[IC] Star Wars - Jedi Exile.

[ColonelCaboose]

Kraytan was doing better thanks to Alaric pulling the shrapnel out of his torso was recovering nicely with the help of the medical droid. He had however been very quiet for the past several days, still conflicted on what he should do. There was already a Jedi master in their presence and while he had given explicit orders from the Temple Master to ensure the Order's survival, he figured the others here wouldn't be too fond to listen to his orders based on a dead masters orders from the Jedi Order that was no longer alive. Too many orders almost to wrap his head around, however next to the master he believed that he did have enough say on what they should do given most of the others were padawans or initiates. He sat with Deja and the others and listened to Jacen as he explained their situation. A difficult one yes, but the galaxy was a big place with many places to hide. "Perhaps Mon Cala would be an ideal place to hide. It is a large ocean world filled with many crevices no doubt. The Mon Calamari are also allies of the Jedi and would be sure to help." Kraytan said giving his opinion on where they should go. He looked to the others for them to say something or to give their own ideas.

Deja sat quietly and was obviously nervous about something. This was a stressful time for all of them, but that wasn't what was bothering her. "While we decide where we should go for to help, we should contact my sister, Anje, she will be able to send help our way." She finally said releasing a large breath and feeling relieved.

"The Jedi Order is no more and is probably being hunted to extinction as we know it, are you sure that your sister is alive or that it would be wise to contact her if she is, lest we give her away?" Kraytan said raising an eyebrow behind his mask.

"She left the Jedi Order shortly before this horrible event to live with her clone lover on Mandalore. As far as I know there were no records of her leaving for Mandalore, so it is safe to assume she is alive. She is apart of clan Maximus and I'm sure she could plead with them to send some help to her close relative and her friends." Deja replied.

"Maximus... That sounds familiar... Beskad Maximus? Thee General Beskad Maximus' clan? He is a general in the Galactic Republic, now turned Galactic Empire. I think it unwise to contact your sister." Kraytan said opposed to the idea now. He had heard stories of Beskad's many victories and tactical genius, but he had no idea where his loyalties lied.

"He is a potential ally Kraytan. Mandalorians are very loyal to clan and family above all else, and it would be in our favor to gain the help of some of them." Deja retorted, they had few options and they needed all the help they could get.

[Bounce]

Removed from out of the highly structured and sheltered environment in which the two youngling boys had lived their whole lives as either remembered them, and struggling with feelings of guilt, grief, and loss that adults would have difficulty coping with, the children had gone from friends to fighting in less than twenty-four hours. For what reason? Neither boy could have said. Simply, at some point, Zak had either declared Sor-Jan to be a butthole, or perhaps it had been SJ who had first called the Nautolan Squidboy, or perhaps the name-calling had started later and something else entirely had started the fight.

Whatever the case may have been, in the somewhat bi-polar nature of younglings, the fighting had been brief and the two were again friends as suddenly as they had stopped being so. Albeit, the black-haired Anzati now sported a black eye and the moss green Nautolan had a split lip whose red scar stood out against the gray-green flesh.

To be sure, both boys were thoroughly confused. Without a night or a day, neither youngling had any notion of time. Without their clan master, neither knew to whom they were beholden. Were they supposed to meditate? Were they supposed to study? Was there going to be a test later?

And so the two younglings did largely as they pleased. They went to sleep when they were tired, they ate when they were hungry, and they played as they saw fit. The pair always kept somewhat near where the knights and padawans were meditating or talking, just in case one of them had something for the boys to do, but it seemed that they were passing their time on the journey between themselves.

For their first task, which had been the one they’d been undertaking when their friendship had abruptly soured, the boys had constructed a fortification by using the Force to manipulate and move a series of crates and boxes from around the lower hold of the ship. This structure was known as Kilo Base and it was surrounded by an imaginary moat of lava. One had to know the right deckplates to step on and the proper order for stepping on them in order not to get burned by the lava. From out of their self-made sanctuary of Kilo Base, the two younglings played at being Sector Rangers – a game which seemed to involve harassing padawans (space pirates) and zipping around knights (asteroid fields) while making starfighter noises. Whatever those were.

One of the real Sector Rangers had provided the younglings with a sleeping bag, which was large enough for the both of them, and old shirts, which fit the boys like a tent, so that their Jedi clothing could be patched and refreshed. On at least one occasion, someone had even managed to get the boys themselves into the fresher.

“Beskad Maximus?”

Large, dark, opaque eyes blinked open. Dark gray swirls moving like storm clouds in the black orbs of the Nautolan’s eyes as the youngling woke from out of a nap that he didn’t recall lying down for. Zak and SJ had returned to Kilo Base to review top secret plans detailing a space pirate invasion – which also happened to be a holocomic saved on SJ’s datapad. Zak could remember everything up to about page twelve, at which point he must have dozed off.

True to form, as the young Nautolan pushed himself up off the deck with his arms, he felt a dead weight shift against his side and realized that Sor-Jan had dozed off as well. The datapad slipped from out of the sleeping Anzati’s fingers, clattering to the floor with a sound that made the near-human Anzat jump awake, the sight of which immediately sent Zak into a fit of giggles. And the sight of the Nautolan laughing at him sent the embarrassed Anzati pouncing on top of the other youngling as the pair descended into play-wrestling.

“He is a potential ally Kraytan.”

The two younglings stopped their play at the sound, or rather the tone, of the voices echoing over to their crate-and-box fort. Were the adults arguing?

Disentangling themselves from one another, the two boys pulled themselves up on crates that they had stacked inside of the walls of the fort, allowing each to stand on a box and so peer over the sides of the fortification’s wall. The moss green head of the Nautolan appeared first, followed shortly after by SJ’s piercing blue eyes, as the two boys peered from over the walls of their imagination castle and watched the discussion taking place among the knights.

[Jakeozzy]

Erin had spent most of her time on the Sector Rangers' ship relaxing and meditating, ...or as much as she could whilst struggling to come to terms with this whole 'Galactic Empire' idea. Democracy was dead and the few survivors of the Jedi Order massacre were likely lost and scattered, unable to defend their Republic any longer without being able to stand together. The vast majority of the galaxy bought so easily into the Emperor's revelation that the Jedi were in fact traitors... It was disheartening. Disturbing.

Fortunately though, there was two certain younglings often running around to keep Erin's wandering mind back in the ship! It was fun to watch them, taking her thoughts back to when it was all so much simpler. Other than occasionally playing along with the kids' game, she repaired her tattered light-grey robes to keep herself busy. Didn't hurt to take a look at Kolinn every now and again, after all they worked together to escape the Temple. Without Master Sabalya around there wasn't all that much to talk about or do. No library to study in like he'd told her to, either...

While the Temple Guards talked with Jacen about where to head next, Erin threw the now-stitched grey robe over her shoulder and approached the little meeting. Only to listen in of course - she felt there was no need to voice her own opinion as a Padawan. She'd just follow along with the others. Her Master usually did all the talking anyway...

[Captain Jordan]

"Jerek, come here. I want to show you something."

The voice, much like his own, drifted through the trees growing in the artificial sanctuary, a green respite planted in the heart of the Jedi Temple, interrupting the thoughts of the young boy sitting beneath them. Scrambling to his feet, Jerek kicked off the shaded knoll where he had laid and went in search of the voice. The grove of trees was one of many within the Temple's lake level, ringing the outer perimeter of the five story conservatory. Its centerpiece was the multi-level lake from which it derived its name, the water nearly as green as the grass surrounding it, with its massive waterfall and calm beaches that made the lake the perfect spot to steal a relaxing moment. One could always find something new and interesting here. The problem was, the new and interesting always seemed to interrupt Jerek's thoughts.

His curiosity grew as the boy loped through the trees, breaking out into the grassy field before the lake. He searched in earnest for the speaker, circling the area where the voice had come from. The sandy-haired boy called out as he went, passing familiar landmarks, like the stone carved with the initials of generations of younglings, or the nest of particularly defensive Alderaanian swans that had somehow found their way into the temple in the distant past. Just when he was about to reach the lake, Jerek heard a small rustle, the overgrown shrubs moving as if they had a mind of their own. The boy reacted all too late, turning just in time to see a blurry shape form out of the shrubs and collide into him, knocking him to the ground.

Jerek's twin brother, a few minutes older and still a few pounds heavier, giggled in ecstasy as the boys wrestled on the ground. It wasn't very amusing to be tackled, but Jerek was too busy trying to trun the grapple in his favor to be annoyed. Bushes grabbed at his arms and legs, scraping skin and staining his youngling tunic and leggings with their sap. Sticky and sweating, Jerek finally managed to gain the upper ground and grinned as he squatted on top of the squishy form beneath him, only to feel his arm dampened a moment later by a very wet attacker. The thinner boy wrested his arm from the piercing clamp of his brother's mouth, and inspected it, relieved by the lack of any permanent marks from the bite. His distraction provided enough time for his opponent to gain the ground he had lost, and Jerek found himself on his back once more, his twin's arm at his throat and a satisfied grin on the older boy's face.

"Gerrof me, Elias!" Jerek cried, squirming under his brother's restraint, kicking futilely with his legs.

"Gerrof me, Elias!"

The words were muffled by the weight of his brother's body on top of his face. It felt lighter than usual, though no less suffocating. Jerek squirmed, kicking and clawing at his brother. To his surprise, the pressure vanished as something sailed through the air, hitting the wall with a slight 'poof' and sliding to the floor. The youth sat up from his makeshift bed blinking, staring at the pillow that lay on the floor of the sleeping area. He crawled forward, retrieving the pillow from where it landed, and took it into a tight embrace.

It was just a dream, he told himself, but the blond-haired boy just hugged the pillow tighter. No mere dream, in fact, but a memory. That was all he had left of his brother now, just the memory of Elias to keep him safe, just the memory of Elias to share his thoughts and fears with, just the memory of Elias to be friends with. The bundle of cloth and stuffing in his arms was an ill substitute for the real thing, yet for once, Jerek reveled in the tangible nature of the pillow. It was hard thing to hug a memory.

Jerek glanced about the empty room, his neighbors already awakened and occupied with the day's activities. It was better to be alone, the boy decided. Were he back at the temple, no one would have excused a padawan learner in his second year of apprenticeship to lay around in bed all day. Vor'loch, especially, would not be pleased, but the Noghri Jedi was stuck in a bacta tank until he healed. Jerek had spent the first night there, beside his master in the tank, the blue glow of the bacta made it easy to stay awake in case something went wrong. The next morning, once Vor'loch had awakened and been pronounced stable by the medical droid, the Noghri had shooed Jerek away to rest.

The padawan didn't want to spend all of his time resting, or meditating, like the other Jedi were. He wanted to do something. His frustration betrayed him, escaping his mouth in an angry yell as he pushed the pillow back to the floor. The boy stood, shaking the blond mop on his head in the physical act of clearing his mind. Grabbing his tunic, still marred with holes from the attack on the temple, Jerek pulled it over his head and winced at the still-tender bruises, all that remained of his injuries from that fateful day.

With only a few surviving members of the attack, the starship was mostly hollow as the sandy-haired youth stalked the halls. The massive spaces looked big enough to house a full company of Clone troops, and the markings on the walls and floor betrayed that as their very intention. Jerek scuffed at the floor with his boots, creating an echo that reverberated throughout the cavernous hanger bay. Thoroughly spooked, Jerek moved on in his search to find the other Jedi.

He found them in original hold, still dominated by the blaster-damaged LAAT that had provided escape from the temple. The Jedi knights and masters were seated around one of the strangers flying the ship, discussing something. Something important, it seemed. He found a familiar face sitting near the outskirts of the circle, a padawan who had helped him defend Vor'loch in the temple's hanger bay.

"I hardly recognized you without your lightsabers," the boy joked by way of greeting as he sat down next to the brown-haired padawan, eying the expert stitching of her grey robes compared to his pockmarked tunic. "I'm not sure we ever formally met, especially after all the...you know. I'm Jerek Zenduu."

[Hexaflexagon]

Part 1

Part 1: Memories
Eshan - Several Years Prior

The Sorni family complex was less of a private estate, and more of a seclude enclave hidden away from the rest of the world. Unkempt and untamed wilderness on all sides, the only way to get to and from it effectively without getting lost was some sort of space faring craft. Due to the Matriarch's political presence particularly in the military sector, visitors were not uncommon to the compound. So when the Consular-class cruiser with the emblazoned logo of the galactic republic landed nothing more then an eye was batted. As the ship touched down somewhere from within the estate, a Echani dressed in the garbs popular within the senate at the time came out to meet the embarked, less of of necessity and more out of the cultural practices and politeness of it. The Cruiser sat in silence, a large monolithic obstruction disrupting the serine of the seemingly eternal silence around them. As Corrina Esseu, the Matriarch's hand stood waiting she looked down at her datapad, the Matriarch had only one scheduled appointment for the afternoon, a Jedi Diplomat sent to negotiate a trade agreement between the Echani and the Arkanian, which would hopefully if all things went according to plan help ease tensions between the two races. Corrina was inwardly preparing for a long and stressful affair, the Matriarch was not one to easily "roll over and die" as they say, and accepting an agreement with the genetics masters would be considered a great insult, due to an awkward situation arsing when a batch of Arkanian genetically modified cattle ended up going made and killing a group of Echani farmers. As accusations were thrown and hurtful comments about one another mothers were called an important trade route between the inner rim and the colonies was distributed. Henceforth the diplomatic core and the Jedi were sent in to try and resolve the situation and get the trade routes moving again. Though if the Jedi could not get the Matriarch to agree with her sway in the government she could easily make any movements towards resolution, a failure.

A few moments later the landing platform descend and out of the craft stepped out a lone figure, his brown robe was showing the signs of age as the color was begining to fade in patches by the knees and arms were the stitching was starting to give in. At the Jedi's side, a lightsaber attached to his belt hung simply though the diplomatic core prided themselves in their ability to resolve conflict without the need of violence, but the lightsaber stayed to remind those they were dealing with of the authority and the power that the Jedi and in extension the Diplomat held and indeed if it came to it they could defend them self still. His name was Romulus Kelden, an aging Corellian Jedi Master and an old friend of the Matriarch. Age had not been kind to him his light brown hair and beard were slowly going grey, and he walked with the gait of a man twenty years older then his forty five years. Though his haze colored eyes were still as bright and mischievous as they were in his youth. He had one job and that was to do the impossible and produce a trade agreement to be brokered and that he intended to do, Matriarch be dammed.

As Romulus walked up to Corrina and the ships loading platform began to close behind him, he stopped three feet away and bowed as per tradition. Corrina watched his bow as she returned the same to him, he had presented himself with a traditional bow used either to share among equals or those of which you aren't sure of their status it was a cautious move on the Jedi's part but it was a smart one and in return she returned the same style of bow to him. She examined the Corellian and to her surprise he seemed different then the usual sort of diplomat that came to the complex. He seemed less "fake", less of a forced smile and the sense that they would back stab you at any moment and more at peace with himself and his surroundings having a decidedly more warm and rustic feel to him then that of the white collar bureaucratic she is usually forced to deal with.

"I welcome you to the Sorni Estate oh honored Jedi." She told him in a polite informal tone. Of course it was all part of the formal rules and regulations that came with such interactions. She would state greeting A and he would respond with standard greeting B and they would progress in that order for sometime. It was procedural and by the book it prevented mishaps and kept everything moving swiftly and pleasantly along. So the Jedi's unorthodox response ended up catching Ms. Esseu off guard.

"The Honor is all mine, I'm Romulus Kelden representative of the Republic Diplomatic Corps and a Master of the Jedi Order. And I'm assuming that you are the Old Crow's Assistant?" He asked the young lady with a smile on his face and a glint in his eyes. Corrina was taken aback to say the least, no one that she had ever met had dared to call the Matriarch anything other then her title. She was one of the Echani's greatest modern military tacticians, a genuine living legend. And her was this Corellian calling her an Old Crow! It was blasphemy! It was heresy! And at that moment Corrina knew that these diplomatic negotiations were either going to be some of the most interesting that would have observed if not the shortest. She took a breath and reestablished her composer as she pressed a button on her datapad as the floating information vanished as she put on a smile and nodded at the Jedi Master, intrigued and a bit concerned for his health in the next several hours.

"Yes I'm the Matriarch's Assistant my name is Corrina Esseu and I will be your guide through the compound. I'm assuming that you would like to go see milady to commence talks as soon as possible?" Ms. Esseu asked trying her best to keep on following the proper form and order and not lash out at the Jedi.

"Ah yes, that would be most kind of you. I would like have this dreadful business taken care of as soon as possible." Romulus replied and in truth it was always because he wanted to get out of the open area of the landing platform. Though Corrina had brought no guards out with her out of the idea to look peaceful and benevolent, reaching out with the force the Jedi Master could feel at least four scopes focused on him and their was probably more hidden away just to make sure no surprise occurred..

"Very well then, Master Jedi if you would please follow me inside. I will send out someone afterwards to escort your crew inside" Cornnia told Kelden as she turned and began to walk towards the large sliding glass doors at the other end of the landing platform. The Jedi Master nodded and turned around giving a hand sign to the small crew inside of the cruiser signaling the all clear as he began to walk after her. In his mind he slowly wondered how much the Matriarch had changed in the twenty three years since he had last scene her. Of course back then she was not the dreaded Matriach but rather a wily young leader of a well established clan after the assassination of her father and mother and he was not a Jedi Master, rather a fresh new Jedi Knight and a very young and inexperienced Jedi Diplomat sent on his first solo mission to deal with some minor clan disputes that ended up becoming a six month long civil war with Romulus caught in the middle.

As Romulus was led through the compound, he marveled that not much had changed over the years. The floors were still made of a light colored wood, and the walls were made of translucent paper with small supporting bars running across. In all its form it was very minimalist, compared to most estates and compounds of the government elite it could by some standards be considered embarrassing. Though it had the desired effect, to promote an air of tranquility in the air. As they moved through the building they say little signs of life, a man with a mop cleaning the floor down a side hallway and servants keeping their heads down in respect as they passed moving quickly. The soft sound of their footfalls was all that was heard and yet still these occasional noises just seemed to add to watchful zen like silence of it all. The literal paper thin walls let the natural light in to the building reducing energy coast by allowing the small orb like light fixtures seemingly floating by the ceiling to stay off during the day and afternoons. Soon enough they came to what appeared to be the center of the compound. Corrina looked back at the Jedi Master and put a finger to her lips as she slowly opened the sliding door.

They stepped out of the minimalist temple like interior into a large sprawling garden area. Large trees soared into the sky, and to the right of them a small waterfall lazy went about its business as the water cascade down into a small pound were fish swim. The pond spread out and two tributaries ran out stretchering and winding through the garden. In the center between these two small shallow rivers was an island with a large tree in the middle, with four wooden bridges leading onto it so that one could cross the river from any of the four entrance points to reach it. and the grass cut short and uniform. On this island two figures were sparring against one another the sound of metal hitting on metal ranging out through the silence. Corinna singled for Romulus to follow her, which he did with grace as he tried his best not to cause too much noise. As they neared closer to the two figures, he noticed something and that was one of the figures was much smaller then other, she seemed to be little more then a girl maybe six years old at the best.

They watched as the figures sparred with practice swords still made out of metal but with blunt edges and lacking the Ultrasonic vibration generator commonly found in most melee instruments. He identified the taller figure to be the Matriarch, but he knew nothing of the younger figure though he assumed her to be her daughter or something along those lines. Romulus admired the fight, the Matriarch still looked as beautiful and elegant in the art of battle as she did all those years ago she was moving effortlessly between blocking and attacking. She didn't seem to be pulling back at all for the younger girl, who compared to the Matriarch was a mess her frizzled panting for air as she heroically did her best to starve off the attacks and to send out a few attacks of her own. The Bruises on her arms and legs were apparent that even though it was just a practice session the Matriarch was not one to hold back, knowing that pain taught lessons easier then words. Romulus sensed something though, something familiar as he watched the two fight. The older Echani had deflected an overhand slash by the girl catching the hand guard of the blade and sending it spinning out of her hand on the ground a few feet away. Romulus expected the fight to be over there but from the way that Ms. Esseu was still watching intently he knew that this was not the case. The Matriarch moved forward ready to end the fight, but the young girl moved dodging the blade as it came down rolling to the side. She was within grabbing distance of her own blade and as her oppente recovered and moved in with a yell another slash aimed for the the ribs to come down hard that would sever her in half if the blade was sharp. Though this did not deter the girl as she made a move going from the blade as the world seemed to move in slow motion as her hands came around the hilt and she swung around hard, her reflexs moving almost unnaturally for those of a normal body as her blade came up and stopped as it came pressed against the Matriarch's neck, though in the same case her opponents sword was pressed firmly against her own side as they both looked each other in the eyes still as statues.

The Matriarch was the first to pull away, a small grin on her face as she nodded at the girl. "That was better little pup, but you still have much to learn."

The girl fell to the ground sitting panting in exhaustion as she looked up at her mother. "But I won! I killed you!"

The Matriarch shook her head as she knelt down close to the child. "Their is more to winning, then killing your opponent pup. One thing for that matter is surviving the before mentioned battle, which if you have so quickly forgotten you would have not if our blades were real."

"But you didn't win either though... Because I killed you!" The small girl declared proudly.

"Valka..... My little girl you have to remember what I'm teaching you is not a game. Our lessons can be fun yes, but these are not the true purpose. I'm teaching you our way of life. An Echani without his or her fighting will is like a pilot without a ship. Our fighting style is our way of life it is what defines us as a people and what guides on the correct course of life. I need you to remember, this. We do not take pleasure in killing, we fight not for the joy of fighting but for the necessity of survival. We are not warlords and barbarians, we are philosophers and soldiers. But most importantly we are survivors and if we can do one thing in our lives it is to endure like our ancestors and their ancestors before them have done. Do you understand me?" The Matriarch explained in a gentle tone to her daughter as she squatted down in front of her a kind and understanding grin on her face but her eyes alight with the fire of determination.

"..... Yes Mother" Valka said as she looked down at the grass she was sitting down on, in a small disappointed voice.

"Good, now I need you to go practice through your defensive forms, do not come back inside until you have ran through them at least ten times. Mother has to go talk to some people now." The Matriarch explained as she sat up and then finally turned to face the Jedi Master and her Assistant.

Romulus watched the scene unfold in front of him with great intrigued, he had sensed something when the girl had made her counter strike against her mother with the quick recovery of the sword, he had a hunch and if it was true he might now have another reason for coming as well. Though he put those thoughts behind him as the Matriarch smiled at him, and walked over to him and without giving him much of choice enveloped him in a large hug.

"Romulus, you old fool! Of all the Jedi in the Galaxy to send to broker the agreement of course they would send you. Well come inside we have much to discuss......."

Part 2

Part Two: Awakenings
Sector Rangers' CR25 troop carrier- Present

Valka eyes slowly cracked open as she came out of a dream, or what could have been better described as a memory. Her vision was murky and blurry as it slowly came back the light fixture overhead seemed overbearingly bright as she tried to turn her head away from it. Her ears were ringing and for a moment the only thing she could hear was her own breathing as she looked around, she seemed to be in hospital bed of sorts. As she looked around, she caught the eye of a figure some feet ahead of her as the figure turned around, it stopped and looked back at Valka before slowly approaching her. As it grew near the Jedi Master realized the figure was not a living creature but in fact a medical droid. The Medical droid began to talk to the Jedi, though she heard mostly nothing as her head was pounding and throbbing as she was still lapsing in and out of consciousness. Moments later she slipped back into unconsciousness as the darkness swept over her once again.

~~

Some time later the Jedi Master awoke again, her vision was much clearer now and she was able to make out the features of the room much clearer. She seemed to be in a medium sized room, the walls, floor and ceiling the same gunmetal grey hue. It seemed to be a small medical bay of sorts, probably that on a moderately sized ship. She was laying on a small hospital bed, two other empty ones were on either side of her, a figure in the corner of the room seemed to be floating in a bacta tank. Directly in front of her lay a shelf with a series of medical equipment laying, apparatuses and devices blinking and shining in the bright light. The Medical Droid from before was still moving around, seemingly going through its rounds when it once again noticed that its patient had roused it walked over and began to speak, and this time Master Sorni could make out what it was saying. It spoke it cold metallic tones, without a sense of warmness or life to it, factual and too the point.

"Hello Master Jedi. It has seemed that you have awoken once again. I'm the on board medical droid for this Sector Ranger group.

Sector Rangers? Were was she? The last thing she remembered was the fight in the hanger bay up to the point when somebody dragged her out of the LAAT's Pilot chair. Had she been captured? No, that didn't make sense the clones that were attacking the temple did not seem too keen on taking prisoners, or keeping anyone alive for that matter, they were following strict shoot to kill orders... Then were was she and how in the world did the Rangers get involved? Valka deiced that the best course of action would be to ask the medical droid, for it probably had a better understanding of the situation then her at the moment.

"Droid, if you don't mind answering why I'm I here?"

"You and your other companions arrived on a LAAT over three days ago. I was ordered to attended to any hurt among your crew including you and Mr. Vor'loch. You had severe internal bleeding, exhaustion and blood loss, though I wasable to stabilize you have been unconsciousness since you arrived on the ship ." The droid explained to the Jedi. Master Sorni nodded as she listened to the droid explain the situation. At the mention of Vor'loch, Valka eyes brighten a bit, and she assumed he must be the one in the bacta tank in the corner. Valka reached out in the force and found out the droid was not laying that she could sense others sensitive to the force aboard, which meant that somehow they had made it out of the temple alive. She needed to find out what was happened and brought up to speed preferably as quickly as possible.

"Can you tell me where the others are right now?"

"The other Jedi have been staying in the cargo hold along with your LAAT" The droid respond in its same even level tone

"Can you lead me to them?" Valka asked the droid wincing as she slowly began to raise from the bed, the pain racing up her side as she did even as she inched along.

"I can yes, but I would advise against it for the Bacta has done its work but you are still healing and it would be foolish to reopen any of your wounds, if it could be prevented." The droid replied, but the Jedi Master was not listening she was not sitting on the edge of the bed. She took a deep breath as she brought her bare feet down on the cold metal of the transports floor. Her torso roared like a kryat dragon in retaliation from the movement the cuts and the bruises still sore but she did not care as she slowly stood up on her own. She gripped onto the small nightstand next to her for support letting her body steady itself before she took a few abrogating steps which at first felt as terrible and monumental as the trails of Hercules as she moved towards the table with the medical apparatuses and equipment which lay her robe and the rest of her clothes which she was stripped down out of, to allow access to her torso now being in the more basic undergarments. In what felt like a life time she reached the table and slowly put on her clothing as it felt as the fire of pain began to die down if only a little bit, still taking her a much longer time to get dressed then it normally would. She knew that soon she would recover and be back to normal but at the current she felt pretty much useless.

"Come on then lead the me, my friend" She said turning her head back to he droid, the droid whirred in agreement as it began to move forward stopping by the Jedi's side allowing her to lean on it as a sort of crutch as they moved of the medical bay. They remained in relative silence as the progress through the bowls of the ship, it was surprisingly empty almost as if it was a ghost ship of sorts. The only signs of life being the occasional stray article of clothing or forgotten parcel of garbage, but beside that it was empty. The only sounds that were emanating were that of the Jedi Masters feet and the soft hum of the droids electronics. In a way it reminded her of the gardens in the Temple or her families home back on Eshan: tranquil, peaceful, designed so that one could easily communicate with their inner self if only not to go insane from the isolation. But slowly more sounds of life began to fill the air as they neared the cargo bay, voices that seemed to be in a discussion of sorts. A discussion about their future, about were they needed to go, The Jedi caught most of it as they hung outside the doors.

"He is a potential ally Kraytan. Mandalorians are very loyal to clan and family above all else, and it would be in our favor to gain the help of some of them."

Jedi Master Sorni and the Medical droid entered the cargo bay just as a lull had began in Kraytan's and Deja's debate, the others watching and waiting to see who would end up speaking again. That was when the Jedi Master walked in and a sight to be seen she was. To say that she had seen better days was something of an under statement, her robes were still tattered and burnt as from the damage they accumulated from the escape. Her faced looked more Wisend as of late a new series of bruises and cuts now casted on it. The soft glow of a Bacta Patch was emitting from underneath her robe from her blaster wound, the right sleeve of her robe was practically gone torn to shreds by Vroskner, all and all she looked how probably most of them felt right about now. But their was something in her eyes, a mischievous glint that somehow had not been effective, and smile on her face had not been slayed by the empire just yet. She stepped forward as all the eyes were still focused on her as she cleared her throat and began to speak.

"In my humble opinion I believe when you are losing in a game of Pazaak there is no harm in going all in and hoping for the best. Though the wise gambler would already have has deck stacked for such occasions. From what I've gathered is that we are all wanted criminals now and now we have one goal, and that is a goal of survival. So here is what I propose we have to take chances and one of those chances will be on that of Beskad Maximus, we will have to have faith in the legendary tales of Mandalor honor and family values. But before we do that first we need to get a ship that will not draw attention as much as a current status, something small and something light. This is why I propose our first stop be Nar Shaddaa, it is in many ways the perfect combination of back alleys for us to disappear into and find what we need, yes I know it is not the nicest place especially for the young ones. But we can find a ship that is not as noticeable as a troop transport, maybe a smuggler ship of sorts, one that can slip in and out and no one would blind an eye, and Deja on Nar Shaddaa untraceable communication is sort of a hobby of theirs and that would be the safest way for you to get into contact with your Sister. It is a black market world and from my days working for the Council of First Knowledge, I have a few contacts available that could give us a clean slate, new identities, new credit chips and the works. Once Deja gets contact from her sister we move on from their either from Maximus or if we have to escaping to Mon Cala or somewhere else. Though then again this is just the humble opinion of a injured probably delirious Jedi."

[Sep]

-Vor'loch-

Vor'loch awoke to see Valka leave the room assisted by the droid. He was in such a condition that he didn't feel pain in the bacta tank however he knew he would not be out of it fully for another couple of days before he would be able to walk around the ship freely. He cast his mind out in the force, picking up his apprentice and offered a nudge of reassurance to let him know that he was okay. He also gave him a note of pressure in his head in order to bring his apprentice to him in order to have a bit of a conversation in order to give him some assurance and advice in this troubling time. He also sensed his old friend, Jacen and felt slightly relieved for at least they were safe for now.

-Jacen-

Now they were talking about going to Nar Shadda? With younglings. That was damn near crazy talk. "All right, how about this. We have a LAAT, we go and drop you guys off on Nar Shadda and let you do your thing. We can't move Vor'loch right now, we really can't. I doubt we can move him between bacta tanks as that could cause his wounds worse and then he'd get infected and uh, it would all be very bad and let us not go into details with the kids around-" He waved at the kids. "-So we keep Vor'loch on board and the two younglings and anyone else you mighty masters deem should remain behind and the rest of you go acquire a new ship. We can take both the ships to Mandalore as I know for a fact that they will have no problem with us landing there as we have pretty good relations being that I am Mandalorian. Signed up to the GAR at the start of the war and then turned to the Sector Rangers after a while. The main issue they will have is you guys-" He cast his arm waving it across the Jedi. "The younglings will be safe but there is a price on the rest of your heads which is why you should limit interactions. I have some unmarked clothes and unmarked uniforms lying around and you are all free to take what you need. We've also finally changed around the dorms so that you all have your own room with the exception of the two kids who can have a shared room as I doubt we could separate them if we tried."

He paused for a moment surveying the group of Jedi, group of survivors. "I offer you all training in proper combat, blasters and the like as I advise that you do not use or show your weapons in public. However I personally do not think you should forgo your training in fact it may even be more important than it ever was. You need to use it and you need to keep your order a live for there will come the day when we have the chance to bring all the good things back to the galaxy-" he paused for a second. "-God I sound sentimental for a Mandalorian."

[Jakeozzy]

"Mm?" The distant-minded Padawan looked around, quickly finding whom the familiar voice belonged to. That one who she fought back-to-back with back in the Temple. She smiled at him nonchalantly and offered a handshake to the one who'd more than likely saved her life, just as she saved his by following him into the fray. Reckless or not, it felt.. right.. to go a bit wild - her own Master was killed, and the clones paid for that during the battle as far as his Padawan was concerned. Not that she'd admit it felt good or anything...

"Erin Corona. Glad to meet you, Jerek. ...Well, formally anyway." Erin introduced herself, tilting her head forward slightly. Her attention was drawn away from the Knights while they plotted what their next destination was. "How's your Master?"

[Captain Jordan]

"He's healing," Jerek remarked, his hazel eyes downcast as he spoke the words. The youth's hand fell from hers as he picked at the strings on his boots, the corners of his mouth turned sour as he added, "slowly."

As if to back him up, the padawans could hear the Sector Ranger, the one called Jacen, explain why Vor'loch couldn't be moved. The man didn't seem comfortable in saying so, but the end result he hinted at for moving the Noghri too soon was death, a term that seemed to have far less weight after the tragedy the Jedi had collectively experienced. Jerek had seen enough death in his young life, too much of it in the events of three days prior.

The fact that Vor'loch was still alive was the source of the only hope the padawan still felt. As they had escaped, flying away from his childhood home, the enclave that had become a tomb to his dearest friends and teachers, Jerek missed the chance to see the temple for the last time. It had burned, he was told, blackened and scarred from the weapons of the invading troopers. No, as the gunship receded from their lost home, Jerek's focus had been consumed by the well-being of his master, Vor'loch, over the wounds the Noghri had sustained. The boy was grateful for the Sector Ranger's refusal to move his master, averting the padawan more uncertainty.

Whether the thought of his Noghri master prompted him, or the familiar touch of his master's mind in his, Jerek didn't know. All at once, he found himself standing, and he glanced down at Erin. Suddenly cheery, the blond youth chirped, "Want to come see him?"

[ColonelCaboose]

I am most capable with a blaster, as is Deja. The Temple Guards were required to train with an assortment of weapons. If you wish to avoid getting caught up in our affairs, we take no offense. It is not the Jedi way to bring misfortune on others." Kraytan said to the Sector Ranger. Kraytan was glad to see that Master Sorni was alive, he still seemed to be in a wounded state, but he no doubt would recover and would be responsible perhaps with Master Vol'roch for the course of the Jedi Order, for they could have been all that was left of it. He liked Sorni's plan, it was filled with the wisdom of a Master. He still worried about going to Mandalore, the Mandalorians weren't usually very friendly to the Jedi since they had a bad past together.

"It sounds like an excellent plan Master Sorni. I believe Mandalore might be our best course of action, the Empire won't dare opening hostilies between it and the Mandalorians, too many conflicts would arise from it in the future. On another note, from what little tidbits of information my sister has given me over the past three years, it seems a number of the Mandalorian Trainers who trained the Republic Commandos, have an underground group. I believe Beskad and his clan are apart of its ranks. Their aim is to help clone deserters escape the Empire and to relocate them into normal and free lives. From this, it sounds like these guys know what they're doing, definitely in our best interest to seek their help." Deja said solidifying her idea to seek help from her sister's clan

Kraytan stood up and placed his hands behind his back. "Unless anyone else has any ideas, we should set a course for Nar Shaddaa. From there we will contact Jedi Knight Anje, and we'll see how things go from there. However there is still one matter to discuss. Some of the Padawans and initiates don't have masters of their own. They are the future of the Jedi and it is imperative that they continue to train and advance on the Jedi path. For this reason I suggest that what few knights that are here adopt a student of their own. While forming bonds is against the Jedi Code, I think in this special occasion it is dire. It is important we protect and nurture these younglings less the Jedi disappear forever."

[Bounce]

The head tendrils of the young Nautolan drifted from side to side as the greenish-gray boy shifted his weight from one foot to the other, as he rested his chin on the uppermost box and continued to watch the Jedi and Jacen debate taking place on the floor of the cargo bay. The two younglings had an excellent vantage point, but there was just one problem.

"Can you hear what they're sayin'?" Zak inquired, glancing over at the black haired Anzat beside him.

"Kinda," Sor-Jan answered, giving the Nautolan an odd look. "Can't you?"

"I don't have ears like you do," Zak complained sourly, which was the first time that Sor-Jan realized he was right -- the Nautolan didn't have ears, just the head tresses, several of which had a series of gill-like slits near where they joined his head. The lesson on Nautolan anatomy was diverted, however, as both boys caught a glimpse of someone new walking into the cargo bay and turned their attention to this interloper. "Hey, Master Sorni's up," Zak noted brightly. He wasn't certain of why, but seeing another Jedi walk into the cargo bay was immediately reassuring to him.

But, while the Nautolan had excellent vision, he still couldn't hear for crap in the acoustics of the cargo bay. Vibration in a gaseous atmosphere just didn't resonate the same way it did in the youngling's aquatic home environment. "What are they sayin' now?" the youngling asked.

"Master Sorni's talkin' somethin' 'bout Nar Shadda," Sor-Jan answered.

"What's a nar sharda?" the Nautolan youth inquired, as the answer to his question only bred more questions.

The Anzati youngling turned and gave his frenemy a sour look. "It's not a what, it's a where, droyk!" Sor-Jan declared haughtily, the Corellian insult tacked on at the end immediately prompted the Nautolan to whip his head around to return the nasty look. "We learned this is seventh year cartography. It's a moon in the Y'Toub System," the Anzat stated flatly, smirking with obvious pride for demonstrating his superior knowledge.

Swinging his hip to the left, the Nautolan youngling took a side-step to the right as he swung his weight around to slam into the side of the Anzati boy, knocking the black-haired youth from off their shared perch. "Droid brain," Zak uttered, adding insult to injury as SJ tumbled onto the floor. Lifting himself up onto his toes, the Nautolan resumed watched the padawans, knights, and Master Sorni -- except now he was doing so to make sure they hadn't seen that.

A sudden sensation, like an electric pulse chasing up his spine, gave warning as the Nautolan's preternatural sense through the Force provided a millisecond of forewarning of what was coming. In that fraction of time, Zak turned and countered Sor-Jan's attempt to use the telekinetic technique known as the feather push against him with one of his own. The Nautolan's Force push pressed against the Anzati's and, for a moment, it seemed as though both younglings had managed a concrete and stable effort at manifesting the Force.

This promptly blew up in both of their faces, as Zak and Sor-Jan each went flying backwards in opposite directions, smashing into the sides of their box-and-crate fort as a sound like thunder echoed loudly through the cargo bay while the children's fort collapsed in on itself in a rain of containers. And, there, standing in the middle of the commotion and rubble, were two younglings. Each of which managed to look more guilty than the other as the two boys looked over and realized that several of the Jedi were now looking at them. Sor-Jan pointed at Zak, Zak pointed at SJ, and both clearly indicated the classic non-verbal expression of youth that said: He did it.

And then the Sector Ranger named Jacen waved at the two boys.

Wait, so they weren't in trouble?

The two boys looked at each other, then at the collective group across from them, then at each other again. Zak gave a slight shrug and the two younglings both waved back at the Sector Ranger-hero-dude. Then they went to the task of surveying the array of containers around them, as though divided between asking themselves how they were going to clean up the mess or contemplating how they would re-design their imaginary fortification. While Zak took the practical approach of using his own physical strength to lift and move the boxes, Sor-Jan adopted the imminently more Jedi-lazy approach of using the Force to lift and move the clutter around. Lifting a box and setting it aside and atop another, the Nautolan reached down and picked up a training lightsaber, holding it in his hands as he tried to tell by looking at it whether it was his or SJ's.

Neither of them really had a lightsaber though. Just training lightsabers, which were all constructed the same. Finally, Zak depressed the activation switch in the side of the handle, revealing the bright green blade that was most closely associated with the Consular branch of Jedi Knights. Making a face, as though disgusted by the revelation, the Nautolan promptly shut the training shoto back down and handed it over to the Anzati.

It wasn't that Zak had anything against green. Far from it as a matter of fact, not to mention a matter of skin tone. But his favortist color was blue. Not bright blue. Not azure blue. But Jedi Guardian Blue, because the most awesome-ist Jedi duelists were Jedi Guardians. Those were the real guardians of peace in the Republic. So Zak always picked a blue training shoto for himself when he went to saber practice. And then, one day, when he was bigger and got to build his own lightsaber, he was going to make a purple one -- like Master Windu. And he'd become a Vaapad master, like Master Windu.

And then no clone army would ever hurt anyone again.

As the Nautolan shuffled through the ruins of Kilo Base in search of his training shoto, the young Anzat perked his head up and looked over at the adults for a moment. "They say we get our own room to share," SJ remarked, taking a break from the salvage efforts.

"Astral!" Zak cheered brightly.

"And then somethin' 'bout us being the future of the Jedi."

The Nautolan's nose wrinkled slightly as a look of confusion became visibly apparent. "What does that mean?"

"I dunno. Adults always say that stuff," SJ provided with a shrug, resuming the salvage efforts for their stuff among the rubble. "It usually means we have to clear our room or somethin'" the Anzat added.

"Clean our room," Zak whined plaintively, adopting a pained expression. "Don't we have droids for that?"

[Sep]

-Jacen-

"Well, whatever you are going to do about the whole... Padawan thing I'll stay out of and I do acknowledge that you likely have training Master Kraytan however I do not doubt that likely all of you will get in some kind of scenario where a blaster may just be handy. and while your instincts will have you pulling out a lightsaber I assure you that will only pay to draw interest to you even more than this ship will. However when we do have another ship I'm not getting rid of this one it is far far too useful in its ability to act as a base as well as a ship. We likely won't get another one so we may as well keep it." He watched as one of the younglings used the force to move boxes around and he was sure that he shouldn't be doing that, something about being humble or something but there was something else that bothered him. He nodded his head in the kids direction. "That is another thing you guys are going to have to avoid using the Force as much as possible. There are beings that can detect it, some machines now as well apparently not to mention you may try a trick on someone who is immune or someone else can see you perform a trick. By all means continue your practice hell I encourage it as we're going to need Force users down the line."

He stood up and began moving out of the bay and turned to look at the Jedi. "You're also going to need solid leadership if we are going to continue. I'm willing to help in whatever ways I can however you are the Jedi and are the ones at risk of watching your entire way of life burn out. I'll be in the cockpit when you are ready to move onto Nar Shadda."

[Bounce]

As the young Nautolan's continued scavanging efforts at last yielded a second training lightsaber -- this one of which would be the proper color -- the head-tailed youth glance up in time to see the Sector Ranger-boss-hero-guy taking his leave of the cluster of Jedi. Gesturing at the small Anzati, the green youngling and his mop-headed companion went sprinting across the cargo bay to fall in step behind their heroic benefactor. As they did, a slew of questions went back and forth, with the one child picking up with the next almost before the first had finished.

Sor-Jan was the first out the proverbial chute. "Are we really getting' our own room?" the Anzat asked.

Prompted by that notion, Zak immediately plunged into the follow-up question, "Can we have a room near the Sector Rangers?"

"Can we get trained too?" Sor-Jan asked, picking up on the notion of being with Sector Rangers.

"Can we be Sector Rangers?" Zak again, immediately on the heels of Sor-Jan's too.

"Can we be Jedi Sector Rangers?"

"Are you gonna fly us to Nar Sharda?"

That question prompted the Anzat to turn on his companion. "Nar Shadda!" the youngling corrected sharply.

"Is it far?" Zak, completely non-plussed at having been corrected.

"How did you pilot an' fly stuff without the Force?" Sor-Jan asked, usurping the earlier pattern by then asking his own follow-up. "Can we be pilots?"

That last bit caused the Nautolan to pause and turn on his frenemy. "Wait, I thought we were gonna be Sector Rangers," Zak remarked.

"Sector Rangers can be pilots!" Sor-Jan retorted, clearly exasperated and embarassed by the Nautolan's lack of knowing... stuff.

And then both boys looked up at the Sector Ranger. Neither was certain they remembered any of what they had asked, but they hoped he had answers to the questions they didn't remember asking. Mostly though, they wanted to know about that room. And piloting. And being Jedi Sector Rangers.

[Jakeozzy]

"To see Vor'loch?" Erin questioned, getting to her feet after Jerek. It wouldn't hurt to check on the recovering Noghri. The only person Erin had really been worrying about and visiting occasionally was the Dathomirian Padawan, Kolinn. At least visiting Jerek's Master might pass the time more quickly as the others discussed their next move, or whatever it was that they were going on about. "Sure, why not. It would be a good time to thank him, too. According to Master Sorni, he covered her- well, ..our escape back in the Temple. I was unconscious the whole time, so I didn't get to see it or thank him for that."

Erin would quickly follow after Jerek, throwing her grey robes on properly as they went on their way.
"...Your Master is very strong, putting his life on the line for everyone else like that." The brown-haired Padawan complimented, "He'll make you just as strong one day, I'm sure." She added, her tone becoming more quiet as she finished speaking. It sounded kind of melancholy, but she tried not to let it show any more.

[Captain Jordan]

"Yeah," the boy echoed, inadvertently adopting the same gloomy tone, "one day."

When his master had fallen, in the temple's cargo bay before the mob of invaders, Jerek hadn't been thinking much about the future. In his mind, he had been back at the hospital, seated by the side of the bed as his older counterpart, looking much paler and thinner than he had in life, machines beeping in a concerto of imminent warnings. The padawan's heart had broken that day, but his Noghri master had taken it in stride. To Vor'loch, Jerek was not the-boy-who-lost-his-twin-brother, not just a broken failure of the Jedi teachings against attachment, but a padawan just in need of healing. With Vor'loch, the healing had begun; a master to fill the burning hole in his heart.

The sight of his master across the medbay made his heart flutter, warmed by the presence of his master as the padawan pair entered the room. It was immediately tempered by the view of the Noghri suspended in the glowing, blue liquid of the bacta tank, an all-too-real reminder of the current frailty of his master's body. The sandy-haired youth drew close to his mentor, his mouth hanging open in a half-formed word.

Uneasy, Jerek pondered on what to say. He was sure that Vor'loch would not be proud of the way the padawan had charged ahead, with no regard for his own life, in a poorly-designed defense. Jerek couldn't fathom that his master would appreciate how he had been neglecting his meditations, or his lightsaber form disciplines. Nor did Jerek think his master would be warmed by platitudes or the empty words most lifeforms seemed to employ when in the presence of sickness.

"I—" the boy began, hoping the words would come to him after that. They didn't. He stood there for a moment, the padawan before his master, until finally the sandy-haired youth spoke once more. "I'm here, master."

[ColonelCaboose]

"Leadership is usually a easy matter to settle, the rank structure goes from Jedi Master all the way down to initiate. However we have a Jedi Master on board. While you are in better shape now Master Sorni, perhaps I should handle things on Nar Shadda until you are in a more healthy state. I will heed any teachings you have to give and do my best to follow any instructions you have. The Temple Master spoke highly of you and it would be an honor to take any wisdom you have to offer Master." Kraytan bowed before the Master and slowly came up into his normal stature.

"I will round up the younglings and discuss with them about being adopted as padawans. I think perhaps we are going to far with discussing who should train who. We would both end up getting several students at this rate and that is against Jedi Code. Perhaps we should give them the option of leaving if they wish. For them to remain Jedi or continue towards that goal will mean constant running and hiding from people trying to kill them." Deja said to the group.

Kraytan and Deja both were still wearing their Temple Guard robes and masks. This was a difficult situation, but Kraytan had years of experience and while had a strong sense of compassion, allowed his years of duty to take over, logic and rationalization, the objective side that the Temple Guards were force to take to the farthest limits. "I know the Jedi Code better than anyone here Deja, we both do, but it lives through us now. There is no holocron or datachip that holds it in its entirety, there is only us. The Temple Master gave me the mission to make sure the Jedi Order survived and I will follow that order till I become one with the Force. To ensure that something survives, sometimes rules must be bent or broken. They have been before many a times by the Jedi Council, and as the Keeper of the Jedi Code I say if we must take multiple padawans then so be it. However one thing is for certain, we can't let these younglings go for a number of reasons." Kraytan began walking towards Deja looking at his feet until he was close to her.

"They will be hunted down regardless of if they are with us or not. True they may never be found, but if they are the Sith will take them to meld their minds and bodies to their wishes. To give them an option to choose to leave is futile, because they are children. The capacity to understand such a decision is not possible with their minds. It's not a change your mind after you realize you don't like it decision. It's a permanent one. Finally however." He said pausing and walking away towards the doors. "They will need us more than ever as we need them more than ever as I have said before. The Jedi Order must survive to rebuild itself one day and to destroy the Sith and restore balance. Now round up the younglings, check on Vor'loch with the others. Master Sorni not to pester you, but would you mind accompanying talking in private?"

Deja didn't say a word, she knew very well these were dark, stressful, and uncertain times for all of them. It would be best to go along with things for now and to do their best to find somewhere safe to lay low at until things settled down in the Galaxy. Deja headed off to where the younglings, or some of them, had been playing, they weren't there, but she did notice them going off with the Sector Ranger Jacen. She began her pursuit at a slow pace, there was no need to rush anything. Some knights dreaded babysitting duty, but to her it was always a pleasure to be around the younglings. They were so full of life and energy, it was warming to her heart, and perhaps right now she could use a little warming after such horrible events.

[mattmanganon]

Kolinn sat and watched the conversation, she couldn't believe they were going to Nar Shaadaa, she had heard about that planet from her master. "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy... If you ever go there, be cautious." and now they were going to walk straight in. She seethed a little as her leg began to hurt again. Her leg was playing up from the wound, as she sat outside, the room, her belt began beeping to indicate that it was time to apply her Bacta treatment. She pressed it quickly to smother the noise, she then took the small bacta tank off of her belt and poured it into her hand before rubbing it on her wounded leg. As the flaring pain subsided, she sank to the floor... She listened to the masters talk about what was to become of her. The thing that annoyed her the most about the whole situation was that she felt nothing... No sadness, no remourse, sure she felt bad that so many of the Jedi were dead, but... She hadn't felt a single god damn thing... Most Jedi would find this an admirable trait, but she knew that it wasn't an emotional detachment, it was.

She then heard Krayton move towards the door and tried to leap out of the way, but her leg played up and she simply fell over, just as the Temple Guard opened the door, she looked up at him and then burried her face in the floor, before pushing herself up. "Sorry for my eavesdropping... It's just that..." she pushed herself back onto her feet. "I was concerned about our current situation." she then bowed to the guard. "I wanted... I wanted to make a suggestion... I heard you say that we were headed to Nar Shaadaa... I wanted to suggest an alternate destination." She then looked up into his lifeless mask. "I'm sorry..." she turned and tried to hobble away, but then swallowed "Instead of headed there... We could head to Dathomir." she said, without looking at him... She clouded her vision and imagined her master to be stood in his position. "It is a logical destination for us. It is one of the last places the Republic would expect us to run, due to its history with the Dark Side, it is secluded, out of the way, I know the land very well, it's strong in the force... After the Droids razed the planet, any creature capable of feeling the force was destroyed... There is no longer anything there to fear..." She knew for a fact that this was a terrible idea, but... "Master, a week ago, I received a coded message from someone... Close to me... From Dathomir, he said he was alive." She then stopped. "I know that I have no right to ask this, but if we could go there, we could... Sorry." she wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to accomplish from this.

[Sep]

Jacen turned around at the two kids. "Woah woah woah, one at a time you pair. First, yes I will train you to fire a blaster but not right now. Two, you aren't going to be doing your lightsabers as often now. Three, I will train you how to fly later. Four, you are getting your own room. Five, yes we are going to Nar Shadda and it is really easy to fly without the Force, using the Force is just cheating. However that is just my very own opinion." He began moving up the hollow metallic stairs while walking towards the cockpit of the vessel which was at the end of the corridor. He turned back around to the younglings. "Why don't I teach you to fly another time? Run along now the two of you and go see the protocol droid wherever he is gathering dust. He'll need to sort you out some... normal, looking clothes and I don't think any of the rangers have a set that will fit you. I'm sure the droid however can fashion something together." He opened the cockpit door and walked in as he waved the kids away. "Run along now."

---

Vor'loch

He activated the modesty shielding as the Padawans entered the room. "Greetings Jerek and Erin. I am glad to see you are both up and going around well. I would appreciate it if you could bring me back up to speed on what is going on, I haven't been keeping up to speed with what has been going on recently."

[Bounce]

This had already proven to be the most time that either youngling had spent with someone who wasn't Force Sensitive. It was proving to smash many preconceptions they had held about people who didn't perceive the Force. It was such a large part of their lives that to try and imagine existing without it had left either boy with a rather crippling notion of average people. But the Sector Ranger person seemed... normal actually.

Better than normal, considering his offer to teach them to use blasters.

"Two, you aren't going to be doing your lightsabers as often now."

Each of the stubby head tails on the Nautolan's head perked up, as the boy almost did a double take. His eyes, wide, glanced over at Sor-Jan as though looking for confirmation that he hadn't just heard what he thought he'd just heard. Because that was absurd. Limiting lightsaber practice was like... like... limiting how much time one had to breathe. "Huh?" Zak chirped, as he paled a more gray color than his usual verdant moss green. He was the best swordsman -- er, swordboy? -- of their clan. Lightsaber practice was the only time anything made sense to him. Which, it wasn't that he didn't try the whole 'meditate on the Force' thing. But meditation was boring. And... he kinda fell asleep in one of Master Yoda's meditation classes once.

In contrast, the young Anzati had no such reticence at the notion. Perhaps because lightsaber practice was one of the few classes in which he wasn't the star pupil. The less of that there was, the better.

So, Zak was still a little crestfallen even as the conversation shifted to better things. They were going to learn how to pilot and they were getting their own room. And the Sector Ranger hadn't said anything about them cleaning their room. Just that they were getting one. So there was still hope for later negotiations to have a droid do the picking up stuff part.

Then, there was this.

"...and it is really easy to fly without the Force, using the Force is just cheating."

Zak could nod his head to that sentiment in part, particularly for every time he was struggling to move a meditation rock and Sor-Jan was mentally juggling stones whilst levitating himself. However, now it was the Anzati's turn to be offended. The black-haired boy's came up sharply, as a look of utter shock and then total contempt drastically changed the youngling's facial expression toward the Sector Ranger. "Cheating?" the young Anzati echoed, as though either in disbelief or daring the man to say that again.

"However that is just my very own opinion," the Sector Ranger explained.

"Cheating!?" Sor-Jan began, anger slipping into his voice as the youngling had started forward.

That was before a green, Nautolan arm whipped around the side of the other boy's face, clamping his hand down over the Anzati's mouth and slowly backing away from the Sector Ranger. Through the Cheating -- er, that is, through the Force -- Zak had a fleeting glimpse as to what was about to happen. Sor-Jan had been about to kick the Sector Ranger in the shin. Now, he wasn't positive, but Zak was fairly certain it was somewhere in the Jedi Code that one did not simply kick the bombad sector ranger dude in the shin. Particularly not when they were getting blaster training, piloting lessons, and their own room.

Zak didn't like the limited lightsaber practice bit either, but there were ways known to younglings, secrets passed down from generation to generation of Jedi hopefuls, sacred rituals just for this sort of occasion. It was the venerated youngling philosophy of just don't get caught. And, if one did get caught, it was still better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

Plus, Zak didn't want to try and imagine how much trouble they'd get into if Sor-Jan had actually kicked the Sector Ranger in the shin.

"Thanks, mister!" the young Nautolan offered brightly, as he continued to restrain a squirming, fighting, ready-to-do-battle Anzati who was still hell-bent on bringing the pain to Jacen's shin. Which, he was definitely more violent now than he'd been before. But that was true for both of them. Sor-Jan's black eye and Zak's split lip hadn't come battling clones after all.

As he turned around, intent on seeking out the protocol droid -- not for the clothes, clothes weren't a subject either boy thought much of at this age. Adults provided them stuff to wear. What they wore wasn't that big a deal. It was just stuff. However, they definitely wanted to talk to this droid about room cleaning services. And so, quest in mind, Zak turned the both of them around and...

...nearly collided with a Temple Guard.

That stopped both boys in their tracks. Younglings weren't supposed to be running through the temple on their own. They were supposed to be with their clan, unless they had a really good reason to, like, go to the archives or something for a school project. So, when they inevitably did make a break for it, running into a Temple Guard was a bad thing. It meant you'd been caught. Now, this wasn't the Jedi Temple, and neither SJ nor Zak were part of a youngling clan anymore. But, still, the Nautolan couldn't have looked more guilty than when he'd nearly turned and run into Deja. Probably because it wasn't a first for him.

After a moment of being frozen in anticipation of having been caught doing... something... the Nautolan blinked with the realization that he wasn't in trouble, that he knew of anyway, and he knew this Sentinel. "Hi, Master Deja," Zak offered respectfully. "We were just, uh, going to find the protocol droid to get some new clothes," the Nautolan explained. Which wasn't a lie. That was what the sector ranger dude had told them to do. He was just omitting the part about getting the droid to clean their room instead.

A muffled sound served as a reminder that the Nautolan still had his hand clamped over SJ's mouth. Reluctantly, the green-skinned amphibian withdrew his arm, as the young Anzati immediately popped up, pointed back toward the cockpit, and exclaimed, "He said that the Force is cheating!"

Sor-Jan just wasn't going to let this go.

For his part, the Nautolan buried his face in his other hand, shaking his head at what could only be an Anzati's misguided attempt at sabotaging them getting their own room.

[ColonelCaboose]

Deja giggled a bit as Zak had a face of guilt come across it as if he was in trouble. She had just notice the Jacen walking away to go about his piloting duties. She squatted down to be on eye level with the boys. Zak could try and tell her the truth all he wanted, but the Force told her when he was withholding all the details. Sor-Jan suddenly exclaimed that the ranger had thought the Force was cheating. She gave a small chuckle, because many times before people had told her the same thing. "Well younglings before I say anything, first there will still be lightsaber training, Mister Jacen may be the pilot of this ship, but we are still your caretakers first and foremost. Training with lightsabers will take priority over training with blasters, but in the meantime until we get resituated, you won't have any duties that you had back in the Temple. Think of this time as a vacation to have fun and no work." Deja said trying to put it into words for them to understand.

"As for the Force cheating, I don't believe that, but many who don't have the same ability to sense it feel it is cheating. When someone has an unfair advantage they look for excuses, instead they should look at what gives them an unfair advantage. Yes we can use the Force, but I'm sure if Mister Jacen looked at himself he could find many things he's better at than us, and I guess we could consider that cheating hmmm?" Of course now her teaching had its limit, there was a certain point where an unfair advantage did become cheating, but that would be a lesson for another day.

Deja however let her gray hood down and took off her Temple Mask and revealed a stunningly beautiful Cathar face. She had a slim furry feline face, pointy brown ears with a long brown nose running down almost flat across her face. Her eyes were a deep blue and her cheeks and forehead were both white. She had two long strips of hair that hung down past her face by both ears, the rest of her hair was combed back to have a smooth sleek look. Her eyebrows were black like her hair, and in-between her eyebrows she had two lines that slanted down almost giving her a sinister look, but her eyes were gentle enough to deter the menacing look. "The others and I have been talking about some stuff and what we should do. We have many younglings and few masters to teach them." Deja took a moment for this to sink into their minds before continuing. "We believe that for you all to equally grow big and strong we will have to take on a couple padawans each, however before we do that I feel I must ask do you feel ready to become padawans? You both are still very young and most are selected to be padawans a few years older than the two of you, however things have been... difficult lately and I don't want to put any more burdens then we have to on you."

---

Kraytan didn't like the idea of going to Dathomir. The planet was clouded in the dark side and was not a good place to be taking younglings to. "I admire your courage young one to come to me with such a bold idea, but it will be one I will have to consider. Dathomir is clouded in the dark side of the Force, going there may prove to hard on the other younglings. On top of that, the Seperatists may have tried to destroy the Nightsisters, but that is a lie. The Nightsisters manipulate the Force in ways never seen before and death is but a joke to them. Should we go there we may face even greater foes who would no doubt seek to ensnare our young ones." Kraytan said to Kolinn, so far he was against the idea of going there for it seemed too risky.

He kneeled down before the young one and placed a hand on his shoulder. "However, if you have received a message from a friend in need, I will go to any lengths I can to help them, however I must ask your friend to be strong and wait for we must gather another ship at Nar Shadda and contact Deja's sister on Mandalore first." He stood up and walked out of the room towards the cockpit. He noticed Deja and the two younglings on the way, but acted as if he did not see them and then proceeded to the cockpit where Jacen was. "I believe we are ready to head to Nar Shadda when you are Mister Jacen."

[Hexaflexagon]

Master Sorni thought to therself as she listened to the suggestions made by Kraytan and Deja respectively, though she stayed quiet through most of it. She was aware that in terms of leadership she was the one that in the end she would be one of the ones primarily in charge of taking the reins of their fate. And yet she refrained from voicing her own opinion on the matter, primarily because in the reality of it all the others needed to learn how to debate and decide among themselves. When it was needed she could act as a mediator when it was needed and be a dispensable font of wisdom when needed, but only in that degree when it was needed. For the Padawans, the Knights, all of them needed to learn to act as one to learn to become one large unit and work as one. It was not a matter of making things easier, it was a matter of it was needed for them to survive. Their was an old saying that a Tusken Raider alone was just a creature lost in a desert something unremarkable. But a tribe? They made townsfolk and moister farms quake in fear.

When Kraytan asked her to follow him to continue her discussion she nodded and followed next to him. The medical droid convinced by this point that the Jedi Master would not fall down and die at a moments notice it left to go attend its duties in the medical bay. The CR25 halls seemed desolate, the pairs footsteps echoing through the ship even if it was just a few hundred feet. It was seemingly unnatural, there was a time when the Jedi Master would be aboard one of these ships and the halls would be bustling with clone troopers, as they moved to a new battlefield somewhere to battle against the Confederacy. The past three years of her life had been absorbed into this constant cycle of going from dropship or cruiser to a battlefield and now it was over. But now not just the war was over but her but everyone's since of normalcy: clone troopers went from staunch allies to now the shadows of death themselves, the Jedi temple not just a symbol of the Jedi galaxy wide, but their home that had stood for lay in smoking ruins. Where once stood grand majestic halls lay = ruinous wrecks that lay empty for the first time in hundreds of years, what once was the sound of younglings learning and the pursuit of knowledge was know the distant drum like pounding of a team of clones in the distance, alone in a tranquil serenity akin to that of a funeral march.

When Kolinn the Dathomiran girl posed her question to Kraytan, the Jedi Master watched with quiet curiosity on how he would deal with the suggestion. Dathomir was an interesting world that in the Jedi Masters travelers had brought her too and once was more then enough. She was to destroy an ancient Sith holocron that was lost in the ruins of the Brotherhood of Darkness's Sith academy on the planet. It was a planet attuned with the dark side of the force, a place where even those Jedi with the strongest will felt the whispers and murmuring temptations of the dark side. Any normal and sane person would of denied the girls request outright, but her was Kraytan who even in rejection kept this aura of calmness and knowing to himself, acting as true as any Jedi Master twice his age, his words showed wisdom and wisdom was something they would need in the future to come. After they walked away from the girl and towards the cockpit, the Jedi Master spoke aloud to Kraytan.

"You handled that well Kraytan, the Temple Master would of been proud to see becoming such a leader... Though I fear for Kolinn and the others. To be so young and to have such great darkness and trouble thrust upon them. I sense the anger and the fear growing inside of them, the calling of the dark side reach out to them in these troubling times. For if they remain unguided and lost in this darkening galaxy then, the whispers of the dark side will come for them." Master Sorni told the other Jedi as they reached the cockpit.