Run-In With A Stranger

[Ben]

Run-In With A Stranger​

Orlaan said it once more, putting more push behind his words this time: "You will redirect our course through Hutt space." Instead of resistant, Maier's private pilot just looked confused now. Ghess imagined that his efforts would have been met with more success if he had ever received any sort training in the ability, but unfortunately he was not. The Force was with him however, when he once more waved his hand and repeated the mantra, the pilot caved and gave a stuttered nod: "I will redirect our course through Hutt space."

Orlaan patted him on the shoulder and called "Zebitrope IV" over his shoulder as he head out of the cockpit. Whilst his decision to leave Coruscant was still one he agreed with, it had been weighing heavily on his mind, and he felt that he should do something in reparation. That is why they were heading to Hutt space, to the planet Zebitrope IV; there was a Jedi Orphanage there, and Maier's expensive and roomy ship could house a few if they needed aid. He was just worried about how his short-tempered Master would react.

 

[Padmé]

Quietly seated in her usual spot on the private ship, Jedi Master Gracelyn Vitorioso Maier pondered on the fate of the Jedi and Alliance. Given the circumstances surrounding her departure from Coruscant, she knew the end was neigh for the Alliance....

Tython, fallen. Coruscant, gone. The Jedi? Only a remnant remained to their duty…

...and Maier? Also gone. Internally, gone, but physically very much so clinging to her last breath of hope. Seated on the other end of the ship was her only remaining apprentice- Orlan Ghess. The two had a queer sense of relationship. Beyond her normal duty as his Master, Maier stayed to herself. Mostly pondering on the fate the lay ahead of the two. Though she'd gone above and beyond her duty as the Prime Envoy to the Galactic Alliance, )nearly paying dearly for it with her own life and that of Senator Glegor) she had a sense of despair- mostly failure- tugging her heart.

As the ship ascended into hyper-space, Maier pondered on the plan at hand. Given the current situation, returning to Kaal seemed to be her and Ghess' best option.

Soon, the female Jedi thoughts would be abruptly interrupted by the audio-less HoloNet news playing on the background. Quickly securing the remote, Maier turned the volume up. To her dismay, the news was from the Commander in Chief, Maier's former constituent.

“This is Nathanaeu Bastele. A Sith warship is currently descending towards the Jedi Temple. I don’t know what the Sith are planning, but from the looks of it, it’s going to be terrible. If you can hear me, you need to evacuate or head underground now, at all costs. Coruscant is gone. The Alliance is falling. Save yourselves and may the Force be with.”​

Unfortunately, the news did not come as a surprise to Maier. If anything, it merely solidified her short-term plans for herself, and her apprentice. Muttering to herself, in between the CiC's words, Maier beckoned Ghess to the news. It was, however, in that moment that the woman finally realized, Ghess was out of sight....

 

[Ben]

Orlaan stumbled into the cabin as Maier was looking around, probably for him. He tried to not make it look like an awkward shuffle as he edged into the cabin and resumed his seat opposite his Master, folding his arms and avoiding eye contact as he lent his head back against the bulkhead. When the silence did not abate, he cleared his throat awkwardly and looked down at Maier, "anything good on the holo?" he asked, hoping he wasn't as transparent as he felt.

He was not sure what he would do if his Master found out that he had redirected their course, or if there was anything he could do, he probably couldn't physically stop her if he wanted to, he would have to rely on winning her over with reason; if she did not just go along with it out right. There was also the possibility of stalling her, Ghess had waited until the ship was at the point when it's flight path took it closest to Hutt space before making his move on the pilot, and it would only take them a few hours of flight to get there if things went well.

For now, he just cracked a big smile and pushed his coppery hair from his sweating brow hoped he didn't look guilty or nervous.

 

[Padmé]

The moment her apprentice emerged from the cockpit, Maier knew something was different. Maier looked dead at Ghess' eyes. His awkward reaction, however, sealed the deal.

"anything good on the holo?"
Ghess inquired, attempting to cover his trail. Miserably so too.

"The CiC, just gave his final instructions."
Gracelyn quickly responded while standing up to head over to Orlaan.

"I know you heard Bastle's holo remarks.. Now spill whatever it is you just told the pilot, unless you want me to drag it out of you."

She wasn't kidding either. She's been known to be unreasonably truculent...

 

[Ben]

Orlaan chuckled as he stood up to his full height, not because he didn't think that his Master could do as she threatened, but just at the comical value of someone so petite beating up someone with his own seemingly ever-growing physique. He held his hands up in mock horror as he genuinely pleaded with a light overtone to try and waylay the short-tempered aristocrats rage, saying: "Ok, ok! I may or may not have mind-tricked your pilot!" As her eyes flared he back peddled even closer up to the wall, pressing himself against it.

"I know that it was reckless, but I just don't feel comfortable with sitting down and fleeing when I should be taking action." He stood up straighter, setting his jaw and squaring his shoulders, his eyes settling from his generally humorous demeanor - that wasn't quite a mask, but nor was it his whole nature - into the more serious attitude that defined him. "I had the pilot redirect into Hutt space. I know it is dangerous, but there is a Jedi orphanage there and I think we can help, Hutt space is going to be no place for a Jedi and Alliance institution when the order is in diaspora and the state shattered." His stiff and readied stance combined with the tension in the air made it feel like he was bracing himself for a slap.

 

[Padmé]

Now face to face with her seemingly rascal apprentice, Gracelyn's facial contours turned into a semi-frown. Still shrouded behind her head adornment, the aristocrat's facial features turned into a full-fledged frown at the sight of Orlaan's raised hands.

"You better not-"
The young apprentice cut Maier's words short as he proceeded with his confession.

"Ok, ok! I may or may not have mind-tricked your pilot!"

Now completely given into her fit of rage, Maier whispered (as she normally does when filled with anger);
"You did what?"

She watched Ghess slowly back away from her while giving an explanation of his actions.
"I know that it was reckless, but I just don't feel comfortable with sitting down and fleeing when I should be taking action..."

Maier may be a petite Jedi Master, but behind her small frame rests a powerful Force wilder. As the boy spoke, Maier secretly employed the Force and then ever so subtly summoned the boy in front of her.

"Reckless?"
She huffed.

"Who do you expect to fight when the sleeping giant is awakened? Yes, while it may appear that we are fleeing, stop for a moment and think? Do you seriously think the Alliance will win this battle? For your information, the Empress and her team -even as we speak- are on the grounds. Coruscant cannot bear such a formidable force. The Alliance in this current state has nothing on the Imperium. Better to retreat now and recoup than fight a loosing battle."

It never downed on the elder Jedi that her apprentice was still speaking until she heard the word "Orphange." It was then that she finally stopped ranting. Now in a burst of laughter, Maier shook her head and said;

"You did all this just so you can visit Ha-"

She paused, quite disheveled that she couldn't remember the scrawny red haired Jedi Orphanage director's name.

"No need to be secretive about that, Ghess."
Maier aired while yet still laughing.

"Why didn't you just say something?"
The aristocrat finally inquired while thinking about the last aide she shipped to the orphanage.

 

[Ben]

"Well... I did. As I said I do not disagree with the logic of your discision, or I never would have come along with you if I hadn't agreed. You just didn't listen. It isn't exactly my fault you have the temper of a drunken Mando you know!" Orlaan tried to pass it off with one of his roguish grins to avoid possibly quite physical punishment at the quip he supplied to lighten the mood. As he thought about more however, he began laughing, amused by his own imaginings of the tiny Maier grappling with Mando's in a bar fight. He was overcome with laughter, so hard that his eyes teared up and raking pains began to split his side, and just as he reached the zenith of his mirth, something terrible happened.

Ghess screamed and gasped as he fell to his knee's, pain stabbing at his mind and ravaging the Force around him and running through him. It felt like he was being split, or maybe it was more like the Force itself was being pulled apart, despoiled and convoluted as some horrible Dark side power send waves of anguish through the Force. It was coming from Coruscant, and it was agonizing to Orlaan, who was now on the deck, twitching in a spasm of pain, tears of bereavement and despair rolling down his cheeks. Orlaan focused his iron will, forcing himself to concentrate on the source of this horrific disturbance, and the more he focused, the worse the pain and feeling of loss became, and the more sure he was that whatever this was was not just the dark side. This... thing, felt sick, and corrupted. Purely animal and savage in it's lust to devour all and dominate all, Coruscant was dying, the light side there was fading and death came to what felt like billions.

In all the war and all his travels, Orlaan had never encountered pain and suffering on this scale, and he couldn't bring himself to block it out. It wasn't that he couldn't, he was not that weak or untrained, but he felt it was an insult to the suffering of the innocents whom he felt vanishing from existence into the all consuming void if he just turned a blind eye. So he lay there, allowing himself to be tortured by these nightmares come to life. The pain became such a constant, that it almost began to comprise a background throbbing sensation, and in this almost comatose state, he lay sweating, looking up at a blurry figure he presumed was Maier, unscathed. It was not that Orlaan was stronger in the Force, or weaker of mind that Maier that he had such a reaction, but because he was so at one with the Force, and even through all this pain, Orlaan found comfort in the fact that he was still so deeply connected to it's flurries and eddies, its ebbing and flowing. Even if it was only causing him anguish.