Chandrila

[Cephi]

((Godmod much? Oh wait yes, yes you do.))

 

Based off the information Cephi had been given in order to avenge the dark deeds, the man was chasing down a bounty and would no doubt had been heavily exhausted, given he has already failed in that task, which based off the fact there was not an incapacitated being nearby, Cephi would have reasoned was so. The Sith Lord had not expected one of his hidden blasters to have killed the Sith Lord, and the second it made impact the Nagai knew the bastard had some manner of trick up his sleeve. His connection to the Force had hardly disappeared in the mere moments he landed upon the surface, and the Sith could feel something was far out of place, though what it was he could not tell.

 

The Sith Lord had never charged forward toward the douche, as he was aware instantly it was too good to be true, he went ahead and his lightsaber built into his staff, allowing the city security to be stricken with fear, knowing they were completely out of their league to get involved with men of levels far beyond their capabilities, so tha tthey would not interfere with his battle. However, as he scanned visually his eyes were only to find that there were many dead men, obvious illusions or victims of some greater plot by this obvious trap. Every second the Sith doofus overstretched himself, making the deception easier to identify. The Sith Lord could not afford to waste little more time in this charade, and his opportunity came upon the bastard's array of blaster and stun bolt fire.

 

There are not many individuals who can see and feel within the Force the difference between blaster fire and stun bolt fire, but Cephi could mainly because Cephi had been incapacitated by stun bolts in the past, and it was part of this reason as to why Slicer deserved to have his corpse pissed on, on top of his other misgivings and also doing the universe a favor in ridding it of this buffoon. his lightsaber in hand and his various array of personal enhancements done by the Sith Scientists and Alchemists on Merkava, his body and his skill was more than prepared to deflect the ones which mattered.

 

Accessing the technological advancements in his cybernetic body, at the speed of thought Cephi was able to toggle the ability for his body to feel, and within a simple computation the ability to feel pain had been eliminated from his body. This did not save Cephi from the event of tearing flesh or incapacitation via a volley of stun bolts, but he could not feel any such things happening to him, allowing his mind to be focused without interruption, and that sort of concentration was critical in the mere seconds he had to calculate the incoming trajectories.

 

A basic maneuver of Force-using citizens of the galaxy has been that to deflect incoming fire, be it with physical objects or blasters of any sort. Sometimes this is done by a crude barrier absorbing or deflecting the incoming blaster fire, but most commonly, by those more trained in the Force, they could allow the bolts to nearly reach their body, attempting to deflect as many as one could with a lightsaber before requiring it to be rebounded off of much smaller deflecting barriers made in the moment.

 

Cephi had an advantage with his technological bestowments, in that his mind was always linked to a computer which could calculate the proper action based on his physical limitations he should take in order to create the best outcome. It was also able to compute Cephi's learned abilities in and relay the information to his mind so Cephi could do what was necessary to deflect all possible trajectories. As it was simple mathematics, Cephi had his computer mind take control of his physical actions in deflecting as many of the bolts coming in, focusing on the stun bolts, while his own mind could focus purely on using the power of the Force itself to keep the rest of his body out of harms way.

 

Using his computed strategy, Cephi's body automated the movement required to deflect the incoming stun bolts, all the while Cephi himself used his already heavy quantity of Force power to deliver a full frontal deflection barrier, as the shots were not fired at a 360 degree, to deflect the majority of the other fire, missing a few which had hit the side of his leg, his left forearm, and a shallow hole in his left shoulder.

 

”œTHAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO YOU GIANT VAGINA!”

[handofthrawn]

Slicer vs Cephi:

 

A pretty clever deception, Slicer. Your use of illusions is well-established and you didn't try to stretch yourself too much by creating multiple illusions, but rather created one and let Cephi's reaction to it draw the fire of the police handling the investigation.

 

Cephi, your defense was pretty straightforward, simply using your lightsaber and a Force barrier to defend yourself against the attacks. Since the exact number of police in the area remains unspecified, I'd say that's probably sufficient. I noticed that you didn't actually do much to try to abate the incoming fire, except maybe bolts deflected back at attackers, and you also completely failed to mention the new illusion Slicer created to attack you or the darts he fired at you.

 

That said, the distinct lack of specifics about the number of guards, the equal lack of a setup post, and the fact that the killshot was driven by NPCs means this killshot just doesn't have enough going for it to beat even the simple defense that was provided. These are the fundamentals of good killshots. Killshot Failed.

[Slicer]

The lightsaber. It was a symbol understood and respected by many. Yet in the end it was only a weapon for some, a tool for others. The city security were at first dumbfounded that a concentrated fire on a single target failed to yield results. It was further confounded by the sudden appearance of a lightsaber. Frightful of a sight that it was, it was their duty to protect the populous against all threats. Theirs was a noble history and the sight of a single force user, was not enough to break their professionalism. Especially since this incident had escalated to the point that some of the military types wanted a crack at the current developing situation. Crowd control was employed, to keep the civilians back and away from any potential danger. The current police chief on the scene had ordered a temporary cease fire after the initial volley had failed. He had also called in snipers and a Special Weapons and Tactics team to come in. This was his job on the line, and the galaxy had been under the thumb of Force Users for far too long. He would not let his career get flushed down the toilet because of them was having a temper tantrum.

 

He was actually dumbfounded on how the armored guy had taken a hit to the face, as missing half of his head, and was still standing. Yet clearly the threat was the alien brandishing his melee weapon in the face of guns, guns, and more guns, with extra guns coming on the way. This situation would be brought under control.

 

Slicer simply observed from the shadows. His form submerged in darkness, his presence lost to the flow of the Force. These beings were both of his concern and not of his concern. The longer the Sith made a spectacle, the more fire power would be brought to bear to take him down. The more eyes in the area, the more complicated things became. These were not his men to control, but he could use them to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

 

Looks like the kid is a tank. Full on frontal assault, looks like he took some hits but there isn't even a hint of pain. Even the most well trained betrayed a small hint with some one shot them. He doesn't seem to be feeding of the pain either, it simply is not registering. Add to that the hidden shot from his finger, and I think the kid is a cyborg. How annoying, but at the same time, could be quite satisfying.

 

As he observed, Slicer planned, and when he planned he acted. It was a good thing this Sith was perpetuating the chaos that caused the port authority to be shut down. With a single command, a black and gold shape streaked away for greener pastures so to speak. It was always good to have a quick escape route, especially with the way things were going. In the darkness no one would detect that lethal mass awaiting further instructions. Slicer himself designated the Sith as a threat in combat matrix. He also took note of the sniper teams moving into position, as well as the truck loads of guys exiting in what looked like combat armor. He didn't designate them as targets, as he only had room for thirty but the snipers were a high priority. Granted he could only keep track of things with in one hundred meters, but as soon as the up-link was completed he would have a tactical analysis of the whole city and surrounding areas.

 

He hadn't really done much of anything this whole time. He had allowed the clumsy oaf of a Sith to do everything so far. All he had really done was bide his time, as he was preparing for a killing spree. One that would be exacted upon the Sith instead of the surrounding officers. He moved and un-clipped his crimson saber from his belt. Making sure he drew no attention to himself, he stashed it behind a nearby trash receptor. He could call upon it later if need be but, it would be good incase the fight dragged on into the alleyway. He could hear the Sith calling him a body part that the alien had no doubt never even seen and had last touched when he crawled out of the one belonging to his no doubt whore of a mother. He mentally chided himself for even assuming that the alien with the intelligence of microbes on bantha fodder had a whore for a mother. It was however time to get this show on the road. For those viewing, it meant that the armored man with a gaping hole in the back of his head began to move. A voice emerged into the air, mechanical in nature yet surrounding all. Theatrics were always a plus.

 

”œI am still standing. You talk big little one.”

Edited March 30, 2011 by Guest

[Jidai Geki]

EDIT- ruling retracted. Slicer's manipulation of the police officers was accomplished using the Force, and mental manipulation of NPC's is perfectly acceptable for a Sith Master.

[Cephi]

EDIT- can the OOC chatter and can the ill-feeling, it's not helping anyone- Geki

 

The Nagai was able to keep himself from the stun bolts, his body was in good shape, if not perfect, the few grazes in holes were of no true concern as he was not losing blood as a thanks to the fact blaster fire immediate cauterizes, much like a lightsaber. His strength was still peaked, and his mind was still in control of the Force around him. however it seemed his plan had somehow backfired a bit with the security forces of this backwater hole being a bit more courageous than he intended. He had hoped he hadn't had to do this the hard way but he had no choice. In the few moments of quiet before the next assault came, he had to move at the pace of thought itself. His body began to move about randomly keeping an awkward and unpredictable warpath all the while his mind swept the area with the Force, looking for the one man needed to manipulate himself into an advantage, at least in terms of numbers.

 

Cephi began to search through the minds of the gunmen looking for who might be the leader, the one with tactical know how and who setup rather quickly a perimeter in which to encase the Sith Lord, or at least what they believe can hold him for they had no idea of the strenuous training the Sith Lord endured on Merkava, and how much he can accomplish when focused on a target. After sweeping through people worrying about kids, mistresses, and their pool boy being hurt in fight between Cephi, Slicer and the security force, he finally found a bit of mind he was aiming for.

 

”œ...frontal assault, looks like he took some hits but there isn't even a hint of pain. Even the most well trained betrayed a small hint with some one shot them.”

[Slicer]

Bewilderment akin to finding out that the open patch of ground that was consider safe before you sat upon it, has instead unleashed a furious ant colony upon you. An ant colony that with explosive force had invaded past your first line of defense and streamed unopposed across your body, fighting your being with sheer force of numbers and bite. It was a surprise that was as revolting as it was unexpected. Having curdled milk in your breakfast dish would have been preferable to the feeling the bounty hunter had wash over him. It was rare, very rare that anyone entered his head. He had been in this galaxy a long time, and it was just as disgusting a feeling now as it had been the first time some one had slipped past.

 

Arrogance is unbecoming. An arrogant assassin is a dead assassin.

 

He mentally chided himself for failing the second pillar of duty. In terms of specifics he had failed in the defense of what was his. His code was meant to protect him, yet he had disregarded it foolishly, instead distracted by the clumsy manner this situation had come about. He had underestimated this sith who had sought out his thoughts and attempted to supplement his own commands. Yet the sith master was not a weak minded fool. He was Darth Asperser master of stealth and illusions. He was the The supreme dark illusionist is there ever was one in the galaxy! His was the art of the mind, stretching out across thousands of species in the galaxy. His mind was not one to be taken lightly.

 

The sith withdrew, feeling his purpose complete, and attempting to seem trustworthy despite the malice that seem to emanate from his form. The bounty hunter gave no alarm, instead his mind clamped down with mental defenses that would withstand an orbital strike had they been physical. He did entertain the thought of keeping up with the charade but, he did not feel it necessary to prolong that deception. After all, it was clear that the sith had thought him to be the leader of these good lawmen. A potentially costly mistake, as Slicer now felt violated. The thought of taking the alien alive left his mind, instead death would be the only fitting punishment.

 

The only death had been that of the police officer whose face had been blown off in the cyborg's initial attack. Of course the illusion of Slicer sprawled out on the ground dead with a hole in his head, made the cops believe that the cyborg had killed two beings. It was a bad situation and getting far worse, as frustration set in with the bloodlust that the cops had been overcome with. Slicer mused that he could do away with the deception of his dead body and at this point the cops would not even notice. Yet he maintained it still, as the snipers and special forces had not entered the fray.

 

While this can be good for me, this can also become very very bad. The more lawmen who show, will eventually make my own movements very difficult. I should perhaps end this quickly and be done.

 

On one hand there was a sort of admiration for his new sith adversary. Though the creatures was foolhardy with the brains of a bantha, willing to charge into a situation and power through it, there was a sort of art to his movements. There was a strange precision with the way he moved, as though he was a hybrid of both man and machine, able to blend the two worlds into a homogenous blend of behavior. The wind itself seemed to complement the creature's movements as a rain of blaster fire hailed from all sides yet none of it mattered. Where once he had stood the creature had departed with the speed of a star fighter streaking into the sky.

 

It was a surprising feat, as Slicer had only ever been able to manage ten himself. Watching the sith take off into the air, he had a brief wave of panic overcome him. Though the visor could enhance his vision, he would lose the kid as a technical threat in his combat matrix past one hundred meters. Yet it was at this moment that the uplink to his ship was completed and suddenly the world was laid out before him. He allowed a small chuckle to escape his lips, as he watched the police officers, train their sights on the retreating form of the sith, still sending a hail of fire in his exposed being.

 

”œSir the target will begin its descent in approximately three seconds. He will then reach your position in approximately 5.15 seconds in free fall. Recommended course of action?”

[Jidai Geki]

Cephi versus Slicer:

 

A hundred and thirty metres? That's a hell of a jump. I have to wonder why Force-users bother with landspeeders when they're clearly equipped to perform such acts of amazing derring-do, but that's an argument for a different time and place.

 

Insofar as tracking Slicer in the Force: this is acceptable, as hiding one's presence in the Force is a double-blind. If you can't be detected, you can't be using the Force, and since Slicer has already used the Force, then he is detectable. However, the jump, and subsequent fall, is both overreaching and tactically not very sensible. Given that Slicer set up his ship to target Cephi as a threat, and given that it was in the area, his killshot counter is completely plausible against the nigh-defenceless falling Cephi.

 

KILLSHOT COUNTERED

[Slicer]

The solar ionization cannon was a powerful weapon. It was based on the kind of technology that allowed Star destroyers to move. In this case it was Slicer's way of letting his enemies taste the power of the Sun so to speak. Well in ionized death beam form anyway. Perhaps one day he would pack such a powerful punch in liquid form.

 

Needless to say the Sith lord was quite dead. Cephi had allowed Slicer to open up a bottle of sunshine, and had bathed in all of its particular glory. As the body hit the ground as a verified charred husk, Slicer quickly and quietly made his way to the location.

 

Upon arrival what he saw was to be expect but was still some what shocking. The body had been been given a wide berth of course, but children and their mothers seemed to be gazing at the results. No doubt the moms would get the credit for letting their kids get a taste of how the galaxy operates. For the kids it would be marked as a pretty cool day. After all how often does an alien from outer space shoot up into the sky one hundred and thirty meters only to have the power packed taste of the sun strike him down into an almost unrecognizable corpse. It was the natural result of being in the way of the unleashed power of the sun.

 

What happened as Slicer drew closer to the body actually stunned even the seasoned bounty hunter. Two of the children who had been ruthlessly pushed down the stairs by this monster broke away from the crowd. Together and limping, they approached the charred lump of a failed Sith. It was like a scene out of a holodrama. As these two clearly wronged kids moved to show their support for a being who was simply misunderstood. One that if everyone just opened up their hearts they would see his pain and suffering. Of course in a holodrama, the kids would then open up their arms and hug the object of such intense hatred by the adults, and there would be a tender moment.

 

Slicer at first blamed their approach of the fallen Sith due to the manner of death. Everyone knew that the power of the sun brought out the best in kids. That when it is sunny a kid's spirit comes shining through. That certainly seemed to be the case, as though these kids had been hurt, their appeared acceptance as their spirit continued to shine on despite all that had happened was apparent to everyone in the crowd. Seems once the kids had gotten a sunny taste of power displayed by Slicer. Even they had been moved, with their naturally sunny spirit, in light of this Sunny Death.

 

Even Slicer held his breath as he awaited the outstretched arms of the children on the destroyed Sith. Which is why he was shocked, when instead of opening their hearts, the kids opened their zippers. Of course once the kids unleashed what looked like the power of the sun in liquid form upon the dead Sith, other beings quickly joined in, en masse. Soon the body was being rained down upon with golden showers, having taken their cue from the first two children. Mod mentality had been easy to influence, and he felt it sort of satisfying to help them all get a few frustrations out. A slight Force nudge and all the build up tension of having killers running lose in their open and peaceful streets was relieved.... as was other parts of mostly human populous. Slicer learned things about aliens he had never known before, as golden streams found their way into various orifices, and what ever else they could find on the now stinking and charred pile of flesh. He thought he saw sparks sizzle, and he knew he would have to revisit his log of this incident to see if these streams were shorting out the various cybernetic upgrades the dead Sith had been augmented with. As his eyes cried another river of yellow tears, Slicer was surprised at the various parts of the body that was still intact.

 

Yet soon the crowd dispersed and as the police moved into to cordon off the area Slicer moved in and retrieved the filthy body, and still working lightsaber. Making a stop to pick up his own that he had hidden in the alley, it being lucky enough to survive the Sith's attack. After those few stops, he soon found himself blasting away from the planet, while attempting to upload everything he could out of the cybernetic brain he exposed moments upon entering the ship. His only thought when handling the soaked body was simple.

 

It is good to wear gloves.

 

((By request. If your PMs are of any indication.... see you in three days))

[Aelyn]

One of the first places Aelyn Talis wanted to see was Hanna City on Chandrila, and for the first time in her life she had the freedom to make it happen. Having recently finished her post-secondary education, which had been paid for by scholarships and the Galactic Alliance in appreciation for the work of her father the diplomat, she had some money saved and was eager to jet around the galaxy for a few months in her practical, hand-me-down starship and see what was out there.

 

The ship was spacious enough and Aelyn was thrifty enough that she could live out of it and not have to rent during her stay, potentially extending her ability to live off her savings before finding a job.

 

The first day started with a morning jog along the beaches of the Silver Sea, then she set out into the city with no concrete agenda, excited to just see what was happening around the big city. She stopped for lunch in a street-corner cafe and enjoyed one of the famous Chandrilan dishes she'd read about, then made her way to the Hanna Institute of Antiquities museum, where she spent several hours and a guided tour taking everything in. She found the whole Chandrilan culture of unity with the planet and their ecosystem to be both fascinating and noble.

 

Afterwards she tried to get in to a famous local restaurant but found she couldn't without reservations, so she placed one for a couple days away and found another spot for dinner -- which was still excellent. Then it was back out on the streets to see what Chandrilan nightlife was like.

[Aelyn]

Aelyn found the Chandrilan nightlife to be fairly tame, but she didn't mind too much as in some crowds she drew an unwanted sort of attention and she was traveling alone. She managed to find a fairly low-key club with live music in the local style that she found somewhat enjoyable after she struck up a conversation with some other patrons who knew a lot more about it and seemed willing to entertain the earnest questions of an offworlder. She'd always had an eye for finding those kind of people and a casual way to get them talking. This particular group was all human -- which was normal on Hapes but somewhat unusual to Aelyn, who was used to the melting-pot of cultures on Coruscant -- and was made up of two couples who seemed to be there socially but their attempts at conversation had stalled. For a bit they talked about the music, Aelyn got everyone's names, and things generally clicked.

 

Afterwords she returned to her ship to get some sleep, having to adjust her schedule for the 20-hour solar cycle on this planet, then it was back up in the morning for another jog.

 

Today she felt the need to get involved in something. She found that if she spent multiple days on tourism, she started to just feel like a tourist, and that just made her feel disconnected from everyone. After breakfast she made her way to a local charity that helped distribute food to those who were struggling economically. A lot of times these places were happy to have an extra hand, and she found that the people who ran and worked at them were her favorite sorts of folks. The work was easy: in the morning they would sort through all the donated foodstuffs that had come in and put together a meal, they'd serve it over the noon hour to whoever came, and they'd spend a chunk of the afternoon cleaning up.

 

Aelyn liked the simple work because it was easy to hold a conversation while doing it. She quickly met a middle-aged woman who was there with her teenage son in an attempt to instill in him a good work ethic and a willingness to sacrifice his own time for those in need. The woman had lived on Chandrila her whole life and had always been financially stable, but had married a man who had been far less fortunate and had been very self-conscious of his limited economic means while they were dating but hid it carefully from her. When they were nearly married she'd found out just how sacrificially he'd been saving to afford the gifts and engagement ring he'd given her, and her heart had melted. She'd vowed to show some of that same sacrifice for other people in his situation, knowing that some of them must be good people like him.

 

Of course, Aelyn just loved the story and happily continued to talk to the woman and her son, who she found would blush quite readily at the subject of how his parents met, until the day's work was wrapping up.

[Aelyn]

As the day was starting to wind down, Aelyn decided to relax she would go out and find another low-key place like she had the night before, get another sample of the culture in this part of town. She'd gotten the comm numbers of both of the couples she'd spent time with the previous night, so she shot a message to each of them and one of the pairs agreed to meet her again at another place they knew and would see if some of their other friends were interested. That suited her perfectly -- even if she didn't expect to stay on Chandrila for more than a week or two before moving off to the next place on her substantial list of galactic must-sees, getting in to a social circle would make her time here the best it could be, and tourism was less important to her than getting the feel of a place socially. That was the stuff she would always remember.

 

The place they ended up was a little more like a bar than she'd been hoping, and the couple was a few minutes late, but they raved to her about one of the appetizers and the selection of drinks as being the best in Hanna City, and so she was determined to try both. Aelyn was a very casual drinker, though not a teetotaler, as on the few occasions she had allowed herself to get drunk she'd gotten into such embarrassing situations she started to find it more enjoyable to stay lucid and laugh at her inebriated friends instead. That combined with the fact that she was trying to hold herself to a budget meant she couldn't go overboard. Still, she had no problem with compromising enough to sample the local drinks, finding that they said a lot about the people who had a taste for them.

 

A few other people joined the couple she'd met, some of them single men about her age, but that really wasn't what she was here for. Someone asked her where she was from, and she talked about Coruscant a little, but nudged the conversation back towards their own backgrounds. Hanna City, one of the bigger population centers, did have a way of attracting people from other parts of the planet, and while all of them were Chandrilan she got to hear some stories about the "boring rural" areas which still sounded to her like a positively romantic place to grow up in stark contrast to her own upbringing, even if she did have a taste for the bustle of the city.

 

During one story, her attention was quickly drawn as there was a bit of a crash on the other side of the establishment. "Kriffing moof milker!" a woman's voice called out. Aelyn could see the source of the voice, a twenty-something woman with three friends behind her trying to look small. She was yelling at a man who had a friend of his own, both of them looking frustrated. On the floor between them was a broken glass and the remnants of a drink pooling around it.

 

Aelyn frowned and started to walk towards the situation. One of the people in her party called to her -- "Where are you going?" She waved the person off and put herself physically between the two parties.

 

"What happened here?" she demanded, putting her hair in a ponytail.

 

"Who the sod are you?" one of the men asked her, irritated. "This is between me and her."

 

"This creep touched me," the woman said, looking at Aelyn.

 

The man held up his hands. "Look, I'm sorry, I just bumped into you! You didn't have to throw my drink at me!"

 

"Yeah, right," the woman shot back. But Aelyn looked past her at her friends, and one of them met her eye, then gave a sort of half-shrug and tilted her head uncertainly. Combined with the embarassed looks of the others told her enough. Looked like it was probably an accident.

 

Aelyn shrugged. "Hang on, could he just have bumped into you? It's pretty crowded in here."

 

The woman crossed her arms, putting on a betrayed look. "You're taking his side on this? Who asked you to butt in?"

 

Turning away from her, she ushered the two men back towards the bar. "Don't worry about it, she's understandably a bit riled," she said quietly, a little bit apologetically. "I'm sure once she cools off she'd be happy to replace your drink, but let me do it for her, okay?"

 

The man was clearly taken aback as he allowed himself to be led back to the counter, his friend tailing a couple feet behind. "Uh, sure," he said, his frustration dissipating in a way that was almost anticlimactic when its target was replaced by someone behaving in the total opposite way. "Why are you doing this?"

 

She smiled. "The war ended a few years ago, remember? Why should we make new enemies over simple misunderstandings?"

[Aelyn]

Not wanting to give the guy the wrong impression, Aelyn dropped a couple credits on the counter, excused herself, and then retreated back to her party.

 

One of the other girls gave her a look. "What was that all about? Did you just buy some guy a drink and then run?"

 

Aelyn gave her an earnest look. "I did what I thought I needed to do to keep things from getting ugly," she said. "That's more important than following social norms."

 

The other girl gave a friendly laugh. "Well look at Miss Mediator here."

 

"Seriously though," one of the guys interjected. "That was a hell of a thing you did. Most people just look the other way. Like who has the energy to care about some spat between strangers?"

 

Aelyn blushed slightly. "I guess it was just the way I was raised," she responded with a shrug. "But enough about that. I think someone was telling a story about getting mixed up in a gang of eco-terrorists?"

 

---------------------

 

A little while later the band started to break up and Aelyn made sure to leave with a group of them before setting off on her own and making her way back to her ship. There was a large nature reserve on the edge of Hanna City she wanted to visit the next day, and didn't want to be up too late and end up hating herself for it.

[Aelyn]

One of the things that attracted Aelyn so much to the idea of planet hopping for a while is that she could plan each trip to coincide with her favorite season on her destination world. She loved the very edges of summer by Coruscant standards, when she didn't need a jacket but neither was it the scorching heat of the middle of the season. In Hanna City, it never got that hot, but the time she picked to make her trip hit that perfect temperature band just right.

 

That made her visit to the nature reserve an even better experience. She had always been astounded by the tremendous diversity of life in the galaxy, even though plants had been scarce where she'd grown up. Now, walking through a veritable garden of trees and foliage, she allowed herself to take in the almost-surreal cornucopia of colors and scents and simply drift away from herself for a time. The experience was spiritual in a way, like she could feel the connectedness of all living things like some vast network, exchanging energy in perfect equilibrium even as they vied for survival.

 

On top of that, she really liked just putting one foot in front of the other, exploring the path ahead, not knowing what was around the next bend. To her, staying in the same place all the time would be like a slow death, especially knowing that there was a universe of novelty out there, more people and places than she could ever meet or see. The uncertainty didn't stress her at all; the only important thing was that she continued to grow and evolve as she traveled, keeping an open mind to new ideas while remaining true to the core of what made her who she was.

 

After a few hours her stomach led her back to the city to get lunch, having enjoyed the morning hike but feeling a little drained. Even just being around people as she ate helped recover some of that energy, but she really wanted to find something social to do and the people she'd met the previous couple evenings had day jobs. So while she ate she searched the area for some sort of Arts Center that would offer classes. Not surprisingly, Hanna City had several, the Chandrilan culture encouraging every individual to cultivate whatever creative bent they might discover within themselves. Aelyn had sort of dabbled in various creative outlets growing up, including music and painting, and in the latter pursuit there was a series of independent afternoon classes being offered for anyone who wished to attend and pay a modest fee. She quickly signed herself up for one and headed over to the campus where it was being held.

[Aelyn]

When Aelyn got to the class, she was delighted to find that they would be referencing a piece that depicted a Chandrilan landmark and the instructor would guide them through some of the techniques that the original artist used in its creation while encouraging them to give it some of their personal affectations. Most of the people in the class had paired off, enjoying the relaxed setting and creative outlet with a close friend or two. A lot of them were a lot like Aelyn -- young, educated free spirits looking to soak up some culture, broaden their horizons, or just try something new.

 

But as she looked around the room they weren't the people who caught her eye. There was a man, sort of tucked away at the side of the room, perhaps in his lower sixties. He was fairly stout, had a ruddy complexion, and had gray hair that was just long enough for him to put in a short ponytail. He was all set for the class, even having brought along some of his own supplies, as though he were very particular about what he used, and was dressed just a touch nicer than most of the attendees. He had his brush in hand and looked expectantly towards the front of the room and the instructor who was getting everything set up. Aelyn quickly made her way over to him and set up in the next station over. It might have been easy to relate to someone more similar to her, but she knew that the best conversations sprung from the most unlikely sort of folks.

 

"Hi, I'm Aelyn," she introduced herself. She gestured at his selection of paints. "You look ready to go! You must be some kind of pro!"

 

"My very first time," he said, looking just a bit embarrassed. His voice had a very calming manner to it; it was the kind of voice that she could imagine reading a children's book in a recording. "I, uh, tried to read up before giving this a try." He gestured at his paints. "It's terribly hard to pick up new things as late in life as I am, you see."

 

Just like that they got to talking. His name was Ordelus, and he had just retired a few days before from working in a small pharmaceutical company, where over many years he had risen to a position of leadership. He'd done fairly well financially, and then recently the company had been bought out and he'd been compensated for all the shares he'd held. Aelyn got the impression that the transaction had put him very well off, and he'd realized he no longer needed to work. He was married and had six children -- five girls and one boy -- and he was terribly proud of all of them, but as they had grown up many of them had moved to other cities and other worlds, gotten married, and now he saw them not nearly enough.

 

As the class progressed, Aelyn kept up the dialogue with him, though he was insistent that she couldn't see his painting until the end because he feared it wasn't good enough. She carefully encouraged him to continue telling his story and soon learned that the pharmaceutical company hadn't been his first job, nor had he ever thought he would end up doing it when he was young. He had actually come to Hanna City to study music, hoping to make something of himself as a concertinium player. He'd started off down that path and met his wife in an orchestra, but the jobs got scarce after a while and he entered a new line of work with the help of an offer from a long-time friend in order to help support his growing family. Although he still had a love for music and played when he could, Ordelus did not regret making the move that he had, convinced that he'd done the right thing for his wife and kids.

 

"They are my life," he told her, gesturing with his paintbrush by poking it at her like he seemed to do whenever he tried to make a point. "Nothing I can ever accomplish will be greater than the privilege of bringing those six to adulthood with my wife, through all the good times and especially the tough ones."

 

To Aelyn he was all character and experience and wisdom, and he seemed grateful to have someone to talk to. She paid such close attention that when the class started to wrap up, her painting was still lacking a lot of the finishing touches she'd envisioned putting on it. "Well Ordelus, finally going to let me see it?" she asked, just a bit teasingly, looking at the back of his canvas.

 

"Oh very well," he said as though it were a concession, then turned it to face her. The diligence with which he pursued his life's work clearly showed in his art. The details were faithful, the lines were practiced, but somehow he had shifted the time of day from the original piece and filled the sky with vibrant colors.

 

She grinned at him. "It's beautiful!" she said. "This can't be your first time!"

 

He blushed. "You're too kind," he said.

 

"No, really!" she said. "It's wonderful."

 

He took the painting off the stand and held it out to her. "I would like to give it to you, if you want it," he said.

 

Aelyn's smile widened. "Are you sure? You're going to be famous soon and you'll regret giving it away."

 

"Consider it compensation, if you wish, for listening to an old man ramble for an hour, and as thanks for reminding me of my daughter," Ordelus insisted.

[Aira Cadan]

Three days after leaving the Corellian system, our ship finally limped out of hyperspace over Chandrila, and it was clear that she could go no further. We brought the ship to land in Hanna City. I wasn't quite convinced it was worth paying to get it fixed, especially not on Jedi Order funds. It was an unregistered ship, crawling with Black Fist criminal ties, and while we could have legitimized it, I was more interested in selling it to someone willing to fix it up and arranging other transportation.

 

Apollo agreed with me--or rather, didn't argue. I wasn't sure if he really did agree, but he was willing to follow my lead since they were my credits. I did have to pay for a new registration and ID tag for it, but once that was done, we found a buyer for the Corellian Corvette in the matter of a few hours. By then, however, the sun was setting on Chandrila, and we weren't going to find alternate transportation at this time of night on a quiet planet like this. So we took a cab to a middle-of-the-range hotel a couple blocks from the beach. The desk manager was human, and he greeted us warmly. "Welcome to the Silver View Hotel. Do you have a reservation?"

 

"No," I said, "We heard you had vacancy."

 

"Indeed we do! I'd be delighted to book you a room. Can I have a name for the reservation?"

 

"Cadan," I replied.

 

"Very well, Mr. and Mrs. Cadan, I have a double room available--"

 

"We're going to need two rooms, please," I interrupted. "Adjoining is fine."

 

He took the information in stride, although I could sense his surprise that we weren't married through the Force. Chandrila always had been a little old-fashioned, but I thought it was endearing. I passed him my credit chit and he charged me for the rooms, before letting us know about the complimentary breakfast and giving us the highlights of things to do around the area. He also seemed a little curious at our lack of luggage, but he didn't comment.

 

We checked out the rooms first, then headed out to get some real dinner at a small quick-service restaurant nearby. After we ate, we both agreed on a walk along the beach. The Silver Sea was lovely. A nice breeze was blowing, and I felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. "You know," I commented to Apollo. "I know this is a detour, but having to come here is turning out pretty nice."

 

He smiled at me. "It is."

 

We continued to walk and make small talk, and after a few minutes, he took my hand. For a moment, I was going to pull away, but I couldn't quite bring myself to. We continued that way, quieter now, simply enjoying the night, the water, the beach, and each other's presence.

[Aelyn]

Aelyn went straight back to her ship, the Open Road, in high spirits, forgetting all about her own painting and finding some wall space to put up Ordelus'. It fit in perfectly among all the little things she had collected over the course of her life and treasured enough to bring with her as she set off on her travels. Most of them would look like mere knickknacks to the average observer, things of little value. But Aelyn could relate the stories of any of the people who had given the items to her, and it was like she was bringing a little piece of them with her wherever she went. To her, Hanna City was to be treasured for its art, culture, and beauty, but a place was made special by its people. She would always remember meeting Ordelus now, and the gift was made even more perfect by the fact that the painting depicted a Chandrilan landmark.

 

She looked over her collection and let the memories wash over her. How many more things she hoped to add as she continued her travels!

 

And the day was far from over. Aelyn called her parents and talked with them for a bit about the time she'd been having so far, as well as to let them know that she was safe. They worried a little bit, but she didn't hold it against them. It kind of came with the whole parenting deal, especially when their only daughter went off to who-knows-where with no real agenda except to wander and see what she could find. For their part they were doing well. Her father had just gotten asked to lead a diplomatic envoy to a small world in the Outer RIm to see if they wanted to establish relations with the Galactic Alliance, and her mother would be going with him, so they would have a little exploring of their own to do.

 

Afterwards Aelyn went out and found another new place for dinner, determined never to have the same dish twice during her stay. It helped that her mainly-Coruscanti upbringing, which had been dotted with travel whenever she could manage to get her father to take her places for his work, had exposed her to a wide variety of tastes and she found she liked a lot of them, so it was easy for her to find things to enjoy on Chandrila. It wouldn't always be so easy, especially on planets that were less dominantly human, but still Aelyn was looking forward to trying something radically different and totally foreign to her taste buds in the future.

 

Hoping to catch a holofilm or, even better, a live show, she then headed down to the theater district near the Silver Sea. She did find a ticket booth that was selling admittance to a show that was sometime the next day that sounded right up her alley. There were always other things she could do this evening, so she decided to stand in line -- which was fairly sizable -- get her tickets now, and come back tomorrow to catch the play. She didn't mind the wait, as the sales booth was on the edge of a broad parkway that was dotted with fountains and a swirling pattern of trees, the whole place bustling with people. It was a testament to Chandrilan culture and architecture, and just taking everything in kept her in good spirits.

 

It turned out it was a good thing she was paying attention to her surroundings. She spied a small human child with dark skin, apparently unaccompanied, toddling around near one of the fountains. As she watched, at first assuming that the child's parents were nearby, the little boy started to climb up onto the edge of the fountain, peering into the water with innocent curiosity. He slowly managed to pull himself up, but even as he stood on the narrow ledge he started to teeter uncertainly.

 

Abandoning her line, Aelyn dashed over and caught the child right as he lost his balance and started to fall backwards off the ledge. "Whoa, careful there little guy!" she said.

 

The toddler looked unconcerned with the fact that he'd very nearly gotten quite hurt. "Bawa," he said, pointing at the water.

 

Aelyn looked around at the other people nearby, but none of them had apparently even noticed what had happened, much less were watching the child. "Where are your parents? Are you lost?"

 

The little boy looked up at her. "Hama," he said.

 

She looked puzzled. "Let's go find your parents," she said, taking him by the hand and starting to lead him through the parkway, hoping even to find someone of the child's ethnicity nearby or, even better, an authority figure who could help her.

[Aira Cadan]

We didn't walk that way for long, which was good, because it would have gotten awkward. Apollo and I had only met a few days earlier, and while I really liked what I knew of him so far, and looked forward to getting to know him better, we still weren't much more than strangers. So when we started heading back for the hotel, I was glad, and I could sense he was too.

 

As we approached the entrance, however, I felt a tug from the Force. I paused and reached out with my senses. There was something--no, somewhere--I was supposed to go. I thought about ignoring it, but then the mental image of Onderin came to me. He would have frowned that deep frown of his if he had caught me thinking about ignoring the prodding of the Force just so I could get an early night. I smiled slightly wistfully. "Go on in, Apollo. I'm going to keep walking a bit." I lowered my voice. "I've got a feeling. Jedi thing."

 

He nodded slowly. "Alright. Good night, then, Aira."

 

I could sense his puzzlement in the Force, and smiled. "Good night, Apollo."

 

He turned and went in, while I opened myself to the Force. Soon it gave me a direction, and I found myself walking through the quiet city streets. On most planets, dusk was a dangerous time of day to be wandering through the city streets, and I wondered if that was why the Force was calling me. So when I found myself along a wide garden parkway dotted with trees and fountains, I slowed my pace. The place was filled with people, some waiting in lines for the theaters along the sides of the park, others enjoying the nature of the park itself. There were people picnicking, people strolling, people playing instruments, and others just simply passing through. I knew this was where the Force had led me, so I walked calmly through the park, keeping my eyes open for anything unusual.

[Aelyn]

After a few minutes, Aelyn still wasn't having any luck. She kept fairly close to where she'd found the child, hoping that his parents had at least been in the area.

 

"Hama," the little boy said again, insistingly, looking up at her.

 

Aelyn knelt next to the child. "What does that mean, 'hama'?" she said. "Is that your name?"

 

He shook his head, then pointed to her shoulders. "Hama... de," he said, as though trying to enunciate.

 

"Hama-de?" she repeated. Suddenly she raised her eyebrows. "Oh! Hamad! The Mandaba word for 'up'! You're pretty clever!" She scooped the boy up and put him on her shoulders, then went back over to the fountain where he'd been climbing and stepped up onto the ledge. From here, not only could she see over the crowd, but anyone in the crowd could see the boy.

 

She waved her hand to draw a little attention and the boy did the same thing. "Appa!" he exclaimed.

 

Within moments a concerned-looking human couple came rushing over out of the crowd. The wife dashed toward Aelyn, who grinned and hoisted the boy back down, passing him into her waiting arms. Meanwhile the husband reached to shake Aelyn's hand. "Thank you!" he said, sporting a thick Selonian accent. "We were so worried when we realized he ran off. How can we ever repay you?"

 

Aelyn shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous, I was happy to help," she said, returning the handshake. "Really I should be going. I hope you three have a great evening."

 

The couple thanked her again and started to leave. The little boy, securely in his mother's arms, waved back at her. "Buh-bye!"

 

Laughing, Aelyn waved back, then looked around to try and find the line she'd been waiting in.

[Aira Cadan]

As I walked, I suddenly noticed a red-haired human climbing on top of a fountain. She had a young boy on her shoulders and they were waving their hands, almost like they were trying to get attention. The Force swirled powerfully, and then seemed to condense. A couple suddenly pushed past me, and I followed them to see the interaction. The young woman was very kind, a trait that was sadly uncommon among the beings of the galaxy. But more uncommon was the sense I got from her in the Force. This woman was Force-sensitive. Raw and untrained, but full of potential. I shook my head with a smile. Really? This was why the Force brought me out here?

 

The girl started to move off, but I called out to her. "Excuse me, miss! That was really something you just did for that family." I smiled warmly at her. "My name is Aira. Your kindness is remarkable. Who taught you to treat people like that?"

 

((sorry for the short post))

[Aelyn]

"Really anyone would have done the same," Aelyn said with a shrug as she turned to face the newcomer, not really looking for compliments from strangers, but suddenly her jaw dropped in surprise. "Oh wow, you're Aira Cadan!"

 

There were some places in the galaxy where Aira was a household name. She had been the New Republic Fleet Captain that had taken that first step way out on a limb to call the ceasefire with an Imperial one, Raven Zinthos, in the final battle of the war over the abandoned Death Star that had been discovered in deep space beyond the Outer Rim. That step of faith had snowballed into the meeting in which the leaders from both sides had met aboard the Kat Nargal Memorial Resort, drafting and signing the constitution for the Galactic Alliance. All of that, and the peace that the galaxy had been enjoying since then, could be partially attributed to this very woman. And she was a Jedi Knight on top of it all!

 

Aelyn realized she was staring at Aira dumbfounded and closed her mouth. The galaxy was a huge place, and the odds of running into any one individual completely randomly were so astronomically low that they were difficult to calculate. But Aira was one of her personal heroes, the bold captain who looked for peace in the middle of a pitched battle of mutual annihilation over a superweapon with the ability to wipe out whole civilizations. And who was actually a bit younger than Aelyn had thought she looked in the holos, even though a few years had passed since the end of the war -- maybe it was the smile.

 

Finally Aelyn's brain caught up and she gave a broad smile. "This is crazy, but I think you've met my father. I'm Aelyn Talis. My dad is Ambassador Rasil Talis, who worked with Admiral Starlisk for all those years." Rasil had been one of the key players in those negotiations aboard the Resort, and Admiral Starlisk had come to trust him to handle the most delicate negotiations for the New Republic and the Rebellion that preceded it. "I think that answers your question, too."

[Aira Cadan]

I blushed as the young woman recognized me and gaped dumbfounded for a moment. I occasionally ran into people who recognized my name, and put two and two together that I was that New Republic captain who had initiated the peace treaty with the Empire. But I never really got used to it. From my perspective, I had only been doing what I had deemed to be the best course of action at the time, and I was always a little uncomfortable with the fame that called me a hero. But when the other woman identified herself, my embarrassment melted away into genuine joy. "Ambassador Talis! Oh I remember him very well! I knew he had a family, but I didn't realize his daughter wasn't that much younger than me." I shook her hand. "I'm so pleased to meet you, Aelyn. How is your father? What brings you to Chandrila?"

 

After a moment, I remembered my manners. "Hey, are you doing anything tonight? Do you want to get some dessert somewhere? I'd love to get to know you better."

 

I also planned on bringing up her Force-sensitivity. The daughter of a Galactic Alliance ambassador would make a wonderful Jedi, and would potentially be very interested in becoming one. Perhaps she, like her father, would view a life in service to the galaxy as one worth living. I mentally checked myself before I got run away with conclusions, though. I knew that often the children of civil servants knew too well what sacrifices that kind of life demanded, and were determined to not have to make those same ones themselves.

[Aelyn]

Aelyn tried to hide her surprise behind her persistent smile. There had to be a billion things for a Jedi Knight to do that weren't having dessert with random people they ran into on the street, even if they happened to have some things in common. She certainly wasn't going to turn this down, though, not in this lifetime. "Let's do it! There's this place nearby I've been wanting to try," she said. There would be plenty of other times to catch a show, as she wasn't planning on leaving Chandrila for at least a few more days, when it would be off to the next planet on her list -- Borleias, just in time for the annual meteor shower there, which was supposedly spectacular.

 

As she started leading the way to the restaurant, Aelyn split her attention between navigation and Aira. "Dad is doing well, thanks for asking. He's still active in the GA diplomatic corps, and he and Mom are getting sent out to the Outer Rim in a few days to establish relations with a non-member world. Although they raised me mostly on Coruscant, we moved around so much for his work that they really gave me a taste for travel, so I guess I came here just to, you know, see the sights and meet the people. Pretty soon I'll move on to the next place, see where my ship can get me until I run out of money and have to start being an actual productive member of society." She gave an easy laugh.

 

She kept glancing at Aira. "Has anyone ever told you that your hair is amazing? I can't do a thing with mine." She pointed. "Oh! Here's the place." Before then was a small diner. The interior was decked out in the sort of art that was trending on Chandrila, giving it a very modern look. The people here were just as modern -- due to the close proximity with the theater district, it tended to draw the artsy crowds. Musicians, avid show-goers, and even some of the actors that played roles in those shows milled about and dined together. It was getting on into the evening by now, but dinner never ended in a place like this as people came from around the planet to see the local acts, all of them coming from different time zones and their stomachs demanding attention regardless of what the sun was doing here.

 

Thankfully the diner had enough space for everyone and they were able to get a table immediately. It helped that they hadn't come from one of the theaters right after a show ended, when the place would fill right up. "Now that you know my story, what are you doing on Chandrila, Aira?" Aelyn asked once they were seated.

[Aira Cadan]

We made our way to the restaurant, Aelyn filling me in. I listened with interest, glad to hear the ambassador was doing well, and intrigued by what Aelyn was doing now. "So it's an extended vacation of sorts? That sounds lovely."

 

I laughed lightly when she commented on my hair. It always took a long time to get it looking this way, but it was always worth it. My hair was my pride and joy, the one thing about my appearance I really liked. "Thanks," I replied as we reached the diner. We settled into seats at a table. I opened my menu right to the desserts page, and my eyes were drawn instantly to a triple chocolate mousse cake, the likes of which I hadn't had since my sisters' and I's 16th birthday party. "Okay, I know what I'm getting!" I exclaimed, pointing to it.

 

Aelyn asked me about my own story, and after we put in our orders, I obliged. "Well, it's a bit of a long story, but the short of it is that I'm escorting a man who is a new ambassador between his people and the Jedi Order. I'm taking him to the Jedi Temple. His people are a Force-sensitive sect of near-humans. Decades ago, they were subjected to a Sith bioweapon that took advantage of that connection and made them slaves. They evacuated their planet and went into hiding on a sleeper ship. A few days ago, Master Dashel Illioni and I discovered them, and discovered that one of their people had developed a cure. We delivered the cure, freeing the people from their self-imposed captivity. Of course, it was a lot more difficult than that, involving a criminal organization I'd spent the past several months infiltrating. Anyway, our ship was damaged in the battle, and we made it only this far before it died on us completely." I shook my head with a rueful smile. "So I guess you could say we're stranded here until we can find alternate transport."

 

I took a sip of the water the waiter had delivered. "I thought this was only an unavoidable delay. But I see now that the Force brought me here to meet you."

[Aelyn]

"That sounds like quite an adventure, and a dangerous one," Aelyn said, taken aback by the story. "I guess the stories people tell about the Jedi are true." It seemed so far outside the realm of what normal life was about. Infiltrating criminal organizations, ancient sleeper ships, Sith bioweapons? Aelyn had been exposed to a lot of stories during the war and she found herself to be very curious about just what Jedi were like in person. The media -- and her father, at times -- had made such men as Onderin Starlisk out to be the epic heroes of legends, with Force abilities that let them turn the tide of huge fleet battles or walk calmly into a room where Vladimir Faust was concocting a ritual that would obliterate the known universe and battle him to the death. Aira seemed... strangely normal for someone who had just been involved in the plot she'd described. Not necessarily what she expected from a great warrior who would do battle with monstrous evils with thousands of lives depending on the outcome.

 

She gave the Jedi a quizzical look. "Brought you here to meet me?"

 

The waiter returned just then with their desserts. Aelyn had chosen something rather light, with sliced up fruit on the top of a variety she'd never before tasted. She eagerly took a bite and felt the concoction seem to melt away in her mouth in an explosion of flavor. "I'd be happy to take you and your friend the rest of the way to the Temple in my ship, if that's what you mean," she offered cheerfully after she swallowed. "Hey, this is really good."

[Aira Cadan]

I smiled as Aelyn offered us a ride. "Thank you, I'd appreciate that a lot." I took a bite of my own dessert, savoring the flavor of the rich chocolaty goodness. "But that isn't exactly what I meant."

 

I gave a mental shrug and set down my fork. "Actually Aelyn, I think there is a bigger reason why I was supposed to meet with you tonight. You're Force-sensitive." I paused. "You could become a Jedi. And frankly, while I've only just met you, I can't think of very many people who would make a better one than you. You've already shown that you love people, that you love to help them, and that you are kind. This could be the chance for you to explore your gifts and become a beacon of hope in a dark galaxy."

 

I took another bite of my cake, but I quickly looked back up at the other woman. I hoped she'd be excited, but I knew that she would understand that being a Jedi was a big responsibility. "The Force runs strongly in you, Aelyn Talis. You have great potential. It'd be a shame to waste it."

[Aelyn]

Aelyn tilted her head and gave Aira a sideways look, frowning slightly. "Me? A Jedi?"

 

She seemed to think about it for a moment, but then gave a short laugh and smiled. "I'm not exactly cut from the same cloth as you guys," she said, taking another bite of her dessert, which seemed to be getting even better as she worked through it. "You just got back from being this big hero. Aren't Jedi these powerful warriors, risking life and limb against the SIth and whoever else? I've never touched a weapon in my life."

 

The Coruscanti girl shook her head. "I'm flattered, really," she said. "But I'm no Jedi, and I hardly see how helping a kid find his parents qualifies me."

 

Still, she wondered at what it meant that she was Force sensitive, and what her parents would think if they found it. She understood it was a fairly rare gift. Maybe she would do a little bit of research on it on her own, once she'd seen Aira and the ambassador safely to the Temple.

[Aira Cadan]

I nodded. "Some Jedi are like that," I replied. "Some Jedi aren't. I know a Jedi who is not much besides a naturalist, living in the wild, almost as a hermit, studying the Force and how it interacts with life. Other Jedi are fighters, swords who go to the front line and take the fight to the Sith directly." I shrugged as I ate another bite of cake. "Each Jedi acts as the Force calls them to, and the Force uses us all for different reasons. But when it comes down to it, what a Jedi really does is protect innocent people. In one way or another, that is what every Jedi does. And that is why compassion, like the compassion you displayed for that little boy, is central to a Jedi's life."

 

I took a drink of water. "Not very many people are Force-sensitive, Aelyn. You have this power inside you, and that will affect your life in one way or another. You'll never be 'normal'. Which means that you are cut from the same cloth as us. You might not feel that way--I know I certainly didn't when I found out I could become a Jedi. But I think that one day, you'll have to deal with that fact. And then you'll have a choice to make. That day might be now, or it might be my role just to let you know the truth about yourself."

 

I finished the last bite of my cake with regret and sighed contentedly. It had been incredible.

[Aelyn]

A mix of emotions fluttered around in Aelyn's stomach and she put down her fork for a minute as the staggering weight of the choice she now faced crashed down on her like an avalanche.

 

Not an insignificant part of it was apprehension. Other than the stories and what Aira had just told her, she really didn't know what it meant to be a Jedi at all, or what it meant to be "used by the Force". She was mortified at the thought of being called to fight... or even to kill. She didn't think she could ever bring herself to do it. And if she said yes and made it through whatever rites they had to join the Order, it would be a life-long commitment. She'd never heard of a Jedi just going back to who they were before. And how could they with all that they had learned? In one way or another, this decision would forever change her destiny.

 

On the other hand, there was a certain thrill to the prospect. The ability to use the Force was like something out of a storybook. Was she really capable of moving objects around with her mind, like some kind of magic? Who could know what doors learning about the Force could open, the difference she could make? She didn't think most Jedi held another profession, so would this path free her from the threatening shackles of having to settle into a career once her current journey ended? She decided that wasn't a good reason to make a commitment like this, but she couldn't deny that there was some appeal to the thought. Maybe, just maybe, the best person she could be would only ever be realized by taking this one leap of faith, and if she turned it down, she might never get another chance.

 

At once she was thrilled and terrified. Jedi had enemies, and there was a bounty out on them right now. It was tempting to dream of what heights she could achieve by walking this path, but she was also painting a target on her back that the worst kind of people would see.

 

Finally Aelyn took a deep breath and seemed to come back to the present. When she spoke, her voice was a bit quieter, not nearly as cheerful or certain as her usual cadence. "Can I talk it over with my parents? I... I think I know what I want to do," she said. Being a good person didn't mean anything if it didn't sometimes come with risk and sacrifice. She knew it didn't. Maybe from that perspective... it was actually morally reprehensible to not take this opportunity, even -- no, especially -- if she was scared.

 

Finally she seemed to regain her confidence. "They'll have questions," she said matter-of-factly, then finally picked up her fork and finished off her dessert.

[Aira Cadan]

Aelyn fell silent, clearly thinking hard. I didn't mind the silence. I knew this was a huge decision. When I had been a kid, I had always wanted to become a Jedi. But even if that had happened, my own life had turned out vastly different than I had expected all those years ago. I had been idealistic, thinking of the glory and courage of the Jedi, and always wanting to emulate that. But reality was messier, and more crazy...and much better. I liked my life. Sure, I had been through difficult things. The life of a Jedi wasn't easy--and things had been especially rough on me since Onderin died. But I felt like I had made a difference, that I had brought some light into the universe. And that was what I had truly always wanted to do with my life.

 

I smiled to myself, thinking back on all the emotions I had had when I had learned that I was Force-sensitive. My parents had been so proud, although sad too. My sisters had supported me completely, although it had been hard to separate us. We had been attached at the hip since we were born. But part of growing up meant learning to live your own life, and be your own person. Force, I missed them. After I return to Tython, I promised myself, I'll go visit them. I still can't believe Alara is married now! It had been heartbreaking to miss my sister's wedding, but that had been in at the end of the war, and I had been wrapped up directing fleets. There had been no chance for me to go.

 

Aelyn finally spoke up, breaking me from my reverie. "Of course!" I replied. "I don't expect you to be able to make this decision right now. Sleep on it, talk to your parents, and then let me know what you want to do. If you decide to pursue Jedi training, then you can give me and the ambassador a lift to the Jedi Temple, if you're still willing. Otherwise, we'll find our own transport. I can't accept your offer for a ride if you decide not to join us now; I'm sure you understand that the location of the Jedi Temple is a secret."

 

I paid the bill for both of us, then I handed Aelyn a slip of flimsy. "Here's my comm number, and the hotel we're staying at here on Chandrila. Let's meet up tomorrow, okay?"

[Aelyn]

Aelyn accepted the note with a grateful smile. "Thank you," she said. "No matter what happens, I'm really glad to have met you. I'd love to hang out here and chat, but I think I have to call my parents soon if I'm going to catch them while they're awake." It got really confusing when planets had different day lengths -- she couldn't just add or subtract a number from the current planetary time to get Coruscant time, but rather the adjustment changed every cycle. She'd already placed a call to her parents earlier that afternoon, however, and knew that they were only a few hours off this time. She might still end up waking them up, but this couldn't wait.

 

She quickly excused herself and traveled back to her ship, spending the time continuing to dwell on the choice before her. The emotions continued to war, but one set of them was steadily winning, and she was starting to wonder if her choice was already made and she would end up defending it to her parents.

 

As soon as she arrived, she hurried up the boarding ramp and put in the call.

 

Her father appeared on the other end of the line. He looked like he was in the process of getting ready for bed, but still somehow managed to look like the composed diplomat he was. "Aelyn. Is everything okay?"

 

She bit her lip. "I think so, daddy. But you're not going to believe who I ran into this evening."

 

----------------------------------

 

In the morning Aelyn got up extra early and took her jog along the Silver Sea. She convinced herself that she was doing it to get a little more time to think about her decision and make sure she was one hundred percent certain she knew what she had to do, but in truth she'd barely been able to sleep and once dawn had come around she'd given up on getting any more. Her tiredness left her brain feeling like it had been overrun by cobwebs, and the first part of her run she didn't do much thinking at all, but as the blood got working her body started to come around, and the shower she took afterwards was divine.

 

No sooner had she gotten dressed than she sent a comm over to Aira, hoping the Jedi didn't sleep in. The hour was reasonable by now, but it was always a bit of a gamble with space travelers because she had no idea what Aira's internal clock was telling her. Spacer lag and all that. "Let's talk, okay?" she said over the comm. "Will you be ready if I show up at your room in fifteen minutes?"