Ask Jedha Seeing Stone

[Indy Sati]

Master Sati was not the same Pantoran she was some weeks ago.

With the loss of the Temple, many of the Jedi scattered and grew silent. Indy was one of them, retreating into her digs to do some more research; she would have waited for Roland, but he had enough on his hands with Coruscant, Dathomir, and the recent uprising of the Mandalorians. She would do what she could, but right now she just wanted to retreat into the work she knew. After all, this wasn't the first time a Temple had been ransacked, with lives lost and an Order left reeling.

So she went back to the place she found the Fallen Blade. This time with additional help.

Even just looking at the planet's surface made her ribs ache in the memory. Falling from a swoop at a high height... she was lucky. In orbit, she pinged her companion, her voice a calm note through the comms.

"So tell me about how much you know about Jedi history. Not just anyone would willingly volunteer to go to some dusty ruins."

Small talk. Dull, not particularly witty, but she had to admit she had kept quiet a long time and wanted to check in on her traveling companion. He had willingly followed her this far, after all. And after her recent trials, she wanted to know more of those in the Order. It was sort of a win-win situation, right?

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

For what the loss of the temple did to Indy, it was the opposite for Elias, a fire he didn't know he had was ignited. He hadn't been there with the defense of the temple and because of that, he was determined to make up for it in other ways to remember the fallen. The Jedi Master had asked for help and he quickly answered the call. Their enemy was strong, lethal, remorseless but worst of all, growing. Elias didn't know what he was seeking on the planet, guidance, answers, or maybe something else. It was all up in the air for him but he hoped there would be clarity once they actually explored the ruins.

As he drew close to the orbit of the planet, Indy's voice came through the comm and he couldn't help but smirk. A lot of people have been asking him what he knew about the Order's history and he hadn't expected to be questioned about it so frequently. "Some believe this was one of the first homes of the Jedi Order, possibly the first temple. I remember quite a spiritual or religious aspect to it but I'm stretching my knowledge at that point." Physical training had been his area of expertise. By the time he finished speaking, a pip would show up on her radar as she would witness an X-wing closing the distance on her smoothly. But instead of stopping beside her, he flew straight past and toward the planet's atmosphere as the foils locked in place in preparation.

"Who knows, maybe we'll find some spiritual guidance that we could use. I could sure use some answers." There were questions he had. What was his role within the Order? What to do about his parents? How to temper the emotions he sometimes lost control of while he thought of them? While he did seek to help the Jedi Master, Elias was more on a personal mission, one where he felt like he was just wading through deep water and was just searching for the nearest log before his legs gave out and he was swept up. He exhaled softly as he cleared his thoughts, letting the small rumbles and feel of the ship soothe him to counteract it.

When he glanced down at the radar afterward, he saw the distance between himself and Indy start to gain. "Better keep up. Don't want me to take all the credit for exploring the ruins." When the words left his mouth, he would be starting to break through the atmosphere and be able to lay eyes on the surface of the planet and its open deserts.

 

[Indy Sati]

She chuckled at his words, golden eyes glimmering. "Good recall." She followed him down, and though his words might not have been meant as a challenge... she was not too much better to not take it as such. "Not on your life," she replied back, amusement lacing her voice. After all, wouldn't it be bad form for a Master to take flak from a Knight? Not that she could still comfortably call herself that; it was a role with greater responsibility, and shouldering that was an interesting adaptation.

The burnt planet surface kicked up dust and swirled with small dervishes; as the Galahad descended, and she took care to angle low, landing some distance away. Even from here, the sheer amount of time, the abandoned temple walls seemed little more than worn stone. To an untrained eye, there wouldn't be anything of value.

Biggest mistake of the artifact hunters that used to squat here. It was untold wealth here, even more than a credit value could be given.

First of all, there would be information.

Descending and landing the Galahad with a practiced air, she unclipped and stepped out, taking care to lock the ship behind her as she did. This time, she had a canteen of water and her rifle slung over one shoulder. She learned from last time. But after finding the Fallen Blade... what else would they be able to discover?

 

[Elias Ryn]

When Elias finally broke through the atmosphere, his ship smoothed its erratic shaking and he pulled up enough to straighten out. The desert stretched out as far as his eye could see and it made him wonder how much history was there. How much of the Order had been buried under all that sand to once again be discovered as their ancestors had done? Even high in the air, he could sense the force that flowed through the planet willingly and without hindrance. It was a nice feeling to experience and a welcomed sensation, especially after the tremors he felt from the attack on the temple.

Indy would be the first to land on the planet even though Elias had been the one to break the atmosphere before her. By the time she exited from the ship and locked it, she would still see the young Knight still in the air as he flew through rock formations and large crevices with elaborate moves as he enjoyed the last of his flight time before he would actually land. Elias soaked up every minute he could before he would be stuck on the ground. As he closed the distance, the landing gears would slowly eject from their compartments as he brought the X-wing to a smooth stop right next to hers. Elias flipped a few switches to shut off the power before the windshield slid back and was able to get out with the help of the force.

When his feet touched the ground, the red astromech docked in his ship let out a few beeps. "Won't be long bud. Keep our stuff safe, will ya?" The astromech let out a few beeps, the last one somehow sounding slightly sadder than those before it. Elias started to step backward as he lifted his wrist to show the droid, "Keep in touch if you get spooked." There were countless times that the little guy had not only saved him but his ship as well from precarious situations and had proven to be invaluable.

When he faced Master Sati, Elias gave her a respectful nod and a smile, "Master Sati, a pleasure to finally meet you." With his recent promotion to Knight, he had met quite some new faces throughout the Order and he did his best to engrain each one in his memory. These would be the people with who he would soon fight shoulder to shoulder with. Elias would at least like to know who'd he die beside with if that was his future as well. He gazed out to the temple walls and the desert that openly challenged them or anyone else to cross it. "So, are we searching for something specific or hoping for the best?"

 

[Indy Sati]

She had to admit, seeing another Jedi was a welcome change in comparison to being alone. Though there weren't many who were interested in the past, it was always good to have someone who wanted to learn, to explore. There was always someone willing to scout a new home for the Jedi, a new base to survive in, but she wasn't looking to the future for answers, she sought them in the past. How could they ever learn to be better than their forebears if they kept making the same mistakes?

"Knight Ryn," she called out warmly, giving the man a nod and a grin. "It's good to see someone else interested in history, and not its' credit worth. If I ever devolve into the Master tradition of droning about the past, please don't hesitate to call me out on it." Golden eyes panned over the temple walls, lips firming a moment.

"For the time being... answers. I've found things there before... but perhaps there could be more answers, information to help us prepare better for the future." Her lips twisted into a smirk, tilting her head to the ruins. "If that's not vague enough... there have been poachers in this area before. A ranger and I once cleared their nest, but I hope they left some artifacts behind, perhaps even some ancient databanks. Game for a treasure hunt?"

And with that, she still kept the rifle slung over her shoulder... but her hand was never far from the hilt of her lightsaber. These days, you never could trust the silence.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

Elias couldn't help but chuckle at her words as he thought his teachers would have liked to have had a word with her. "You're half right, I'm not into its credits worth but I wouldn't say I have been interested in history too much." There were always mistakes to learn from in the past but he had to worry about the present. When she mentioned the possibility of her droning on about subjects, he smirked before glancing at her, "I'll use it to catch up on the classes I did miss." He had been known to skip quite a few of them when he had been a padawan and earned the ire of some of his teachers who didn't want to deal with his antics.

Answers, that was something he could get behind. There were personal questions he had and the answers he actually wanted would most likely not be given from this adventure but if it related to the future of the Order, he could at least push his own questions to the side. "Hopefully, a straight one." He murmured. Elias knew how their kind liked to speak in a confusing and open-ended manner but he just wanted one response that he could actually take to the bank for what it was, whether through text or another method. Indy then motioned over to some nearby ruins and led the way over.

"There's a first time for everything." He replied to her question and began to walk with her towards the remains of the temple. If poachers had left their equipment from a previous interaction, it meant they most likely missed their spoils. Elias touched the comm on his wrist and lifted it to his mouth, "Wulf, get in the air and keep a low profile. Make sure nothing comes up behind us." There were a few reassuring beeps before the droid clicked off. It was better to be safe than to be sorry.

As they continued on, Elias couldn't help but take notice of the rifle that was strapped to the Jedi Master's back. It wasn't completely unusual to hear of Jedi carrying secondary weapons just in case but it was the first time he met one. "Is that one of the poacher's rifles or your own?" Might as well pass the time and get familiar with each other at least.

 

[Indy Sati]

She heard Elias' talk about getting straight answers, and chuckled once, nodding. It was true, the Jedi were universally known for being indirect, vague, and sort of roundabout in that regard; she found it maddening as well. It was one of the worst parts about being a historian; decoding what the masters of the past meant, and putting it into modern context.

At the question of the rifle... she smiled.

"It's mine. When you walk amongst the rest of the galaxy... just carrying a lightsaber is like painting a target. And sometimes you're up against things that require a longer-range care than what you've got, such as ancient droids."

A pragmatic response.

Once she slipped under a crumbling archway, though, deafening silence pressed in all around them. Stone walls, worn smooth by centuries, were barren of anything that might have been, yet she kept walking. Listening for other breathing, other footsteps.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

Elias listened to her response about the rifle and he couldn't fault her reasoning for it. His father had taught him a little blaster training when he was young and both of them thought he was going to follow in his footsteps of becoming a mercenary. When he discovered that he had the force though, his interest in blasters started to wane as he focused more on his powers. "Well, hopefully, that day won't come today and bite me in the ass." If it did, he was sure he would find some way for his lightsaber to have a purpose.

They walked underneath an archway as the sight of stone walls became more and more common. Even from the erosion that had transpired after all those years, he could tell there used to be markings that covered the walls and he wondered what they possibly could have said. As they progressed further into the ruins, the temperature drew colder, and light slowly started to be pushed out by the darkness. "When you came here with the ranger, all you found were the artifacts stolen by the poachers?" It was a little disappointing to him as he wasn't really keen on artifacts but it was their duty to recover them when they could and he wouldn't complain.

It wouldn't long before the pair began to hear voices deeper within the ruin. Elias crouched down and took cover behind some crumbled walls as he attempted to try and make out what was being said. He just shook his head to Master Sati afterward and spoke through the force, I can't make out what they're saying. Most likely your poachers though. Indy was the Jedi Master and he would take her lead on how to deal with whoever was in front of them. They could also get lucky and just be some random travels that also were trying their luck in artifact hunting but it was better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Indy Sati]

She heard the voices as he did; strange, considering she hadn't really Felt anything upon landing. Stranger still, the voices were muffled, distant. Sensing the Knight's words, she blinked once before nodding, withdrawing her lightsaber instead of the rifle.

Some things were just done better in the more traditional way.

Keep behind me; I'll scout ahead. That way if there are any behind, it won't be as much a surprise assault.

Honestly, considering the state of the Order, it wouldn't be a surprise that the poachers might have laid traps for the Jedi... if that was what they were. She crouched low and began to sneak closer, camouflaging into the Force so that only the faintest outline of the Master could be visible as she moved through the shadows.

But the Knight speaking so casually through the Force... that was a surprisingly strong gift.

She smiled as she considered it. Perhaps there is hope for the Order yet.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

Master Sati wished to take the lead on this and he didn't object as he let her pass. Wulf would let the two know if anyone was approaching from the rear, at least from the entrance of the ruins and he suspected that wouldn't suffer anything too dangerous. Elias followed silently behind her, a respectable distance between them so that both of them wouldn't be caught in one unexpected strike. The voices grew louder as they drew closer but the words still weren't decipherable.

As they were about to exit from their tunnel and enter into the new one, Elias saw irregularities in the ground in front of them that immediately caught his eye. Master Sati was on a beeline course to one of the irregularities and he shouted through the force, Wait! But it was too late. She didn't step on the device but she stepped near it and it disturbed the ground enough that it triggered. Immediately three lights, all tightly compact in a circle began flashing. It wasn't long before the entire ground was filled with beeping lights and illuminated in red.

Elias acted quickly as the beeping grew faster and he shot both of his palms out. The force charged forward as it slid into the ground and scooped up each explosive into the air before flinging it directly down another tunnel to their flank. The knight immediately dove for the ground and covered his head as it would only be a second before a massive explosion rocked the entire ruin and underground cave system. The walls would shake violently as rocks and small pebbles would fall around them.

When it was done, the tunnel he had thrown the explosives into had completely collapsed. Unfortunately, so did the tunnel that they had entered through that led to the outside ruins. Elias was slow to get up and did with a groan as he completely covered in dust but he shook his head to regain his bearings. The closed-off tunnels were the first thing he found and he cursed, "Shit." When he glanced around, he found Indy and he rushed over quickly as he put a hand on her shoulder and checked on her, "Master Sati, are you alright?" It wasn't the smoothest way to handle the explosives but it was better than both of them losing limbs.

Their moment of reprieve wouldn't last long as both of them would start to hear footsteps gunned straight for them.

 

[Indy Sati]

When Elias reacted, so did she, taking a swift step back as the explosives were tossed and triggered into another hallway, grunting as an arc of sparking blue energy surrounded them in defensive reflex. It stopped most of the shaking stone from smashing into them, but the moment the Knight approached she deactivated it, staggering slightly at the slight imbalance.

At his touch, she laid a hand over his, giving him a worn but firm smile.

"I'm alright, Elias," she replied calmly, then turning towards the running footsteps.

Withdrawing her blades, a green blade and a white one hissed to life.

"But it seems stealth is no longer an option."

As the footsteps drew closer, she held them in a defensive midguard, face set in a determined mask. One of the voices was familiar, and she scowled in distaste.

"Kip! Murel! It's our favr't thief!"

The old voice crackled down the corridor as two Weequay darted into the hallway, and began to open fire.

"Watch out for the other hallways," she called over her shoulder to the Knight. Three shots rang out and were batted aside, but they weren't over yet.

The third, the familiar voice, retreated into the shadows. Who knew where the woman had darted off too, but meantime she was playing blasterbolt parry, each step closer as the two poachers tried to take a step back.

They weren't going to get away so easily.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

Master Sati eventually shook herself away from her daze and noticed him pulling up on her. Her hand touched his and he was glad to be able to feel that she was alright. "Good." He simply responded but his attention was pulled away when they started to hear voices. It was the poachers and stealth did appear completely out of the option. She drew out her two lightsabers and at that point, there was no going back. Two Weequay poachers ran out from their hallway and spotted the two before opening fire upon them.

Elias moved quickly, his one saber flying straight into his hand as he activated his blade, it a dark blue as it came to life. One of the Weequay's turned to Sati and the other him as they both lifted their blasters at the same time and opened fire. The Knight's blade was swiped from left to right, deflecting bolts either into the rock walls or the ground. When he closed the distance, he used the force to pull the poacher and cause him to stumble forward. It would make him lose his balance but most importantly his aim.

Without being shot at, the ground between the two closed expeditiously and Elias whipped his lightsaber out and sliced the poacher's gun in half. The Weequay shouted and stepped back but Elias followed through and continued forward as he then brought his lightsaber around and swiped horizontally across the poacher's stomach. The strike wouldn't be deep but it would be debilitating and the Weequay would simply bend over as he held onto his stomach and covered the burn marks.

Without wasting a second, Elias spun around and landed the heel of his foot right into the temple of the poacher. The strike knocked the man out instantly and his body smacked the ground with a resounding thud as no effort was made to stop it. When that was finished, Elias glanced to his right and toward the Master, "Are you alright?" When he glanced down at the poacher afterward, he asked another question, "What were they trying to steal last time?" Maybe it could give them some answers about what was actually in the ruin.

 

[Indy Sati]

The moment the other Weequay was shot into, the second turned as though to shoot at Elias. Oh no you don't, she thought simply, deactivating the second saber and tucking it away in one swift movement, before flicking her fingers at the other.

He sailed back into the stone, and with a crunch slipped to unconsciousness. She sighed, deactivating her personal lightsaber, then glancing over to her companion. At his question, she gave him a cheeky grin, a hand on her hip. "Keep asking me that and I'll think you care," she quipped to the Knight, but even he would see that she was only teasing.

At the man's question, however, she paused... then sighed, taking out the other saber from its' clip. "Anything they can get their hands on... but also this."

With a snap hiss, it flared to life, a brilliant white against the darkened interior. But more sounds were ahead.

"Gotta move fast, these poachers do," she commented, and, carefully holding the lightsaber in her hand, kept it active for now. She wouldn't put it past this crafty group to try and shoot them as they moved through the temple in the dark; so she wouldn't let it be dark enough for them to hide in the shadows.

@Orbit

 

[Elias Ryn]

When he finished his Weequay, he turned and saw the second with the blaster aimed right at him. Before he could pull the trigger, he was thrown into a nearby wall with the force and knocked him out. It had been a close call and he gave Master Sati a nod of thanks for the save. When he heard her reply to his first question, he chuckled at her, "I'm hurt you don't think I already do." He teased her right back. The Jedi have suffered enough, he wasn't going to let another die on his watch.

When it came to his second question, it took her a moment before she finally revealed the answer with her lightsaber. It was white compared to the usual color of other sabers but it didn't vastly different besides that. He figured she just meant their weapons overall and he wondered how much of that was a successful business for the Weequay.

Master Sati was already on the move once again and Elias opened his mouth to say something but shut it when she turned away. He thought they should at least plan something but he followed after her as he deactivated his lightsaber. He kept a respectable distance away from her and as she predicted, she was fired upon once her lightsaber got into view.

Elias moved quickly and slithered through the shadows toward them as he used Master Sati as a distraction. When he closed the distance on the two remaining Weequay, he first got behind one of them and simply stood up before slamming the alien's head into the rock in front of him. The remaining Weequay turned toward his direction but by the time he faced Elias, Sati would already be in his vicinity and ready to take him out. If she didn't, then he would use the force to knock out the other.

Elias breathed hard but was unscathed as he glanced toward Sati, "How deep do these ruins go? We can't just keep running into traps until we're unlucky."

 

[Indy Sati]

Taking the brunt of the oncoming fire, Knight Ryn seemed content to strike from the shadows, and so when the other Weequay turned to fire on him, it wasn't difficult to suggest such an open mind to sleep, thus making the male sag and fall unconscious. The power of the Living Force wasn't to be underestimated; it wasn't all brute strength and high acrobatic leaps.

Seeing the Knight's strained face, she exhaled quietly, panning the now-empty crossway between two hallways. "Not very; these Temples used to be quite massive, but most of it has crumbled due to history or abandonment. Jedha was once much more lush and lively than this from what I've read." There was a note of distant sadness in her voice, as she touched one wall lightly.

"They might begin to panic, though. The last time I was here it was with a Ranger." Unconsciously, her lips twitched into a warm grin. "But you're right... perhaps it's time for our fortune to change. Hold on."

She crouched next to the closest Weequay, and exhaled quietly.

"Show me."

Slipping off one of her gloves, she lightly touched his hand. Not invasive, but skimming his memories, a light touch of suggestion to a mind unused to being used. Images, voices sifted through as he dreamed up his most recent past.

She exhaled slowly, then patted the unconscious male on the shoulder.

"Rest well. You'll need it."

Slipping her glove back on, she nodded once to Elias.

"To the left, but mind the right wall. Keep low and cloak yourself if you can."

@Orbit