freedomliveson

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Ha! Well, I figure that his idealism is a good compliment to Aria's feisty nature xD

Yeah, absolutely. We can get the operatives on the ground with the Masters in the next couple of posts? I'll have Havok squad in the post after my next one

Service and Royalty(LeoxFreedom)

So, in brief:

The Avatar is a representative of the Dasvrochian tribes, a person that is chosen by the heads of each tribe to serve as an ambassador for the entire continent. There is a line of Avatars that was created by a group of families that, long ago, were pulled from each tribe to form their own lineage that was loyal to no other tribe except to producing men and women capable of assuming the role of Avatar. Those who are not selected serve as delegates to each tribe as neutral arbiters of disputes within each tribe.

Igni is king of Metaschi and has sought to unify the continent, seeing as there are exterior forces(more on those later) that are trying to lay siege to the entire land. With this alliance in place, it'll encourage Koufkeli to possibly consider unification. Of course, Maleea is a twat, so we'll see how this unification effort goes XD

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

I know what you mean! We're dealing with uncharted territory and I think you did a good job of setting us up! Tried to help fill in based on what you wrote :)

Yeah, fair enough. Don't think either one of our characters would want to divulge EVERYTHING just yet.

By the way, Yerbol took over that last post...as in, I wanted to move on, but Yerbol was like "hold up, I need to say something first". I like it when characters take control xD

Feel free to move on in next post :)

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

It was a long shot, but he knew that mutual meditation was a powerful technique that he had used on a few occasions with his Master to grasp principles that he had been struggling to grasp. Although it could be invasive, jarring and outright violating to have someone else inside the mind, it could also be a powerful means of transmitting concepts and truly knowing the inner workings of the meditation partner. If they could at least try to make sense of their bond now through meditation, Yerbol believed they could use it to their advantage in the troubles he knew they would face in the very near future.

The thread that he followed to Aria's mind led him to a wide expanse of black nothingness that was occasionally punctuated by flashes of light above, then around him. Those flashes of light coagulated into actual memories, some of which were still frames of memories that Aria allowed him to see. Others were moving, fluid recollections that played in real time(well, however "real time" was perceived in this state). He felt her sharp jealousy when Lysa came to the academy, the ferocity of her desire to prove all those around her wrong, that she COULD make it not only as an academy student, but a full fledged Sith. There was anger, fury, determination, sorrow and a host of other strong emotions that were beginning to creep towards him as tendrils snaking from the memories towards his torso. The tendrils didn't actively pursue him, but instead hovered around him in a holding pattern as he moved forward. A few moments later, one of the memories cleared away to his right, Yerbol able to spot Aria in a similar location about fifty yards from his location, eyes wandering around flashes of memories in front of her. He wondered what she would think of the things she saw...the pain of seeing comrades falling under the heel of the Empire, the joy of spending his youth wandering around Tython with Lysa, the frustration of learning some of the more difficult tenets of the Order, the doubt he had in the Order that he repeatedly talked about to Master Paz, his only Master, a compassionate man that taught him discipline and mercy COULD bind together among other things. There were a few memories that he wanted to keep gated, mainly out of shame. Some traumas needed to be buried, especially from a friend who didn't need to see things he never wanted to relive again.

Yerbol hadn't spoken to his meditation partner for quite some time, allowing them both to soak in the experience before they decided it was enough(which was never spoken, but understood...yet another consequence of the strengthening bond). When Aria asked about the implications of what they had just done, he responded as he stood up, helping her up:
"I think so...I mean, in the short time we've spent together, our bond has only gotten stronger. What we just did seemed to infuse what we already have with even more energy. Here's hoping we can translate what we just did to fighting the Sith off...kinda like we did when we killed that projection in the temple?" A playful smirk came to his face.
"You gotta admit, that was wicked awesome. I can't wait to see what we can do in the future." He sighed gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, unconsciously drawing slightly closer to her as he said in a quieter tone:
"All that stuff you went through doesn't matter now. You don't have to walk around with a chip on your shoulder...not around me at least." He looked away briefly, clearing his throat, the solemnity of his voice surprising even him as he continued, resuming eye contact:
"We used to define ourselves by what we were as Jedi, as Sith, but now...now I'm choosing to look at Force users, at us, differently. From here on out, you're not a Sith trying to prove herself to some mysterious dark council and I'm not a Jedi attempting to bring some idealistic peace to the galaxy. We're two people trying to navigate a messed up galaxy and hopefully try to put it back together with a LOT of help...oh and the Force. That too." His hand dropped to her arm, shaking his head.
"Honestly, I don't know if I'm trying to motivate you or help you or..." He chuckled slightly.
"I guess after what I saw in your mind, I just realized how awful it was that we were indoctrinated by those around us, that we couldn't choose how to define ourselves, our beliefs. We have that chance now. And I'm really happy that I'm doing this with you."

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Gave them an opportunity to explore their bond, seeing as we haven't really had much of a chance to actually do that yet. Plus it wouldn't have made sense earlier because it was still in the VERY beginning stages. I was thinking that they could maybe meditate together and try to open their minds to each other? Kinda like Visas in KOTOR 2 minus the really creepy undertones?

Or we can just skip that entirely? What do you think?

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

"This would definitely work." Yerbol spoke quietly to no one in particular, sticking his head through the open doorways that littered the left side of the training complex.
"You know, if the Sith used this as a training facility, that would have to mean there would be a library of some kind, right? That would specifically hold battle tactics, strategies, maybe some history we could draw on? We can train our bodies all we want, but we need to know how these guys think so we don't get slaughtered." He snorted a laugh after the sentence, knowing all too well that his former Master would be proud of his scholarly intent. He was about to ask if they were ok with exploring more of the area, but the hounds were creating a fuss. He wanted to chalk their skittishness up to being in an unfamiliar place, but the moaning gusts making their way in through the main entrance suggested otherwise.
"Right...we need to talk to the others about this. Let's get out of here."

__

They made it back to the ship safely, although the beginnings of the storm coated their clothing in a thick sleet as they made their way up the loading ramp. Once inside, Yerbol quickly changed out of his upper outerwear, his short sleeved undershirt much drier than his overshirt, which he more than happily threw into the drying unit. As he started the cycle, a jubilant exclamation surprised him so much that he jumped, hitting his head on the bathroom ceiling:
"Yes! I knew it would work!" Muttering a curse, Yerbol spotted Manso, whose brow was coated in a sheen of sweat, eyes obscured by a pair of octagonal safety glasses that covered two thirds of his face.
"What now?"
"Oh, right. While you guys were gone, I toyed around with the ships circuitry and optimized some of the connections. Neta had a powertorch and some old gloves that I used to-"
"Manso, the planet just dumped seven thousand tons of frozen water on my body. Please summarize." The teenager cleared his throat before clarifying:
"Everything works better now. Off to see the slipspace drive." He scurried away, hands rubbing together in anticipation.
"Make the best out of what you got." He muttered, chuckling at how zealous the Padawan's efforts were. It was nice to see.

Neta was staring at the terrain map of the planet when Yerbol walked into the common area, the former spec ops soldier chewing her lower lip viciously.
"Neta?" No response. He walked closer, waving a hand in front of her face, which was quickly grabbed and thrown aside.
"I'm thinking."
"About...?" Her eyes narrowed at the map, Yerbol following her line of sight to an ominous looking swirl of lines and half circles above the mountain peaks.
"The storm? It should pass just like any other, right?"
"Not for a while. Storms that generate between mountains get caught in the contradictory wind shears that the mountains naturally generate due to their high peaks. Good to know for later." Yerbol's jaw protruded slightly in surprise.
"How do you know this much about weather patterns?"
"One of the first things they teach you as a Commando is how to read and predict weather. If you know how to prepare for the environment you're in, you've got one more advantage over your enemy...which is why I'm REALLY confident the Sith are gonna have a hard time getting to the ground safely. This is a good spot for now." She asked for Roan and Aria to meet in the common area, their arrival sparking an update:
"No hull damage, we've got rations and water to get us through three weeks and I jettisoned our coordinates over black channels to my contacts, one of which has two Jedi Masters in tow. Another contact is on his way to find a group of Republic special forces and I already reached out to a smuggler I know who can get us some supplies. I did my part." She pointed at the trio.
"What about you guys?"

After regaling Neta with their short tale of excursion, the pilot smiled in relief.
"Alright, so maybe we've got a shot at actually getting them all together. For now, we ought to wait out the storm. Once it blows over, we can hoof it over there and I'll bring the ship closer." With their course of action agreed, Yerbol reached out to Aria through their bond:
Meet me back at our quarters?

Once the two were alone, he began:
"Have you felt anything different in terms of our bond? Because today, when we were in the forest and you grabbed my arm, I...I felt like I was LITERALLY inside your mind. I could feel your anxiety, your fear, the adrenaline rushing through your veins, the-" He stopped, smiling apologetically.
"I know, it sounds creepy, but that's what happened. ONE touch and I experienced what it was like to be YOU in that moment. Have you felt anything like that on your end? Because if you have, we've got the time now to meditate and try to at least start to figure out how this thing works between us."

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

"This would definitely work." Yerbol spoke quietly to no one in particular, sticking his head through the open doorways that littered the left side of the training complex.
"You know, if the Sith used this as a training facility, that would have to mean there would be a library of some kind, right? That would specifically hold battle tactics, strategies, maybe some history we could draw on? We can train our bodies all we want, but we need to know how these guys think so we don't get slaughtered." He snorted a laugh after the sentence, knowing all too well that his former Master would be proud of his scholarly intent. He was about to ask if they were ok with exploring more of the area, but the hounds were creating a fuss. He wanted to chalk their skittishness up to being in an unfamiliar place, but the moaning gusts making their way in through the main entrance suggested otherwise.
"Right...we need to talk to the others about this. Let's get out of here."

__

They made it back to the ship safely, although the beginnings of the storm coated their clothing in a thick sleet as they made their way up the loading ramp. Once inside, Yerbol quickly changed out of his upper outerwear, his short sleeved undershirt much drier than his overshirt, which he more than happily threw into the drying unit. As he started the cycle, a jubilant exclamation surprised him so much that he jumped, hitting his head on the bathroom ceiling:
"Yes! I knew it would work!" Muttering a curse, Yerbol spotted Manso, whose brow was coated in a sheen of sweat, eyes obscured by a pair of octagonal safety glasses that covered two thirds of his face.
"What now?"
"Oh, right. While you guys were gone, I toyed around with the ships circuitry and optimized some of the connections. Neta had a powertorch and some old gloves that I used to-"
"Manso, the planet just dumped seven thousand tons of frozen water on my body. Please summarize." The teenager cleared his throat before clarifying:
"Everything works better now. Off to see the slipspace drive." He scurried away, hands rubbing together in anticipation.
"Make the best out of what you got." He muttered, chuckling at how zealous the Padawan's efforts were. It was nice to see.

Neta was staring at the terrain map of the planet when Yerbol walked into the common area, the former spec ops soldier chewing her lower lip viciously.
"Neta?" No response. He walked closer, waving a hand in front of her face, which was quickly grabbed and thrown aside.
"I'm thinking."
"About...?" Her eyes narrowed at the map, Yerbol following her line of sight to an ominous looking swirl of lines and half circles above the mountain peaks.
"The storm? It should pass just like any other, right?"
"Not for a while. Storms that generate between mountains get caught in the contradictory wind shears that the mountains naturally generate due to their high peaks. Good to know for later." Yerbol's jaw protruded slightly in surprise.
"How do you know this much about weather patterns?"
"One of the first things they teach you as a Commando is how to read and predict weather. If you know how to prepare for the environment you're in, you've got one more advantage over your enemy...which is why I'm REALLY confident the Sith are gonna have a hard time getting to the ground safely. This is a good spot for now." She asked for Roan and Aria to meet in the common area, their arrival sparking an update:
"No hull damage, we've got rations and water to get us through three weeks and I jettisoned our coordinates over black channels to my contacts, one of which has two Jedi Masters in tow. Another contact is on his way to find a group of Republic special forces and I already reached out to a smuggler I know who can get us some supplies. I did my part." She pointed at the trio.
"What about you guys?"

Service and Royalty(LeoxFreedom)

He laughed very briefly at the mention of children, fully aware that one of the biggest reasons for this unification was the desire to see an heir of mixed blood. While the marriage between Polk and Maleea was symbolic of a DESIRE for unification, both the Avatar and Igni had stressed in their conversations with him that an heir(a male, of course) would cement the treaty of peace between the two powers and eventually lead to a consolidation of nations. Polk hadn't mentioned his objections about bringing together two nations that had such differing political systems and cultural backgrounds, but maybe his silence was good. Maybe he was being too cynical about the entire prospect, that maybe Igni's desire for "One Continent, One Kingdom" would be realized. If that were the case, then Polk would gladly carry out the marriage with Maleea. Sacrificing for the good of others was another familiar sentiment he had given into during his travels. Speaking OF his travels, Illyria had just asked about them.
"Of course you heard about them. Gossip travels fast when it's about royalty." He bitterly proclaimed, finishing his whiskey off and setting the glass down on the endtable separating the conversation partners.
"I ah...well..." He looked into her curious, soft gaze and his inner gut feeling was that he would be able to trust her with a few details. A few. No one knew the whole story and it was going to stay that way until he died or he found someone willing to accept the deeds he had shamelessly committed.
"I was young, you see. Young, reckless, impulsive. I made my parents lives a nightmare by carousing at the local inns, taking a few bribes from palace guards to let their dalliances with ladies of the night not affect their status as royal protectors and...well, my theory is that if you give a nineteen year old that much power and expect him to wield it with responsibility, you're a moron. So I exploited my leverage as much as I could at any given opportunity for a couple of years, my sins being swept underneath the rug until I..." He cleared his throat again.
"Well, I was found in a very compromising situation with a few of the palace guard. We decided it would be a great idea to go outside the city and carouse with women of less than high morality. We were ambushed by a group of mercenaries who saw an opportunity to collect a bounty on a stupid prince(we all have bounties on our heads, you know that, don't you? Royalty I mean). I led those men out there and they all died save two, who were gravely wounded in the process of fighting the mercs off. It was then I realized that I...I wasn't fit to be in the position of power I occupied. So, with a crudely written note scribbled that night, I took off." His hands had begun to shake.
"And from there I wandered. Everywhere." He looked down at the shaking appendages, folding his hands together to try and stop the tremors as he added:
"Not as romantic as the stories they told at court, I'm sure." A smile came to his lips.
"But let's not end our night on such a dour note. Allow me to extend you a formal invitation to come riding with me at seven o clock. Meet me by the stables and we'll traipse around the estate for a while. I'd like to see that training you got in action."

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

Done! I felt a bit stuck, seeing as I didn't want to go to the next building before Ari had a chance to interact with Roan/look at her own weapons. Feel free to get to the next spot :)

Speaking of the next spot, I was thinking that this bigger "rectangle" could be a training facility used by the Sith. It would make sense to have SOMETHING like that planetside for those who wanted to meditate/train/spar. That could serve as their initial base of operations?

You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

"We pulverize the old crystals and switch them out for new ones. Right." As he examined the intricacies of the crystal, he wondered aloud:
"How many more of these unique crystals are there? Because if it's just a matter of getting a pickaxe or our sabers and hacking them off the mountainside, then we'd have an essentially unlimited supply. But then how has no one else found this..." Yerbol shook his head.
"Sorry. Let's take care of this now. There was another bigger rectangle on Neta's map that's just a bit further on from here. If we can hit that and get back to the ship, I'd call it a productive day."

___

It took a bit longer than the Knight had expected with Roan constantly deriding their(particularly his) "clumsy" attempts at the crystal replacement process, but after securing both the reddish blue(or blueish red) and another crystal that laid in the crevice of the split table, the pair managed to make the swap. Roan had cautioned them both to train with their sabers for a short period of time before using them in combat to make sure that the crystal had acclimated to the hilt and other such jargon that Yerbol could only appreciate in form, not substance. Once the sabers were completely assembled, Roan motioned for them to activate their newly crafted weapons. Stepping backwards from the father and daughter pair to give them room in case of an unexpected explosion(or something), he ignited the saber. A rush of heat flowed up his right arm, flushing his back and lower body with a connective energy that he had never felt before. To compliment the exhilarating injection of what he presumed was the Force flowing through the crystal, the red-blue column of light shimmered for a few moments before solidifying, a quiet hum confirming the mesh between saber and user.
"You can feel the power surging through your sabers, right, Ari?" His brow was raised, eyes wide with a mixture of delight and surprise.
"I feel like I could take on an entire army of Rancors and still have enough energy to spar with three Jedi Masters at full strength!" He then hastily tacked on:
"But this kind of power does need to be understood first...right?" He shot a quizzical look at Roan, but the Sith didn't have time to answer due to the comm unit Neta gave him before they left coming to life with a familiar voice:
"You three find anything interesting?" Yerbol reached for the unit hanging off his belt and replied:
"You could say that. About to head to the bigger building further into the valley."
"You might want to hurry up. I've got a big ol mass of something showing up on the weather radar. Due east of where you're at now. Just do your recon and get back. If this mystery weather is anything like the atmosphere, then...well, you get the point." Yerbol looked between the two, asking:
"Think it's worth it to keep pressing forward or should we head back?"

____

"Good to see you in one piece, Matt." Voldon clapped a hand on Matt's back, nearly causing the much smaller Master to tumble out of the shuttle seat.
"You as well." Matt coughed out, his lungs still attempting to heal themselves from the sandrot that had taken hold of his body the last few hours before he had been taken offworld, for which he was ever grateful. They had surrounded the cave and were ready to open fire when the troops(now known as Galactic Alliance soldiers) lowered their weapons, walked off peacefully and were subsequently replaced by Voldon, Kira and a man who simply called himself "Ed". This "Ed" was from the SIS and had the job of "getting the remaining Masters to a safe location". He doubted that safety was a concept they could trust in, but Voldon and Kira had both assured Matt that there was a plan in motion to not only address, but counteract the massive shifting of power in the galaxy.

He could only hope they were right.