Borleias

[Slicer]

The end game was in play and he knew it. Unfortunately, for those arrayed against him he had included numerous possibilities in his end game. The most prevailing one had actually been having a Rebel presence over head, as well as an enraged husband on his tail. They had no idea how long this had been brought into consideration long before he had arrived on planet.

 

He had even planned on who would be leading the fleet. He knew the man in a way that even the fool did not understand. As once, Onderin was indeed a worthy bounty to cash in on. Therefore, he had expected Onderin to lead the charge, and having defeated the fool once before only to be robbed of his bounty and detained due to a small miscalculation, he knew how the man would operate.

 

Full of forces, unable to do a thing himself. Typical.

 

With a suddenness that was not surprising, he soon found himself in the excellent position to taunt, and so, his voice coming out loud and clear for the Jedi he spoke.

 

”œWhat ever happened to a Jedi is not a creature of morals. Mr. Darkfire. You assume too much with that statement your kind.”

[Guest]

OOC: Since I removed this part of my post from my previous post, I will post it now. Also, Cade completely ignored the goings on of my post when he made his kill shot request. At the time of Cade's post, I'd already have had Slicer in my ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IC:

 

The shockwave from the blast pulsed out in all directions causing severe disruption to outlying ships that it hadn't immediately obliterated, but with the weight of the X-wing removed, Jareth's engines rocketed the ship away at such an incredible speed that no ship could possibly give chase.

 

Edited due to mod ruling:

 

OOC: I do not see how 2 lancer class figates can block "any possible escape route" when I have basically the entire planet atmosphere to work with as a punching out point. Also, I posted that the blast would have disrupted the snub-fighters long enough for me to get well clear of them if they were not destroyed completely. I will now post as if dealing with the Lancer.

 

IC:

 

As the Tigershark pulled from the dojo carnage, he watched as the wreckage from his persuers rained down on the planet surface below. It seemed the sith and the hunters had won the day completely. However, they were not out of the fight just yet. Looming ahead in the distance, the former sith saw a lancer class warship blocking one of his potential escape routes.

 

"Well shit guys. It's getting crowded in here, and we're not out of this yet. Everyone hold onto something."

 

Jareth waited for the republic ship commander to make his move.

Edited February 11, 2009 by Guest

[King Kheldar vos Correlli]

This particular killshot set has been hard to rule on.

 

Again, a good use of tactics by Slicer- sending off decoys and remote sending his ship to draw fire, and excellent coordination with Jareth. I believe that is enough to stop Onderin's initial kill since pursuit was dedicated to the fakes. Cade, you made a good effort, but since you failed to account for Jareth's post, I'll have to agree that it fails.

 

The crash of Slicer's ship into the bridge, while a good tactic, was not enough to counter the killshot, given that the shields on the Sunrider were still at full strength. It could cause damage, but not enough to turn the tables on Onderin.

 

Now, at key issue deals with Onderin's posts with Jareth prior to this killshot. At issue: Can Jareth's HLAF 500 escape the attention of 2 Lancer Classes, the T-47s, and the E-Wings, while picking up Slicer and making an escape. I'd say, yes, enough to stop the already mentioned killshots. Enough to account for the plenthora of rebel snub fighters over the Dojo, as well as the ones not accounted for during his earlier posts, being as there were more than the T-47s to account for?

 

I'd say not quite. While the posts were sufficient to save Slicer and make a mostly clean getaway, the Frigates, as well as their ships which were in dedicated pursuit, I'd say it's not quite enough to merit the clean escape posted.

 

I'd remit this for another round of combat with Jareth and Onderin at the helm of their ships. As far as IC knowledge goes though, Slicer blew up with the attack on the Sunrider, so use that as you would in posting your actions/responses.

 

Additionally, Slicer, you need to be a bit clearer on your posts, especially when using illusion. Some OOC obfuscation is useful, but in other posts, it can just be a pain to sort out.

[Guest]

OOC: read above, i have edited my post to reflect the mod ruling.

[Ary the Grey]

((I'd like my actions to be considered as well...I posted that I found him through the illusions, I did not post where as he did not post where, and such semantics are a common tactic seen when he uses illusions. It would have been easy to track him through the thermal sensors (or through any number of other sensors in that his suit is not untraceable). Though I resent Onderin firing on my position, I hold that I was at Slicer's location. As per the Mod ruling, I won't post that way, but I ask that t is included in any further re-evaluation.))

 

Wrong move.

 

What the Sith had failed to account for was that in Aryian's request, he had actually wanted the Sith to escape. He was even willing to offer some protection to that ends. But not now. Now was time for something that was at the limits of even the allmighty Force Cycle itself. The stage was set, it was time for the grand finale. A strong Force barrier had protected him from the harmful energies, but the impact had thrown him on his back. ((Thanks for the closed attack, by the by))

 

Aryian sat, still rippling power, still full of righteous fury. And it was this righteous fury he tapped into as he unleashed the full power his self-taught technique could fully offer. In retrospect...he would shudder to think what a group of people with this technique could do if feeding into each other multiple loop energies...the raw energy would be staggering to behold, even at great distance.

 

All around the planet, those sensitive to the Force could feel something swelling, growing intensely larger, the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end as if they were suddenly charged with a great deal of static electricity. With focus and power unmatched, Aryian reached out with the Force at the ship speeding away from him, and grabbed it, flooding it with his presence. Not only did he slow it significantly telekinetically, attempting to hold it in place, but slowly began crushing critical equipment all over the ship, every second that passed another system was damaged, even the engines and shields began to fail as he began destroying the main power lines from the generator. Words tore through the minds of those onboard...not so much actual words as the strong thoughts of one pissed off Master.

 

GIVE ME WHAT IS MINE!!

 

To Slicer, Aryian might have regarded as a child, pathetically throwing a tantrum. Such were the thoughts of one who was so arrogant and full of himself, that every attack and assault made against him was dissected before it began, that every eventuality was covered for. But not this time...Aryian was no child, and this was a very real threat.

 

Saladin, perched in the perfect hillside observational position, had the ship clear in its sights, and saw the opportunity, sniping several shots in a quick tight volleys intent on disabling the ship, or at the very least making it unspaceworthy, two shots aimed at skimming the cockpit window.

 

 

And back on the forest floor...blood began to trickle down Aryian's face...from his eyes...nose...and ears. He was not about to let them walk away with her.

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin was as surprised as Aryian when it was revealed that all three of the targets his squadrons had been pursuing turned out to be illusions. It seemed that Slicer had grown considerably in power since the last time he had crossed these forces, so that not only could he bring down the Grand Master, but he could trick squadrons of sensor-enhanced ships and Jedi Masters with his illusions.

 

Even more surprising was the run his ship suddenly made on the Sunrider, a run that ended in suicide. How the blazes did he get there? he wondered briefly--until he realized that he could still feel the dark side taint in the Force. Slicer wasn't dead, he suspected, though he didn't know who was aboard the other vessel that had fired upon his troops, who could also be a Sith.

 

Whether it was Slicer or not, the pilot had made a major mistake. With no more illusions shrouding space--everything that could possibly be one was already destroyed, any opponents the Republic still had were now in one craft, and a whole Republic fleet was still overhead with no further purpose but to hunt it down.

 

"Destroy the unknown vessel," Onderin ordered. "I want a full blockade--he's not getting out of this."

 

The ships that were leading the mine sweep were Lancers, which had advanced tracking systems for combating starfighters. Now a few more of them descended towards the fleeing vessel, the Paragon maneuvered that way, and screens of snubfighters that had been reserved were scrambled. The starfighters already in space converged on the fleeing craft until they nearly blocked out Pyria, Borleias' star.

 

There had been tales of great pilots such as Han Solo threading his way past Star Destroyer blockades with his legendary piloting skill. But Star Destroyers were ill-equipped for tracking and destroying starfighters. However, the craft that the fleeing ship were facing were Lancer-class and Nebulon-B-class frigates, which were much better on the job. No one could stand against such a fleet by themselves, and the craft had forfeited its rights to surrender when it opened fire on Republic ground forces.

 

Now they closed in and the air became charged with thousands of laser, ion, and turbolaser bolts all tracking the same target....

 

<< Killshot Requested >>

 

((See if this one gets through.))

[Guest]

Edited: to fix some typo's.

 

Jareth felt physically weak as he saw the fleet descend upon his craft from every direction. There was no place to run. Every possible escape point had been blocked, and ships were closing in on him for one final strike. He felt the nose of his ship turn upward outside of his control and knew that it was being acted on from a jedi on the ground. Having experienced the force's power for years, it was all too apparent to him even now as a non-force user. He also knew that his ship, at it's current rate of speed, was not under any real threat from that type of attack. A couple of glancing blows darted across his cockpit, and he thought perhaps it was the end already, but his ship, being undamaged thus far, had strong shields that appeared to hold through the sniper attack.

 

Remembering his ace in the hole, his mood lightened, and rather than being afraid, he was resolved to not lose this day. The hunter that defied the entire republic fleet and escaped unscathed would be renowned throughout the galaxy.

 

As the air began to crackle, he could feel the laser fire headed toward him. Everything slowed, and he was aware of every aspect of the next few seconds in vivid detail.

 

Looking around, he noted that the thousands of laser cannons pointed and zeroed in on his one tiny ship had not yet opened and sent the salvo of his death toward him. His senses were precognitive at this point as he was in tune with every molecule stretching out from himself for miles in every direction.

 

His hands blurred as he input hyperdrive coordinates into his navcomputer at lightning speed. The coordinates would send him straight out at his present heading. As the first of the cannons began to grow green and spewed fiery plasma toward his craft, he gave the final command to make the jump, a second later, he depressed a secondary button on his HIMS device. The hyperwave inertial momentum sustainer was a marvelous device usually used to bypass interdictors, but it also had practical application in Jareth's current situation. It instantly shut his hyperdrive off without causing damage to his ship during the realspace reversion.

 

The device instantly jerked the ship out of hyperspace several hundred miles away from his jump location. He had only jumped 1 second, but that was enough to clear the blaster fire raining down toward him. To any onlookers, it would appear that his ship teleported instantly over a great distance.

 

The problem with fleets, was that they often relied on brute force rather than tactics, and became lax when dealing with single fighters. As the plasma bolts met nothingness at their targeted location, they traveled through the void that an instant before was the hunter's ship toward their own ships waiting on other sides. Jareth didn't hang around long enough to see which ones hit, or to survey the damage, but thousands of canons firing at nothing, and following through to ships on the other side couldn't have all missed. In the confusion, Jareth made a new set of jump coordinates and blasted into hyperspace once more. This time, to distant space, far across the galaxy.

[King Kheldar vos Correlli]

Ruling on the killshot request: Killshot failed, escape is clean.

 

Aryian's stop effort was interesting, but I'm not sure even if he delved into the dark side or some enhanced tricks if he'd be sufficiently able to impliment a Force crush/hold on a star ship at top speed to where it'd be terribly effective. Redirect or veer off course, yes as there is EU precident, but a sudden stop seems a bit much.

 

A decent effort by Onderin to use force overwhelming to deal with Jareth's flight, but his last minute tactics were sufficient to evade the attack.

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin's face was grim when the craft escaped into lightspeed. It confounded him that there were pilots out there who had tricks that would allow them to escape even perfect traps. The lot of it didn't seem even possible, given the ship's proximity to the planet. He had to have been using some special piece of technology.... The Admiral made a mental note to take Interdictor cruisers with him in the future.

 

Well, it ultimately didn't matter. So the Sith had gotten away after doing a very minimal amount of damage. The fleet hadn't maneuvered itself so that it would fire upon itself--that was suicide and no fleet under Onderin's command would make such a brash mistake. Armiena Darkfire had been struck down but not defeated. There was some superficial damage to the Dojo, but that could be repaired quickly and the whole mess could be swept under the mat. Even the Sunrider was reporting that its damage was only superficial.

 

But Aryian might not see it that way. Onderin opened a comm to the Jedi Master. "I would like to apologize, Master Darkfire," he said, "that we opened fire on your position, and that they still managed to escape. I trusted my pilots and I trusted your ability to get out of there. Are you hurt?"

 

The words sounded empty even to Onderin as he felt Aryian's anguish in the Force, but he hoped that by speaking to the other Jedi he could help bring him back to himself. "Send a medical team on Master Darkfire's position," Onderin told the ship's captain. "I don't think he's entirely well."

 

According to his orders, a team was dispatched and made their way towards the rightfully angry Jedi whose wife had been claimed by a random Sith raid. Onderin suddenly didn't know what kind of power Republic forces had if they couldn't handle something like this. It was like they had been stripped of their competence by the dark side of the Force. Unfortunately, there were many Sith in the galaxy capable of causing trouble, and if the Republic could not defeat them, where would the galaxy be?

 

"Offer the Jedi any assistance we can provide. I'll be in my quarters," Onderin said, leaving the bridge. Where would the galaxy be indeed.

[Ary the Grey]

((Respawning aboard the Paragon, Padawans take your ships there. We're done here, folks, save for complete reconstruction, let's pack it in.))

 

The Master's cry rang out through the forest as apparently he wasn't even as powerful as a Knight under the influence of the cycle anymore. The Force rippled and strained across the planetside, mass tidal waves of it berated all those sensitive enough to hear his call. And then, it lowered to a mourning rumble as Aryian loosed his grip on the Force...his grip on himself.

 

The Master, despite being masterful at his art, was still dead. He had given his life in the attempt to stop the ship, using up all his energy, all his strength on one assault, and all for nothing. Apparently...size mattered a great deal.

 

Saladin, knowing his commander dead, followed protocol, silently activating its propulsors and exiting the system, headed back for Phu using randomized microjumps and other advanced security measures to ensure it couldn't be tracked or followed, or actively traced via external beacon.

 

And on the forest floor, stomach down, Aryian's body lay slumped in a pool of his own blood. He had cried tears of crimson, and the heavens answered not.

 

And in the end...this is all you are when you try things your way. You know what to do. You know what must be done. And you are the only person that can do it. The question now is...are you man enough?

 

((See you in three days, folks.))

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

"Where are you from?"

 

Elnia's brow furrowed as she tried to remember back to before her life as a mob boss's favorite pet. She was just about to answer when suddenly there was a huge resurgence in the Force that temporarily blinded her; quite literally everything went dark and a great sense of loss unlike anything that the young Miraluka had ever experienced. Her breath caught and her half-formed hesitant answer died in her throat.

 

Before she could really make sense of what had happened, Arlan was already on the radio with Cade.

 

As the report came back on the condition of the Grandmaster, she found that she already had tears moistening her eye-cover and streaming down her face, another thing that she was unaccustomed to. She brought a shaking hand to her cheek as her vision gradually faded back to near-normal, but slightly brighter than it had been before.

 

Still trying to comprehend what was going on, a piercing wail permeated the momentary silence that followed in the wake of the crushing news and Arlan left her to bring Aiden back to the cockpit with them. Her heart felt wrenched in two as she felt the pain and loss of the boy. It was hard to believe that so much grief, pain, loss and fear could be held within such a small body.

 

She felt at such a loss herself and couldn't comprehend why so she looked up at Arlan and Aiden, trying to make some sense of what had caused the world to suddenly turn topsy turvy. Did these "Sith" people have something to do with this?

 

Suddenly she wished that Cade were with her, his calm stability was something that she missed that moment as she felt her world turn over again as she felt first a tremendous building of great power within the Force that was almost as suddenly squelched and she let out a short, pained cry as she felt Aryian's death as well.

 

Aiden began to cry again and Elnia felt the pain of the child more markedly this time and there seemed to be no end to the stream of tears. She found herself in the same darkness that had disorientated her shortly before, but this time she knew what had caused it.

 

"He's gone too," she quietly remarked, her voice barely audible.

 

"What are we going to do?"

[Arlan Vass]

It was over.

 

Arlan's eyes brimmed with tears, beset with the knowledge of not only Armiena's death, but now, Aryian's. He wasn't sure if Elnia knew what had happened or not, and frankly, he didn't want her to know. Not yet, anyway. Everything was happening so fast”¦ he still felt as if he was dreaming.

 

He wasn't, though. This was real. This was happening. Armiena was dead. There was no changing that. He had to accept the fact that she was gone. Elnia's question struck a chord deep within him, which caused a single tear to trickle down his left cheek. He still had his back to her, but now, he swiveled around in the pilot's chair and looked at her. He was surprised to see that she knew what was happening, as well. He extended his hand and gently set it on her shoulder, and with his other arm, held Aidan against him. The boy seemed to know that his father was gone, as well, for Arlan could still hear muffled sobs coming from him, despite the fact that his face was pressed against his shoulder.

 

”

[Cade]

Damn, the single resounding thought took precedent against all else. A Republic fleet, the Grandmaster of the Jedi, his own master, and all of the padawans assembled couldn't stop even a single Sith's plans? And on a Jedi controlled planet, no less.

 

He thought of all he had done in the havoc, rescued Arlan, provided safety for the child, and then what? Reported on the death of Armiena, watched his Master die trying to pull the Sith's ship out of the sky? He hadn't reacted fast enough, hadn't done enough. No one had.

 

Oddly the sensation Cade felt when Aryian died was less painful than when Armiena did, this master, this father and husband, cared more for their lives than his own. And he had failed too....

 

It wasn't safe here anymore, and like a rodent scurrying to high ground to escape a flood Cade knew he would need to dock on the Paragon- high in orbit. A cowards fate, he hated the thought of it.

 

It bothered him to leave the corpse, to not give it a proper funeral, or at least safe-guard its belongings, but as tough as Cade presented himself the thought of nearing it disconcerted him far too greatly.

 

Blur docked with Paragon, for the moment Cade would collect himself... and wait for the other padawans to speak with him, if they felt like it after all that had happened.

 

He hoped Arlan wouldn't blame him for what he could not do, Cade felt enough guilt as it was.

[Arlan Vass]

After nearly twenty minutes, the Ghost Breath docked with the Paragon, the Republic capital cruiser. Surprisingly enough, they weren't forced to ask for entry before they actually docked. He figured that Armiena's ship was well known by the people on board the cruiser. Either that, or they expected the ship to dock there.

 

The engines shut down and the docking ramp lowered. Arlan stood up from the pilot's chair and made his way to Aidan's room, with the baby still held in his arms. He set him down in his crib, before making his way out of the compartment, and let the door slide shut silently behind him. He noticed that the Blur was already stationed in the hangar, and breathed a sigh of relief. Cade was safe, and so was the ship. Both Armiena and Ariyan had given their lives to try to stop Slicer and Jareth, but in the end, their attempts had taken both of their lives. Arlan knew that even though they were unable to stop the Sith, they were still able to protect their padawans.

 

And that was something that he'd never be able to thank them for.

 

He walked back to the cockpit and stood in the doorway, looking at Elnia.

 

”œCome on; let's go talk to Cade.”

[ObliviousKnight]

”œArlan, wait.”

[Arlan Vass]

Before he knew what was happening, the Ghost Breath's engines started up, and before long, it left the hangar of the Paragon the same way it entered it. Arlan held onto the edge of his seat, trying to see where the source of Armiena's voice was coming from.

 

It... was impossible! She was dead! Cade even said that he saw her corpse being taken away by Slicer. Could he have been wrong?

 

Before he could do anything else, the Ghost Breath's hyperdrive kicked in, and before long, the craft was travelling through hyperspace towards Phu, taking several different courses of direction to, in case somebody was following them, throw them off so they couldn't be followed or tracked.

[Cade]

Great.... standing there outside of the docked Blur Cade had waited for Arlan and Elnia to speak with him. Well, for nothing it seemed.

 

Best laid plans of mice and men.

 

Ghost Breath took off, carrying the two of them... and Aryian's kid... away to Force knew where.

 

Sighing Cade stretched himself out, it was all too much. A laugh was building up, in an attempt to curb his anger. Damn his Mandalorian upbringing, this control of one's self thing was harder than it had to be. Discipline Cade understood, but he remembered his Master's words on following a darker path.

 

It was the only thing keeping him from bloodying his own fists inside of his armor and denting the hangar wall, discipline to his Master.

 

A horrifying thought to himself.

 

But what could he do for the moment. Salute some soldiers? Bah, he wasn't even a Knight. Really a nobody, the only reason he even got on this ship was Aryian's ship.

 

Maybe with luck someone would care why his Master hadn't been the one to pilot it into the hangar. They could talk with him if they felt like it, Cade just couldn't stomach wallowing in these self-defeating thoughts for much longer.

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian's face was grim as he looked out the transparisteel into open space. The mobile chair was uncomfortable, and the tubes sticking out of his skin itched. According to the doctors, they had to use organs from his previous body to keep this new one stable. The genetic variation the cycle caused was ripping his DNA apart at the base level, and he would not be able to clone himself again should he die. This was it.

 

 

After a long while, he sent summons for Cade. There was no time left anymore. The only course of action was clear. And it was a long time coming that Aryian finally had the courage to do it.

 

The bottom line was nobody won wars by staying on the defensive.

[Cade]

A few days of speaking with ensigns on the ship, in the old comfortable military manner Cade had become accustomed too, left him feeling more relaxed... more in place. During his time here he had also requested one of the doctors to retrieve the corpse of his Master, to preserve his body and his possessions...

 

Many of the soldiers had been pissed at the previous events as well, some doubted themselves, some felt the leadership had failed... but these were all projections of the frustration they were filled with. This too would pass, next time the troops would be that much more focused.

 

The mess hall was nice, food that seemed once again familiar. Cade enjoyed the rations, the company, the military air.

 

Cade was at heart a warrior, and the few days spent aboard this ship made him realize that once he had accomplished enough of his training he would join the Republic Army... it was the only sensible action for one of his character.

 

He was enjoying a conversation with one of the older men, a unsung veteran of the Galactic Civil War, when a summons came to him from his Master.

 

Cade knew of cloning, that was part of the reason he was not quite as concerned as the others at their Master's deaths... but he also knew the instability of cloning excessively.

 

This knowledge did not prepare him for seeing Aryian as he was. The tubes crossing through his limbs, stuck in a chair for transportation.

 

He was filled with some concern, but he saw no reason to belittle him.

 

"Sir?"

 

Cade knew this would break the trance Aryian seemed to be in, lost in thought apparently, and awaited a response patiently.

[Onderin Starlisk]

Over the next few hours the Republic organized the reconstruction of the Jedi Dojo on Borleias according to its original specifications. The correct materials, workers and equipment was brought in from external sources like Mon Calamari and reconstruction was fully underway before the Paragon pulled away from the planet.

 

It would take a little while for the dojo to be reconstructed--until then, the Jedi would be taken back to Gala. Making sure there was enough military support left over Borleais to prevent another attack, Onderin Starlisk ordered the flagship to make calculations for the jump back to headquarters.

 

The jump was soon after underway.

 

((All Jedi, continue conversing in the Gala threads.))

[Tobias Vos]

Tommin eased back on the hyperdrive control and the blue glow of the drive faded to star lines, then settled to be tiny lights all around. The ship they had had the bare components to fight off an attack, but they were a planetary surveying company. All they had to do were a quick fly by- scan the topography and the geology. Similar notes were jotted down- the ambient temperature, humidity, population, weather readings, seismic activity. Even down to urban vs rural areas. It was a common practice, but nothing of this scale was ever slid onto his responsibilities list- how many planets were here. The company he works for- Scannings and Surveying, LLC.- had taken out a contract to scan two dozen worlds- mostly for the same thing. Tommin and his other coworkers had done this before, but never with a time limit. He shrugged, he was here for a paycheck- why he was doing the surveys was implied. Someone wanted maps- or updated maps.

 

The four surveyors brought up the equipment without much conversation. They were all concentrating on work- the four of them worked for so long together they each knew what the other was doing and the whole process should just take a little time- then it would be onto the next planet.

[Tobias Vos]

The scanning ship had completed its surveying and jumped to the next world.

[Aelyn]

The Open Road appeared out of hyperspace near Borleias, the proximity chime having roused Aelyn fifteen minutes in advance so she had time to catch a quick shower and dress before landing. She was feeling considerably better than when they'd left Carida, and she was eager to see what was in store for them here.

 

Heading to the cockpit, she started to make her approach, checking in with the space port and receiving a landing code. They were targeting the capital city of Laikos. Like Hanna City, it was on the edge of a large body of water and was in a lot of ways known for its culture. The world had been a key location in the late days of the Galactic Civil War due to its location and its ability to serve as a staging point for incursions into the Core. That same location made it a natural stopping place for all manner of people, and its economy was based largely on the trade that took place there, making up for its relatively poor natural resources. The result was a mixing pot of humans and aliens from all over the galaxy, not too unlike Coruscant itself except with fewer permanent residents.

 

Aelyn liked worlds like this. They had a lot of flavor and offered a high chance at meeting someone with a completely different perspective that she had never before considered, or members of a species that she had never before encountered. It was almost like trying to fit the whole galaxy into one city, with opportunities to sample foods and hear languages that would otherwise take a lifetime of travel to experience. She was particularly excited to feel in the Force the character of a place like this.

 

She synched the ship's time and her own chronometer with the data sent up by the spaceport with her landing pad number. "Good morning, Master. Local time is 0400," she told Aira when the other woman came up to join her. "But it's late spring, so the weather is nice, and the sun will be up in a few hours." It was pretty early, but spaceports didn't really sleep, and there was no doubt they would be able to get set up for their stay here in short order.

[Aira Cadan]

I slept well, and didn't dream. I woke when I heard Aelyn moving about, opted for a sonic shower, and threw on a basic outfit of khaki cargo pants and a black shirt, low walking boots and a light jacket. I owned a Jedi robe, but rarely wore it outside of Jedi temples. I completed the ensemble with a pale blue scarf wrapped around my neck.

 

Heading to the cockpit, I watched as we came down. I had never been here before, even though I was familiar with it tactically from back during the war. I was glad we'd be visiting under more peaceful circumstances. My fellow soldiers had always joked grimly that they got to see the galaxy, but they got to see it burning.

 

We landed and once the ship was locked up, we set off through the quiet early morning streets. The Jedi network had let me know that there was a hotel here in Laikos that welcomed Jedi and let us stay for free, and so we turned our feet towards the Blue Nerf Hotel. As we walked, I winked at Aelyn. "So? I know you have strong impressions of places. What do you think of Laikos?"

[Aelyn]

Aelyn closed her eyes for a moment as they walked down the broad street, taking a deep breath of morning air and feeling the Force around her. "It feels so different from Tython and Chandrila," she said. "It's like a dish of Tarisian curry loaded with exotic spices, except the spices are cultures. If you took some of them out, it's hard to say what you would get, but it would lose its character and uniqueness."

 

She opened her eyes again. "There's some darkness here," she continued. "You said on Tython that it reflected the character of the Jedi. I can definitely feel what you meant now that I've gotten impressions of other places. Whether it's due to poverty or... actual malevolence?" Her voice turned a little uncertain at the end there. She paused a moment before resetting to her usual tone. "It has created a sort of layer of unrest, or maybe disharmony."

 

There was definitely a part of her that wished she could feel the planet without that darkness, although it didn't overwhelm the other things she felt. She supposed that was where the Jedi came in. There is no chaos; there is harmony could really just be a way of saying that when they felt this imbalance they sought to correct it. But that was a very philosophical take, and one that Aelyn found made her feel very lukewarm about the problem. The truth was that the darkness she felt affected the people of Laikos, and some of them were living in fear or desperation because of it. People that she wanted to find and help in whatever way she could.

 

"You said the Force leads us places. I think I felt that on the Eternal Vigilance leading me to Tirzah," she said. She wondered how the younger girl was doing now, since they'd parted ways on Chandrila, and hoped the best for her. "Do you ever come to a world and just... follow it? Does it always have some place it wants us to go?"

[Aira Cadan]

"Hmmm, not really," I replied. "Well, I guess sometimes. There are times when the Force leads a Jedi to a certain place, a certain planet even, and then it's up to the Jedi to put the pieces together and find out what they are supposed to be doing. But the reality is that it doesn't often take much searching. Jedi don't have to go looking for trouble; it usually finds them. And if they--we---were called for another reason, then the Force usually works it out for us. Take Chandrila for instance. I was there on a seemingly random layover, but the Force had a plan for me, and it led me right to you."

 

We turned a corner and kept walking. "In terms of the darkness you're sensing, it's probably both, and they interact with each other. People are poor because of malevolent acts, and poverty drives people to malevolent acts. It can be a chain, a circle of darkness. Sometimes people can't even help it. They're born into the cycle, and they can see no way to break free from it. It becomes all they know." I paused. "Growing up on Adumar, I saw that a lot. Even in my own family. My parents were the first in my family to receive any decent education, and it was because of a lot of striving and sacrifice on the part of my grandparents. But it broke the chain, and my sisters and I were educated, and I'm a Jedi. For my family, the cycle is broken. But there are a lot of families out there that won't get that chance."

 

I could sense Aelyn's longing to help them. "I know you want to help people like that. Don't lose your compassion; it's central to a Jedi's life. We should help those people as we are able. But often we are called to larger acts, to be a shield for many. The Jedi are not a humanitarian group. We're guardians, negotiators, protectors. We have power, which means we have responsibility. We focus on the source of the sickness, not the symptoms."

 

We arrived at the hotel, and I sighed as we went in the lobby. "I'm not sure I'm making myself clear." We booked a double room and took the turbolift to the 4th floor. The hotel was a bit old, but clean. I used the refresher, then took a seat in one of the two chairs arranged by a window. It was still too early to really be out and about, and the meteors wouldn't be out until tonight. It was the perfect time to work on some of Aelyn's Force skills.

 

"Let's meditate for a bit," I suggested.

[Aelyn]

Growing up on Coruscant Aelyn was familiar with some of the problems with class and poverty, and how it could create a cycle. She'd even gone out of her way to get experience at missions and soup kitchens so she was never oblivious to their troubles, even if her own family had always been upper middle class. Feeling the effect it had on the Force, however, seemed to give poverty a new face. It wasn't just that these people were worthy of compassion, it was that their state was actually an affront to the harmony that characterized the natural order. Civilization had failed these people.

 

Still, the thought of attacking the problem at the source like Aira was advocating seemed a daunting challenge. Her father had political clout, but even with his friends and influence he couldn't just fix the systemic, policy-driven injustices that ensured the lower class would always exist. It was a lifetime of work to make even a small difference in one government on one planet, but the Galactic Alliance was comprised of thousands of member systems. Aelyn was willing to devote her life to even the small work, but it seemed like Aira had bigger ideas. And Aira had made a big difference by contributing to bringing the war to an end, but opportunities like that were far between and mercifully so, given the chaos and death that gave birth to them.

 

For now Aelyn decided that she would keep an open mind. There was a lot she didn't understand about the Force and being a Jedi, but the way to change that was through time and experience -- not by continuing to interrogate her Master. Maybe it was in her destiny to make a difference like Aira had, and the Force would make the way for her to end up in that circumstance.

 

She hadn't been expecting to stay in a hotel, but it would be nice. As much as she liked returning to her ship every night, there wasn't a ton of space on board, and she supposed the Order was footing the bill.

 

It was still dark outside when Aira suggested they meditate. "Okay," Aelyn said, taking the other chair and starting the process of quieting her mind.

 

Meditation wasn't super easy when she was eager to get out into a new place, see what the city was like beyond the few streets down which they had wandered so far. The trick wasn't to try and shut out all those thoughts, however, but to refuse to dwell on them, letting them pass through her mind quickly. As she calmed herself, she then started to do as she had done on Tython and focused on listening. It started with hearing the quiet sounds around her, like the air conditioning unit and the muffled sounds of the light morning speeder traffic beyond the window and starship engines from the spaceport. But she peeled away those layers until she was focusing on what was almost nothing.

 

The Force came easily to her in this state, and she quickly expanded her awareness as large as she could manage, like she was trying to experience everything that was happening in the city at once.

[Aira Cadan]

There was something so calming about starting my day out with some meditation. Many Jedi referred to it as "centering oneself", and I liked that expression. It felt appropriate. It was like getting my head on straight before the twists and turns of the day could set in. And it was a great way to remind myself to be open and constantly listening to the Force.

 

For about ten minutes, I was silent, just floating in the currents of the Force. There was some particular reason the Force had drawn us here, that much became clear, although I wasn't certain exactly what it was. That was okay. It would be revealed in time. And maybe it was something as simple as getting Aelyn some solid training for the basis of her future career as a Jedi Knight.

 

I could sense my padawan's lingering apprehension. She was still taking her first steps into this world, and her life had changed drastically. It was normal that she'd require some time to adjust. I could tell that she still wasn't convinced she had what it took to be a Jedi. It reminded me of my early days--although I had been so excited about the prospect of having my dreams come true that I hadn't really thought about it until I was practically a Knight. It was only now that I could see how much I hadn't been ready.

 

Finally, I broke the silence. "Each Jedi is able to sense the emotions and feelings and lives of those around us. You've already had some practice with this. The farther out you extend your senses, the vaguer the impressions will become. It'll always be harder to read someone at a distance than it will be to read someone right next to you. I can sense that right now, you're working on expanding your sphere of influence as far out as you can. Now reverse it. Pull your senses inward, into this room, into yourself, and then even deeper, into the Force itself. In essence, your conscious self will disappear into the Force." I put a hand on her arm. "It might be freaky at first. You might feel like you're going to float away and lose your tether to reality. But I'll be right here, anchoring you."

 

Some Jedi had particular aptitude for this, and they could vanish from the Force entirely. I didn't expect Aelyn to be able to go that far, but I did hope that she would be able to pull her Force presence low enough that she'd be able to hide herself from active searching.

[Aelyn]

"Hm, okay," Aelyn said, her eyes closed. Her voice sounded loud in her own ears when she was deep in the Force. She was attuned to things so distant from her, listening for the sound of a thought ten blocks away, and it was easy to lose track of her own body. Just speaking brought her halfway out of her trance.

 

Pulling her awareness down inside herself was an unusual prospect. The Force was enormous, and the current tugged at her, trying to sweep her off into the city and around the planet. She wanted to explore every ebb and current, see where it might take her, meet what people she might find there, every one as complex as the previous. She wanted to understand their world views, learn from their life lessons, give them a few minutes of respite from their worries if she could. Collapsing her sphere of perception was almost contrary to her very nature. Still, Aira wouldn't ask her to do it if there was no reason for it.

 

Aelyn turned her thoughts in on herself and focused on the sensation of the Force flowing through her. She imagined herself as a spirit, a glowing blue orb of energy laying at the bottom of a stream. The outside world seemed to melt away and she became aware of her own emotions again. She was fascinated by every new experience, thirsty for more knowledge, so eager to see where it took her, excited by the prospect of doing this all her life. But she was also afraid. Aira seemed so normal, something of a kindred spirit to her, compassionate and earnest in her desire to do good. And yet she spoke of fighting during the war, plagues and sleeper ships and the Sith. Aelyn wanted to help people, but, to borrow a phrase, she had always thought it was better to live humbly for a cause than to die nobly for one. What if she got really hurt or even killed doing this? What would the Order tell her parents?

 

For a moment Aelyn's connection with the Force faltered. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm letting myself get in the way. One time, as a kid, I was in a school play. I was a moisture farmer in The Little Lost Bantha Cub -- you know, the one that says she wants to help but is too busy to leave the farm. Little six-year-old me worked really hard to prepare for that part, but when I got up on that stage I couldn't remember a single word that I had supposedly memorized. I think I was so worried about messing up that it became my whole reality."

 

She took a deep breath and let it out. "Let me try again," she said, then dipped back into the Force. There was no Aelyn, there was just the Force and purpose. Thoughts, like the outside world, were just distractions. She pulled the Force tight around her like the walls of a cave and fell as a water droplet into an underground lake, disappearing into the body of water with a tiny sound and scarcely a ripple.

[Aira Cadan]

Aelyn continued to display a hyperawareness of herself. It was a great trait in a Jedi padawan, and it made my job easier. I remained silent as she tried again, and this time, she succeeded.

 

I let her drift for a few moments, then squeezed her hand to signal that she could return to normal. "Excellent," I said, dropping her hand once I could sense her presence returning to normal. "That skill has both a philosophical and a practical use. It's important to be aware of yourself, of your feelings, and of how the Force is speaking to you. On the practical side, however, it's useful when you need to hide from other Force users. If you don't, you might as well be holding a big neon sign saying 'I am here' in the Force." I demonstrated, shrinking my presence so that Aelyn wouldn't be able to sense me. "It's useful anytime you're being hunted, or it'd be dangerous to expose the fact that you're a Jedi. I know you might not want to think about that, but the sad reality is that it will happen to you at some point. The past few months when I was undercover with Black Fist, I was keeping myself very closed down the whole time, in case a Sith discovered I was there and blew my cover."

 

I paused for a moment. "I have a question for you, Aelyn. Do you think the ends justify the means? How far would you be willing to go to help someone?"