hand and the spheres swirled around her hand. With her other hand, she held out a black rubber sphere. "If you want..." she added, as her confidence faltered for a moment.

A message chime buzzed from Vos's chest pocket where the datapad was kept. He waited to check it though as the Trandosian spoke in his native tongue- and he produced two orbs. Pim let loose a silent gasp as she realized what had brought the Trando here. She reached out her hand to call them back to her. "Thank you for returning these, I'm sorry about before- you see why I was in a hurry, but that's no excuse. These are my training spheres..." As her hand extended forward, the spheres glided through the air the others she had, of various colors and textures, spun around her forearm slowly and under control. There were six there at the moment, and she added the two others. She tilted her head to Vos, he knew she was embarrassed to lose some spheres. Then, as the awkward moment set in the door opened with the usual swishing noise. A blue skinned, red eyed humanoid stepped in, surveying the scene before him in a calm and collect manner. The man, a Jedi Master, surveyed the Trandosian carefully and then the Zabrak female before turning his attention to Vos- "You got the message too, I assume, but you can't read it. Let's go. Masters meeting now, no padawans." Vos was looking at the Jedi Master, well, he was facing him. There was a ripple of unease within Vos, and he nodded then let his head hang down for a moment, concentrating. "Alright. Pim, help our new visitor around the temple, should he need it. Spend some time in here sparring if you wish- I will find you in a bit." Vos turned to face the Trandosian, probing the aliens mind for name to come to the surface of his thoughts. Another warm chuckle and the blind man addressed the alien by name, and in his own tongue. "Vox, is it? I'm afraid I have to cut this short- but if you need anything, Pim here will give you my comm codes. I would like to speak with you later if that is acceptable. I'm sorry for this interruption." With that, Vos hobbled his way across the room to the blue skinned Jedi Master, and the pair left. Pim watched them go, then slowly and awkwardly turned to face the Trandosian. "So..." was all the further she got with her sentence... "That was pretty cool, right?! I can't wait until I am skilled as my master. Anyways, you're new here- are you trying to become a Jedi too?" She asked the only other being in the room. "Want to spar?" ~~~ "You picked up a new apprentice, and maybe a second?" Tomin’titu’quis, the Chiss Jedi Master asked of Tobias as they walked down the hallway. Tobias responded in cheun, and the two conversed until they reached the rotunda- then he reached out to Kirlocca, questioning if he had gotten the message as well and hoping to see him at this meeting. Tense conversation continued in the Chiss language, touching on what happened on Corellia, what had been happening since the Black Sun Station and Tobias's exile, supply chains, Corusant, and general filling in of gaps. Then Tom asked about the scars and subsequent blindness- Tobias waved him off as they got to the briefing room. Tobias was glad to see that the Nautolan Jedi Master Tut Maris was here as well, injured but well enough. The two exchanged a greeting, and they sat down, There were a few other Masters here, and a few Knights. Knowing he was going to see Sandy in a moment too brought a smile to his face, but only for a second.

Pim jumped at the sound of the door opening to the observation wing- it was dark and no one knew she was here. The figure looked familiar; and she tried to place him in her mind. However, it was just a silhouette of the figure. “Who?! Get in here, close the door! Shh!” She was clearly trying to cover her presence here. Innocently, of course. Pim gestured to the figure, pulling him with the force and slamming the door. The dark room was situated above the training yard- one where the acrobatics course was set up, a lounging pit to rest and relax between bouts and where they could watch their compatriots, there were stock droids one could fight against, targeting range, a melee course to focus on hand to hand combat, and armed combat. And there were other bays to behold as well, but it was in a section Pim was looking at.. This room was meant for observation from a higher vantage point. From here she saw that her Master was below, in a room on the side that housed the segregated training rooms for more private appointments. Sneaking over to a spot, she looked down at the scene inside the private training room. There was a man; his long woven hair sitting atop his head, a cloth wrap around his eyes, standard Jedi Master robes, his skin had a pattern that wasn’t clear from this far away what it was exactly, his left arm was in a sling and he rested heavily on the cane in his right hand- in a stance that suggested he was leaning on it to support an injured leg. Motioning to the dark figure that had walked in on her, she waved him over- there was just enough light to make out motion in the darkened room. “You’re new here, come watch this… this is going to be awesome.” She whispered and pointed towards the figure below. In the dark however, the four spheres floated in a slow rotation around her forearm as if it were a planet and the spheres were moons in perfect orbit. The figure moved forward and followed her direction to look at the man- now surrounded by training droids. The room was 30 feet by 30 feet- plenty of room for gymnastics and the like- but also close enough to where melee combat was feasible. As soon as the door closed to the room and the last droid took up positioning, nearly a dozen accounted for- the figure below nodded and took one step forward, relying on the cane to hold him up. If it had been any lighter, they would have seen him smirk. But all the rogue pair saw was an absolute stillness that could be mistaken as a still frame image or a painting. Then the man nodded and the scene broke. Blaster bolts erupted from the droids- all aimed at the man in the middle. In a single flash, the bolts collided at the center- and even though they were stun bolts, five was a lot. The energy Dissipated at once- against each other! The combatant had crouched and on his one good leg, he balanced his left arm was tucked into his body in the sling and his right was straight out, the staff laid back across his arm to his left side, a sphere attached at the end of the cane for its base. The droids took aim and did not hesitate, blaster bolts rang out, the man kept dodging on one leg- bouncing around the arena, flipping and spinning. The man moves faster and faster, until he was at the arm of a blaster droid. As he kept and sprung at the automaton and with a forceful undercut blow that bent the metal and plastoid; so the man spun away and fell upon the next obstacle- it was Rendered inert in moments. Never once did he get shot or struck, but moved fluidly about the room. The other droids were trying to chase him down, the ones with practice sabers. It was a terrific display of acrobatics and subtle control of the Force, Pim knew. She caught herself staring slack jawed at her master and how, while two limbs were injured, he was crushing the droids one after another. The man finally took a blow and his staff was knocked out of his hand and it clattered across the room. Apparently the figure went with the blow and rolled across the ground and came up with a right handed punch from a crouch and the droid which was advancing on the combatant- rocked back on its heels, arms pinwheeling to catch its balance. The man opened up his fist to a palm and the droid fell over with a loud clang. The exercise was over, no more movement from the droids but the man’s shoulders heaved in the darkness for a few more moments. Slowly, he rose to his feet using his one good hand, and then tilted his head to exactly where Pim and the other person was standing. As the cane flew back into his right hand- he leapt up to the observation deck and landed in front of Pim. A sly smile appeared on his face as the lights came back up with another wave of his hand. “Why do you hide, Pim? And who is your new friend?” As he spoke, Tobias turned his head and covered eyes to the other being in the room. A trandosian. Here, Tobias froze- a Trandosian. Flashbacks ran through his mind's eye from his time as a slave, the campaign on Kashyyyk, and a dozen other fights and such. Calming himself, he smiled at the Trando and looked at him through the Force. Male, honorable, worried about his people. A curious thing, his people. Was he a leader? Why was he here on Nar Shaddaa? Why was he in the observation room with Pim? He was Force Sensitive, but had never had proper training- that much Tobias could tell from the colors and swirls the Force left around the being. This was an interesting character to be sure. Why was he here though? “Welcome to Nar Shaddaa, my new Trandosian Friend, I am Jedi Master Tobias Vos. This is my apprentice, Pim.” His voice was warm and inviting, that of a friend. Inside, Pim knew he was broken.

Pim raced through the hallways- she learned just a moment ago at the mess hall that her master had changed his aura. He was distracted, and in need. If she was reading that right, she was worried. If she was reading it wrong, well she should know in a moment. In her mad dash, she cut a corner too sharply- her senses were distracted so she didn't feel the two beings until it was too late. Leaping, and twisting in the air- she planted a foot on the wall and fell into a tumbling summersault then back onto her feet. A trando and human? It didnt matter, she spun to run backwards while facing the pair "Sorry! My fault!!!" A look of shock came across her face- the spheres! The small spheres she was supposed to always levitate with her- one had gotten stuck in the trandosians' robe and with a flick of her wrist, the small glass sphere removed itself, gently, from his robes and rejoined the other three small spheres gliding through the air- and she shouted her apologies again. She was going to look like a fool if there wasn't the need for the rush. She probably already looked like a fool... "C'Mon Tasha!" Pim hissed, barely audible from the distance she had managed to get to. The young Zabrak female looked incredibly embarrassed. The small glass sphere that was small than a fist zoomed after the young girl who was heading towards one of the observable training rooms. "Sorry, again!!" Pim shouted and bolted down the hallway. On the floor, there were two spheres that had fallen out of her pocket the obvious Jedi hadn't noticed falling out of her pocket. One was pure black stone, polished to remarkable shine. The other was a rose quartz sphere, also reflecting the light but also smooth to the touch.