Ask Visiting an Empty World

[Freyja]

He wasn't wrong...and yet she knew why she hadn't manage to accept that he had even tried to honor the culture - that they had all died, had made her furious...it had stirred up dreadful memories of the past, the slaughter of her whole village resurfaced and thus accepting that they were all gone had been difficult. Her Master was guiding her through this, but he hadn't been here and alone, apperently she didn't yet manage to overcome this all.

"You're not wrong...I just...I don't even know. I haven't even known those people...but it reminded me of something". No one had buried her village. But wasn't it stupid to hold onto those images? Again, her mind wandered to Azar...he was wise in many regards and whenever she found herself on such crossroads, with just a few words, he offered just the right guiding. She missed him...

"I'm sorry", she added quietly, slowly shaking her head. She wasn't used to such emotional outbursts but she hoped it wouldn't happen again any time soon.

Their conversation fortunately moved on and picturing him in a suit, conducting actual business made her chuckle. "No no...sure you can...it's just...unsual", her features brightened again. "Yeah, why not go? I need someone to help me track down said shady crime boss after all", she playfully replied, obviously challenging him in a way with a slightly mischievous glint in her eyes.

With Azar gone, it was hard for her to admit she was not doing so well being all by herself. Company helped her, and she knew she wouldn't just go there by herself - after all, what would happen if she had a meltdown just there? The guiding of champion helped her develop her skills in many regards - it wasn't the same as her master's training, but it complemented her growth.

"Then let's go somewhere else...away from the City's center", she suggested, agreeing with him in terms of not necessarily going back to where they had come from. She didn't doubt a second exposure would be easier...but perhaps avoiding it was still better. "Why don't we rest a little and change locations? Are you...tired? Or should we just relocate?". He sounded a little absent-minded still, and she noticed flying somewhere else was preferable.

@Javier esschoolbus

 

[Trael Osso-Drast]

Trael listened as she tried to explain herself and why she broke down. It seemed the sight reminded her of the past something he could relate too, as he hadn't come to terms with his own, staying in a self imposed exile from his home planet. As she apologized he ruffled her hair, "No need to apologize facing the past is hard for everyone. Let's just try to forget about the city for now." He said to her in a playful yet genuine tone.

As he begun explaining the he was in fact a legitimate businessman she began to chuckle at him. He quirked her a curious brow as she called it unusual, "Well then what do you do Miss Normal." If she was going to drag on his job he wanted the chance to do so back although as he thought about it she probably didn't have one. She once again brought up the beach vacation and crime boss idea. "If that's an invitation I'm not sure you could afford my help. Unless I get some of the spoils that is." If she really wanted to do this and paid him he would help her, after all having a stream of revenue he didn't have to worry about wasn't such a bad idea.

She began inquiring on where else they could go other than the city. If it was something other than the war it would be noticeable in the landscape. "Unless you can fly there isn't a way for me to rest and relocate." Though he wasn't going to openly admit it to the acolyte using his force sight and sense so profoundly was extremely tiring. "I do have an Idea for how to find somewhere to look but I think it's best that you rest as well before we try to use it." Maybe her connection to the planet through her ancestry can take them somewhere of note using the force as a guide. He would have to scout out any location beforehand to prevent a repeat of last time but it may prevent this from being a wasted trip.

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

As he suddenly reached out for her, she almost instinctively flinched. His hand was suddenly in her hairs and he ruffled through it while his voice kept all of the genuine playfulness it had before. What. Was. Happening. For a moment she was genuinely confused about the gesture and blinked at him before she literally broke into a chuckle.

It was silly. She finally gained certainty about how he wasn't a threat to her and that there was nothing she had to fear from him, yet his was of comfortimg felt a little awkward, so she simply couldn't leave it unanswered. In return, she thus simply couldn't help but ruffle through his beard as she said, "then let's fly somewhere else".

"So far, I just study and learn I guess", she replied as their conversation lingered on the various forms of businesses. She wasn't sure what she'd get up to later, but she couldn't see herself in a blouse either. "You'd get the majority...your help would be more valuable then my interference, so obviously, we'd work on those odds". Freyja didn't even need massive gains so far - but perhaps she could work on the foundation of something that would aid her later. The prospects of a little getaway were still promising though...

He made it clear that he prefered rest first, so she had to concede for now and come to terms with staying near this terrible place a little longer. "Then rest it is...you have a point". She didn't know what he had in mind, but she was certain she'd find out soon enough. As she didn't want those thoughts from earlier to surface when she'd try to quiet her mind, she bit the inside of her cheeks as she looked around. "Are your wounds going to be okay?".

@Javier esschoolbus

 

[Trael Osso-Drast]

Trael could see that she was in a better mood as she chuckled. It seems his act of comforting her had done its intended job. She then reached out for his beard and he stopped her with the force. It wasn’t painful or anything but she wouldn’t get to the beard. “I don’t like it when people touch my beard. I’ve had some bad experiences with it.” His tone like a flip went serious, he might be extremely easygoing for a Sith but he still had his lines that wouldn’t be crossed. Only Azar got beard privileges and he wasn’t going to bend on that.

He simply nodded as she answered his question about her line of work simply being a student. It made sense that it would be the case but never know what side hustle’s ambitious acolytes could get into. He listened as she broke down how she felt it should be split. It all sounded like a good business deal, “We can go 80/20. You have to find the location and do the scouting, I’ll meet you there once that’s done and we can get the ball rolling.” He wasn’t doing any of the grunt work on a job he wasn’t overly interested in, but it was something simple that would give him a win on his belt.

She agreed to rest but seemed apprehensive about it. Did he give her an impression about his intentions that was wrong? “If you want I can rest outside while you take the ship. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” He was about to walk over to the blaster rack and grab one when she asked about his wounds again. “Well there’s bacta on them and I haven’t done anything to upset the wound. I’ll be alright.”

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

She was surprised that there seemed to be some kind of tragic beard yanking background story and out of respect she didn't ask any questions, just stared at him for another moment before she let that hand sink. "I'm sorry", obviously, she couldn't have known, but she absolutely didn't want this to get awkward.

He stated his conditions and given that he wasn't being all serious when he presented them, her lips slightly curled into a smirk. "What about 70/30 as the scouting will also entail a big amount of work already...?". Freyja hadn't taken any diplomatic classes or whatsoever, but she found her plea rather reasonable, so she was curious about what he'd make out of it.

As he suddenly offered to stay outside, she immediately raised a brow in confusion, wondering whether she had seem so unsettled and why he even related that to him. "What?", she couldn't help but blurt out before she pushed herself back to her feet, shaking her head.

"It's...not you...Like at all. That's a kind offer, but please, it's your ship after all. I'll go curl up on the couch and you can rest in your quarters or whatever". She was sure a ship of that size provided actual quarters, at least for him, and he was the injured one after all, so his idea of staying outside was absolutely not a good one.

"I'm still processing what I've seen, but I'll also be fine", she offered a faint smile before she moved over onto one of the couches in the area and plopped down on it. It was a regular two-seater, but given that she was rather short, she could easily make herself comfortable on it. "If those wounds of yours appear hot, let me know".

@Javier esschoolbus

 

[Trael Osso-Drast]

Well she was definitely Azar's apprentice. Instead of simply taking the initial deal he proposed she tried to negotiate for a higher stake. He shrugged, "I've never found scouting particularly hard myself." musing aloud thinking that it's probably the only thing he hasn't failed at yet. "I don't really see a problem with the adjustment, but I'm expecting in depth and precise details now." If he was giving up a larger stake he wanted the information gathered even more detailed so he might not be surprised.

He was surprised by her immediate reaction to his suggestion. He expected her to take it openly and use it to snoop around his ship. In her doing so he would've had time to go back into the city and find what he was looking for. "I wasn't saying I planned on staying out there. I just was going to do some meditation in the fresh air." Maybe he should just let the city go for now and focus on trying to use her connection through ancestry instead.

He mulled over if he should go to the city or not. If he seemed to forceful in putting himself outside it would draw the nosy acolyte's curiosity. And he didn't want to deal with a second meltdown. "Fine, I'll be in the training room if you need me." He went into the room with his weights and other forms of training. He sat on the floor and began meditating to try and connect to the planet. He wanted to see if he could sense any disparities in it's natural Force pool.

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

"Now? Didn't we...just make that plan? I mean of course, I'll report to you right away as soon as I have said intel and yes, you'll get all the details" - he had agreed already anyway, so a somewhat triumphant smirk tugged at her lips after their exchange.

"Meditation in the freezing cold while a pack of hungry wolves roams the area? Sounds risky, also, you're hurt, not me. If you want to meditate I'll keep watch though", she replied rather bluntly and with a shrug, even though her tone was still lighthearted. He had been...kind. Overly kind even. Why he was getting suicidal now, she didn't know, but even if this place bothered her more than she wanted to admit, she'd stay on the lookout if he needed a meditational break so desperately. "Okay".

She quirked a brow at him as he left for the training room, confused about how he chose the labor of meditation when he actually needed rest, but it gave her some time to wind down and then settle her mind. Refocusing wasn't hard as she kept recalling Azar's teaching and after a while, she felt relatively calm again.

After another while though, as she got bored, she figured before they'd depart, she could see whether there was anything that would provide further fuel and so she went over to his kitchen area where she quickly checked what he had on board, hoping he wouldn't mind if she helped herself to some ingredients to prepare something more nourishing than a ration pack for them.

Freyja liked exotic meals, yet her cooking skills were restricted to the Galactical standard and Sverendish cuisine. What he had aboard was enough to make it work though, so she opted for some meat with vegetables and potatoes and if he wouldn't interrupt her earlier, she'd have a snack ready for when he returned from his training. "Do you feel better?", she'd nonchalantly ask him upon his return, getting the plates ready.

@Javier esschoolbus

 

[Trael Osso-Drast]

He looked at her incredulously as she started talking about how they just made a plan. “No I wasn’t expecting information now. I was saying the information better be extremely detailed now that you are getting 30%. Like I want to know every piece of intel down to when the guards need to use the restroom.” He was shaking his head as he explained. It seemed that blonde moments were truly a thing. Wait, did that mean he was privy to them?

Despite the acolytes belief that meditation was draining it was quite the opposite. Before he meditated he did a light calisthenics workout. He then meditated connecting himself to the Force flowing through the planet. Despite the civil war and upheaval of the former inhabitants it seemed that a dark side nexus hadn’t formed. It seemed that the sinews of the Force remained intact as they were supposed to be.

He came out of the training room to the smell of food. Did she cook while he was meditating? He walked into the kitchen with a curious look. "I feel fine. You didn't have to cook. Also next time at least ask some ingredients are for poison's, would hate to use those thinking they're spices." He was lying through his teeth though the acolyte wouldn't know. He simply didn't like that she cooked using his stuff. He looked at the food cautiously, "I think you should take the first bite. Just to taste it, you know."

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

Their misunderstanding was quickly cleared and she agreed to his terms with a nod. Of course she'd share with him whatever she'd gather- in the end, she needed him prepared after all. They split up after and once they met again, Trael looked somewhat more rested, but generally not so amused.

"Wait...first of all, I've smelt the ingredients thoroughly, I think they're fine - and you're not seriously telling me you'd keep such substances where you keep your food and seasonings?", she quirked a brow in confusion while she threw him an incredulous look.

"Yeah...sorry though, I wasn't snooping around if that's what you think", with a slightly sheepish grin as she finished up their dish. She took a seat and met his gaze before she quirked that brow just again. "You think I'd poison you?", why was he suddenly so suspicious? Had he seen anything during his meditations?

"Okay, see?", she took a bite, and immediately went for another. "It's a fairly safe meal", she confirmed again. "Do you feel rested?" Freyja couldn't shake this feeling of having unfinished business ahead of her, so she was still somewhat eager to continue whereever he planned to go.

@Javier esschoolbus

 

[Trael Osso-Drast]

He looked at her curiously as she was trying to explain herself. “I’m surprised Azar’s student wouldn’t know that there’s odorless poisons. Why not? You make a poison or potions similarly to cooking.” He said matter of factly as he took his seat. She seemed to be oddly trusting of his words for such a curious acolyte. Like he would have any form of poison making materials on his ship. He could barely even speak Ur-kittat let alone say an incantation.

He sat there stirring the food taking in the smell. It didn’t smell bad but didn’t seem to be anything special either. “I don’t have anything in my kitchen that is snoop worthy. Unless you enjoy poisons and spices." He continued looking down at the food. He wasn't worried about being poisoned but still was worried whether it tasted good. "I'm well acquainted with your Master. If you've properly been learning from him it's a possibility."

He quirked a brow as she took a couple bites to prove her trustworthiness. He took a bite of the food, it was good enough. Though it lacked some of the flavor his normal dishes would provide. "I feel good as new. How about yourself? Are you ready to begin the next leg of our journey?" He was unsure if she could even accomplish melding into the Force well enough to actually use it as guide. It was a gamble to take with an unfamiliar acolyte he hasn't had dealings with before. "We'll start after we eat."

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

While he had a point with odorless substances, she simply still didn't buy it and thus argued, "but would you really keep them specifically next to your cooking stuff? Now that would be risky af". She threw him a smirk as she took another bite, somehow assuming he was just testing or kidding her still.

He seemed quite reluctant about eating, but after she had proven that it was just fine, he seemed to be quite okay with it. "But why would I poison you?", she asked again, assuming she could have if she had wanted to, after all, she hadn't tried a bite from his plate, but it was ridiculous. He had been nice the entire time and she even needed a pilot to get off this planet.

"I'm sorry about just having used your stuff - I just thought a filling meal might replenish some more strength we might need later". They then continued eating and while she quickly looked him up and down, she decided to believe him in regards to his wounds. "Good...I'm fine, too. I feel more stable as well, so I'm ready", she truthfully explained, before she nodded.

"Have the Deucalians always piqued your interest?", she wanted to know after a moment, her natural inquisitiveness resurfacing. It was obvious he wanted something from them and he thus needed her still, but she doubted he had randomly decided to conduct some research on them.

@Javier esschoolbus

 

[Trael Osso-Drast]

"If you knew what you had in your cabinets would it really be a risk?" He inquired, it was true he knew what exactly was in each cabinet and drawer in his kitchen. So to him if there was any risky materials he wouldn't have the risk of using them.

He started eating when she asked again what he thought her reason would be to poison him. "Well what is stopping you? If you kill me you can claim my title and belongings. I guess the keyword is if." He began to smirk while eating his food. It was fun toying with her, but he had to be careful or she might actually try to kill him.

He raised an eyebrow as she apologized for using his stuff, "It's fine, at least you made something edible. A good meal is always beneficial for replenishment." He began to eat again, not willing to complain about a free meal. He looked up at her as she spoke feeling outwards with the Force to determine if she was telling the truth. He didn't feel the emotional spiral she was experiencing earlier, "Good, hopefully we don't trigger another response like that at our next destination."

He had finished his food and was cleaning off the dish when she asked about his interest in Deucalians. "Their more of a recent interest, but I was genuinely curious what drew them to abandon their home world after recolonizing it. That's why we're here currently."

He made his way into the cockpit, "Join me in here when your done!" He called out, letting out a sigh. Let's hope she can do this or learn it quickly. He started the ship and waited for her to strap up next to him. "Has Azar taught you to use meditation to connect to the flow of the Force from a planet?"

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

For his latest responds, she slowly narrowed her eyes a little as she pondered on his words. No, she didn't buy it...but she didn't doubt he knew exactly where everything was. "Fair. But judging from how you're digging in, I'm gonna say you believe me when I say I'm sure I've only used edible ingredients".

Smirking, she kept eating while he outlined what killing him would offer her. "Is that what you think of me?", she asked back, curious about whatever he was thinking about everyone just like that or whether his recent past had made him much more careful. Sith were never known to be trusted, but she couldn't help but tease: "Well...would be worth more if I went for a Master for that". The playful tone indicated that she wasn't being serious, yet she was hoping he could muster the humor.

She nodded in agreement, not wanting to spiral again either, yet she figured that even if she was certain it wouldn't happen again, a small chance remained, and so it was certainly for the best if both just stayed vigilant.

She reflected on his words a little before she found herself nodding in thoughts again. She, too, had plans of starting the endeavor to retracing her ancestors steps, but it was something for the future. Perhaps she'd gain important insights here already though, insights she could draw from.

Trael soon left for the cockpit and as she was all set, she immediately and plopped down in the co-pilot's chair. She looked up to meet his gaze as he inquired whether she was capable of basically using the Force to navigate, and while she was curious about what they were about to track, she decided to truthfully disclose that Azar had taught her how to do so. "He has. Do you want me to guide us with whatever I'm picking up?", she inhaled slowly as she straightened her back and began to focus her mind, expecting further instructions.

@Javier esschoolbus

 

[Trael Osso-Drast]

Trael looked up at her as she asked about if actually thought she would kill him. He sat there just eating the food for a moment, “We’re Sith.” He stated flatly, “Unlike any other organization the only way for ours to truly thrive is through conflict of interest.” He reminded her unamusedly. He finished up the stew. “A master? Maybe if you enjoy the idea of dying.” Trael understood firsthand the powers of a Sith Master. He’d personally worked with all of the ones that had come and gone recently.

He was going through the preflight phase when she joined him in the cockpit. He didn’t respond to her till they were in the air, “Connect with the world’s Force connection and follow where it tells you to go. If you need help on how to do that I’ll try to explain it.” He said casually, he wasn’t going to break it down before letting her try. He still needed to get a read on her ability.

He casually flew the ship in a wide arcing circle as she meditated. He didn’t want to fly in a direction just to be told to go the other way. So he was waiting until she either sunk or swam.

@LadyRen

 

[Freyja]

Of course she knew what it meant to be Sith, of course she had witnessed plenty of the recent developments and thus is surprised her that he changed from lighthearted to serious so suddenly. She didn't question him though, but solely gave him a playful "I love that optimism". The conversation moved on from then and they were soon in the cockpit, focusing on why they had come here in the first place.

"Okay...so just going with the flow?", she asked for confirmation again, although it felt like it was a rhetorical question anyway as he made it fairly clear a moment later. "Okay", this, she could in fact do, she had done it before and she was ready to do so again, curious about where it would lead them.

The whole planet vibrated with a rather fuzzy kind of energy, but while it was hard to grasp per se, it wasn't hard to connect to the planet - after all, her roots were intertwined with this planet's history. She made herself comfortable and kept her eyes closed, and soon it was a vibrant pulse that erupted within the Force before a subtle whisper drew her attention.

Opening her eyes, she looked at the screen in front of her before she said, "East...". It was clear enough, the calling at least. She couldn't tell what it was, but it was asking her to approach. She entered the meditative state again, knowing she'd have to stay connected and pay attention in order to follow and thus guide Trael, so she didn't allow her mind to wander. "It's not that far off", she muttered a moment later as she waited for him to follow her instructions before they'd end up in front of a cave half an hour later.

@Javier esschoolbus