Ask Flickering Shadows

[Vren Mallick]

"C'mon." Vren's voice echoed throughout the hallway, two pairs of footsteps accompanying it as the sounds would navigate through the etched-out tunnels in the temple of Yavin. Unfortunately, the second pair wasn't his fellow friend, Tocklin or another padawan, but a Knight who decided that the young Echani would need a little more time for correcting himself. "The swoop-races just started. Everyone has been waiting for this!" The event had been talked about for days, almost weeks at the temple and there had even been bets placed on who would win, Crimson Night or Gerbo. Whatever items or credits that the padawans could scrape together had been placed on the race and his chance to participate had been evaporated.

The Knight walked shoulder to shoulder with the padawan and glanced down at the young Echani with a soft chuckle. "And yet, you were the only one caught past curfew." Vren couldn't look at the Knight but shook his head. Of course, when he drew the short straw between himself and Tocklin on who would sneak into the kitchen for some snacks, he had run across the Jedi that was currently beside him. There had been no chance of evading when he got caught and did the only thing he could and kept silent about his accomplice. "There are consequences to actions, good and bad. These are the consequences of yours. You will be assisting Knight Marr tonight with her activities. The race has left her relatively short-staffed." Both Vren and the Knight slowly brought their eyes together as their gazes locked. It was subtle but the smallest twitch was spotted by the padawan as he caught a smirk being cut off.

Both of them eventually stopped in front of a set of double doors, "Here we are. She already knows you're coming. Enjoy your time." Vren glanced at the door with a sigh but turned towards the Knight and gave him a slight bow, still showing his respect, "Thank you, Knight Callo." With that, the two separated as the padawan entered the room with one of the doors shutting behind him.

The space he entered was nothing special, a sort of meeting room with a round table in the center and holoprojector. Vren slowly walked down the steps, at first not spotting the Jedi he was supposed to meet. His gaze would drift around the room until he found a small set of documents on the table. It was the only interesting aspect of the place so far and he angled towards it.

@Logan

 

[Alym Marr]

Being a Jedi Shdow came with a lot of privileges not afforded to normal Jedi Knights. Alym was able to come and go from the temples as she pleased, hardly having to account for her time or whereabouts to anyone. On the rare chance that she did have a meeting with anyone other than Drow, it was generally just a swift debriefing of her most recent activities and then she was once again on her merry way.

Truth be told, Alym was quite fond of the solitude that came with her position. Outside of the scant few jobs that required more than one Shadow, nearly all of her operations were completed alone. Unfortunately, it seemed that the Masters were beginning to worry that too much time spent without others could have an adverse effect on Alym.. and that's how she ended up with this new assignment: babysitting some trouble maker named Vren Mallick.

Always arriving early sort of being Alym's thing, she'd been standing in the meeting room for about fifteen minutes now. She was leaning in the corner of the room, actively utilizing a force power she was very familiar with: force concealment. For all intents and purposes she was entirely invisible, using the force to bend light around herself. It was a difficult power to learn, but Alym had a lot of practice. Plus, she was only hiding from a padawan. It really wasn't asking much.

Alym would remain silent as Vren noticed the documents and starting reading through them. He'd find their contents mostly standard fare, a mission brief written by Alym detailing her last job. Intel gathering, mostly. If he made it to the end, he'd get to the interesting part though: Alym having discovered the location of an old Sith artifact that needed to be destroyed.

Letting her concealment go, Alym would step from the dim light in the corner of the room, almost as if she were appearing from thin air near Vren.

Callo tells me you were caught sneaking into the kitchen after hours, Alym said, her tone flat and even but not scolding. Very, very disappointing, Padawan Mallick. Alym let that hang in the air for several long seconds, wanting Vren to sweat just a little bit before she continued. Sounds like you really should start working on your evasion techniques.

Despite Alym being known as somewhat of a hard ass, unquestionably sticking to every Jedi rule was not something she really believed in. It also came with the territory of being a Shadow.

Fortunately for you, it's something I can teach you how to do, if you can keep up. Alym paused for a moment, a smirk just ever so slightly creasing the corners of her mouth. I assume you got to the end of the dossier, She said, walking up to the table and flipping through until she got to the page she wanted, a picture of the artifact she spoke of. Got good intel on an old Sith artifact making its way into the hands of a private buyer. Old Sith magic, supposedly. Stories tell it gives a Sith the ability to bring someone back from the dead.

Alym laughed a little, that kind of condescending laugh that's really just a huff of air coming out of your nose. Seems like nonsense to me, but it is still a powerful source of the darkside. We'll be going to Livien Magnus, the capital city of Ord Radama. The buyer is some affluent member of the Ord Radaman government. Discretion is of the utmost importance.

Heading for the door, Alym would motion for Vren to follow her, whether he wanted to or not wasn't really in her consideration. She would lead them to one of the hangers where her scout ship was waiting.

As Alym took her place in the pilot's seat, it would be clear that she expected Vren to use the co-pilot's despite there being plenty of room for him to hang out outside of the cockpit. As the ship's engines thrummed to life and Alym took hold of the controls, she would ask Vren only one question before exiting Yavin's orbit and entering hyperspeed.

Do you have any questions?

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

With Vren being an Echani, the implementation of the force within his daily life was still something for him to get used to. His people discovered what others felt through the actions and movements of combat and using a power that was a direct opposite was something he would eventually have to swallow. Because of that, the presence of Alym went completely unnoticed by the young padawan as he filtered through the documents.

Golden amber eyes flicked through each document quickly, not knowing when the Knight would arrive as he picked out the important tidbits of information that caught his eye. When he reached the end, only about half of the picture of the artifact was revealed as he pulled away the page above it until he heard a voice come from behind him. With a speedy inhale, Vren immediately let go of paper and spun around on his heel to face Alym, remaining in the same spot, his eyes slightly wide but his hands repositioned. One of them had neared the pen on the table but when he figured out who it was, he instantly drew them back to his side. "Knight Marr." He greeted her before offering her a bow as well.

As she spoke, his eyes went to the corner or at least section of the room she had come from and scrunched his nose slightly. There was no way he could have missed her when he walked in, how did he though? Vren's attention was brought back to her as she brought up his reasoning for being thrust upon her. The reaction was almost unnoticeable, a quick cock of the head and a subtle locking of his jaw. It wasn't in anger but agreement, "Don't worry, you and me both." He and Tocklin's operation had been destroyed by him.

When they approached the table together, Alym commented that she could teach him if he kept up. Before he could ask her any questions with a look of surprise on his face, she continued on explaining what he had stumbled on, and instead of interrupting her, he shut his mouth and listened. It was a lot to take in at once, from the old sith artifact to having to visit Ord Radama to find the private buyer of it.

Vren had been expecting him to clean the hallways with a mop the entire night or stow away books, not the opposite.

As fast as she explained the situation, Alym was off toward the door while Vren's gaze just followed after her. At first, he didn't move, wondering if she really wanted him to tag along only being a padawan but then he brought his gaze over to where she had stepped out from. The action was only a few moments but he had made his decision in that time and he jogged out of the room and after the Knight.

They arrived in the hanger and without any hesitation, he hopped into the co-pilot seat right after her and situated himself. When they reached orbit and asked if he had any questions, Vren would look over to her, a glint in his eye before he answered with a smirk, "A million but let's not waste time." With that, they shot into hyperspace.

The ship arrived near Ord Radaman and Alym would fly them in the rest of the way as the pair would enter orbit. When they broke through the atmosphere and could lay eyes on the city, Vren turned his gaze away from it and looked over to the Knight, "First question, how did I miss you in the room? There is no way I couldn't have spotted you if you were just standing there." It had been bugging his mind the entire time.

@Logan

 

[Alym Marr]

A smirk cut Alym's otherwise stoic, relatively emotionless face when Vren finally asked his first question. She wasn't surprised that that is where his mind started. If Alym had been a padawan and a knight had seemed to materialize out of thin air, that would have been her first question too.

As Alym pulled the ship into the hanger and killed the engines, she got up from her seat without so much as a glance towards the padawan, though he would know by her body language she expected him to follow.

You missed me because you only try to see with your eyes, padawan. She said, leading Vren down the ramp and out into Livien Magnus proper. Your eyes deceive you, don't trust them.

Despite its past as an epicenter for Galactic Empire activity, Livien Magnus had come a long way. It was a thriving city, bustling with people from all walks of life, each looking to make their own way in the world. While their overall destination was further into the city, Alym was in no particular rush. They had time.

Stopping near a large tramway that took people from district to district, Alym motioned out towards the throngs of people that surrounded them.

The force is powerful, padawan. Its presence surrounds us, it penetrates us. It binds all living things together. Alym paused for a moment, her eyeless gaze looking far off into the distance at nothing in particular. Quiet your mind, rid it of distractions. When one only attempts to see what their eyes will show them, it is like looking at the wonders of the universe through only a crack in the door.

Following the same advice she had just given Vren, Alym quieted her mind and reached out with the force. The darkside still pulsed on Ord Radama, a taint from the late Emperor that might not ever be fully washed away. It was easy to read through its background noise, though, to feel a presence much newer, much darker and more powerful. The artifact.

When you can rely on the force to be your eyes and your ears, there is little that will slip past you. She said, still not looking at Vren directly. Hopefully the kid was able to pick up on the fact that Alym's mannerisms were kind of strange, but not purposefully rude. Reach out and feel for what doesn't belong, Vren. Feel for the thread in the force and follow it, wherever it may lead.

It would be tough for the padawan to push out the thrum of the force that sang in a place as populated as Livien Magnus, but Alym had faith that he was capable. At least they weren't on Nar Shaddaa - sometimes even she struggled to silence the noise there.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Livien Magnus was completely different from his home. There was much more animated life, drunkards throwing up their hands in celebration or a random pedestrian pointing in the face of another because he bumped into him. For him, it was like if someone yelled stop, the expressiveness inflated it to three people yelling, instead of one.

Vren stopped when Alym did, aware enough of that. She spoke of the force, how it enveloped and was intertwined with everything around the two, just untapped and flowing without difficulty. Playing her words across his mind, the Padawan nodded toward her, a soft inhale following after before he slowly closed his eyes and reached out to the best of his ability.

The force was an aspect of his life that he had to keep hidden for most of it and with his early age detest for the ability, the result was that it greatly hindered his progress and made him have to learn fresh somewhat compared to others.

At first, nothing happened, the sounds of shouting, steps, vehicles all echoed throughout his head. It was like wading through thick sludge for him, it was difficult to extend any limbs forward. But he honed in further, delving deeper into his mind and to his connection with the force, one that had been neglected for some time.

After a few long moments, the noise withered and left almost a silent and calming sensation for him, as if he plunged underwater. Vren could feel it then, the fibers that connected each living being and tugged beneath him, how the force flowed like water and gently coursed through each person. The Echani almost smiled to himself, unable to believe he was doing it and willing to do it. But as he continued, that's when he would feel the taint of the Darkside, almost a sharp frigid cold that pierced through his serenity.

Vren turned his attention toward it, hearing a sort of faint hissing sound. It was the artifact, acting like a beacon. The more he focused on it, the hissing grew louder, almost to the point that it occupied his whole mind. Before he could venture any further, a name was uttered that he hadn't heard in a long time, snapping his connection instantly as he opened his eyes and the sounds of the city returned.

The Echani's sun-like orbs whipped over to Alym, mild surprise on his face, "Only certain people get to call me that, not you. You call me V." She would sense a small clash of emotions in the young man before he diverted his attention away from her. Vren's stomach rumbled as his stubborn streak flared, the only thought of food occupying his mind then. His gaze scanned around until he found a small stall that had an appealing enough menu, a mix of noodles and pasta.

"I'm grabbing a bite to eat." He abruptly stated before peeling off from Alym, both his hands entering his pockets. It was lightly packed and allowed him to put down his order quickly. Picking up the hot bowl, Vren would sit at one of the nearby tables, plopping down before beginning to eat his noodles at a steady pace.

If Alym joined him, with food or not, he wouldn't say anything for a moment, his only concern being his stomach. But, eventually, he would slow down until he just stopped and tossed his utensil halfway into his dish. "I felt the artifact. It's deep in the city." They were still on the planet for a reason and he hadn't forgotten despite their brief interruption.

 

[Alym Marr]

Alym watched silently as Vren took to the task he was given. She could tell he was struggling - if only at first - but didn't offer him any words of encouragement or reassurance. She felt that Vren was more than capable of doing this on his own volition and wouldn't stoop to patronizing the padawan like she'd heard some other Knights do.

Eventually, Alym could feel Vren find his center and reach out with the force. Just when the young padawan was starting to impress Alym he abruptly stopped, a sudden rise of.. anger, perhaps bubbling beneath his surface.

My apologies, padawan. Alym said, her tone sincere despite her facial expressions not reflecting the same remorse. They failed to include that in your dossier.

It wasn't so much an excuse as just a simple matter of fact. Alym didn't know anything about Vren outside of what she had read in his file. She made a mental note to amend it herself to include his preferred way to be addressed.

She followed V over to the food stand but didn't get anything herself. Taking a seat opposite him once the padawan sat down, Alym too remained quiet, her mind elsewhere, until V chose to speak again.

I felt it too, yes. Alym said, keeping her voice low but still audible to V. Intel says the artifact is generally housed in one of Livien Magnus' most secure bank vaults, one owned by the IGBC. Alym paused for a moment, thinking over what she had read, re-read, and re-re-read in the intel. We have time before it is to be moved to somewhere else, presumably the buyers home or personal secure location. So we are faced with two potential options, I think.

Peering past V, Alym watched as the crowds moved behind him like an ever moving sea. The two Jedi could move like ghosts here, but it occurred to Alym that so could others who were interested in the artifact. If the Jedi were capable of acquiring the intel of its existence, it seemed only plausible that the Sith might be able to as well.

We could attempt to gain access to the IGBC vault before it is moved. Getting in likely wouldn't be terribly difficult. It would be the getting out that might.. pose problems. Alym brought her blindfolded gaze back to V, though without being able to make eye contact, it probably didn't seem much different. Or we can wait until its being transported and do a smash and grab.

Drumming her fingers on the table, Alym contemplated the options, mulling them over in her head like a baker over-kneading bread. Both options had their pros and cons, it would really come down to where V thought his skills would be most applicable. Alym was confident in her own enough to be fine with either choice.

Option two has more variables and therefore more ways it can go sideways. Should that happen, it is also the easiest to walk away from, to reassess and come up with another solution. Her fingers continued their idle drumming, taptaptap, taptaptap. Option one offers the least potential for causalities, intended or non. Escaping should we be discovered, though, might prove a little.. complicated.

Brushing the hair from her face, Alym's attention was firmly on V, attempting to read the boy and if his anger and potential resentment towards her for her transgression earlier had faded. You never really knew with teenagers, and she didn't want his mind distracted with those feelings once their mission had truly begun.

What do you think, V? She asked, tilting her head slightly as if to say "now is the time to have a real opinion. Do not squander it."

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Alym didn't ask why he wanted to be called what he did or peer into it and that worked perfectly fine with him. Actually, it eased the tension in the padawan slightly as he would continue to eat while the Shadow listed options for them to steal this artifact. While he may have been stuffing his face, he was still listening intently and picked up any of the details that she was willing to share as he slurped up a noodle.

After presenting their choices and calling him V, it seemed his attitude shifted from before completely and he was more in his light and easy nature from before. Vren was about finished with his bowl and as he scooped up another wad of noodles, beginning to think that he knew dreadfully little about what they were getting involved in, especially with him only having his fists at the moment in case of anything going wrong.

"What about a third option? We let the artifact get delivered to this buyer's house? We cut out any heat from IGBC being involved or the police if we do the smash and grab, at least immediately. It's all on the buyer. I'm sure he'd be feeling safe and comfortable with it in his hands too." A shrug followed his words, it at least Vren's line of thinking as he thought he could be more useful and skillful in a break-in instead of a bank-heist. It seemed more doable and possibly less security compared to the rest.

"If I have to pick one of the two, then option two. More variables but easier to access and doesn't involve a bank." Vren then took a chomp out of the noodles, chewing slowly as he cocked his head slightly speaking slowly as well, "It's at least what I would do." While Alym would mull over his words and debate whether she wanted to let him pick their method, he cut in before they could get caught in anything else, "When we get back, I want to see that dossier." There was a certain conviction in his voice, like one way or another, he would find it with or without her.

 

[Alym Marr]

Alym sat quietly while V spoke, making a point not to interrupt his stream of thoughts. The kid did have a point about the potential of having to deal with authorities with option two, however unlikely. Option one was clearly off the table for both of them, which was good. At least as far as threat assessment went they appeared to be on the same page.

I like your idea, V. Seems solid to me, lets go with that. Alym said with a nod of approval. She'd dealt with many padawans who'd have just deferred to her judgement, it was promising that V was willing to give his own opinion. We can get eyes on the transport and tail it from a distance. We can fully assess security and defenses once it arrives. There will likely be some, just depends on how paranoid our little government official is.

Retrieving her datapad again, Alym pulled up the image of the supposed buyer, a man named Alistair Vestari. He was a middling level politician looking to work his way up the ladder, or at least that's what the Jedi reports had said. Alym slid the datapad over to V as she stood up, assuming the kid would have been done stuffing his face by now.

Keep dreaming, padawan. The Shadows compile most of those dossiers, and there's a zero percent chance you'll ever get your hands on one. Alym couldn't help but flash a smirk at V and shake her head a little. The absolute audacity.

Checking her chrono, Alym cocked her head in the direction they needed to go. The two Jedi would move through the crowd like water flowing through tiny cracks - by taking the paths of least resistance. It was the easiest way to avoid attention.

Eventually, they'd come to a small office building on the opposite side of the street as the IGBC building. Peering up, Alym motioned for V to follow her as she coiled the force in her legs and leapt into the air.

She'd land first on a fire escape before jumping again, this time onto a heavy looking air conditioner hanging out a window, until finally a third jump would bring her to the top of the building. Walking over to the other side, Alym would keep her eyes on the bank, waiting for the transport to show itself - and it would be obvious once they left, IGBC transport convoys stood out like sore thumbs most of the time.

We should stick to the rooftops as much as possible, Alym said, though she didn't turn her head to look at V as she spoke. Easier to not get tangled up in the crowds and lose sight of where we need to go. Pausing for a moment, Alym watched as a large hanger door opened and several blacked out speeders exited an underground garage.

Transport's on the move. You lead, I follow behind.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Finished with his meal, he pushed the bowl to the side with an open palm to make space for the datapad. A government official piqued his interest, not realizing the buyer would be such a high-value figure. Alym was methodical, efficient, and from what he had seen and heard, this wasn't the normal route for the Jedi. It made him wonder what she was in the Order. The curiosity that lingered inside screamed in his head but his tongue remained silent.

After a quick scan of the contents, Vren memorized anything considered useful and slid the device into one of his jacket pockets. Both his hands were placed on the table as he used them to push himself to a standing position, about to leave before Alym mentioned that there would be absolutely no chance he could view the dossier. The Echani scrunched the side of his mouth, his head bouncing from side to side slightly, "We'll see about that." His streak of stubbornness flared again, clearly believing his chance wasn't near zero.

Vren placed a hand on the railing beside him and vaulted over as he landed by Alym's shoulder, a few credits tossed on the table afterward by him to cover for the meal as they walked away. The two sliced through the crowd easily and would arrive at an office building. It was across from the bank and the Echani's guess about why they arrived would be answered as the Knight scaled the building easily with a few leaps.

Placing a hand on his flat stomach, the noodles could be felt still settling in his stomach. Vren glanced around him momentarily before staring up the path that Alym had taken, "Damn..." Food had possibly not been the brightest idea. Nothing else stood out to him and that left him to repeat the leaps that she made to reach the roof. At the top, the padawan landed with a grunt, his stomach not agreeing with the movements but he made his way over to the opposite edge, his golden gaze aimed downward.

The wait wasn't long, only a few minutes passed before one of the hanger doors opened for the vehicles to exit from. It was suggested that they stick to the roofs and while Vren agreed, his stomach didn't. It was decided that he would be the lead and that made Alym receive an arched eyebrow but only for a moment; the padawan turning to give chase as there was no time to argue.

Tailing the speeders wasn't too difficult. Vren's abilities in the force were still not the best and it resulted in him using his natural agility and speed for most of the traversing. The rooftops reminded him of the last time he had done this and how that had turned out, the prominent scars on his body as a reminder. They would arrive at a large estate, Vren landing on a building across from it. When he went to the other side, he would immediately drop down onto one knee in the gravel, both his arms resting on his leg while he leaned forward, his stomach like a rock. There was no complaining from him but he was barely holding it in.

The speeders pulled into the circle driveway at the front, Vren pointing it out with a little strain, "There they are."

@Logan