Returning to Sacul

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

Though Tarasin flooded the Enclave, there was immense peace within the walls. Sebastian remained in the center of the compound, meditating as usual. His Force Sense had developed quite well and he could feel the presence of all within the modest Jedi Temple. Only a few of the original group remained: the group lead by Tuwan. Cularin had become a calmer planet after her exile, he could feel it. The soil of which the Enclave rested within hugged the structure instead of squeezing it. The humidity of the planet had decreased, if only due to the season or the collective adaptation to the environment had taken place. A deep breath escaped his large lungs as he meditated on the waves of the Force throughout the structure.

Tuwan's former apprentice had escaped with her and did not leave without placing scars on those closest to them. He could see them within the structure and of those who still walked the halls. These scars were not filled with painful memories or saddening visions. They were full of knowledge and hope of what they could accomplish within the Light. The Tarasin had blossomed under his teachings, much to the Neti's opposing claims. He'd been able to reach to them far faster than she had. It also helped with the increasing knowledge he'd obtained since their start of the Enclave as well as his Apprentice who'd now been awarded the rank of Jedi Knight within the Order she'd become so entwined to. She always glowed brightly, but he could always sense when something was amiss with her.

This hour would be one such instance. He stretched out with the Force and whispered gently in her ear. "Please come see me." His voice would be low but soft. It now exuded wisdom and power that rivaled those within the Council even. He knew this feeling within her. He'd first felt it on Tython during his first training with her. She was homesick. There were numerous other occasions which he'd noted this feeling within her, but he always allowed it to keep within herself. It would remain with her for extended periods of time but it would eventually fade and she'd visibly brighten once more. It'd been almost ten years and she'd still dwell on her home planet in her mind. Though this closeness with something she wouldn't experience for a long time developed into a strong attachment, Sebastian never believed it to have cause her to sway out of the Light in the slightest bit. He'd actually proclaim that it made her stronger.

She was teaching classes herself, now. The Tarasin were great students, always wishing to learn more from the mystic Jedi of the galaxy. She'd relate well to them and could feed off their enthusiasm. She was able to grow and prosper in such a setting, however small and secluded. Her Apprenticeship under her had dissolved into little more than being her mentor and friend. She still called him her 'Master' and her his 'Apprentice.' It'd become habitual for them at this point. And as this relationship grew, he ever felt her father more than anything. Though their age was only of 12 years difference, she was so spirited and he so grounded that their age would be perceived as a much greater difference. Even he had trouble relating their age at times, viewing himself as older and she as younger.

The Order had continued on with the war as Sebastian and the others remained in seclusion on Cularin. The planet was imbued with the Force much like Tython and had many similar effects on them as they trained within the Light of the Force. The Tarasin proved powerful allies and the Padawan of the Order and developed into exceptional Knights. Though they stayed one with peace and serenity, they were not without their duties to the Order. Though Sebastian, the Elder of the Enclave, would not participate in any missions given out by the Order, they were all a success. The Initiates performed well in combat against the Sith due to his teachings of the Light. Though the Jedi dwindled, Sebastian could feel the Light become stronger within those of the Enclave.

The room was empty and made of stone. Sebastian sat cross-legged with his hands resting on his knees per usual. Slow, deep breaths inflated his chest before returning it to normal size. He wore his usual tunic without the under shirt and his standard trousers and boots. Ashugal, Jrekk, and the Phoenix rested against the clay floor of the sparring chamber he reserved for himself, deeming the space largely unnecessary for others ever since the incident occurred. Perhaps this was because of the strict teaching of the Third Form within the temple and doctrines the Initiates were to adhere to under the Jedi Master stationed there. Della would arrive in a room full of Light and calm with the Force flowing around Sebastian in a most tranquil manner.

 

[TweedPawn]

Seven years since Della arrived to help with the building of the Enclave. In those Seven years, she would grow so much and bear so much of the burdens that she never imagined were possible to carry. But, her belief in the Light carried her. It brought her courage and strength. The Enclave was her home away from Sacul.

Della had quite a reputation amongst the Tarasin and her peers. She walked and hid herself like a living ghost. She was hard to find when she actually wanted to be found, and nearly impossible when she desired to hide away in solitude. She turned it into a sport of sorts, sensing the humor in teasing Padawans who were caught off-guard by her tricks. Those who wished to test their Force Sense or sense of tracking were treated to a difficult game with Della. If they found her, it was because she allowed herself to be found. She would reward them with a story or a song.

Her easy-going, but cunning, nature meant that she had a knack for burying her lessons into fanciful stories and cryptic songs. At times, the impatient students would give Della an expression of disbelief. Della knew what they were thinking. Della did not behave like most Knights. She was a prankster, cryptic, she acted childish at times, and she had strange habits. Della viewed these 'flaws' as merits. Her strange stories forced padawans to think outside their comfort zones, her pranks made padawans ready for unexpected challenges, her childish nature taught patience, and her odd habits brought laughter.

There were times when she missed home. How long had it been now? Ten years? She could still recall faint scents of her planet. Her visual memory could be recalled powerfully and the walls of the Enclave were covered in images from her home planet. She missed her mother and her father. Sebastian had become her father away from home, but Della still longed for her family. There were times when her recollections would move her to tears.

Della had just recalled a memory of looking at the constellations of her home. She and her friends would gather and go star gazing. Most of them were now dead. The faces and laughter of her friends filled her and Della felt herself desiring isolation in her quarters. Della had just touched the door of her room when she heard Sebastian call for her.

It was always a comfort to hear from him. Della's own abilities with telepathy were still rough, even after ten years of training under the Order. She had other talents that compensated for her odd weaknesses. Della didn't need to reply to Sebastian. He knew that Della would always come.

Della did not waste time though. She bounded to him, though her heart was heavy. The empty, stone room caused her to pause before speaking to Sebastian. One of Della's other talents was her incredible instinct. She froze when she stepped into the room, a habit she had whenever she became aware of something that had importance. The Light and Serenity encouraged her to move again and towards Sebastian.

Della was silent in the room. Her footsteps did not betray her with sound. She was not trying to hide from her Master. Della sat in front of Sebastian, just like she had done many years ago when they first trained together. She allowed the Force to fill her. It washed over her and Della began to shimmer with Light. The irises of her eyes changed from light brown to a bright blue. Della did not have to say anything. She was here now, and the Light brought comfort to her.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

With her eyes open, she'd be able to see Sebastian's lip curl slightly into something like a smile. Though much time had passed and she pushed him to express emotion, Sebastian was always strict in his emotionless ways. However, Della would see him attempt smiles more often. It was only her he ever tried this expression with and she never seemed to correct its flawed nature. Perhaps she was amused by the awkward curl and found comfort in the quirk of her Master. He never felt insecure because of this fact, however. He wasn't one to become insecure about anything, really. How could he when he'd help grow such a successful Jedi Knight?

The Light swarmed around her. He could feel its cooling touch over his skin as it passed by him and consumed the small girl. No, the strong woman. The 'smile' lingered for a few moments as he reveled in the feeling Della was so apt in controlling. She'd grown so much, though so did he. They'd become stronger, both of their bodies and of their minds, since that first meeting on Tython. This 'strength' was not of power or prominence, though. They grew strong within the Force and were true to the Light, able to protect their Enclave from the wildlife of the forests and keep invaders at bay with ease. The universe would smile, even awkwardly as Sebastian, on the Enclave he'd protected from corruption and vanity.

A breath escaped his open mouth before he began to speak to her. He believed it rude to speak to one telepathically when they were right before you. Also, it was unnecessary to do so. He enjoyed hearing the true voices of those around him. The manner in which the waves of air manipulated by the vocal chords and throat muscles to create audible vibrations with he space between them was always soothing to him more-so than telepathy. Her voice was most pleasing to him.

"You wish to return to Sacul," he stated as fact. As well-hidden as she'd become, he was always the one who'd be able to find her no matter where she was on the planet. Her movements of the air and the slightest signatures she'd leave behind would be more than enough to track her effectively. She could never hid from her Master, now. "I believe it is time. You must bring another with you. I sense great darkness from the Force when I read your visions." His intrusiveness to her personal life would have upset her, but he was her protector and meant to aid her in any turmoils she experienced. Regardless if this was welcome or not, he always found a way to pass through her walls and find what she truly thought. "Rhonun would be the best candidate, but I don't believe him capable to performing this delicate mission wisely. A group of Padawan is also another possibility, but I sense death would come to them if they were to join you to Sacul."

His voice cut off. He was always quite blunt with his words and never hid the fact that he invaded others privacy. He ceased to lecture those with dark thoughts or great emotion in them and would allow them time to learn of themselves by themselves. His patience had grown. But now, he presented his Apprentice with suggestions and the consequences with following them. None of his predictions were completely accurate and he never claimed such. However, the Force showed him clear visions of the paths he explained to her and it would be difficult to misinterpret them. He wasn't a clairvoyant of the highest standard, but his visions were known to be quite accurate among the students of the Enclave.

The Force and the Light twisted around them as the woman contemplated this offer.

 

[TweedPawn]

Della returned Sebastian's smile with one of her own gentle, warm smiles. Della always appreciated the gesture. Sebastian came off as strict and emotionless to the younglings and padawans. Though Della knew that Sebastian was more complicated than that. He simply had his own way of doing things. They were not better or worse than Della's own mother-like habits. It was one of the first lessons that Della taught the youngest students. That they should look beyond a man's face and understand that there could be a passionate fire burning under a stone exterior. After all, could a man without emotion really be able to dedicate his life to something like the Enclave?

Still, Della often acted as the more maternal arm of his Enclave. She helped the younglings adjust to life away from home.She comforted them with their homesickness, even as she struggled with her own. Perhaps it was this reason why she was usually the best candidate for dealing with the newcomers. Eventually, the younglings would move on and adjust.

But to hear her home's name on the lips of another brought joy and uncertainty. Della became as sober as her mother's funeral home. Della gave one of her animal-like snorts. She was from a people who did not enjoy being read so openly, but Della had gotten used to it. After all, no harm would ever come from Sebastian.

The visions that Sebastian spoke of were indeed grim. Della did not see the future, but an interpretation of a hidden truth. The meaning was as hidden as the lessons in her own stories. Della had seen clouds of patterned smoke covering rabbits and going into their burrows, suffocating them and choking out their life. Still, the rabbits had managed to hold back the darkness as much as they could. Their song and virtues kept them from becoming destroyed. They fought on, even as they were disadvantaged.

Her home called to her to return. The stories and fables of Guanerei and his pupils ran through her mind like a meditation prayer. Her eyes fell on the lightsabers that were on the floor. They were quite familiar to her, like distant cousins. It was the one thing Sebastian and Della could never quite agree on. Della understood that lightsabers were tools of protection, but she still had not made her own. For Della, the best Jedi could diffuse a situation without ever bringing out a blade.

It placed her at a disadvantage to not carry a lightsaber. There were close-calls, near misses, and a few marks left on Della from badly timed dodges. Still, it was a complicated matter. The Force had told her to wait to build. So, waited she did. It told her of others who never carried a blade and were able to fulfill its will. Della wasn't without her defenses, her chii-sho was something to be cautious of. Della could run like a speed-demon and then suddenly turn around to strike with a powerful kick within the blink of an eye.

The fight on Sacul would be no different. In spite of her mind apprehension, she had to view this as objectively as she could. Sebastian's words echoed in her mind as Della thought of her people's ways. Cunning and strength were needed. Her people had plenty of wits, but they were not known for their muscle.

"You're right. But, we need someone with some brawn. Rhonun can be passionat-." Della then stopped. She realized why Sebastian did not view Rhonun as a wise choice. It was an uncomfortable topic with Della. She was in a sticky situation with the Cathar and Fyston. It had been a heart wrenching situation. Della knew that her decision had brought pain to those she cared about. She had regrets. If only things had been different.

"Rhonun has proven himself as being capable of fulfilling his duties. But, we still should bring more. I offer we bring Fyston and Sam as well. The brothers are an amazing team. They aren't perfect...Fyston tends to be a bit...snarky? Is that how you say it? It mean sarcastic, I think? But he has compassion. Also, they were the ones who first brought me to Tython...They were with me since the beginning." Della replied.

Sebastian knew everything about Della's past now. He knew the full details of her brutal suffering at the hands of the Sith. Sebastian knew that she was once a terrified girl who sparked with electricity whenever she experienced a panic attack. Sam and Fyston helped fight her through her fears. They took a chance in retrieving her and bringing her to Tython. All of the Jedi were taking a chance that day. Della could have been consumed by darkness. But, the risk paid off. Della was a testament to overcoming suffering and heartache. She was a champion of the Light now.

"It is a delicate situation. From an objective point of view, we are going into a planet claimed by Sith and taking it from their grasp. But, I have seen that my people do not want them there. We have a window of opportunity to grant my people freedom."

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

Della had an ability to see the present throughout the galaxy. He knew she spent much time deciphering the cryptic visions she'd get occasionally that would upset her. They'd spent little time together to attempt to decipher them together, but Sebastian did not understand her lore or cultural symbols enough to understand what she saw. He could also see that she was losing her culture slowly, no matter how hard she clung onto it. It was much like grains of sand within a clenched fist. Any subtle movements would let loose these grains, much like her understanding of her own culture. It was very much time to return to her home and relearn her culture. It was one of her many strengths. And although she grew as a Jedi, Sebastian could sense that she was slowly dwindling from the girl she used to be.

This may have not been positive or negative, necessarily, but self-comfort and insight were key elements to knowledge and understanding within the Force. She'd become so immersed in the Tarasin culture that it was somewhat replacing her Saculish culture. As much as she'd compare the two, she wouldn't practice Sacul culture nearly as much to keep the Initiates comfortable in their new home. She was far too motherly to enforce her own beliefs when these sentients were already learning another. Their excitement for the Jedi way was intense, much like her own, but she was slowly losing her identity. Perhaps her mother could help.

"They are on a mission, currently," he responded quickly to the proposal of Fyston and Sam. It seemed as if he was impatient for something due to the tone of his voice and speed with which he spoke. His brows furrowed atop his closed eyes, indicating to his Apprentice that he was receiving a message from the future, something Della was not blessed with.

They were quite the pair, though. Sebastian wasn't one for stealth and preferred to act as a wall, still and constant. Della kept on the move and always elusive. This could be associated with her drive to find the Light while Sebastian allowed the Light come to him. Neither tactics were better than the other or even faster, they were purely different. Della's Battle Precognition developed into some kind of wide Blink ability, far greater than Sebastian's. She could often know what would happen within the next moment and was skilled enough to maneuver around it quite well. Her tendency to shift aiding in this characteristic. Sebastian always saw the distant future ever since he developed his Force Sense. He would allow this reality to shape around him, fitting quite well with his stone-like persona.

Della even took the extreme of his own lightsaber combat Form. She preferred Zero and had refused the construction of a Lightsaber for Knighthood. She desired non-violence while Sebastian contained violence. Her own opinion on combat itself differed starkly from his own, which he always admired. She was powerful in the Force to allow her to retreat from lethal situations with little more than a scratch when death would be imminent to anyone else. Some would call her a coward, but Sebastian believed her to be powerful in the Force through the Light. She was a true Jedi, not unlike himself and the Initiates they were shaping.

Sebastian rose quickly, quite uncharacteristically. His eyes peeled open. A vision of death to a particular Saculean woman shot through his mind and he feared that it was Della's mother. Whether this was to happen before or after they arrived to the planet was yet to be determined. This vision would not be shared with the girl for fear of an unsightly reaction. Instead, he decided for them in that instance as he stood tall before his sitting Apprentice. "We must leave now." His tunic snapped when he quickly walked across the room. His direction led him straight to the small shuttle compartment created deep within the Enclave. It directed ships out of the side of a cliff.

Some Tarasin greeted their Elder with a deep bow. Sebastian was not without his courtesy and bowed slightly as he walked passed the Initiates. He stood before one of the three modest shuttles shipped from the Light of the Force. They were only capable of sub-light speed and would take them much time to reach the distant planet. Della would have to navigate them through the Force for its coordinates were unknown to the Jedi and even the Sith. He knew it would be a long journey regardless. He waited before the shuttle to see Della race through the halls to catch up with him. His mind had closed off completely so she couldn't see what it was he saw, if she could even do that. Regardless, she'd know something was amiss with the current situation he spoke about.

 

[TweedPawn]

"Sebastian!" Della barked. She cut in front of him and stood between him and the shuttle. This wasn't like her Master at all. Della knew when something was troubling him. Della was one of the few who could stare Sebastian down without seeming disrespectful. She had nothing but devotion towards Sebastian. When she stood before him and locked eyes with him, it was her way of asserting her own strength. It wasn't a challenge to Authority, but it was her way of her voice being heard.

"Do not rush into this. We need help. I know that Sam and Fyston are on a mission, but they can meet up with us on Sacul. You and I can have all the visions the Force wills us, but we do not know the entirety of the situation. How many Sith are there? What kind of Sith? For all we know, they have a wretched Darth there! Then, we have to find a way to prevent reinforcements! You don't enter a badger's den without knowing what the animal looks like!" Della snorted.

It was indeed a rare occasion when she took this tone with anyone, let alone the Master she cherished. Della's time with Sebastian caused her to pick up on some of his habits and expressions. Right now, she stared at him with the same stern look he had given to her when they would first train together. Della was not aware she had picked up this 'look' from him. But she was wielding it now.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

His name frightened him slightly. Only Della could provoke such a rare emotion within him, but he never wished to upset or offend the gir- woman. She deserved much more from her Master than his games of hiding truths to protect the emotions of his Apprentice. The only physical change she would be able to note was his eyes flinching open at her outburst. The others wandering the area and keeping watch stopped to turn and see the cause of such commotion. Sebastian didn't care to address them and stared only at Della who'd, shamefully, caught him in such a cowardly position.

A small breath escaped his nose before he closed his eyes, attempting to center himself and see the initial error in the recent past he'd made. "I saw a vision of, what I would assume to be, your mother. Screams filled the burning image and she lay in a field, lifeless and battered. The woman had been raped."

He cut himself off. She would have appreciated the honesty but become enraged by the details. He also saw more images from the Force. The space surrounding the planet held a small HUB where few Sith resided. There were few Sith on the planet, from what he could Feel. Even so, the Horror and Death was massive. "Fine. Contact them while on the ship. We must hurry," he rushed them both. She ushered her onto the shuttle, allowing her to pilot the vessel though she had little experience compared to Sebastian's inadequate level of knowledge of spacecraft. His voice was short and low and even disliked the proposition. He believed them to be all they needed to carry out the evacuation of the Sith and could Feel that others would only further complicate the matters. However, his visions told him that numbers would more than be enough to successfully purge the Sith from Della's world.

He remained silent, listening to the deaf Force for anything it could show him. There was nothing through the liftoff and departure of the atmosphere. He didn't speak to Della as she made sense of the navigation and began to lead them to their destination. "Send them the coordinates when we get there," he peeped a little later when his concentration broke from the Force when Della twitched at the controls. He'd never been so on-edge and Della might have felt concerned for, not only Sebastian, but herself and the safety of the others on her planet and the others she wished to bring along. His body remained still and unmoving, trying not to disrupt himself from focusing on any information the Force would provide for them before they were to arrive. Apparently, it cared not other than to tease him of this recurring vision of Della's suffering mother.

 

[TweedPawn]

Della gasped. She covered her mouth. She almost slapped Sebastian for the vulgarity of his description. Her maturity stopped her. Her eyes were still full of her inner hurt, tears brimmed in them. She took a deep breath to recenter herself and keep her emotions in check as she rushed to the ship. She quietly made a mental checklist of what she would need to have Rhonun bring since he would have to meet her on Sacul.

Della would need the original clothes she had on when she was taken from her home. She had hoped to sew patterns onto the other Jedi's clothing to help them blend in with the people. Poor Rhonun would have to conceal his face. It would possibly make him look menacing, though. There were customs to go over. There were habits that Galactics had that might be confusing. She also needed Rhonun to pick up the translators that could be coded by Della's Droid DS-PO. Yuunda had made it for Della before he vanished, before Atreia was murdered...before Ryloss...

She shook off her train of thought. Everything would be wasted if Della was not successful. Not only would the efforts of the Jedi be wasted, but death would certainly come at the hands of the Sith. She shuddered. It was from both joy and fear. Was this really happening? Was she really going home? She tried to remain calm, Sebastian's tension was also thick and it made it more difficult for Della to snap out of this imbalance within her.

The ship left the atmosphere. As the stars danced before her eyes, Della finally broke down and began to cry.

Everything rushed to her all at once. The memories of the Sith, being rescued and taught by the Jedi, her own self-exile and heartache all mingled together in a tidal wave of emotion that she couldn't hold back anymore. The burdens she carried for all this time were now laid out infront of her. She cried for what have been for ten minutes. She didn't care what Sebastian thought. She had to get this out.

She finally wiped her eyes and breathed deeply to calm herself. She recalled how sensitive her Master was to her emotions.

"I'm sorry, Master. It's a lot that I am going through...I almost do not believe that I am going home." She confessed as she reached for her communicator to contact Fyston and Rhonun:

"Guys...I'm finally going home to Sacul. I need you two on standby for further instructions."

She shuddered again and began to finally focus the Force through her. She searched for anything familiar...a song..a voice...or even a breath that could guide her back. She was very far away. She recalled the guesstimated coordinates that DS-PO provided when she was first made by Yuunda. It was best to aim the Craft towards it.

She felt something, it was like a faint scent of something nostalgic. It was a melody...She knew she had heard it before, but she couldn't quite recall it. She seemed to go into a daze as the Force completely entered into her. If there was any sort of fight or confrontation, she would be difficult to snap out of her trance and engage.

The melody drove her. Della lost track of time and where she was even going. She just had to follow that melody....


----

Two men sat together in a wood during a hot afternoon. One was a lad who looked as if he belonged in a field, farming grain and digging. The second was more frail, but had alert eyes. They seemed worn-looking, but they had their ways of carrying on. They sat in silence, ears and eyes always alert. They would freeze at times, then continue with observing their surroundings before one of them stood up.

"Well, Claude. I think I'm ready to start getting some roots for the evening. Why don't you help? if anyone can find Firra, it's you." said the strong lad.

"If it suits you, Geoffrey. I'm not quite feeling an appetite tonight. Something...is bothering me." replied the weaker one. He scratched at his face and his anxious eyes kept searching.

"Is it danger?" Geoffrey quickly asked, he stood alert and brandished a black-glassy knife.

"No..It's..Not danger...Something...familiar...Like a tune..." Claude seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Geoffrey sniffed and looked with his eyes as he analyzed his surroundings.

"Is it backup?" he asked.

"I am not sure..." Claude replied. He started to walk through the woods silently. He was skittish, even for a Snamreg. He jumped when a bird suddenly flew through the branches. Geoffrey was at his side the entire time, as if he was a bodyguard. He was much more hardened and secure than Claude.

Claude walked out into a field. It was part of an unmapped land and his eyes gazed upward towards the sky. He seemed to suddenly fixate on it.

"A friend...yes..that's what it is..."

------

The melody was now a deafening song in Della's ears. She suddenly cried out and cupped her hands over her ears, snapping her out of her trance. Her eyes fell on a planet with a single, great continent. This was it. This was home. Her heart pounded in her chest.

"Sebastian, record these coordinates, please." she said. She focused her attention to where she could possibly land the craft. Most of Sacul was unexplored. Landing the ship in an uncharted region had benefits and dangers. There would be predators, but extra cover far from Sith's prying eyes. They would have to travel longer, but that meant they could have the scent of the planet on them.

Della recalled the dark woods just beyond her homestead. On the other side of the vast expanse of forest was uncharted fields. It seemed like the proper place to go. Della nodded to herself and carefully landed the craft.

There was a moment where Della was too overwhelmed to move out of her chair. Her eyes stared out towards the long, golden grass on the other side of the window. She shuddered again and suddenly dashed out of the ship at her top speed. She opened the loading bay, and didn't even wait for it to fully open before she squeezed her tiny body out and started to run full speed through the fields.

She darted back and forth. Running aimlessly through the grasses. Yes, this was it. The smells rushed through her nostrils. The birds were just like she remembered them. She could run forever. Tears swelled in her eyes again. She tumbled and fell, and did not bother to get up. She instead rolled in the grasses, the dirt soiling her clothes.

She was home. She was finally home. She found the memories flowing back to her. The language returned to her effortlessly. She jumped back up to an alert stance, just like she used to do. The Force brought an entirely new way of looking at the planet and it was marvelous.

She sensed two travelers. They were coming from the nearby wood. She ran out to meet them. It was two men, one with golden-blonde hair and another with dark-ebony hair. The three of them met and there was a hush on the plains. It was as if the planet was waiting with baited breath to see what would happen next.

The men looked as if they were looking at a ghost. They stood with eyes wide and mouths agape. Della remained silent and became very still. The blonde man was strong and muscular. He finally snorted and approached Della with intense eyes and a direct gaze. Della responded with her own snort and shake of her head. The weakest of the three, the dark haired man, stepped back but seemed to suddenly grin from ear to ear.

They greeted each other in this quiet language of breath and expression. They completely ignored Sebastian. Finally, the two men tackled Della with joy and started to laugh.

Della joined in their laughter. The trio began to finally speak in the manner most humans were accustomed to, but it would be in the dialect of Sacul.

"<You're alive! Divine's sake! You're alive! Della! DELLA FREY IS ALIVE!>" screamed Geoffery as he grabbed Della and swung her. The other lad was silent, but his face was also overjoyed.

"<I don't know what to say! I wanted so much to see you two again!>" Della cried as she returned the embrace. The trio of childhood friends continued to laugh and cry. After what seemed like eternity, they started to calm down and plopped onto the grass, so they could be hidden amongst the tall stalks.

"<Who is that man over there? He was in that giant Aeroplane with you...>" Claude asked.

"<Sebastian? He's the reason I was able to come home. Be nice to him Geoffrey.>" Della snorted. She popped up to wave Sebastian over. "<It's not necessarily an aeroplane. It's more like a spaceplane.>" Della gave a wink. Her wink was returned with harsh stares.

"<Spaceplane, hrm? Tell us, Della, how DID you manage to get here after being taken?>" growled Geoffrey.

"<She's not a traitor, Geoffrey...but she's different. That man, Sebastian? He seems funny too.>" said Claude. Geoffrey snorted and watched with an intense stare at Sebastian.

"<I told you to behave yourself! Or do I have to remind you which one of us is the better runner?.>" Della replied. She turned to Sebastian.

"Just remain calm, Master. Do what I tell you. Try to watch how we communicate and you'll do fine."

 

[Black Noise]

Eber strode through the darkened halls of the main building in Sacul's capital city, Skagrit. The red skinned Devronian was thoroughly angry, and for good reasons. Reichtum, the acolyte that had been stationed with him on this accursed planet for the last ten years had directly disobeyed his orders, again! Throwing open both the deep, heavy, wooden double doors to the former council room, he vented at the human in dark robes that sat casually in the chair at the other end of the room.
"How dare you disobey me! I am your superior now Reichtum, you obey me!"
The human, without looking up from the small book he leafed through, answered casually.
"Your 'order' was nearsighted and would've needlessly wasted my resources. Get together and order a strike team against the plains people? Really now, just because you're buttsore that they almost killed you doesn't mean I'm going to let you waste our resources on a badly planned counter-attack. Regardless, Master should be arriving soon with help. Once he does, the problems will cease."

Eber narrowed his eyes in slight confusion, the red man crooked his head and asked.
"What do you mean? The master has already arrived, hasn't he?"
Reichtum finally gave a reaction at the dim Sith's question. His reaction was not good.
"Already arrived? Impossible!"
"But a ship landed-"
"SHOW ME!"
Eber temporarily forgot his higher rank in the face of the angered human. Falling back into his Beta position in their Alpha-Beta relationship, he pulled out a small device that revealed the coordinates of the spaceship that recently landed in the plains territory. Reichtum paused in thought for but a moment before forming an idea.
"Well, Crusader-Warrior Eber, perhaps you should take a war party and 'investigate' this site. Take your vengeance while you're at it."
Eber, acting as if the idea was his own, straightened up and said.
"Yea, that's excellent. I'll handle this mess on my own."

The Devronian turned and began to stride out with a higher air about him just as 'New Skagrit Leader' Doba Flo entered the room. Shoving the much smaller man aside, the Devronian growled in Basic, a language the man wouldn't understand.
"Move it dog."
The overweight, shuddering man barely avoided falling from the push by the 6"8 Devronian. After Eber left, Doba Flo looked to Reichtum, who stood by the window in deep thought. Speaking in his native language, he asked.
<"S-sir, what was all that about?">

With a voice like honey, the human smiled and replied in the same language without opening his closed eyes.
<"Nothing you need to worry about, the plans of progress have simply evolved.">
Turning to the man, Reichtum widened his smile, sending shivers of fear down Doba's spine.
<"P-progress?">
The man cautiously asked. Reichtum simply nodded and continued.
<"I've dedicated far too much time and money in this planet to lose it now. Doba, I think it's time I set the wheels turning and finally conquered this entire planet. You've served your purpose well President Doba Flo, after your predecessor -sadly- fell out a window, your swift assumption of his position has given your people a sense of courage and unity. Whatever you were going to tell me can wait, I have more important matters to attend to. You are dismissed.">

The man sighed with a smile and thanked Reichtum before quickly heading out. Once in the hall, he heard Reichtum's voice behind him.
<"Oh, and Mr.Flo-">
The man hadn't even turned around before a black speak of pure Dark Side energies pierced his heart and flung his lifeless body forcefully out the window at the end of the hallway. Reichtum walked slowly over to the window and glanced down at the man's shattered body, now lying dead on the sidewalk four stories below with the black spear mysteriously gone. He spoke, more to himself than to the body.
"These people don't need courage or unity anymore, and your use has expired."
Turning to a nearby staff member, he barked.
<"Get rid of that body, but take a long route through the streets first before you dump it. Get a radio broadcast ready as well, these people need to know who really leads them now.">

-----------

Eber stopped to listen to part of the radio broadcast transmitted to allow radios within receiving distance or with powerful enough receivers. It was Reichtum, going on and on about the 'sadness that touched his heart' and how 'with a pained soul' he would be taking over. Furthermore he went on to say something about 'Like The Great Hound chases Guanerei every night, so shall we chase out dissidents and rebellion everyday it surfaces' blah blah. Was that even how the story went? Regardless, he had his army, it was time to march. Three hundred or so strong men would travel with Eber in armored vehicles to fight the plains people. But first, all thoughts of mutiny had to be out in their place.

While the men picked up automatic rifles and small handguns tens of thousands of years outdated by the weapons of the Imperium, Eber launched his example.
<"You there, man in front. Here come.">
Even after so many years of living on Sacul, Eber still spoke their beautiful language brokenly. Mostly because of his own laziness. The man he pointed at, an older, stronger man who had never known the bonds of servitude before the Sith's takeover, stepped up with hatred in his eyes.
<"-Yes Sir?-">
The man hissed out, clearly with unhindered hatred for the Sith. The Devronian only grinned and tossed the man his Lightsaber. The forty year old or so man's eyes widened greatly upon catching the weapon. He ignited the weapon and looked at the Sith as if he was an idiot. Eber simply held out his arms and said.
<"Kill me.">

The man immediately took what happened to be possibly the only chance to save his people. He charged and swung the blade with great speed at the Devronian, who dodged it with relative ease. The old man took three more strong, precise strikes at the Sith, but each one was easily dodged. Suddenly, during the fifth strike, Eber doves under the blade and smashed his fist into the man's chest. Extremely loud snaps could be heard as many of the man's ribs shattered. The man flailed the saber at the Sith, but Eber caught his hand and snapped every bone in the man's fingers and ripped the saber from his grasp. Stepping back, he relished the intensive, intoxicating feeling of the man's suffering before ruthlessly cutting him down.*Deactivating the saber, he looked at the other humans with a sharp toothed, spine shattering smile.
<"I Commander. I final law. Obey me, or share fate with him.">

They were on their way in minutes.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

The Force swirled around his Apprentice inconsistently. There was no doubt she was having visions attempting to find their way to the planet which she was birthed. He even hear the slight vibrations of an odd melody he'd never heard before. They were connected in a way that some of her visions would project themselves into his mind, or his ears in this case. She proved to be too deep in meditation for the seeking of this singular planet that the Light shone brightly from her soul and in a most obvious manner. Sebastian, himself, still felt nothing around them. Yes, it was a void of sorts. Intentional. Dark. His eyes opened and the stars passed them until they stood still and they faced a planet far from where they were akin to.

"Della," he started with a whisper at her as he masked his own presence knowing the unwanted occupiers of this world would easily sense them. Unfortunately, Della was still in a deep trance.

"Della," he repeated with greater vigor. It was chastising in some sense and they had begun to enter the atmosphere with Della's Light still glowing brighter than the system's sun could ever hope to.

"Della!" he shouted once more. Alarms started to sound from her neglect of landing the shuttle properly. Sebastian rose, attempting to quite the machine, though he knew little of how to operate the ship. Still, he pushed buttons and pulled levers which cooed the engines to rest and the sensors to reset.

They had to have been spotted and Sebastian prepared for an unwelcoming. As the ship dug itself into the earth of the singular continent of Sacul, Della dashed out quickly as if she wasn't in a deep trance for an extended amount of time. She was frantic to meet the creatures on the surface and Sebastian half-raced out there to make sure they weren't already surrounded by Sith forces.

The green grass was mixed with yellow and blew gently in the breeze. Though the sun shone well, Sebastian was quickly overcome with visions of the planet the Force wished to show him. Screams sounded in his head and he winced slightly at the horrible sadness ravaging the planet and its people. His boots crushed the grass as if they weren't made of silk which is what the eye would tell an observer. The scents were odd in the fields, not of death, though. This planet was strange and looked around trying to sense any threatening company they may have had. "Della," he said a fourth time in a diminutive manner. He could not hear the foreign language she spoke with the natives and did not bother to look to them.

There seemed to be nothing immediately around them and he closed his Senses up tightly. This provided immediate relief from the horrible images and sounds throughout the planet. The heaviness of the Dark Side also subsided when he cut himself off. Still, his panic didn't subside and his head shot over to his Apprentice when she addressed him. "Do you know what you've done?" he said with some anger and fear. Already he'd begun to be tempted by Darkness. It'd been a long time since he'd been in the presence of such emotion. He calmed himself when he heard his own quivering voice, though, and continued. "You must learn to control your visions and think of your own safety." His amber eyes burned with a misplaced passion which layed atop his emotions. "They know we're here. Get us away from this place immediately and cover our tracks. Now," he shouted the last word with continued panic.

He shook his head. Time on the Enclave had sheltered him from conflict and he'd forgotten the urgency the presence of their religious foes produced. He breathed singularly and closed his eyes only to look upon the Jedi Knight once more with simmering, cooled eyes. "Please," he said softly.

He knew not the best place to hide so he remained still. She'd know precisely the situation they were as he brought her down so abruptly. Now was not a time for meet and greet for the enemy could be upon them at any moment. They knew nothing of the situation and should take caution with everything. Every step could cause unnecessary death.

 

[TweedPawn]

Arn was a frail boy, but his mind was sharp. It was the sole reason he was still alive. He was one of the children kidnapped and was originally slated to be slaughtered until he proved himself capable of the keen intelligence that still kept him useful to Reichtum and Eber. He recalled the event quite well.

He was being dragged down the halls of one of those starships. Eber held him by the scruff of his neck, the words of his barbaric galactic language ringing in his ear. There was a room. Children entered, but they never came out. He knew that there was death waiting for him.

He screamed "Halt, EBER!". It was the first words he understood in Galactic. It caused Eber to stop suddenly and Reichtum was nearby to respond to Arn. He stared at Arn intensely. Arn knew that there was something valuable about him. Arn and Eber argued for a moment, obviously about his fate. Then Reichtum presented a device to Arn.

The thirteen year old boy quickly understood the object. He wasn't sure the way, but he had a gift with perfectly understanding machinery. He could study an object and understand its purpose and mechanic. This was a puzzle. It was ludicrously easy to solve.

But there was a greedy glint in Reichtum's eye and an annoyed one in Eber's. They started right away with teaching Arn Galactic Basic, which he mastered quickly. But, fate was not kind. He saw the fate of those not selected by the Sith, and understood the fate of those who were chosen.

It was either an Airlock, or be tested on by the Faceless One. Arn was not sure which was worse. The Faceless One soon left, taking a girl known as Della with him. She would't last long. Arn had spoken to her before the kidnapping and she was swift, but an idiot.

Arn would not reveal his knowledge of Basic right away. The Coastal People of Skagrit were known for their cunning, and Arn hailed from the only group of people with any decent sense on Sacul. He over heard the way Reichtum talked about him, like Arn was some kind of pet.

Eventually, Arn spoke to him the most. Arn learned of the Force. He realized that he wielded it through his mind, but in a sense of hyper focus. Arn was perfect at deactivating bombs.

That was the past.

His future was now in the main office, witnessing the murder of Doba Flo. He said nothing, but he was terrified. He lived this way since the day he was taken. Last one left alive. Betrayer to his people. He was more alone than he ever felt in his life.

He quietly watched Eber leave in a fury and quietly approached Reichtum.

"The plains people are used to fighting badgers and cats. They always expect a predator." He said cryptically. His cousin Claude was still alive in those parts, but that wasn't the most pressing question in his mind. Arn couldn't help but suspect that Reichtum was really trying to kill off Eber.
-----------

<Why is that man frantic? Has he gone tharn?>" Geoffery growled as he brought out a knife made of black glass.

Della rushed to her Master's side. sensing his panic. She tried to do the best she can to surround him with her presence. She only breathed when he began to calm down.

"If anyone can hide that craft, it's us. I need you to relay our coordinates to Fyston and Rhonun as fast as you can. Here, send this list to Rhonun. It will save our lives. We'll need translators and DS-PO. Plus, anything else you think we can use. Tell Fyston that we will need a medic and to travel with Rhonun. Be quick, my Master." She said in a hushed tone, trying to keep Sebastian calm.

She turned to Claude and Geoffrey.

"<Any idea how to hide this Spaceplane?>" she asked.

"<Ha! doesn't seem like a hard thing to hide. Can't do it in a field, though. Perhaps at the edge of the wood?> suggested Geoffrey.

"<There's a badger's nest nearby. If you need to hide it, it could be made to blend into the trees nearby. But those badgers will keep out anyone that starts snooping. Throw some dead meat on the ship and the badgers will stick around and no Snamreg will dare go nearby>" Claude added.

"<Where the Divines did you two get ideas for hiding machinery? Nevermind, tell me later. Where are we going to get dead meat?> Della asked.

"<Let me worry about that. You and Claude get that ship covered with branches. And watch out for badgers.> said Geoffrey as he bounded into the wood.

"<By Divines, when has he been like that?>" asked Della.

"<You really have been gone, haven't you? I'll explain later. Tell that man to bring your spaceplane to the wood border right over there. I smelled badger stink just over there. >"

<"Thank you, Claude. I…I don't know how to describe how amazing it is that you're cooperating>"

"<Go tend to that Tharn Man. He needs you. I can tell.>" Claude said.

Della nodded and entered the ship with Sebastian. She placed a gentle hand on his back.

"I'm sorry for my actions. We can talk about it later. I need to get this ship to coax over to that spot by the wood. We have a plan." Della said to her master. She waited for Sebastian to let her sit in the cockpit to gently steer the vessel to where it needed to go.

Stepping off the starship, she was already alerted to a rotting musky scent. She covered her face and nearly gagged. Damned badgers.

Claude was hidden and silent somewhere, but Della could sense him gathering brush and shrubs to cover the craft. Geoffrey already found an dead animal and was carrying the entrails to the ship.

"Help Claude and I cover this ship. Geoffery will smear blood on it and when that happens we need to get out of here. Badgers will come and I rather be locked in a room with a Crusader than deal with one of those awful animals." She quickly assumed a role of lookout and covering the ship frantically.

The smell was awful. Badgers were known for sleeping in dens of rotting meat and scavenging for it. That wasn't nearly as bad as they tempers they had. Guns were useless on them, and the dumb animals were incredibly strong. Seven feet of raw power, stink, and bad attitude.

Geoffrey was already smearing the blood on the ship and placing various animal organs hidden around the ship to keep badgers looking and close by.

"<Ugh, watching him do that always makes me sick. It's been one of our best tricks though. Skagrit soldiers don't dare go near that stink.>" Claude muttered.

"<Skagrit? What are Skagrit soldiers doing here? When did they get an army? I thought that was the north's way?>" Della asked.

"< Where HAVE you been?>" Claude gave Della a confused expression.

"<Nevermind that now. We need to run before we have trouble.>" replied Della.

"<There's a stream nearby we can walk up along.>" said Claude.

"<perfect! Let's go.>" said Della.

She turned to Sebastian.

" Look, I need you to stay calm. They already think you're mad. We're going to walk up a stream and the water will quickly cover our tracks. It'll be wet, but effective. Please, we may have our strange habits, but we have been avoiding predators since we could walk."

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

Her presence was serene. He could finally think clearly and it seemed the Sith on this planet had lacked in their security, assuming no one would find them. They must have been relying on the planet's own technology which, judging by their looks, was quite primitive. He nodded to his Apprentice and boarded the shuttle. He went over the communicator to type in their coordinates and supplies they would need.

"-359285, -883573
12 Medpaks
5 additional Lightsabers
DS-PO
Geographical Scanners
Keep together: Travel Northeast"

He sent the message on the only channel they had which was weak. He meditated shortly to ensure the information would reach the intended target. He wasn't one to feel technology and this meditation was merely to beg the Force to cooperate. Della was moving the ship into a patch of trees within this odd plain. Their language was full of odd sounds and gestures but Sebastian couldn't keep himself from constantly looking around. Now understanding what it's like to be in the presence of Darkness, he opened his Sense once more, feeling the Darkness of the planet that was obviously foreign. Beneath this, the Force curled over the planet, the continent more directly. There was intent and power in these, he could feel. Her strange stories could have been true.

His face fell into the stony expression she would have recognized immediately if he hadn't riled her before. He nodded at the command, however strange and smelly they were. He'd never heard of a 'badger' before and understood they must have been monstrous. The smell quickly overwhelmed him, but he fought and adjusted his Senses to accommodate and block this smell in order to sense other scents. The planet smelled odd to him. It was soft and thick. However, it wasn't humid like Cularin nor was it dry like Tatooine. Temperate climates were unusual for him and chill ran up his spine and through his legs and exposed arms. It was cold, and bitingly so. It was the Darkness they were nearing.

He never once winced at the smell or the Darkness. He remained still as the other two men finished their tasks to hid the vessel they'd, no doubt, need at a later date. Still, they'd need to walk for, what seemed to be, many kilometers to reach the source of this evil. Though all this, his Cloak around him faded in and out, but now it worked in tandem with Sense. It was difficult and much focus was required to keep it. He never bothered to hide his signature, which was massive. Those on Cularin took no notice for that's how they knew the man. Still, he needed to keep his signature hidden, and Della needed to do the same. "Keep your Light dimmed, Della," he began to whisper. "Your presence will be immediately discernible for them."

His deep voice would betray the wish to keep quiet. However, men with low voices are heard as mumbling from any distance away. The other two men would have a difficult time understanding that he was saying anything intelligible to their friend unless they were keen of hearing and knew how to enhance it through the Force. It mattered little since he wanted to keep quiet only for himself. "Where are we going?" he asked, almost childishly to the only person on this world who could understand him well enough.

 

[TweedPawn]

Song

Della nodded at Sebastian. She wanted so much to comfort him and to put his mind at ease. They were here on Sacul now, it was the first step towards victory. Della and Sebastian followed Claude and Geoffrey to the stream where Geoffrey started to wash the blood from his hands. The three Snamreg seemed perfectly attuned with their surroundings.

For Della, closing herself off was a skill she had plenty of practice in. She could pass herself off as merely an untrained Force Sensitive. Her skills of survival in these lands compensated for the lack of Sense she had to adapt to. She joined with her friends in listening, searching, and watching. It was like watching a herd of deer navigate the woods.

"<Where are we going?>" Della asked for Sebastian.

"<Why do you need to know?>" Geoffrey replied curtly, almost aggressively. Claude snorted and lowered his head at his friend, taking on a dominant gesture to diffuse the situation. Geoffrey gave his own snort and continued with scouting and hiding.

"< We're heading to our camp for the evening. There, we'll have to figure out where to go.>" said Claude.

"<I don't think we should stop. We think we're being tracked.>" said Della.

"<Hrm, I see...Yes...Tracked. By the Sorcerers, yes? Tell me, why would they be tracking you specifically?>" asked Claude.

"<Because we're here to help. It's hard to explain, but what is happening here is the result of something that happened ages ago. It's a long story.>" answered Della gently.

"<Well, we've dealt with those Sorcerers before. One of them is as stupid as a beast, but mean. He gives us the most trouble. The Others, well, one stays in Skagrit. He is always on the radio. The others...>" Claude trailed off sadly for a moment and sighed. "One of them stays with Reichtum, the fourth is dead. >"

"<Dead? How?>" Della whispered, almost in shock.

"<He was chasing down one of us, along with the Stupid One. The Great Goddess sent one of her blessings and they were ambushed by a pride of cats. The pride took down one of them right away, one of our riflemen nearly got the Stupid One. But he escaped and fled.>"

Della was quiet for a long time, walking through the stream. she asked again where they were going.

"<I suppose we'll have to travel tonight. There's a sanctuary on the other side of the wood. I think you will like it there. It's your old homestead.>" replied Claude.

"<Mother? I'm going to see to see my parents?>" Della said. She suddenly turned to Sebastian.

"We're traveling through the wood tonight, but they are taking us to my homestead in the plains. They call the Sith, Sorcerers. They have been fighting them directly, it seems. Based on assumptions, if we run into them tonight, we'll be running into the big one. He is apparently mean, but stupid. They nearly killed him before." she whispered.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

Only a nod was anything he'd say. Otherwise, he had to keep quiet to stretch his Senses to keep ahead of any predators these other three might miss. This wasn't caused by a lack of faith in the natives, it was purely ignorance of their survival skills. Della had only explained to him how her people lived on a daily basis, but they did not harness the Force as he'd learned to. No, he had to calm himself. Fear still gripped at his soul and twisted it. He was being immobilized by thoughts. This was unbecoming of a Jedi Master of his rank. He was young, there was no doubt, but he was capable. He followed the Light and Peace was always within him. All he need do was act upon this Light and all would be well.

The grass was soft but crunched under their feet. That is, until they reached the forests. The floor was soft and moist. Clearly fertile yet heavily traveled, and not by humans. He could see many prints and scratches along the bark of the trees and their roots which made their way to the surface at times. This wasn't frequent, but something he always kept not of, as the other three surely did as well. He followed them silently, keeping a cloak around his body to suppress the Force he wasn't using to Sense the area around them. Nothing alive was around them, but he could still feel the pain and suffering of the people upon this world. Whether it was something to come or of the present, he didn't know. It burned him.

Claude jerked and Sebastian still felt nothing. He was useless. His Sense did nothing for him on this planet, it seemed. At this small failure, he realized it'd be best to keep his Senses to himself, which were keen enough themselves. The Force still would flow through him noticeably, but perhaps it'd feel as one of the natives themselves as it was still suppressed. However, their readings may have been different. Another failure, he'd been unable to read the two he just met. He realized how much he'd begun to depend on Force Sense. It was enough to use it once in a while, but he was finished developing it. He had to get used to this world before he could properly perform the technique with any sort of efficiency.

This planet was not only foreign to him, but to the Force it seemed. It was foreign to the galaxy, even.

 

[TweedPawn]

It was could that Sebastian was keeping quiet, but Della could still sense his distress. She remained close to him, as if he was a child entering the woods for the first time. It brought back her own memories of these woods. They were familiar to her as the temples on Tython. The woods were still incredibly dangerous, but knowing how they breathed and grew made it more calming.

For Della, everything was familiar. She felt herself settle back into routines and habits she had before being taken. She would stop at time and dig at something in the ground, usually to find nothing not quite useful. She would then walk next to Sebastian and nudge his arm to keep his spirits up.

Claude suddenly jerked and darted at the sound of nearby rustling. Geoffrey quickly took the lead to investigate. He darted into the underbrush and quickly reemerged.

"<Badger.>"he grunted in annoyance.

Della and Claude instinctively hid in some underbrush. Della grabbed Sebastian's arm to pull him with her.

"Get up in that tree. You might be able to see a badger from there. Look for a large, stupid looking animal with a striped face." Della instructed. It was mostly for Sebastian's safety than to gawk at an animal. Sebastian didn't know how to hide or run from a badger and would have to rely on the Force, which would betray their whereabouts.

Della and Claude found refuge under the large ferns and fallen trees. Geoffrey darted behind a large tree and kept his eyes open towards the direction of the badger.

It was a large and ugly animal with a gray pelt mixed with black and white stripes. It stood seven feet at its shoulder and it was quickly gorging itself on a much smaller animal, possibly a deer. The teeth were massive and its claws were for digging large burrows from the earth. It seemed preoccupied with its meal and after consuming the deer, fell onto its side and passed out from its feast.

Geoffrey motioned for the others to follow him. Della helped Sebastian get down from his tree silently. Claude resumed his position in the front o the group, always listening and watching. They traveled in this frantic and alert silence the entire evening. Finally, after hours of trackless walking and intense observance, they exited the wood. There was another great plain in front of them. This time, a lonely looking house and a barn sat amongst the grasses.

It was still quite dark outside, but the countless stars and a great moon illuminated the grasses. Della's excitement grew again. She started grinding her teeth in anticipation of seeing her mother and father again. She waited for Geoffrey and Claude to go out into the field and give a silent signal to follow.

Geoffrey gave a snort and a toss of with his. There was a playful smirk on his face. Della nodded and looked at Sebastian, her eyes silently telling him to follow her closely.

They ran the rest of the distance towards the house. Not in a panic, but in a happy way. It was like being a child again. As they got closer, Della could see the horses her father kept, and soon the burrow door of her home. Della's eyes went skyward ans she could see the constellations of her home. The images of birds, heroes, and the great rabbit Gaunerei flickered like gemstones in the sky. Della could find Gaunerei's bright tail. She would have to show Sebastian how to do the same.

"<Let us go in first...>" said Geoffrey and beckoned Claude to follow him into the burrow and knocked on the door to be let in. The door opened and Della waited with a held breath. She couldn't help but place a hand on Sebastian's arm as her heart fluttered. She then remembered how sensitive Sebastian was to her emotions and removed her hand. She gave a quiet apology.

Eternity seemed to pass for her. Finally, an older man and woman darted out of the burrow and frantically looked around before seeing Della. They gasped in disbelief before rushing to Della to embrace her in tears. It wasn't as loud as when Della found Claude and Geoffrey, but the joyful reunion was somehow even more intense. Della started to cry silently. Her Mother and Father. How much had she cried at the thought of never seeing them again?

Their memory gave her the strength she needed to not completely fall into despair when she was being tormented. It gave her a happy memory to survive on when she felt alone and scared. Now, they were here with her. The older woman stepped back and looked at Della.

"<Divines have mercy, you don't look a day over nineteen. The Divines must have blessed you with an easy journey. I can't possibly imagine anything you went through being easy.>" said the woman. Her name was Elle. One look at her and Sebastian would understand where Della's courage and gentle spirit came from.

The older man said nothing. He looked far worse than his wife did. Whatever the man known as Johnathan was missing an eye and had scars covering his face and arm. They looked like burns. He merely embraced his daughter tightly as tears fell down his cheeks.

Della said nothing to her mother but simply wept. Elle understood. Elle turned her attention to Sebastian.

"<and who might you be, sir?>" she asked.

"<Oh Mom, that is Sebastian. He doesn't speak our language. He is my...Guardian. He helped me get back home when I escaped the Sorcerers.>" said Della. Elle looked at her daughter then back at the man. Her eyes were doe-like but carried an incredible burden. They seemed heavy and sad.

"<Come on inside before you attract cats. This place has yet to be tracked by predators, including the sorcerers. Luckily for you, I have some roots in a pot still.>" said Elle. Della licked her lips in anticipation of the first meal she had eaten all day. She then remembered something.

"<is there Firra in it?>" she asked.

"<of course...>"

"<My Guardian can't handle Firra. Is there anything he can eat?>"

"<I suppose I could pull some green from the cellar. >"

"<Thanks mom.>" Della said. She nearly choked on the last word.

Della motioned for SEbastian to enter the home with her. Claude and Geoffrey were already comfortably eating and making themselves at home.

It wasn't quite what one would image a hole in the ground to look like. It was cozy and warm with polished wood floors. It looked sturdy and well made. Dried flowers and herbs hung on the walls as well as family portraits. Paintings and primitive photographs showcased Della's family and even Della as a child. There was a dusty corner with a child's chair and a wooden toy on it.

One of the beams had hatch marks on it. It looked like a growth chart of sorts. Patterns brought color into the room, and for the first time Sebastian would understand the importance they had in Della's culture. The fireplace was the most decorated, it seemed to serve as the cooking place as well as a gathering place.

There was a large table with many chairs at it. Geoffrey and Claude were quickly gobbling a stew from their bowls and Della was presented with a bowl of the root stew while Sebastian was presented with a bowl of leafy green and raw roots.

"You'll thank me later. Unless you WANT to try Firra tonight. Just think about how much I've complained about galactic food being bland." Della said.

She quickly chowed down. Her eyes watered and she began to sweat. It had been years since she was exposed to the root and she wasn't as used to the intense spicy root as she remembered. She began to quickly drink water while her friend teased and laughed at her. Della snorted at them, her eyes casting a childish glare at them. Her parents chuckled, but never took their eyes off of Della.

Claude suddenly became very somber.

"<you said you were being tracked...Tell me, what are your plans for dealing with your trackers? You can't hide here long term...Unless you have a plan.>"

"<The plan is to meet up with two others who can help us. We don't even know who exactly is following us, only that we know we are.>" replied Della.

"<Hrm, that is a problem. It's probably the stupid one. If it IS him, I would rest a little easy. He can't even track a herd of stampeding horses. He gets Skagrit to track, and they aren't nearly as good as WE are. Bunch of isolated, arrogant, coastal folk they are. > Geoffrey grunted. He rubbed his full belly in contentment. Della's parents looked at each other and began to discuss in their own gestures and breaths.

"<IF he does come here...We might be able to use it to our advantage...>" Johnathan said. Everyone looked at him.

"< I once had to trap a badger...Guns don't work, but poison does. You gotta trap them in a burrow and throw in gas pesticide in that hole. Only way to get them. Sometimes, they don't even wake up when they get gassed. I say, we trap that son of a->"

"<Language, Johnathan>" Elle interrupted.

"<Hrmph, well, we trap that Red Devil in a burrow where it'll be hard for him to get out and gas him into oblivion>" said Johnathan. There were uncertain looks around.

"They're talking about a way to kill one of the Sith. They called him Red Devil. Odd nickname. Zarabak, you think? But they think that if they trap him in a burrow or a hole, that they can gas him with pesticide. What do you think?" Della asked Sebastian.

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

The beast was large, but Sebastian felt not threat from it. It simply seemed to wander around after dining on its prey. Still, they acted quite cautious of the over-sized beast and, after seeing the carcass left behind, for good reason. As new as this sight was, he didn't feel so uncomfortable on the planet any longer. Sure, the Darkness pressed against his chest, giving resistance to his natural breathing, but this was easily compensated for. The trees bent in a way he wasn't used to and they seemed to grow wider than he'd expect. He wasn't used to seeing the canopy from his standing position, the moonlight able to peek through the leaves. No other creatures crossed their path, but to know that these creatures were going to be rummaging through the only ship they had to get off this planet was a bit unsettling. They had to keep in mind that this shuttle was their only way off this planet until Fyston and Rhonun arrived.

The house was carved into the ground, it seemed. It wasn't blistering hot as it was on Tatooine and this particular species of human looked to be of average height. These badgers must have posed a great threat to them but maybe there was more to be wary of. Maybe the only reason for the previous badger's calm behavior was because it didn't sense the humans at all due to the effort of the two men leading them to their next destination. This 'house' was quaint, but he wondered how large it could actually be. He was the largest one there and it would be socially awkward to be the largest man there. However, this was not an unusual place to be in among others and swiftly prepared for stares and gawkings. There was nothing inherently 'wrong' with ogling an abnormality, which others might not quite agree with, but Sebastian, now calm and centered, felt no such embarrassment when he crawled through the door carved into the grass.

They reunited and only glanced at the strange man in odd garbs. Della never introduced them to him, only him to them. He nodded when he believed it appropriate but they seemed to care little for presence but there were, of course, more important matters to be concerned with. She only spoke to him when she thought it completely necessary. Of course, he knew not what was going on and tried his best to follow their customs or wherever they were to gather. He soon found himself sat at a shallow table with food in front of him. Della warned him of the root, which he could not discern by looking at the platter itself. She gently gestured to it location on the plate and assumed it was within the dish. Before something different could be brought over to him, he took a small bite, personally believing trying something to be better than denying outright.

Indeed, it was quite hot. He thought he could feel his tongue sizzle and quickly chugged the water. They laughed at Della but it seemed he was discrete enough, or they possibly understood that he was not accustomed to such spice. Still, his lack of diet did not allow for development against strong tastes and, thus, he could not handle something as 'menial' as this particular dish though the others ate it without a problem. Their tongues must have been calloused over to sustain such heat. A colorless entree was placed before him, mostly of vegetables, but some meat was thrown in. He ate all of it readily, having sustained himself without food for a while. By the time the unintelligible chatter was soon turned into Basic, he was finished his food. He'd wave off any gesture for more and only sipped at the water before him. "No," he said in his low and big voice. "Probably a Devaronian. Nasty creatures," he explained in his usual un-expressive voice.

He hoped to keep attention away from himself and looked down at the table, watching the platters and plates shift around. One might liken him to a child patiently waiting to leave the table. Sebastian just decided it was best to keep still. He even began to meditate lightly while listening to their odd slurs and sharp consonants. Della spoke it fluently.

 

[Fyston]

It was early morning on Tython, or at least for Fyston. Just a few years ago, he would have been up and moving at 5 in the morning, though it was already 9 and he was still in bed. It had become a habit for the man, especially considering his condition. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had awoken to feel a slight tingling sensation in his leg, though remembered the progression of the disease as if it were charted perfectly.

It had begun with the tingling, which gradually moved to a numbing sensation. Without warning, however, the numbing became a horrific pain in his leg, one that couldn't be dealt with by even the Jedi's high standard of medicine. No, he'd gotten used to using the Force to control the pain, keeping it from overcoming him as well as nearly stopping the disease's progression. It had allowed him to expand his energy reserves, as all of the practice had allowed the usage of the Force to keep his pain down had made such a technique almost unnoticeable to Fyston.

When his datapad went off, the man turned over with a groan. "I told them not to wake me. They always wake me," he muttered to himself about the other Jedi healers in the medical wing. They couldn't follow directions to save their life and they didn't dare break protocol, something Fyston did for fun. After all, it'd become hard to amuse himself since it happened.

Looking at his datapad, Fyston saw a message from Sebastian Selborne, one with a set of coordinates and some supplies that he was to bring. Why did he need extra lightsabers and medical supplies at an uncharted location? And why did he want him? He looked at the data transfer on his datapad and realized that there was another recipient, Rhonun. Della, he thought, a slight scowl appearing on his face. Why did she want him in on whatever they were doing? Did she not get the message when he ignored her earlier transmissions? Did she need a doctor? Maybe they wanted someone to fall back on, though Fyston remembered Sebastian having some skill using the Force to heal. He grabbed his datapad and held it over his head before activating the recording feature. "No, I won't be able to go," he said. "Doctor stuff and all. Have fun." His last two words were sarcastic, as he could care less.

Regardless, he groaned and threw back the comforter, swinging his legs around as he did so. He grabbed his wooden cane from its perch beside his bed. It was no ordinary cane, though few actually knew about it since he had become somewhat of a hermit. Through a very long and arduous process, the man had been able to make it hold his lightsaber without any external signs. He had to activate it with the Force, though, and any other person who tried to activate it without his permission would find that it was just a regular cane. He had also tinkered with the cane's composition, fusing it with phrik to make it resistant to lightsabers. This allowed him to use his cane as a weapon and, as such, he looked unarmed at all times. The phrik even through off scanners, meaning few detectors could find the lightsaber within.

It was twenty minutes later when he pulled a suit coat over his shirt. Both were clean, though they had more wrinkles in them than a 70 year old man. His face was unshaven and his hair hadn't been combed in quite some time. He pulled on a pair of jeans and slipped his comlink into his pocket. His shirt and jeans were made of Armorweave and was a result of one of the few habits that he kept from his younger days. I guess Lain had a more permanent effect than Della or Rhonun could ever have, he thought to himself. It was just a second later that he remembered that it had been Rhonun who jump-started the progression of his disease.

As he had been moved into the Healing Halls of the Temple, which was as far away from Della and Rhonun that he could get without moving out of the Temple, it was only a short distance to the storerooms, where he slipped enough medical supplies into his bag to keep a medic entertained for days. They weren't medpacks, as they were too large to fit inside Fy's bookbag, rather they were a mix of surgical supplies, medicine, and a few gadgets to help with what the Force could not. If they wanted him there, they wouldn't need more than this.

And so he set off, heading for the Della's quarters. He would have gotten lightsabers, except for the fact that they didn't need them. What were they doing, fighting an army? If they couldn't do it with the lightsabers they had, they were idiots who didn't know how to use them. Bookbag slung over his right shoulder and cane in his right hand, Fyston hobbled his way to the keypad that was beside Della's door. He tossed his cane into the air, catching the end of it before slamming the curved portion of it into the keypad, utterly shattering it. A few Initiates turned to regard him with surprise, though he simply looked back at them and said "I forgot my code."

He walked through the now open door and looked around for DS-PO. As he was nowhere in sight, Fyston took the time to toss Della's quarters, using his cane to speed up the process. When he was done, the place looked like it had been ransacked and was the victim of a particularly horrible wind storm. He found the deactivated form of DS-PO and simply stuffed him in his bag.

Ten minutes later, Fyston hobbled through the doors of the hangar and instantly saw his ship, though it wasn't his ship he was looking for. He laid his eyes on Rhonun's ship and smiled. Without a second thought, the man withdrew his datapad with his left hand and kept walking to the Cathar's ship. Pausing for a second to lean his cane against the hull of the ship, Fyston began entering commands into his datapad at a speed that betrayed his nonchalant attitude. He had to get into the ship before Rhonun arrived, which was likely as soon as possible. With a click, the boarding ramp dropped and the human hobbled up the ramp at full speed, pressing a button to close the ramp behind him.

He dove into the Force, using it to do what Della had taught him long ago. He shrunk his presence in the Force to a level where it would be difficult to sense him. Most likely, Rhonun's own aura in the Force would overshadow Fy's small bit of neutral energy. With a sense of haste about him, Fyston began looking for a place to hide. He decided against the floorboards, as Rhonun may have stored stuff in there and he would hate to have cargo dumped on his head. He also decided against Rhonun's quarters, as he would likely sleep in there at least once on their journey.

At last, he found it. Rhonun's ship, apparently, had a small storage closet that held all of Rhonun's coats and a few miscellaneous items. He thought back to the fact that Rhonun was a Cathar and remembered that he could likely smell a foreign scent if it persisted on his ship. Thus, Fyston clambered into the coat closet and concealed himself behind the coats. He was fairly cramped, but he had his bag pressing down on him. He hooked his cane onto the pole that held all of Rhonun's coats and robes. It blended in well, though Fyston was hoping that Rhonun wouldn't need anything from the coat closet. He could always wedge the door shut or maintain a grip on it with the Force if he felt Rhonun approach, though.

Here we go, he thought simply and he gently put his head against the bulkhead.

 

[TweedPawn]

Della gave a low grunt, almost imitating Sebastian. She recalled learning briefly what those were and she began to pull her memories of her early days in the Galaxy into her consciousness. Horns...Red Skin...bad teeth.

Yes, she remembered him.

"If it is him...We got something really nasty heading our way. I think it was him that electrocuted me. The first time I tried to escape, he was lured into the cell and I took him by surprise while he was distracted. I remember using all of my strength to ram him right into the side of the door and disorienting him so I could dash out as fast as I could. He caught up with me though...He is easy to trick, but he has a terrible temper. He was the most abusive of my captors..." Della replied.

"<What are you telling that man?>" Geoffrey barked.

"<You mean, Sebastian? I told you he's here to help, but he doesn't understand our language.>" Della snapped back. She was hurt by Geoffrey's curtness. What happened to the lighthearted, generous friend from her childhood? The one she almost asked to court her right before she way taken?

"<and why is that? Hrm? Where have you been this whole time, Della? Where is that man from? How did you escape from those vile people? Seems awful suspect that you JUST NOW showed up. You seemed to be completely ignorant of what's been going on with your people, Della. Why is that? Hrm?>"

"<Stop it! I will NOT be interrogated in my own home!>" Della shouted as she suddenly stood up and snorted at Geoffrey. Both of them lowered their heads and stared directly into each other's eyes. Sebastian did not need language to understand that this was an aggressive stance.

"<You are both acting like children. Della, he brings up very good questions. I was wondering the same thing myself. >" Elle said. Her voice was like a calming stream. It seemed to have erased the tension in the room the minute she spoke.

Della and Geoffrey both sat back down. Della felt her face turn red. She had shown her frustration and allowed it to get the best of her. She took a deep breath. She had forgotten how wonderful her mother's voice was.

Della began to tell her story. She spoke to them of her imprisonment, her escape, and being found by "an order of monks". She spoke of being given a place to stay and her daily activities of learning the language, the cultures, and how she found a way to defeat the darkness around her. She left out the parts where she found a person she loved, about the Force, and her own abilities within it.

"<So, let me see if I understand this: you were kidnapped by wizards, escaped on a spaceplane to another planet, found by alien monks and then by meditation you found us again?>" Geoffrey growled with a raised eyebrow.

"<She's telling the truth.>" said Claude. He has remained an observer up to this point.

"<She better be. I swear, if she would have told me that story ten years I ago I would have grounded her so long that she would have never gotten married.>" said Johnathan.

"<So, this man helped you the whole time?>" said Elle, staying on track with the important details. Her gentle gaze turned to Sebastian, who was in meditation.

"<Yes, him and the others. I would have been completely lost without him.>" replied Della.

"<Sebastian?>" Elle said as she kept her doe-like eyes on the man before her. She waited a moment for Sebastian to look at her. "<Elle Frey. Johnathan Frey. Geoffrey Saxony. Claude Flensbury.>" she was trying to introduce herself and the others to Sebastian.

"Sorry about the ruckus earlier. They had a few questions about where I have been." Della said. She turned her attention back to her family and friends.

"<So, how are we going to trap the Badger in a burrow?>" she asked.

"<We trap him in this one. You remember the tunnel to the morgue?>" replied Johnathan.

"<You're suggesting that we lure him into here and then to the back of the burrow, you'll gas him there?>" asked Della.

"<Yes. The trick will be getting that stupid, Red Devil a reason to really want to come inside.>" replied Johnathan.

"They want to trap in him in my home. We have an escape route. <Daddy, can we show Sebastian the escape route?>" Della said.

Johnathan grunted and stood up. Della motioned for Sebastian to follow her.

The tunnel was a narrow one, designed to keep large predators from easily chasing the occupants. It wasn't very well lit and at the end was a heavy metal door. The ground felt cooler here, chilly. Della shuddered and helped her father open the door to the morgue. She nearly gasped at what she saw.

The door had led to the body storage unit. That she knew, but she had never seen it so full of occupants. In the darkness, she could see the faint outlines of dozens of young men, all gone before their time. They wore clothing fit for fighters and farmers. They had had a patch on their arms with a rabbit inside a golden sphere. The darkness took away the details of the gruesome deaths, but Della could see outlines of exposed ribs. It was like a room full of broken cages. They had been fighting, and her mother had been trying to send them back home.

Johnathan motioned the duo to follow him, he was used to this sight. It was then that Della wondered about the scars that covered his body now and her mother's saddened eyes. There was a another room where her mother's embalming tools were and the smell of the morgue caused Della to get a little nostalgic. It was a bizarre feeling.

Up a flight of stairs brought the group above ground to the funeral parlor. It was decorated in gentle, yet elaborate furnishings. Couches were everywhere, as were cheap wooden boxes. Johnathan finally showed the the front and back doors of the building. They led to the fields.

There was nothing more to say. Della sat on one of the cheap coffins, her mind suddenly lost as she thought about the dead men that were packed like sardines.

The Sith were the cause of all of this. Della was struggling with her convictions now. For the first time, darkness finally had a chance to temp her. She fluttered between disbelief, fear, and anger. Then, her compassion, mercy, and love would rush to try to fight off this temptation. Was there a way to rid this evil without succumbing?

"Sebastian...I...I never felt so conflicted...I feel it. I feel anger, real anger. It hurts. what can we do? What can we bring my people without falling into darkness?" she asked. Her chest began to ache and she tried to fight back tears.

 

[Black Noise]

Reichtum smiled as the boy, Arn, spoke in the corner. Reichtum knew all of Arn's tricks, all of his hidden talents, everything. While Arn could easily disguise everything he knew from Eber, his disguise was easily pierced through by Reichtum. Often, however, Reichtum pretended to be deceived by Arn. After all, Arn was his personal 'pet-project.' He enjoyed watching the boy's reactions and wanted to see him succeed in the Sith. As Arn spoke in a cryptic manner rivaling Reichtum's own, Reichtum couldn't help but grin. Arn was terrified, it was easily felt by the Alchemist, but he pushed through it. That was good, very good.

Speaking in basic, a language Reichtum taught Arn early on and knew he was well versed in, Reichtum replied.
"Indeed Arn, they will indeed expect a predator. Even more so Eber. That's precisely why I sent him. Eber's been too much of an interference lately and with this new 'promotion' of his he will mostly likely only become more and more of an interference. Let's say he goes out there and gets killed. By doing so he'll definitively cut down on the number of Plains fighters while doing so as well, decreasing the likelihood of them standing well against us when we invade. Him dying would also remove him from the authority equation. In short, I win."

Turning to Arn, he smiled cruelly.
"Let's say he returns alive. The only reason he would is because he completed his mission, killed hundreds of Plains people and our new enemies who have arrived. I'll simply murder him then when he's weak as well. In short, I win again. This is a rare occurrence Arn, but it is a scenario that, no matter the outcome, it will end well for us."
Waving his hand, Reichtum turned and started down a different hallway.
"Now go on, go train. I have a speech to make."

As Reichtum started down the hall for his speech, he felt a shudder down his spine. Something was wrong. Master should've arrived by now.

--------------

The group of armored trucks stopped on the plains as night fell. Eber took up duty as the only watch, drawing on the Dark Side to sustain himself. He wasn't entirely stupid, he knew the plains people would expect an invasion of this sort, perhaps even want one. He intended to give them just that, then kill them. However, for that to happen he needed to make sure they were not ambushed themselves. Thus, Eber set on watch duty the only person in existence he trusted.

Himself.

 

[StormWolf]

By the time Rhonun received his message from Master Sebastian, the Cathar had finished the same morning ritual he had adhered to ever since he started at the Jedi temple. Rising before dawn, exercising and pushing his body until his muscles burned, showered, cleaned and braided his hair, then went to eat. He was finishing his great serving of food when his datapad pinged, grabbing Rhonun's attention. His golden eyes, intense and piercing flicked across the screen. That was quite a tall order Sebastian had made, and for to Sebastian to call on Rhonun for help, the need must indeed be dire... and it probably involved Della. Scooping up the rest of his food with a voracious growl that drew more than a few odd looks from younglings and initiates, the massive Knight departed to prepare for his journey.

Pulling his comlink from his belt, Rhonun called up the on-duty chief engineer in the hanger. "Chief, I need my ship fueled and prepped on the double. I am leaving on Jedi business in fifteen minutes." The chief engineer gave a formal, but kurt affirmation and the line was closed. Rhonun stepped with purpose, the kamas of his black-and-grey obi billowing lazily behind him. Rhonun was already wearing his shoulder armor, the tip of his saberstaff hilt poking just over it. His obi, kamas, and slacks were all a dense Armorweave. Still, he had to retrieve the five lightsabers that Sebastian requested as well as the other supplies. Over the years, Rhonun had made several visits to the armory, and had grown something of a business-friendship with the quartermaster. If Rhonun requisitioned five lightsabers, no questions would be asked. It was no secret Rhonun had his fare share of students that would need live saber training, anyways. Also grabbing geographical scanners from the tactical assets section, Rhonun signed his requisition form, gave a smile to the quartermaster, and left.

When Rhonun dropped by the Medical Hall to get the trauma kits, he saw that they had already been cleared out a great deal. There were still plenty, but more than enough were gone that the people keeping stock would not want to give out more trauma kits to "someone an the same assignment as the other guy". Furrowing his brow and walking towards the hangar, Rhonun pulled out his datapad and looked at Sebastian's message again. Fyston had been contacted to. That explains it. Despite all that had happened, Rhonun knew that Fyston still deeply cared for Della, and would not abandon her in her time of need. Still, after the fight Rhonun and Fyston had, and after Rhonun severely damaged the man's knee, they drifted apart, and Fyston changed. By the sound of it, Fyston had already grabbed the medkits. That left Della's droid, the only droid that Rhonun knew of who could speak Snamreg. He had tried to learn Della's native tongue for some time now, but he found that his pre-existing accent simply made him sound like he was growling around a mouthful of gravel.

Taking a detour, Rhonun found himself at Della's room in no time. He had visited her often, now that their relationship was more-or-less public knowledge. Seeing the kaypad smashed, Rhonun quirked an eyebrow and sighed. Definitely Fyston... Stepping inside, he scanned the surroundings, looking for the small protocol droid, but found nothing. Fyston must have picked up DS-PO too. For a man who tried to hard to be apathetic, the hastiness in which Fyston had acted betrayed him. Despite how detached and bitter Fyston had become, he still loved Della deeply, and right now, that was a blessing, not a curse. Smirking faintly, Rhonun turned and made his way to the hangar at long last.

Rhonun's ship, like the Cathar himself, was large and bulky. It was a blockade runner class, endowed with heavy armor plating, a powerful shield generator, and more than a few blasters and missiles. Stepping up the loading ramp with heavy footfalls, the Knight started to make his preparations. Transferring the galactic coordinates from Sebastian's message to his ship's nav-computer, he performed a full systems check to make sure everything was fueled, charged, and ready. With everything in order, Rhonun took the controls in hand and engaged the engines, hovering out of the hangar at a controlled speed, rising above the training grounds and forest before cranking the engines in to high gear and flew towards the heavens. Blue sky quickly gave way to the dark mantle of space, and once Rhonun was a safe distance away from Tython's magnetic pull, hey slammed on the hyperdrive, catapulting the ship towards the coordinates Sebastian had given. Rhonun had put the pieces together quite quickly. It was Sacul, that was the only plausible answer. Della and Sebastian had gone to Sacul, and they needed help.

With the ship passed the event horizon and now hurdling though space at the speed of light, Rhonun could prepare. He kept robes, cloaks, and capes, along with the remainer of his armor, in a small closet just outside of his room. The journey would take some time, and Rhonun's heart was pumping too fast for him to consider catching any sleep. Standing from his chair, Rhonun moved to the center of the ship and went to his knees, his buttocks resting on his heels as he resigned himself to the Force in meditation. His aura was more powerful than his physical presence, and he let his consciousness wander through the Force, letting it flow through him and douse the fires of his heart and mind. Della was going to be fine. He was coming to protect her, and he would not permit any ill to befall her again, not at the hands of the Sith, her own people, or even the Jedi. As he meditated, a low growl from his chest seemed to vibrate through the entire ship's interior.

Time was lost to him as he drifted through the darkness of space, his mind floating on tides of the Force's Light. He was brought back to the material world when his nav-computer beeped, alerting him that he would be exiting hyperspace in twenty minutes. Rising from his kneeling position, Rhonun moved to his closet, sliding open the door across from where Fyston was hiding. Opening his armor case, Rhonun removed his obi and belt, stripping himself bare above the waist. Pulling the one sleeved Armorweave obi from his clothing rack, the same black-and-gray coloration, and pulled it on. He hated the sleeves. They were tight around his shoulders and upper arms, and even his upper forearms, and he was not not of it in the slightest. Slipping black letharis gloves over his hands, Rhonun strapped on his gauntlets, made from the same material most GA troopers' armor was constructed from. It could stop low grade blaster fire and most solid projectile rounds that were man-portable. Greaves were strapped on to his boots, of the same material. Clipping the cross-chest strap of his shoulder protector and saberstaff scabbard over his right shoulder. Clipping his belt and kamas back on, Rhonun slid the door in front of Fyston back, grabbing a dense, black, Armorweave cape with a hood. Removing the cape, Rhonun saw something stuffed in the back of the closet. Throwing back the other robes and capes, Rhonun saw Fyston there, crammed in the back like the little stowaway he was.

"Hello Fyston." Rhonun said calmly, his face and eyes portraying no surprise at all, but a small smirk touched his face. "I must say, this makes everything easier. I don't need to wait around for you to rendezvous with me on-world. I am not as skilled at sitting and waiting as you are." Rhonun grabbed Fyston by the collar and pulled him out of the closet and in to the main hall of the ship, tossing the cripples cane to him. With a lull and shift in gravity, the ship came out of hyperspace, the undiscovered gem that was Sacul snapping in to view. Taking a seat at the pilots chair, Rhonun brought the ship in at half engine impulse once it entered the usual sensor range. There was no knowing what was going wrong on Sacul, but if Sebastian needed help, it was probably the Sith. Bringing the ship in, he found a clearing in a forest on the plains, and dropped the ship vertically. Lowering the landing gear and the ramp, Rhonun locked the controls with an encryption code that would randomize every 150 seconds. Looking Fyston in the eye, Rhonun pulled his hood up over his head, concealing his eyes, then pulling up a scarf to hide his face below the eyes. The only exposed part of Rhonun's skin around his eyes, and those could only be seen by getting under his hood. If Della was anything to go by, her people were skittish, and seeing a massive feline-humanoid would work against all of them at this point. Right now, he looked the most human he had ever looked in his life.

Descending the ramp, Rhonun waited for Fyston to follow before closing the loading ramp and locking it. Scanning the forest with the eyes of a predator and a hunter, he watched for any movement while his Senses fanned out. Creatures of varying sized moved about, stopping and sniffing the air before moving on, paying no mind to the troubles of sentients. Closing his eyes, Rhonun drew heavily upon the Force now. He knew Della would be masking her Light, and Sebastian would be concealing himself much like she would. The Sith were looking for her, and she needed to remain hidden. Still, Rhonun and Della shared a connection beyond that of even the Force, and he found her. Using Force Track, a trail of faint light appeared before him, guiding him to her.

"This way," he waved to Fyston, "try and keep up." Rhonun would have said that to anyone in the current situation, but a pang of guilt hit Rhonun as he forgot about Fyston's gimp leg. The speederbikes would draw too much attention and the forest was dense enough to make navigating them a challenge, even for a Jedi. That left Rhonun with one option, and it had a bonus of probably annoying Fyston to no end. "Com here." Rhonun said, picking the Knight up by nape of his collar and placed him on Rhonun's own back. Taking off at a dead run, hunched low like the predator he was, Rhonun sped across the forest floor, becoming a blur that quickly blended in to the darkness of the dying day. Breaking out of the forest and dashing in to the Plains, Rhonun kept low, his blurred shadow would look like little more than a large beast moving through the bushes at a distance, and Rhonun doubted any of the people on Sacul had any kind of heat-detection scopes.

After a time of running, Fyston was beginning to get heavy on Rhonun's shoulders, even with his ironclad willpower blocking out the majority of the fatigue. His ears flicked as they picked up speech and he came to a stop, crouching down in the tall grass. Four wheel drive vehicles and their loud, coughing engines, and the muffled voices of men conversing, one figure, too cloaked by night to make out, was on watch. Rhonun started to move again, slowly at first so that he would not alert the man on watch, should he be a Sith and possess the power of Force Sense. Once comfortably outside the range of even Force empowered senses, Rhonun took off at a full run again. Twilight had faded and given way to the full of night, and it was then Rhonun and Fyston reached Della's village. He could feel her through the Force as if his hand had brushed hers, and he hoped that she could fell him too. Still, Rhonun stopped when he heard people yelling at him in Snamreg, followed by the cocking of rifles. Setting Fyston down, Rhonun raised his hands over his head. He figured he would be distrusted due to his heavily concealed appearance.

"Fyston," Rhonun murmured to his fellow Jedi, "Get DS-PO. Carefully. Don't give them a reason to shoot." Looking ahead, Rhonun tried his tongue at Snamreg,

"<No shot. Friend!>" he said, trying so hard to not let the natural growl of his Catharese accent touch his words. "<Della friend. Here helping.>" By the stars, I must sound like a complete imbecile..., Rhonun thought to himself. Reaching out through the Force, he attempted to touch Della's mind. He could feel the Plainsfolk sentries getting angsty and confused. No Snamreg adult would speak like that unless one of the infamous creatures there ate half his head, or something.

"Della, It is Rhonun. I am outside the town with Fyston and DS-PO, but the hospitality of your people is more than underwhelming..." Rhonun communicated telepathically with Della through the Force, or at least he attempted to. She was shielding herself, and it may not get through. Still, she knew his aura just as he knew hers, and he hoped that would be enough to draw her out before anyone depressed a trigger.