Gala - Jedi Praxeum Ruins

[Dahar Raikanda]

Dahar sighed in disappointment at the memory of the praxeum's destruction. "There was an invasion, Master Kirlocca. The entire Sith Army had us surrounded. To protect the inner sanctum from siege an evacuation was ordered and I triggered the self destruct. Most of our forces made it out, although not everyone as Tobia and I discovered. I was able to remove two of the three core holocrons, but the last one, the device powering the academy itself, would not surrender itself to me." Dahar gently touched his pocket, "Until now."

 

"The self destruct brought the building down on to the Sith invaders. At the time it was the only way I could think to protect the powers governing the temple to be turned against us. But now we have all three. I think... I feel... that the Force guided us all here to retrieve the last one.

 

Do you feel it, Master Kirlocca? The void? The lack of Jedi out there? The three of us, and maybe Tobias if he chooses our path, may be all that remain. Or maybe not. But I don't feel the rest of the council, do you?

 

We should go... home. It may be the only place safe for us. We need to regroup. With this," Dahar again motioned to his pocket. "We may be able to combine it with the temple's power and reach whomever may be left out there." Dahar was referring to Tython. Nobody outside of the Jedi had any way to get there so he assumed it would be safe and in tact.

 

Dahar knelt down next to Xae. Her pain was pushing her in and out of consciousness. He could sense that something was happening between her and Tobias. His Kiffar friend was at a crossroads and he hoped that the exorcist would be able to help. Dahar placed his hand over her forehead. Dahar was not a healer but as a well rounded Jedi Master he had minor experience in the art. He was able to offer some soothing to her pain although not able to actually fix any internal damage.

 

"Stay here with her Tobias. You may be able to help her in ways neither of us can. I remember where we can find some larger bacta supplies in the med area. We're going to have climb our way up through the broken elevator shaft so I don't think our young friend will be able to accompany us."

 

Dahar nodded to his old friend to follow him, "Master Kirlocca..."

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca looked at Dahar as he tried to figure out exactly what he had said. He remembered the Sith invasion, but he had to leave before the battle was over, due to Aryian's defeat at his hands and in serious need of healing and isolation from the galaxy. He guessed that he never got a chance to catch up on or just simply didn't care enough to find out what had happened after he left. Now it seemed clear to him that the Praxeum had served its purpose that Kitt Fitt and himself had set it up for. The lure to bring the Sith in and it be their downfall. But what Dahar had said about the Jedi seemed very true within the Force. He could no longer feel his fellow council members that he exiled him. He was the stand alone from that era of the Jedi. They were gone, as was almost half the galaxy.

 

For some strange reason, He stood up and walked with Dahar away from the two other Force users, which seems to have been it's own awakening itself. Xae and Vos were moving along a path that was much different than that of himself. Yet, there was Dahar. His path seemed clouded to him. He looked around at all of the ruined halls and walls of the former glory that the two Jedi Guardians had built up.

 

<< What's on your mind Dahar? >>

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

Not a trance, Masters, the others heard her call faintly to them. Just resyncing with the present…Where I was…I’m not sure, but I was trapped. What you did here, she looked at trio of men, her blue eyes settling on the Kiffar, all of you, helped me find my way back.

 

She heard the human man sigh and could feel his pain from the memory echo within the Force as he recounted what had happened to the ground where they now stood. It chilled her to think that so large an Order had been decimated to a mere handful. But, it’s not the first time it’s happened, she thought to herself as the man approached her and rested his hand on her forehead.

 

The Force swelled around them and she felt her pain abate a bit through the efforts of both the Jedi Master and Tobias. She now had a name for one of the two men she could vaguely recognize, but not name.

 

She now felt up to nibbling at the ration bar Tobias had placed in her hands before. Tobias…that name…sounds familiar… she looked at him as though trying to place him within her fractured memories before glancing to the retreating forms of Kirlocca and the other Jedi Master. He seemed to be equally as familiar, she tried to place him, but decided it wasn’t as important at that moment.

 

I am Xae-Lin Ardel…most just call me Xae.

[Tobias Vos]

Vos watched as the the wookiee and the former grandmaster approached, then- from what Vos could gather saw something shiny and ventured out and away. He was volunteered to watch over this woman. They had better hurry. Now that he was back in this place, he picked up on bits and pieces of his former self. It was as if the images flashed into his mind then away. His eyes watched as she started to nibble at the ration bar. He continued to monitor her vitals- she was stable with the aura he was generating to take some pain away from her. He didn't dare move her. Not alone, not knowing where these Bacta tanks Dahar talked about were. Best bet was to trust they would come back, after all they seemed to know one another. Albeit it was through a thick fog that they looked at each other through the Force.

 

Xae was her name, she introduced. Then- it clicked.

 

"I remember you, from when I was here previously." his eyes narrowed, remembering. "You... stepped in when Dahar attacked me when I first arrived here...." His jaw clenched.

 

"You should have let him kill me then and there." He didn't say that to argue, just an observation with his new outlook. "They call me Tobias of the Kiffar Clan Vos."

 

He continued to watch her- see if she remembered- see if she would try to kill him now. A missed opportunity with the boulder- and he would deserve it. But that is why he was here, he was atoning for his sins. This destruction was his fault. At least, who he used to be. She was in no condition to fight him.

 

That was always a trait of Vos's he saw enemies before they ever were even ready to strike, just that one time his guard was down. But he was here to help this time.

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

She turned, considering him for a moment as though she were trying to will her own memories back into place.

 

Yes… she began. The darkness within Dahar…the corruption of the Old Ways…the war cost us so much of who we were...

 

Placing her hand gently on his shoulder, she continued. Tobias of the Kiffar Clan Vos, had he struck you down then, surely failure and the spread of darkness here would have been the result. Don’t be bound by your past. It shackles you from your potential. You know this, or you would not be here making things right. Jedi are not the only ones that can do good in this galaxy. To think otherwise would be foolish arrogance, don’t you think?

 

She wondered why he chose to dwell in his guilt, even if it had sparked his decision to return to Gala. She knew little of the Kiffar, both as a people and the individual before her, but there was much in the galaxy she didn't know and wasn't ashamed to admit as much. Maybe this sense of guilt he carried with him was a cultural trait?

 

Put your fear away. You have nothing to worry about from me.

[Tobias Vos]

Xae placed her hand on his shoulder as she spoke to him. She remembered too, now. Their momentary interaction years ago. He felt it through him- the Force said to trust her, but old habits do die hard.

 

"I look at the past as something to work on- do better. I am not the same as I was when I last walked here. I returned to this physical realm in the middle of a field, with Dahar looking down from a hill at me. He was stunned, as was I. It was his decision to return here and I just followed the will of the Force." Vos held up his left hand palm towards the ceiling there was a shimmer of bright light, just for a moment inside his grasp. It was one of his more unique tricks he had learned- Kinetite. Gently closing his hand, he looked around.

 

"Don't mistake my statement of the past as some sort of... what is the right word? I can't think of it, but I do remember and I am ashamed of the way I was. It is what it is. I am...theoretically older. " He chuckled, this body was brand new but it was as if he picked up where he left off. "And I am very much a wiser-" He stopped, he was about to say Jedi, or Sith. He was neither, nor did he want to be. "-person than I once was." Yes, that was the safer wording.

 

"You know, I saw everything that just went through your mind. Laying in that void- to laying on a table in pain- then a great white fire... what was all that? You let me see it..." There were questions in his eyes as he looked at her. Mindful of the other two's progress through the temple. Why did everyone think long winding tunnels were a good idea?

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

The auburn-haired woman was quiet for a moment, as though she was trying to remember the very scenes herself. The Force began to swirl around her once more and she drew it closer around her. Memory is a funny thing…and, trust has to begin somewhere. The simple answer - you asked in ernest, with no ulterior agenda I could detect so I obliged the only way I knew how.

 

Having finished the ration bar she flexed her fingers as she tried to take stock of what other injuries she might have incurred. He could feel her relief when she seemed to be able to move her extremities, which likely meant no real spinal trauma. It’s a very very ancient Dathomiri spell. she continued before correcting herself, Well, Force ability, as I’ve come to learn it. Nightsisters that know of it, and there are few outside of the Great Canyon Sisters that do, tend to use it opposite of what I just did. It’s an interrogation spell, only, I’ve figured out a way to make it work in reverse. Had you resisted, I would have stopped immediately.

 

A dark look crossed her face, Entering a person’s mind against their will is unforgivable, at least in my mind. I know not everyone shares my feelings on the matter though. Mind-walking is not something I do lightly, Tobias.

 

She closed her eyes and tried to take as deep a breath as she could, using the Force to prevent her lungs from filling with more fluid as she did so. It was extremely painful, but she managed a couple more to up her oxygen levels before continuing. As far as what you witnessed, other than my death at the hands of one of the Sith that invaded us, it was my own trials to walk the path of an Exorcist. It was a path that chose me. I’m still not sure why, but I know what happened here, both before and moments ago, are some of the reasons I was chosen.

 

Tell me, who was it that convinced you to distance yourself from the Dark Side? The way her head was swimming, she knew she likely had, at least, a minor concussion and staying awake long enough for Dahar and Kirlocca to secure what remained of the medical facilities was important.

[Dahar Raikanda]

"Do you think the galaxy still needs us, Master Kirlocca?"

 

The two had now left the room and were traversing the halls that would bring them to the broken elevator. The bodies still remained but the taint of darkness had left.

 

"Since the beginning of our order we've been tasked to protect the galaxy. Why? Did the galaxy ask for it or did we just impose ourselves? What good has it done us?" Dahar wasn't quite sure whether he was talking about society as a whole or about himself and the Jedi specifically.

 

"Master, I feel like you and I are all that's left. Do you sense the rest of the council? If they were out there, somewhere, we'd feel them in the balance. Maybe not know where they are but their weight would tip the scales. But now..."

 

There was an emptiness, a void in the Force. A series of terrible things had happened and left the galaxy in the state it was.

 

"We need to get Tython. We need to see if the others knew enough to go there."

 

The maze of hallway had come to an end and the two stood before the elevator shaft that no longer had an elevator to travel in. Dahar nodded towards the shaft. They would have to use pure manpower to climb it.

 

"I trust your strength hasn't left you."

[Tobias Vos]

So she was to start trusting him. A very odd- foreign- alien word to him. Part of him wanted to recoil. That was nothing he had known... at least outside of- he shook the name out of his mind. She was right, though. It had to begin somewhere- trust. She allowed him to enter her mind and show him what she remembered to be her experiences. Memories were a funny thing.

 

When she shared, it wasn't a shock to find she knew, and sounded familiar with the Nightsisters. Vos knew little about the Clans, he will admit. Recently, he did become curious. He was here for knowledge, and the Sisters were skilled, if even a touch. Their skills were looked down on to respected to envied to hated. it just depended on who you asked. Slicer had done something close to what she had explained as the interrogation spell.

 

He watched her tone change to a more serious tone. He understood. "I have been on the receiving end of one of those interrogating spells before. I know of what you speak. That is partial a reason I am here, now."

 

Remembered laying down after a duel, only to have the witch Qaela approach him and feign friendship. He harbored no ill-will after she shredded his mind- he had embarked on a spectacular journey through the Force. He was more powerful than he had ever been, he knew it, but he did not flaunt it. Vos debated on if he could take on Sheog, or even... the name escaped his thoughts, but he could see him plain as day.

 

"It's funny. How things are chosen for us- through the Force. I did not choose this path, I happened upon it. I was angry at first, but that grew tiresome. I feel as if..." he paused. He let the answer die off. Then she asked who it was that started him- curious wording- to distance himself from the Dark Side. He had not abandoned it, he just floated the other way.

 

But Xae asked him about... her. Another Adenna question, a probe. It's like they- Dahar and Xae could sense her on him. In him. Around him. How he longed for her return. He would do right by her. But now, he had to help Xae, she might be able to help Vos find her. Best just to avoid the topic just now.

 

A slight accent in his voice- "That is not important now, is there anyway I can help you? Do you know a Nightsister spell to help yourself? He have to keep you awake, until they return. I'm trying one of my own abilities, you may feel it- perhaps not. Nothing to do with entering your mind, I assure you. It is to alleviate some of your pain. The injured tissue around your ribs- I'm surprised you are even still awake with how much damage they've dealt with. It looks like we both like to use the Force in our individual ways, hehah"

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca could only look off into the distance for a short while after Dahar spoke. He had a millions things he could say, but they seemed to be stuck in his head, unable to leave his mouth. The state of the galaxy and the Jedi seemed to have taken him by surprise. But in reality, it didn't. He expected it to some degree. He finally broke his empty stare at a broken wall and looked at Dahar.

 

<< Honestly, I think the galaxy would carry on regardless of any Force Users in it. We have never truly been needed. But then again, we are the only thing keeping the galaxy spinning. Life keeps the galaxy moving. And I know what you're thinking, and yes, it is what you meant. You just don't it yet. >>

 

Kirlocca looked down, a half smile appeared upon his face as he thought back upon his life and everything that he was apart of, or that was thrown his way. The pause was short, not really long enough for Dahar respond to his notion.

 

<< Yes. Tython is calling to to me in the Force...>>

 

Kirlocca stated to walk towards the broken elevator shaft, one of which looked rather beaten into a mess that could become a death trap for the two Jedi. As the Wookiee stepped through the door, he stopped for a second before continuing so that he could throw a final word privately at Dahar.

 

<< And that's a dumb question... >>

 

Kirlocca could only shake his head and mutter loudly under his breath, My strength leaving me, what a joke.

Edited June 30, 2016 by Guest

[Dahar Raikanda]

The elevator had come crashing down with Tobias and Dahar in it. It was only through the Force they had been able to slow the momentum enough from killing them. The Jedi Master peeked in and glanced up. It would be a bit of a climb. The cable holding the elevator had broken but there were auxiliary wires running up and down the walls. He gave them a quick tug to see that they'd have enough strength to hold the two.

 

"Strange things have been happening recently. Tobias manifesting out of the nether-realm onto my doorstop for starters. A strange fate that brought him and I here together. Years ago I tried to stop him from infiltrating the temple. And now I walked him in through the... well shattered front door. Do you think it would be safe for him to come with us to Tython? For an outsider to learn about the whereabouts of the temple? I'm not sure of his motives. I don't sense the same darkness I used to but I also don't think he means to become a Jedi."

 

Tython had been a secluded home to the Jedi for millennia.

 

Dahar began his climb up the shaft.

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca followed Dahar up the shaft, slowly and steadily climbing up the shaft to the medical bay. It was nothing new for him to do so, as the young Wookiee cubs learned to climb up the massive trees on Kashyyyk. This shaft was little different then the trees he used to climb. He climbed for a few seconds before responding to Dahar. It was a tough question. Tython had become a haven that no Jedi wanted to give up. It was the home... the only one that any and every Jedi could feel connected to the Force. While he was almost certain that both him and Dahar needed to go there, he felt differently about Tobias Vos. Dahar clearly had different feelings about him too. His energy during the battle that Kirlocca had joined in on seemed off. Not really dark, but not... Whole.

 

To his own surprise, Kirlocca realized that he had stopped climbing for a few seconds, allowing for Dahar to climb above him. He quickly pushed his focus back to the task at hand and began to climb again before responding.

 

<< I feel within the Force that his path is different than ours. But that is about all that I can tell you. >>

 

As he took a step, part of the interior of the shaft fell from where his foot was just at. But it did not slow the Wookiee down at all. He kept climbing.

[Dahar Raikanda]

The two were nearing the top. Between them they represented the pure strength of the Force that the Jedi could posses. As a human Dahar didn't have the natural abilities of a Wookiee but he had spent his life honing his physique. Unfortunately this wasn't the original body that he was born in and there was only so much they could do to craft a worthy clone before that mystical power of coming back to the dead, after what seemed to be a standard and almost regulated three day period for anyone who died. But each time he took over a new casing he brought it up to par. This was his third, he thought to himself.

 

"You may be right, Master. But I can't discount the fact that he found me on Taris when nobody knew where I was. Or that he helped us here." Dahar thought about the different paths his only life had taken. "I spent some time with Master Darkfire, you know. Learning about the Dark Side, trying to find a balance. What I discovered was jarring. It almost seems to me that there is only the Force, that the idea of light and dark is inside each of us. That being said I found it quite difficult to keep a balance. I made a conscious choice not to tap into those abilities I had learned.

 

Lightning, for example, that power the Sith Masters hold so dear. At first it seemed innocuous, I was just learning to charge the particles around me with electricity. But intent comes in to play when you use a power like that. It took more restraint to use it as, I don't know, a stunning ability. It is naturally harmful. When we were down there and that beast hit me with lightning I was able to pull it in, make it my own, and fire it back on him. But did I do it with good intent? To protect my friends? Or did I do it because I hated him? Is there such a thing as healthy hatred.?

 

My friend, do you hate the Sith? Do you hate evil?"

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca listened very intent as he finally passed Dahar and climbed out on the floor that all of the medical supplies would be at. He looked around for a single crate that would have most of what they were looking for. As he began to look around, he spoke rather thoughtfully.

 

<< I can't say that I hate one thing or another. I dislike the Sith. I dislike evil and reckless hate. I dislike seeing injustice, and can be rather strong to respond to defend others. Hate is a strong word my friend. I do not hate anyone. Or anything for that matter. Even Ar-Pharazon who caused me much grief, I can not say that I hate him. >>

 

It was truthful. He didn't hate anyone. He didn't hate anything. He simply had a dislike for it. What may come across as hatred was always just a quick response by the Wookiee. Nothing more. He was always quick to defend others, or himself. He couldn't even remember a time when he made the first move in a fight, whether it be in a fight, or an attack. Granted, he moved first to disarm or dismantle something, especially with the Augury. But there was never a point in his life where he hated someone or something. Even at the death of his daughter twelve years ago. He never hated the Empire for their actions. Is there something wrong with me? It was now a thought that came into the forefront of his mind.

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

I am truly sorry for that Tobias. It’s an ugly thing to do to another, no matter the reasoning, she remarked having thought that she’d sensed the echoes such an act left on the mind when she’d invited him in.

 

She laughed slightly at the idea that a Nightsister’s spell would be used for healing, but the pain quickly ceased the action.I think you know as well as I, Tobias, that the ways of healing are not the Nightsisters. Pain is what they seek to inflict, the Darkness is where they dwell in their power and are quite content to do so.

 

Tilting her head to better face him, she looked him over, both visually and through the Force. True to her words, it wasn’t an invasive scan, just one that allowed her to read what he allowed. Opportunities come our way, but it’s our choice to react how we will. I made the conscious decision to walk the path of the Exorcist, and endured trials for it. You chose to not continue to let anger fuel you in your path. We can choose to walk one path, run the other direction, forge our own through the underbrush, or simply stay where we are. It’s our choice who and what we allow to influence who we are, conscious or not. She could respect his decision for not answering her question, but she wished that he wouldn’t discount the presence she felt on his fringes.

 

Nodding, she could feel his abilities bolstering her own as she directed their joint energies towards what healing or pain management could be done until Kirlocca and Dahar could return from the medical bay. “I’m tougher...than I look,” she whispered slightly. Whatever the combination was of the two of them, speaking wasn’t nearly as painful as it was.

[Tobias Vos]

Vos was a guarded man, that was to be sure. The only time he allowed his feelings to arise was when he was in the presence of Adenna. But was Love all that fueled him? No, he had dabbled with anger, and on more than one instance it had allowed him to conquer whomever was in his path. Lucifer- was one such instance. Vos took his robotic eye as a trophy. As well as an ancient axe that belonged to a Sith from centuries before. That ended their little rivalry. They were parsecs beyond that squabble now. Xae's words did echo in his mind. Had he given up on anger? No, He had not. He had only been alive less than a month. There had been no instances where anger was needed, or accrued.

 

She had apologized for something that was not her fault, nor did she have any control over it. That irked Tobias, a little bit. A waste of time and energy, but she continued. He felt her scan him, and respectfully move around the walls he had thrown up. She was not attacking him- just feeling him out. He knew she felt him through the Force- and she knew he knew. He did not let his defenses down.

 

Never again. He thought.

 

"Anger is not a driving force in my life-" He chuckled a moment, life. "It is a tool to use, just like the Force. If the Force had some grand plan- wouldn't it be mind blowing to deny it? One must use the tools they are provided to achieve success. I have learned many things in my travels, here in this realm- and the next. I know never to let my tools run the show. I am the Master. I am in control of what I do with my life, now."

 

The words had some backing behind them. He did not say them in anger, he said it in his low tone with a meaning of humbleness. Tobias had been kicked around and forced in the wrong direction time and time again. Never again, not with what he now knew.

 

"Do not mistake my assessment of you as weak- I learned a long time ago to never judge a book by it's cover." A flicker of a smile came across his face.

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

I’ve never seen the point in anger, myself. Though that may have something to do with temperament and seeing much of it as a child. I’ve never seen anger get anyone anything they’ve wanted, not in the long-term, anyway. Stubbornness though…that’s a whole other matter, he could feel more than hear the humor come through her Force message.

 

Though it does only get me so far. I do hope the others return soon. Your powers are bolstering my own, but both of us know our respective abilities to continuously pull from the Force will only work so long before we burn ourselves out.

[Tobias Vos]

Tobias had never had a conversation such as this- with a complete stranger. He was guarded, to be sure. But it was the way she talked. What she had shown in in that vision to being open and candid about her own experiences albeit a little bit, but still. He knew that this is someone with whom he could respect. That was rare, as he loathed most of everyone in his past. The majority of those were Jedi. Infact, outside of three, they all were Jedi. It was a new realization, but the truth of it didn't shock him. While he knew to keep his guard up, that did not mean he could not respect her. "There is some great benefit to anger, but, I see now that I was wrong to give in to it. I will admit to it, Xae-Lin. But that was before I met..." he broke his sentence. He was a having a 'I can't believe I just said that...' He sighed.

 

The Kiffar remembered so little of her- her hair was dark. A shiny black. While he couldn't remember the color, he did remember the way he felt when she looked him in the eyes. Powerful yet, weak, at the same time. She had been very stern with him, and gave him chance after chance. But of course, he was a guy, he was bound to realize too late what a good thing she had been. Tobias ached for her pres sense. "... Adenna." He sighed out. "She was the one that showed the Light Side to me."

 

It was best to keep distracted. Usually people preform better when they are distracted- in scenarios such as this. You can push yourself further if you weren't thinking about your arduous task. This was a way to keep her mind off how far she was pushing herself- and he for the same reason. This was the perk that he needed and the distraction she needed. Vos felt as if he could carry her back to the elevator and pull the cart up as if it were feathers. It was feathers. He thought. Maybe if they all had not fought and tumbled with a monolith moments before, he could have managed it.

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

’Adenna’, the auburn haired woman echoed as though she were trying to place the name. So she is a Jedi, then? I can't say that I recall ever meeting a member of the Order by that name, then again, I can practically count on one hand those I’ve met. Okay, it’s closer to two hands, but, still… She shrugged. Love is a curious force in and of itself, is it not?

 

At his expression, she laughed slightly, grimacing as her body reminded her what a lousy idea that was. Don’t look so shocked. You’re not the first to have been changed by being loved or loving someone in return. The man you saw in my vision was Joreel Ordo, a Mandalorian who became Jedi and had a hand in training me when my original master abandoned me on Ossus.

[Dahar Raikanda]

It had been a long climb out of the lower levels. For a while the two Jedi Masters pondered their own thoughts. It felt like, perhaps, five days since either of them spoke aloud. They reached the top and pulled themselves out into the hallway. The temple was still a mess but the overwhelming feeling of darkness had been lifted. Dahar had spent enough time here that he could have navigated the area without vision if he had needed to.

 

It wasn't long before they had reached the medbay. Dahar found a satchel off in the corner among some rubble. The room had help up fairly well having been designed to not collapse upon itself in an emergency. A safe medical area was always good to have in a catastrophe. He rummaged through some shelves and grabbed a few of the highest powered bacta shots.

 

"This should do the trick. I hope you enjoyed that climb. We're going to have to do it again... and this time you may have a passenger on your back. I guess we'll see how she responds to the bacta."

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca picked up a few things that he thought would be useful to him for the next leg of his journey, whatever that may be. He knew that finding Dahar was the will of the Force, that much was clear to him. However, their next step seemed hidden, outside of the giant calling to Tython the two Jedi felt deep within their souls. Kirlocca carefully turned around to Dahar and gave a look that may have suggested the man was crazy. It would have been easy to read, even for someone who hadn't spent too much time around Wookiees. But instead of making any other signs or words, he directed Dahar over and quickly had him climb on his back. Almost as soon as the man did, the Wookiee jumped down the tunnel, allowing for the Force to control his speed and movements. Seconds later, the two were on the main floor where they had left Xae and Vos. Kirlocca only offered up a smile at Dahar.

[Tobias Vos]

Inhaling, and it was almost as if he could smell her once again. Scent was a wonderful sense that could really take you back to fond memories. Or knock you out, depending on what they were all about.

 

"It is indeed, Xae. Almost as strong as the Force itself, in it's own respect."

 

 

The vision Xae shared was confusing, at least to him. Was it all real?

 

"Were you and him... an item, then? Your visions, while clear to- a bit much for me to comprehend. And to decipher."

 

Vos's head turned so that his ear was in line with the door the Masters had left through. He felt them returning, in a hurry. They descended in a flash. "They're back." He said, in a low tone. His fatigue was starting to get to him.

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

Her sapphire eyes met his as she mentally tried to sort herself enough to answer his question. The vision had certainly been vivid enough at the time, though that didn’t necessarily make it true. I…love him…loved him… She paused trying to make sense of the time stream of memories within her own mind. We were together, yes, for a time. He… her head turned to the side as she struggled to remember what had happened between her and Joreel. It was like trying to grasp at smoke since she still felt the pull of whatever in-between Il Andon had called her to.

 

Left to lead his people. She finally seemed to remember. We were bonded within the Force, but I can no longer feel that bond returned… The sad realization hit her suddenly, a different kind of pain coming into sharp focus within her Force signature. She closed her eyes in an effort to prevent the sudden moisture of tears from escaping, but it did little good. The emotional memory helped to solidify what had been illusion and what had been the truth of things between her and Joreel.

 

What you saw…was a desire, buried deep within me that the Darkness found and tried to exploit, of what I’d wished life had held for Joreel and I. My love for him is real, but I fear he is…how did his people put it? 'Nu kyr'adyc, she taab’echaaj’la - 'Not gone, merely marching far away’…a beautiful sentiment for such a permanent event. Her ‘voice’ had steadily grown more confident as she once again reconciled things within her own mind.

 

She opened her eyes and looked at Tobias, unashamed. I understand I walk a different path now, and I have made peace with that. I doesn’t mean I miss him any less. He helped me find a strength within myself I did not know I possessed, strength that has helped me to persevere along my current path. I sense Adenna does or did the same for you?

 

Before he had a chance to answer, Xae felt the other two approaching and cast a curious glance at Dahar riding on Kirlocca’s back, her auburn eyebrow raising slightly at the sight.

[Dahar Raikanda]

Before Dahar he knew it he was on the Wookiee's back and plummeting down the shaft. He had figured that going down would be easier than going up, perhaps he'd shimmy down or kick from wall to wall. But the lift made the trip a lot quicker.

 

They found their companions waiting in the same spot.

 

He put the satchel down on the ground next to Xae. "How are you feeling?" The Jedi Master asked the question while simultaneously injecting a high-powered bacta shot into her abdomen. He tossed the vial to the side, it was a local brand called Godd-Moad. "This stuff always seems to work wonders." With his hand left hand hovering over her forehead he offered up some basic Force Healing skills. It had become a necessity to know some of them as a warrior.

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

“Tired,” she answered honestly as she felt the bacta and his efforts bolster what she and Tobias had managed to maintain on their own. “I…think that thing…broke…my ribs.” Speaking was still difficult, but no where as painful as it had been. Their combined efforts were paying off. “Punctured a lung…too…I think…That’s why it’s so…hard to talk…Doesn’t hurt…near as bad…though.”

 

She closed her eyes, accepting and drawing on his own strength in the Force. It was then she saw it, a cavern deep within the plateau, hidden from the outside by an immense waterfall. It appeared to be part of the original temple’s foundation the Praxeum was built upon, maybe one of the easiest accesses to the temple itself since whoever was trying to locate it would have to put their blind faith in the Force they weren’t flying directly into the side of the plateau.

 

When she opened her blue eyes again to meet his, she knew he’d likely seen the location as well. “A way out…"

 

She wasn't sure if the vision had come from Il Andon's knowledge of the previous temple, or Dahar's own mental blueprint of the Praxeum and its defenses, but it was a step in the right direction, at least.

[Tobias Vos]

Vos raised his eyebrow at the site of Dahar riding the wookiee. He thought to make a joke, but reconsidered- remembering wookiees were not known for their joking manner. The behemoth of a man was still shadowed by the walking carpet, how strong was Kirlocca? Dahar dismounted, and Vos rose and took a step back. The two had been successful, no question. Dahar had approached Xae- questioning her about what ailments were present. He knew she had broken ribs and a punctured lung. With his aura, he had tried to reduce the swelling in the area affected. But the hole in her lung was out of his capacity to heal. Better left alone, than do more damage. Possibly permanent.

 

Then- another vision. He watched as he was shot around the temple itself, and the entrance. Now it was his turn to ascend the elevator shaft. Tobias knew where to go- how to land with the water gushing down. He had seen it- along with Xae. The two were still connected, and it was the Force speaking to both of them.

 

"I know the way, as well." With that, he turned on his heels and ran down the hall way. "I'll get the ship!" He called back to them. Hopefully Xae would tell the boys where to go. Kirlocca obviously had enough strength to carry Xae down the hallways. Reaching the elevator shaft, he climbed on top the carriage that shuttle people up and down. He inhaled. The cold air cooled him down under his robes. The man was sweating, his robes wet. the crystal reverberated against his chest. The power it held.

 

He let it flow through him. Opening and closing his hands, he stretched his hands. Then brushed his face with them. The stubble on his face was an unfamiliar feeling- he had always shaved away the beard. He cracked his neck and away he went. Dust flew from under him as he shot up to a rafter- then the next- and so on- bouncing back and forth from one wall to another pilliar, until he had to grab the cable. there was nothing else to spin his energy off of. The muscles in his leg flared with their fatigue. One hand in front of the other- he was at the top of the shaft before he knew it. His muscles ached- first combat in this body, even with it augmented, it still had limits. One foot in front of the other- he steadily increased his speed, tracing the way back up.

 

Destroying the monolith allowed this place to breath, it was nothing as it was, but it would always have a scar- a taint. A few minutes passed until he found the entrance and the ship he and Dahar had arrived in. Pausing to hear a bird tweet- he climbed the plank and to the cockpit he went. Ship was still warm from the sun so powering up was not an issue. The engines flared and he was airborne. Pivoting the ship around- he made his way to the waterfalls as Xae had seen. His breathing was finally under control, he had not yet caught his breath just yet.

 

This was the dry season it looked like- the water falling off the hill was not huge, it was manageable. Adjusting the shields, he was going to take precautions. Easing the controls in and above, the water would knock the ship down shields or not. He reached out with his hand- more water was deterred. The ship eased into the cavern- top of the ship scrapping the cavern. The water had not knocked him down far enough as he thought. But Tobias's life was really just bouncing from one sketchy- near miss situation to the next. The shields held- the hull wasn't breached. As he spun the ship, he looked to see if they had made it down here. The Force had guided him well and true. For that, he was grateful. He was a servant of the Force, after all. Not it's master.

[Wookiee Jedi]

Kirlocca was quiet for a very long time as the three before him interacted. For him, it was a chance to observe what state the Jedi Order was in. Broken, leaderless, but still kicking, even it was in just a small way. Xae, Dahar, Vos. They all seemed to move with the Force, although Vos seemed a bit not fully connected at the other three, and Xae herself seemed to be in a fragile state of mind. It was clear that a purpose and direction was needed, if only for a bit. He also wondered who else of the Order may have survived this long. The Wookiee believed himself to be cursed to have survived past many of his own students, long past his masters, and now, it seemed that only a few were able to hold on.

 

Ignoring the thoughts of being cursed with long life, or simply just a rock for others to go to for wisdom or leadership, Kirlocca bent down and picked Xae up in his arms, choosing instead to carry her the way a human parent would a small child. In some ways, Xae was one his offspring, as he taught many Jedi, and the chances are that Xae, much like Dahar, was in some form one way or another, taught the life and Force lessons that he had once taught Jedi. And something told him that Xae would still learn something new from the Wookiee, as will Dahar, and so will Tobias Vos. They will all learn a lesson from him, the Force was speaking very loudly about that. So now, he simply followed the group quietly carrying Xae within his arms.

 

He was careful to keep her secured, even within the ship, despite the rocking and craziness of the flying. Kirlocca only now wondered what would have happened to his own fighter, which was still linked through his droid, so he could still retrieve it later upon sending the request to his droid. And as he knew they would end up traveling to Tython, the droid had been their before, as has his ship. They would be reunited eventually.

[Dahar Raikanda]

It seemed like in a blink of an eye they were out of the ruins and on the ship. As the craft lifted into the sky Dahar stared down at the remnants of what used to be. The Jedi Master had knew that he needed to come here. He knew long before Tobias had showed up at his home. It was deep inside of him but remained muffled for quite some time. Things had come full circle. The evil that had been here had been vanquished and a balance had been restored, at least on Gala, at least for those souls that had been caught.

 

The path was no longer as clear. The four of them had come together and, to the knowledge of each other, were the only force users left. Dahar and Kirlocca were all that remained of the council. Xae was the only Jedi Knight they knew of. Tobias was strong in the Force but his future, at least to the Jedi, remained unclear.

 

Dahar thought of the words his friend had spoke to him on his death-bed long ago on Taris. "Jedi never die, they just fade away." Had the Jedi simply fallen out of view?

 

The ship left Gala and drifted away from its orbit.

 

Dahar nodded to Tobias who had come to the rescue yet again, this time with a ship. "Tobias, we need to talk, in private if you don't mind."

 

((moving the thread over to Space))

[Tobias Vos]

Blue fingers were in his line of sight. Beyond was the console of the shuttle he was piloting. Something non-descript, but large enough to carry a few smaller ships. Beyond that- the viewport while left the blue vortex of hyperspace into blackness and a planet below. Gala, once home to the Jedi- now a Force Scar. Tomalauin’kquintan’tus lifted his eyelids further- the skin folding- allowing for more light to enter his eyes. Those glowing red eyes. Initiating a sensor sweep for what was invisible to those red eyes- nothing of importance came about, the usual space debris from altercations and long silenced battles in space. He learned his head to one side, but never moving his hands.

 

"Interesting." He spoke aloud to himself. Now here, he did move. Sitting forward- a fresh idea landed in his head. An idea that gained traction. Only now- after the sensors came back empty, and that he saw the planet did it click.

 

"My, my, my, what do we have here?" His arms- draped in the ceremonial vestments of a Jedi Master- extended forward, the blue fingers moving with precision to play with the instrument panel. He started to log what he just thought of- open space- no real traffic to speak of- discreet- this was the perfect place. This was a break through for what his boss wanted. Even going to great lengths to mask his own steps- and here Tom had found it without searching for it. He recorded a communication to Tobias, running through the normal encryption, and sent him the message.

 

It was a shame, when Gala was attacked and decimated. Tomalauin’kquintan’tus had been on Corusant at the time- detailed to a Senatorial security posting. If not for his species logic, loyalty, and battle instincts, he would have been here. No, he was dealing with the galaxy's elite, trying to maneuver them without them being aware that he shifted their thoughts to aid the Jedi and the Republic. A deep inhale was all he allowed himself to feel on that whole subject. Gently, the shuttle entered the atmosphere, and maneuvered its way to the closest landing site nearest the coordinates Dahar and Tobias had given him. Three avenues of action- laid out before him. Which to choose?

[Tobias Vos]

Tom reflected on what he was assigned to do, but for some reason he decided against it. There was opportunity here- secluded- barren- one would be able to work within the temple and the former base with little notice. He had typed up and recorded a report to send to Vos, but he was certain that he could act on his own and start shifting resources to the planet and this particular location. He bit his lip- a habit he had picked up from his time with humans. Was it a slap in the face to all the previous Jedi that died here? A disgrace to Kitt? Onderon?

 

The red eyes looked up from the datapad he held, sitting just outside the ramp into his ship, the little stool tilted as if it shifted in the grass. He would need some help to fix this place- and his mind went to work. A few messages went out- strictly to the contractors Vos had working for him, all under encrypted channels. There was little that Tom could do initially, other than start the ball rolling. That all started with the surveying group that Vos had placed on contract. They had paused over Bothawuii, but soon would move to Gala- and take particular note here. The work order made sure to explicitly give detailed instructions to scan the areas in and around the former base and temple.

 

In all this time he had moved two Jedi Aces into the ship- just in case some decided that this lonely ship and single Chiss were going to be an opportunity target. While confident, he knew that would be a mistake on whoevers part.