TFC: Rekindle and Fade

Bruce Guleya

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Dantooine
(Cinematic Theme!)


Bruce had departed from Bardotta not long ago, with the younglings secured and taken care of by his former Order he was safe to carry out all he needed to do. He could continue as he had always hoped, they were learning and he was that much closer to unifying the two beliefs he had spent the majority of his adult life trying to embody. He had made progress and he had hoped that his efforts would yield impressive results. They two things he held so dear, finally together by more than just him? That in itself was a victory for him. But there was still much to be done, he still needed to pursue his goal of finding a permanent home - which he would do soon, but right now an important factor came up; he needed to see a friend. A little furry friend and brother, one he had served with previously and time and time again. He needed this final visit and this final task, for today may very well prove to be his last chance to look upon the aging Jedi, the one with the curious approach to his training, the one that often made the council meetings on Tython carry a continuing odor of wet fur. This would likely be the final time he and Fennex would ever see or talk to each other again.

His only friend remaining.

Bruce had agreed to meet the other councillor on Dantooine, a planet he was told held a meaning to the small Arbiter of the Jedi Order. Though the connection, he did not know and he did not need to know. It was important and that was the main thing. But, not only did Dantooine hold power over the Arbiter, it held a power over the Caretaker as well. To Bruce, Dantooine had become the planet that would truly jump start and accelerate his development, the very thing that made him what he was today. This place he held close to his heart, more so than Ossus held on him. This was the location in which he met his friend, Eivor. She was but a padawan, an apprentice new to the Order but with undeniable power. A defector who wanted to return to the Light, to embrace what she was formerly. This was the place that he became a teacher, a place where he knew would make a world of difference to him.

Bruce had been here previously, during that encounter he was on a humanitarian mission. The village had began to flood due to uncharacteristic rains that continued to pelt down on the people day in and day out. They had received much that the fields had become flood plains, but they had received a break in the weather and the Jedi were willing to help save as much of the fields as they could, to help tend to the farms, to tend to the livestock herds. It was a simpler time then, and the Jedi were well known to offer such practice - and while it was still dark, the PR gains were a big deal. He and Eivor had spent a long time there, a few weeks, and Bruce had some great laughs as he watched the former Jedi attempt to reintegrate in the Order. But in the end, she had triumphant over her shortcomings and they had discovered a kyber crystal. Her very first, and her very own.

Today, Bruce had arrived at a predetermined location and he was waiting, patiently for Fennex to arrive. Fennex was on his first task of hiding his relics with the two he had taken out of the quartet while Bruce went to Bardotta to seek shelter for the younglings. He had received notification however that things were progressing nicely and that the Master would be en-route to Dantooine. They had some more items to hide, potentially a great item as well. Bruce wasn’t a hundred percent sure what artifacts had to be hidden and where they were going - but he didn’t care. Honestly, he just wanted to enjoy his time with Fennex. Have a laugh and a chat. Just to have no care in the galaxy and simply enjoy each other’s company - even if they were neck deep with baddies.
So here we was, on top of a hill and observing the rolling hills of Dantooine and their oddly coloured grass. The wind was peaceful and relaxed. A small gust made his cloak flap carelessly into the wind as it rippled like a flag with each short breeze. It was comforting, it was peaceful. And for the moment, Bruce had forgotten much had fallen to his beloved Jedi Order.

@Loco

Ask; between Fennex (Loco) and Bruce (Zigara)
Death/Capture Disabled.
 

Fennex Zeerda

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Fennex heaved a sigh as his little transport broke out of hyperspace and angled in toward the grassy plains of Dantooine. He'd let KR3CH handle most of the flying after they'd parted ways with the others, and had confined himself to the hold to continue work on his Holocron. Fen had never had a special interest in the devices until recently- as much as he loved obscure knowledge and history records, he never thought he'd see a day when little cubes like this might represent the last relics of the Order he'd dedicated his life to. It made preserving that legacy a desperate and most important task- one that was quickly wearing the little fox out. The effort he was pouring into the little polygon was exhausting- he'd been in a meditative trance for at least the last two days, working on the thing. Every time he snapped out of it he half expected the junker of a droid to e standing over him with lobotomy equipment. Maybe he needed one after all...

Fennex dropped his work-in-progress Holocron into his satchel, along with a few other precious items that he didn't dare leave unattended on the ship. He'd packed and sorted what he'd gotten off of Tython into small crates- too small, he worried- along with tools whoever eventually dug them up might make use of. The crates were practically little lottery/loot boxes of the Orders most valuable remaining resource- Knowledge. He'd packed away data-punch cards (and readers) on the subject of everything from outsiders histories of the Jedi Order to compilations on gardening from across the galaxy to datacards with technical manuals... The crates had miniature power generators and pre-fab pop-up work benches and bunks, ration bars, spare robes and boots shrink wrapped in flimsy-plast. Each one had a hard copy of the Jedi code and tenants. Little Jedi starter kits, essentially. It was the best that Fennex could think of, given their circumstances.

It didn't take long to find Bruce, standing alone on a hilltop, serenely inspecting the always tranquil and beautiful landscape of the planet- looking like he was straight out of a holodrama. Fennex didn't know it for certain at the time, but this would be the last time they saw each other- the last time what was left of the Jedi council would come together for many years. Fennex padded his way to the Bardottan's side, still tired from his previous efforts. For a few moments, he just took in the gently rippling grasslands- not any different somehow than the first time he'd seen them, many years ago.

"KR3CH is renting us a speeder. I've got coordinates for a perfect spot."

@Zigara
 

Bruce Guleya

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As he stared at the rolling plains, the voice of his friend met his ears with ease, "Look at all of this. Sometimes it's remarkable that Sith haven't been able to taint all that is beautiful. It's a true comfort and sad reality all at the same time. Have the knights received their next destination alright?" They had kept the locations they were to visit secret. Neither of the two knights who had joined them on this journey was aware of where everyone was going. This was a necessary thing to maintain impartiality and to allow for some secrets to live on, but of course, though Marina and Ralaa didn't know where the other was going or where Fennex would be going - both Bruce and Fenn knew exactly the destinations. Sadly though, they still kept a few secrets from one another - after today Fennex wouldn't know where Bruce was going and Bruce wouldn't receive a hint as to where Fenn would be going.

It was better this way. Though it was a painful situation.

"My friend, you remind me of Wyck just now. You've been working on a personal project just as he had done, I can feel it and see it on you. Though it is important..." Bruce now turned to face Fennex and brought himself to a knee; reducing his own 6-foot height, "Don't overdo it, Fenn. We've got a bit of a road ahead of us." He finished with a smile. He'd give the furry Jedi Councillor some time to reply before he would address the speeder and coordinates.

"Far from civilization? It does not matter. I look forward to this."

@Loco
 

Fennex Zeerda

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Fennex simply nodded in response to Bruce's advice. Truth be told, he wasn't certain that he hadn't already overdone it. His exhaustion had been mounting for months, and was only getting worse. He'd been going non-stop, running himself ragged just trying to do something to help the Order before it was too late- both for him and for them. Tython had taken it toll on his already tired body, and now this holocron... it would never be anything like Wyck's- Fen didn't have the power or experience for that- but the little councilor hoped it would help someone in its own way one day. That was worth all the effort in the galaxy, even if meant the end of him.

"Not too far," Fen finally replied as KR3CH brought the speeder around, "but be thankful we've got a passenger speeder and I'm not strapped to your back zipping around on a swoop bike."

The droid had already loaded their cargo, and Fennex plugged the coordinates he'd dug up from one of his old reports into the little personav on the speeders control deck. It hd been... years. Many years, at this point. Fen wondered how things might have changed- not too much, he hoped. As the protocol droid guided the speeder across the grassy plains and rolling hills, Fennex would recount the tale of how he, along with Artyom, Cal, and Evalyn- all Knights at the time, all dead now, except for him- had rescued Councilor Shivaaga from a marauding band of killer ACC robots that had wiped out most of his crusaders and the base they were establishing here on Dantooine. While the JEdi had eventually escaped, the Dantooine outpost Rem had tried to establish was never revisited. Not to his knowledge at least. The two Masters would be able to feel the place before they saw. The faint air of tragedy still hung over the place- many Jedi had died here, and it was already a place sensitive to the ebb and flow of the Force. It was not a true nexus, but it was close.

The speeder approached the edge of the wide depression and shuddered to a halt. Fen could see the cave entrance on the opposite wall from them, nearly hidden by rock and brush. The ground here still showed faint scars of the battle that had been fought on it- a broken tent pole here, a collapsed pre-fab building overgrown with new life, old blaster scoring on the rocks. This was the place.

@Zigara
 

Bruce Guleya

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"Although, it might be a little inconspicuous... or just downright silly if we did that?" Bruce smiled.

Once loaded up and on their way, Bruce listened closely to the tale being explained to him, a tale of old scars and a tale of a battle. It was no wonder that this place would be the source of the future refuge of Jedi or explorers to come. There was little to say upon arrival, this place meant more to Fennex then it did Bruce, but the cries of the dead and the whispers of the Force quickly gripped him and he held it all close to him. The feeling, the sights, Bruce felt he could see and experience the battle - but he truly could not, that was far beyond his own abilities.

It saddened the saurian Jedi to see his friend so wore out and burnt from all the war and all the battles, both factional and personal. To see the proud man turning to a feeble critter - it made the Caretaker think, that was going to be him someday. Fennex was Bruce's senior by 10 years, so the experience he had could not compare though they still had a deeper meaning. First, he saw Wyck after the conclusion of his Holocron, and now he spotted Fennex after his own, one day and one day soon Bruce would face the same battles. Although it was something he looked forward to.

They pulled up and Bruce didn't take much time to scatter out of the speeder; Fennex had indicated a cave and Bruce would gladly follow the direction, however, the Caretaker as going to hang back for a moment - to allow Councillor Zeerda a private moment to himself. When he was ready, they would advance and the cave quickly reminded him of his last adventure deep within the caves of Dantooine, he would entertain Fenn of the story he had felt experienced when he was here with Evee after she returned to the Jedi Order.

The story was a simple story, a story of how she failed to grasp the command of the natural herds and how they continued to make a mockery of her, how they abandoned all to attend to faint call in the distance, the call of a kyber crystal. The time within the crystal caves and last, all the good they did for the village folk while they helped with the flooding. They were simpler times, of long ago. It seemed only fair to counter the tragedy with some humor.

@Loco
 

Fennex Zeerda

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Fennex scrambled down the steep embankment and picked his way through the brushy clearing towards the cave while Bruce hung back a moment, KR3CH plodding along behind him with their cargo. It was amazing how quickly signs of such a struggle could be overcome so quickly by the natural landscape. The place was already hardly recognizable from the last time he'd been here, and in another ten, fifty, or a hundred years it would look and feel nothing like it did right now. Scanning the slopes around him, he recalled what he had thought the first time he visited- this would make a nice hidden outpost. It was defensible, concealed from all the surrounding terrain, and the caves made a good bunker to retreat into. He could feel the warm hum of the nearby crystal deposits. Their energy would eventually overtake the faint sense of fear and pain that still clung to the place, and all would be well again.

It was ironic, he though, listening to Bruce's tale of his adventures with Eivor, how one little backwater planet could have two so very different meanings to two very different Jedi. How the Order's experiences in this place had varied so greatly in so short a time. It was the way of the Galaxy, he supposed. The Force had always had a funny way, and he hoped that maybe some day it would revisit this particular chapter in its book of funny things. For now, though, they had work to do. Hard work. Fennex patted the moist stone wall of the cave entrance. The backend of this particular little complex of caverns had long ago collapsed after the Jedi used it to escape, sealing it off and hiding it from view. This was the only easy way in or out now, that they were standing in. KR3CH plopped down the crate of supplies, pre-fabs, and minor artifacts, and would begin unpacking it while the Jedi Masters did their work.

"I don't want to get too fancy," Fennex said aloud, talking about the Seal he wanted to place here. Shaping and forming the stone and dirt into a great door would be enough work, especially for the two of them alone, and then placing a seal upon that would be even more exhausting. There would be no intricate carvings or exotic metals. Just stone and vine. Fennex thought using the Force to create a living seal somewhat poetic anyway. "What do you think?"

@Zigara
 

Bruce Guleya

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Bruce followed Fennex with little hesitation when he was ready to go, he had an idea of what they were planning, but he didn't know the particulars of it all, and that was okay. When they finally arrived at the destination - the proposed site for a gateway, the Caretaker happily looked it over examining it. This seemed to be the bardottan's expertise to a tee, he loved discoveries and investigating rocks and ruins and all of that clever stuff, this was his domain and it was always nice to get back to his roots.

Bruce walked up to the cold stone before them and ran his hand over it, feeling it, sensing it. There was a story to be told here and they two would be privy of such a tale, in fact, they would be crafting a tale to add to it all, something very few could proudly be a part of. He listened to the councilor's idea and when he turned to ask the bardottan of what he thought, he smiled.

"Fenn, I think that is an exceptional idea. We are supposed to be humble and give up so much, we never did believe in lavish designs". His eyes returned to the potential site before them before continuing. "Dirt, vines, stone. The most unremarkable things this galaxy has to offer, a little life and proof that balance will always be restored no matter the scars we face."

There really wasn't much more to say other than his piece. He wanted to take a mental note of this location, this might prove to be something he could hint at in the future, but one thing was certain - the 4 of them had been casually looking to seal away this cherished items with a technique that had been discovered and adapted for these purposes. Now, Bruce wasn't an arrogant self-righteous Jedi like some people felt the Jedi were, but the others were strong but the combination of Fennex and Bruce would be an impressive feat in itself, it wasn't just the power they had in the tanks but their position granted them a slight step up for they were given a deeper understanding of these abilities. They might add a more important content within once this was complete, and he needed to make sure that he would pass on the knowledge of how to access these... wards for when they happened to be stumbled upon.

"Are you up to this my friend? I am ready when you are." Bruce was slowly bringing the Force to his command in preparation for the tasks at hand.

@Loco
 
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