Starting Something

[Naala Re]

Naala stood on the edge of a high cliff overlooking the huge crater that once was the site of an ancient Jedi Temple.
The elders on her home world of Eshan had sent her there in hopes that she would somehow find an actual Jedi to help train her and mentor her... She frowned upon seeing the immense hole in the planet's surface. It seemed the elders had no clue as to what had happened here so very long ago.

It actually made her rethink some of the teachings that she had learned from the elders and her kin back on Eshan. Their curriculum would be in dire need of updating.

She leaned on her walking stick and surveyed the area for any signs of life. Her silver eyes tracing as much as she could from her vantage point, and still not finding anything. She decided she would have to get closer.

It wasn't that Naala was really expecting to find something, but she was there... on Jedha… with nothing else pressing to do at the moment. So she figured she'd have a look around anyway.

Spying an old pathway, she made her way down to the level area near the crater. There were huge boulders that she assumed came from the destroyed temple, but upon closer inspection, she was a bit disappointed to find they were really just boulders. So she kept going...

As Naala reached the crater's edge, she paused to take a brief rest. So she sat down and took out an energy bar to nibble on while she contemplated her next move.

 

[Alastair Valkyrion]

Alastair cursed as his ship shook and bumped through Jedha's atmosphere. His navcomputer had malfunctioned, causing what should have been a quick jump to Korriban to become a very long jump to Jedha. Curious as the sorcerer was about the Jedi's old home, he really had not planned to venture here.

Ever.

What really put the icing on the cake however, was that because of the improper calculations he had dropped out of hyperspace just in the right spot for a large asteroid to tear half his engines off. Making an emergency landing on Jedha his only option.

Finally free of the atmosphere, the broken Crux class fighter screamed through the air with smoke trailing behind it.

He hurtled over a large crater, too fast to see the person standing at it's edge. A few dozen meters after his ship smashed into the ground, making it's own little crater.

Ouch.

@Axym

 

[Naala Re]

Naala heard and then saw a ship come into the atmosphere. She stood up and watched it as it came in her direction. As it descended, she could see black smoke billowing out of the back... probably not a good sign, and then she instinctively ducked as it flew over her location and crashed down on the opposite side of the huge crater.

Her day was getting more interesting by the minute. She picked up her staff and hurried to go around the edge and toward the smoking wreckage. She was hoping that there were survivors, and that she would be able to help them out if she could.

As she neared the crash site, a small weird feeling nudged at the back of her mind, almost in a warning. But she was too focused on the ship, that she paid no attention to the "feeling" and kept going.

The ship was pretty well messed up, but to Naala's surprise, the cockpit was still intact. So she climbed up the hull and tried to look inside through the cockpit's windows...

@One For Sorrow

 

[Alastair Valkyrion]

"Just my luck." Alastair sighed as he tried the manual canopy release for what seemed like the hundredth time. It was jammed, and he was really getting tired of the various alarms coming from his console.

He needed out.

He sent a rather large -definitely more than necessary- force blast straight up, blowing the canopy off and very nearly hitting the person who he hadn't noticed trying to peer in through the window.

He was surprised to see her there, and immediately formed a ball of black flame in his hand as more flames leapt to life from his eyes. "For your own sake I certainly hope you have not come with bad intentions." he growled.

@Axym

 

[Naala Re]

Naala jumped back just in time to avoid being sent up in the air along with the cockpit's cover.

As it sailed through the air, she again climbed up to the edge of the cockpit to peer inside. What she found scared her half to death... A Sith, with a fireball in his hand was staring right at her.

She raised both hands into the air. "I'm just trying to help. No need to be all hasty and kill me for it." She was very much ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Just in case the Sith decided to kill her for just being there.

@One For Sorrow

 

[Alastair Valkyrion]

Alastair let the flames subside from his hand and eyes, but kept the force close, ready to ignite it at a moment's notice. "I don't suppose you have the means to fix my fighter, do you?" the Vahla growled grumpily as he unbuckled his safety harness and climbed out of the cockpit, pulling his sword out of the small storage compartment behind his seat before he dropped down to the sand.

"So. This is Jedha." he said, looking around as he buckled his sword belt on. "I must say I would have expected more."

@Axym

 

[Naala Re]

Naala backed up as the Sith climbed out of his wrecked ship. "Um... no I don't think I could fix it." She leaned on her staff and followed his gaze with her own.
"I was hoping to find something here... but all I found was this huge crater." She wasn't about to go telling him that she was searching for the Jedi. He'd probably kill her just for mentioning them... So she decided to change the subject.
"What happened to your ship that would make it crash? There was a lot of black smoke coming from your engines when you hit the atmosphere."

@One For Sorrow

 

[Alastair Valkyrion]

Alastair chuckled a little as the woman proclaimed that she didn't think she could fix his ship, he was unsure if it was a sarcastic response or if she thought he had been serious.

She said she was here to find something, that did intrigue him. There was really only one thing that people came here searching for. "I assume the crater is a remnant from Empress Andraste's bombardment of the Jedi five centuries ago." he mused as he walked over to his downed ship. "My navcomputer malfunctuoned. Instead of a quick trip from Serenno to Korriban I ended up shot accross the galaxy, it wouldn't let me abort the jump when I noticed. Would have been okay but I dropped out of hyperspace just in the right spot to hit an asteroid that tore out my engines."

After his explanation Alastair gave his ship a solid kick, the clang from his armored boot hitting the dirasteel hull seeming to resound for miles through the desert.

"So?" he asked, turning to the woman with an inquisitive look in his eyes, "What exactly are you looking for?"

@Axym

 

[Naala Re]

The site of the Jedi Temple... it was confirmed through this Sith.
Naala thought about all the possibilities that could be... from an ancient relic still surviving, to a lone Jedi who is hiding there just to be the one to train her.
Then the Sith asked her what she was searching for, bringing her mind back to the present.

“Nothing really.” she lied. “I just came here on the advice of some old guys. Said I needed to see the sites. I guess this was one of the sites?”
She grimaced at the downright stupid excuse she was trying to pass off as truth. A tourist? That’s the best you could come up with?
She had a bad feeling the Sith wouldn’t believe her, she wouldn’t blame him, she wouldn’t have believed herself either. But she really didn’t want to tell him the truth.

@One For Sorrow

 

[Alastair Valkyrion]

Alastair laughed, the girl was awkward. Clearly uncomfortable, and clearly lying. "The sights huh?" he chuckled, debating in his head how long to pretend that he didn't know she wasn't telling him the truth. "I'm not sure I would count a giant hole in the ground as one of the sights. But what would I know?"

Of course, what Alastair didn't know at least a tiny bit about would probably be a shorter list. But that was besides the point. The sorcerer could feel that this girl was nervous, he would be too though if a strange man crashed a Sith fighter and asked why he was there. Or he would if he wasn't so damn cocky.

He paced around, looking towards the huge crater. "Though, sight or no sight, I don't expect you'll be finding any Jedi in this hole." he said, turning back to the girl with a raised eyebrow and his ever present smirk.

Part of him wanted to know what she would do with this accusation, part of him just wanted to see her squirm. Either way, this conversation became more entertaining by the minute.

@Axym

 

[Naala Re]

Naala’s grip tightened slightly on her staff. The mention of the Jedi revealed to her that the Sith saw right through her lie and also that he knew exactly why she was there.
Her toes on her right foot dig into the ground but she masked it as just switching her “standing” position.

She was no slouch, and trained in the Echani arts... which meant she wasn’t going to run if it came to a fight. And she might be able to hold her own against this Sith... maybe.

Her mind raced with the differebt possibilities that she was now facing... Either keep talking or fight for her life.

She decided to talk and see where this would lead.
“Well then there’s no use in lying. I don’t think you’d believe anything but the truth at this point... But my question is, why would I tell you?”

She had heard what the Sith were like and what they did to force users. Why give him any more reason to attack her.


@One For Sorrow

 

[Alastair Valkyrion]

Alastair watched the girl shift, whether the slight change in grip and stance was for comfort or combat readiness didn't matter to the Sith as he had no intention to attack so long as she didn't. If for no other reason than the fact that he was stranded here and she was the only person around for miles to talk to.

"You're right, I wouldn't." he chuckled, stopping to stand on one foot as he dumped sand out of one of his boots. "The question is why wouldn't you? Asside from being prepared to defend myself initially I have made no threats to you." Alastair held his hands pit to his sides with his palms facing towards this girl in a gesture of non hostility. Obviously if she chose to attack him he could use the force to defend himself quite well. In fact he prefferred it to the blade most of the time.

Either way, she would either trust him or not. He hoped she would though, it would be quite boring for him if she didn't.

@Axym

 

[Naala Re]

Naala still didn't trust this Sith, yet he did make a valid point. He wasn't making any moves to attack her, and so she was content with not getting into a fight with him.
But an idea formed in her mind... maybe he could help her... maybe. So she decided to take a chance in telling him the truth.
"As you already guessed, I am here looking for the Jedi." she paused. "I honestly didn't think I would find them here, but I had to try. I need training and the elders said they would be the best for it."
She looked back over the huge crater and gave out a long sigh. "I have looked everywhere for them. They are very good at hiding I suppose."

There it was... the truth. She didn't think he would kill her for it. But she kept herself ready just in case.

@One For Sorrow

 

[Alastair Valkyrion]

Alastair listened as the girl told him of her fruitless seach for the Jedi, he almost considered trying to turn her to the dark side. But something stopped him. He couldn't put his finger on it but it was almost like the force itself was telling him not to, like she needed to find the Jedi.

"Well, I honestly doubt you'd be likely to find them here. To my knowledge there hasn't been a Jedi presence on Jedha since they were driven off it five centuries ago."

He felt a sense of disappointment at that, he would like to meet a Jedi. There was only one person he had ever told, and she was dead now, but he would love to just sit and talk with a light side user. Perhaps even learn their techniques. Even if it would be a death sentence for him.

"Tell me girl. How strong in the force are you?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

@Axym

 

[Naala Re]

Naala was a bit surprised at the question. The elders said she was strong in the force, and felt that she was going to wield great power when trained, but at this point it was all untapped potential. She didn't have the foggiest idea just how powerful she could truly be.
"I have no idea to be honest. That's why I needed a Jedi to help me." she replied with a bit of hesitation. "I'm willing to learn, but for some reason, I haven't been able to find anyone willing to do so."
She wasn't losing hope, but more like being frustrated. She still had to learn patience as well...

"How strong are you?" she asked.

@One For Sorrow

 

[Alastair Valkyrion]

Alastair nodded in understanding, he remembered well the days before he had become an acolyte.

"I know that feeling. Knowing there is power within you and not knowing how much, what to do with it or even why it was given to you." Alastair admitted in an oddly candid manner, he wasn't often this forthcoming with strangers. Especially ones that weren't Sith.

"How strong am I?" he asked, semi rhetorically before reaching deep within himself and allowing the raw energy of the force to flow through his body. His bone white hair began to float around him and grains of sand began to stream straight up into the air in a five foot radius around him, causing ripples in the sand around him. Black flames began to dance up his forearms and in his eyes, and then in a sudden motion he threw his right arm out towards his ruined ship and sent all the built up energy into the wreckage, blasting it several feet further from them.

As the energy dissipated the flames receeded and the sand and his hair fell, leaving a ring in the sand around him. Alastair was visibly a little bit tired from such exertion, but he had wanted to show off. "About that powerful. When I need to be." he said, slightly winded.

He straightened his back and brushed a strand of hair out of his face, his near constant smirk returning as an idea occurred to him. Whether or not he shared it with this girl would depend entirely on her reaction to his display.

@Axym

 

[Horus Tempest]

-Music-
​

He had come for knowledge.

It was said that Jedha was once a milestone for the Jedi Order. It wasn't the first time Horus had been here, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But, for the first time in forever, he was wearing traditional Jedi robes and his overcoat over them, walking across the ancient temple's yard towards his speeder bike, pausing only momentarily as he sensed a strange disturbance nearby. When he looked up, he found a ship hurtling out of orbit and cresting over a crater created centuries before. At once, he mounted the speeder, activating it and blasting off towards that location. Unfortunately, it would be some time before he got there, but he was determined to help whoever was inside - there was a possibility they would still be alive when he reached them. As the minutes ticked by, a familiar sensation began to wash over him. A cold, a fear, and he shrugged it off easily enough. His lightsaber would be more than enough to handle any dark sider who decided that he would become good prey for their hunt. He arrived at the crater moments later, dismounting just as quickly and jogging to the edge. To his surprise, he found two beings mid-conversation, and neither appeared injured.

"Your ship - are you alright?! How in the kriff did you even manage to-"

He paused. The woman was echani, and he could feel the gentle breeze of untapped potential emanating from within her. The inner flame that all Force Users shared. But her companion almost reeked of the Dark Side, a black hole in the force, emanating a dark flame from his heart of hearts. Immediately, his lightsaber sprung from his belt and clapped into his hand, but he held it down for the moment. He wouldn't attack someone who was just talking, but the weapon was there to make it clear. Horus wouldn't be caught unawares. He detested what the Sith had done to his family - executing his father, scarring him, kidnapping his sister - but as a Jedi he could not bring himself to hate each Sith individually. That was simply not in the Order's line of conduct, nor was it healthy for him. Maybe this was a chance to help this man in some way, and perhaps show him the Light Side was not something to be cast aside but perhaps even embraced. After all, those who used it were more powerful than many could possibly imagine.

"Sith. I'm not here to fight, don't make me do something I'll regret. Ma'am."

@Axym @One For Sorrow

 

[Naala Re]

As Naala was watching the Sith demonstrate his power, she was astonished at how he moved the ship. The anger that emanates from him was almost overwhelming, and yet sad in a strange way. Like he was suffering each time he used his gift.
When he was done, he looked like he had just run a couple of miles... She was about to ask him if he was ok when another stranger approached them.
This one she could feel had an aura of the force around him, yet it felt different than the Sith. She didn’t know why, but she felt no fear toward this new comer.

Then he spoke and a lightsaber... a real actual lightsaber was in his hands. Like he was ready to fight the Sith at a moments notice.
She held up her hand in defense and yelled “Stop!”
The Jedi, she assumed it was a Jedi anyway looked her direction, almost for an explanation from her.
“He was showing me his power... he hasn’t shown any aggression here. In fact we were just talking. There’s no need for a fight.”
As she spoke, she moved between the Jedi and the Sith, and faced the Jedi.
It was probably a dumb move, she could be killed by either one of them, but she wanted to avoid a confrontation at all costs.
“His ship crashed. I was helping him... Please stand down? Honest, we were just talking.”

@One For Sorrow @TheMorrigan

 

[Alastair Valkyrion]

Alastair was still slightly winded when the Jedi showed up, as the newcomer's lightsaber flew into his hand Alastair's sword hissed from it's sheath. He too kept his blade pointed down, but he was ready to defend himself if it came to it.

Suddenly the girl he had literally just met came to his defense, shocking him into silence for a moment. He knew his friend Sythe would have made a quip about him having nothing to say, which made him smile a little.

"I mean no harm here. As the girl says, I crashed. We were just speaking of the force."

He made no movements, just waited to see what the Jedi would do.

@TheMorrigan @Axym

 

[Horus Tempest]

She's defending him. Good, means nothing sinister is going on... as far as I can tell

Horus' eyes widened slightly as the woman decided to immediately jump to the Sith's defense. Did either of them manage to hear what he had said? A Jedi acted only in defense, this was a known fact. He kept his lightsaber in hand for a moment longer, looking almost blankly at the sword drawn against him, but telekinetically reclipped the weapon to his belt in response. Chances where, he might regret this, but he would give the Sith a first for the Vahla - the benefit of the doubt. His eyes shifted to the dark flames and caused him to raise an eyebrow. Usually, only powerful Force Users, among which he was just barely counted, could conjure pyromancy like that. He had only just unlocked the ability for himself, that and his own variation of Electric Judgement. It was interesting to see.

"Your concern is touching, miss, and noted. A Sith is aggression incarnate... But in the end, it is up to him, not either of us."

He approached cautiously, the Force still focused around his hilt and ready to draw should the situation warrant it. He was naturally untrusting, and this was a huge leap of faith for him. Most Vahla followed suit, the hereditary need for security passed down from father to son. His eyes shifted to the ship in the distance and he almost grimaced, as though the crash physically hurt him. He could imagine that being the Winter, and he hardly wanted to think about his family vessel going up in flames. Though the Jedi were supposed to limit attachment, he could never really get over the legacy vehicle, as it had belonged to his father before his passing. As the Sith replied, he simply looked on, waiting for any trickery that might follow. From the aura of the man in question, he was confident that his own skills surpassed the Sith by some margin, but did not intend to capitalize on it. Had they met the boy from a year ago, chances are the situation would be much more volatile, but he had grown.

"I see. I would have told you to clear off, for your own safety, but it seems you cannot leave. That may prove unfortunate for you, but, I see no reason to fight, as I've already said."

@Axym @One For Sorrow