Ask Order on Ord Mantell

[Zerath Eblon]

Although the Order had experienced its share of controversy, turmoil, misdirection, and conflict, one thing that did not change was the Jedi's willingness to answer distress; calls no matter where they originated. For independent planets who lacked the resources of the ISC, New Republic, or the FWA, the Jedi were a lifeline and were often summoned to assist with all manner of problems ranging from pirates, to natural disaster responses, to territorial disputes. That was why Zerath Eblon had arrived on Ord Mantell today. Not only was the planet close to Jedi territory, making the trip a relatively short one, but one of the more influential governors had sent out a plea for assistance from the Jedi Order.

On his way to Ord Mantell, Zerath looked over the scant details of the distress call and tried to match it with what he knew offhand about the planet. Ord Mantell was home to a variety of humanoids, with no dominant species. The planetary government was overseen by a council of governors such as the one that had reached out for Jedi assistance, but to say that the planet was well-governed was not true. Corruption went hand in hand with the politics of the planet, and hiring bounty hunters was viewed as a free-market means of enforcing the planet's laws. The Jedi had been asked to help with a missing persons case, with further details to follow upon arrival; that usually meant that there were very few details to begin with.

In short, this mission would be entirely unpredictable; but as Zerath exited his ship on the landing pad near the main governmental building, he realized that he wouldn't be alone. Another Jedi, one that he hadn't seen on Yavin in a while, was also arriving. Lampwood? Lightwood! Unfortunately, her first name eluded him. The Miralukan smiled and bowed loosely in Hailee's direction as she approached. That'll have to change if we're working together...


@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

After her little adventure on Garos, Hailee had originally set course to a system far off, because again, she had gotten into more and more trouble without any breaks and she desperately needed to get settled for a few days, however then there was this whole prison break incident and before she had even typed in actual coordinates, she had picked up a distress signal again...

For Hailee, there hadn't been a single moment of doubt. With a slight sigh she had corrected the course and had jumped into Hyperspace to directly fly over to Ord Mantell. She had immediately answered the call and was informed that another knight was close, so she was absolutely glad not to be send to deal with the issues on her own again. However as they mentioned the name Zerath Eblon, she was pretty sure she had never heard of him before, but as always, she was excited to meet a new person.

She was clad in her usual Jedi robes, her crimson bladed lightsaber strapped to her hip as she set foot on the planet. She hadn't been here before, however the terrain looked quite familiar and the details she had received seemed pretty familiar too. The Jedi had been asked for help and she was here to supply it, however if the past had taught her one thing, it was that even if a mission sounded relatively common, issues could always occur.

It didn't take long until her emerald gaze landed on the apparent Miralukan. Despite the unpredictable nature of the mission ahead, she was in a relatively optimistic mood. "Knight Eblon, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hailee Lightwood" she respectfully lowered her gaze and politely inclined her head before she extended her hand.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

"Zerath" the Mirulakan replied, accepting Hailee's proffered hand and shaking it. "I'm only called 'Knight Eblon' when I'm in trouble with the Council" he said, smiling. He was now more certain than before that she'd not been on Yavin for a while- his usual home base- so their mission together would hopefully offer some insights as to why. Some Jedi stayed busy, their missions overlapping and rarely giving an opportunity for a break. Others found excuses not to return to Yavin, and some were engaged in long-term missions that spanned months or even years.

At first glance, Hailee appeared none of the three; instead, her Padawan braid outed her as a possible free spirit. Padawans usually weren't allowed to roam about the galaxy without the supervision of a Knight, but then again, perhaps she'd been working with another Knight before coming to Ord Mantell. Zerath decided to give her the benefit of the doubt either way; she seemed only a few years younger than him and carried herself with the assurance of one who knew what they were doing. "It's a pleasure to meet you" Zerath said. "What would you like me to call you?" Zerath knew that a mission pairing like this meant that they'd be learning about each other on the fly- anything he could do now to facilitate trust and communication could save their lives later on.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

She didn't realize it at first, but once they started talking she felt that her heartbeat was faster than usual. Admittedly, she had just recently gotten into trouble again and she did not want to screw anything up. Also, she was dearly hoping not to get pulled into chaos again and that this mission would go smoothly, which was why the knight's cheeky answer made her smirk.

The mood was immediately lightened and she chuckled amusedly while the initial tension was forced out of her muscles. "Just Hailee is fine, too" she replied, now smiling warmly, as she was indeed relieved that there was no need for unnecessary formalities.

Despite their friendly exchange, the distress call had sounded a little hurried, so Hailee knew they couldn't chat for too long. "Have you ever been here on Ord Mantell before? Admittedly, I haven't..but I do hope we find the missing citizen as soon as possible". She couldn't quite grasp it, but had a bad feeling about this...She wasn't yet finished with the small talk, but she wanted to get moving in order not to waste any time. Despite her tendency to be attracted by trouble, Hailee was dutiful and eager to help immediately.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

"Sounds good, Just Hailee" Zerath said, joking again in response to her. There had been precious little to laugh about recently, so the Jedi Knight was grateful for the opportunity to bring a smile to another's face. The Miralukan wouldn't admit to the pressure he felt to make this mission go well; between his inability to bring Jade Hart back to the Order, the losses of Lothal and Eriadu, and the recent death of Tacovean- a Twi'lek youngling he'd personally recruited to the Order- Zerath was beginning to wonder if he was failing in his role as a Jedi Knight. Although he was typically cheerful, perhaps he was overcompensating for his nerves with humor.

Zerath shook his head to answer Hailee's question. "First time for me, too." He'd done some reading on the trip here, and it wouldn't surprise him if Hailee had done her homework as well, but it was always a good idea to compare notes. "Governor Soze Keloft is the governor who summoned us" he said, naming the Cerean who had sent out the distress signal. "As far as governors go on this planet, she's cleaner than most." As if 'clean' was a term that came to mind when discussing any politician...

"Governor Keloft has largely avoided any scandals or ties to corruption while in office; instead, the fact that she gave birth to a pair of twins- a girl and a boy- is what most offworlders associate with her." Given the Cerean species' incredibly low birth rate, having twins was almost unheard of. "Rhi and Relas are now five years old."

As they spoke, Hailee would likely notice a faint presence in the Force as Zerath maintained concentration. Although he had better sight than some Miralukans, owing to his partial Zabrak heritage, his near-innate Force Sight was his preferred method of observing his surroundings. "What did your research turn up?" he asked Hailee, curious what she'd uncovered about the planet, the Governor, or the mission itself.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

She was wondering whether the slightly older knight was always humorous like this, or whether his own nervousity or insecurity was reflected in his continuous joking. She couldn't quite grasp it, but it seemed like the two of them seemed to revel in the lightened mood, and so she didn't question it any further and so she just chuckled along.

When he mentioned that it was his first time too, she realized that she was still slightly tense. "I'm optimistic...but we should be careful. I was recently investigating some attacks on Sernpidal, but the case turned out to be extremely dangerous...so I'm quite cautious with information now" she admitted, a slightly sheepish grin crossing her lips. Pêro and her had almost been killed...but who could have guessed, that a whole cult had been behind that madness?

She attentively listened to the details he shared, before she involuntarily felt the urge to quickly obverse her surroundings. Everything seemed calm for now, but she had learnt that even complete silence could be deceptive. "I've stumbled upon that information too...but I've also learnt that there's plenty of crime going on. I assume the people have not mysteriously disappeared, but it sounded like someone could have deliberately captured them" she told him, a sigh escaping her. They weren't exactly blessed with plenty of details, yet they had to make the best out of it. "While researching, I chatted with an apparent civilian who supplied those details. I'm not sure whether they can be trusted, but it's a start" she shrugged, knowing damn well that the true work was about to begin now: Thorough investigation and the search for tangible clues...

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Although Zerath had only just met Hailee, she was making a good first impression. With physical age no longer a good means of judging one's status in the Order- initiates could join the Jedi at any point in their life- Zerath had to guess that Hailee was quite close to Knighthood. She showed a good head on her shoulders, judging by her ability to learn from her past adventures, and her skepticism in the face of unconfirmed information indicated that she could be trusted to be thorough in her missions. Zerath was feeling better about this mission already.

"Governor Keloft has requested that we meet her in her office." Zerath double-checked the details of the meeting, including that they were at the right landing pad. "We can follow up with the eyewitness afterwards if they're not at the meeting." A slight jerk of the head towards the government building adjacent to the landing pad. "Shall we?" The Miralukan started walking towards the building.

Just then, the doors to the building opened, disgorging a small army of reporters, cameras, and press droids that impeded the path the Jedi were taking. Shutters flashed and microphones were thrust in their faces. "Jedi! What is your business on Ord Mantell?" a Bothan asked Hailee. Zerath scowled internally; apparently, their arrival on Ord Mantell was not as secret as he'd hoped.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

While she kept an open ear for their environment, she could feel herself getting a bit more relaxed after all. It seemed like the two of them would get along well, and so it was easier to let go of that inner tension, at least for a bit. She attentively listened to what he said and nodded in agreement.

There was no need to wait and they had to hurry anyways, so she immediately started following the knight. "Let's hope we'll receive some important details" she replied with a hopeful smile, however the scepticism was still reflected in her emerald eyes.

"Sounds good" she added, glancing up to him before she shifted her gaze towards the tall building right in front of them. They didn't come far, because they were greeted by a whole bunch of reporters and whatnot and Hailee had to focus, in order not to let any hint of annoyance shine through her friendly facade.

This would only make it much more complicated and she had also made the experience, that whenever the Jedi's arrival was monitored like that, things usually went wrong...Hopefully not this time though. "We followed the distress call and are here to help" she politely stated, flashing the Bothan the perfectly charming smile.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Zerath wasn't a very big fan of the press. He recognized that free press was important, but reporters who weren't in someone's pocket or posting clickbait were hard to come by these days, to the point that the Holonet had been effectively weaponized against the Jedi Order. Maybe the Sith were onto something...

Those thoughts were banished from his mind as the amoeba of cameras, microphones, and questions enveloped the two Jedi en route to the Governor's building. "No comment" Zerath repeated again and again, gently dismissing any prompts; the clamor of questions practically masking his words. However, it quickly became apparent that Hailee- or something she'd said- was more interesting than the Miralukan as the attention shifted her direction.

"Distress call? Is Ord Mantell in danger?" shouted the Bothan.

"Is this an officially-sanctioned mission? Does the Council know you're here?" said another reporter.

Knowing that an answer from him wouldn't satisfy the press that was hawking Hailee, Zerath simply sent a slight mental nudge through the Force to the padawan, indicating his trust in her however she chose to handle this. All the while, he kept walking along with her, setting a measured pace that would soon have the Jedi inside the building where there was hopefully an opportunity to ditch the reporters.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Hailee had always been on the rather impulsive side and so her answer had gotten out quicker than expected. She immediately regretted having shared this information, especially now that the various reporters where obviously even more interested in what the hell the Jedi where doing here.

Hadn't she learned? Why hadn't Sernpidal taught her that it was sometimes better if no one knew the Jedi where on a mission? Well, admittedly the press had already known they were here, but now they knew why and that was obviously a new, spicy detail for then.

Internally, she rolled her eyes, but she kept her friendly facade. "No apparent danger, but we need to investigate something" she replied sovereignly, before she confidently kept on walking with Zerath right behind her. She felt his support and was grateful for his trust, however the reporters kept on nagging by bombarding them with hundreds of questions.

"Of course the press will be updated our efforts here, but I'm afraid the principles of confidentiality must be preserved for now". She was not lying and despite her emotional nature, she managed well to remain calm by reminding herself of what her master had taught her over and over again, and so they finally made their way though the crowd.

She let out a sigh of relief as they entered the building and the guards held off the press effortlessly. "Damn...I was hoping to avoid such a turmoil, but here we are" she said to the knight, adding a mental 'again'. All this excitement around their arrival could potentially threaten their mission, but that was to be seen.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Zerath was pleasantly surprised with Hailee's responses to the press; her answers were both truthful enough to satisfy the reporters, but also vague enough to avoid specifics that might imperil their mission. The Jedi had also obviously lost- or, more accurately, never had- the element of surprise, which in itself was important information.

A few steps later, they Jedi reached the building and the relative privacy it provided. Away from the press of reporters, Zerath found that he could breathe again. "I've learned to be suspicious if things are too simple" he said in response to Hailee's comment, although he privately shared her frustrations. The Jedi had gotten plenty of bad press recently, bringing them under increased scrutiny no matter where they went. Hopefully this building had a more subtle means of exiting, because the reporters outside didn't seem to be going anywhere.

The interior of the building was lavish, to say the least. Although Zerath would be unable to fully appreciate the colorful designs of the government building, Hailee would immediately notice the palace-like setting was unlike similar buildings on other planets. Clearly, being in power on Ord Mantell had its perks... but it was also clear that it was not without its dangers. Guards in combat attire were both easily and frequently spotted inside the building, and the Jedi were subjected to a thorough search. Thankfully, they were allowed to keep their lightsabers, and as soon as they were through the security checkpoint the Jedi were ushered into Governor Keloft's office; face to face with the Ceran woman.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Hailee let out an actual sight of relief after they had made it through the curious crowd of reporters and press members. Wherever the Jedi went, it seemed like they were being watched closely and that each and every step was analyzed, but after all that bad press, she couldn't even blame them.

"I really wanted to keep a low profile, but I feel like this just not happening...", she sighed once again before she quickly massaged her temples. Well, that had been exhausting and she was really hoping they wouldn't complicate their mission, but it had been too late anyways. Somehow rumors had spread and now they had to make the best out of it.

She nodded at his comment, frustrated but her spirits not dimmed. She even manage to regain her smile as they walked through the grande, lavish halls, right into the direction of the room in which the governor awaited them. Right after the security checkpoints, when they were out of earshot again, she telepathically asked the knight another important question:'Will you do the talking or should I?'. Hailee could definitely do that herself, she felt confident enough, but since she was sometimes a bit too impulsive, she was not always the best diplomatic talker...

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Hailee appeared to bounce back from the press throwing a wrench in the beginning of the mission; a good sign for Zerath as it was indicative of her emotional resilience. In the midst of their extravagant surroundings, which caused him to feel a little out of place- Zerath's early career as a Jedi Knight saw him frequent the lower levels of Coruscant- Zerath's smile dipped slightly; all too often, such wealth came at the expense of others. He'd seen it everywhere around the galaxy, and Ord Mantell was no different.

Zerath banished such thoughts from his head and tried to focus on the mission at hand- the meeting with Governor Keloft. Hailee's mental message helped return him to the present. "I think that we can both bring our perspectives and experiences to this meeting. How about we handle this together?" he offered, communicating in the same way she'd contacted him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been on a mission with another Jedi- having a partner he knew he could trust was something Zerath was finding that he really liked.

Like most of her kind, the Ceran was tall, with white hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked older than her bio indicated- perhaps the stresses of public office- and looked across her desk at the Jedi with severe blue eyes that were tinged with red as if she'd been crying. A quick wave of her hand dismissed the guards in the room, leaving her alone with the Jedi.

"Thank you for responding so quickly" she said, the tiniest tremble in her voice slipping through her politician's façade. "Ord Mantell needs..." She took a breath. "I... need your help. My Rhi and Relas have been kidnapped, and I don't know who to trust."

"We will do everything in our power to see them returned safely" Zerath said, his jaw tightening in response to the young children being put in harm's way; on a place like Ord Mantell, this was almost certainly about influencing Governor Kelost. "Do you have any other information besides what was transmitted in the distress call? Have any demands been made?"

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Hailee was glad for the knight's presence as this whole setting and the prior turmoil could have potentially made her nervous due to all the memories it brought back up.

Hailee wasn't exactly keen on politicians due to her experience on Corellia and the same went for the press and missions that started with a random distress call. Her most previous experience had taught her that those things almost never went well and even if she didn't want to lose hope, she didn't have a good feeling about this...

She nodded at the knight's suggestion, a soft, but warm smile crossing her lips. Sure, they would have the best of both worlds this way and Hailee wasn't inexperienced with such stuff, but she knew she had to keep it together as best as she could.

The governor looked rather strict and older than indicated in her research, however the trouble that was spread across her face was clearly perceivable as well and was only emphasized by the way her voice trembled.

"Honorable Govenor" Hailee politely lowered her gaze for a moment, "Knight Eblon is right. We'll return your children back to safety. However, more details would be appreciated. We have been informed that there had been some attacks and that more citizen...went missing. We are terribly sorry. Your children are so young, but I'm confident that we will find them".

It just...felt like they would. However the circumstances under which they had vanished could potentially be problematic. What if this was an actual terrorist attack? Political targets were rather common for such purposes...she didn't want to speak that grim thought out aloud though.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Governor Keloft swallowed and nodded morosely as Hailee brought up the other attacks. "Whoever this group is, they're well-funded and well-coordinated, but they haven't made any demands yet." She turned to Hailee. "You're right; my children are not the only ones to go missing. Over the past two weeks, they've kidnapped about half a dozen others- usually children or family members of government officials. They strike quickly, with overwhelming firepower- a dozen or so men in armor- and escape just as fast." The Ceran sighed, and Zerath could hear the regret in her voice. "I wish I would've called sooner. Before..." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Zerath stroked his chin, pondering the situation. Operations on this scale- targeting multiple governmental officials over the course of a few weeks- were practically unprecedented, and the continued success of the kidnapping operation nagged at him. A dozen heavily-armed men would overwhelm all but the most professional security forces, the kinds reserved for planetary leaders, but Zerath couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the kidnapper's success than that.

"Is there any connection between the officials whose families they are targeting?" he asked, hoping that some investigative work had already been done, given the scope of these kidnappings. The more information the Jedi had, the better.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Hailee could not only see the pain and the worries in her face, but she could literally feel that something lingered in this room. The sheer thought of missing kids made her sick and angry at the same time, but she had learnt to deal with emotions after all that time with the Order and so she swallowed the upcoming rage.

Her facial expressions were still soft as she nodded after having attentively listened to her. "Well get them all back" she confidently repeated, hope in her gaze. After Zerath asked his next question, the Govenor let out a sigh, softly shaking her head as she let her gaze wander off for a few moments before she looked back at the two Jedi.

"We haven't seen patterns yet...but all we have is chaos anyway. I could...hand you the list of all the citizen who have been reported as missing", she suggested, obviously blinking away the tears that the thought about her children had brought up. Hailee gave her a soft, empathetically look before she finally nodded again. "This would be very helpful". She was not planning on pushing her, but if she offered that herself, she was definitely accepting. With all her experience in investigational cases, she was really hoping to find at least a trace to begin with...

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Zerath's eyebrows knitted together as the Governor claimed that there were no clear connections between the victims' families. Usually a group operating on this scale had some kind of political motive in mind, with one political party or ideology being targeted, but Governor Keloft seemed to think otherwise. Indeed, as he scanned over the list of kidnappings, taking in the basic information provided about each government official tied to the missing persons, no clear pattern arose. In fact, the only common denominator was that all had immediate family working in government; although even this was not limited to a single sector such as public works, public safety, or human resources. Most were children, but a few significant others had turned up missing as well.

"Thank you for the information" Zerath said, quietly espousing the confidence that Hailee more readily projected. "If more information surfaces or if ransom demands are made, please contact us as soon as possible." The Jedi would provide the Governor with a channel that would reach both of their commlinks, ensuring there was open communication between the two parties. "I understand that there was a witness to Rhi and Relas' abduction?"

"Fortunately, yes" the Governor replied. "One of their security detail survived the ambush. I was informed just before you arrived that he survived emergency surgery and is recovering in a local hospital." Zerath kept his face neutral, noting that the Governor appeared either uninformed or unwilling to mention the civilian that Hailee had chatted with.

Unless Hailee of the Governor had more to say, Zerath would thank Keloft for her time and lead the way out of the Governor's office, tucking away the information securely in his utility belt. At times like this, telepathy was particularly useful so the two Jedi could converse without fear of eavesdropping. In the privacy of their mental connection, the Miralukan was free to voice his fears.

"This feels like a trap to me" he said, curious what Hailee thought about it. "Look at how the dates correspond with the government official whose family went missing; they have been working their way up the totem pole until someone got desperate enough to call the Jedi. Combine that with the press being notified of our arrival... this could be very dangerous."

The prospect of talking to the surviving security guard intrigued Zerath, but the civilian lead was also tempting to follow up on. "Which witness do you think we should interview first, and why?" he asked her, still using telepathy as the Jedi prepared to leave the building. They used a different exit this time, one that led to a press-free speeder pool the Jedi could use to move around Ord Mantell as they wished.


@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

As shady as that all sounded, it seemed like they had found a trace though. Through the governor's revelation, they at least knew where to start and she was honestly grateful for each and every detail. The nature of that whole case was admittedly suspicious and Hailee knew they had to be extremely careful, but talking to some witnesses seemed like a good start.

Hailee nodded in agreement after Zerath elaborated and finally thanked the Governor, before she said her goodbyes. She didn't have a good feeling about that all, but she knew they had to start investigating anyway. They had yo get the missing citizen back, especially the children, regardless of all those admittedly weird coincidences her companion pointed out. 'You're absolutely right. I see it similarly. Whatever we do, we need to be cautious and we should rather hurry, too'. Not the best conditions, but she was trying to stay optimistic. She still stuck to telepathical conversations as she didn't trust this whole environment at all and couldn't actually shake that bad feeling in her stomach.

They left the building through a different exit and moved into the direction of the speeder that was already prepared for them, before she let out a sigh. 'I'd say the surviver in the hospital...If he was involved with security, he might have been rather perceptive' she then answered, glancing up at him. She had a feeling that he would agree, but she obviously was curious about his opinion.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Zerath Eblon]

As much as Zerath hated to admit it, Hailee was right- time was not on their side. The Miralukan scrunched up his face momentarily as he conceded that they would have to strike a careful balance between speed and safety... and that safety would likely have to be sacrificed first.

Still, Zerath took enough time in the speeder pool to do a brief check of the speeder's critical systems; steering, brakes, and safety harnesses- before steering it out of the speeder bay; feeling the need to be extra cautious. He couldn't guarantee that it didn't have a tracker installed, or even something more nefarious, but at least it did appear to function like a normal speeder should. Soon, the two Jedi were zooming out into the afternoon skies of Ord Mantell.

Under different circumstances, Zerath decided that he probably would've enjoyed this. Ord Mantell, for all its shortcomings, was a beautiful planet, and Hailee was pleasant- if almost completely unknown- company. Zerath set a course for the hospital, but had a few questions for the Padawan, still transmitted telepathically.

"I'm admittedly curious about this civilian witness you uncovered" he said, "and why they weren't mentioned by the Governor." Thoughts that shouldn't take up too much of his brainpower right now- there was no way for the Jedi to know. "Can you try and get ahold of them? We can meet with them once we're done with the security guard."

His second question, though, wasn't related to their mission. They had several minutes to go before arriving at the hospital, and when Zerath judged that Hailee was ready he'd ask his second question. "What made you decide to become a Jedi?" he asked her. Knowing something of her motives or values could help them connect over common ground, he hoped.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Hailee immediately climbed into the speeder and made herself comfortable on the front passenger seat while she glanced over to him with a raised eyebrow as he checked on the speeder's systems. Was he always so concerned about safety or was he overly suspicious? 'Do you...think someone might sabotage us?' she cautiously asked, slightly tilting her head to the side. Her question was not just referring to the speeder, but to their mission in general. Also, she had not left telepathy mode as bugging devices could have been planted somewhere inside the vehicle and so she was rather playing it safe for now.

The landscape of Ord Mantell was soon zooming past the two while the sun was already rather low on the horizon. For the rest of their drive they were still exchanging information in a fairly safe way and Hailee was happy that her companion was taking this mission just as seriously as she was. 'Yes...so am I. Maybe she didn't even know about him? But then again: Picking up those rumors wasn't hard, so I doubt she just missed it...maybe she had other things on her mind back then' she contemplatively mused, before she added 'Yes. Once we're done in the hospital, I'll arrange a meeting'.

A brief silence followed until he suddenly raised a question of a totally different nature. Her gaze flicked back to him even though his eyes were obviously on the road, but the direct question caught her off guard for a moment. 'I was discovered by my master...he took me with him and brought me into safety and I immediately started feeling at home in the temple of Yavin. When I was younger, I had heard so many stories about the Jedi that left me fascinated, but I never had to pleasure to actually meet one...and I could have never imagined being told that I'm force-sensitive either. He soon began training me and I literally couldn't believe my luck. All I ever wanted was to make the galaxy a better place and I was happy that he offered me the chance to become part of something that good' she began explaining, a wide, warm smile immediately landing on her lips. She had admittedly taken a few detours, but well...she didn't have to drift off now. 'How about you? Have you joined the Orded as a kid?', she curiosly returned the question.

@SlagathorTheUnknown