The Hapes Cluster

[Tobias Vos]

Spoiler

 

Suddenly, in their meditations- Vos stiffened and rose to his feet. As he did not engage the girl sitting across from him, she remained stocily in place. Trying to feel the Force as her master did, and what had happened that he was suddenly on edge. Only a few seconds after he left the common room, he gasped audibly- and Pim opened her one eye. 

 

His footsteps were rapid and fueled with purpose and went from his cabin to the bridge- they immediately dropped out of hyperspace. The vibrations in the floor told her that- and that they reentered a few moments later in a different direction. Like as if they made a hard left turn. 

 

Vos stode into the common room, and resumed his meditation pose. Pim had closed her eyes just before he had come back into the room, so that she could appear to have been focused on nothing more than the meditation. 

 

There was a loud, hollow, “klunk” from in front of her and there was a- she gasped as she realized she was looking at a Jedi Holocron. After a moment of study, she blinked and tilted her head- it was active. Pulsating with Force energy. 

 

“Listen.” Vos said, softly. “Close your eyes, and listen.”

 

Following instruction she wanted to react in typical teenage fascination- in her mind she hollered “Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttt!”

 

“What is it saying?” his smooth voice asked. 

 

She listened intently, it was saying something but so low she couldn’t discern what the words actually were. But after a moment… The left turn suddenly made sense. 

 

Pim locked gazes with Vos and he shrugged- her question was obvious. Why would they go to Hapes when they were on their own mission? 

 

“Master, I don’t understand why we’re going there instead of chasing down that gang.”

 

Tobias stood up, taking the holocron with him and placing it on the table and helped Pim to her feet. 

 

“Signs are important- and the maker of this holocron trained me, briefly- I watched his murder over and over. This is a sign from the Force- and we have to listen. I have to listen. This is exactly the kind of thing I wish I had known years ago. You already know all this- I’ve taught you the basics.”

 

Then she asked the only question she could- and accepted the fact that this holocron was important and the message was to be listened to. She nodded, she understood what she was going to- and returned to her cabin to meditate with her crystal and the pieces of her new lightsaber. 

 

 

A few hours later they were inside the Hapes Cluster, surrounded by the Rebel Fleet. An uneasy feeling rolled through Tobias’s belly- but felt a familiar presence on the surface. Well, several pressences but this one- he tried to locate her to the best of his ships abilities. Tobias scratched his bare chin, pondering the situation. 

 

“Take us in- Pim and I are heading here to this same facility. It seems we’re playing a long shot chance game. I hope it works out.”

 

Though many security and other checkpoints- Tobias and his padawan made their way closer to his old acquaintance. Suddenly- he remembered the last time he had seen her and shivered. A dark memory he would love to spend more time brooding about but there was the Medical Wing- and there was the former empress herself- Raven. 

 

His left arm in a sling, a satchel slung across his body, walking with a cane in his right hand, the usual appearance for the Jedi Master. There was a cloth wrap around his head, covering his eyes- and the brands in his skin- plus the fact he was wearing Jedi Robes versus his usual scoundrel attire, Vos had changed in the year since the Black Sun Station battle. 

 

Pim, in apprentice robes and her blonde hair pulled back into a bun on her head; she was obviously a young Zabrak. Two lightsabers hung from her utility belt- and her whole body language screamed that she was not used to these situations. 

 

The duo entered the wing side by side, paused long enough for Pim to scan the room and find the VIP that they were here to meet. When Vos took a step in her direction, Pim knew he found her as well. She followed beside him, the loyal apprentice. He approached but not close enough where he signaled he was a threat to whatever security she had around. In a rough, yet melodic voice Vos called to Raven. “I’m happy to see you’re up and about, Miss. I…” He drifted off, phrasing the next part as he went. “I... was asked to bring this to you.” Vos held out his bag so that the Jedi Holocron was visible, enough for Raven to identify if she knew what it was. 

 

Pim almost reacted to her master saying he was happy to see this person up and such, considering he was blind. She remained professional- quiet and out of the way. 

[Tobias Vos]

Vos cleared his throat, an embarrassed tone tinted his next words. “Yes, it’s... good You’re back in action. This is my apprentice, Pim Tusrock.” He stopped and closed his bag after Raven took the holocron. 
 

Pim bowed at the proper moment, blushing and remaining silent. Her knees were shaking she was so nervous, but she remained calm on the exterior. 

 

Vos looked around at the rest of the ward, or at least his head circled the room- his eyes still had the wrap around them. He lowered his voice- “Raven, are you doing what I think you’re doing?” He whispered to the Imperial. This time, his tone was perfectly neutral. 
 

 

[Tobias Vos]

The question was a break in Tobias's mental image of the Imperial Head of State- and he took a moment to think on it. There were several ways to react of course, but what which reaction would be most productive? Letting part of his mind wander to relax in the flow of the Force energies around them. Part of him was like a bobber on a fishing line- floating with the current and seeing where things took them. 

 

He sighed and looked around, despite his lack of vision, then turned his head right back to Raven. "Some beings are willing to come back, some are not. The Force put you here- guided you to this exact moment in time and space to act on what you want to do. As it happens- I was told to be here and give that holocron to you to help you do what you are doing. I would be lying if I am not eager to see how this plays out. I miss him as well... I'd probably do the same thing if Adenna..." He paused suddenly knowing he shouldn't have said that- especially in the presence of Pim. The girls aura shifted as she digested what she heard. Vos recovered himself and rephrased the sentence. "I'd probably do the same thing if I were in your position." He retraced his previous sentence structure rewording it to be a little more... was professional the right word? Best not to overthink it... Smiling, trying to put warmth into his smile because he would do the same for Adenna. 

 

But then- there was a torrent of Force energies that swirled around him- Kirlocca. Shivers ran through his bones as his skin turned to gooseflesh. He felt the different kinds of energies around the fresh body pulling a Force entity to it. It was a volatile exchange but it was glorious- and a tad frightening. 

 

Tobias knew what the wookiee was feeling- and lent him some comfort through the Force, filtering it so that none of Tobias's pain would touch Kirlocca. Suddenly, he realized how much of a transformation he himself had undergone since he and Kirlocca last spoke to each other on Carida. That seemed like such a eon ago now... Tobias was a little calmer, a little bolder, Force brands over the majority of his body, freshly shaved face, cloth covering his blind eyes, and wearing Jedi Master Robes(finally). The Jedi bowed to his comrade, flooding his presence with warmth and encouragement. Tobias would have spoke to him- but knew Raven should speak to Kirlocca- it was she who orchestrated his return, Tobias was just there to pass along Kirlocca's holocron- and once he did the process of Kirlocca being back in this realm was now a reality. 

 

With satisfaction, he noted by the ruffling of fabric on fabric that Pim had also bowed to the Wookiee, as her master had done. He hadn't told her much of who Kirlocca was, or what he meant to Tobias. Straightening up, he shifted his arm in his sling and took a subtle step back to give him and Raven some extra space. 

 

 

 

 

[Tobias Vos]

As the empress turned, Pim whispered into Tobias’s ear. Internally, he chuckled. While he was the top tracker and seeker within the Order, he still was blind to a few things. Straightening, he made sure to nod at the pair and so the pair left Kirlocca and Raven to become reacquainted with one another.

 

The whole way back to The Prism, Tobias just zoned out and walked back to the ship.

 

~~~

 

Today was a very weird day, Pim was replaying everything up until now from when her Master adjusted course while they were on their way to some event. She honestly couldn’t remember, but it involved animals. There was an obvious tension in the room and thank goodness Tobias had decided to leave. He had let slip something he hadn’t touched on yet. He had called the Grandmaster by her first name. They had to be close, she was starting to read her master better. Something about this had gotten him flustered, big time. It wasn’t her place to ask questions- and so she was quiet and followed him back through the station.

 

 It had Sounded like a long journey but it was only a few minutes away from the medical center. There, she was tasked with disassembling and reassembling her lightsaber. Her master bet her she couldn’t do it in under ten minutes- and if she did, he’d do the dishes for a week. If under six, he’d do it for a month. Silly challenges were a bit fun, it formed a partnership faster. Pim has been worried, but she liked her master and would be there when he opened back up. 

 

She knelt in the common room and started practicing.

 

~~~

 

Vos was unnerved- but instead of the usual meditation- he went into the little work area and started to work on the exo-skeleton he was building. A frame to augment the wearers running, speed, and lifting capacity. More for himself and his knee, but possibly to help those hurt in the campaign the Sith were waging. And thinking ahead- with the currents he’s been feeling through the Force, these would come in handy… Sadly…

 

Then he realized his eyes were blind- and so- he started to utilize the Force to work the metal and wires.

[Tobias Vos]

There was something inside the Force calling to him, even here inside the star cluster of Hapes. He had to return to Nar Shaddaa... Multiple strands of Force energy pulling him back off the station. There was no other way around it- he had to answer the call of the Force. Judging by the colors and vibrations of the flow- he needed to follow the flow. Granted, there were stands holding him here- but these new ones pulled him away. Even his meditation as affected by these issues. The situations in his mind as he reached out to the Force was something akin to someone grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around. The figure was almost recognizable- after the fifth time he saw the figure. 

 

Tobias typed out a message to Raven and Kirlocca, on his old comm line. He would give them some time- but he bid them to come to Nar Shaddaa. Then a few moments later- the ship shot back into hyperspace. Leaving behind a  Force beacon of happiness and strength to Kirlocca; Vos was happy to see him back and strength for getting used to his new reality.