Ask Broken Bonds

[Jeyten Dres]

Jey was almost at a loss for words within himself, up until this very moment Jey didn't know he was in love with Astra... but allowing his feelings to guide him brought him to this conclusion. Although, he was also relieved at getting this statement off his chest, as it had been gnawing at him for months since his fight with Astra. She didn't have to say it back, while Jey saw worry on Astra's face, he could sense that deep down she was happy with his confession - and that was all he needed.

He saw her step away from him, but being the confrontational person he is, he stepped closer to her and placed his gloved palm on her cheek. With a strand of black hair over his face, he smiled at her "Are you crazy? Not a good influence?" he chuckled "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have re-connected to the Force and because of that, I've felt like my best self." he reassured her, with his warm smile remaining locked on to her features.

Although, he figured this wouldn't be enough to convince her and thus added to his reassurance "Buuuut you're not really an influence on me, sorry to break it to you..." he jested, taking the risk that some humour would do her good "I'm too stubborn to let you influence me too much. I'm not a Jedi yet, am I?" Jey asked Astra rhetorically while throwing a wink at her. Hopefully now, after this conversation, maybe Astra would snap out of this funk that she was in.

He then paused for a moment, removing his palm from her face and letting it hand at his side. Jey looked toward his lightsaber that was still in the unconscious Mandalorian's hand and pulled it to him with the Force and clasping it to his belt. He then looked toward Astra once more, with a serious face now "Hey... I'm also still willing to help you find out more about your dad's past." he informed her, hoping that would be an efficient enough 'apology' without actually saying the words.

@Sunfrog

 

[Astra Calloway]

As much as Astra wanted to tell Jey she loved him too, she feared she would only drag him further away from the Light side. She had a lot of her own issues to deal with before she began dealing with Jey's as well but as their conversation progressed she realised that maybe they were able to help each other. As she had helped him, maybe he was able to help her in a similar fashion and they could thrive from the support they gave each other.

When Jey's hand connected with her face she thought back to that moment on Corellia and the kiss they had shared then and wondered what his feelings about her were now after all they had been through. Astra smiled at his response, feeling comforted by his words. "That was your own choice." She replied, trying to negate any responsibility for Jey's actions. Although her intention was to help Jey, she could not allow herself to take responsibility for the positive choices he made.

After what had happened between them Astra was willing to let go any minor jokes Jey might make. After all, she quickly learned to accept it as part of his personality and while at times she appreciated the humour as it did lighten the mood, the timing of his joke on Corellia only made her feel invalidated and even more upset but it seemed he was making up for it now.

"Ok... Thank you." She replied to his offer but was relatively quiet about the matter now she was coming to the realisation of what she had done. She wanted to hug Jey and be comforted but she didn't feel like she deserved it, after all she had just choked someone into unconsciousness. Astra attached her lightsaber back to her belt and walked past Jey to kneel beside the Mandalorian and see if there was any damage that she could heal.


@AfroBandit20

 

[Jeyten Dres]

Smiling, Jey shook his head and let out a light laugh "Take some credit, it was my choice but you're influence helped me out a lot, believe me." he said in rebuttal to her humility, Jey firmly believed that Astra's influence was the main reason he was on the current path he was on. Without Astra, Jey would still have been dulled to the Force, he'd probably still be somewhere in the galaxy hustling criminals... that, or he'd be dead. While she may think that she had little to do with his actions, Jey knew that wasn't true.

He smiled back for her when she didn't object to him helping find out more about her dad's past, after this encounter Jey was pretty much certain that they had rekindled their relationship... or at the very least, were no longer fighting. As Jey watched Astra check on the Mandalorian's injuries, he made his way to the cockpit to see if he could alter the freighters course and get them the hell out of here. In the pilot's chair, as Jey tapped away at the control panels buttons and with a moment clarity, a sense of worry washed over him, he wondered if Scouty was okay and where he was... he at least hoped that he and the Kath Hound were somewhere safe and easy to find.

Then he heard the subtle but long feminine groan close to him. Slowly turning his head around, he saw that the Mandalorian that Astra had stunned earlier was beginning to wake up - recovering her bearings quickly, she spotted Jey in the pilot's chair. The two stared at each other for a brief moment before reaching for their weapons, the Mandalorian shot at Jey at point-blank range but luckily he was able to deflect the blaster bolt with his lightsaber. However, Jey made a critical error and deflected the blaster bolt in the completely wrong direction, causing the bolt to hit the freighter's piloting controls and disabling them.

With the controls destroyed and disabled, the YT-2400 began to descend into Lotho Minor below them at a high speed. This crash landing was about to be stupidly painful...

@Sunfrog

 

[Astra Calloway]

Astra simply shook her head in response, reluctant to continue the conversation further. Ideally, she wanted time alone to reflect on what she had done and how to move forwards but in the current situation that seemed far from likely so she would have to push through the feelings of guilt she was beginning to feel after the numbness of it all wore off. She was aware that she had an influence on Jey but she didn't think it was as drastic as he was claiming it to be. He was responsible for his own choices after all... as was she.

Her hand hovered over the Mandalorian's throat as she sensed for injuries but found no lasting injuries. Upon being so close to him, her anger began to surface again at the thought of what he had said. They had a history of being Jedi-killers, why was he any different? He clearly had the intention of killing both of the escapees so why should he live to capture and kill more Jedi? She pondered for a moment before getting back to her feet to join Jey in the cockpit after she was unable to come to a conclusion. All she knew was that he was unarmed and so could not be killed.

As she rose to her feet, she felt the ship shift beneath her and ran to the cockpit to find Jey sitting in the pilot's chair behind the smoking controls. "What did you do?!" Astra asked more out of panic than anger as she gripped the back of Jey's chair for stability. She was surprised to see the Mandalorian woman sitting beside Jey, seemingly hoping her chances would be better with three minds instead of one. "Can't you do anything?!" Astra asked with even more panic as the woman with them frantically tried to do anything with the controls.


@AfroBandit20

 

[Jeyten Dres]

"Uh..." Jey chuckled nervously before raising his hands in defeat "My fault." he said apologetically. Jey clicked several buttons on the freighter's smoking cockpit controls in a futile attempt at regaining control of the ship, upon realising that nothing was working, Jey slammed his fists on the controls in frustration.

Jey turned to watch as Astra asked the Mandalorian if she could do anything - "Damn machine's busted, thanks to this idiot!" she yelled, pointing at Jey with one hand while frantically trying to fix the controls with another. "Hold on a damn second, you schutta! You shot me first!" he yelled, pointing back at her while staring daggers through her helmeted head. Regardless of who's fault it was, there was nothing they could do - the ship was about to crash land and it'd be a gamble if they'd survive or not.

As he watched the ship catch flames as it entered Loth Minor's atmosphere, luckily the freighter's shields were still active as it protected the three from being burned to a crisp. Jey heard the Mandalorian let out a calming sigh, as he turned to look at her in confusion he saw her simply stare into the flames as she said calmly "I led a good life, a warrior's life... and this will be a good death." refusing to remove her helmet, he was at peace with her potential fate... and for a split second, he didn't see this Mandalorian as an unstoppable warrior, an enemy, or a bounty hunter... he just saw her as a person and in a strange way, he empathised with her.

With this being the second time Jey was on the verge of death, he sat in the pilot's seat and took a moment to recount his life... while he was disappointed that he couldn't finish his mission or get proper answers from his father, as well as felt genuine sadness at the prospect of Scouty being alone again... he couldn't deny the fact that if he would die here, he would be content - he had lost his way in life but with the help of people like Astra, Ines, Kraud and Alana... he found his way again and returned to the path of being the best person he could be. However, there was one thing he had to do before his fate may be sealed forever.

Stepping away from the pilot's chair, Jey approached Astra, standing only inches away from her. He looked deeply into her blue eyes in hopes of conveying his love for her before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in for a soft kiss... if he were to go out, he'd want to go out in the best way possible.

@Sunfrog

 

[Astra Calloway]

There was no time to reprimand Jey and even then Astra didn't feel like she had the authority to do so after what she had just done, fearing that doing so would seem hypocritical of her. It had made her question everything she thought she was and left her feeling uncertain about whether or not she deserved to be a Jedi.

"Don't argue!" Astra warned the pair but the matter was quickly dropped and as they descended into the atmosphere below, the Mandalorian woman seemed to accept the fate they were all fearing. The sudden change in attitude from the Mandalorian prompted empathy from Astra who now considered that she had judged the Mandalorians too harshly, they were only human after all. Although she didn't agree that it would be a good death, Astra respected the serenity the woman seemed to obtain, a quality the Jedi ought to have had herself but instead was panicking.

The thought of dying here and now filled Astra with sorrow. It would be unlikely that Kraud and her sister would ever know what happened to her which would cause even more heartbreak but maybe in some ways it was for the best. This way she would not become the person she was setting out to be and she could not follow in her Father's footsteps. She had been in near-death situations before but maybe now was the time to accept it... she had everything left to lose if she continued down the path of the Dark side.

Astra met Jey's gaze when he rose from the pilot's seat, trying to read his feelings from his expression to see if there was any hope left or if this really was it, but he only appeared to convey affection which was proven seconds later when he pulled her close and leaned in for a kiss. Astra returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck before burying her face in the fabric on his shoulder. "I love you too." She replied finally.

As she could see them nearing the ground, Astra knew she couldn't resign to defeat and allow them to die by making no attempts to save their lives. She kept her arms around Jey but held out both of her hands in attempt of projecting a Force barrier to protect them. She didn't want to get his hopes up in case it didn't work and she didn't want to let him go either so she stayed where she was and with all the strength and focus she had, she placed all of her energy into projecting the Force barrier, knowing that it truly was their last hope.


@AfroBandit20

 

[Jeyten Dres]

Jey let out a small smile when Astra wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. However, what he heard next made everything 100x better, she said she loved him too... this really was the best possible way to go out. As Astra buried her head in his shoulder, Jey nuzzled his cheek against her soft blonde hair as he held her close and kept his eyes shut and in an instant, the flames outside the ship went dead silent... and the darkness that he saw behind his eyelids somehow had gotten even darker... was this it? Was he dead? If this is what being one with the Force was... it was strange as he still felt some level of consciousness.

Then Jey woke up with a deep gasp, shooting up into a seated position he panted heavily and looked around him, his ears were splitting with a loud, constant ringing sound. Jey rubbed his forehead before taking in his surroundings, he was inside the cockpit still, although it was completely totalled and the Mandalorian in the co-pilot's seat was slumped against the cockpit's controls... dead... he sensed nothing within her, as a matter of fact no one on the ship made it. Leading him to turn his gaze on Astra who was unconscious next to him, he shifted next to her and cradled her body as he tried to sense any life within her.

After scanning her thoroughly through the Force, he finally picked something up. She was indeed alive and he let out a light laugh of relief, however he knew she was drained, sapped of something? What did she do? And whatever it was, was it what saved them? Jey didn't want to leave her side, but he also knew they had to get off of this junk planet and so he opted to carry her in his arms to the exit. Upon reaching the sealed and damaged boarding ramp, Jey used the Force to rip it open thus allowing them to get off but not even a second after exiting the crashed ship he sensed something... presences nearby.

Jey peered around the hot, ruined area for any signs for threats with Astra still in his arms... then he saw them, small cybernetic creatures approaching. Despite looking like some kind of droid unit, they were indeed sentient as he could sense their signatures through the Force but he could also sense their intentions - none were good. Jey began backing away slightly before realising they had no where left to go, he placed Astra gently on the ground and ignited his lightsaber ready to defend her and himself "Back. Off!" he threatened, holding his lightsaber in an aggressive one-handed stance.

@Sunfrog

 

[Astra Calloway]

As they were mere moments from impact, Astra closed her eyes and put all the energy and focus she possibly could into projecting a Force barrier, hoping that at least Jey and some of the others might survive if the strain killed her. Astra struggled to maintain the barrier until eventually there was nothing and it felt as though the world had fallen away beneath her...

*****
​

Rays of light beamed through the window which stirred Astra from her sleep until she gave in and opened her eyes. Upon opening them she was surprised to discover where she was - her home back on Corellia. She quickly pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around her old room, was this real? Was she dying?

Astra pushed herself onto the edge of her bed and stood up, hesitantly walking to the living room, afraid of what she might find. However, upon reaching the living room she saw her mother standing over the oven, preparing dinner, and immediately ran over to hug her with a smile on her face. Her mother turned around at the sound of footsteps and her face lit up as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. "I've missed you so much." Astra told her with tears streaming down her face. "I've missed you too." Her mother replied as she planted a kiss firmly on her daughter's forehead.

Am I dying? Astra thought in that moment. Her mother seemed aware of the fact they had been apart for a decade so maybe this really was the end. "I'm so proud of you." Her mother told her as she drew away from the hug but kept her hands on Astra's shoulders. "What for?" Astra asked. "For fighting the good fight by joining the Jedi." Her mother replied. At first, Astra felt immensely happy that her mother was proud of the choices she had made but then moments later she felt deflated and ashamed at the thought of what she had done.

"Mom... I hurt someone badly out of anger. I'm not a good Jedi." She confessed to her mother who didn't seem at all surprised. "Do you regret it?" Her mother asked to which Astra nodded. "Then you needn't worry. Regret stops us from making the same mistakes twice." Her mother tried to console her to which Astra replied. "But the Dark side of the Force-" She started. "It's corrupting, I know." Her mother interrupted which prompted a confused look from Astra.

"You are nothing like your father." Her mother swiftly intervened as Astra opened her mouth to speak. "But-" Astra tried to interject. "You have more compassion than he ever did so don't dwell on a mistake. It will make you stronger once you overcome it." She continued. "I'm so sorry." Astra hugged her mother again and sobbed into her shoulder. "I know you are... so make a change." Her mother replied softly.

*****
​

Upon opening her eyes for a second time, Astra felt the hard ground beneath her instead of a bed and coughed after breathing in dust from the ground by her face. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the light but longer for her to come to terms with what had just happened. None of it had been real. Her mind and body ached and she felt extremely confused, lost and broken. She turned her head to the side and looked up to see Jey standing over her and suddenly she didn't feel quite as lost.

Astra rolled onto her front and pushed herself onto her hands and knees tenderly before slowly and unsteadily getting to her feet. She ached all over in a way she couldn't quite explain but knowing that there was no other option, she reached for her lightsaber and ignited the blade, hoping the creatures would accept the threat and leave them be but to no avail. "Don't kill." She told Jey hoarsely, taking advantage of the fact she knew he wouldn't argue with her now.

Armed with blasters, a few of the creatures began shooting at the pair which was easily deflected by Astra as it was one of the most energy economic manoeuvres when they were few enemies. A few bolts returned to their targets, hitting them in the hand or lower body. Astra hoped Jey was competent enough with a lightsaber to make-up for what she couldn't.


@AfroBandit20

 

[Jeyten Dres]

Jey gripped his lightsaber hilt with both hands as he stood firmly in place attempting to intimidate the scavengers with his amber blade... however it was for nought, they still continued to approach him and Astra. The snap hiss of a lightsaber caused Jey's ears to perk up and as he turned round, he saw Astra conscious and ready to go, a smile formed on his face but it quickly faded once she ordered him to not kill.

He rolled his eyes at this, not because he wanted to kill but because he knew that in defence of his life he would do what he had to... however, he knew the sanctity of life was important to Astra. With a low and quiet sigh, he returned his attention to the junkers "I'll try, Ast." Jey would respond wholeheartedly.

Once the junkers began shooting off their blasters at the pair, it was on. Astra took the defensive and passive approach by deflecting and redirecting the bolt with her lightsaber, whereas Jey took an offensive and aggressive approach, charging toward them and deflecting any shots coming his way. The teen was competent in deflecting blaster fire but he wasn't skilled in redirection yet and so, would need to engage directly. The ones that weren't armed with blasters met Jey head on with staffs put together by various pieces of junk.

With the junkers with blasters focusing their attention on Astra, Jey was able to focus on the staff-wielding ones in front of him, there was about four of them so this should be easy. Not even allowing them to react, Jey instantly swiped his lightsaber in front of him in a horizontal motion - quickly slicing one of the junker's staffs, then using the Force to push it into one of the junker's shooting at Astra and out of the fight. Turning his attention to the next two, who had positioned themselves either side of him and were going for a synchronised attack, the Force-sensitive teen rolled forward and got up in a half-kneeling position and spun round, meeting the junkers and slashed at their legs effectively severing them.


With one more left, Jey simply turned and stared the lone junker down with an intense look, unsettling the creature, it through down its staff and proceeded to flee from the fight entirely - much to the dismay of its allies. Having lost many numbers, some of the junkers armed with blasters began focusing on Jey again and as the teen deflected their blaster bolts he would hope Astra would be able to defeat these remaining junkers.

@Sunfrog