Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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A Sheep Among Wolves

Cedric Dorn

Guest
C
[member="Avalore Eden"] [member="Hal Terrano"]

“Avalore.”

A voice rang out in the dark bedroom.

“Avalore.”

Again and again it called, coming from a spectral form standing over a young girl. The swaying blue ghost stood in place over Jedi Knight Avalore Eden, her face a portrait in annoyance.

“AVALORE!”

The word was screamed this time, loud enough to pierce through sound proof glass. When the ghost saw that the girl finally stirred she jumped slightly out of satisfaction. Had she been capable she would have flicked the girls ear in order to wake her up but it seemed that yelling was the best stratagem that she was currently capable of.

“Meet me in the Garden, and grab Hal on your way.”

With that she disappeared.
 
There were some dreams you just didn't want to be woken from.

"Avalore."

Someone's arms were around her in that realm of sleep, warm and strong and ... well,

"Avalore."

She grunted in her sleep. There were flashes of green and the scent of spice and earth. Faintly the sound of a stream could be heard between whispers of a certain heavily accented voice in her ear.

"AVALORE!"

This ellicited a sudden yelp from the Jedi Knight Healer who promptly shot up and fell out of her bed, landing in a heap of blankets. By the time she untangled herself and staggered to her feet, Avalore just caught a glimpse of Diana's spectra figure hovering at her bedside, which caused another screech. Say what you like, you don't simply get used to seeing a ghost. Especially not in this state of sleeplessness.

"Force..." she blinked, watching Diana disappear. Must be important, was somebody hurt? With a groan, Avalore hurridly pulled a blanket from her bed, wrapped herself in it and padded barefoot from her room with foggy visions of her dream still swimming in her head. A short walk down the hall brought her to [member="Hal Terrano"]'s room where she knocked and groggily called out to him before entering, if he hadn't already been roused by the commotion from her own wakening, "It's Diana," she said, not bothering to think of the fact that she had yet to tell Hal that her late Master was appearing to her as a Force Ghost now. This wouldn't be at all confusing or alarming to the very traditional Jedi Knight, "she needs us ... up in the gardens."

Sleepy blink. No, I swear I'm not sleep-walking.
 
Hal, on the other hand remained in a deep and dreamless sleep. The man didn't enjoy dreams, definitely didn't enjoy nightmares but upon waking his first instinct was to push those fictional notions down into the bottom of the bottle. Dreaming about Avalore? Push it down. Dreaming about four white walls? Push it down. Dreaming about a great war between the Ewoks and Jawas? Push it right down. Clearly he was not destined to be a precognitive Jedi.

I've got a bad feeling about this, let's push it down.

Unfortunately his peaceful sleep was interrupted, the tail end of a high pitched shriek stirring the man from his slumber. Initially he groaned face down into his pillow, still only semi-aware in the opening seconds of consciousness that something strange was occurring.

Was that...Avalore...?

That thought moved him a damn sight quicker than before, with the blonde Knight suddenly sitting up within his bed and looking to his door, concern laced throughout his features. By the time she reached his room Terrano was already up, standing there in his fitted grey boxers like a sleep-encrusted wrestler.

“Avalo-”

Diana? He blinked. The dead one? Hal Terrano was well aware of who Diana Moridena was without knowing Avalore's connection to the deceased Master. They were both Jedi of Tython, but where Diana excelled as a rising star among the Order, he remained behind. Stick in the mud, froggy. He wasn't bitter, the Order needed every single good Jedi there was and although she had been wrongly and publicly demonised the woman had been the best Jedi that she could be, even if a little too emotional. Although, a ham sandwich was a little too emotional to Terrano.

This was a cause for concern either way.

However instead of prancing outside in his underwear or opting for the bedding burrito look, Hal took the time to throw on his robes. Avalore might have been demented, but hey, it's chilly outside. With nothing further to add, the Knight finally bounded out of his room, bursting into a jog to catch up with Avalore up in the gardens.

[member="Diana Moridena"], [member="Avalore Eden"]
 

Cedric Dorn

Guest
C
[member="Hal Terrano"] [member="Avalore Eden"]

Diana appeared in the garden almost as soon as she had disappeared from Avalores room. Oddly enough the ghost seemed to be pacing before the sword Tyrfing as if she was nervous about something, though that seemed impossible. As soon as she saw Avalore, she stopped, her face taking on a more serious expression, which only grew more serious when Hal caught up to the young woman, jogging in his robes.

“I need you to do something for me.” Diana came right out and said it, offering no greeting or explanation to Hal.

The young man would likely be somewhat confused, but there was an urgency to Diana's voice, a pres for time that seemed very important. Her expression likewise matched that tone, and she seemed to be jumping out of her see through skin. A strong gust of wind rushed through the garden, shaking flower beds and ruffling cloaks. Diana shifted slightly, the wind not effecting her but noticeable discomfort playing across her features as she noticed it did not.

“It will be dangerous, perhaps even deadly. The both of you will need to go, especially you, Hal.” She looked at the young man, further explaining herself. “There is a girl, on Prakith. She needs your help.”

The ghost seemed to be out of breath, as if she was rushing her words for some reason.
 
Cato Neimoidia was not exactly known as a cold planet, but Avalore felt a strange chill. Perhaps it was Diana's spectral presence that had brought it on, or the late hour, whatever the case she pulled the blanket snuggly around her shoulders. At Diana's words once Hal had arrived a deep frown etched its way onto her face.

"Prakith?" she asked, taken aback, "Di ... that's a Sith fortress world and we're just... two Jedi Knights, one of which doesn't even use a lightsaber. What you're asking is suicide."

A glance was given to her warrior companion, all too aware of how ready he was to prove himself and repent. She couldn't help but worry that he would leap at the chance, no matter how grave the circumstances. But Hal was courageous, not foolhardy... right?

[member="Hal Terrano"]
[member="Diana Moridena"]
 

Cedric Dorn

Guest
C
[member="Avalore Eden"]

The urgency didn't drain from her face.

“I know.” Her face changed slightly, becoming softer. “It's important, Avalore. The Jedi are at war. We are being driven to extinction. Every year less and less force users surface, and every week more and more Jedi die. Our numbers are not infinite.”

The ghost shifted in place, taking a tentative step towards the pair of Jedi Knights. “I'm not asking you to invade Prakith. I'm not asking you to fight the army there or confront the Sith Lords in their tower. Hal knows the planet, he knows its defenses. I know you can make it past them. I know you can make it to this girl. If i thought you couldn't do it, i wouldn't ask you.”

There wasn't command in her voice, but pleading.

“This girl...if you don't get her, the Sith will.” Clearly Diana was thinking of the long term, an odd thing from her considering she had never really done so during her time alive. Yet what she said was true, the Jedi were falling behind. There were far more Sith than Jedi now, though there were other factors that contributed to that, it was still a fact.
 

Lira Dajenn

Guest
L
Lira watched with a hood over her head as a group of Sith soldiers passed into the street in front of her. The group marched in double time, their boots cracking against the pavement over and over again at synchronized pace. She felt a tingle crawl up her spine, a sensation of fear grow in her heart. Involuntarily, she took a step backwards into the alleyway.

There was a suddenness to the action, and for a moment one of the guards glanced her way.

His gaze brought her hear to her throat, her skin began to crawl and she wanted to jump out of her own body. Lira almost ran away right that second, but the rational part of her mind told her that would be the exact wrong thing to do. So she stood her ground. Her eyes shown down, and her face was hidden behind the hood, not unusual behavior when one of the Sith soldiers looked at you. The man quickly shook his head, then returned to looking forward.

The young woman gave a sigh of relief. No doubt the patrol had seen her face, most in the city had, but the hood made it difficult to clearly make out her features and at this distance it would have been a little farfetched to actually go after her anyway.

Still, the incident had shaken her, and Lira quickly set off back towards the apartment.
 
Unfortunately, Hal Terrano could not see the ghostly visage of one [member="Diana Moridena"].

Suddenly the creature of his repressed affections looked about five pints more crazy than she did five minutes ago. He observed the healer, wrapped in her blanket like a Jedi Burrito as she stood quietly, observantly before suddenly frowning. What was she looking at? No. Who was she speaking to?!

The blonde man took a moment to stare hard at the empty space before them, the one that [member="Avalore Eden"] was so focused upon as she spoke. Di? What, did she mean Diana? Did the woman appear before them as a spectre of the Force, only he couldn't see? Or had the healer been quietly consumed by grief, seeing the form and figure of a departed friend in what could only be diagnosed as madness through mourning.

Suddenly Hal was very concerned, and not about Prakith.

“Avalore,” he said very slowly turning back to face the woman studying her cautiously with his icy blues, “who are you speaking with? I cannot see them.”
 
"I know, Di," the truth of the matter behind Diana's words were a painful one to swallow. Jedi were getting cut down - and if they weren't dying, they were falling to the Darkside. It made Hal's rescue all the more important to the grand scheme of things. How many others had fallen down the rabbit hole unwillingly? How many more were waiting, in secret, for that one person to recognize the signs. To offer them a way out?

It was scary, doing just that. Downright terrifying. But she'd done it for Hal and she knew she'd do it again.

“I'm not asking you to invade Prakith. I'm not asking you to fight the army there or confront the Sith Lords in their tower. Hal knows the planet, he knows its defenses."

"Avalore,"

"I know you can make it past them. I know you can make it to this girl. If i thought you couldn't do it, i wouldn't ask you.”

“who are you speaking with? I cannot see them.”

“This girl...if you don't get her, the Sith will.”

"I ... what?" Avalore suddenly looked over at Hal, blinking in surprise at the look on his face, "...I, it's..." and she looked back at Diana who was, on her part, still very much a visible apparition to her, "Hal, it's Diana. She's... she's right there? I," blinking again, she frowned, "I guess I forgot to tell you that I saw her a few days ago and now she's back and," back and forth, her frown deepened, "what do you mean you can't see her? I swear to you she's there, plain as day. Diana, show him!"

[member="Diana Moridena"]
[member="Hal Terrano"]
 

Cedric Dorn

Guest
C
[member="Avalore Eden"] [member="Hal Terrano"]

Diana narrowed her eyes as Hal said she couldn't see him. That was utterly unexpected.

She should have been completely corporeal to everyone, Hal, other Jedi Knights, heck even padawans should have been able to see her. Clearly she hadn't gotten the hand of this ghost thing yet. Slowly Diana reached out, touching Hal.

Of course her hand went right through him, but he made no flinching movements, no acts of trying to move away from her like any person would normally. Her eyes bulged slightly, and then she frowned. No, she had not gotten the hang of this yet. Hardly an expert, only a ghost for a week. A frown covered her features, and he started to worry that Avalore may come off as slightly insane.

“I...don't think he can see me.” She said slowly, her eyes flickering over to Avalore.

None of the eagerness had left her, this was still rather critical.
 

Lira Dajenn

Guest
L
Her trip back to the apartment was a fast one. Prak City over the last two years had been her home, she knew every street, every alley, every little nook and crany. This place was her home, and cutting through it to avoid some very obvious, very patterned Sith patrols didn't move to be a problem.

The cold had come to Prak City once more. Small gusts of wind and chilling bites of air seemed to be around every corner. Though Prakith was mostly a barren empty landscape filled with naught but deserts and ruin Prak City was located in the northern hemisphere near one of the only bodies of fresh water on the planet, as such during the winter it got quite cold. That coolness was being felt now as a hot breath escaped past Lira's lips.

She shook slightly, only a small hooded coat protecting her from the cold.

When the Sith had come for her, when they had posted their bulletin and begun to chase after her Lira hadn't had enough time to grab all her clothes, just a backpack stuffed with whatever had been laying around her. Since then she'd moved around too often to take the time to ask for something new from one of her friends.

She felt bad enough already simply putting them in danger.

As Lira turned the corner back to Nero's place she suddenly froze. A Sith patrol car stood outside surrounded by a dozen or so officers. The door to the apartment building hung up and from it emerged another group of soldiers, at the center of them, Nero.

She gasped slightly and stepped forward, but somehow caught her friends eyes. He gave the tiniest shake of his head stopping her in her tracks. Instantly she knew what had happened. They had found her, one of the neighbors or perhaps someone on the street had seen her and reported her presence. The Sith had come, found her clothes and arrested Nero for harboring a fugitive. Her heart began to beat faster again, she watched helplessly as her friend was loaded into the car, taken away to be interrogated or killed.

Tears began to flow down her face as she turned away.

There was nothing she could do.
 
Avalore frantic head movements did nothing to persuade Hal of her brand new ghost friend, looking to where she had been just moments ago he found, yes, nobody, nothing, supposedly [member="Diana Moridena"] but in all actuality, a shrub. This was all followed by an information overload; how exactly does one forget to tell about their Force ghost experience?

Then again, it was [member="Avalore Eden"], she could forget.

His lower lip receded into his mouth as he chewed on it, still looking a mixture of concerned, confused and annoyed as the healer implored the supposed deceased Jedi Master to show herself. It wasn't that it was improbable, Force ghosts were well recorded, it was just peculiar that Hal couldn't see her. Was he himself at fault? Or was Diana a beginner-level spirit.

Did he believe her? Could he believe her? What would Hal Terrano say if he knew that a Force ghost had just groped straight through him? Probably nothing.

Taking a deep breath he looked back to Avalore, his expression still very much concerned. “What is this about Prakith?” Hal finally queried, giving her the benefit of the doubt. Sure, she was scatter-brained, used bizarre words and didn't wash her dishes nearly enough but crazy? If she was truly gone off the deep end she had hidden it so well.
 
Hal's expression did nothing to help her need to be understood as not crazy.

Don't make faces like that at me Hal, I'm in a fragile state.

"I...don't think he can see me."

Avalore's own expression crumbled into something dejected, terrorized. If [member="Hal Terrano"] didn't think she was crazy before, all signs surely pointed to it now. But what if she was? What if Diana's ghost really had only appearaed out of Avalore's unspoken desperation to no longer feel alone and left behind. Was Diana just a figment of her imagination?

No, she refused to believe that. This was her small portion of peace granted to her for staying true and making the best of some of the worst situations.

"What is this about Prakith?"

"There's a girl there that needs our help, we need to find her before the Sith do," Avalore glanced back at Diana, "Diana says you know the world's defenses, that we can make it past them. It's very important, Hal ... what do you think?"

[member="Hal Terrano"]
 
He stood at a crossroad.

A crossroad of crazy.

Prakith? This wasn't exactly fun harmless shenanigans now, was it? This was dangerous, life-threatening even, if they went to Prakith to get this girl then there was a good chance that they both weren't coming back to Cato. The notion of returning to Sith captivity couldn't have been one that filled [member="Avalore Eden"]'s soul with glee. Had they even both recovered from the first stint?

From the viewpoint of the sensible and the sane this was a foolish venture that reaped little rewards when stacked next to what could be lost.

However beneath those robes beat the heart of a stalwart. A man that would save every life if he could. He was a Jedi. He put on those robes to defend all life, no matter where in the galaxy. They served as the protectors, that was their purpose and their duty. The tenets of the Jedi stood firm within him.

Was this a trap? Was this nothing? Did the spectre known as [member="Diana Moridena"] even exist? Would Avalore's madness prove to endanger them both? It wasn't worth a life to find out. Expression still fixed inside the realms of concerned frowning he looked to Avalore with a steely gleam in his eyes. Pure liquid determination.

“Then we go. Immediately.”
 

Cedric Dorn

Guest
C
[member="Hal Terrano"] [member="Avalore Eden"]

Diana did a little dance.

She smiled, perhaps Hal was more insane than anyone here, believing Avalore in the current state, but it didn't matter. They would be taking the trip to Prakith, they would save the girl, or, she hoped so. The Ghost highly doubted that Avalore would say no. She knew the dangers, but she also knew the value of a life.

Once upon a time when Avalore had only been a young Padawan she had rushed across the field of battle and scooped her up after a fight with Mikhail Shorn.

Diana remembered that day well, just as she remembered every day well. After finding out who had rescued her and what she had been carrying Diana had very nearly gone into a rage. If Avalore would brave that, brave the very face of death to save one woman, then she would do it again.

“Well?” Diana prompted her apprentice.
 

Lira Dajenn

Guest
L
She wandered. There was no other words for it. She wandered the streets of Prak City, cloaked in a hood with nothing but a small backpack of food.

Lira had no where to go, no one to turn to, nothing to do. She was on the run. Her friends wouldn't find her, her parents wouldn't care, and her government was the one trying to capture her. Lira was simply wandering the streets. Every few hours she would stop on a roof or in an alley, find a spot she could simply sit for a while and hide herself. She quickly learned that the main streets were too dangerous and the side alleys not much better.

Roofs were the best.

The Sith didn't think a little girl would be able to hide or find her way to the top of buildings, but fire escapes and ladders helped with that. Eventually she found herself to the top of one of the smaller apartment buildings, a flat surface dotted with vents and a single exit door.

The young woman huddled down beneath one of the vents, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering as the sun slowly began to set.
 
The Healer nodded, feeling a strange sense of firm resolve settle upon her. Apparently [member="Hal Terrano"] was contagious. She looked back to Diana and gave a nod to her as well, "We're going."


Dressing, grabbing supplies and awakening her Padawan [member="Darius Olar"], the three of them trucked off in a Republic stealth ship piloted by a droid. Avalore did her best to hide her worries - the only one present capable of putting up a fight against the Sith was Hal, and she didn't doubt if it came down to brass tacks the man would go down fighting until he couldn't. She didn't like the idea of putting Darius in danger, nor did she like the idea of diving head-first into the heart of enemy territory, but there simply was no other way around it.

Was she crazy for doing this? Perhaps, but only time would really tell just how much.

When greeted by the planet Prakith, Avalore met it with a deep frown.

"Darius, no playing hero, ok? We're all going to stay together and we're going to do this as quickly and quietly..." her eyes traveled shortly to Hal who would very easily be able to see her own reservations beyond what facade of courage she put on, "as we can. Hal's familiar with the planet and it's defenses, so listen to him."

[member="Hal Terrano"] [member="Diana Moridena"]
 

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