Ask Corellia Many Meetings

Alexandria Voran

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Corellia hummed with familiar thrum of bustling souls. The industrious Core world has thrived in the past century, and looming conflict seemed barely a bother. Corellia had survived the squabbles of Jedi and Sith. They would survived again. The notoriously stubbornly independent Corellians would not be slowed by such trivial troubles as war. But, while the rich prospered, the slums grew ever darker.

Jedi Knight Alexandria Voran was home. She had very few pleasant memories of her childhood in worst parts of Coronet City. Her parents had lived from spice binge to spice binge. Alex had largely followed in their footsteps. She had been spiraling a drug fueled haze when the Jedi had scooped her from oblivion. Her Master had saved her from a life no one wished to live. Alex had worked very hard to leave those days in the past.

Nearly sixty years of serving the Order, and she still couldn’t shake the feeling that crept up her spine when landing on Corellia. Now, she walked the slums of Coronet city, her mind stretched wide. She could feel the suffering creeping in. War hit the poorest first, already a smattering of refugees were trickling in. Alex would not allow these people to be forgotten. She would not allow the Order to commit to sin of their past.

She wandered the streets, allowing the Force to guide her footsteps. She was not the powerful warrior the Jedi seemed to need but she could aid in other ways. Her skills healing her nearly unmatched. The Light almost always answered her call. That was how she could help...but she couldn’t do it alone. She knew other Jedi had been sent to Corellia to assess the growing problem in the slums. She simply didn’t know who they were or where they were. Alex’s disconnect from the Order, combined with her solitary lifestyle, meant she didn’t know many of her brothers and sister. It made things a little awkward. So, she kept wandering the streets, her mind surfing the waves of the Force, waiting for a sign.

@Corbeau

 

Fiach Dubh

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Coronet City, Corellia

Fiach paused, just a moment, and looked around. The day was turning to evening and was cool and clear, the wind blowing steadily, just enough to catch at her hair and blow it into her face. She reached into her pocket and drew out a clip and tied her flailing hair into a pony-tail.

Large stretches of the slums were blacked out. Even in the places where there were lights, there were not enough of them. This part of the city in the cold, clear dusk seemed lonely, half-empty, half-abandoned. And maybe it was.

The Force was drawing her further into the slums and she was so focused, she almost walked past the alleyway that she suddenly ducked into.

There, in the shadows, she watched the kid do it. The little street urchin didn’t even know he was being watched. He crept up to the wall like a scuttling spider under the cover of lengthening shadows, then took the stencil to the pale duracrete and pulled out a light painter. He shook it a few times and gave it a hit, and then it pulsed an image onto the side of the P&S (Peace & Security) station.

An iconic image of a bad, bad man.

Maybe not even a man. Maybe a machine.

VADER LIVES, it said.

That, stenciled underneath the all-too-familiar artist rendering of the helmeted thug.

The kid turned, grinning like he got away with it. Fiach stepped into the halo of light from the ever-growing light of a street-orb overhead, and she cleared her throat so the kid in the dark hood looked up.

She moved her cloak to one side and the light glinted (quite deliberately) on the hilt of her saber. She’d heard of the rise of wannabe Sith Acolytes.

The young rascal didn’t say anything. He stood there, quaking in his bare feet. He was young, dumb...and scared. Fiach sighed and pointed at the entrance to the building. “Head in there, get some cleaner and remove this, yes?”

The young boy nodded and scuttled into the doorway. Fiach waited until he returned, with an officer in tow. She nodded at them both before returning to her original plan.

This area may have been dark but as she turned a corner, she came across booths and shops of every size and description. Humans and aliens sat at open-air counters or stood beside doorways, hawking their wares to the thousands of beings jostling their way through the narrow streets.

A vibrant, exciting place; but for Fiach it was a place of work. She was due to meet Alexandria Voran here and sensed another Force-sensitive nearby and headed in that direction – barely half a block away.

@Marx Agar
 

Alexandria Voran

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The Force flowed around Alex, guiding her as she walked through the streets. Yes…she could feel the unease growing. Peace had been a luxury. A luxury that was rapidly fading. The war would drive chaos forward. It was a horrible feeling of inevitability. She felt as if she stood on the beach watching the tsunami role in. What could one person do against a very force of nature? The Lightside was a powerful ally but the Jedi were not all powerful. Their past failures had proven that. What could one Jedi do against the onslaught of the Darkness? Well, perhaps she would find out.

The tug of the Force grew stronger until her eyes were pulled to an unmistakable figure. Light pooled around her fellow Jedi. That had to be who she was sent to meet. Alex casually walked forward, allowing her own presence in the Force to shift. She smiled softly while running a hand through her amber hair.

“Fiach?” She swept her hands around the slums. “Welcome to my corner of Coronet City.” She stepped a little closer. Eyes had begun to draw towards them. “We are not extremely welcome…” Alex’s voice was soft as she spoke. “Holy wars spanning thousands of years don’t exactly inspire hope.” That was the Force’s honest truth. The Sith's return was simply a reminder of ages past. Fair or not, the common folk struggled to distinguish Jedi from Sith. The Sith were the fault of the Jedi, and they returned because of the Jedi. War was because of the Jedi. Truly it was hard to blame them.

“Frankly, I don’t really know where to start…this is as bad as things have been in decades…” She shuddered at thoughts of her childhood. “I have a small clinic set up around the corner, it is not much but we are able to take care of basic needs.” She shrugged. That had to be a start.

@Corbeau
 

Fiach Dubh

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Fiach was sure of her senses the closer she got to the source. As she developed in her use of the Force, she was not only able to sense someone who was Force Sensitive – but also an awareness of their connection to the Light or Dark side. To Fiach, they had different auras – unless of course they were hiding their presence. But even then she could sense something. Given all living things resonated with the Force, an effective blind-spot on her ‘radar’ would catch her attention.

She gave a bow when Alex introduced herself. It was the second of her three that she used, and reflected the fact they’d never met and so was deeper than her nodding welcome to Jedi she knew well.

The idea of being assigned to a specific area was not something Fiach had ever considered. She knew many either based themselves in one place, or kept a close eye at least. But the blonde Jedi was something of a drifter, going wherever the Council, or the Force, dictated.

As the elder Jedi spoke, Fiach saw the looks they were receiving – and few, if any, were welcoming. She nodded at Alex’s words. “It would be unfair to take umbrage at their point of view. There is some logic in the belief that, without Jedi there would be no Sith. Sadly it is flawed reasoning and we shall endure with or without the support of the average galactic citizen. We are here to protect the vulnerable, not win any popularity contests.”

“And I see what you are up against. Another Jedi has set up something similar on Nar Shaddaa. So, how can I best help?”

@Marx Agar
 

Alexandria Voran

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She grunted. “Yes…but it would be helpful if they didn’t hate us.” The Jedi did not need the aid of the common people, but it would be foolish to forget the lessons of the past. “It’s hard for them to see the difference between magic wielding storybook legends.” Alex gestured around them again. “Look around, the war is already driving them deeper into poverty. They want someone to blame and it is very easy to point the finger at the all-powerful Jedi.” She shrugged. “They aren’t right, but we must understand why they feel this way, or we are doomed to repeat the failures of our forebearers.”

Alex led them around a corner. They were close to the clinic. “We need to restore faith. I know of no better way than to fix what we can.” The Force vibrated with tension. That wasn’t good. She felt a hum as powerful emotion began to thrum in the Force. They rounded one more corner to see exactly what she feared. A small angry looking mob had formed outside the clinic. Alex could feel the pain building, shouts growing louder.

“No more Jedi!...No more Jedi!” Her eyes flashed across the crowed. A few held makeshift weapons in their hands. This would end poorly if not stopped. She stepped forward, raising her voice. Alex pushed calm in the Force. The Light pored forth seeking to dampen the growing rage. “Please, put down your weapons we are only trying to help.” Fresh waves of anger and pain boiled in the Force as the mob turned towards them. She heard more than a few choice words not worth repeating. This was worse than she thought. Alex opened her mouth again but that was when the first stone flew. Krif.

@Corbeau

 

Fiach Dubh

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Fiach nodded pragmatically. Jedi always tended to divide the crowd – but open hostility was something she could do without. The oath to protect the weak did not allow her to needlessly hurt them, even if they did present a clear and present threat.

And, looking around, that was precisely what she was sensing. It was also what the Sith were adept at manipulating. To many there was no difference between the two. Others accepted they were not the same – but distrusted both equally. These she could understand. But hatred towards the Jedi because of their poverty? This she found a challenge to accept. They had no political power, or sway with any government, In truth, they carried no authority to meet out justice. Some even branded them vigilantes – and again, she could understand the sentiment.

As Fiach listened and nodded as they walked, she sensed something ahead. Something sinister. But given she had closed her mind to emotions, it was a dull sensation and unattributable. It did, however, give her some forewarning – and as the mob came into view, she realised what the Force was telling her.

Alex did her best to calm the group, but to no avail. And how to react? She had a split second to respond and a show of Force would be likely to simply escalate matters.

Instead she put up a weak Force Barrier just in front of her body, so close as to be hopefully invisible to the group. The stone hit it and Fiach flinched as if the projectile had hit. She glanced at Alex and whispered. “If you have a silver tongue, now would be a good time to exercise it.”

@Marx Agar
 

Alexandria Voran

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The rock bounced harmlessly to the ground. Alex shrugged as she looked to her companion. “Silver is not typically the word used.” The Jedi Knight was a skilled diplomat, but those situations were typically far more controlled. She was typically not confronted with an increasingly angry mob. Her eyes flicked over the crowd again. Fiach’s shield would stop a rock but not the mob. Alex shuddered. Yes, this was rapidly spinning out of control. She was not sure the use of the Force had really calmed tension. She reached out again. Anger…hate. Alex pushed serenity into the Force…hammering against the growing discontent.

“Please listened, we are only here to heal the sick and feed the hungry.” She gestured all around. “I am from Coronet City…I know your pain.” Another angry shout rose from the crowd. “You know nothing…you will only bring more suffering.” Alex shook her head. The Light poured from the Morellian Knight. Try as she might, she was useless against the boiling emotions. “We will leave but leave the clinic be. Those people inside have done nothing to you.” She tried not to sigh. “They are ordinary folks just trying to help other like them.” Another angry hiss. “We want none of you!”

Alex was fighting an increasingly losing battle. She felt there was no hope. No chance. She resisted the urge to take a step forward or grab for her saber. She scanned the crowd again. She had to try something else. This wasn’t working. Her mind churned but it was too late. The mob began to move forward, anger pouring forth.

@Corbeau
 

Fiach Dubh

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Fiach was not the best person to assess subtlety – especially when it came to humour. But she knew enough to ascertain that Alex did not consider herself someone who was gifted when it came to swaying a crowd with her words. At least not an angry mob.

Fiach was no stranger to such incidents. But where this scenario differed was that typically, her experience related to xenophobia – or in the case of her parents – homophobia. She had never been on the receiving end just because she was a Jedi.

But, she quickly surmised, the situation was largely the same. The crowd gathered were not being driven by logic but by emotion. And, as a result, the best arguments in the world would not make anything better. And, it was just a matter of time before someone did something foolish that escalated the incident. Or worse still, Alex or she did something that offended the mob.

So, as Alex spoke, Fiach glanced around for the best exit. “I say we beat a retreat – and a hasty one at that. Maybe, when they’ve calmed down, we may have a chance to return.”

@Marx Agar
 

Alexandria Voran

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Her heart hardened. The Force quivering with pain. These people weren’t evil, they were breaking and broken. Alex couldn’t let their anguish color her judgment. She would not let the anguish color her judgment. “You’re probably right, we’re not going to convince them of much.” She frowned. Months of hard work gone in an instant. Alex doubted she would ever be able to return safely to the clinic. She would likely do far more harm than good. “These people aren’t our enemy.” They faced ordinary people who were simply lost. Alex put up her hands in a show of surrender and began to walk slowly backward.

Unfortunately, the mob in front had managed to consume the attention of both Jedi. They had failed to notice the crowd growing behind them. She felt the tickle of warning a fraction too late. A blaster bolt went sailing past her head shoulder, grazing the robes, and burning the skin beneath. Alex grimaced in pain, only the grace of the Light prevented a reaction. She spun to find the crowd brandishing blasters behind them. She fought the urge to pull her saber. In a blink, Alex’s own barrier was joined with Fiach’s, protecting them for the moment.

They were surrounded on all sides. The Force continued to hum with tension. Oh yes, this was going exactly as planned.

@Corbeau
 

Fiach Dubh

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Fiach continued to glance at potential exits. Unfortunately, she only had one pair of eyes and her focus was on what lay in front and to the side of them. Therefore, too late did she sense the emotions of those behind them. This was in no small way because Fiach suppressed this aspect of the Force automatically – something she’d learned to do innately as a child. Otherwise, she would be overcome with every individual’s thoughts and emotions.

But the growing resentment and anger towards them was inescapable and so she felt the nudge from the Force which she belatedly realised was not about those that stood in front, but the mob that gathered behind.

So, as they began to walk backwards, away from the initial gathering, they were caught unawares by the first blaster. Fiach immediately re-set her Force barrier and felt Alex create one to strengthen it.

Taking a deep breath, Fiach said softly, “I think the only way out is up.” It was an escape route she’d previously reconnoitred. There was a ledge at the height of the second floor and from there they could leap to the roof. The down-side would be that they would be vulnerable whilst jumping, but they had the advantage of surprise – and hopefully none of the crowd were trained marksmen.

@Marx Agar
 

Alexandria Voran

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Up. Alex tipped her head skyward as the crowd began to close in around them. That wasn’t exactly an easy jump. Her strength in the Force was formidable…to a degree. Alex’s talents lay outside the traditional applications of the Light. She was talented healer. That did not exactly apply to this situation. There was no healing what they faced now. The Jedi Knight continued to pour calm into the Force. Even her most careful applications of the Force were failing. There was too much pain, fear. She sighed in resignation. Fiach was right. They had only one choice. “Sadly, yes.” Alex began to pool the Force around her legs. Her eyes locked onto the rooves overhead. She raised her voice one last time.

“Remember when you turned your weapons on us…we did not do the same.” The Force burst from Alex as she soared into the air. She tucked her head, somersaulting lightly as she landed onto the nearest rooftop, dispersing her energy upon impact. Her mind extended outward. She would feel when Fiach eventually jumped. As the Jedi were lost from sight, the anger boiling in the crowd began to subside some. Only some. She sighed more deeply. “What a mess.” Alex brushed the dust from her robes as she stood.

“We cannot give up…but I am at a loss for what to do next.” She had put months into ensuing the clinic was self-sustaining. It would survive without her, but Alex did not want to leave. This was a symptom of a much larger problem.

@Corbeau

 

Fiach Dubh

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Fiach was right behind Alex. Whereas her companion made the leap in one jump, Fiach stopped half-way up – on a ledge – before making the second jump onto the roof. It drew the attention and therefore the fire of the crowd below. Fortunately she remained unscathed, although her cloak had a couple of nasty holes in it, that smoked slightly.

Now away from the mob, Fiach relaxed fully and wrinkled her nose. To anyone that knew her, it was a sign she was thinking.

“The problem and the outcome haven’t changed,” she began. “That much is clear. This area needs a clinic and your help. But our route to that end has to be modified. Is there a local leader that would listen to us – and more importantly that the group below would listen to?”

@Marx Agar
 

Alexandria Voran

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Life used to be uncomplicated. Sure, she communed with a supernatural Force connecting all living things, but Alex had known her place. She knew who she was and who she could help. That was all changing. This was not the galaxy she had called home all these years. Her sullen thoughts were interrupted by Fiach. She shook her head slightly to focus. Be present Alex. “They used to listen to me.” There had been a time she had been respected in these parts. That was clearly passing. “This won’t be solved with sabers and blasters…not that I’m much good with these anyways.” She patted the saber hanging from her belt.

A very fancy decoration. “There is a local union leader they might listen to…a Rodian armorer named Grek.” Alex couldn’t stop the frown on her face. “We don’t super get along well.” Grek was a hard man who wanted the best for his people but did not always see eye to eye with the Jedi Knight. He was a practical spender which ran counter to her instincts. Luckily, his shop was only a few blocks away. “Come on, he’s close.” Alex pointed to a small storefront they could see a few blocks over. “Better get the hood up.” She pooled the Force around her and started to take off across the rooftops.

@Corbeau

 

Fiach Dubh

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Fiach listened and nodded. It may not be the best of working relationships, but it had to be a heck of a lot better than their current position. And considerign that giving up was never an option, she readily agreed it was the best option available.

She lifted her own hood and followed Alex as they traversed the rooftops. Soon, they'd reached the desired place and all that was left was to get back down onto the ground as quietly and surreptitiously as possible - if that was at all possible.

"Before we engage with Grek, is there anything you can tell me that might help? Does he have any weaknesses or particular likes? Does he like to be flattered or does he prefer straight-talking...that sort of thing."

@Marx Agar
 

Alexandria Voran

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“He’s a real Kath hound.” Alex was dead serious. “He is a good man but a hard man.” She did not want to waste too much time chatting outside the shop. The longer they stood here hood up, the greater their chances of exposure. Still, forewarned was forearmed. “Look around…we are surrounded by the throughs of poverty.” She gestured around them again.

“Grek fairs better than most but it wasn’t always so, and he remembers those years.” The Rodian was a good man but he certainly did not like Alex. “He doesn’t like outsiders…especially those who think they know better.” Oh, she had made her fair mistakes with him. “He wants to take care of his own and no amount of flattery will sooth his soul. Talk straight or not at all.” With that she stepped through the doors.

They were greeted with all the sights and sounds of an armor. Sulfur, flames, and ringing hammers. Grek was before the forge. He shouted before turning. “Be there in a moment.” He was large for one of his kind. Alex waited for Grek to turn before removing her hood. Grek made a noise of disgust. “No…not here…not now.” His large eyes quickly moved to Fiach. “I’ll talk to her…not you.” Alex didn’t speak. She simply shrugged and nodded towards Fiach. Her show now.

@Corbeau

 

Fiach Dubh

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Fiach nodded at Alex’s words. “I can cope with hardness of it is blended with goodness. It suggests there is hope if we make a strong case – and ensure his interests are met. And given this is not about us at all, we should find favour with him…Kath hound or not.”

Fiach smiled at Alex’s view of the Rodian. If anything, the young Jedi was too straight-talking, so any failure would not be down to a weakness when it came to flattery or deception. “It seems we want the same things, which is an excellent place to start.”

They entered his premises. The smell was enough o make her nose wrinkle, but she overcame the irritation quickly enough and stood beside Alex as the first exchanges took place. They could have been more positive, but at least they hadn’t been shown the door…at least not yet.

Fiach gave the slightest of bows. It showed courtesy in her mind, without being an overly Jedi-esque greeting.

“I am more than happy to be the spokesperson, but we speak with one voice, And that one voice wishes to help. Offer support. To seek a chink of light at the end of the long dark tunnel we see outside.” She waved a hand to indicate the scene behind them – with poverty all too prevalent.

“We have not come armed with words, or platitudes, but practical help. We wish to start a clinic here – a free clinic – to offer help to those in need, regardless of their race, credit balance or history. Illness and injuries are agnostic – and all need to be treated the same.”

“But given our…background, we are not welcome here. How do we overcome this barrier to ensure those that need help, get help?”

@Marx Agar
 

Alexandria Voran

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Alex watched carefully as Fiach spoke. The girl certainly had a way with words. She mentally scolded herself, girl wasn’t the word she wanted. Her age made it difficult for Alex to see past youth. That was a failing. One she was working on overcoming, but it was not easy. Fiach made have been Alex’s junior in years but certainly their strength in the Force measured similarly. The younger Jedi was making better work of ol’ Grek than she would have. Alex eyed the Rodian carefully. She especially careful not to touch his mind in the Force. He was odd about such things. The armorer grunted.

“You..I like.” He pointed roughly at Alex. “She always thinks she knows better. “Alex fought to keep from rolling her eyes. “The people need help, they just don’t trust you, and I can’t blame.” His large eyes blinked rapidly. “Look. If I tell the people I am taking over the clinic they won’t bat an eye, run the supplies through here and I’ll take care of the rest.” He quickly crossed his arms. “You cannot be seen…at least not for a while.” Alex nodded. A very fair plan. “Good.” She couldn’t help herself. A win wink followed. “Even for you.” Alex patted Fiach on the back.

“Our work here is done.” She quickly spun toward the door. “I’ll see you back at the Temple, there are a few loose ends I need to clean up.” The Force was pulling her away. Alex couldn’t determine exactly where but she knew it wanted something. She couldn’t stay here anymore. The galaxy was changing too fast and she needed to change with it or risk being left far behind. The Force would put her on the right path she new it. She just needed to figure out what that path was.

@Corbeau

 
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