Returning to Sacul

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

It was clear they were arguing, and Della's words went largely ignored if only because he already knew what she was saying. Call it 'male intuition' or 'carelessness,' but her words were as natural to him as Revitalize. Her emotions still pulsed through the room unhindered, though they were quite separate of the Force which would allow this to happen. He only opened his eyes when Della shouted an outburst he couldn't understand. His own name in Saculean speech was largely unrecognizable and he couldn't tell they were speaking of him at the moment. Still, he touched her gently to indicate that she should be calm, though she knew this already. Of course they'd be suspicious, or at least one of them. Such was the way of a human, regardless of where they they were born and unto whom.

The sound of his name in the foreign tongue easily caught his attention the fifth time, however. The woman started listing off names, apparently those within the room. His eyes kept on he woman, glancing shortly to those she gestured to. He hardly bowed his head in a sense of respect, though it was clear the current situation was far outside his comfort. Still, his ability to keep solid and sound was impressive. The woman's words were like water along the harsh sounds of Della's native tongue. It was almost a different language coming from this woman and he could understand her much deeper than the words she spoke after this initial introduction. He was pleased someone felt obliged to introduce him to those who showed courtesy to his presence which was probably more than intimidating if only because he was strange and unknown to them.

More strange language was exchanged until the man, Della's father, Johnathan, gestured for him to follow. Della's idea of trapping him within this house was instantly foolish in his mind. Still, he listened and looked. The doors were large and heavy, made of metal. The other holes out of the morgue weren't easily discernible. Still, the sight within the dark room was mortifying. Sebastian remained stiff and emotionless, but understood that this was at the hand of the Sith. There may have only been a few. Still, these were current bodies and he could only imagine how many more there were piled into the ground, or how much ash was actually of human remains, or wherever the bodies were currently located as he knew not of the customs of treating the dead. Regardless, the talk of trapping, subduing, and even killing a single Sith was hopeless and could even be amusing to some.

He touched her shoulder once more as she confessed her concern for the threat they were to encounter soon enough. This admission of deep emotion was coupled by a sharp tug at his mind. The Force whispered to him of a Sith nearby, preparing for an attack, meditating on how to kill, or whatever it was doing within the night. It was quite far away, but large. This was quickly expelled from his mind and turned to his Apprentice. Now the rolls fell into a proper conduct between the two. The Light flickered from him and into her if only to show how powerful she was and how resilient her mind was and that such a concern was absurd, if not for him, but for her alone.

"I don't feel this house is enough to contain a Sith. We'll have to do more than contain him in that room. There's no doubt he'll quickly become violent when he learns of your plans and crumble this building. Instead of attempting such a feeble tactic, perhaps it's best to perform some guerrilla tactics upon their troops. With the two of us, we'd be more than enough for a single Sith." He paused. Perhaps he wished to keep her childhood home in tact as an act of sentiment. But something familiar had neared. "We have numbers they have no chance of defending against," he uttered quietly, more quietly than before. Their personal dialogue may have been suspicious, but it'd bring hope to them as soon as she learned who was now among them. It mattered little if they'd be welcomed or not. They'd do their duty in spite of the encouragement of these few people. The actions of the Jedi would be more than enough to sway their hearts.

 

[TweedPawn]

Arn couldn't help but feel some form of shock at Reichtum's plans. What could be said to that? These vile men were truly disgusting. Arn never believed in this childish stories of rabbits and hounds, but he could not bring himself to view others as mere toys to be discarded.

Arn obediently walked to a place to tinker with some crude machinery when he passed by a secretary's desk. Odd, usually it was staffed. There was a note on the desk with a wax seal of an elk. He quickly opened the note and started reading it.

Circle, circle
smoke chases the sun
knowledge stolen from sealed lips
he never learned

circle, circle
jewels stolen cut their thieves' hands
the rabbits bite the dog
they never learn

what has happened before
is happening again.

Arn's mouth dropped. Prince Blackelk's spies were here somehow! This was a security breach! How long ago did this happen? The secretary! He had served this office since the Sith took control! How long had he waited to deliver this letter and how did Reichtum not notice?


Arn pocketed the letter. Was it a threat? A warning? The Prince had little reason to ally himself with the Sith since the assassination attempt that failed spectacularly. He would show it to Reichtum another time when the Sith wasn't preoccupied.

-----
Della could feel calmness and focus flow into her. She looked at his amber eyes that burned like the quiet flames that she often saw within her master. She smiled at him, to show that she understood. Her mind was focused as she listened to Sebastian's words. She was already thinking of an alternative solution when she was interrupted.

Her father suddenly coughed and stared at her intensely. Della would have to explain her and Sebastian's relationship a little more thoroughly. Not at this moment, though.

There was a voice in her. It was Rhonun. She suddenly stood alert and could sense that he was close by.

"We will have to plan this out later. Rhonun is here..." she gave a concerned expression.

"He's outside of town...that's a thirty minute trip by foot. <Daddy,->

The telephone in the parlor suddenly rang. Johnathan went to answer it but Della cut in front of him to answer it. She started talking and fussing in her language. There was a raised voice on the phone and Della's voice was stern enough to imply authority.

She hung up on the phone and argued with her father for fifteen minutes before Johnathan sighed and simply hugged his daughter.

Della turned to Sebastian.

"Crisis averted. Rhonun and Fyston had run into some Snamreg, but I was able to convince the scouts to bring them here." Della sighed before continuing.

"Apparently, my parent's house has become one of the bases for the soldiers to gather and plan...Oh Sebastian, we need to come up with something. We may risk the Sith escaping if we can't trap him or immobilizing him somehow."

 

[Black Noise]

Nor- no, Lain Derimsa strode through the halls of the Sith temple on Korriban. As a Mandalorian, she was Nora Kummitus, but here, in the temple of those that housed her father for so long, she was Lain Derimsa; the sole daughter of former Warmaster Darth Exilis. Lain wore 'casual clothes,' as in, a white, sleeveless tee under a black jacket three sizes too big and an ankle length brown skirt. Her hair, longer on one tied up lock, fell across her forehead and often brushed into her face, not that she minded that. At her hips were two Lightsabers. One was newly made with a hilt wrapped in cloth and carried a sickly yellow blade, the other was an electrum, blood red Lightsaber, her father's.

She had become very, very interested in Geist Weiss recently, and had come to Korriban to learn of him. Learn she did, and she was about to act on her learning when she found a datapad lying outside the hallway of Geist's master quarters in the Sith Temple. It had an unread message for him.
She swiped it.
The message was something about needing help at a planet on coordinates Lain had only heard of once before, from a very good friend. So, before leaving, she quickly hacked into the Sith archives and searched for Sacul, but didn't find it. Erasing all records of her search and accessing, she headed outside.

She entered into her new ship, the Trandoshan's Bane -she left the Iron Maiden back on Ruusan- and took off, headed for those coordinates. While in Hyperspace, Lain sat and decided to focus on a power she had ignored for a very, very long time. Her Precognition. The girl glanced into the possible future, focusing in on it's hazy window to see through to the possibilities. Yet, nothing surfaced. Growling, she focused yet again, recalling the words of wisdom from her father's hologram.

'Focus not on your inner being, as you have been taught, but on the fabric of the Force itself. Look at its interwoven pattern, like a never ending spiderweb, and grasp the nearest strand. It is you -your future- that you reach out to. Connect with it, with the entire web of the Force itself. Then, you will force your precognition to surface. Also, when looking to the future, you must first accept that whatever you see may not happen. The future is constantly changing, and every glance we take will be different. The only things certain are those that appear consistently. A major event, a death, the arrival of friends. These are consistent, and consistency aids the Force User.'

Breathing a sigh of thanks to her dead father, Lain tried again. This time, thankfully, she was rewarded with success. For the next few hours of hyperspace, she meditated on her precognition and refreshed herself through the Force. In addition, at one point she also stopped to look up a random power of her father's, beast taming. Something told her that she'd need to know the very basic rudiments of reaching out to calm beasts nearby down. While she seriously doubted she'd be able to actually tame a beast, being able to calm a raging one with the Force would be a useful power.

Then she arrived.

The freighter set down in a massive field of grass on the plains, the massive landing gear slowly digging into the unplowed dirt. Her Pilot droid turned and spoke curtly.
"A perfect landing Miss Derimsa, but I must ask, why have you chosen to come here?"
Patting the thing on the head, she grinned and replied.
"Vacation."
Lain could've sworn the droid rolled the lights in his photoreceptors as he replied.
"Ah yes. Sogar often went on these 'vacations.' Please don't come back like him."
Crooking her head, she asked.
"How did father come back?"
"Half-dead with a massive body count usually."

Shaking her head and dropping out the cargo hold, she called back.
"I'll try not to rack up a large body count."
She stuck her hands in her jacket pockets then and headed off. Stopping for the moment, she bent down and reached out her hand to a small flower. Her skin all over her body was rougher than sandpaper, she could possibly burn someone if she gripped a human's soft skin and ran her hand along their arm. Brushing her wrinkled fingers across the flower, she sighed. Her skin was so thick and rough she couldn't feel the flower, but that was ok. Better to be able to tough out a heavy wound than feel a flower in her hand. Thinking, she wondered what Della must have felt upon seeing her skin and rough face for the first time. Must have been weird. She wondered how the people here would react, after all, they were Della's people.

Turning, she headed not for the city the coordinates pointed to, but rather to the place she saw in her precognition. A consistent, a small city with Della in it. She didn't know anything else about the city, just that there we're many people, and Della. Walking towards it, she grinned. She would arrive in less than an hour. This was gonna be fun.

 

[Fyston]

Fyston was pretty sure that Rhonun enjoyed intentionally screwing with him. What the Cathar didn't realize, though, was that Fyston was quite good at not getting offended or otherwise responding to such attempts, a mix of his past personality and the fact that he screwed with people for fun. Plus, he even got a free ride! Halfway through, though, Fyston couldn't help but smile at the thought of using his cane to disrupt Rhonun, though restrained himself. After all, Rhonun would heal if his leg broke and it would also affect Fyston. He liked creating issues, but breaking his neck because Rhonun tripped and fell at high speeds wasn't a good idea of fun.

When they stopped, Fyston could hear shouts and what seemed to be commands. He watched as Rhonun raised his hands and couldn't help but chuckle. When Rhonun mentioned DS-PO, however, Fyston simply sighed. "They don't like our technology, you idiot," he said simply. "Rather taken back at gun point than thought to be one of the Sith." And, without a second glance, Fyston stepped out from the underbrush and hobbled closer to the men, who appeared to be holding what looked like slugthrowers. Thinking back to what little Snamreg he knew, he spoke. "<Hello. Fyston,>" he said as he pointed to himself. "<No harm, yes? Peace.>"

In response, one of the smaller, skinnier fellows spoke rapidly with his counterparts and rushed off, though Fyston couldn't make out anything. The other two, however, raised their guns and pointed them at his face. His hand twitched ever so slightly, small enough that only Rhonun would be able to notice it. He had to think of something other than the fact that there were two guns, however primitive, pointed at his face. It was only by leaning his full weight on his cane that he managed to avoid doing anything stupid, though that didn't stop his mind from playing what he would do, which involved a few broken ribs and two unconscious people laying on the ground, their rifles still clutched in their hands.

It was a very short time later when the skinnier sentry rushed back, his legs propelling him quickly to his comrades. Again, they spoke, though they kept their guns pointed at the human. When they finished their fervent conversation, they begrudgingly ceased aiming at him and lowered their weapons. The Knight motioned to Rhonun and, shrugging his bag back on his shoulder, began following the lead sentry back while the other two maintained some distance behind them.

Exactly twenty-eight minutes later, Fyston could see the individuals inside what looked to be like a particularly large home. They seemed to be wrapped up in their business, though Fyston couldn't care any less. Walking up to the door, he twisted the primitive knob only to discover that it was locked. He looked back at Rhonun for a fraction of a second before taking three steps to the left, prime positioning for what he had in mind.

Bringing up his cane, Fyston slammed it through the pane of glass, which promptly broke with a crack. Using the cane to clear away the glass, Fyston reached his arm in and twisted the lock, unlocking the door. He waited until he had opened the door and stepped inside before smiling, though looked at both Della and Sebastian first. "I'm sorry. Did I say no? No means yes." It could be taken many ways, though he looked around at everyone before motioning to the glass. "Next time, don't leave your door unlocked."

 

[StormWolf]

Rhonun remained tense and taut, his gloved hands held up, away from any weapons. He was expecting this. According to Della, her people were always cautious, and in a time of war, such feelings would only be amplified, and with good reason. He let Fyston's words roll off of his shoulder, not placing any weight on any of what he said. In fact, Rhonun allowed himself to chuckle deeply as they were escorted by the Snamreg patrol. Despite feeling the fire of the hunt in his veins, Rhonun was calm as he could be.

"Me, the idiot? Have you seen what you are wearing?" Rhonun chuckled from behind his scarf, muffling his deep and gravelly voice. Other than that, the way in to town was silent. The Plainsfolk Rhonun saw looked tired and hungry, downtrodden by the hardships and suffering brought by the Sith. Many women had the stains of constant tears upon their cheeks. When they saw the man with the cane and the black-cloaked figure enter their town under armed guard, they scattered, mothers grabbing children and darting towards their homes. Rhonun sighed and shook his head. He could feel the broken spirits of these people as if he was stepping on shards of glass with is bare feet, feeling their pain cut in to him. He was sad for them, and not just because of his attachment to Della. No civilization should be subject to such torture of the soul, having hope dangling in front of them, but always out of reach so that they may truly know despair. Though that was why they were all here, to give the Snamreg a hope that they could hold on to and to serve as the instrument of their liberation.

Rhonun was torn from his thoughts by Fyston shattering the glass of the house, letting himself in. "You did that, knowing you would replace it, yes? What is wrong with knocking? Afraid you'll break your hand too?" Rhonun glowered, stepping inside after Fyston, ducking his head and hunching his shoulders to fit through the doorway. Entering the center room where everyone was residing, Rhonun locked eyes with Della. He was smiling a reassuring smile at her, but she could not see it due to the concealed nature of his face. Still, he looked her in the eyes, and there was a softness in those amber-gold iris' that only Della knew.

"I told you I'd be by your side whenever you needed me." he said warmly, his voice deep and low, a subtle rumble in his chest that he could not hide. "We came as soon as we were able, and by we, I mean I." Rhonun growled and elbowed Fyston in the ribs. Looking over to Sebastian, Rhonun bowed in respect to the man. They two of them had buried the hatchet in their differences, and while they were still greatly different in their approach to things, Rhonun did not resent the man as he once did many years ago. Rhonun would call the man friend, if their friendship was mostly business. Still, Rhonun would put his back to Sebastian and Fyston and fight to the end with them, if there was no other way.

The Cathar's gaze turned then to the other Snamreg in the room, the older couple Rhonun assumed was Della's parents. He could feel the same initial distrust from them as he had when they approached the Snamreg perimeter. "Della, I do believe some introductions are in order, at least while DS-PO configures our comlinks to translate Snamreg." Rhonun looked to Fyston, nodding at him to put DS-PO to the task.

"We also saw some trucks and a groups of what looked like soldiers entering the plains. They did not look like your people, Della. Whatever plans you have, I hope they are ready to be put to the test. A storm is coming." Rhonun hooked his thumbs on his belt, his hands framing the roaring lion head buckle we wore.

 

[TweedPawn]

Della could sense the presence of her friends, and the presence of something else. She blinked in confusion, but focused on the immediate visitors that were now approaching.

"<Come on, my friends will be here soon, Daddy> Della motioned for both men to follow her back to the burrow to where her mother was cleaning dishes and the two other men were dissembling and cleaning guns.

"<Mom, two more friends are coming. Try not to be frightened. They might look a little rough, but they mean well.>" said Della. To be honest, she really couldn't speak for Fyston. If there was ever a person that constantly tempted her to anger, it was him. He had become bitter after Della chose Rhonun. Della tried so hard to show Fyston that she still cared for him, but it only seem to make him more bitter.

"< Are they friends from that monastery?>" Claude asked. Della nodded in response. There was a bit of tension in the room even though everyone began to get lost in menial chores. Della's father started to sit back in a chair and tinker with a mechanical device, her friends were cleaning guns, and Elle was just finishing up cleaning the kitchen. Della asked her mother a question and after a few questions, her mother nodded and gave a final response.

"Sebastian, come see." said Della as she led Sebastian to a set of drawers built into the wall of the burrow. Della pulled out the bottom one. It was filled with various trinkets that a child might own as well as a few articles of clothing. Della took a moment to look at a few objects in the drawer before pulling out a set of clothes. She opened another drawer and pulled out a second set of clothes. She gave these to Sebastian.

"It would go over better if you were dressed like us." Della said with a gentle smile. "We have a guest room and my parent's room. For the love of divines, don't let anyone see you shirtless. We're very modest folk. These used to belong to my Uncle. He was a tall glass of water like you." she gave the larger set to Sebastian.

She went to go change into her native clothing. A rush of bitter-sweet came to her. It felt wonderful to change into her native clothes just like she used to. Flower patterns, then nation patterns, and then family patterns. Three layers, just as the plains people have always done. She had finished putting on the outermost layer when she heard a crash and a scream.

Shouts were heard from her family and she rushed into the main room of the burrow to see Rhonun and Fyston enter. Della felt her face go red from annoyance at Fyston. Why in the Divines would he do that? Didn't he know how skittish her people were? They could have been shot!

"<HAVE YOU GONE THARN?!>" she shouted. She tended to shout in her language when she was livid. She nearly walked up to Fyston to give him a slap across the face when Rhonun's gentle eyes calmed her down. Della was still cross. She could barely speak now. Her family and friends were now on alert with their pistols drawn and ready to fire. They only stopped because of Della.

Then Rhonun suggested introductions. Della's ears were hot. Logically, She wanted to, but she was more hot-headed than she had ever felt in her life.

"<Fine! Rhonun. Fyston. Elle Frey. Johnathan Frey. Geoffrey and Claude.>" she pointed at each person in a terse manner. She saw Sebastian and gave a snort along with a foot stomp. The thump echoed through the burrow.

"You deal with them, Sebastian. Get those comlinks programmed and start talking to my family. I'm going to my parent's room." She growled and slammed the door behind her. She never heard the warnings from Rhonun.

She fell into her parent's bed and buried her face in the pillows. She started to breathe in and out slowly to try to calm her mind. Stupid Fyston...still a stupid boy after all of this time.


DS-PO blinked and whirred when she as activated. The Snamreg in the room gave a gasp and pointed their pistols at the droid.

"<Divines have mercy, what IS that?>" said Elle as she backed into the wall.

"<Who cares? Isn't it obvious at this point? They're sorcerers! The whole lot of them. And Della too!>" Growled Geoffrey.

"<Don't you DARE accuse my daughter of such darkness! Listen here, boy. They haven't killed us yet. Any sorcerer would have flayed us alive by now to set us as an example. Not only that but Claude would have sensed something too.>" barked Johnathan.

"<They're funny. I'll give you that. But I don't get the predator feeling from them like I do when I sense Sorcerers. They're here to help...But I don't know how they could.>" spoke Claude.

"<I could help, I am fully educated on galactic relations and cultures surrounding Snamreg language, breath, and expression.>" replied DS-PO in a perky manner that brimmed with optimism.

"<What in Tharn?!>" yelped Geoffrey. He looked like he could jump out of his skin. Claude gave a stomp with his foot as his face went pale as a sheet. Elle covered her mouth in shock and disbelief. Johnathan froze like a statue.

"<I believe the freezing of the body and the foot stomp is a warning sign! Oh no! Where is it coming from?>" DS-PO started looking around frantically.

"<Calm down! Everyone!>" Elle panted. She needed to hear it herself. She approached the strange mechanical human.

"<What...ARE you?"

"<I am DS-PO. Protocol Droid of Snamreg relations. Created for Della by Yuunda to help her learn languages.>" DS-PO said as she was linked to the com devices.

"<I see...what is this 'droid', you speak of?>"

"<Um, well, it's any sort of mechanically made artificial intelligence. Like me.>"

"<Okay...It seems self aware. I have heard of the concept of artificial intelligence back when I used to sneak into the universities.>" Elle said to the men.

By then the comlinks were fully uploaded with Snamreg.

"<Artificial Intelligence?>" asked Johnathan.

"<Yes, the idea that you can create a mechanical object to think on its own. It started off as philosophy to explain our own way of thinking. It's quite amazing. >" Elle sighed. She started reflecting on the roles of women in her society and became grateful for a husband that supported her bucking those traditions.

"<I never heard of it thought in that way. Quite interesting. Using Droids to explain human behavior.>" said DS-PO. She turned to the Jedi.

"The comlinks are ready. Just turn them on and try them out."

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

He didn't wish to speak. He was still trying to understand what was going on and what they should possibly do. He looked deaf to Della, but he was fully aware, his stony expression lingering and hardening much to its original coarseness. He followed obediently to the next room and watched her shuffle around and pick out some clothes. He nodded and she left. The burrow was dark but cool. He'd forgotten about how prudish her people and wondered how they weren't so put off by his sleeveless arms. Perhaps his garbs in general were too odd for them to take notice of his exposed skin. However, it was more likely that they were concerned with Della's presence at all among them. He started to strip and don the clothing of the Plainsfolk.

It was clear the man was tall, but Sebastian's body was clearly larger, stretching the breath-full clothes. No wonder she didn't feel so uncomfortable until we reached Cularin. He had on the simple brown trousers and a single shirt which covered half of his upper harm and just met the waist of the brown. It was an off-white with the odd zig-zagging pattern, triangular, around the collar and sleeves. His chest poked through the thin fabric and it may have been unsightly for some others, but the sounds of intrusion sounded and he rushed to see what it was. He only arrived to a shouting Della with a guilty Fyston and Rhonun at the door.

"Keep calm, Della," he whispered to her as she left, but now she had become deaf with frustration. Certainly their behavior toward each other had to do something with the relationships which were crafted and then disassembled over time. He felt little sympathy for Della's embarrassment for she'd created this situation herself. She was the one who called for their assistance. Her permitted her fit only to use it as a lesson at a later time. First, however, they had to do something about this unfortunate gathering of aliens and primitives.

The natives acquainted themselves with the droid. Sebastian fidgeted with the gadget, looking over at Fyston and Rhonun and their manner of dealing with the contraption. He had no affinity for their current technology, establishing himself as a true hermit or vagabond, it seemed. Still, he placed it on his ear, immediately finding the intrusion to his bare ear to be an aggravation. He looked around as the device crackled and sparked in his ear. He winced and flinched slightly as these strange noises while he looked around the room with a new light of comprehension cast upon the crowd. He bowed slightly as if it was the first time meeting them. "<Hello, I am Sebastian Solborne from the planet Tython. I am part of the New Jedi Order, along with my fellow Jedi here, as well as your daughter, Della.>" He looked around at all of them when he described the woman, as if they were all her fathers and mother. Certainly they could tell this was an accident and that the man was only nervous to be able to communicate with them all.

He looked at the other two, just as tall and imposing, if not more, than himself. He hoped their demeanors would calm them as they should be calm, but he suspected this would not happen and prepared to jump to someone's defense.

 

[Fyston]

Fyston felt more out of place here than he did when he first joined the Jedi, though he honestly couldn't care less. He was torn between wanting to leave and wanting to stay, each having their own merits in his mind. He kept silent, however, until DS-PO was mentioned, when he dropped his heavy bag on the floor, causing a loud thunk to emanate from the floorboards. He withdrew DS-PO without a word and collected everyone's comlinks before connecting them to the droid.

While DS-PO introduced itself, Fyston muttered under his breath at Rhonun. "I am afraid that I might break my hand. I'll need it later, after all, and I don't want to exhaust myself by healing it." He then thought to Della, who had yelled at him to no effect. He couldn't care less what she thought, and she was quite funny when she was angry. It was with a smile that he waved after her when she stormed upstairs.

As soon as the comlinks were done, he grabbed one and slipped another into his sleeve, where it remained hidden until he reached back into his bag, where he stuffed it under the medical supplies. One was Della's, though nobody would be able to tell until the need arose that he had taken it. He slipped the ear piece over his right ear and smiled at them all once Sebastian was done speaking. He pointed his cane upstairs, where Della had gone. "<I'm Fyston and I'm a friend of your idiot. Also, I'm not replacing your window. That would be stupid.>"

With one hand, he picked up his bag and tossed it onto a nearby sofa, following it by leaping onto it. With a creak of springs, he landed with his head and neck near the far armrest, his feet over the other. "<I'm sure you don't mind. I am a cripple, after all. In fact, he was the one who crippled me,>" said Fyston as he pointed his cane at Rhonun. "<Do you have anything to do? I don't want to run through my collection of Twi'leks in one day, though the fact that everyone would be watching is also deterring me.>"

 

[TweedPawn]

The group of Snamreg froze and all turned their attention to Sebastian when he spoke. They looked like startled rabbits, but they did not quite have the same frightened response as they did with the droid. The men turned to Elle. Elle swallowed and stepped forward gently towards Sebastian and the others. She appeared as a diplomat, though an uncertain one.

"<I am Elle Frey. We have many questions for you.>" she said. The men looked at the Jedi from behind Elle, they began to assemble their guns quickly and clear off the dining table.

After Fyston insulted Della, Johnathan growled and reached to grab Fyston by the shirt to throw him off of the couch.

"<You will NOT insult MY daughter in MY house! Do you understand, jedi? You sound more like an arrogant Skagrit than any tribe I know of. What is a damned Jedi or a New Order anyhow? Is that your tribe? Della would never forsake the Horse Nation!>" Johnathan had a wild look to his eyes. He squared his body and stood on his tip toes like a boxer ready for a fight.

"<Johnathan..shuuu. We'll deal with the boy later. I am afraid we have never known of the New Order, Or the Jedi tribe. I'm afraid we have never heard of the possibility of another planet having intelligent lifeform. You see, Skagrit scientist have proven the concept to be impossible. The odds of a planet being like ours and being found are not favorable. Is the Country of the New Order and the Jedi tribe from this Tython? Della said you were monks. That is all. She certainly never told us that she forsake our people for yours.>" said Elle gently.

She had the same air of wilderness around her. While Johnathan was more like an animal, Elle seemed to reflect a gentle stream or a soft wind. She was intelligent, but it seemed used to being buried by tradition and social mores. Her eyes fell to Rhonun. She locked eyes with the Cathar and seemed confused.

"<Are the Sorcerers from your Nation of the New Order?>"

 

[StormWolf]

Rhonun stood still and silent while the group degenerated all around him in to a fit of shouting. As expected, Fyston was the instigator. For insulting Della, Rhonun owed him a hearty smack upside the head. For blatantly causing such disrespect to their host, he would earn a closed fist for that smack. For now, behaving such a way would only make the situation degrade in to near infantile squabbling. Rhonun snapped his head to Johnathan and the confrontation with Fyston. Raising his right heel, Rhonun stopped the ground with a loud bang rather than the usual thump, mostly due to Rhonun's weight and the metal plating on the heel of his boot.

"<Enough of this! Both of you.>" Rhonun spoke with a deep and rolling voice, a growl quickly following his speech, "<Fyston, behave your age for once in your life.>" Rhonun said lowly, shooting Fyston a stern glance from under his hood. "<Johnathan, My name is Rhonun, you daughter and I are very close. Her actions over the years have spoken for themselves. You know your daughter, and the words of others do not change who she is. Leave the boy alone. Deprive him of attention and he will be quiet soon enough.>" Nodding to Johnathan, keeping his eyes hidden from the man, Rhonun turned then to face Elle, Della's mother. Hooking his thumbs on his belt, Rhonun offered a polite bow to the woman, locking eyes with her reluctantly, hoping that the shadow of his hood kept their finer details hidden away.

"<No, madame, they are not. The Jedi, or monks, as you call us, are servants of life. We do not kill unless we must. We are keepers of peace and seekers of knowledge. These 'sorerers' are our antithesis. They seek to control through cruelty and fear. Our conflict with them has been raging ever so far as any history can recall. I am sorry that their darkness has touched your home.... Now, about the jeeps and the armed men..." Rhonun referenced what he said before, folding his thick arms over his chest. There were more urgent matters to be addressed. Explanations and reprimands can be handed out at a later time, when doom is not looming over the town like a thunderhead.

 

[TweedPawn]

Elle listened very carefully. The men that stood by her appeared to wait her next move. Even Geoffrey, who was clearly the most hotheaded of the group, had patience and seemed very much like the quiet Claude next to him.

Elle looked at the Jedi Monks. She had to trust them. Claude had a sense about this sort of thing and he had remained calm. He was easy to read and would never hide his terror if he sensed real danger. When Rhonun spoke again, however, her countenance became very pale.

"<You were tracked? How many where there? This is not good. Della said that one of the Sorcerers were following her and Sebastian. We had expected the Red Devil, but not an army. >" she confessed.

"<We have motoroil, gasoline, bottles, and rags. That'll prevent the trucks from getting too close. We'll need riflemen to deal with the Skagrit.>" said Johnathan, much calmer than he was before.

"<It's the Red Devil we need to trap. There's an entire morgue of men that have tried fighting him. He is like a badger, stupid but dangerous. >" said Claude. The other Snamreg nodded in agreement.

"<I'll go on horseback tonight and get reinforcements.>" volunteered Geoffrey.

"<Too loud, you'll attract cats at this hour.>" objected Elle.

"<and if I am killed, a screaming horse will certainly be noticed. I am a skilled enough horseman to avoid too much trouble. " Geoffrey looked at his knife made from black glass somberly. He looked at everyone. The black knife shined like a fang.

"<If the hound calls my name tonight, bring my Houndstooth to my Dearest.>" he said somberly. He began to back some equipment and walked cautiously out the door. There was a gallop of hooves shortly afterwards and the night became silent again.

"<So, you Jedi Monks have tricks for dealing with these folk?>" Elle asked.

 

[Fyston]

Even as Johnathan approached him, Fyston merely smiled. He hadn't even been here ten minutes and already he knew what buttons to push. Normally, it wouldn't be that special, but on an unknown planet with people he'd never interacted with, it was quite a feat. It would make his life easier, as he wouldn't have to play such a guessing game. Plus, it would ensure that he had quite a few laughs later.

Fyston couldn't help but mimic Rhonun as he stomped his foot down, thumping his cane down as hard as he could on the floor. Rather than the bang of Rhonun's foot or the thump of any light item dropping onto the floor, a *crack* issued from the floorboards, indicative of the damage to the floorboards. He even mimicked Rhonun's glare, pretending to look angry and intimidating.

He waited, though, for everyone to stop talking before he spoke. After all, interrupting their riveting talks of idiocy regarding getting reinforcements would be no fun. If they wanted to waste manpower and time getting other idiots to use as blaster fodder, Fyston wouldn't interrupt. He would stop said blaster fodder from becoming casualties, though if their hosts wanted to send the message that they didn't care, Fyston didn't mind. "You're right," he said as he looked at Rhonun. "Ignoring me has always helped in the past. I do love the fact that everyone is ignoring the fact that Kitty crippled me. Besides, Rhonun is well trained not to chase modes of transportation. His feline instincts, however, do not keep him from inherent stupidity. It's unfortunate, really, that even his Jedi training couldn't eliminate such an ingrained ability. Tell them about your blood hunts, my furry friend. Oh, and don't even play off your relationship with Della," he chastised, turning his head to Johnathan and Elle. "They're more than friends, that much is certain." As he finished, he allowed a wry smile to cross his face, indicative that there was more than he let on.

The man swung his legs around and placed them on the hardwood floors. "I swear. There's no rest for a cripple. You would have thought that people had more respect for us, but I'm not really able to solve your attacker problem. Something about my leg and whatnot. Maybe that's why I have the cane. Oh, and by idiots I mean the armed men." Standing, he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Once we're all done here, I'll go take a stroll about the garden. And no, I don't mean I'm going to go view my Twi'lek collection."

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

Fyston had obviously fallen from the Light, which was something Sebastian was all too familiar with. He breathed deeply, hoping to stay calm as Fyston provoked and prodded Della's family into aggravation. Something had to be done with his behavior, but acting aggressively and attacking him wouldn't do any more good, as that was his own tactic and what he sought from others. He'd come far from where he was several years ago, the man was very much less than what he used to be. It was certainly a depressing situation to be within.

"Please, Fyston. We're in a war and this family needs our help," his deep voice pleaded with a weakness not native to his tone at all. There little accusation and nothing to plead for other than silence but he hoped Fyston would calm down, at least, to be of some assistance.

He kept his eyes on Johnathan, though and continued to discuss with him any plans of dealing with the small army, literally, in their back yard, assuming the back yard extended to vast distances. "<How many men can you recruit through the night and in silence?>" he asked first yet continued as the answer wasn't pertinent at the moment. "<By the sounds of it, they'll make their way here by tomorrow, around noon. However, I feel we'd give up any sort of advantage we had in daylight. Would you and your men be capable of sabotaging the vehicles this evening?>" This voice left room for the father to answer the questions and continue to bounce ideas off. There was still more they would have to do but that would depend on this first strike against the scouting party.

 

[TweedPawn]

There was clear confusion on the Snamreg faces. They turned to one another as if hoping that one of them would have an explanation for whatever it was Fyston was trying to communicate. There was something about a cat, a hunt, and Della. Was it code for something? What was a Twi'lek? After some time exchanging breath and expression, Elle recomposed herself and approached Fyston.

"< I'm not entirely sure what you just said, but there is a place for all of us, Jedi Monk. However, the garden is not a good place at this time of the evening. There are predators out.> " said Elle.

"<We have been fighting these invaders for years. Geoffrey knows where we will be able to rally our fighters. You're right, Monk, we will have an upper hand if we remove the trucks early. They're usually armors, but terrible at moving across the plains. They're slow moving once they're off any sort of road. If we destroy the road, which will be easy, those trucks will be stalled. The biggest concern is the Red Devil. >" Johnathan brought out a map of the local area and circled where their house was and traced a road on it to show the Jedi the layout of the local area. He them pointed out where a nearby town was.

"< I do not care how you Monks get rid of that Red Devil. Just do it. That masked one amongst you looks like a capable fighter. Skin him, quarter him, do whatever you like. He is best off dead.>" Johnathan growled. Elle placed a gentle hand on her husband and Johnathan's hate and anger seemed to subside.

"< I'll take Della to the mountains. The Price of that country has graciously allowed the Plainsfolk to hide our children there. I'm certain we can reason with their border guards to allow Della to stay as well.>" she said. She looked at a nearby picture of Della when she was a little girl, her eyes filled with sadness.

"<She seems like she's grown up so much now. I appreciate everything you have done for her. You cared for her, and raised her. But I wish I could have seen her grow too and I envy you. Those monsters took that away from me. I'm sorry, it's been a tiring day for me. >" said Elle as she wiped away tears that had brimmed in her eyes.

"< You men should act quickly. You'll find supplies in the barn. A few gasoline bottles with a lit rag should put a stop to those trucks. Watch out of the Red Devil. I'll quickly gather our things and run to the woods with Della. >"


-------

Geoffrey's horse was a good sturdy horse known for stamina. He didn't need to be fast and tire out easily, a steady beat was vital to being timely. His eyes scanned the dark horizon for predator and allay. His instincts told him that somethign was close, but he wasn't sure what it could be. His ears scanned the night for any sound. He wished Claude was here. That boy could figure anything out.

The horse stopped and snorted. Not good. Geoffrey pressed himself against the steed and brought out his pistol, ready for an attack.

Who was here?

 

[Crackerjack Bohemian]

A sigh went unnoticed. Sebastian was glad they hadn't understood Fyston's ranting. If they had, an attempt on his life may have been made right there.

He listened carefully to the interpretation of their words through the device in his ear. He nodded too late after each speaker, but he was clearly trying to keep up. "<I'm sorry, but we'll need Della. Her Stealth abilities will be vital for key tasks to be made once we reach this city which seems to be the center for the Sith. She would be a far greater asset to us if she was not whisked up into the mountains and far away. She can perform tasks I could never hope of accomplishing,>" he confessed though he never wavered in his certainty or showed any kind of embarrassment.

"<Those trucks must be holding supplies and ammunition as well. If we can usurp these vehicles for the Resistance, some good could certainly be made of them. If we can cover the road and separate their forces and slow them down, their vulnerability might just be high enough for this to be an easy task to accomplish. And with the three of us, the Red Devil will be of little concern to you,>" he said, trying to keep it lighthearted for them. "<I suggest you take Rhonun, here, with you in covering the roads. I need to speak with Fyston, who would be of little use to you in this.>" It may have sounded like an insult, but he knew Fyston would not aid them in this current state. "Please come with me." It sounded like a suggestion, but it would be known as a command, of sort, however friendly.

He walked back to the room designated by Della for him only moments before their trespassing. He began to put on the other two layers of clothing as well as the shoes as he wished to hear Fyston's limping toward his direction.

 

[Fyston]

Even as Sebastian asked him to stop, Fyston simply nodded, his taut facial muscles bringing his already thin lips into a line, not one of anger but just a line. He still respected the man, and had no issues with him. It didn't mean that he would listen to him all of the time, or even at all, but he decided to go along with it. He began twirling his cane in his right hand between his middle and ring ringers.

When Elle began speaking, Fyston barely succeeded at containing himself, though he settled for saying it to himself mentally. Absolutely, I'm so horribly bad at things that I'll fall prey to whatever creatures are on this world. These people aren't bright, and obviously their creatures are used to these people's intelligence. Regardless, he kept silent as they all spoke, closing his eyes every time he wanted to say something.

In fact, the Knight had his eyes closed almost the entire time, though he could see through the Force as needed. He didn't open them until Sebastian again mentioned his name. He only responded by dropping his cane to the floor and leaning on it, looking around at the others. He again pursed his lips, though this time in a smile. "Now is when I get told that I've been a bad, bad man and that I should *care* about people. By people I mean you all, but you're all idiots."

He spoke his mind and he didn't care what they thought of it. Checking only to make sure he wouldn't get hit upside the head as he walked, Fyston followed Sebastian up the stairs. Of course, if they did decide to attack him then they would come down with a very bad case of cane-itis, wherein the victim suffers a broken bone or two due to their own stupidity.

He walked in just as Sebastian was done slipping on his shoes. Looking down at his own shoes, which were athletic and supportive as opposed to the Jedi boots he wore before his injuries, he leaned against the door frame, keeping an eye for anyone approaching. "If you want me to say that I'm sorry, you've become an idiot since we last spoke all those years ago." His intended message was not that Sebastian was an idiot, rather that Fyston hadn't already tossed him in the 'idiot' pile of people he knew. It wasn't quite nice, but it was something Fyston hadn't said in quite some time, if ever.

 

[StormWolf]

Rhonun had grown much as a Knight. He had outgrown much of his impatient and impulsive qualities and tempered them with patience and kindness. Training two young girls had definitely hammered patience in to him, forcing him to adapt and adopt a calm outer shell. Fyston, however, whether it be his history with Rhonun or simply the fact that at every turn, every time the man opened his mouth, he was undermining the entire operation, made Rhonun want to force all of Fyston's teeth down his throat. The Cathar stifled a growl, settling for a searing glare, letting a sliver of the fire he held contained within him to show, burning and unfettered anger. It was a warning. Rhonun had been the one who crippled Fyston, and he felt terrible about that, but he was one more quip away from placing Fyston in a wheelchair.

"<I can see better at night than the rest of you, and I have no fear of the predator creatures you have here, I have fought much worse. If the Red Devil is there, I will take him on. If any of you attack him, he will just kill you. These sorcerers are not to be trifled with unless you are trained to trifle, like we are." Rhonun folded his arms over his chest, keeping his head down to keep his eyes out of view of the Snamreg in the room. "<We had best get moving as soon as possible. Squabbling and squawking here is doing nothing but wasting time. Some here ore more guilty than others.>" Rhonun paced slightly, like a beast in a cage. He truly felt caged in the small house. Della had vanished, but they needed her. This was her home turf. She knew it better than any of the Jedi present and did not need to speak through a translator to be understood.

"<Get ready to go. I will get Della...>" Rhonun said in a low tone, his heavy boots thudding heavily against the wooden floor boards as he approached the room where Della had sequestered herself. It must not have been easy for her, returning to home only to have her friends and family suspect her of some imagined treachery and to have a supposed friend be nothing but a nuisance thus far. Knocking and opening the door, Rhonun saw Della upon the bed. Making sure the door was closed, sat on the edge of the bed, placing a hand on Della's arm, his thumb moving to gently caress the softness of her skin. He smiled down at her, making direct eye contact,

"I know Fyston will never apologize to you for being the ass that he is, so I am apologizing on his behalf." He chuckled, trying to put some manner of light on the situation, "We are going to head out and try and stop this Red Devil and his forces before they reach your people. We need you, Della. Your people need you..." Rhonun's throat suddenly felt dry. Wetting his throat, his smile softened to something more calm and intimate, only to have it hidden by the scarf, "I need you, too..." He said lowly, not wanting his naturally loud voice to carry beyond the room. He reached out to her with his love, connecting with her in body and mind, a soft and deep purr rolling in his chest,

"It is not right of your people to suspect you as they did. You deserve better... you have earned better. You should not have to prove your loyalty to them, but doing this will undo their suspicion, I imagine. For all of us." Rhonun maintained his eye contact with her, his golden gaze soft, warm, and inviting.

 

[TweedPawn]

Claude and Johnathan looked at Elle again. They seemed quite capable of communicating without words or telepathy. It was almost like a hive mindset, but it was far from it. They were very intuitive people. They have adapted to communicating silently to avoid detection. However, they understood that language was often necessary for details.

"<I do not understand...How would Della have learned how to fight something like an army?>" Elle said cautiously. Before she could be answered, Claude stood up.

"<We can have that addressed at a later date, Mrs.Frey. I can remain here with the others in case of danger. Mrs. Frey, can you stay here with me? It would be safer to travel together if we must escape.>" Claude alluded to his gift of sensing predators. It seemed to work with any sort of danger. Johnathan stood and nodded at Elle. There was a moment where Della's mother and father exchanged looks of concern and love. Johnathan looked at his wife sadly and kissed her cheek. He was going to help, even if it meant his death.

Della's father entered the room where Della had taken refuge to talk to his daughter. If he was going to die, he would at least embrace his child one last time and tell her he loved her.

In the meanwhile, Elle turned to Rhonun.

"< We have lost many to those who try to slay the children of the Goddess. We will not be destroyed. We were given a promise that as long as we remember our speed, cunning and silence that we could never be destroyed. We have managed to keep our oppressors at bay. Tonight, something different is going to happen. I'm not why I know this...>"

DS-PO had been mostly silent at this point.

"<If there is anything I can do. I will gladly help.>" she offered.

"<Metal-woman, we will see. You seem intelligent, perhaps you can come up with some tricks.>" replied Claude.

Johnathan left the bedroom and left to prepare supplies in the barn. Elle only watched as Rhonun left the room.

---

Della had been sleeping until her father came in to talk to her. He spoke of how much he had missed her and loved her. It was a tearful conversation. When Johnathan left the room, Della could only lay back down and bury her face again. She felt a gentle brush and looked up to see Rhonun.

"Rho..." she said when her eyes met his. She sat up on the bed and smiled at him, returning his affections with her own light and warmth.

"I wish I could help him. He makes me regret everything I did each time I see him. I can't dwell on Fyston right now. As far as my brethren go, we are a naturally cautious people. I can understand their hesitation. Imagine if your loved one suddenly showed up ten years after they supposedly died? " Della replied.

She gently removed the scarf and hood from Rhonun's face. She brushed her hand across his cheek. There was a beautiful way those wild eyes became gentle when they looked at her.

"I'm sorry you have to hide yourself. After all of this is over, they'll be able to trust us. Just bear it a little longer." she said. She began to pull Rhonun close to her. She felt her lips ready to meet with his until there was a interruption. It was Elle, standing in the doorway with a shocked expression.

"<...Della? What were you about...That man's face, why is it covered in fur? I do not understand.>" Her gentle voice quivered.

"<Mom, please stay calm. Don't scream.> Della whispered. Elle nodded but seemed frozen in place. Della approached her mother.

"< Rhonun has a...He is...On some pla-...I don't know really know what I can say that will explain this. He is from Tython, they have many types of humans. Some are like Snamreg, others are less similar. Rhonun is more like a cat...but he is very gentle and and kind. Not like a predator at all.>" She avoided talking about the intimate relationship she had with Rhonun. She just wanted her mother to simply accept him near her.

Elle still seemed stunned. It wasn't panic, but a slap of trying to reason Rhonun's appearance. Was it genetics? An illness?

"<We will discuss this later....Go to the barn with your father...and Rhonun. Get the supplies you'll need. Divines bless you.>" Elle said.

 

[StormWolf]

Rhonun's smile lessened slightly when Della spoke about Fyston. She regretted everything? Did that include the choice she made about him, as well? Was he one of those regrets? Taking a deep breath, Rhonun's broad shoulders rose a fell, casting the doubt out of his mind, but not all on his own. When the soft flesh of Della's hand stoked hi face, those lingering shadows of doubt were disintegrated in a flash of Della's light as it filled Rhonun's heart like a supernova. He placed a hand over hers and she pulled down his scarf and removed his hood, closing his eyes as he felt her fingers, small in comparison to his, brush over the fur and scars of his face.

"It is quite alright, Della. I am just glad I was able to get here before anything dire happened." As she leaned in, Rhonun hunched his shoulders to meet her in the middle. His nose had brushed hers and their lips were about to touch when the door swung open and Elle walked in. Even with all of his training and conditioning, Rhonun's heart did a flip in his chest, being caught as the boy who snuck in to the daughter's room. Furthermore, his face was exposed, and he could see the shock and fear in Elle's face. Snapping back up to a straight-backed position, Rhonun looked Elle in the eyes and held a finger to his lips, the universal sign for 'be quiet'. Pulling up his hood and his scarf to conceal his face once more, the Knight remained silent. There was nothing he could say that could deter Elle's shock. The blow had already landed. Dipping in a small bow to Elle when she told Della to take him to the barn to gather supplies, Rhonun walked out right on Della's heels, like a mighty shadow that had risen from the ground and taken a hulking, haunting physical from. Keeping his head down to remain hidden from the others, Rhonun spoke softly to Della, his voice low and rumbling,

"That could have gone better... You still owe me a kiss, though..." he looked down at her giving her shoulder a small, reassuring squeeze. Following her out the back of the house towards the barn, Rhonun turned his head upwards, sniffing at the air, just as a precaution. The enemy was out there somewhere, and they needed to be ready. Sooner of later, the Sith would get wind of two Alliance ships landing, and that would make the entire situation much more complicated. For now, Rhonun just hoped to quell the looming Skagrit threat on Della's borders before there was any greater loss of life. Opening the barn door, Rhonun let Della enter before following her in.

 

[TweedPawn]

Della gave her modest smile to Rhonun. There was going to be a lot to sort through. She led Rhonun past a pasture full of three toed horses. Their coats shined like burnished bronze and their manes shimmered like gold. They were a beautiful sight. One of them snorted and Della gave her own snort in return. They all looked up from their early morning grazing to look at the duo and then returned to their business, unaware of the threat looming.

Della continued to the large barn. She slipped through the old rotting doors and looked into the main hall. She was confused by what she saw. There was a chair and ropes. Old blood stained the floor and a table with tools rested nearby.

"<Daddy?>" Della whimpered. Johnathan quickly walked into view and covered the blood with old hay. He turned to his daughter and smiled.

"<I had a feeling the big fellow would be helping. Though I wish you would heed your mother's request and run for the mountains.>" he said. He gave Della and Rhonun two bags.

"<There are gas canisters and ONE stick of dynamite. We need to ruin the road. Ruin the roads, and the trucks will be stuck. They will be sitting ducks. Della, are you still swift?>" Johnathan seemed to start choking with tears at the end of his quick.

"<The swiftest, Daddy.>" Della responded. Johnathan handed Della the one stick of dynamite.

"<Use it wisely. It was a gift from the Prince. We only were given one. Make it count. The farther away we can wreck the road, the less likely they'll figure our we were responsible.>" said Johnathan. Della nodded. She looked at Rhonun, a bit of apprehension was in her eyes. Could she really do this? She never set off an explosive before.

The group set out into the night. The bright star of Gaunerei's tail seemed to flicker more brightly than Della could ever recall. There was also an eerie chill to the grasslands this evening. The divines were bringing balance. Something great would happen tonight.

It seemed to take an eternity to travel. The grasslands were home to great cats and Della's instinct began to pick up on them. The trio had to move like prey through the thick grasses, slow and quietly. A great male cat could be heard roaring a territorial call into the night. Della gulped, they could smell blood. The group would have to avoid injury.

The sound of trucks could be heard nearby.

"<We need to distract them. Large-man, you follow me.>" Johnathan uncorked three bottles full of motoroil and gasoline. He stuffed rags inside of them. He gave Rhonun a lighter.

"<When you get close, light 'em up and hit the trucks. Be ready to hide. Della, Stick the dynamite into the road and light it. Then run as fast as you can.>"

"<Understood, Daddy.>"

Johnathan hugged his daughter again and then motioned for Rhonun to follow. After five minutes of stalking. Johnathan lit the first bottle and flung it towards the trucks.