Ask Child of Vision

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat wandered the warren that was the Cauldron. She had black bruises under her eyes, and she yawned every few steps. It was night on Rattatak, and all she wanted to do was relax. She had been up all night making plans and talking with the tribes; taking challenges every day was starting to become tiring, even if she enjoyed the fights.

She ascended to the top rim of the Cauldron's volcanic caldera, a glass of water in hand, and took her newly discovered favorite spot in a reclining lawn chair. She sat down with a deep sigh, sipping at her drink before placing it down on the ground beside her seat. She listened to the wind and the bubbling of lava, letting it lull her to sleep as she counted stars. She loved stargazing, and it had nothing to do with her name. Kat still didn't know the local constellations, but she was learning.

She was just about the enter the dreamland when one of the stars started moving faster than it should. She huffed because she was comfy in the night air and didn't want to get up. She prided herself on her penchant for industry, but she just wanted to sleep right now. Recently her dreams had been interrupted by the same man. Each scenario played out wildly different each time, so she didn't know whether to be wary of him or anticipate his coming happily.

Kat was never one to dismiss visions; the fate of billions is often decided by the visions of one man or woman. She watched the ship descend towards the Cauldron, a good choice considering its status as the only spaceport on the planet and the safest place to land besides. She even recognized this ship from her dreams as well.

She pouted because this was really inconvenient. It would be rude to ignore a new guest considering her status as 'warlord.'

But at the same time, she wanted to nap!

She sighed and slammed back the rest of her water before trudging threw the tangled tunnels to the landing pads, mustering as much good cheer as she could when she arrived where she needed to be. She put her hands on her hips and beamed a big smile.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Of all the places that Laeonas could go in the galaxy, there were few less relevant or even fun that he could imagine. As far as he was aware of, there were no scholars he could learn from, no combat instructors who could teach him new and unique ways to beat the hell out of people who deserved to be beaten. It wasn't Zeltros, where he could find clubs full of all kinds of fun and interesting people, and bars with all kinds of liquors to speed up the breakdown of his liver. It wasn't Yavin, where he could return to in order to drop to his knees and beg the grandmaster for forgiveness-- not that he wanted to do that; he hadn't earned her acceptance yet. It wasn't a world under the rule of the Sith, where he could, in his own way, fight the only enemy that mattered.

No, instead it was... this world. A world that bordered on the edges of explored space, a world he wasn't even sure had a civilized population until he checked for radio signals, of all things, and found a few dozen strong enough to break through the planet's atmosphere. He wasn't here for any great purpose; his ship needed fuel, and any civilized world would have what he needed. Once he had it, he'd be gone, and head somewhere-- anywhere else.

It took him a bit to find the only spaceport on the entire planet, and a bit longer to land. He was pretty sure that his navcomputer was out of date or going haywire when it told him to head in the direction of an active volcano, but when he saw the landing markers and lights, that he let out a sigh and moved to land. It took a bit longer than usual; the landing pad was small, and from the looks of it, hadn't been modernized in at least 400 years. Following that, the man went through his usual routine; he dressed up in appropriate garbs, in this case a tight fitting red gym shirt, some even tighter leather pants, and a long black jacket that reached past his knees.

He still put on makeup, even if he'd only be here for a few hours at most. A quick glance in the mirror revealed that his eyes were a little more sunken than they had been yesterday, that the lines on his forehead were just a micrometer deeper. Real or imagined, he felt older; he was so much more tired, and everything he did just felt... heavier. Ofcourse, physically he could look ten years younger with marginal effort, but internally, how much of the teenage gangbanger with an indecipherable accent was left?

"Enough th'at yer not a Jedi anymore."

It was a good ten minutes after landing that the man walked out of his ship. He carried no obvious arms or armor; he wouldn't be needing a blaster a sword to request fuel, unless the port authority was exceptionally cranky. Stepping out, he surveyed his surroundings, eyes falling on the only other sentient who seemed to be out here. Walking a bit closer, he got a better look at her; she was a young woman, probably human, about his height and clad in some primitive outfit that seemed to indicate importance.

He honestly wasn't sure how to greet her; from the looks of things, it didn't look like this port got much traffic. For all he knew he was the first visitor this woman had seen in a month. If she were coming out to greet him, she... probably knew how to speak basic? Taking a deep breathe, he'd wave a hand. "...hello." He would add, glancing around. "I need to refuel. 500 credits for a tank?" The man asked, crossing his arms. As much as he'd adapted to broader coreward and professional standards of fixed prices and cordial negotiations, he'd never give up haggling, especially in an environment when it suited him.

Ofcourse, it was entirely possible that the woman didn't even accept credits. "I can pay 400 crowns, or if you don't have the currency, I'll pay it off in labor." He declared. Laeonas... didn't want an extended stay on this world, but if he had to bring some outlaws to justice or collect some money for this person-- whoever they were and however important they happened to be-- he'd do it.

​

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat studied the man, suddenly feeling a little underdressed in just her top and shorts. Her scars were plain to see, making her body seem like an animal, striped with off-color flesh. Most folks on Rattatak tend to dress light; the planet's heat could get harsh very fast. She let him talk, listening intently. She had to count on her fingers, thinking about the number of days since her crash. "Sorry to say, friend, but we've got no fuel." She said apologetically.

"I don't mean that as a metaphor, but Rattatak has no natural star-sailor fuel. The Rattataki rely on cargo ships to ferry fuel to them, but with the current state of the FWA..." Kat shrugged. She wouldn't sugarcoat this for the man because this entire situation sucked for everyone. For Kat, though, it was just another issue to fix. "The last ship to come through with any fuel was shot down by the local Warlord; most if not all the cargo has been lost or used since."

She sighed; numbers were not her area of expertise. Kat could have it up in a moon's turn if you wanted a palace fit for a king. Though, Rattatak had longer days than she was used to. So maybe a little less than that? Regardless, Kat was not the girl you went to with logistical problems. Give her the materials, and she could build anything, but she couldn't even count past fifty. "My friend Stetti says she's working on getting some more ships to come through, but she doesn't know when that will happen."

That was, in fact, one of the things that had been talked about at the meeting. After all, you couldn't outmaneuver your enemy without the fuel to do so.

"I'm Katherine; call me Kat. We can put you up in the Cauldron if you like unless you feel brave enough to fly with low fuel?" Kat introduced. She wasn't smug; she had a pretty good idea of what it felt like to be trapped by circumstances beyond your control, so housing someone for a few months was the least she could do. It wasn't like they were hurting for space in the Cauldron anyway. "Besides, you'd get to live in my secret volcano lair! How cool is that!" Kat laughed.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Of all the times Laeonas had stopped on a planet for fuel, the responses never just fit into a simple "yes" or "no." Sometimes he needed to sign some paperwork, sometimes the price was higher. In the most dire circumstances, he might have to wait a few days for a new shipment to arrive. Yet of all the answers he'd gotten, never once had someone said they had "no" fuel. Not much, not now, not enough-- but no?

"...no fuel." He repeated, aquamarines blinking a few times as he ran a hand through his hair. "No... fuel." He repeated again. A spaceport without fuel... not even the most remote, backwater worlds he'd traveled to lacked fuel. His impression only got worse as the young woman elaborated, describing how a warlord, of all kinds of people, had shot down a ship full of cargo a few days ago. "W-- Ai'm sorry, did ya just say warlord?" He asked, distress thickening his accent as he spoke.

"Deus, this ain't a normal backwater-- it's tha backwater of backwaters." He thought to himself, though he didn't voice his thoughts aloud. The girl was being frank, helpful, and informative-- insulting her world right in her face after all she'd said so far would be... very uncalled for. As she went on, mentioning how she and her friend were trying to work on getting more traffic into the system, introducing herself, and offering him shelter, he'd determined that this girl was... okay.

"Nice to meet you; I'm... you can just call me Laeo." He replied. He was still reeling from the information that he was effectively stranded on this planet, and he was still struggling to get words out. "The accommodations are really nice of you to, so... thanks for that." Deus, it still felt weird saying that to people. Her joke did cause a smile to crack through the bewildered expression he wore however.

"Usually I'd just stay in my ship, but I don't wanna run the battery until it dies either." The man commented, "If you could show me to my... room, I guess, I'll just start grabbing my things."

​

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

"Hi, Laeo! I'll give you a moment to grab what you need before we head in," Kat said with a smile before leaning against the rough stone of the mountain, happy with his thanks. She would address his other questions once they started wandering the tunnels. They would have plenty of time to chat! She waited patiently for the older man to grab what essential's he felt he would need while studying his big weird ship. She wasn't one hundred percent how it flew, but that was a problem with most of the star-sailors she had seen.

Once Laeo returned with his things, Kat gave him a grin full of energy she shouldn't have considering her thirty-two-hour day and waved him on to follow her. "The Cauldron's tunnels are both repurposed lava tubes as well as thousands of years of Rattataki construction, so don't wander off because if you get lost, I will never be able to find you," Kat warned peppily.

"So the last Warlord to run this place is the goober who shot down the ship bringing fuel to the planet. Needless to say, he was a bit stupid, but word from his surviving lackeys was that he just wanted to see it crash. Regardless, I had hopped a ride on that ship and was on it when it came down. To make a long story short, I was forced to fight, broke out, killed the Warlord, and now everyone listens to me." Kat babbled, taking full advantage of her captive audience. He couldn't escape, so she could talk all she liked!

"Since then, I've learned some of the rules here on Rattatak. If someone gets in your face about something, beat the snot out of them! They just want your things. The planet's been at war for like the last twenty thousand Rattataki years, which is a lot of years! So they've never really figured out how to be polite. If you have any problems feel free to let me know!" She offered. Fighting Rattataki over menial things could be tiring but also very fun!

"I have been having dreams of you and your ship coming to Rattatak, so I've had a room ready for you for a few weeks." She mentioned absently, navigating almost entirely by habit through the nearly uniform, dim tunnels. "I didn't expect you today, though, so I haven't prepared any food, so I'll have to cook something unless you want to get some sleep first. In which case, we can talk in the morning!" Kat exclaimed.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Laeonas didn't take long to pack his bags-- he left most of the contents of his walk in closet in their place, took all the immediate necessities, and left the ship off. If he ever got criminally bored he could come down here and watch the holo in his theatre... though, in all honesty, he wasn't even sure if the connection would be strong enough for him to watch anything. That being said, he'd survived worse-- this wasn't a Dantooine situation, where he slowly went feral over years of isolation. At worst he'd be stuck here for what sounded like a few weeks. An inconvenience, but hardly a crisis.

He'd listen as Kat gave him a rundown of important things he should know, her casual explanations about possible life threatening issues persisting as they went on. Her description of the conflict with the warlord was... something else. It sounded like something out of a holo instead of genuine reality-- a mad warlord killing for the fun of it, taken down by a young heroine and assuming his position. It still wasn't the craziest thing that he'd heard; hell, she'd probably dismiss half the stories of his own exploits as fantasy. At her own age, he would've as well.

What shifted the man's disengaged expression and attitude of quiet contemplation were Kat's references to her dreams. Specifically, the casual fact that she had, apparently, foreseen his arrival in prophecy. The click clacking of his boots as they hit the stone floor one after the other stopped, and aquamarines shown wide. What little light there was reflected off of them, and one could be forgiven for thinking that there was a faint glow in his eyes.

"You can... see things, before they happen?" He asked, each word slow, enunciated and deliberate in his delivery. Some might have dismissed the girl's claims as tantamount to madness-- and that was a possibility-- but in his experience, there was a much more flattering explanation of how and why such things were possible. "How does that come about? You just... dream something, and than it happens?" He'd ask, beginning to walk again.

Kat's offer to cook got a quick reply from him, answering "There's no need; I can cook for myself." Out of a very old habit, he tended to assume that people offering help only did so because they thought he couldn't help himself. "...but thanks for the offer, I appreciate it." He'd add, remembering those lessons about avoiding rudeness he'd received from Ephiny. "I'm just not used to this kind of hospitality. It's refreshing." The human finally clarified.

​

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat stopped when Laeo stopped. She was completely serious about getting lost in these tunnels, and it would be very poor form if she lost her guest immediately after he landed. She raised her eyebrow at his questions because wasn't it common knowledge that dreams held meaning? She moved along regardless, continuing to the meager rooms carved in the volcano.

Thankfully they weren't far. It was two more bends before they came to a significantly better-lit tunnel. It was a habitation block, though this particular quarter was sparsely populated. Most Rattataki lived in villages around the world, nomadic or otherwise, so the Cauldron was run by people who followed Kat specifically, few though they were. The doors were simple, letting her twist the knob and push it open so they could step through.

The room wasn't special, most of the furniture was carved from the stone itself, but it was appointed with cooking tools, some chairs, a common area, and a bedroom. One might expect the room to be nothing more than a chamber with a bucket, but the Rattataki weren't that savage. Usually.

"Well, if you feel like figuring out on your own how to cook snake, I won't stop you," Kat said with a smile. "That's pretty much what we've got for meat around here unless you are a cannibal, I don't judge." Cannibalism wasn't uncommon on Rattatak and was viewed more as an unfortunate necessity during hard times. Kat was sure there have never been better master's of resource management than the Rattataki.

"Dreams are an enigma. Sometimes it's so real you don't even realize it's a dream; other times, it's like floating on candy. However, I don't need to be a Warlock to know that weeks of seeing the same man's face, your face, has some meaning. What that meaning is, I'm not sure, but you are here now, so evidently, I wasn't wrong to trust them." Kat smiled. She then pointed at a container by the door.

"There's a lot of string in there; use it if you need to wander and can't find a guide. I put these in the rooms the first time we found a corpse in one of the tunnels." She said chipperly. "Anyway, I'll let you get settled in. There should be some foodstuffs in the fridge. Unless you need anything else, I'll come to find you in the morning." She said, finally releasing a big yawn.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

As Kat stopped, Laeonas patiently waited for an explanation. Instead, all he got was a cock of an eyebrow, before she kept going without saying a word. Eyelids would flutter as the older of the two humans blinked, processing what had just happened before picking up the pace again. Kat had responded to his question like he'd just asked why water was wet or if there was a bathroom. She'd spoken about her foresight so nonchalantly; perhaps it was a common ability amongst the force users of this world? "Nah, she said she crashed 'ere; tha kriff did she get an idea laike th'at?"

Arriving at what approximated a room, Laeonas' eyes would adjusted to the light before scanning his new surroundings. The furniture looked... awful, to say the least, but it wasn't the worst he'd lived through. Kat's comments about snakes didn't really phase him either; as long as the snakes didn't taste as bad as Kath Hound, he'd be fine. The mention of cannibalism did cause the hairs on his neck to stand up, which was pretty unusual all things considered.

The mention of dreams caught his attention, and his eyes flicked back over as the girl began to explain herself. The mention of the word "warlock" caused his muscles to tense up, but the man let out a sigh. "Evidently not; I was just caught off guard earlier is all. Most people who say they can see the future are frauds, and those that aren't are usually Jedi or Sith." Laeonas replied, trying to shed light on the sudden interest he'd had. "My world's also got a pretty bad view of the whole foresight thing, with all the stories we tell about blood drinking draoi trying to predict the future through human sacrifice." He went on.

The mention of strings for safety reasons was an added help, to which Laeonas nodded-- though, he knew that he wouldn't need them. He'd had a thing for navigating through alleyways and tight streets in his youth, and that was before he'd learned to use instinct-- with a little help from the force-- to get where he needed to go. "That'll be useful," He lied, "You're a fairly gracious host, especially when most I've met in similar circumstances would try and extort me." He said, telling the truth that time.

​

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

"Thanks!" Kat exclaimed brightly, happy for the compliment. "I take great pride in not being a big jerk." She continued. That's all there was to it; Kat wasn't about to kick someone while they were down unless they were themselves a nere-do-well. "Besides, if I wanted your stuff, I'd just fight you and take it when I won!" She said like it was a forgone conclusion. She'd win the fight; she had the muscles to prove it, after all.

"I've always thought calling a man your enemy to be the greatest insult you can levy against someone, and the easiest way to make enemies is by extorting people for all their worth." She mused, "It seems like a significant effort for very little achievement. I've got things to build and wars to fight, you know?"

"I have met some Sith, and they seemed very nice. One of them said I was connected to some 'big force,'" Cassandra had always glared whenever she said that, "And the magic they could do is pretty similar to what the Warlocks used back home, so while I'm not an expert, I wouldn't be surprised if the big force was sending me some dreams." She said, tiredness removing the filter from her mind and mouth.

"I've never met any Jedi, though. My friend Cassandra calls them warmongers and power-hungry maniacs," Kat said for dramatic effect, her eyes flashing with amusement. "But between you and me, I think she's just crabby. She got stuck with the job of chatting with me a few weeks ago." She continued, putting her hand up beside her mouth and whispering loudly for an unseen audience.

"Have you met any Jedi? I'd like to say hello, and see their magic. As for blood drinkers and fortune-tellers, we have a tribe out west who drinks blood for rituals, they make great sausage, and all tribes practice divination in some way." She yawned again.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

The older man couldn't help but chuckle a little as she brought her pride over having such strong morals. "Hey, most people can't say they aren't. I know I can't." The human replied. "Not like I've done anything you'd want to toss me in a cell for-- at least not in awhile." Laeonas added, as honest as he could be without getting into any of the grizzly details. Her casual declaration of how she'd just fight him and take his things was so refreshingly honest that he couldn't help but smile, going to sit down on one of the stone benches.

He listened as the girl explained her philosophies on making enemies, to which Laeonas nodded along. "If only every petty criminal and gangster thought the way you did, we wouldn't need any police, or soldiers or Jedi to keep us safe from them." Laeo replied, before smirking. "I don't think you need much help taking care of yourself though, warlord." He'd add, chuckling again. Her feat of killing a warlord and taking his place all on her own was undeniably impressive, and she deserved all the credit for it.

Her next comments caused an immediate change in tune however, the Brentaalan’s smile fading as he sat on the bench. “Nice Sith?” He’d repeat, eyelids fluttering as he looked at her. That the Sith had taken note of a force connection immediately set off all of Laeonas’ alarms, but he held back from asking any further questions, or checking out her force presence. “I’ve… never met any Sith like that. They’ve all been… well, jerks.” He confessed, holding back from going on a blistering rant about what a blight they were on the galaxy.

Kat's next comment was received a lot less warmly than her first however, as the words "Jedi" and "warmonger" spoken in the same breathe practically caused the man to short circuit. His mouth opened slightly, brow furrowing as he repeated, "Jedi? Warmongers?" With heavy scrutiny. "She's either crabby or she's a karkin' moro-" The man sputtered out, unable to modulate his tone as emotion bled into his words. "...ahem, I have a hunch that your friend's been seriously... misinformed? Is that tha word?" He muttered the last bit, frowning a little.

Her question about the Jedi caused him to do a double take. She'd been honest and fair with him, but was he really ready to reveal that part about his background just yet? The galaxy was an increasingly hostile place for the Jedi, and even if he wasn't a member of their order anymore, revealing his past could sour the taste of many. "I've met plenty of Jedi, and they certainly aren't the bloodthirsty pricks your friend seems to think they are." He answered, reclining on the bench.

"Hell, they're about as far from warmongers as you could be. They live in temples and dorms like monks, dress in robes and meditate all day-- they don't even fight people unless it's to defend themselves." Laeonas elaborated, giving as much away as he could without lying or revealing himself. "I mean, they don't think it's okay to kill people-- like at all. Isn't that wild?" He asked, shaking his head. He could still remember the lengthy arguments he had with his master about whether or not it was okay to kill Sith...

"You seem uh... tired." Laeonas commented, noticing her yawning so readily. "I've been flying for fourteen hours, so I'd like to get some shut eye as well; it was nice meeting ya." He declared. "I'd keep better company though; your friend seems to be a little misguided."

​

@Shax

 

[Katherine Stargazer]

Kat didn't quite squirm in place, but she visibly preened under Laeo's praise. Kat never figured she was the kind of girl to seek affirmation, but it felt pretty good to be complimented on your deeds! She was starting to see what all those Rattataki champions were going on about before she beat them all up; bragging is fun!

"That does seem strange..." Kat mused because the whole idea of not killing people was, in fact, just that. "How do they get anything done? I'd still be a slave back home if I hadn't killed my way out and a slave again here, in fact. The Jedi must have a lot of problems." Kat wondered. Indeed, the Jedi were a strange cult.

"I can't speak for the Sith, but have you met all of them? I'm sure one or two are very nice, at least. Cassandra was a big softy; she let me hug her! Apparently, she's some kind of inquisitor, which is an alien position that I don't understand. Do the Jedi have inquisitors?" She asked inquisitively.

She yawned heavily and bobbed her head up and down lazily. "That sounds good; I've been up too long anyway. I'll come to find you tomorrow; we've got plenty to talk about!" Kat exclaimed, grinning. She spun around and lumbered over to the door, not caring whether or not he'll want to talk tomorrow. What was he going to do? Leave?

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Kat's reaction to positive reinforcement reinforced the positive expression Laeo had already been wearing. Positive reinforcement was something he'd learned to appreciate under Ephiny's tutelage, and he found that spreading said positivity was just as rewarding as receiving it. It didn't last much longer as they shifted to the more heavy, and clearly irritating subjects of the Jedi and Sith. "If they didn't have a lot've problems, then the Sith wouldn't have a whole Empire." he declared, "But they're still good people, running around healing the sick and helping the helpless. When the Sith bombed Firrerre into dust, they fixed me up." He explained, providing a personal, concrete example of their benevolence.

"...and nah, I haven't met all the Sith, but I've met enough to find a pattern." Laeonas stated, as firm as he could be without sounding aggressive. "They're brutal; they'll kill and torture and hurt anyone they like if it's convenient for them, or if they just get a kick out of it. One I met skinned a bastard and used the leather as a grip for their saber." He said. It sounded like a fae tale coming out of his mouth, but the expression he wore was deathly serious. "Only one I ever met that acted nice was tryna steal from me, and when I fought him back, he tried to kill me... like all the rest." he finished.

"...and Jedi don't have inquisitors." Laeonas added, ignoring the broader context of how she was friends with a Sith. It seemed as if she was being fed lies by a Sith asset. A girl with an apparently not insignificant amount of power on this world, with a connection to the force, being fed Sith propaganda... even if this was the backwater of backwaters, it was a precarious situation that could only benefit the Sith.

And suddenly, Laeonas' arrival on this world felt significantly less like misfortune, and more like divine intervention.

"Maybe one of these days I can meet this friend of yours; grab a drink, talk things out? From the sound of it she might just be the one Sith who won't kill me on sight." He said, chuckling a little as he looked over at the girl. "Seeing as I'm stuck here it's not like I'll have much better to do, besides work out and watch the hollo and pick fights with pricks." The man went on. "I guess you'll find me in the morning; take care." He said, laying back on the bench.

however these weeks went, he doubted that they'd be a waste of his time.

//end thread

​

@Shax