| Logs |
2002 May 22
| These Shattered Stars |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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| Realms: These Shattered Stars Logs |
Chapter One, Part One
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A long time ago, in a galaxy far,
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THESE SHATTERED STARS
From the Unknown Regions, the SITH EMPIRE came sweeping out into the Galactic Republic, taking world after world before being forced into détente by the military of the Republic and the JEDI ORDER. Facing a foe unlike any they had seen before, the Council of the Order realized there was much they needed to learn before they could defeat the threat of the Sith. In the meantime, an uneasy balance of terror stands between the Empire and Republic, in the now-chaotic worlds of the MID RIM. Fighting grows more and more intense as the weeks pass, and soon the détente will break. And the direction the sweep of war flows will be determined solely by the conflicts even now being fought by the Jedi Order and the Sith Hierarchy... |
It is midday on Coruscant, at least in this part of the city-world, and the sun beats down through the streams of ships arriving and departing; the hordes of air-speeders that make artificial clouds upon the surface of the world. Two air-speeders in particular -- one in plenipotentiary red and the other in Senatorial blue -- sweep down from the air-traffic and approach the gleaming ivory towers of the Jedi Temple.
The air-speeders land not a handful of yards from each other, outside the pristine walls of the Temple and near the Fifth Gate. From the blue air-speeder steps a young, wiry Human male dressed in black, with a wicked scar across his face. From the other emerges the hulking mass of a gray-brown-haired Wookie and a youthful Human woman, both in the robes of the Jedi.
Roakkana rests his hands barely upon the head of his wooden cane -- not that he looks like he at all needs it -- and it's hard to tell if he's smiling or not, though his eyes glitter. "<It seems we are not the only ones summoned here today, child,>" he says growlingly to Freyja. Freyja is watching the blue, Senatorially marked land-speeder, and smiles quietly when she realizes who's in it. She gives a small wave at the human male, from where she's pacing quietly along behind the Wookie Jedi.
Quiet nods curtly. "Master Roakkana. Freyja." He turns toward the Temple gates, the air traffic and the constant airflow through the city canyons blowing out his cloak.
Standing straight and wiry, this is a pale-skinned Human, maybe in his early twenties, with a strong though not bulky build. His left cheek is marred by a long, straight scar crossing his lips just alongside his nose, and his hair is a mass of short, choppy spikes shot through with salt-and-pepper black and gray. He wears a long, full-cut gray cloak, the kind that hangs to the ankles. His right arm hangs loose at his side, sheathed in something black and similar to rubber, the wrist wrapped with a thick gray band. Grey piping traces out the contours of the suit, and a gray pad cushions the elbow. His eyes are wide and clear, a striking shade of violet. But for the incongruous scar and the peculiar stillness of his expression, he might be quite attractive. As it stands, but for his striking facial features and unusual attire, he might fall beneath one's notice altogether.
Freyja looks up at the tall, burly Wookie as she tucks her hand back into her wide sleeves, and nods silently once... then studies the ivory towers, wondering thoughtfully if there's any connection between their simultaneous arrival -- and someone from the Council wanting to speak to both her Jedi Master and her.
Roakkana inclines his head to Quiet, and growls out a friendly Wookie greeting. He casts his eyes up to the heights of the central tower. "<I suspect that we are all here for the same purpose. Come! Let's not keep them waiting. Impatience is hardly a virtue, but it's sometimes blasted hard to convince people of that.>" He begins to walk towards the massive gates before the two humans.
Quiet silently follows the Wookie, behind and a bit to the right. Freyja grins over at Quiet, pacing quickly along behind the Wookie to keep up, and murmurs to the human in translation, "Master Roakkana says let's not keep them waiting, since impatience isn't a virtue, but we've yet to convince them of that."
Freyja is a tall, willowy female human with tanned skin. Her steady, often unblinking gaze is ice-blue, while her thick, soft brown hair is cropped short, with one long, thin braid. She makes no wasted movements, standing quiet and impassive with hands tucked into the sleeves of her flowing outer robe. Her pragmatic clothing is occasionally visible -- snug breeches, a cropped athlete's top, taped wrists (all in sturdy, natural-colored cloth), and well-worn boots.
Quiet mms. "Persuasion never was my strong suit." He shrugs, gathering his cloak around himself as they enter the building.
The three enter the Fifth Gate, the four Templars guarding it (two on each side of the ten-meter-long gateway) rock-solid and immovable, their bannered pikes only for ceremony -- as the long-handled lightsabres at their sides show. The guards look at the three interlopers upon their domain briefly, but do nothing to deter their passage. Apparently they are expected.
Freyja starts putting pieces together in her head, trying to plan ahead the way she's been taught. If they're both there for the same reason, then it's a good bet Quiet's employer has some endeavor in mind that needs... hm. He wanted her along... and Quiet's here... he can command Quiet, but not her. However, he can ask a favor of her Jedi master... so... some small, discreet something, perhaps? Something to do with information gathering? Something politically touchy, perhaps.
Within the walls of the Temple, a young Padawan approaches the group. "Master Roakkana of Kashyyyk, Padawan Freyja of Balmorra, and Zero Satau. Please come this way. My master and the Senator are waiting." Roakkana nods, but there's no hiding the faintly amused growl he chuffs. "<Not a virtue, indeed,>" he muses. letting the Padawan lead the way to the lifts.
Freyja blinks... and with another Jedi involved. Fascinating. Quiet regards the Padawan with a flat expression. "Lead on," he says.
The lift takes them up, up to levels which seem to be several floors just below the Council chambers. The Padawan sweeps them through the small labyrinth of chambers and sanctums minor, before a circular door, which looks one part stone and one part droid, splits apart. From within the room beyond can be heard voices. One Quiet recognizes as his employer; the other is unknown to both Humans. "If you're certain that there's nothing else to be done-"
"I am reasonably certain. With our resources spread so thin, we cannot take the chance- ah! Master Roakkana. Please, come in..."
Quiet suppresses a grim smile, keeping his face blank. Nothing else to be done. I always seem to hear that right before... I wonder who he wants me to kill. Freyja mentally re-organizes her notes -- it's unusual for a Senator to be in the Temple. Usually the Jedi report to the Supreme Chancellor's office directly. Curious. She follows Master Roakkana in, watching and listening with silent fascination, and nodding politely if she's introduced.
Within the room stand two beings. One is a Rodian, speaking passable Aurabesh -- Senator Kalatis is Quiet's employer, bedecked in the finery fitting for a Senator of the Republic. The other is a Cerean, and it is he who spoke, Jedi robes swirling about him as he turns to the doorway. He and Roakkana exchange bows. "The Force be with you, Master," he murmurs.
Roakkana's reply is in Wookie, but the voder set upon the desk does a suitable job of translating. "And also with you, Balin Khoud. I do not believe you have met my apprentice, Freyja Rigg of Balmorra." Freyja bows politely to the Cerean Jedi.
Khoud bows in return to Freyja. "No, I have not. The Force be with you, Jedi." He straightens. "I believe you both know Senator Kalatis, of Balmorra Sector."
Kalatis smiles as only a Rodian can -- in a limited way -- to Quiet. "It's good to see you again, Zero," he says, genuinely pleasantly. "I'm sorry to drag you from your time off so abruptly."
Quiet shakes his head, "No need, Senator... I understand, circumstances dictate."
The Rodian inclines his head, burbling a soft greeting to the two Jedi. "And this is Master Balin Khoud, of the Templars-"
"Formerly of the Templars, my good Senator."
"Yes, of course. He is a member of the Jedi Council, and I have the pleasure to be his friend."
Balin Khoud indicates seats nearby. "Please, sit. I shall explain to you our predicament."
Quiet folds his arms, sitting down, keeping his cloak close around him. Freyja waits for her Master to sit, glancing to see if there's a seat available for her. If not she'll just stand quietly behind and to his left... seated, he's about her height anyway. She studies Balin Khoud silently. The Templars are, from what she's been told, the Guardians of the Temple. They don't officially get off-planet much... so if the Cerean is a former Templar, hopefully this issue will be an off-planet one. She's not keen on desperate measures being needed right at home, after all. Roakkana doesn't let his curiosity show, though Freyja and perhaps Quiet can see it in his subtle body language, which he doesn't bother to hide. He sits, and Balin Khoud addresses the group when all are seated.
"Marnaas, in Balmorra Sector -- you may or may not be familiar with it -- is home to a combined agricultural-commercial industry, and its relatively quiet location saw the establishment of a Jedi monastery and praxaeum there one thousand years ago. It was always very small; little more than a hostel, testing center, and quiet place for travelling Jedi to meditate. Thirty days ago the planet Marnaas was reasonably far from the Sith invasion. Even if in the Mid Rim, the Republic's military analysts did not believe the Sith fleets would arrive at Marnaas for several months in the worst possible case. We are now concerned with what we are seeing there.
"Ten days ago the master of the praxaeum was killed, apparently by the blade of a Sith sword. We believe the Sith are encroaching on Marnaas, targeting the monastery specifically. We have received disturbing reports that several of the students there have already been converted to the Sith. A most troubling development indeed."
Quiet says, "Troubling. Yeah. That's one way of putting it."
Kalatis hisses softly. "The issue is more complex, however. Marnaas is also the location of a Republic naval base. The defense of the base has been cut back over time as we have shifted cruisers to the front lines against the Empire, but it still remains as a possible staging area. It also relies heavily on support from the local government, more so than most bases. It is my belief, and Master Khoud agrees with me, that it is possible the Sith may attempt to subvert the Marnaas government. If that happened, the Sith would gain Marnaas as a future staging area, the naval base would loose support and would have to relocate-"
"And another world falls to the Darksiders," Khoun adds somewhat bit grumpily.
Roakkana takes all this information in silently, barely even nodding. Quiet can't suppress a small smile at the thought of a chance to test his blade on the much-made-of Sith... but he restricts it to the right side of his mouth, and it quickly fades. Freyja goes very still, thinking of how close Marnaas is to home as she listens. She mentally runs over the worlds she knows in the Balmorran Sector. Points to the Sith for picking a world that'd be relatively easy to subvert, with many useful resources -- Jedi students, a naval base... are there any other worlds in the Balmorran Sector with rich resources and light defenses, like Marnaas? Or... are they all that way?
Belin Khoud folds his hands before him as he leans forward. "Because our interests coincide in the matter, members of the Senate," he nods to Kalatis, "-and the Order are coordinating actions. Master Roakkana, I must ask a twofold duty of you. Please go to Marnaas and secure the monastery until we may find a more suitable permanent master. Oversee the Jedi there, especially the learners, and see they do not fall to the Dark Side. I must also ask that you discover how the Sith are getting on-planet, and... deal with them." Though phrased, traditionally, as a request, there is little doubt that it is an order from the Council to Roakkana and Freyja.
Kalatis speaks next. "And that is where you come in, Quiet. You will represent the Senate's interests in this matter. I encourage you to work with Master Roakkana and his apprentice, and take the master's suggestions. Your mandate will be as usual: investigate, evaluate, and if possible, eliminate."
Freyja looks up and murmurs softly, "What evidence was there that it was a Sith blade, please?"
The Jedi master looks to Freyja. "The wound imparted by a blade treated by Sith alchemy is unique, and does not heal at all well. The weapon is forged and laden with the power of the Dark Side. We were told that Master Hul-Shan languished for two hours, unable to be healed by any means, before becoming one with the Force."
Freyja hmms softly to herself, thinking as she waits for answers. They are not without resources themselves to reclaim the Jedi temple's students, and Marnaas itself is not yet lost. Obviously not all the students are... "converted." Nor will the government or the naval personnel willingly aid Sith. Be coerced, yes... but it's hard to coerce a large group of guards all at once. If the converted students can be restored or stopped, the Sith will have no one to aid it... and warning the appropriate forces to double up watches would slow down any less direct attacks, perhaps. She nods slowly to the Jedi as he responds to her. So it was an actual blade... not a lightsabre. Interesting, she thinks.
Quiet nods, "You want this handled quietly. I understand." Freyja gives Quiet, then the Senator, a curious look. Quiet adds, "Do you want the blade brought back?"
The Rodian's lips quirk oddly in his race's form of a smile. "That would be... preferable. Indeed, the Jedi Order wishes the... occurrences at Marnaas to not be advertised either. That is why this is being done between us, without the Military General Staff involved-" At a quiet sound and a subtle gesture from Khoud, the Rodian abruptly changes tack, answering Quiet's question. "The blade? It might be of interest, actually. I'm sure the Jedi Order would-"
"No," Khoud says quickly and firmly. "We would not. We know the principles behind their alchemy already. We have no desire to allow such a tainted thing be possessed by any Jedi, let alone brought into the Temple. It is a thing of the Dark Side. Destroy it."
Freyja looks faintly relieved the blade will be destroyed. Nasty thing to have lying around, waiting for an accident to happen. Quiet says, "No blade, no witnesses. I understand."
Khoud seems unsure as to what Quiet means, but only shrugs a little. "The Senator, however, is right in that we wish this conducted quietly. You will be given credentials which should give you the cooperation of the local law enforcement."
"You will have a limited Seal of my office," Kalatis says to Quiet. "Same as always: use it wisely."
Freyja considers Quiet's words, then says thoughtfully, "Senator... what does 'no witnesses' mean?"
Quiet answers for the Senator. "It means no one is to know about this minor infestation, if it can be helped. Which means no one is to see me deal with them, when it comes to that. It avoids the inevitable awkward questions."
Freyja regards the Rodian thoughtfully, then murmurs to Quiet, "What about the Padawans in the Temple? They know."
Quiet says, "They're your Master's concern right now. I'm not worried about them... if they know, they won't be asking any questions."
Freyja nods calmly, internally relieved the Senator's not asking her friend to kill Jedi students. If the Senator or the Jedi Council member have any other definition of 'no witnesses,' they don't correct Quiet. Freyja then nods politely to the Jedi and the Senator, "I have no more questions, thank you."
"It goes without saying, my child," Khoud says indulgently, "-they will be unharmed. The goal here is to protect them from the depredations of the Darksiders, and prevent any sort of future conversion of our people. And to do it quietly, without alarming the people of the Republic. The Jedi at the monastery -- they are Jedi, they know when and what not to say."
"Oh, yes, of course," the Senator says.
Roakkana says, "Of course," the first thing he's said during this entire explanation. The voder fails to catch the very dry note in his voice. Freyja's lips quirk slightly as she tries not to smile. The desire to smile goes away fairly easily, however, at the thought that students converting to the Dark side means either their Masters have done so also... or are dead. She's not sure which would be preferable.
The senator and the councilman also fail to catch it. "Well, then," Khoud says expansively, standing. "If there are no more questions, your transport is waiting in the southeast hangar. I believe Satau knows how to fly a spacecraft. The onboard computer already has the necessary coordinates and the route."
Quiet rises. "Then I will report when we arrive." Freyja bows politely to the rising gentlefolk, then glances at the Wookie and the human. Looks like they're leaving now. Sooner the better, she supposes.
The Padawan leads the three down to the appropriate hangar, to a small, three-place spacecraft; suitable for somewhat long journeys; efficient if not luxurious. The Starwing 12 is one of the more well-used craft in the Jedi "fleet," decked out in plenipotentiary red and bearing the eight-spoked Bendu symbol of the Order on its scarred and faded flanks. There is ample room for three -- slightly less than ample what with one of those three being a Wookie. But the "move" into the craft is performed quickly and with little problem.
Shortly Quiet is flying them out of the intense traffic patterns of Coruscant (with a naturally haggard-sounding priority traffic controller on the comlink guiding them out) and into space. Freyja will, if allowed, sit in the co-pilot seat during takeoff, quietly enjoying herself watching while Quiet flies. Not long after, the star lines lengthen, streak by, and coalesce into the shimmering blues, whites, and pale purples of hyperspace for the two-week journey to Marnaas.
The time passes. During the hyperspace trip Freyja works diligently with her Master on Force training. She knows she's weak on the physical uses of the Force still, and she doesn't want to embarrass him in this mission. Roakkana spends most of his time teaching Freyja, meditating, and sleeping, noting cheerfully that, "<One never knows when one will get the chance to sleep again!>" His cheerfulness fades, though, as the time for their emergence from hyperspace approaches. A few hours before emergence at Marnaas, he pads into the cockpit while Freyja and Quiet are there, and quietly keys the cockpit voder. "I feel no need to hide from either of you," he says, "-my concern at the curious situation we are about to enter into."
Freyja looks up, pausing in her automatic movement to vacate the seat for her Master as she realizes there's no way in hell he'd fit in this seat anyway. She sinks back down into the chair to stay out of the way, and simply nods silently, once, then murmurs. "I... have been wondering. Does... does the taint of the Dark show in one's... personal Force, so to speak?"
Roakkana gives a slight nod. "For those who can see it, yes. It is difficult to sense the Dark Side in the merely tainted. We all have bits of the Dark Side within us -- you, me, even our silent companion here. It is as much a facet of the Force as anything else. The key is mastery over those aspects of ourselves that are of the Dark Side -- not refutation of their existence, but mastery and control. Any sentient being has the ability to control their base desires -- or, of course, give in to them."
"But to answer your question properly: at your stage in training it would be hard for you to sense the Dark Side tainting someone, for we are all in some way influenced by it; it is present in all of us. When the Dark Side completely devours someone, however -- such as a Sith Lord -- I daresay that not only will you be unable to fail to notice that level of 'taint,' but the person in question will go out of their way to demonstrate it."
Freyja nods slowly, thinking hard as she murmurs, "I see... thank you, Master..."
Quiet doesn't say much, concentrating mostly on navigating the final approach. "So what's your concern? Besides the usual 'they're going to try to kill us' concern?"
Roakkana chuffs a little. "My concern, my boy, is that we're about to walk into what might be a gundark's den of Sith, at the behest of a Senator and a member of the Jedi Council, and they both wish it kept 'quiet.' It is but a little unusual. Perhaps it is just a sign of the times we are going through."
Freyja speaks her thoughts slowly, trying to think out the enemy's possible plan, as she's been taught, "Then... I would expect the Sith to either set up the Temple as an ambush for the inevitable replacement Jedi... or not to be there at all, due to using the Temple as a diversion while it was off attacking its true target, Master." She glances up inquiringly (way up!) at the Wookie to see what he thinks of her attempts to work things out.
The Wookie looks to Freyja and smiles. "Both are sound beliefs. The Sith are indeed arrogant, but they are not dumb. For the most part the Sith have sought conquest over anything else, worlds for their lords to sate their desire for dominance. That does not mean the Sith are adverse to deception."
Freyja nods quietly again, pleased that she's not completely off the mark, then smiles faintly to herself. That's one of the things she admires so much about her Master -- he's not afraid to state the unpopular, if it's also truthful. The view of the Dark as something that cannot be either completely erased, or completely subsumed into the Light, is one of the less popular views of the Dark Side. Not heresy, per se... just something that, when asked, makes most Jedi training masters rather grumble a bit and change the subject.
Quiet mms. "I'm a professional... I don't ask why. But I'm inclined to trust the motivation here. I can see if Kalatis wanted me shut up, sending me alone, but... you two are here. I assume the Council doesn't work that way."
Freyja gives Quiet a curious glance, trying to comprehend what it must feel like to be considered... expendable. It's one thing to chose to serve as part of the Jedi -- they all know they'll probably die in their line of work -- but to her knowledge none of them consider each other something to be... thrown away when no longer needed. She shivers slightly, and wonders how Quiet feels about that.
Roakkan nods slowly to Quiet. "You've a very good point, my boy. So, since we do not know what is motivating the Marnaas Sith, this is indeed a situation we must look into. I will be spending most of my time with the monastery. It will free you both up to look into leads unencumbered. Most people will assume my apprentice is remaining at the monastery with me, after all."
Freyja nods once quietly to the Wookie, "I will do my be- uh, I will get the job done, Master." She smiles with quiet thoughtfulness, amending, "Quiet and I will both get the job done."
Quiet nods. "Might be best if you two checked out the monastery first... you're less likely to raise eyebrows." Freyja grins. Quiet adds, "Unless you plan on making me out to be a Jedi."
Freyja grins again, "There's nothing wrong with you coming along-" she glances up at the Jedi, "-is there, Master Roakkana?"
Roakkana smiles slowly at his apprentice's corrections to her own words. "I know you both will. It should not be too hard to have you portray a simple Republic courier-pilot, Quiet, while being with us. Once we are ensconced in the monastery, you two will begin to look into the question of how the Sith came onto the world. We will go from there."
Quiet says, "Alright." Freyja nods. Quiet adds, "Heads up, we're about to make atmosphere." Freyja looks interested, watching alertly even as she wonders... how did the Sith sneak onto the planet?
The transition into Marnaas is quick. Much as expected, traffic control is simple and direct, but it is impossible to miss the watchful guns of the Republic cruiser in high orbit. As the ship enters the approach corridor for Marnaas, a standard, full-coverage sensor network is detected; in theory, nothing should be able to get through it undetected. This is above and beyond the cruiser's sensor arrays.
Freyja waits until her fellow human isn't busy, then curiously asks, "Quiet... how would someone sneak a ship downside here?"
Quiet says, "The Republic has cloaking systems... they're not real efficient or reliable but they exist. Don't know if you'd want to try down here, though... looks like the planetary grid's tighter than usual."
Freyja nods, studying the view out the ship's front, then says, "So... it'd be a customized ship, yes? Would it be any larger than usual? Odd shape or anything? Does the cloak work up close, or just up in space?"
Quiet says, "They'd probably paint it black to lower the albedo, since it doesn't work real good up close. Mostly just sensor masking."
Freyja says, "Okay. Thank you, Quiet."
The landing occurs efficiently -- perhaps there is some additional security due to the recent events, but no information that the controllers provide indicates anything out of the ordinary. The Starwing 12 lands in one of the pits at Shalarya Tol, the world's primary spaceport. They are met by two Jedi -- no more, and no others. As the trio emerges from the ship, the Jedi there bow politely. "The Force be with you, Jedi," the center Ithorian says. "I am Kalloss, Jedi Knight and Seneschal of the Marnaas monastery. We are very pleased you have arrived."
Freyja returns the polite bow with her Master, then looks curiously at the two Jedi. Was one of them the person that passed the bad news on to Coruscant? Probably the Ithorian, she thinks. They're a wise and far-seeing folk from what I've heard. Roakkana returns the bow as well. "And also with you, Jedi Kalloss. I am Master Roakkana, this is my apprentice, Padawan Freyja. And... our pilot, Zero Satau. Will show us to the monastery, please?"
Quiet lets the other two go ahead while he straps on his web rig; his blaster at his hip and a vibroblade, hung where the folds of the cloak are less likely to give it away. He comes down the ramp a few meters behind Roakkana, and nods once politely. Kalloss nods and gestures to the doorway, through which there is a land-speeder. "Of course, Master...."
The city is a bustling urban area -- a small city, not nearly like Coruscant, with its miles-high buildings. Nevertheless, it is busy and a little crowded. The monastery is on the edge of the city. Kalloss' companion -- a Twi'Lek female introduced as Kuuna, the monastery's guardian -- points out some of the more important buildings, such as the city hall. Kalloss remains stoically quiet, only speaking as the road turns rural and the dark stone edifice rises in the near distance atop a hill. "The monastery is ahead," he says, almost needlessly.
Freyja studies the female curiously, feeling vaguely sorry for her. How humiliating, to have the Temple's head Jedi assassinated right under her nose!
The monastery is a large building, somewhat decorative. It is not walled, but rather the outside walls of the building seem very sturdy and thick, and a modest gate faces the road. As they approach the monastery, the city becomes hidden behind the curve of another hill, and there is a serenity that settles around the area.
The land-speeder slows and comes to a halt outside the gates. The gate is solid, but opens from within. The two local Jedi step from the land-speeder. "You must be tired from your journey, Master." Kalloss says. "But if you wish to begin your work, or discuss with the monastery's staff, that would also be acceptable.
Freyja glances at the Ithorian, then at her Master. She's up for wandering around with Quiet and being observant, if Master Roakkana wants to pretend to be tired and retire to his rooms. Rokkana nods slowly, then looks to Quiet and Freyja. "I can meet with the staff on my own, if you both wish to begin your work now."
Quiet says, "As you wish."
Freyja simply nods, although she does wonder if she missed something there. Why's her Master announcing what they'll be doing to the other Jedi? He must consider them above reproach. She makes a mental note -- the Twi'Lek and the Ithorian have Master Roakkana's approval.
Kalloss nods, smiling quietly. "All right, then. Come inside and we'll begin here. The monastery is where this business began, after all."
Freyja steps lightly out of the land-craft and follows the Wookie inside the gate. She looks around curiously, almost subconsciously making sure she's got Quiet on her right. Best to always be on his non-weapon side, in a potential combat situation.
The foyer-hall of the monastery is simple and elegant, decorated sparsely with local arts, mostly pottery and tapestries. There are seven persons in varying styles of Jedi robes there. One Sullustian is noticeably older than the others. Kalloss introduces him as Mynas Molburth, a travelling master, and his two apprentices, both of species neither Freyja nor Quiet have seen before. The remaining four are introduced as Jedi temporarily at the monastery for meditation, or just travelling from one place to the next.
"However," Kuuna notes, "-they have agreed to remain ever since Master Hul-Shan was killed, and in the case of Jedi Colburth-" she indicates a tall, moderately good-looking human male who nods politely, "-the Council has given his mission to another knight."
Kalloss adds, "Aside from four Jedi -- two knights, a master, and the master's Padawans -- who are currently meditating, this is the sum of the monastery's residents during and since the Master's death."
Freyja looks faintly impressed as she bows politely to all the assembled Jedi. This situation must be really important if the missions of the Jedi here are getting handed off to others. She studies the Sullustian curiously. She's not heard of many Jedi taking two apprentices at once -- and there are two such Masters here. Interesting.
Kuuna makes a tiny sound, and the stoic Ithorian nods. "Except, that is, for those Jedi who have since left us for the Sith."
Roakkana greets the other Jedi in turn, then turns to Kalloss. "Where was Master Hul-Shan killed?"
Kuuna answers, "In the city. He said only that he was seeking one of the ones who had turned to the Dark Side. There had been three Jedi -- two Padawans and one knight -- who were seduced by the Sith -- in the months before his death, and he was searching the most recent one out. Since his death two have left us, both ten days ago. They were brother and sister Mandragolans."
Freyja looks a bit stunned. That's a lot of Jedi to be losing to the Sith! She asks slowly, "Where was he found? I take it no one saw his death? And... were the Mandragolans Masters, or Padawans?" She's never heard of sibling teams of Jedi before. What a concept! She smiles internally at the thought of her sister and she working together... scary thought!
"He was found in an empty landing pit, out in the spaceport. The police said that he had been there several hours before a maintenance crew came in to prepare the pit for an arrival, and evidence of micro-fissures from a lightsabre and cleft-marks from a sword were there."
Kalloss answers next. "The Mandragolans were knights, having passed the tests three years ago. We suspect that the Sith seduced one, then the other through the first."
Freyja murmurs quietly, "Poor things," at Kalloss' answer. The thought of facing a lightsabre with just a sword impresses her -- she wouldn't care to try it herself. There's no deflecting a lightsabre with anything much less than another lightsabre... so slips and mistakes would be pretty final, she'd think.
Roakkana nods, then looks to Quiet and Freyja. "Why don't you two attend to your quarters, while I discuss with the Seneschal what I will be doing while I am here, as far as running the monastery goes."
Freyja nods to her Master and heads for their quarters with Quiet. Once there she asks him to check the room for any undesired additions, while she tries a bit of meditation... she wants to see if she can 'see,' with the Force, the battle in the pit. It must have been quite breathtaking to see... if also terminal to be there. Still, perhaps her Farseeing will allow her to observe from a safer position in time and space.
As Freyja subtly descends into the trance, concentrating, someone comes to the doorway, and notices Quiet looking about the room silently and alertly. Colburth speaks up, saying by way of greeting, "You. You aren't a Jedi." His voice is firm but not loud, heard but not piercing, and only one part accusatory to one part curious. "This is a Jedi place. What are you doing here?"
Quiet pauses from his study of an intriguing (to him, at least) set of replica blades on the wall. He straightens up and says softly, "I'm Master Roakkana's pilot."
Freyja sits quietly, eyes closed, and lets the Force wash over and through her... somewhere else in time and space... where is it? She starts to see the image... first the pit today, then reaching back, back... the sudden flare of emotion and anger and serenity. Now... it's happening in this now... She sees the landing pit lit by the flash of the Master's yellow lightsabre, casting a sallow hue upon his red features, the handle clasped within tentacle-like hands. There's his assailant, dressed all in black and bearing a darkened blade glittering with faint, bluish light. Incredibly, the sword and lightsabre meet with a crash and crackle against each other, as blow after blow is parried -- impossible! -but there it is! Then, startlingly, there is a flash, a hissing crackle, from somewhere else in the pit. Blue-white lightening snakes its way through the air, touching and then throwing the master back. A moment later the black-clad swordsman is upon the master -- the blade rises, then flashes down -- and in a hot flash of emotion, of pain, of the Force crying out -- the vision is over. Freyja starts and cries out softly, her eyes opening wide in shock -- then choking it abruptly off as she notices another person in the room.
The knight doesn't appear to be entirely convinced. "You don't carry yourself as a pilot-" Whatever he was about to say is halted by Freyja's sudden cry. , looking at her in startlement as if he just noticed her there. Quiet also turns sharply, eyeing Freyja.
Freyja glances swiftly between the Jedi and Quiet -- then works on taking long, slow, relaxing breaths. She smiles internally, realizing she just covered nicely, if accidentally, for Quiet, and replies with a carefully steadied voice, "I Farsaw the battle, Master Colburth. Please excuse me -- it was..." her tone gets dry, "-ah, startling."
Colburth waves a hand a bit. "Just 'Jedi' Colburth; I'm several years from being a master, if ever." He nods slightly. "This was Talmon's room -- Master Hul-Shan's pupil, who ran off to the Sith just before the Master was killed. I'm surprised Kalloss gave it to you, but I guess it's already been scanned and swept. And deloused."
Freyja takes a deep breath, then sighs it quietly out again, rubbing her face with the back of one sleeve. She feels... vaguely icky. What a sad way to go... alone, ganged up on in the dark, after having lost one's apprentice. Quiet turns back to the swords, eyeing them critically. Freyja straightens up and murmurs politely, "I'm sorry your mission got given to someone else, Jedi Colburth. I imagine that must be frustrating." She maintains calm eye contact, if she can, so the Jedi's looking at her and not Quiet.
The knight casts a glance towards Freyja, then notices Quiet's attention to the swords. He grimaces. "Never understood why he had them. They're just cheap replicas -- the kind a Gank Trader would sell you for fifty credits, and that being ten times more than its worth." He shrugs at Freyja's statement, looking to her. "It's not like it was something only I could do. A courier run to Teta to deliver missives from the Council to the Jedi there. Another Jedi just picked up the messages here when I passed word along I couldn't go on." He shrugs again. "It's my duty. Which is more than what Talmon understood."
Quiet reaches up and removes one of the blades, weighing it in his hands and feeling for the balance... he tests the edge with one gloved thumb. Freyja says slowly, "Did Talmon ever... make lightning?" Then she draws a slow, horrified breath, "No... that's a Sith thing, isn't it? Force forfend... it was Talmon -- Talmon killed him!" She adds with horror and disgust, "How... Sith."
"Talmon? Hmph. No, never. He couldn't even make a rock levitate, he- eh? What are you talking about?"
Freyja blinks, firmly centering herself in the here and now, and rises gracefully in a single movement, "Knight Colburth, please excuse me, but I should tell this to my Master too." She glances at Quiet inquiringly, to see if he wants to come along.
Colburth frowns, then sketches a bow. "Of course, Padawan Freyja." He doesn't make it sound sarcastic; his voice carries too much confusion and curiosity for that.
Quiet mms quietly and turns the blade once in his hands before setting it back on the wall. "Guess it's not a lightsabre," he murmurs, and waits for Colburth to lead the way out.
Freyja politely returns the Jedi's bow, then strides swiftly out, heading for where Roakkana is. Once she finds him, she bows politely to her Master and whomever he's currently talking to, then waits patiently, hands tucked into her sleeves, for him to reach a good pausing point to talk to her.
Colburth nods in answer to Quiet's comment. "Nope. Talmon was good with the sabre, but I never understood what he liked about those ancient blades." He walks with Quiet and Freyja towards the conference room, where Roakkana is seated talking with the seneschal and the guardian. The Wookie looks up immediately, concern in his eyes, and effectively halts the conversation. "What's wrong, child?" he asks. "I can sense your concern."
Freyja says, "Masters, please pardon my interruption... but I just tried a Farseeing on the death of Master Hul-Shan." She takes a deep breath, firmly remaining dispassionately calm as she relates what she 'saw'... then she concludes with, "I would guess this was a test for Talmon -- to kill his former Master. This would explain the lightning coming out of the darkness. That was the Sith making sure his new student was successful." She pauses, then adds, "I speculate... but I would be interested in knowing Talmon's species, to see if it matched at all the rough figure I Farsaw." She adds dryly, "The preference for archaic blades seems to match also."
Quiet mms. "Might want to examine them."
The three Jedi are quiet for a long moment. Roakkana looks to Kuuna and is about to ask something, when Colburth states, "But Talmon was having trouble even meditating. Why would the Sith even want someone like him?"
Roakkana looks steadily at Colburth for a few moments, then to Quiet. "Archaic blades? Please explain, Quiet."
Quiet says, "There's a trio of blades in a display on the wall in that cell. Better quality than a display piece. They're live steel." To Colburth he says softly, "Maybe they made him a better offer." Freyja listens with interest. Odd... why a trio of swords? The most a bipedally organized species could use at a time would be two.
Colburth looks simply flabbergasted; speechless. Roakkana simply nods slowly, then sighs a little. "Sadly, from this information it seems we have discovered who killed Master Hul-Shan and why, and it would be well in keeping with what we know of the Sith traditions."
Freyja says, "Um... Quiet... why three swords? Talmon couldn't have used more than two at a time, at most..." She pauses, thinking, then adds slowly, "Was one of them... at all different than the other two?"
Quiet says, "I don't know. I only handled one. Could go check."
Freyja adds with slow puzzlement, "Could an object with... with something crafted into it suppress someone's connection to the Force?"
Roakkana looks curiously at his apprentice. "What are you thinking of, child?"
Freyja says, "Well... well, if it's known Talmon likes archaic blades... and there was something that could dull one's attunement to the Force, that was given to Talmon... well, wouldn't it seem astonishing, if you were worried about losing your connection to the Force, to suddenly be able to do amazing things? -and not realize the person supposedly helping you do this had caused your problem in the first place?" She looks around at the assembled Jedi, then adds, "Er... does that make sense?"
Quiet says, "I always heard it was just easier with them. Kinda like a spice dealer. First one's always free."
Freyja smiles ruefully at Quiet, then adds, "I've heard that too. Can't hurt to check the blades, though, can it? It is odd there are three matched blades."
Kalloss nods to Quiet. "Quite right, Zero Satau. The Dark Side is easier, quicker. Its call is seductive because of its ease." The other Jedi exchange curious looks. "We are still trying to understand the extent of Sith alchemy," Kuuna says slowly. "At this point, I would not put anything past them.
Freyja takes a deep breath, then says to her Master, "Will you excuse us, so we can go check the blades?" She's more than willing, now she's passed on the information she 'saw,' to put that unpleasant incident behind her.
Roakkana nods. "Of course, child. Please let us know what you discover." As the two depart the room, Colburth can be heard to say faintly, "Forgive me, Master, but you are letting your Padawan do this without you? And that other... your 'pilot'?" Roakkana's reply is, "We each train our Padawan learners in our own way, Jedi...." The rest is lost.
Freyja covers a small giggle with a sleeve-covered hand, glancing sideways at Quiet with a conspiratorial and sparkling-eyed grin. Once in the room, she'll watch with bright-eyed interest as Quiet examines the swords, and cheerfully offers to help in any way she can... he need just ask.
Between Freyja and Quiet, the swords are examined. All three are of the most ancient Jedi styles, back from before Jedi used lightsabres. The manufacturing is, of course, modern; Talmon would not have had access to fifteen-thousand-year-old antiques, certainly not ones he could hang on his wall. The swords appear to have been purchased over time, as all three are slightly different in pattern, hilt, and pommel design.
It would take research in the Archives to determine just what the originals were that these designs were based on. But Quiet's initial assessment is true for all three: these blades are live Echal steel and meant to be used, not merely hung on the wall. There are some miniscule notches and nicks in the blade which Freyja notices that show the blades were at some point used, then carefully re-sharpened. There is, however, nothing otherwise out of the ordinary about the swords, working reproductions of ancient Jedi arms though they might be.
Freyja huhs softly and gustily, unwittingly imitating the Wookie chuff, then says, "Well, guess my second speculation was wrong. Curious, though. What was he using them for, when he had access to a light saber?"
Quiet frowns. "I don't understand the connection yet... unless it only marks an interest in Jedi antiquities. Which, if the rumors are true, would explain his interest in the Sith, but... perhaps his archaeological interest led him to discover something else."
Freyja nods thoughtfully to Quiet, then says, "Poor fool. Well, let's let Master Roakkana know, at least."
Quiet hmphs, replacing the blade. "I prefer a vibroblade anyway. Let's go." Freyja grins at Quiet, pats her light saber (neatly tucked into a sleeve), and heads out with her human companion.
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