Member
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When the New Republic Mon Calamari cruiser arrived in Onderon, The Intrepid picked up on it almost instantly. Unaware of the hyperspace route taken by Miryia, the New Republic placed itself at a disadvantageous postion. Upon their arrival, one of the bridge officers called for Karius who walked over to his station.
"Report." Said Karius, as he glanced at the screen picking up six targets.
"They are New Republic ships, sir. One of them is a 'Liberty-type MC80 Star Cruiser', most likely the lead ship." Said the young female bridge officer, briefly glancing at Karius who nodded in aknowledgement.
"Keep me posted." Replied Karius, as he walked off. Taking a commlink out of his pocket he hailed Miryia on the surface.
"Janus. We have company. The New Republic sent a task force out to the planet. They are most likely evacuating their people. Have you found what we are looking for yet?"
"Fascinating" the words left her throat, in an almost imperceptible murmur. Purple eyes danced with a flurry of emotions that were as hard to decipher for the young trooper beside the woman they were coming slowly coming around too, as much of her body language had been. "What is Ma'am?" The voice that cracked through the audio filters belonged to a human female, who sounded as if she had maybe been out of her teens a year. "The holocron, it's different" she held it in her hand, moving it from one side to another. But she'd said no more, merely placing it in a box and handing it to Captain Cardinal, she looked as though she was about to issue an order when Captain Karius came over the line. And the Republic was here now? Truly odd, she'd felt a presence before and assumed that it had been the Republic. "We've retrieved a package" she turned and eyed Cardinal "Lead your men back to the shuttle and return to the intrepid, I'll find my own way off Onderon"
Hijacking some poor smuggler would be easy enough. "Another force wielder is planet side and I sense more than one...I'll not risk you and your men with such a task. Go now and celebrate your first victory in months"
Miryia dismissed them with a nod that did its best to convey the rigidity of command and respect before she took a separate exit from the cellar
Over on the Mon Calamari cruiser, the members of Rogue Squadron had gathered in the hangar before getting on their ships. The Jedi had gathered in a Galofree Transport and were ready to land on the planet once Rogue Squadron was deployed. The fleet itself established itself in Onderon's orbit, waiting for the Star Destroyer to make a move.
Alara entered the hangar with Lahana and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “May the Force be with you,” she said supportively before joining the rest of her team conversing with who appeared to be Lahana’s master, Kale. None of them looked pleased.
Rogue Group boarded their vessels and left the hangar; each agreed to escort the shuttle containing the Jedi just before breaking atmosphere and would then turn around to engage Imperials as needed.
Despite the presence of the Imperials, the escort mission went underway without any delays. When the transport reached the atmosphere and the squadron broke off, the Imperials never engaged. As the squadron returned to the fleet, Wedge couldn't help but think about the mission and the presence of the Imperials. Why would they send a single Star Destroyer? Something was wrong, but they couldn't figure out what.
"We should hold position and defend the task force. Wait for Master Kale and the others to return." Said Wedge, seemingly changing his mind over attacking the Star Destroyer.
"Understood." Nareia said curtly; none of the others objective to this course of action.
As the Galofree transport took off and began to return, the Captain of the MC80 contacted Wedge and the others.
"Sensors are picking up several unknown ships. They are coming out of hyperspace now!" He said frantically. The moment he finished the sentence, two dozen ships emerged from hyperspace on opposite sides of the planet. Now that they were here, Wedge was able to make it out their allegiance.
"Pirates!" He said. "What is the Black Sun and the Zann Consortium doing here?" A rhetorical question. It was obvious that they were interested in whatever the Alliance had hidden down there. Now, they were probably here to retrieve it. Before he could order Rogue Squadron to go back and escort the transport the two rival fleets engaged each other.
Fighters flew all over the place, as the Zann Consortium and the Black Sun opened fire on each other. Black Sun bmbers engaged the Aggressor-class Star Destroyer that commanded the Zann Consortium forces as the they attempted to destroy the Black Sun which was mostly composed of loose fighters, bombers and frigates.
As the battle unfolded in the sky, Miryia made her way deeper into the city. Whoever these Force users were, they were moving away. It was likely that they had already figured out that she was following them. Finally, they led her into one of the large hangar bays. There, she spotted an old Sith Empire Fury-class interceptor. Right by the ramp of the ship, was a cloaked man flanked by a masked humanoid and an old assassin droid from the Confederacy. It seems they had been waiting for her. These were the Force users she was looking for.
As the battle raged in the heavens above them, an entirely different engagement ensued as one Jedi of old pursued something entirely new. The manner in which they'd concealed themselves left her almost frustrated until she allowed her awareness to extend deeper into the force and she began to understand that while the methodology was similar the evocation felt different. In many ways this force wielder was different from her generation, their connection to the force had atrophied considerably since the battle of Ruusan though it seemed to be coming back to form slowly and gradually, as millennia of doctrine was cast aside and force wielders were forced to examine themselves and discover new methods.
Whoever this was owed her that and she allowed a perverse smile as she continued to track them, those who were luring her somewhere quiet where they could engage each other. -fearing collateral damage? No, this one wouldn't attack an unknown enemy, he's not a fool- perhaps he too was curious? Her senses bristled as a more "pure" source of light began to enter Atmosphere.
upon entering the hangar bay the woman almost sneered at the sight of the relic, the old fury. Of the three, the one who interested her the most was the eldest organic, his power was a twilight color a gray Jedi perhaps?
"You've led me around the city, you and your little one. Curious, you strike me as one who seeks, not flees"
"You'd be correct." Replied Ja'Karr, stepping forward a little. He was cautious, but not afraid. "But something tells me we've both left empty handed."
Miryia noted that the Grey Jedi was blind. By the look of his eyes, she could tell that at some point he had lost his sight in its entirety. However, it was clear that he could see her through the Force. Another thing she picked up on is how protective he seemed of the younger one standing beside him. It was subtle, but it was there. Perhaps, a Master and an apprentice?
Eli stood about a step behind Ja'Karr, off to his side. He stood with his hands clasped in front of his body to try and offer a non-threatening stance, though his tight grip on his own wrist would give away how anxious he felt, dreading a potential planetside conflict to come. He'd never been in a real fight before, and he's only had his saber for about a month.
His head turned towards his master, then to the Arkanian again to at least try to understand what was going on. The apprentice decided that the best course of action would be, just like in his classes on his homeworld, to shut up and listen.
To see without sight, it was one of those abilities that most assumed would come naturally to Jedi, but the peons of the Galaxy seldom truly understood what it meant to use the force and the difficulties such abilities entailed. Miryia for example, had been trained by a Master who was regarding as a formidable seer and prophet and she'd dedicated long hours in her youth to far sight and yet never saw beyond herself, for many blind Jedi, sight came with not a mastery to suppress ones emotions but a mastery of acceptance of one's emotions.
For followers of the code, that always came with some difficulty and it grew harder with each passing century. This "sight" was a testament to his skill, a credit to his nuance and power. -So you're here for the holocron too?- she thought, Miryia inclined her head giving a curt nod "That depends I suppose, on what we both came here for. Seek you Sith trinkets?" her purple eyes again narrowed on the boy and she let out a soft chuckle "Don't worry little one, neither your master or I are going to draw a lightsaber" she turned now to face Ja'Karr, gently probing his mental defenses, allowing her power to gently embrace him not to attack but to understand. "Isn't that right..." she paused 'Ja'Karr..." she offered him a curtsy, knowing full well she hadn't probed hard enough to pull anything and that he'd allowed her that much. It was vexatious, but at the same time, Miryia was no ingrate.
"You'll forgive the mental intrusion I trust, I've been..gone a long, long time and I wanted to see how much the methodology of force wielding has changed..It hasn't all that much. Light and Dark, the blind obsession with servitude or domination..of a substance"
Miryia allowed a shoulder to rise as if offering an indifferent shrug "But you're different aren't you?"
There was something wrong about this woman. He could sense it. Her presence in the Force was different. She was far from Darth Sidius who emanated an aura of evil and decay. This woman on the other hand, he simply couldn't tell. Somehow however, it was familiar. He had sensed this before, but where?
"I followed a different path and so do my pupils. The Force is not black and white. But, you knew that already." He paused for a moment, his grey eyes staring back at hers. "You never told me who you are. I feel like I know you."
-Not black and white- there, she thought, it was a start and the woman inclined her head ever so lightly. He did feel gray, stalwart, driven, passionate but it was tempered by an inner calm, the boy beside him was a blip on the radar that might one day blossom into a tempest of power, but what stood before her was more akin to a great fresh water lake. Placid, but tempestuous, powerful in its depth if not in its vastness.
"No, it is not, to ascribe a philosophical binary to the force is to spiritualize the raw materials for plasteel or durasteel, to call trinium or hypermatter "dark or light" " The woman spoke, perhaps if not in agreement as if though she were offering input, offering her own insights. Though, their approach might have differed as much as their philosophies, despite their roots in similarity.
His next question caused the woman to nearly beam, though she mastered herself and nodded "It is possible you know me, I've had soldiers and pilots recognize my name from history books, some of what I've been able to read from what wasn't destroyed by that profligate imbecile Palpatine says the Jedi believed me dead, lost in combat. "A great loss"
She wanted to laugh at that, had the fools known the truth, they wouldn't have mourned her as a great hero. "I am Miryia Farlina of House Janus, in another life I was Jedi Master and General in what your history books call the New Sith wars...Though the title "Jedi Master" seems to have little significance now"
The question would rise, why she hadn't sought out look, but his awareness, his own recognition of what she was told him the answer to that question.
"I've encountered Jedi who aim to walk a path akin to yours, in my youth I thought them foolish, on the council, I tried to shield them from retribution by our more...puritanically minded brethren"
"I was a fool myself to think I could change the Order from the inside." Said Ja'Karr recalling his old days as a Jedi Master within the Order prior to the Clone Wars. "But they deviated from their path long ago. I don't mourn their destruction at the hands of the Sith. Perhaps it was the Force's will or not. I have never been able to tell. Seems I am not the only one who thinks this way."
Ja'Karr had to be careful. Even when their beliefs were similar, he had yet to asses her intentions. Further, he would have to meditate on this familiar presence. He needed to go back and find whatever memory he associated with this.
Eyes flickered for the briefest of moments, with a mix of frustration, the disappointment of a teacher who found a potential equal who still deviated. "Perhaps, though does one blame the will of hypermatter for a reactor breach? Or the incompetence of the plants engineers?" The woman shrugged, allowing this question to hang in the air as she walked, without menace and yet somewhat circling them, her eyes flashing from Pupil to Master, probing and a hand gently reached out for Eli's shoulder "Your master may sound harsh for not mourning the mutual annihilation of the Jedi and Sith, do not judge him so..."
After all, he hadn't given them the nudge, merely seen the hypocrisy. "To leave the path of a Jedi takes, conviction" she turned gliding between master and apprentice, her features trembled slightly, the beautiful woman, again seeming for the briefest of seconds much like an enraged cobra.
"It took far too long" she murmured, though more to herself than to either master, or apprentice..
"It would be..perhaps illuminating if we were to continue this discussion when we have less pressing matters to attend too..and our dogmatic, lost brothers are not on our heels. If the forest moon of Endor catches your fancy there is an old palace on the southern most point of the main continent. It was erected by followers of Xendor, tens of thousands of years ago and is occupied now by an exiled Nightsister..who calls herself Charal..She is ignorant of the knowledge woven into the stone. If it you wish it, in three months time you may seek me out there...I wish to visit this witch and learn more of how her people wield the force, bring your apprentice..Perhaps..We can reach an accord"
of course, she had every intention of offering Charal two choices, a lightsaber to the heart or conversion...But she was not quite ready to make the same overture to Ja'Karr, for now, he was a peer.
A fellow student on a new path and she was content to see where he would go and if his search would lead him back to her...insights.
Just as Miryia finished speaking, the two Force users turned simultaneously toward the entrance as several dozen soldiers marched inside weapons drawn. Leading them was one assassin droid, IG-88.
"Halt. You will stand your ground and hand over the holocron." Said IG-88, as he pointed two blaster rifles at the group near the ship. "Tyber Zann will not ask twice."
Ja'Karr stepped forward, only feet away from the assassin droid. "Tell Tyber Zann that we came out empty handed. The holocron isn't here."
"Last chance." The droid insisted, his photoceptors moving around frantically as he asssesd the situation. "Hand over the artifact or die."
Eli, Miryia and Bix saw Ja'Karr lower his hood and walk closer to the IG-series droid. Slowly, he placed his hands together in front of him, locking his fingers together.
"Oohh, this is gonna be fun." The CIS assassin droid chuckled, as he drew a sniper rifle from his back. Up until now, Miryia had dismissed the droid, though upon closer inspection she noticed he had a monocle and a moustache on its head unit.
Oh now this was annoying, she'd been so preoccupied with tracking the Jedi approaching their location that she made the mistake of assuming the untalented and their mechanized compatriots were merely denizens of the city and not enemies. She'd made a poor showing of herself in that sense and her fingers twitched with annoyance.
Tyber Zaan? Ah yes, the Gang lord turned war lord....What did the fool want with a holocron unless? Her eyes narrowed,. Imperial intelligence reports had indicated that he was after relics but they couldn't determine why, had he found himself a former acolyte? A surviving inquisitor as the Pentastar Alliance had? or something else? There had always been other surviving embers of the Sith legacy, Palpatine was convinced he'd crushed all the so called pretenders, to his heretic's throne and yet...Could one have remained? Or was the man's ambition more provincial?
Instinctively, she moved closer to Eli, standing in front of the youth "If I had it, I'd sooner destroy it then hand it to you" which was true, she had studied the Sith arts for decades in the dark and found them wanting, profane and ultimately doomed to self destruction. They held no more interest to her beyond what insight they could give her in terms of different methods of manipulation, data and little else.
The room began to grow cold, around the hangar panels groaned and rivets loosened. If Ja'Karr hadn't fully sensed it by now, he'd have a clearer window into her soul, a soul that was scaled, ornate, regal and yet, emitted a light that was more akin to a radiation leak than a beacon. pretty to behold, venomous to be near.
"Do you wish to handle these..simpletons?" Miryia asked the man and his droid "I'll safeguard your apprentice..a courtesy between fellow travelers on the gray road" Despite her aura, there was a maternal tone to her voice.
Eli turned his torso, taking a step back with one leg. His arms finally separated, empty right hand suddenly filled with a small metallic cylinder that had just flown out from under his cloak. He didn't ignite his lightsaber though, only clenching it tightly in his hand. Holding this weapon seemed to calm him, his nervousness less apparent. He wasn't hostile towards Miryia, rather looking towards the Consortium intruders in case his master needed help.
"False. I am IG-88. I have killed many Jedi. You will just be part of my expanding stati-" Before IG-88 could go on, he stopped as he spotted one od the Consortium soldiers aiming his weapon at the assassin droid. Slightly confused, he turned toward him.
"He's behind you!" Shouted the soldier, as he opened fire on one of his comrades killing him. The others also began to yell at each other as they shot in different directions believing Ja'Karr to be in different positions at once. Panic engulfed the lines of the Zann Consortium troops as they shot or fought against one another. Some believed the others were ancient enemies or ghosts, while others saw Ja'Karr threatening their comrades. However, IG-88 could see right through the illusion. Seeing himself in a precarious position, the droid fell back fleeing outside. The chaos was over in just a minute. The entrance to the hangar was now filled with the dead bodies of Tyber's thugs.
Bix looked at Miryia and Eli before bursting out laughing. "That was cool, right?"
To Miryia, this ability would have been familiar to her. Force Insanity, an advanced version of the infamous 'Jedi Mind Trick'. It could induce paranoia and delusions on victims forcing them to either flee or attempt to kill their own. As for Eli, he had never sensed his Master reach so far into the Dark Side to perform an ability. The aura emanating from Ja'Karr was probably enough to make him a little bit sick.
"Let's go." He said, turning around toward the ship. "I doubt Zann's assassin is going to give up that easily."
Eli nodded, returning the saber hilt to the inside of his cloak. He turned and walked with Bix and Ja'Karr to their ship, climbing up the access ramp and waiting at the top for his master, leaning against the doorframe as he felt a little queasy.
His hands were held in front of his body again, but he felt the need to tear his hand away for just a moment to wave a small goodbye to Miryia before turning into the ship with Ja'Karr.
Now, that, had almost made the trip worth it and Ja'Karr's shift in the force, his change from a gentle grey to a violent whirlwind of crimson and that distorted heat that didn't warm was abrupt and it spoke more to his beliefs that he could so casually delve so deep into the more volatile of the substances without losing himself as many fools did.
The Droid had bragged, in Miryia's eyes it was space dust, she would destroy it for daring to compare her to fodder from a diluted Order he'd killed in the past. Though, her thoughts were again pulled from her fury to the scene at hand and when the men began to panic she allowed herself a small smile, she knew the technique well or at least she had a hunch she did. Allowing her mind to wrap around the conscience of one of the panicked thugs Miryia began to see what he saw, a few creditors who had leaned on him for he debt he owed whom he'd killed in the past and left for dead, mottled and rotting. While it wasn't quite the complex illusions certain dark side sects and the ancient Jee'dai were known for, a skill one of her peers in the past had learned (those were often non fatal), it was remarkably similar, yet practical and common sense. Take the infamous mind trick dial it up and use the darkside to enhance the fears and neurosis of the enemy. Clever, she thought, perhaps he was worthy of her vision..should he care about order and justice any way. If he was like the lazy adepts of the Bendu, pursuing mere curiosities to master the soul then she had no use for him in the end.
The boy, who had clearly been disturbed by his master's power, did his best to master his composure before hurrying away. Managing a polite goodbye as he did so.
"It has been illuminating Ja'Karr, till we meet again"
Miryia waited then, allowing his vessel to depart before she gazed upon the rest of the hangar, pilots, mechanics, service men, tech droids and more than one prostitute and their pimp were all hiding and all terrified. A generation of Sith rule had left the masses petrified of the force or dismissive of it. She lifted a hand making a dismissive wave, blastdoors sealed and entrances closed down, none would flee or intrude for she had a battle to attend too.
A Zabrak who had taken cover behind a decent sized freighter of Mon Cal make began to rise, she was the only one who had the guts to bull a blaster on her and Miryia raised an amused eyebrow, the girl's hand twitched, she fired and the blast dissipated harmlessly around the woman in purple. "If it were that easy, I would not be here" The woman moved to fire again but the blaster flew out of her hand.
A Wookie with dark black, almost opaque fur roared at the Zabrak telling her to knock it off and then he turned to make an apology. "Ah, you're her Captain?"
The wookie nodded, evidently they were transporting a shipment of medicinal equipment and droids to the outer rim..long but profitable voyage which explained the girls fury.
Miryia nodded her head ever so slightly, accepting the apology with a look of ice that suggested she'd have killed the girl were it not for the Captains manners and then produced a small slip of concentrated Aurodium, enough to commission a fleet of merchant vessels.
Sate Pestage had given her access to a terminal to read nonsense propaganda, it had taken the former Jedi Master hours to set up her own network within the remnant..and to begin building her own resource base, mostly to acquire unaltered historical texts, but also to begin building a powerbase.
"Take me to the starship in orbit old father" she uttered an ancient Wookie honorific "And this is yours, though I would urge you to fly fast and true and plot a hyperspace course out of here as soon as you leave me"
The Wookie agreed and once they broke orbit she contacted Admiral Karius letting him know not to fire on the barge. "What is our status?! Why do I see missiles and turbo lasers? " and two different battles?!
When the New Republic Mon Calamari cruiser arrived in Onderon, The Intrepid picked up on it almost instantly. Unaware of the hyperspace route taken by Miryia, the New Republic placed itself at a disadvantageous postion. Upon their arrival, one of the bridge officers called for Karius who walked over to his station.
"Report." Said Karius, as he glanced at the screen picking up six targets.
"They are New Republic ships, sir. One of them is a 'Liberty-type MC80 Star Cruiser', most likely the lead ship." Said the young female bridge officer, briefly glancing at Karius who nodded in aknowledgement.
"Keep me posted." Replied Karius, as he walked off. Taking a commlink out of his pocket he hailed Miryia on the surface.
"Janus. We have company. The New Republic sent a task force out to the planet. They are most likely evacuating their people. Have you found what we are looking for yet?"
"Fascinating" the words left her throat, in an almost imperceptible murmur. Purple eyes danced with a flurry of emotions that were as hard to decipher for the young trooper beside the woman they were coming slowly coming around too, as much of her body language had been. "What is Ma'am?" The voice that cracked through the audio filters belonged to a human female, who sounded as if she had maybe been out of her teens a year. "The holocron, it's different" she held it in her hand, moving it from one side to another. But she'd said no more, merely placing it in a box and handing it to Captain Cardinal, she looked as though she was about to issue an order when Captain Karius came over the line. And the Republic was here now? Truly odd, she'd felt a presence before and assumed that it had been the Republic. "We've retrieved a package" she turned and eyed Cardinal "Lead your men back to the shuttle and return to the intrepid, I'll find my own way off Onderon"
Hijacking some poor smuggler would be easy enough. "Another force wielder is planet side and I sense more than one...I'll not risk you and your men with such a task. Go now and celebrate your first victory in months"
Miryia dismissed them with a nod that did its best to convey the rigidity of command and respect before she took a separate exit from the cellar
Over on the Mon Calamari cruiser, the members of Rogue Squadron had gathered in the hangar before getting on their ships. The Jedi had gathered in a Galofree Transport and were ready to land on the planet once Rogue Squadron was deployed. The fleet itself established itself in Onderon's orbit, waiting for the Star Destroyer to make a move.
Alara entered the hangar with Lahana and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “May the Force be with you,” she said supportively before joining the rest of her team conversing with who appeared to be Lahana’s master, Kale. None of them looked pleased.
Rogue Group boarded their vessels and left the hangar; each agreed to escort the shuttle containing the Jedi just before breaking atmosphere and would then turn around to engage Imperials as needed.
Despite the presence of the Imperials, the escort mission went underway without any delays. When the transport reached the atmosphere and the squadron broke off, the Imperials never engaged. As the squadron returned to the fleet, Wedge couldn't help but think about the mission and the presence of the Imperials. Why would they send a single Star Destroyer? Something was wrong, but they couldn't figure out what.
"We should hold position and defend the task force. Wait for Master Kale and the others to return." Said Wedge, seemingly changing his mind over attacking the Star Destroyer.
"Understood." Nareia said curtly; none of the others objective to this course of action.
As the Galofree transport took off and began to return, the Captain of the MC80 contacted Wedge and the others.
"Sensors are picking up several unknown ships. They are coming out of hyperspace now!" He said frantically. The moment he finished the sentence, two dozen ships emerged from hyperspace on opposite sides of the planet. Now that they were here, Wedge was able to make it out their allegiance.
"Pirates!" He said. "What is the Black Sun and the Zann Consortium doing here?" A rhetorical question. It was obvious that they were interested in whatever the Alliance had hidden down there. Now, they were probably here to retrieve it. Before he could order Rogue Squadron to go back and escort the transport the two rival fleets engaged each other.
Fighters flew all over the place, as the Zann Consortium and the Black Sun opened fire on each other. Black Sun bmbers engaged the Aggressor-class Star Destroyer that commanded the Zann Consortium forces as the they attempted to destroy the Black Sun which was mostly composed of loose fighters, bombers and frigates.
As the battle unfolded in the sky, Miryia made her way deeper into the city. Whoever these Force users were, they were moving away. It was likely that they had already figured out that she was following them. Finally, they led her into one of the large hangar bays. There, she spotted an old Sith Empire Fury-class interceptor. Right by the ramp of the ship, was a cloaked man flanked by a masked humanoid and an old assassin droid from the Confederacy. It seems they had been waiting for her. These were the Force users she was looking for.
As the battle raged in the heavens above them, an entirely different engagement ensued as one Jedi of old pursued something entirely new. The manner in which they'd concealed themselves left her almost frustrated until she allowed her awareness to extend deeper into the force and she began to understand that while the methodology was similar the evocation felt different. In many ways this force wielder was different from her generation, their connection to the force had atrophied considerably since the battle of Ruusan though it seemed to be coming back to form slowly and gradually, as millennia of doctrine was cast aside and force wielders were forced to examine themselves and discover new methods.
Whoever this was owed her that and she allowed a perverse smile as she continued to track them, those who were luring her somewhere quiet where they could engage each other. -fearing collateral damage? No, this one wouldn't attack an unknown enemy, he's not a fool- perhaps he too was curious? Her senses bristled as a more "pure" source of light began to enter Atmosphere.
upon entering the hangar bay the woman almost sneered at the sight of the relic, the old fury. Of the three, the one who interested her the most was the eldest organic, his power was a twilight color a gray Jedi perhaps?
"You've led me around the city, you and your little one. Curious, you strike me as one who seeks, not flees"
"You'd be correct." Replied Ja'Karr, stepping forward a little. He was cautious, but not afraid. "But something tells me we've both left empty handed."
Miryia noted that the Grey Jedi was blind. By the look of his eyes, she could tell that at some point he had lost his sight in its entirety. However, it was clear that he could see her through the Force. Another thing she picked up on is how protective he seemed of the younger one standing beside him. It was subtle, but it was there. Perhaps, a Master and an apprentice?
Eli stood about a step behind Ja'Karr, off to his side. He stood with his hands clasped in front of his body to try and offer a non-threatening stance, though his tight grip on his own wrist would give away how anxious he felt, dreading a potential planetside conflict to come. He'd never been in a real fight before, and he's only had his saber for about a month.
His head turned towards his master, then to the Arkanian again to at least try to understand what was going on. The apprentice decided that the best course of action would be, just like in his classes on his homeworld, to shut up and listen.
To see without sight, it was one of those abilities that most assumed would come naturally to Jedi, but the peons of the Galaxy seldom truly understood what it meant to use the force and the difficulties such abilities entailed. Miryia for example, had been trained by a Master who was regarding as a formidable seer and prophet and she'd dedicated long hours in her youth to far sight and yet never saw beyond herself, for many blind Jedi, sight came with not a mastery to suppress ones emotions but a mastery of acceptance of one's emotions.
For followers of the code, that always came with some difficulty and it grew harder with each passing century. This "sight" was a testament to his skill, a credit to his nuance and power. -So you're here for the holocron too?- she thought, Miryia inclined her head giving a curt nod "That depends I suppose, on what we both came here for. Seek you Sith trinkets?" her purple eyes again narrowed on the boy and she let out a soft chuckle "Don't worry little one, neither your master or I are going to draw a lightsaber" she turned now to face Ja'Karr, gently probing his mental defenses, allowing her power to gently embrace him not to attack but to understand. "Isn't that right..." she paused 'Ja'Karr..." she offered him a curtsy, knowing full well she hadn't probed hard enough to pull anything and that he'd allowed her that much. It was vexatious, but at the same time, Miryia was no ingrate.
"You'll forgive the mental intrusion I trust, I've been..gone a long, long time and I wanted to see how much the methodology of force wielding has changed..It hasn't all that much. Light and Dark, the blind obsession with servitude or domination..of a substance"
Miryia allowed a shoulder to rise as if offering an indifferent shrug "But you're different aren't you?"
There was something wrong about this woman. He could sense it. Her presence in the Force was different. She was far from Darth Sidius who emanated an aura of evil and decay. This woman on the other hand, he simply couldn't tell. Somehow however, it was familiar. He had sensed this before, but where?
"I followed a different path and so do my pupils. The Force is not black and white. But, you knew that already." He paused for a moment, his grey eyes staring back at hers. "You never told me who you are. I feel like I know you."
-Not black and white- there, she thought, it was a start and the woman inclined her head ever so lightly. He did feel gray, stalwart, driven, passionate but it was tempered by an inner calm, the boy beside him was a blip on the radar that might one day blossom into a tempest of power, but what stood before her was more akin to a great fresh water lake. Placid, but tempestuous, powerful in its depth if not in its vastness.
"No, it is not, to ascribe a philosophical binary to the force is to spiritualize the raw materials for plasteel or durasteel, to call trinium or hypermatter "dark or light" " The woman spoke, perhaps if not in agreement as if though she were offering input, offering her own insights. Though, their approach might have differed as much as their philosophies, despite their roots in similarity.
His next question caused the woman to nearly beam, though she mastered herself and nodded "It is possible you know me, I've had soldiers and pilots recognize my name from history books, some of what I've been able to read from what wasn't destroyed by that profligate imbecile Palpatine says the Jedi believed me dead, lost in combat. "A great loss"
She wanted to laugh at that, had the fools known the truth, they wouldn't have mourned her as a great hero. "I am Miryia Farlina of House Janus, in another life I was Jedi Master and General in what your history books call the New Sith wars...Though the title "Jedi Master" seems to have little significance now"
The question would rise, why she hadn't sought out look, but his awareness, his own recognition of what she was told him the answer to that question.
"I've encountered Jedi who aim to walk a path akin to yours, in my youth I thought them foolish, on the council, I tried to shield them from retribution by our more...puritanically minded brethren"
"I was a fool myself to think I could change the Order from the inside." Said Ja'Karr recalling his old days as a Jedi Master within the Order prior to the Clone Wars. "But they deviated from their path long ago. I don't mourn their destruction at the hands of the Sith. Perhaps it was the Force's will or not. I have never been able to tell. Seems I am not the only one who thinks this way."
Ja'Karr had to be careful. Even when their beliefs were similar, he had yet to asses her intentions. Further, he would have to meditate on this familiar presence. He needed to go back and find whatever memory he associated with this.
Eyes flickered for the briefest of moments, with a mix of frustration, the disappointment of a teacher who found a potential equal who still deviated. "Perhaps, though does one blame the will of hypermatter for a reactor breach? Or the incompetence of the plants engineers?" The woman shrugged, allowing this question to hang in the air as she walked, without menace and yet somewhat circling them, her eyes flashing from Pupil to Master, probing and a hand gently reached out for Eli's shoulder "Your master may sound harsh for not mourning the mutual annihilation of the Jedi and Sith, do not judge him so..."
After all, he hadn't given them the nudge, merely seen the hypocrisy. "To leave the path of a Jedi takes, conviction" she turned gliding between master and apprentice, her features trembled slightly, the beautiful woman, again seeming for the briefest of seconds much like an enraged cobra.
"It took far too long" she murmured, though more to herself than to either master, or apprentice..
"It would be..perhaps illuminating if we were to continue this discussion when we have less pressing matters to attend too..and our dogmatic, lost brothers are not on our heels. If the forest moon of Endor catches your fancy there is an old palace on the southern most point of the main continent. It was erected by followers of Xendor, tens of thousands of years ago and is occupied now by an exiled Nightsister..who calls herself Charal..She is ignorant of the knowledge woven into the stone. If it you wish it, in three months time you may seek me out there...I wish to visit this witch and learn more of how her people wield the force, bring your apprentice..Perhaps..We can reach an accord"
of course, she had every intention of offering Charal two choices, a lightsaber to the heart or conversion...But she was not quite ready to make the same overture to Ja'Karr, for now, he was a peer.
A fellow student on a new path and she was content to see where he would go and if his search would lead him back to her...insights.
Just as Miryia finished speaking, the two Force users turned simultaneously toward the entrance as several dozen soldiers marched inside weapons drawn. Leading them was one assassin droid, IG-88.
"Halt. You will stand your ground and hand over the holocron." Said IG-88, as he pointed two blaster rifles at the group near the ship. "Tyber Zann will not ask twice."
Ja'Karr stepped forward, only feet away from the assassin droid. "Tell Tyber Zann that we came out empty handed. The holocron isn't here."
"Last chance." The droid insisted, his photoceptors moving around frantically as he asssesd the situation. "Hand over the artifact or die."
Eli, Miryia and Bix saw Ja'Karr lower his hood and walk closer to the IG-series droid. Slowly, he placed his hands together in front of him, locking his fingers together.
"Oohh, this is gonna be fun." The CIS assassin droid chuckled, as he drew a sniper rifle from his back. Up until now, Miryia had dismissed the droid, though upon closer inspection she noticed he had a monocle and a moustache on its head unit.
Oh now this was annoying, she'd been so preoccupied with tracking the Jedi approaching their location that she made the mistake of assuming the untalented and their mechanized compatriots were merely denizens of the city and not enemies. She'd made a poor showing of herself in that sense and her fingers twitched with annoyance.
Tyber Zaan? Ah yes, the Gang lord turned war lord....What did the fool want with a holocron unless? Her eyes narrowed,. Imperial intelligence reports had indicated that he was after relics but they couldn't determine why, had he found himself a former acolyte? A surviving inquisitor as the Pentastar Alliance had? or something else? There had always been other surviving embers of the Sith legacy, Palpatine was convinced he'd crushed all the so called pretenders, to his heretic's throne and yet...Could one have remained? Or was the man's ambition more provincial?
Instinctively, she moved closer to Eli, standing in front of the youth "If I had it, I'd sooner destroy it then hand it to you" which was true, she had studied the Sith arts for decades in the dark and found them wanting, profane and ultimately doomed to self destruction. They held no more interest to her beyond what insight they could give her in terms of different methods of manipulation, data and little else.
The room began to grow cold, around the hangar panels groaned and rivets loosened. If Ja'Karr hadn't fully sensed it by now, he'd have a clearer window into her soul, a soul that was scaled, ornate, regal and yet, emitted a light that was more akin to a radiation leak than a beacon. pretty to behold, venomous to be near.
"Do you wish to handle these..simpletons?" Miryia asked the man and his droid "I'll safeguard your apprentice..a courtesy between fellow travelers on the gray road" Despite her aura, there was a maternal tone to her voice.
Eli turned his torso, taking a step back with one leg. His arms finally separated, empty right hand suddenly filled with a small metallic cylinder that had just flown out from under his cloak. He didn't ignite his lightsaber though, only clenching it tightly in his hand. Holding this weapon seemed to calm him, his nervousness less apparent. He wasn't hostile towards Miryia, rather looking towards the Consortium intruders in case his master needed help.
"False. I am IG-88. I have killed many Jedi. You will just be part of my expanding stati-" Before IG-88 could go on, he stopped as he spotted one od the Consortium soldiers aiming his weapon at the assassin droid. Slightly confused, he turned toward him.
"He's behind you!" Shouted the soldier, as he opened fire on one of his comrades killing him. The others also began to yell at each other as they shot in different directions believing Ja'Karr to be in different positions at once. Panic engulfed the lines of the Zann Consortium troops as they shot or fought against one another. Some believed the others were ancient enemies or ghosts, while others saw Ja'Karr threatening their comrades. However, IG-88 could see right through the illusion. Seeing himself in a precarious position, the droid fell back fleeing outside. The chaos was over in just a minute. The entrance to the hangar was now filled with the dead bodies of Tyber's thugs.
Bix looked at Miryia and Eli before bursting out laughing. "That was cool, right?"
To Miryia, this ability would have been familiar to her. Force Insanity, an advanced version of the infamous 'Jedi Mind Trick'. It could induce paranoia and delusions on victims forcing them to either flee or attempt to kill their own. As for Eli, he had never sensed his Master reach so far into the Dark Side to perform an ability. The aura emanating from Ja'Karr was probably enough to make him a little bit sick.
"Let's go." He said, turning around toward the ship. "I doubt Zann's assassin is going to give up that easily."
Eli nodded, returning the saber hilt to the inside of his cloak. He turned and walked with Bix and Ja'Karr to their ship, climbing up the access ramp and waiting at the top for his master, leaning against the doorframe as he felt a little queasy.
His hands were held in front of his body again, but he felt the need to tear his hand away for just a moment to wave a small goodbye to Miryia before turning into the ship with Ja'Karr.
Now, that, had almost made the trip worth it and Ja'Karr's shift in the force, his change from a gentle grey to a violent whirlwind of crimson and that distorted heat that didn't warm was abrupt and it spoke more to his beliefs that he could so casually delve so deep into the more volatile of the substances without losing himself as many fools did.
The Droid had bragged, in Miryia's eyes it was space dust, she would destroy it for daring to compare her to fodder from a diluted Order he'd killed in the past. Though, her thoughts were again pulled from her fury to the scene at hand and when the men began to panic she allowed herself a small smile, she knew the technique well or at least she had a hunch she did. Allowing her mind to wrap around the conscience of one of the panicked thugs Miryia began to see what he saw, a few creditors who had leaned on him for he debt he owed whom he'd killed in the past and left for dead, mottled and rotting. While it wasn't quite the complex illusions certain dark side sects and the ancient Jee'dai were known for, a skill one of her peers in the past had learned (those were often non fatal), it was remarkably similar, yet practical and common sense. Take the infamous mind trick dial it up and use the darkside to enhance the fears and neurosis of the enemy. Clever, she thought, perhaps he was worthy of her vision..should he care about order and justice any way. If he was like the lazy adepts of the Bendu, pursuing mere curiosities to master the soul then she had no use for him in the end.
The boy, who had clearly been disturbed by his master's power, did his best to master his composure before hurrying away. Managing a polite goodbye as he did so.
"It has been illuminating Ja'Karr, till we meet again"
Miryia waited then, allowing his vessel to depart before she gazed upon the rest of the hangar, pilots, mechanics, service men, tech droids and more than one prostitute and their pimp were all hiding and all terrified. A generation of Sith rule had left the masses petrified of the force or dismissive of it. She lifted a hand making a dismissive wave, blastdoors sealed and entrances closed down, none would flee or intrude for she had a battle to attend too.
A Zabrak who had taken cover behind a decent sized freighter of Mon Cal make began to rise, she was the only one who had the guts to bull a blaster on her and Miryia raised an amused eyebrow, the girl's hand twitched, she fired and the blast dissipated harmlessly around the woman in purple. "If it were that easy, I would not be here" The woman moved to fire again but the blaster flew out of her hand.
A Wookie with dark black, almost opaque fur roared at the Zabrak telling her to knock it off and then he turned to make an apology. "Ah, you're her Captain?"
The wookie nodded, evidently they were transporting a shipment of medicinal equipment and droids to the outer rim..long but profitable voyage which explained the girls fury.
Miryia nodded her head ever so slightly, accepting the apology with a look of ice that suggested she'd have killed the girl were it not for the Captains manners and then produced a small slip of concentrated Aurodium, enough to commission a fleet of merchant vessels.
Sate Pestage had given her access to a terminal to read nonsense propaganda, it had taken the former Jedi Master hours to set up her own network within the remnant..and to begin building her own resource base, mostly to acquire unaltered historical texts, but also to begin building a powerbase.
"Take me to the starship in orbit old father" she uttered an ancient Wookie honorific "And this is yours, though I would urge you to fly fast and true and plot a hyperspace course out of here as soon as you leave me"
The Wookie agreed and once they broke orbit she contacted Admiral Karius letting him know not to fire on the barge. "What is our status?! Why do I see missiles and turbo lasers? " and two different battles?!