Ord Mantell

[MSA]

Mjan strolled down the boarding ramp, his Jedi Robes shed long ago and the Robes of his former Order adorned beneath a dark cloak. He gazed out across the horizon, his golden eyes glimmering in the sunlight. He felt a tad bit awkward to Nia after her reaction to his touch, but had often heard of Twileks and Togrutas being similar in fashion, as touching their Lekkus and Montrols were considered an intimate act. If that was the case, then he had certainly crossed a line and would find time to apologize later. But for now, the mission was at hand.

 

Listening to Beth explain the procedures to Nia, Mjan stayed to the back cautiously with his hand holding down the top of his cloak to hide as much of his tendrils and crimson skin as he could. Even as secretive as his species had been in keeping their existence unknown, he had to be careful on the off chance that someone on this world knew of them and recognized him for what he was. Walking up behind Beth and Nia casually, he spoke just loud enough for only them to overhear him. "It would probably be best if we also acquire something to cover my face. You hardly see one of my kind out this far from Sith Space, and if you do, it could cause unwanted attention."

 

That, and if someone who held close dealings with his father or knew who he truly was, this mission could become jeopardized. After all, it's not every day that a Royal bastard is within your midst. It's why he went by his Father's name of Sadow, rather than exclaiming to all that he was a descendant of Adas. "Once we're established Nia, I want to take a moment to evaluate you. If we're to begin your training properly, I need to gain a feel of your current knowledge."

 

That said, Mjan walked away from the group and chose to stick to remaining as much out of sight as possible. As he did, Rose approached the group, the Elder Twilek tossing her arms across Beth and Nia's shoulders. "Now the fun begins." She spoke with a quick chuckle before heading off to haggle for supplies, turning to give a nod to Mjan before walking completely away. She was one of the only two who knew that Mjan was of royal blood and what it would mean if he was truly found out.

[MSA]

As Nia and Beth walked away, Mjan stayed close to the shadows, careful to suppress his presence as much as possible. Rose, however, gathered most of the supplies she felt that the group would need including rations, weapons, hygienic products, new identifications, the works. And as usual, after batting her eyes and flaunting herself, she came out with a few credits to spare without touching what they would need for their ship. 

 

About an hour or so had passed when she returned to gather Mjan and the two disappeared back aboard the ship. When the two emerged, Mjan looked almost completely different. Aside from his usual four digit hands and golden eyes, he wore a new flight suit, second hand of course, sporting a small vibro-dagger and a T-21 hanging from his shoulder. But the most drastic change was his face, hidden by a well placed flex-mask that gave him an uncanny human appearance that could vaguely distinguish him from Beth. As the two walked up to Beth and Nia, Mjan half expected them not to recognize him, at least at first, which was the point.

 

"Nia." Mjan spoke, his familiar voice giving him away as he handed her a new identification card that was left blank to place a name of her own choosing. "Rose has a surprise for us. Come. You as well Beth."

 

There was self evident excitement in Rose's expression as she led the group toward the outskirts where a large ARC 170 sat in almost near mint condition. Aside from a few scorch marks as well as some scratches to its undercarriage, it still held it's original coat and even the Republic Insignia it was designed to adorn. Excitedly waving her arms about Rose gleefully spoke. "Ladies, and gent." She made sure to single out Mjan in retrospect. "I present Vao's Prize." Of course, named largely after herself as usual, but given Rose, it didnt surprise Mjan.

 

Ignoring Rose's rambling about the overall history of the ARC 170 line as well as the history of Vao's Prize as he pulled Nia to the side and left Beth subject to it, Mjan spoke plainly. "I know its customary to called your Master 'Master', but from here on out, we have to be careful. I've taken the name Sado Krayt and the file places me as an Ex Imperial Lieutenant and gun for hire. I left your's blank for your own choosing, but your file will state you as an missing orphan originally hailing from your homeworld. That way, if we ever do get caught, you can play dumb and likely receive leniency." Mjan smiled, noting not to touch her this time, as his familiar smile managed to pierce the veil of the flex-mask he wore. "Are you okay with this?"

[MSA]

Mjan nodded his head with a smile at Nia, both likely still getting used to the Tsis looking so closely to that of a human thanks to the flex mask, though his golden eyes still were warm and caring. "Understood. We will talk about whatever you wish when we have the time."

 

Just as Mjan and Nia had finished speaking, Beth approached and offered a suggestion that Mjan could already tell was gleaming Rose's eyes like a star struck fan girl and with a chuckle, Mjan nodded his head in approval. "Sounds good to me Commander, as well as Rose it seems. The Clone War Era ships would definitely help us play off our original ties for certain and it's a solid plan." Mjan spoke over Beth's shoulder to Rose who's eyes glistened with stars. "Get 'em Captain." 

 

With a jump, Rose's arms, as well as her entire Twilek form flew into Beth's with more giddy than teenage angst before she took off to hunt down new leads. Mjan shook his head and offered his apologies, knowing full well that if anyone could locate them, it would be Rose. And oh how right he was.

[MSA]

As Rose went off to find the rest of the ARC-170s and Beth began to gather the group, Mjan turned to Nia. " If there is anything you want to gather before we leave, now would be a good time to do it. We've got a few hours until we depart, and now that I resemble near-human, I can tag along if you like. May give us a chance to talk and get some trinkets." Mjan ended his words with a smile. Just before Beth departed, Mjan yelled to her. "I've got a few personal supplies that I need to gather before we leave, and Nia may tag along. So we'll meet back here around 0-1800?"

 

With that, Mjan turned back to Nia and offered her the lead.

[MSA]

Mjan nodded, offering his outstretched arm for her to take the lead after he handed the girl a spare credit stick with a well rounded balance of funds just in case she needed or wanted anything as they explored. With a chuckle, Mjan spoke. "Here's a good fill of creds, just in case."

 

After they were a bit away from the group and still a distance back into town, Mjan began to speak. "Tell me Nia. What do you know of the Force and how much of it has been taught to you? I'm trying to gauge your potential as well as your skills before our mission begins. It'll make it easier for when we arrive at Bakura to focus on what areas you need training in the most." Mjan gave her plenty of time to speak, walking rather slowly with his fingers intertwined behind him. But as they reached the edge of the township, Mjan brought up one of his single digits as a sign of gushing now that they were in earshot of anyone who could blow their cover.

 

The few personal things that Mjan had to gather were mostly medicinal herbs, a batch of bacta, and a few other minor necessities that Rose had forgotten. Taking his time, Mjan gave Nia a chance to browse around, possibly finding something from her homeworld that she may come across or something new that caught her eye and drew her curiosity. Even Mjan found a small flute like instrument that he held no qualms about buying, and soon placed it within his satchel.

 

Once it drew close to meeting up with Beth and the others, Mjan tapped Nia on the shoulder and pointed toward where the others were beginning to gather. With a smile, Mjan spoke. "Its time to head back. Got everything?"

[MSA]

Mjan smiled at Nia briefly as she finished her words, a subtle kindness in his golden gaze before a full onslaught of laughter took hold of him, their distance between the town as well as Beth and her group too far to even be noticed by anyone but her and Mjan. Tears formed in his kind eyes and he apologized just as quick as he wiped them away and placed a hand upon his pupils shoulder as his gaze grew back to a semi-serious form.

 

"Nia, you forget who I am, what my very existence here proves." Mjan's words spoke of his own heritage, a Sith Jedi where his very nature conflicted his own outlooks. Removing his hand from her shoulder out of respect, he shifted his gaze toward the others. "My people have always been able to touch the Force, and because of it, fell to their nature within in, just as the Dark Jedi who migrated to our world after the Great Schism."

 

"The Order I was raised under, The Sorcerer's of Tund, are a secret sect of the Sith species, whom like my Master, taught that the Force is neither light nor dark, only the hearts of those who wield it defining the nature of it within themselves." Mjan spoke, memories of his time before the Jedi and of Master Aira fluttering to mind as he reminisced to his own tutelage as a Padawan not the very long ago, even if it felt like ages. "If it wasn't for the Jedi, or even my former Order, the dark nature of the Sith within me would have forged me into your enemy rather than your teacher."

 

His gaze shifted back to Nia, tears of sorrow filling his eyes as his words reached home in his own heart. "We are Jedi, pillars of Light standing against the Dark. But if we stand alone, the Darkness will eventually consume us. So we teach others to defend themselves, to bolster our numbers not just in those who are sensitive to the Force, but even in those who aren't, aspiring hope where hopelessness thrives."

 

"If we worry about the nature of someone, allowing the fear of teaching the wrong student blind us, then that hope is lost." Mjan wiped the streaming tears across his flex-mask, repositioning it in doing so to keep his human like appearence. "The hope I found in the Jedi would never had touched my heart."

 

Motioning for Nia to follow, Mjan allowed her to reply briefly, the time of their departure growing near. Beth and the others were surely had acquired everything they needed for Bakura. But as they grew near, Mjan noticed a disturbed look on Rose's face. Asking his Captain what was wrong, she frowned and spoke of one of the ARC-170 giving out unusual readings and that she needed to test it out, but the others were busy transporting the remaining ones, so she needed Mjan and Nia's help. Mjan shook his head with agreement, but looked to Nia for her own confirmation.

 

For Rose to run a full diagnostics on it, it meant a test flight in zero grav. It would be the only way to truly understand what the readings were giving, and it wasn't something he was sure his Padawan would be comfortable with. She would have to decide this herself.

[MSA]

Mjan could see his Padawan struggling with her thoughts, but this would have to be something she would have to learn through experience. As much as he wanted to express and nurture in her that everything would be alright, he knew that he could not. Such was the way of nature of the hearts of sentients. Like himself before her, she would eventually have to face ther darkness within herself to truly understand the light and what it truly stood for. As she nodded in agreement, Mjan turned back to Rose.

 

"We're in." He spoke, taking in behind Rose as she turned and headed toward the malfunctioning ARC and motioning for Nia to follow as well. It wouldn't take long before they had climbed aboard and Rose was at the helm running preflight checks and readying the elder ship for flight, Mjan taking the moment to point out each of the tasks that Rose was going through and explaining their purpose. When Rose fired the engines and lifted the ARC into the air, Mjan looked at Nia. "Any questions?

 

It would be a slightly bumping ride due to the malfunctioning engines, the small astromech that came along working overtime to keep up with Mjan's superior Officer and leader of his squadron as diagnostics were ran thrice. Mjan, having took the tailgunner's seat so Nia could observe, simply enjoyed the view from his stance as they entered open space and left Ord Mantell behind. But he chuckled softly, Rose's constant cursing enough that he was sure Nia's entire form was surely a completely different shade of color by now. But his chuckle was cut short rather quickly when he felt an unfamiliar disturbance shift across the Force just a Rose told the astromech not to connect some wire.

 

Before Mjan knew it, the stars around them became blurred lines and he felt the shift of hyperspace, unsure of what was exactly going on.