Arrival on Ossus

[Iden Farlander]

Ossus wasn’t the worst planet to be sent to, but it was a curious choice considering there was no strong Jedi presence on the planet. Though at one point, following the destruction of the Cron Cluster, it was a desolate and desert world, in recent years vegetation and wildlife had returned to portions of the planet. Thankfully, Iden’s destination was just such a place—lush with vegetation.


It was her master’s wish that she come here. “Go to Ossus,” he had said. “Train. Meditate. Study what archives they have. Help the Jedi hiding there wherever you can. Keep a low profile. Center your thoughts.”


Perhaps the average Padawan would have been offended at the implication that they “needed some rest,” but Iden found herself strangely...relieved. The death of one of her closest friends, a fellow Jedi Padawan she had trained and grown along side of for eight years, had taken more of a toll on Iden than she cared to admit.


A Jedi was supposed accept such a loss, to mourn and then celebrate the fact that the person lost was now one with the force. Iden was... not there yet. She was looking forward to centering herself and finding some alone time on Ossus. There was so little time to yourself and your thoughts in this war. Here on Ossus she could get time with her thoughts and do some measure of good with the hiding Jedi.


Iden descended the open ramp of the Corellian Dagger she had flown and found Master Lo, a tall and tan Abednedo Jedi Knight standing there.


“Padawan Farlander,” he greeted with a nod, “We have been awaiting your arrival. Your master informed us of your coming, and I wish you a warm welcome.”


“Thank you, sir,” Iden replied.


Master Lo gestured for her to follow him. “Come. I will show you to your quarters.”


The Jedi hideout was small but suited their temporary purposes, nestled and hidden away in one of the many caves and caverns of the Eocho Mountains. Here they could recover and nurse any wounds before acquiring transportation off the planet. Iden’s room had the essentials and nothing more—one cot and one wash basin.


“I know it is modest accommodations,” Master Lo stated in an apologetic tone. “But this location is only temporary...”


“It’s perfect,” Iden immediately assured the Jedi Knight, looking around the small room. “Thank you.”


“Your master implied you would lend your assistance during your stay?”


“I’ll help in any way I can,” she promised sincerely.


The Jedi Knight bowed his head in acknowledgment and turned to leave. “There is a small village not far from here, to the east, should you require anything. I will send you the coordinates. Should you leave, be sure that no one follows you here to our hideout. Well, I shall leave you to get settled in.”


“Thank you, Master Lo.”


Now alone, Iden took a seat on the modest cot and activated the holoprojector on her bracer to inform her master of her arrival.

@Red Pyramid

@Tsara Tarr

 

[Atraxis Aburay]

Aboard the Fury Class Ship, Atraxis awoke in his dark room as red lights from the walls began to illuminate his pale skin. Looking to the side, he saw his saber laying on the table next to his bed as he reached out. The saber jumped off the table and shot to his hand, igniting once and the blood red blade shot out casting a light in the room.

"All this work, all the effort and finally you are mine. My chains have been broken, I am free. I have escaped Father, I am no longer a slave." he said to the saber softly, speaking to his departed father or at least trying to. A name was carved ever so slightly into the hilt, symbols he was told represented his fathers name. But he could not read the language, his father never had the chance to teach him but it was okay. It was enough, the symbols calmed him and tempered the rage the Sith had festered in his heart.


The Pilot droid stood in the door, looking at him. "We are arriving at Ossus now Master, prepare for docking shortly." it spoke curtly before going back to the cockpit. He began to don his armor, sliding the cloak over his body as he eyed the helmet. Ornamental, it served no real purpose yet....


Stepping into the Cockpit, the Sith Acolyte lacked his helmet, leaving it in his bedroom on the nightstand. Staring out the window of the ship he let out a sigh, Ossus was very much not a beautiful planet but it held some things he wanted. Knowledge chief among them. He could only see one other ship on the Landing pads, an Ugly Freighter and yet....he could feel something in the air.

@Iden Farlander @Tsara​

 

[Tsara]

Ther'Dol had served his purpose, and she'd given him more than a little extra for his trouble, receiving some fiscal compensation in return. No problems there. But the man was young, driven by hormones, desire, and had established the foundations of a problem.

He'd become...clingy.

This would be almost sweet if it wasn't so annoying, and a little creepy. Following her around the landing pads and chasing off several well dressed, moneyed prospects. Like a horny Nerf in mating season, he was practically on top of her every step. Exhaling a groan, she resolved to jettison her tail. She would let him down softly. She would be gentle in her severing of this admire she'd sapped of credits, and used for transportation. He'd been an absolute dear, after all.

"Go away..."

She managed flatly, her sotto voce tone almost making it seem jocular, as Ther'Dol laughed for a second when he heard her, then he realized the placid face looking back at him was dead serious. Her deep blue wells never wavered from his. Her thin lips a perfect, horizontal parallel. His mouth opened, he blinked, and closed it, then raised his hand and stuck a finger at her.

"You played me!?!"

Brow furrowing, Tsara dropped her bags and crossed her arms before her ample chest.

"You got me, and got me here. No complaints, Ther'Dol, en route, why now?" she replied evenly.

He stammered.

"I-I thought we had something special! But NO, you just wanted my credits and a jump to hyperspace! I've never felt so used!"

Tsara cocked her head to one side, squinting.

"And your...attention...to me while autopilot did the steering wasn't use?" she quipped back. The reaction was the pointed finger at her turned into a swiping hand at her face that she narrowly leaned away from.

In her performance garb, often to advertise her 'qualities' she couldn't reach for the blaster and vibroblade stored in her travel bag, but she dropped down into a low stance, hands out before her in a guard and opened herself up to the sub-audible influence of The Force. Ther'Dol seemed to be contemplating balling his fists, but his off hand seemed to be drifting across his person to his holster and a sizable blaster.

Things were about to happen fast...

@Iden Farlander @Red Pyramid

 

[Iden Farlander]

It was surprising how quickly the past three days had passed in the Jedi hideout. The Jedi had kept Iden busy, surprising considering there were only a handful of them. Her duties varied—from force healing to keeping watch to tech repairs to even hunting and cooking.


Had her master sent her here for a break or to work her all the more? She smiled at the thought.


Today, her fourth day on Ossus, presented Iden her first opportunity at a quiet day to herself. She would make the trek to the town east of the hideout and make a few purchases.


Leaving her Jedi Robes on her cot, she wore her light armor, her lightsabers completely hidden. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself.


“Make sure you lead no one back to us,” Master Lo reminded Iden as she left.


“Yes, sir,” she respectfully replied.


Entering the village some time later, Iden found that it was nothing spectacular, but it had the essentials, and the quiet, relaxing walk alone had easily made the trip to the village worth it.


Pushing past two young boys playing in the street, Iden noticed that there were two ships on the landing pad. But it was the two people on the landing pad that her eyes landed on. A young man and twi’lek were arguing.

@Red Pyramid @Tsara Tarr

 

[Atraxis Aburay]

Atraxis stepped off his ship, moving down the landing pads towards the exit when he both saw and heard the argument between the pilot and what appeared to be a dancing girl. A boy getting so heavily attached to a dancer he thought was 'The One' was not a surprise, plenty of men on Celanon did the same with the women there. Though, he could sense the man's rising aggression and his inflamed passion. He was being spurred to violence, his hate was roused and he wanted to take it out on the girl.

Honestly, he wouldn't even bother with such a display as it was beneath him. But this fool was causing a scene and if he roused whatever constituted the 'law' in this area, even worse if their were Mandos here then it wouldn't bode well for him. He approached quickly, as if to walk past him before he reached out and grabbed the man by his throat. Squeezing hard his voice came out layered int he force. "Leave, you have no more business on this planet. You are going to return home." he said before pushing him away with a light brush of the force to emphasize. His yellow speckled eyes bored into the boys before he turned and looked at the Twi'lek.

He stopped though when he made eye contact, his sense's pinging off as he looked at her. She made waves in the Force with her presence, as weak as it was it was there. He could sense her own intent, she had been fully capable of handling the situation herself, though hers might have been more permanent. He liked her marginally more for this.

"I agree with your methods, though doing so here might not be the wisest course of action. Least the wrong attention be drawn." he said lightly to her, as if he wasn't drawing the attention himself with his actions and his garb. He gave her a small nod, reaching out he lightly dusted her shoulder off. "Be wary here girl, if you want to avoid chains or something more.....painful." his voice was light, like a whisper as he walked past her. As if he was inviting her to join him, or not was up to her interpretation.

Though he would not make it far before a stronger wave in the force washed over him, staring down the street. Without a cloak it was all to easy to see the armor, as well as to make the assertion.

"Jedi."

@Tsara @Iden Farlander ​

 

[Tsara]

Ther'Dol was retreating back to his ship when Tsara heard the word "Jedi." uttered by the man (Atraxis) who'd just throttled him. She hadn't expected that word to roll out of his mouth, or anyone's mouth really, and immediately picked up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. At point blank when he'd 'spoken' to Ther'Dol, she felt something more to his presence than just size and appearance. Tsara went through the process of mentally withdrawing from The Force. Controlled, steady breaths, letting go of the anger and fear she'd felt towards Ther'Dol, and then, she actively ignored the nagging current of The Force itself.

A full, successful retreat.

That ever present, delicate push or tug in a direction that it seemed to exert becoming almost non existent to her. Now, The Force felt like it usually did when she didn't want to use it, or it her. It felt like being watched...intently. Like being brooded over.

"I am no Jedi," Tsara said presently to no one in particular, but somehow felt she needed to say it to herself, to convince herself. She was no Sith either. Tsara was actually surprised (not that anyone could tell be her stoic expression) to find not only the man who'd interposed on her behalf with Ther'Dol not far from her, but an armored woman approaching that he seemed focused on. She turned her eyes back to the man, observing him observe the armored woman.

Interesting.

It didn't seem like friendly interest, or attracted interest. But Tsara's curiosity was now piqued. It was time to make nice, and actively apply herself to the situation. She sidled up close to Atraxis, both her arms lacing about his massive left arm like vines on a lattice.

"Thank you for the help, Sir." she started softly, evenly, focusing her blue eyes solely on him as she looked up.

"I'm a dancer; I usually charge, but since you have been so gallant, I could-" and she purposefully, but rather naturally, broke off her sentence, looking at Iden. Then Tsara looked back to Atraxis, then again to Iden, then back to Atraxis. Making a good show of it before feigning subdued realization.

"My apologies. I had no idea you were waiting for someone; she is very pretty, Sir. I hope I haven't caused you any trouble..." and she released the man's arm, taking a step back to watch, and wait.

@Iden Farlander @Red Pyramid

 

[Iden Farlander]

The figure that descended from the Fury Class Ship stole Iden’s attention from the young man and twi’lek. The figure’s robes were unmistakably Sith, and if that wasn’t proof enough of his affiliation, the force energy that radiated off of him was. Even from where she stood Iden could feel it—the darkness, the pain, the hatred. If was... unsettling. She’d felt this sort of presence before, and each time it left the same lasting effect on her. Coming face to face with the very evil she opposed, that her whole being fought against, was always an unnerving experience.


The way he was openly using the force on the man who only moments before had been arguing with the twi’lek told her that he wasn’t trying to hide his identity as a Sith.


Above all else, this Sith couldn’t be led to the Jedi, and Iden couldn’t let the locals learn of their presence on the planet. No matter what, she would not allow this Sith to reach the hidden Jedi.


Keeping her wits about her, Iden turned and made her way swiftly through several vender booths, ducking into an alley and out of sight. It would be unwise to engage him now.
She was not scared of him, but confronting him now would only increase the danger the hidden Jedi were in.

Iden knew the Sith had spotted her, but perhaps he would not follow. Perhaps, she thought with some hope, he was on a different mission than she thought, that would not affect her Jedi friends at all. Perhaps he would be tempted by the pretty twi’leck around his arm, giving Iden more time to make an exit. If, however, he followed, she would attempt to lose him.

@Red Pyramid @Tsara Tarr

 

[Atraxis Aburay]

Looked around, he could still feel the Jedi, she was trained yes but in the end the way she radiated she must be a padawan. A master he would have never sensed coming and a Knight would have disappeared from his senses the moment they knew he had seen them. The force whispered to him in his mind, calming the burgeoning anger that was rising due to her presence as he took a deep breath and relaxed. It would serve no purpose to lose control here and make a fool of himself, he turned to face Tsara giving her a once over.

The way she had grasped at him, hung to him, it made her intentions clear. She sought whatever protection his presence offered. She was planning something, she was clever about it to manipulating her body language to imply interest or to pique his own. She was crafty, like a fox or a minx and that made her useful.

"Come dancer, you need not play games with me unless you intend to see them to conclusion. You have the force, weak and paltry as it is. You have talent. I did not come for the Jedi woman, but she is confirmation what I seek is on this planet. If you wish however to repay me with a Dance, you can do so before I leave this planet sometime."

He said softly as he began to walk away, he looked around seeing more than a few people eyeing him and her. Hmm, it seemed attention had been drawn anyways. It would be unfortunate to stick around. The presence he gave off should let her know he would not mind her presence, but it was her choice as she began to follow the force, letting its dark little whispers guide him.

@Iden Farlander @Tsara ​

 

[Tsara]

Curiouser, and curiouser still.

It was a rare individual that could see through her. Most, in fact often got caught on her luscious surface, specifically two healthy swells below the collar bone for more than obvious reasons. This massive man was sharper than the average, curve crazy freighter captain or fighter pilot. Which then begged the question. If he wasn't here for women whose pleasurable company could be bought, what was he on Ossus for?

There was practically nothing on Ossus save farms, scoundrels, and the slow creep of revival over desolate plains

"Who are you, stranger?" she asked soto voce as always, falling in next to him as they walked; it took Tsara three of her measured steps at a quickened pace to keep up with each of his steady, long strides.

Her question was as good a question as any. It was the best of testers, really. He would either rebuke her (unlikely) or offer his name. After that, he would be like a Chandrellan Oyster more than likely. Tsara would have to pry carefully and repeatedly to get at whatever pearls he kept.

One thing she was pretty sure of was that the pleasures of the flesh with him was an afterthought. He got his thrills above the belt at pauldron level, and was impelled towards purposes more than recreation. This man she was trying to keep up with was a businessman.

Business meant credits.

Credits meant security.

Thus. This man was security.

Tsara tried a little harder to keep up, her oceany wells locked on target like an ace in the cockpit.

@Iden Farlander @Red Pyramid @Morse

 

[Iden Farlander]

Passing through the streets of the village, Iden looked over her shoulder. No one was following her. She reached out through the force and confirmed that the Sith hadn’t pursued her.


Good. Perhaps the Sith had been distracted by the twi’lek, perhaps he simply had no wish to pursue. She didn’t care why; all that mattered was that he hadn’t. Breathing a sigh of relief, Iden slowly, carefully began to make her way back to the Jedi hideout. She covered her tracks as she went and left no signs of the path she had taken.


Both Master Lo and Iden felt that there could be no waiting for the Galactic Alliance to send a larger ship to arrive for a pickup. With three of the four Jedi wounded, it would be foolish to fight a Sith, even if they did believe they could take him in number.

The Jedi were hardly in any shape to leave, but they were definitely in no shape to face a Sith, even if he was a Sith Acolyte as Iden suspected. It was necessary that they leave now that there was a Sith nearby. The Corellian Dagger Iden had flown to Ossus was small and intended to only hold one or two passengers at the most, but it would have to work. They were to take only what they could carry on their person.


“There isn’t room in the ship for all of us—four will already be tight, but five?” Master Lo had wondered aloud to Iden as they walked toward the ship.


“We won’t have to fit five,” Iden had replied.


Master Lo looked at her.


“I will stay here,” she explained.


“You can’t—you’ll have no transportation off the planet.”


“I’ll wait for a ship to be sent for me.”


“It could be days before a ship is sent for you. I should be the one to stay. I am older, I have much more experience than you—”


Iden smiled softly, touched by the older Jedi Knight’s concern. “All compelling reasons for you to be the one that goes. I am but a Padawan. I must respectfully decline your offer, Master Lo, as generous as it is. You are of much more importance than I. I have every confidence that a ship will be sent for me as soon as possible. And, if not in time... I will find my own way off the planet.”


The Jedi Knight stared at her, no doubt sizing her up. “I do not think this wise, Padawan.”


“It is our only option, sir.”


Ascending the ramp of the ship to join the other Jedi inside, Master Lo turned and looked back to Iden. “May the force be with you.”


Iden watched as the ship rose into the air and was soon out of sight, leaving her alone and stuck on this planet.

@Red Pyramid @Tsara Tarr

 

[Atraxis Aburay]

Heard the patter of the Twi'lek's feet behind him, it seems she had found some value in him like he had in her. He knew she would find his proposal tempting, being that she sought to use him for something. While he did not have a firm grasp of her intentions, it was probably motivated by a base desire, which motivated all things in this world. That was a reliable and dependable and easy to understand, what would have concerned him had she chosen to do so without any possible personal benefit to herself. That would have been outside of normalcy, that would have been a cause for concern.

"Come girl, I will not slow down for you lest my quarry escape my senses." He said as he had felt her slowly move towards the edge of the village, the people passing by him like water around a rock in a river. The stream guiding him towards the little fish that swam against it to evade its pursuer. He looked around, his hand held out as he sensed the directions she had left in.

It was suspicious though, to meet a jedi so quickly after arrival on this world spoke of intervention. Someone else had known to send that jedi here, that he was tracking the wounded ones. It had meant that he had not silenced all of the informants that had told him of it, and that worried him. He saw someone eyeing him from the alleys he passed, a hood he had seen twice before on his pursuit through the village. Once was normal, twice was coincidence but three times? Three times was a pattern, and this pattern upset him.

"You ask me for my name without offering your own girl." he said to Tsara as she posed her question, looking back at her as they approached the edge of the village. He stared out at the open fields, seeing no physical tracks but he could feel the worry that had saturated the force here, heavy emotions that Jedi were not supposed to feel. It painted a picture for him, showing him the stream this particular fish swam away in. He could take his time, there was no rush. Each step drawing him farther and farther down the path.

Such a desolated and barren place, how could anyone have thought it an intelligent move to settle here? Then again, perhaps that was the reason why. Why look for people on such a horrid rock when there are countless other more pleasing worlds. He turned and looked at Tsara, gazing up and down her attire as more than a few times his eyes paused on certain parts of her exposed body. "Your skin is too exposed, your sandals shall prove a hindrance and any vagabonds out here will want to use you to sate what ever base urges they have. You will stay close, or I will leave you to them." he said gruffly, giving her the choices available to her. Or perhaps she would leave, it was up to her actually.

@Tsara @Iden Farlander ​

 

[Tsara]

Tsara went about undoing the ties on her travel bag, and withdrew (after some rifling) her Rhajur Muur 16-16K Hold Out Blaster, placing her thumb on the safety for quick release and a pointer finger on the trigger, holding the almost palm sized blaster close to her hip, she fanned her green fingers over it for a thin concealment; a casual observer might not realize it's a blaster and mistake it for a Padd or communicator. Tsara then kept stride as best she could with the towering man. He'd given his permission for her to tag along, but not his name. Tsara would, at least for a time. If he was in something too deep that even credits weren't worth the risk, she'd bail.

Perhaps the reason she followed, and stayed close was the familiar presence, or aura. The palpable puissance of a fully trained Sith. Her mind going back to Odzerah, the asteroid academy. So many strong individuals in the force, they emitted the same energy that was physically perceivable in this man; a cloying fog or even humidity is how she experienced it. Her senses received it as either dreadfully cold or stifling hot.

No in between.

Senses deeper than the usual five were coaxed to the fore then, Tsara feeling herself opening up once again to the force, stretching it out like a hand to take in the 'texture' of the power in the man she was almost running next to.

"My name is Tsara...Tsara Tarr."

And she left it at that. If he wanted to answer, that would be his prerogative.

Bare to the force and its tides of back and forth, she felt Atraxis' power more vividly, her brow knitting, and teeth gritting as it waved over her like a blast furnace breath. She was reminded of a hot energy coil minutes after the hyperdrive has blown it, this man exuded a dangerous warmth. She then pushed herself, and tried to follow where he was 'looking' in the force.

The effort proved dizzying, but she felt something like a cool breeze, something akin to a rainy gust that blows in when you open the door to it, before she was forced to recede her efforts, feeling strained.

She was briefly reminded of her mother, suddenly.

The feeling of the 'rainy breeze' was similar.

@Iden Farlander @Red Pyramid

 

[Iden Farlander]

With Master Lo and the other three Jedi safely off the planet and far from the clutches of the Sith, Iden felt her worries subside, and she could breath again.


She even found herself smiling as she reentered the cave, now empty of any life form apart from herself. She was glad that she had come to this planet and been able to offer up her ship’s services to the Jedi in need.


Taking a seat in the middle of the empty cave, Iden crossed her legs, closed her eyes, and focused. The Sith was tracking her. He searched for the wounded Jedi. And he wasn’t alone. The twi’lek from the landing pad accompanied him. How odd.


Or perhaps it wasn’t so odd? Suddenly, as if before the twi’lek has been cut off from the force, Iden could feel the force that coursed through the twi’lek. Iden had not expected that.


In her haste to leave the village and ensure her fellow Jedi’s safety, Iden had failed to clear herself of emotion. She had left him a clear trail to follow. Perhaps it was too late for Iden to stop him from finding this cave, but she would see to it that he could follow her no further than this.


Carefully, she detached herself from all emotions and began to meditate, drawing strength from the force and clearing her mind.

@Red Pyramid @Tsara Tarr

 

[Atraxis Aburay]

He stared across the rocky area, the sands whistling through the air as the humid breeze began to irritate him. He looked back at Tsara, sighing. "Tsara Tarr huh? Hmm. I like it, names have a way of speaking to the mind and imparting knowledge of the one that possesses them. I am Atraxis, I am from Celanon and I shall never go back." he said curtly, the wind suddenly picking up and blasting him with scorching sand. Most of which he ignored due to his own clothes, but he could feel the heat. What however, would it do to his scantily clad compatriot. He looked around, following the force as she walked along side him.

He could see her, well he could 'feel' her in the force attempting to do as he had done. She was trying to copy his sensing technique and it left her drained for her efforts. Seeing her begin to tip a bit, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder for a moment, to stabilize her stance and hold her still. "Do not push for more that you are capable. The force is a living thing, a well of power and emotion. If you are unprepared, it can destroy you or render you useless. It is a muscle, you have to train your own will in order to endure the effects it can have. Calm yourself." he said, his voice was a fire yes, but the blaze was controlled.

He was not like his brother and sister Sith, raging infernos of power willing to consume everything in their path. His father had taught him clarity and control. With these to guide power, it gave far more than wild thrashing and right now, Tsara was close to thrashing or its equivalent. He sighed as he pulled her to his side. "Catch your breath, recover. You may use my hand to stabilize yourself for now. I have found my quarry, she is going nowhere it seems. I can feel her slipping away."

He could feel however, they were being followed as he suspected. The hunters were holding back, seeing where he was going. Smart move to be honest, but he could not confront them now lest he lose his direction. He continued on, walking further along the path as he drew closer to the Mountain Caves that Iden had fled to.

@Tsara @Iden Farlander ​

 

[Tsara]

Atraxis.

She'd remember that name.

His words on the Force she'd heard before. Ko'Varna had said something similar. Ko'Varna had kicked off the mortal coil, hacked to pieces by his very students, his students hacked to pieces by him, and piled at his feet. Her words had set off a cascade that helped stoke that awful end. An end she believed all but herself shared. And she wasn't sorry, she realized. Having not dwelt upon what she was culpable for at Odzerah, the fact that she was addressing it now with some much needed reflection was almost revelatory.

Tsara felt proud of being one of the major factors that brought down a Sith outpost. She hated Ko'Varna, and what he'd done. Hated Atrox and her callous, brutal training methods. There was another among them, some sort of conspirator. A Miraluka? She couldn't remember. Then, she had to consider things presently, and from the other end. Even as she held the offered hand of Atraxis for a moment to regain her composure, a strange show of kindness from a man that seemed to be rushing in to kill, she acknowledged the well of fear springing up inside her.

If Atraxis ever discovered what she had instigated at Odzerah, that is, if he even knew of Odzerah, her life would likely be forfeit.

Taking his suggestion to calm herself, which was also an unusual trait displayed from a Sith, she allowed her senses to be still, her breath to gain a steady rhythm. The Force always seemed so heavy. Always tugging at her, and herself tugging or pushing back against it. In the moment of peace she found came a sensation of clarity. It seemed lighter now, less adversarial.

The Force embraced her and an expanded awareness followed.

"We are being followed!?!" she blurted out.

She ignored the lash of wind swept sand against her bare skin, and embraced the Force back, held onto it, not wanting to let this ease slip away.

"Two? No. Five? Feels like five." she added, opening her eyes. The feel of the soft cool breeze returned, stronger than before. They were nearing a cave. The gentle wind was issuing out from within.

It occurred to Tsara, the familiar sense of her mother that she felt, was because a Jedi resided within...

@Iden Farlander @Red Pyramid

 

[Iden Farlander]

Successful in her mediation, Iden opened her eyes, her mind clear and free of emotion. The Sith would not be able to follow her further than the cave by using the force, but she had lost precious time during her meditation.


The Sith was no doubt drawing closer to the cave now, considering the amount of time that had elapsed. Rising to her feet, Iden could see that the wind was picking up outside of the cave. It was possible that a sand storm would soon be upon them. Wether such a sand storm would prove to be of help or hinderance to the Jedi remained to be seen.


Pulling her Jedi cloak on over her armor and her small bag firmly on her back, Iden exited the cave. Carefully examining her surroundings in each direction, she found that the Sith and twi’lek had not yet reached the cave. She still had time, if only a little, and she would take up a position near but not in the cave to avoid being trapped.


Iden crossed to the other side and took position on a ledge, hidden from view and the force. Here she could watch for the arrival of the Sith and twi’lek. When they arrived, she would decide her course of action—either to confront the Sith once they’d entered the cave or to leave.

@Red Pyramid @Tsara Tarr

 

[Atraxis Aburay]

Could feel the sand whipping up, the storm was upon them and it did not bode well. However, he had to thank nature in this respect. Hunters like the shoddy ones following them would easily get distracted and lost in the storm, leaving him and his new companion free to drift away in the storm. He wrapped his cloak around Tsara as he picked her up and used the force to jump. Pushing forward at great speed as he hopped over large boulders and around massive dead trees towards the caves, immediately leaving the hunters stranded in the sand. He vanished into the rocky crags of the mountain, passing by Iden and into the cave.

He knew she wasn't here anymore, or perhaps she was hiding nearby hoping to escape away unseen. It did not matter to him, what he wanted was not the Jedi herself but what she may have been guarding on this world. He unwrapped Tsara, letting her go abruptly as he looked around the cave. An assortment of tunnels and carved out areas for sparring, a simple set up and hidden well enough. Had he not tracked Iden all the way, he may have never found the place at all unless sheer luck got involved.

He walked around, staring down at the tunnels as he eyed some of the abandoned material here. Some books on meditation, basic lightsaber stances for the 4 main forms. Things he was already aware of, yet they may prove beneficial. "Tsara, these things could be useful for you. I recommend taking them." he said being moderately helpful. He began to walk deeper into the tunnels, seeing sparsely decorated rooms with the majority of things left behind. It seems they fled recently in haste, taking as little as they needed. There was even a saber left in one of the rooms, a trainee weapon but still a weapon. He took it for now, putting it in his cloak.

He found other scrolls in a more decorate room deeper in, the presence of the force here was stronger. It held a Knight or a Master of some sort. He found something more useful here, a small holocron. It would have to be viewed later, he did not wish to spend to much time here but with the presence of the Sandstorm....he might have to reside here for a while.

He smiled to himself privately, something useful potentially just feel into his lap. This was progress, and it offered him a chance to deepen his understanding of the force as a whole. "Tsara, are you okay? We might be trapped here due to the storm for a while. I do not wish for us to get lost trying to navigate back to the village. It would be a shame to get lost on this rock." he said as he reentered the Main Chamber.

@Tsara @Iden Farlander ​

 

[Tsara]

Tsara held the books given to her. Meditations. Basic Lightsaber forms, the stances namely.

There was great knowledge, and great hunger in between the bindings. This she knew. There was also a figurative weight as well, that was considerable heavier than the books themselves. The weight of legacy. Tsara had concluded years ago that it was the Force, and its various, unstated ways that met death out to her parents and everyone else for that matter.

They heard the force, felt it, communicated with it like Force sensitives tended to do. Her mother had described it as a 'great adventure' and her father referred to it as an 'interior navi'. It was part of their daily lives, and it was part of their very real deaths. Death, the all severing indignity.

What died didn't come back.

Period.

That legacy, and corresponding reality, was what awaited her within the pages of the books she held. And in spite of this, in spite of herself and where she stood with the 'Adversarial Force' in her life, she cracked open the book on meditation. Words. Philosophy. Ideas and ideals.

A glimpse of who her mother was, and what she'd failed to become. The past was unreconcilable that way. Her mother failed to become a Jedi, died to a Sith, and thus had failed forever.

Tsara had put the books into her travel pack after undressing and zipping herself into an unusually tight, tan coverall that left little to the imagination when Atraxis came back and asked about her well being before remarking on the storm outside. She continued to zip up the coveralls until she reached a point of critical tension where the zipper couldn't go any higher, leaving an ample window of exposed, veridian cleavage.

"I'm fine," she said presently, putting the belt on next, and holstering the hold out blaster on her right. She clipped her 6'' vibroblade on the left hand side of the belt, and tugged on some long boots that had seen long trails.

"Your pursuers...they could find their way, perhaps, here through the storm?"

@Iden Farlander @Red Pyramid

 

[Iden Farlander]

The sandstorm had begun to intensify, and Iden had been forced to stabilize herself between two rocks, her feet holding her in place for the time being. The Sith and twi’lek had entered the cave and were no doubt making themselves comfortable within the safety of its walls.


Perhaps clashing blades with the Sith would have been preferable to this sandstorm, Iden thought to herself with an amused smile.


She couldn’t help but wonder why the twi’lek was accompanying the Sith Acolyte. Earlier, when she had reached out through the force, Iden had sensed that the twi’lek held no malice or ill intent for Iden, so it wasn’t likely that she was on the same mission as the Sith. Was she his prisoner? Was she a bounty hunter for hire? Was she his slave? Iden hoped not. It was incredulous and infuriating that slavery still held such a prominent place in the galaxy.


Activating the holoprojector on her bracer, Iden attempted to contact her master. Static was her only answer.


Of course there was no signal in this sandstorm.

 

[Atraxis Aburay]

Watched as Tsara changed, it was certainly a show for a bit there to bad he didn't catch all of it. He walked around, finding a comfortable spot he sat down and began to think. "The chances are not nonexistent, they could find their way here if they are lucky or just by some weird crux of fate. We could be found by the Jedi woman, and being the creatures they are she would most likely try to purge me. She might view you as my slave, or perhaps view you as my accomplice. It doesn't matter really. The Jedi is inconsequential, the only thing that matters is their discoveries about the force." he said letting slip his personal views on the matter, and a tidbit of his goals for being here.

He pulled out the training saber he had found, eyeing it before igniting the blue blade. It was short, possibly a good foot shorter than his own blade. The grip was smaller as well, perhaps meant for a smaller race. He looked up at Tsara, thinking for a moment. He did not know if he could fully trust her, but what he could trust was her views of him. She seemed to view him as some form of insurance or protection, perhaps a combination of both. He could trust that it would be in her interest to remain allied with him for now, especially with the revelation of hunters and jedi.

"Tsara.....come here." he said waving her over, placing the Saber in front of him. It was an offering, "I am not a fan of duel saber style combat, and you lack a saber yourself. If you wish to study the forms in that manual then an actual saber will be necessary. You are not Sith or Jedi, but the feelings needed to create a Red blade are not present in you. You are calm, cunning and rational as far as I can read from you. Aside from the moment you touched the books, you have till this point operated with cold rationality. I believe with this is mind what I say next could benefit us both. Would you like to join me? I have no set plans for my future, and only wish to expand my knowledge and power. You are clever and quick witted, you would be an asset to me and I would be able to protect you and provide a home which I believe you are lacking. What do you say?"

He assertion was forward, and only based on the observations he had made of her so far. Yet something nagged at the back of his mind about her reaction, the sense of failure was common and provided a unique emotional response in people. He could feel her own little doubts, the same ones he had a few years ago. He could offer her what he had needed at the time, but didn't get. Some form of companionship. Though, he would most likely be terrible at it given his training.

But hey, weirder things happened when the force was involved.

@Tsara @Iden Farlander ​