Timber to Freedom

[Bruce Guleya]

Alvorine, Outer Rim Territories
1700 hours
Theme
@Sreeya

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Jedi Knight Bruce Guleya looked out of the window of the small shuttle craft he was aboard with great pleasure and great awe. The shuttle skirted across the colourful treetops, beauty could still be found in the galaxy torn by conflict. Below was Alvorine, a planet with many forests and odd spires reaching high into the skies. He was brought to this Outer Rim Territory because of rumors that had been circulating around the galaxy, rumors of criminals - slavers, holding up here. The planet would serve as a fantastic foothold with the large forests anyone could potentially disappear if the wanted or on occasion, didn't want.

Bruce learned long ago, information would be key to winning almost any conflict and located the unknown if you so sought it. Because of this, Bruce had been paying more and more attention to the HoloNet and news castings - from legitimate sources, though censored and minor sources not subjected to censorship. It was because if this great drive and desire to get a leg up going forward, he had caught wind that a various people of all races had gone missing along the colonies and settlements that dotted the many planets in this region of space. Slavers tended to work this section but on occasion they'd feel so bold and go for the core or the more rich planets, anything to make a stack of credits. Bruce had set the ground work and was able to get intel on a shipment of 'merchandise' which he had tracked here, thanks to the Force; a talent he had developed long ago. All he needed was information on what to look for and the Force would give him a vague direction, he had use that to set this in motion.

Today he was with a young Mirilian shadow. While he was not overly familiar with the young woman, he had seen her and talked to her on various occasions back on Ossus. He spent his days with the Consulars and within the library and the former Ossus temple before that tragic day, traveling back and forth. He had seen her in the temple, had been part of the occasional lesson and he'd seen her spar, but it wasn't until today that he actually donned on him - he never actually really talk to her and knew very little about her, despite everything else. That's what conflict does, it takes people to all corners of the galaxy.

The shuttle quickly cut the air, honing in on it's designated landing zone, before touching down softly on the ground, announcing it's arrival was the sound of the ramp touching the ground. The Bardottan rose from his seat and stressed it out, flights always felt much longer than they were for Bruce. He'd been doing a lot of traveling across the galaxy lately, he figured he'd be able to adjust but some days he wondered if he would ever adjust.

The shuttle landed at the capital city of Alvorine.

Bruce checked himself over, he wasn't sure what he was going to be coming into so he had stowed his lightsaber hilt away in his robes. He tapped his shoulders, the panels were well situation and all of his equipment was in order. He opened up a locker and pulled out a brown cloak that he tossed over his beige robes.

"We have arrived on Alvorine. Our contact should be waiting for us at the coordinates we'd just received when we touched down. I've never been here - sure is nice to not be on a desert, yeah?" He smiled to himself.

 

[Cora Tryn]

Thoughts of Ossus weighed heavily on Cora’s mind for a long time since the incident. She hadn’t had the guts to go back to help with the clean up efforts, not when she knew so many of her friends had died there. The temple had been her home, and it was completely eradicated thanks to a woman with nothing but malice in her heart. Cora quickly had to reel her thoughts back, realizing that such dark thoughts were exactly what caused Andraste to fall in the first place.

She was more than happy to accompany Bruce on this mission to Alvorine, and there had been reports of slaver activities. It was nothing more than the two of them couldn’t handle – hopefully- and it was pretty standard of a mission. Cora remained quiet most of the journey, her gaze trained out to look at the planet below. She had to marvel at the beauty, always finding it ironic that the most beautiful places hid the scummiest people and operations.

As the shuttle landed, Cora quickly grabbed her things, fitting on her armor and grabbing her lightsabers. She had also packed an extra blaster just in case. Her gaze trained on Bruce as he began to put on his attire. She shook her head, “You look too much like a Jedi. Remember, most of the galaxy doesn’t trust us. We need to blend in. You’ll want to look more like a civilian at all times and keep your saber hidden.”

Cora turned and made her way out of the ship, gazing up at the beautiful sky. The planet truly was beautiful, and even the air felt cleaner here. Cora grinned at his comment about the desert, “No kidding. I hate it whenever I have to be stationed to a mission on Tattooine. I don’t know how those people live there year round.”

She followed the coordinates on their datapad, and it led to a nearby cantina. Right away, she spotted a portly man sitting in the corner that matched their description. Cora nodded at Bruce and made her way over to the table, taking a seat across from him. The two Jedi would be able to immediately sense that the man was distressed.

“Are you the… “ He began, and Cora simply nodded. The man heaved a sigh of relief, “I’m Barn Kovin. I didn’t know where else to turn. Things have been getting really bad in the outskirts of the city. The city is fine, but for us folks that live out in the villages, we keep coming under bandit raids. Slavers are taking our women and children and killing the men. The local authorities have their hands full and aren’t doing much to help us because they only want to protect the city,” The man began to get emotional, wiping his eyes, “They even…even took my little Lilly…please.. you have to help.”

Cora nodded, “That’s what we’re here for, sir. Can you lead us towards where the villages are?”

@Zigara

 

[Bruce Guleya]

Bruce pondered what Cora said about looking like a Jedi. She was right, the cloak would be satisfactory - it was just something to cut back on inclement weather, but the tunic underneath it... yes it really didn't hide much. Although it was stupid of him, he couldn't help but to think back, his wardrobe was limited - he really should probably buy more clothes, but Bruce seriously had no fashion sense - too bad the Force did enhance that sense. He chuckled at himself. Well, it was too late now - it was all he had in the locker; he tightened up the cloak, he might as well try and hide as much as he could. It might be a little difficult to retrieve the saber from under the cloak, but it'll have to do.

Bruce wasn't too far behind Cora, he looked around taking stock of the area before heading to the coordinates provided. Cora seemed to be taking the lead so far, he was okay with that. This was out of his element and right now there really wasn't much to do except for getting some direction and to get a situational report, details of the task at hand. It seemed to be the way, a brief explanation before you headed off to the mission, talk to a contact and get more details. It made things better actually, cut out the middleman and none of that 'broken comm' business. It was obvious the man was distressed, he could feel it before the man even talked.

Cora seemed to take point with the conversation, with that in mind he moved his attention away from the the man as he spoke but instead in the room, he tried to feel the room, it was alive with patrons but still rather tame but the crowds were important for things like this. Having the attention split everywhere generally meant that they could talk about the uncomfortable things with no one directly overhear what was going on. But that didn't mean they couldn't be snooped on, and that was what Bruce wanted to look for through the Force.

As he felt the crowd, he listened to the man talk. Ban Kovin was his name, regular raids, little Lily. He made notes in his head - so a little one was at risk, that rose the stakes for Bruce. He wasn't a fan of children being robbed of their childhood - true, the Jedi preferred to take people younger but they weren't always seeking and 'stealing' babies from families. This meant they'd need to be much more efficient, quick, quiet.

The Force whispered in his ear, whispers from the crowd, he had a hard time trying to discern what was being said, he thought he might have heard someone talking about a camp deep within the forests surrounding them. He focused on that one little bit of information, he was going to keep it handy - if the man gave them a different location and it turned out not to have his family, at least Bruce could suggest a second location.

When the man and Cora got up to leave, Bruce shook his head and returned back to the present time. The city was still bustling with energy, and they started to enter the forests. The world around them, though pretty began to grow dark as the treetops began to close in, robbing the sky of it's sunlight. The city disappeared behind them with the crystalline spires, Bruce began to tense slightly as he knew they'd be faced with some turbulent times.

@Sreeya

 

[Cora Tryn]

The man wasted no time in leading Cora and Bruce towards the villages in the outskirts of the city. He had a rusty old speeder for them all to climb into. Cora was smooshed in next to Bruce, and she flashed him an awkward grin, “The things we do to be the good guys,” She telepathically muttered to him as she waited for Barn to take them to where they needed to go.

It took them almost an hour to get to the villages, and Cora was very stiff by the end of it. It was clear the villages were out in the middle of nowhere, and it was easy to see how these areas could be ignored by local authorities and governments. The routes wove through empty roads and forests, most of the path off road.

As they arrived at the villages, she could see people bustling about here and there. As a Jedi, she could already get a sense of doom and gloom. There was a lot of loss here, and tragedies plagued the place. Cora hopped out of the speeder, Barn explaining to them how the villages were laid out and other information about the people. Cora ignored it all for now, making her way towards the paths that led towards the forests that the village backed to.

“You haven’t been able to trace where they come from?” Cora asked Barn. He simply shook his head, explaining that no one knew where they were located. The attacks were sporadic and people went missing. Part of being a Shadow meant she had to really become well versed with operating in different terrains and situations.

Cora bade for Bruce to walk with her towards the mouth of the forest. She glanced down and could already spot some signs of struggles, but they were subtle. She turned to Bruce, “What do you feel or see here? Any clues that might lead us to these slavers?”

 

[Bruce Guleya]

Bruce hopped into the back of beat up old speeder Barn had. There was a thought I the man's head, a thought that questioned if the speeder would get them there without exploding. Sure, Bruce had little care for looking sharp or snazzy - he'd done away with materials, as was expected by the Order. But, just because he hadn't put much emphasis on it, he could always appreciate a well maintained - relatively new vehicle; much more reliable. Cora was right behind him, squished into his side. Cora touched his mind and he grinned at her and laughed quietly. “I knew we were going to be working closely… but…” he replied to her and her alone.


The ride was rough, the hour it took also seemed a lot longer and Bruce's lanky stature had done much to ease the tidy squeeze and the raddled head. As they zipped through the forest floors, paths untraveled it seemed. Bruce continued to move his head in every which way he tried to take it all in, maybe map the paths but he couldn't keep up. Despite this difficulty, he would make every effort to persevere - he would likely be tested later. When the day was done, that is.


The speeder spit and sputtered to a halt. It's age more apparent now, Bruce would allow Cora to get out first, she had the worst seat. He could tell by how uncomfortable she looked - he wouldn't rob her the chance to stretch her legs. He looked around the area as he climbed out, they were busy, they were scared, they were tired; the village. This was a moment for him, it hit him much more that he suspected his counterpart; as a healer, Bruce had given himself over to the light side of the Force, in return it provided him an affinity to sense people's well being; both a blessing and a curse. While it made diagnosing and treating easy, if made combat a bit more challenging for him.


The sense of loss, the everlasting need for hope and rebirth tugged at Bruce. The people needed their help, they needed to be rid of the many incidents. They needed a hero. Cora and he would be that 'hero’ and that spark he'd hope would ignite a wildfire of hope and spread far. Bruce listened closely to Barn - this was something that would often make the Jedi Knight intrigued. Bruce had begun to stray from Cora's side as he observed the people, as he felt for the people. When Cora made the efforts to get his attention he turned his head before nodding and heading toward her stopping at the mouth of the forest.


“A struggle no doubt.” He knelt down observing markings on the ground. He tracked them with a razor's sharpness. “Three. Maybe four, subjects. Two victims… at least here.” He tried to play the events out in his head before digging deeper as he stood up. He walked around the area. “Guerilla warfare for sure. Took up positions in the growth… this was relatively chaotic. I think this was a standard gathering - or at least path the villagers frequented. These pirates certainly knew where to look. But wait… no. It can't be. But it must… I'd hope not, but the truth…” Bruce seemed to be pondering something, he seemed to really be captivated by the notion, it would take Cora to interrupt him to get him to give up the thought.


“My apologies. I didn't want to believe it, but signs point to a hard reality.” He returned to her side and whispered softly into her ear, “Sold out. A traitor.” He backed off, and met Cora's eyes; he held the gaze for a moment and turned away and looked out into the forests, with a single gesture he identified they'd find their slaver's camp. But it was impossible for him to know just how far they'd have to go into the wilds.

@Sreeya

 

[Cora Tryn]

Cora listened quietly as Bruce made his assessment of the situation. She was more than impressed by the Jedi’s perception. She didn’t interrupt him as he spoke, a smile growing on her face that she couldn’t help. He would be an asset to have along for future missions. He had a peaceful look to him, so when he got right to the point and rattled off the crime scene, she was more than a little impressed.

She nodded to him as he spoke, “Which makes things a lot more complicated. Said traitor may have warned the slavers that Barn was out to get help,” Cora glanced back at the villagers. They were all looking at them expectantly, as if the Jedi were going to wave a magic wand and solve all their problems. Cora eyed them for a moment, “Please keep clear of this area, we will survey everything and find these slavers.”

She said nothing more, nodding for Bruce to follow as she made her way into the forest. Cora glanced back to make sure they were out of earshot before she spoke, “Someone’s making a fat stash of money by working with these slavers. When I looked around at all the villagers, there was one woman in particular that looked a bit too nicely dressed. Each finger had an expensive ruby on it. You saw the piece of crap Barn drove us here in. That’s the average condition of the people here. Either that woman’s involved or she’s the wife of someone who is.”

It was too soon to tell. She very well could have been someone important in the village. Cora focused her attention on the path ahead, using her tracking skills to make her way through the forest. She sensed with the Force to see if she could get a feel for anyone in the area. The forest got thicker as they ventured in further, and the trees almost it appear as if it were dark. Cora kept walking, looking around for any signs at all.

“Damn it,” She finally sighed after they had been walking for a while, “I was so sure this was the right way. I’m not spotting anything on the trail now,” She looked around, crouching down and brushing her hands through the ground, “No sign of anything at all.”

@Zigara

 

[Bruce Guleya]

Bruce nodded in agreement when Cora described the lady in the village. She was right, the lady really stuck out and he had made note of it but it didn't take him much to push it aside, he just assumed it wouldn't be the case - but after he went through the crimes committed and how his companion reminded him of the mysterious girl it returned to him like being struck by a blunt object. "While I'd agree with you, it's hard to be certain. Maybe it's a status symbol? It's hard to say with any accuracy. We know very little about them and their ways, despite what Barn has given us... but naturally Barn could have just given us what he wanted us to know or think. It's tricky." He considered the case and how to approach it going forward. To come right out and lay such an accusation would be incredibly inappropriate and such an opinion should be kept to oneself, until the facts became much clearer.

Bruce was a consular, a logical mind. He didn't always think in deception or unscrupulous behaviors nor did his mind often wander into the tactical side of things. But it made logical sense, and often that logical thinking would serve him well. Logically one would use the bushes to attack, one would use insider information to get the big score, logically. The Knight always wanted details, wanted facts, wanted to know all angles before he would commit to such accusations. True, sometimes that went out the window when you gave him an book packed full of knowledge or tossed him into a ruin... and sometimes he was just completely misguided or out to lunch when his mind drifts away; all that aside the events didn't sit well with him. He was that much more determined to conclude this nasty business.

The two knights wandered deep into the forests now. Cora seemed to have a hunch of where to guy and Bruce was happy to follow the Mirialan on this quest with little hesitation. He may have mostly operated solo, but every time he had someone to tag along he generally became more appreciative of the world. When he was with someone else, the case often changed to allowing him to open his mind and his eyes, having a teammate meant he could engulf himself in the natural beauties of the galaxy, it also helped him focus more. In contrast however, being solo meant he often got lost in his own thoughts and the task at hand; he might focus a little too hard on those days.

As they got deeper, Bruce started sensing something from his green companion; he started sensing some doubt in her. When they started to walk she exude confidence and now it was waning. The bardottan started to to feel concerned, he wasn't sure exactly what was causing the doubt and he had prepared for everything - other than the obvious. When she spoke up, he laughed lightly at himself and scolded himself for thinking it was anything else but simply concern for getting lost on the path of their mission. The team started to slow in pace and then come to a halt at the revelation of the lost track. Bruce nodded, "I was starting to think we'd passed that tree a couple of times... but then again all these trees appear the same after you've been staring at them for quite some time. Well Cora, that's okay. We can figure this out, yeah?"

He looked around the area before starting to casually scour the area, there had to be something right? Unfortunately, his tracking was a bit muddled right now. He didn't gave much to go on, and he started to tap his chin prepared to admit defeat until a whisper pinged in the back of his head. What was that he heard? The Force was trying to remind him of something - something that had happened earlier. Bruce buried his head into this hands as he tried to grasp the message and then he had a direction... a strong urge to go east, to go off the worn in paths and into the untold foliage. He waved Cora over and pointed in the direction, "We must go that way. I don't know why, but we must."

The Force must have plans for the two, that's the only reason he could thing he'd be pulled. Perhaps this had something to do with that small mention he heard back at the cantina? It wasn't unheard of. The Force had guided him in general directions before and more often than not he had no control over it; not yet at least. All he needed was the knowledge of what he was looking for and the Force would act as a compass but it never revealed the exact locations and he never knew exactly what he'd find.

@Sreeya