Ask The Zeffo Song

[Jace Darklighter]

Venator crash site, Zeffo​

"You have to slow down, I can't really understand what you're saying if you speak that fat. Not while I'm trying to land us in one piece."

Jace could hear the admonishment in Beanie's voice as she hooted and tooted from behind him. She was jacked in to communicate with the Flying V's on-board computer, doing her best to smoothen out their descent through Zeffo's upper atmosphere. Jace knew exactly what she was saying, berating him for taking the shorter entry vector through the storm system instead of listening to her and circling around. But he was doing what he knew to be the best thing to do in times like these, act as if he could not understand a word she said.

Thankfully they were out of the worst of it pretty quickly, and without any lasting damage to the ship. He turned around with a cocky lop-sided grin on his face, but stopped short of saying whatever he was going to as Beanie cut him off with another round of admonishment that he likewise chose to fail to understand. The trick to dealing with negative feedback was knowing what to hear and what not to. And having a distraction, which he thankfully did.

"Master Voran," he activated the ship's PA system, addressing the Jedi Master who was the only passenger on the flight, "we are approaching the wreckage. You wanna pick a spot for us to touch down?"

He lowered the ship's descent speed and waited for the Jedi to join them in the bridge, asking Beanie to activate the ship's scanners and begin getting a read on what they were dealing with.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex sat with her arms folded, her eyes closed for the moment. Zeffo rang oddly against her senses in the Force. The planet felt strange. The constant jostling of the ship was not exactly helpful. Why had she let the Padawan fly? Jace was about as singularly new to the Order as a Padawan could be. His talents in the Force had been discovered during Sith incursion on Byblos. An invitation to join the Order shortly followed. The young Jedi was supposedly an exceptional pilot. Alex suddenly had her doubts. Thankfully, the PA system crackled to life. Finally. Alex stood to join Jace on the bridge.

The Force aided her short walk forward. The rattling of the ship continued. Her face was placid mask when she joined her mission companions. The droid was raising quiet the racket. Apparently, it felt much the same as the Jedi Master. Her mind reached out in the Force, flashing across the crash site. It was as reported. Life bubbled amongst the decaying wreckage. A Venator was truly a ship from a forgotten age. “Our intelligence is correct…the Venator-class is no longer abandoned.” Alex’s brow furrowed for a moment. “We should assume they have clocked our approach.” She did not relish the thought of bargaining with thieves, but that would be their first step.

“Set us down a few clicks from the wreckage, we’ll walk the rest.” The Force continued to boil oddly against her sense. She certainly did not like that. “And maybe try not to shake the ship apart when we land.” Alex flashed a large grin. “I had been told you were an excellent pilot.” She was not completely the stoic Master she recently often portrayed. They were away from the Temple but there were always teaching moments.

@Wit

 

[Jace Darklighter]

As the Jedi master entered the bridge, Jace stayed focused on flying. They were about to emerge from the storm system and he didn't want to accidentally blow them up by relaxing during the last stretch. When she spoke up about the intelligence being correct his eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at the instrument panels in front of his and studied them to see if she had spotted anything he had missed. A moment later they pushed out of the last vestiges of the storm and the slight interference that had been fuzzing up the ship's scanners' readings vanished. It was only then that Beanie hooted as she spotted a ship near the wreckage. How had she known? He wondered as he glanced back to look at the Jedi Master as she continued speaking.

But the incredulousness vanished as she continued speaking, replaced with abashed amusement. "People exaggerate," he replied as he guided the ship towards a suitable spot that would let them approach the wreckage with some degree of cover, "I'm just lucky. And when you live long as a fighter pilot people think you're good, even if it's just luck." He was grinning as well as he guided the ship, the ride smooth now that they were out of the storm system. As if to prove a point, some part of his ego was hurt by her comment after all, he brought the ship down in a near perfect landing, decelerating gently and without a single jerk. The ship touched down with not a shake or a shiver, had she not been standing in the bridge the Jedi Master might not have realized they had landed.

Jumping out of the pilot's seat, a happy smile on his lips, he turned to face the Jedi Master but stopped short when his hand brushed past the blaster slung at his side. Looking down he let his hand rest on it before returning his gaze to Alex, the weapon reminding of the reason why he might need it. "How did you know? Their ship hadn't even shown up on our scanners, yet you knew." He had heard stories about the Jedi, but that was all he had ever known about them. Stories. But while he was starting to realize that most of the stories were just fantasy, there just might be some truth to them. And the fact that he himself might be walking down that path terrified him. He had flown out to face a Sith fleet with more confidence than he felt right now.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The landing was perfect. She almost laughed. You could always count on the truly excellent pilots to prove you wrong. Alex had been firmly grounded during the battle, but the reports of Jace’s skills had not been exaggerated. It took more than a skilled pilot to have survived what transpired above the corporate world. Stolas and the Sith fleet had quickly pushed the fight outside the Guardian into devolving mess. The Force had likely played some role in Jace’s success, even if he did not know it. Alex beckoned the young Jedi to follow her at the sound of the boarding ramp lowering filled the ship. “First lesson.” She spread her mind out in the Force again, briefly touching Jace’s mind.

“The Force flows through all living things.” She spoke while walking down the ramp. Her boots ringing loudly on the durasteel. “We are all connected, and the Light allows us to feel those connections.” It was not a perfect science. The Force was not magical radar, but on a planet like Zeffo the cluster of bubbling life was easy enough to pick out among the wreckage. “Try.” Alex turned to face Jace. “Close your eyes, open your mind, and feel.” She gestured all around them. “It was no accident you were on Byblos and it is no accident we are here together now…the Force guides our hands.” It always sounded cliché to say, but that did not mean it wasn’t true.

“Walk and focus. Don’t trip.” They had at least a short walk to the wreckage. She had very little idea what exactly awaited them, but there was no point waiting around to find out. They were going to leave with what they came for one way or the other. Alex prayed it did not come to violence. She had her fill of that lately.

@Wit

 

[Jace Darklighter]

First lesson? Now? Jace had thought that he was here to tail her, accompany a Jedi Master on a mission to get an idea of what a Jedi did, how a Jedi acted. Maybe the Jedi were like a teaching hospital, you learned in the real world. Well he had signed up for this, even if he hadn't really known the full extent of what he had been signing up for, so he was going to roll with it.

He had felt something when she reached out to him with the Force, but not being aware of that it was coming he didn't realize what it was. So when he closed his eyes and tried to do as she asked at first he didn't really feel anything. He walked down the ship's ramp as he tried to do as instructed. He knew his ship, so even with his eyes closed his footing was sure, but once off the ship and on the ground his foot caught on something almost immediately and his eyes shot open as he corrected himself before he went crashing to the floor. Beanie hooted from behind him, warning him to be careful. Suddenly aware of how much ammunition he would have given her if he had faceplanted in front of her, he asked her to stay with the ship. Both to avoid leaving the ship unattended and to make sure she didn't spot any other incidents.

"You talk about the Force like it has a mind of its own," he said as he moved quickly to catch up with Master Voran, "like it's alive. And.." He paused as he thought about something she had said, it flowed through all living things. But he had seen the Jedi on Bylbos help with cleanup, they had moved entire containers without touching it. "It can be used to affect something that isn't living?"

He walked carefully besides her, with his first attempt at trying to feel the Force have ended in failure his curiosity taking over.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Lecturing was not really her style, but there was a time and place for everything. Jace was brand new he had none of the foundation her other students possessed. This was not his failing. Rather, it was a simple reality. He needed to learn the basics just like anyone else. “It’s hard to explain.” Alex laughed. “Helpful…I know.” She pointed around them again. “The Force feels differently to all of us, speaks differently to all of us, but it does speak if you know how to listen.” She began to slowly work the Force around them. Their footballs became softer, the wind from their strides nearly disappearing.

“The Force seeks balance and life is balance.” Her voice carried just between the two of them. “Different Jedi have varying philosophies but to me the Force has always felt alive…it is my constant ally, my constant companion.” Alex’s hand reached out. The Force quickly wrapping around a small nearby rock. “The Force speaks, I listen. I speak, the Force listens.” With a flick of her wrist the rock lifted. “The Force can affect the galaxy around us if you know where to look.” She smiled broadly. “I make it appear much easier than it is.” Alex again pulled the Force around them closely.

She deadened every possible noise. They were ghosts approaching the wreckage. Unless the ruffians laid eyes on the Jedi directly, their approach would go completely unnoticed. Alex had not worked the Force in such a way in a long time, not since her journeys in the Outer Rim. But it was like riding a hoverbike. You remembered the things that mattered. Her mind searched out in the Force. They were close.

@Wit

 

[Jace Darklighter]

Jace listened and tried to process what she said as they continued walking. What she said seemed very spiritual, and Jace had never been spiritual. Sure he was superstitious, all pilots were. He had rituals that he did before every battle, it was just something you did. But he didn't believe in a higher power, or a guiding hand like the Master claimed the Force to be. And what did that mean for him? He was supposed to be able to use the Force, had somehow managed to actually do that during the battle from what they had told him. It was all a process, something he would have a long time thinking on. Most definitely not something he would resolve here and now.

So to distract himself from the metaphysical conundrum the conversation was bringing on, he bent down and picked up a small rock. He focused on it, willing it to rise into the air, but nothing happened. Ultimately he gave up and pocketed the rock. He was still coming to terms with all this, but if using the Force was like anything else he had learned then he just needed to keep on trying till he got it to work. Hell, he had done it once without thinking, he could do it again. That was when he noticed sounds dimming around them, and raised an eyebrow in surprise. That was impressive, even more impressive than the trick with the floating rock, almost as impressive as the radar trick on the flight.

"So," he said softly as they approached the wreckage, keeping an eye out for the scavengers, "if the Force seeks balance and life is balance..then how do you reconcile with the whole laser sword and killing? " He stopped in his steps as they walked around a large outcropping of rock and spotted two figures with weapons standing near a rather large hole into the wreckage. Lookouts. "If we have to fight them and push comes to shove, would you kill them?"

He was a soldier, he had taken lives, and he could not help but wonder how he would reconcile that with being a Jedi.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

“No.” Alex responded immediately. It was an answer she would never need to think on. “I have never taken a life and I will never take a life.” She turned to face Jace. “We are at war and violence can be necessary, but we have a choice when faced with our enemies.” Max’s face bubbled up in her memory. Years ago, on Corellia, hostages, and not a single life lost. “The Force allows for non-lethal solutions.” She shrugged. “You will hear different philosophies from different Jedi…we are not all of the same mind.” Alex looked into Jace’s eyes again. “There is no easy answer, but I will not sacrifice a part of who I am because of the choices of others. We fight to preserve life, even the lives of those who fight against us.” Her position within the Order was becoming less common, but she would not forget what Max taught her. She was not a killer. That was not the kind of Jedi she wished to be.

Of course, her philosophical musing coupled with the images of Max in her mind were a distraction. Alex was a skilled Jedi Master but far from perfect. Her right foot kicked a small rock, sending it skittering out of her bubble of suppressed sound. She reached for the rock in the Force. Too late. The sound was unmistakable as it rolled away from them. The two outlooks immediately looked in the direction of the sound. They had not yet seen the Jedi, thankfully. One of the lookouts began to walk towards the outcropping. Alex sighed. “Smile wide.”

She stepped out from behind the outcropping. Her arms out and palms up to show she was unarmed. “Hello! We have come to trade.” She plastered a pearly white smile across her face.

@Wit

 

[Jace Darklighter]

Jace knew when someone was speaking from the heart, and the response he got from the Jedi Master about his question left no doubt in his mind that she truly believed in what she said. He had heard stories about the Jedi, and some were hard to believe. But in that moment he had no doubt in his mind that she would rather lay her own life on the line than take another life. And while it was admirable, it left him with more doubts. She said other Jedi had differing opinions on the matter, but it seemed he was joining the race with certain routes already lost to him. He was already what she vowed to never be. It seemed with every passing moment he learned things that he could spend the rest of his life trying to figure out. No wonder the Jedi were so often thought of as monks, you had to be one to sort through everything that was thrown at you.

Thankfully a distraction presented itself in the form of a rock that went flying and attracted the attention of the two lookouts. He was pulled from his thoughts to the here and now. He had a lot to think on, but for now he had to make sure he lived long enough to be able to sort that stuff out. Even so, he let his hand drop to his blaster and flipped a switch. If he had to fight then he could do so by stunning them.

"Hands where I can see 'em!" The bark of a command came the first lookout, a tall human who had been facing in their general direction and now had a blaster rifle pointed towards them. "Stay where you are or I'll blast yer head off."

Jace, hands raised, put on a smile and took a step forward. He had dealt with their sort before, and a smile and some sweet talking often worked wonders to placate the situation. "Come now love," he said as he took another step, "we mean no harm. No reason we can't be friends, is there? We just wanna talk, and maybe buy you a drink later."

That was when the other guard showed up from behind the one had had been talking to, this one a woman even larger than him. It took Jace all of one glance to know that his charm would have even less of an effect on her than it has on the other fellow. "He said," she barked as she cut down the distance between them in a few quick steps and slammed the butt of her rifle into Jace's stomach, "shut up and show me yer hands. You're ol' Ringer's boys, aren't ya? The boss told us to look our for ya, he knew you'd try to sneak in. Filthy stealin scum."

Jace coughed as he dropped to his knees, the breath knocked right out of him. It was a few moments before he looked up at Master Voran with a pained smile on his lips and the hint of tears at the corners of his eyes. "Guess that counts as a failing grade in the diplomacy class." Another fit of coughs took over him to shut him up as the woman growled threateningly.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

This was going well. Alex had promised everything was a lesson. Their little sojourn on Zeffo was proving to be filled with educational experience. Just as she planned. The Jedi Master remained in control while the lookouts stalked over, Jace failed to charm them, and instead ended up on the ground wheezing. She had almost expected that to work. Jace had a certain roughish charm about him that could be appealing. Apparently, it was very much not either of the lookout’s taste. Alex kept the smile on her face. He did have supervision for a reason. “You’re doing great.” She quickly focused her attention on guards. “Forgive my partner, he has hit his head one too many times in the cockpit.” Alex laughed. “Makes him a little slow.” That got a smile out of the women.

“We’re not Ringer’s goons.” She disliked meddling in the minds of civilians. It left a grime in the Force, but it was occasionally necessary. She poured truth into the Force. “We are much too sophisticated for that…the Syndicate sent us…the boss is building a droid army and we hear you all have some to spare.” Her words were sinking in. She could feel their minds softening in the Force. “Right, you don’t look like thieves.” The large human turned. “Come on, hands down, we’ll take you to our boss.” Alex smiled again. “Thank you.”

As she put her hands down, the wind fluttered her robes, moving them just enough to revel the saber on her hip. Brilliant Alex. The women caught it immediately, screaming as the blaster was pointed at Alex’s head. “Kriffing Jedi! Don’t move a muscle.” A predatory grin spread across the women’s face. “Oh, you’re definitely going to see the boss now.” Alex just shook her head. Teaching moments…her mind reached out to brush against Jace’s. “Stay calm and alert.” Hopefully the mental intrusion would not shock him entirely.

@Wit

 

[Jace Darklighter]

Jace tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to not appear offended when the Jedi Master started chatting with the guard, making amends at his expense. Thankfully neither of the two were fast enough to notice the look before he replaced with a suitably confused and slow expression.

It seemed like they might talk their way out of this yet, when their luck turned against them. The moment the guards spotted the lightsaber hilt they were done for. Whatever the Jedi Master was trying stopped working. But now that he was aware that she was doing something the voice that popped into his head wasn't entirely shocking. Which is to say it was a little shocking, but not enough to make him jump out of his boots.

He nodded, not sure if he could respond to her in any other way, not even sure if she saw him nod. Nonetheless he was on alert as they were lead towards the wreckage. He was surprised they hadn't shot him already, but he had the feeling there was a very good chance of that being an eventuality. So his mind was on overdrive, trying to take him everything, look for a way out of this mess. He had the feeling that the Jedi Master could take care of herself, but as things stood he might end up being little more than a burden on her. So he couldn't just leave everything to her, if he was here then he had to contribute.

The opportunity presented itself just as they were reached a break in the path they were following where they had to jump down some wreckage. The woman waited behind them while the man jump down and signaled for them to follow. Jace took that opportunity to intentionally stumble as he landed and slam into the guard. Catching him by surprise, he managed to wrestle his weapon away from him. But even as he disengaged from the guard a sharp jab of pain went up his back as something slammed into him from behind. The other guard, seeing him get the better of her companion had jumped onto him. He just about managed to swing the weapon around and slam it into her head as she tried to restrain him. The hit landed, knocking her out, but she fell forward with her arms still grappling him. The other guard, seeing his opportunity, dashed off towards the main wreckage.

"Stop him!" The words were all he managed to get out before both he and the woman went crashing to the floor. She was out cold, but he was now pinned down by her and was in no position to move to deal with the other guard. "I'll be fine, stop him!" He shouted to Master Voran as the guard started running towards the wreckage.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

There was a deep frown that want to form on Alex’s face. Just once she would have liked something to go according to plan. The small silver lining was they were at least headed towards the wreckage. She had always planned to meet whoever lorded over the ruins…just in better circumstances. Jace seemed to have understood her mental message. They remained relatively stoic while being led to their doom. Alex remained focused on the task at hand. Her mind was surfing the waves of the Force, looking for any solution. The Force stubbornly kept the path shrouded. Oddly, enough Jace seemed the perfect wild card. He might not yet know it, but the Force was flowing through him.

Alex was moving as Jace reacted. She stepped to the side to avoid becoming entangled in the tussle. Everything happened in a flash. The male guard running, Jace shouting, and a pile of two bodies on the ground. She smiled. Too easy. Her mind flashed out in the Force…her hand extending outstretched towards the man. The female guard had been the mentally tough of the two, the human was dumb. Her mind enveloped his in an instant. Simple pressure, her hand closing into a fist…one word. Sleep. Midstride the human man fell face first into the ground. He was in an impossibly deep slumber. The man would remain unconscious for at least a few hours. Alex lowered her hand to her side. A quick flick of her finders moving the woman off Jace.

“Well…so much for a peaceful arrival.” She scanned the horizon. “No point in hiding who we are now…they’ll know sooner than later the lookouts are down.” She sighed. Never easy. She began to walk towards the wreckage. If they were going to do this, they might as well stop pretending. There were some benefits in being a Jedi.

@Wit

 

[Jace Darklighter]

Jace had been struggling to try and get himself free when the weight holding him down suddenly vanished and the guard's body just seemed to move off of him of its own accord. As he pushed himself up to a seated position he spotted Master Voran nowhere near him, or the other guard for that matter. She was exactly where she had been before he had tried his little stunt. And yet both the guards were taken care of. Impressive.

He titled his head and shrugged somewhat apologetically as she mentioned the lost hope of a peaceful resolution. But as he was about to get to his feet and follow after her, he had a hunch that made him pause. He leaned over to reach out for the guard's body that was lying nearby and started checking her pockets. At first it seemed like a useless endeavor, there wasn't anything useful to be found. Then he noticed a small pouch that he had missed, and pulled out a small and distinctive looking datacard. Immediately he knew what it was, he had seen and used hundreds of the like.

A grin appearing on his face, he jumped to his feet and ran after the Jedi Master. "Master Voran!" He called as he caught up with her and slowed down to keep pace with her. "I might have an idea," he began as he held out the datacard for her, "it's an access key to their ship, found it on one of the guards. If we get close enough to the ship I might be able to use this to get remote access to their ship. Can't really do much without actually getting on board, but might be able to do enough to make them think something's wrong with the ship. Sraw some of them back to their ship, make it a little easier for us to explore the wreckage."

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex smiled at the excitement in Jace’s voice. Even better, he had a legitimately inspired idea. Her smile grew wider. “Brilliant.” The young Jedi was proving to be more than a capable student but if they could avoid violence, he was one less life she had to worry about. “We only need to distract the thieves long enough to find the droids and get them out of the ship.” That last part was far more difficult than it sounded. These were not ordinary droids. Extraordinary effort would be needed to extricate them from the wreckage. She was sure they would figure it out when the time came.

“Apparently we should be able to activate the droids.” Alex shrugged. “Assuming they follow commands.” She smiled again. No mission could go perfectly. The Jedi Master reached into the Force and continued to dampen the sounds of their approach. She was not skilled enough to entire conceal their physical presence, but she was close. The Force had immeasurable uses if you expanded your mind. Her mind reached out, they were a little ways from the wreckage still. Time for another lesson. “Try again.”

She turned back to shoot a look at Jace. “You know I can feel the Force in you, almost see it…the ability is in your soul…you just need to find the right key to unlock it.” There was no cookie cutter template for reaching the Force. The younger the student, the easier they seemed to find their connection. Jace had likely spent years not realizing the strength he possessed. Kriff, she had been a gutter rate far before she ever sniffed the Light. A lifetime ago.

Alex was momentarily lost in the musing of a lost time. Neither Jedi noticed as a lookout much closer to the base scrambled down a rock. Within moments, that lookout had alerted the entire thieving crew of the Jedi’s imminent arrival.

@Wit

 

[Jace Darklighter]

Jace wasn't as much of an ego-maniac as some of the other pilots he had flown with and against, but he wasn't completely free of that sin either, so the Jedi Master's reaction to his suggestion was a much needed boost after his failures so far. And add her declaration of the fact that they might be able to activate the droids, and he was feeling a lot better about this whole mission than he had been not too long ago.

So when she asked him to try once more, he felt much of the hesitance that he might have normally felt vanish. He reached out with a hand and gestured towards a piece of stone lying on the ground. He imagined it flying into his outstretched hand, and this time something told him it would work. He stared intently at the stone, willing it to rise into the air. And nothing happened.

"Fierfek!" He muttered under his breath in frustration. "Sorry about the language, but maybe I'm just not cut out for this." He bent down to pick up the stone and just then a loud crack from behind broke the relative silence around them. He immediately knew what it was, a blaster being fired and instinctively drew his blaster and turned around to aim towards the direction the sound had come from. Time seemed to slow as he spotted the figure in the distance, just about out of range for his blaster, about to take another shot. He reacted without consciously taking aim, his hand moving almost on its own. Another crack rang out as another blaster bolt flew through the air. But this one flew from Jace's blaster and slammed into the distant figure's arm, making him drop the rifle he held in his hand and go running off.

Jace stared in surprise at the retreating figure before glancing down at his blaster. He was a decent shot, but that was beyond anything he was capable off. He chuckled, and looked up at Master Voran. "Talk about a lucky shot. You don't have a lottery card you want me to scratch do you? While my luck lasts." He chuckled once more before begining to holster the blaster, but thinking better of it and keeping it out in his arm. If there was any doubt about the thieves being aware of their presence it was gone, they were sure to have heard those shots.

@Valen Pelora

 

[Alexandria Voran]

The Force continued to escape Jace, but not for lack of effort. Alex smiled at the young Jedi. Unfortunately, there were no magic words she could speak to unlock understanding in her mind. Jace possessed the necessary gift but he had to find that spark himself. “You know, I’m eighty years old.” Kriff, it did sound old when she said it. “I’ve been a Jedi for sixty years.” Her feet stopped for a moment as she turned to face Jace. “It took me nearly a decade before I truly begin to use the Force.” Before Alex could continue her sage advice, the shot rang out. Her lightsaber hilt sprung into her hand. She kept the saber sheathed while she searched for the target. Jace did not give her time. The Padawan fired off a perfect shot, drilling the lookout in the arms. She could feel the Force rippling in his chest.

Alex laughed. “Luck? No one is that lucky…it’s the Force.” She shook her head in disbelief. “You use it without even thinking. That might be the key.” Unfortunately, she did not have time for any more lessons. The Force spiked with alarm. Her eyes shifted ahead, a group of guards lumbering over the hill. Now the saber sprang to life in her hand. Blaster bolts went flying back towards their targets. There was a small handful of guards approaching. Alex’s head briefly tipped towards the clouded sky. A Zeffo storm still raged above. She smiled.

The Force built slowly around her as her mind titled skyward. The winds shipped, the thunder clapped, and for a moment she looked down from above. Gale force winds ripped down from the sky, sweeping the legs out from under the guards, pulling blasters from hands, and sending the ruffians tumbling back down the hill. The mighty winds continue to push the guards all the way back to the wreckage. Alex had become the storm at the risk of distraction. Distraction that led to a blaster bolt zinging past her leg, leaving a long and painful burn. Her calm face was marked by a grimace. “No point in hiding now.” She breathed deeply of the Force, bursting alive with the Light.

@Wit