Private Ancient Metal

[Kaiah Nihl]

The rain lashed at her shoulders, sticking hair to scalp and adding more water to her already soaked frame. Mud sucked at her legs, threatening to pull her under. The air was cool yet humid, as it was nearly everywhere in the swamps of Felucia. A shiver crept up her spine, not entirely prompted by the inclement weather. Before her lay the remains of old starship, a relic from a by-gone era. Moss and vines grew over the metal; hundreds of years of neglect had faded the bright red paint to a rusty orange – nature had claimed this foreign body as its own.

She quickened her pace, eager to pull herself out of the filth and the rain. ‘Is this it?’ she thinks, her mind near as sluggish as her body. She had been searching for days for the wreck, weathering the conditions of the planet with next to no equipment. In her arrogance, she had wandered far from her own ship, confident that her journey would be short. ‘This must be it; I need it to be’ she thought. She was cold and weak, in desperate need of shelter. The wound on her arm, a deep gash given to her by the local fauna, throbbed in pain. Her makeshift bandage had nearly disintegrated from her struggles through the bog.

She could hear nothing, save the hiss of rain and squelching of her boots, yet what she felt was much keener. She ran her hands across the aged metal plates, wincing as her stomach churned and ached. Many had died here, slowly and painfully. The echoes in the force made her sicker and sicker until, with a gasp, she pulled her hand away. She had found what she was seeking - an ancient Republic vessel from the Clone Wars and, if her research was accurate, a Jedi vessel. The pull of emotions from nigh on a thousand years ago was proof enough. There was a powerful artefact inside.

She ignited her lightsaber, the crimson light illuminating the twilight from the setting sun. She worked at cutting open the sealed doors, before chastising herself and working on the debris clogging the portal. There was a god-awful squeal as centuries-old hydraulics, now free of the blockage, pushed the doors sideways.

She crossed the threshold until she was out of the downpour and collapsed against the wall. Heedless of the danger, she inhaled a single deep breath and passed out.

| Caedyn Arenais |​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Location: Felucia
Starship: Blueshift-Class Assault Starfighter
Apparel: Tunic/Robes
Tags: Kaiah Nihl

Felucia lay deep in the heart of Sith Space, the Empire's reach spanning the northern territories above those of the Silver Jedi Concord. For those of the aforementioned Order, traversing this far into hostile space would've been thought foolish, yet there he was seated within the Cockpit of his Starfighter as the smaller craft descended down upon the surface of Felucia under the covert objective of reconnaissance and the assessment of Sith presence there on the World.

The planet held a long lived history with both the Jedi and the Sith, the battles waged between republicans and imperials, the forces of the Light and the Dark; In short, it was a treacherous place for those who weren't practiced in the ways of the Force and the ability to conceal themselves from outside interests. For the Jedi Knight, this meant travelling space under stealth systems, and there on the ground diminishing his presence in the Force to an almost non-existent state in order to be hidden from other Force-Sensitives as he began his exploitative hike on foot from there on.

On his person, Caedyn carried his Lightsaber, a satchel full of the basic supplies he might need should his stay wind up being longer than originally planned, his commlink and datapad for communication and relaying information back home to Commenor in the case of anything of interest coming about from his recon there.

From where he had descended and landed the craft surrounded by the fauna which hid it from open view, Caedyn had spotted a rather large wreckage some distance away. It would be the first location he planned to trek towards, making sure to note the landmark down using his Navi Virtual Assistant strapped to his left wrist, an AI that was mapping out the region as he moved.

 

[Kaiah Nihl]

Someone was playing the piano.

She wandered in the half-light, staring out into an endless grey mist. She spun around, confused, until she heard the music coming to her left. Nearly blind, she stumbled through the fog, following a soft tune. Just when she thought she could walk no more, the mist parted. Before her was a magnificent grand piano, identical to the one in her Father’s parlour. The musician wore an ornate white robe, contrasting with her long black hair, which had fallen forward to obscure her face.

Kaiah approached slowly, taking care not to disturb the player. Her feet padded softly through the sand, silent until she pressed down on something hard. There was a loud crack to which she stiffened. She glanced down to find a weathered skull crushed underfoot.

“Watch your step” came a familiar voice. The piano had stopped, the musician had turned around. The woman had pale-grey skin and bright orange eyes. “You’re not me” Kaiah said, addressing the simulacrum. “Who are you demon? And why do you wear my skin?”. The doppelganger laughed in an eerily similar manner to herself. “And what makes you think that I’m the demon?”. Kaiah frowned and felt a twinge at her feet.

The skull was replaced with a helmet, still attached to the head of a groaning man. His Galactic Alliance fatigues were shredded, and his face was horribly burned. She stumbled back, almost falling over a second body. The mist had cleared completely now, revealing a destroyed battlefield. The piano was gone, replaced with a scarred tank and a man in bright white armour.

“Watch your step” the First Order Officer said, a hideous smile crossing his face. She felt something trickle down her arm and looked down. Her hands were covered in blood.

- - - - -​

She awoke with a gasp, nearly banging her head on the nearby terminal. Overcome with a wave of nausea and vertigo – she stifled the urge to vomit. She raised her left arm to rub her eyes but froze, her hand suspended inches from her face. It was covered in blood.

But it was her blood, not from someone else. Her hastily bandaged wound had re-opened and started bleeding again. She let out a sigh and stood up, woozy. Climbing the nearby stairs, she made her way to the bridge. The front viewport had been smashed; vines and lichen were creeping in. Faded and broken remains of armour were scattered around, skeletons and mummified corpses peering from behind cracked visors. She stumbled over to the only free seat, the Captain’s chair, and sat down with a heavy thud.

She retrieved the first aid kit from her pack, caked in mud and soaked with rainwater. She emptied it onto the floor and grimaced at the dismal display. She’d used up all her Bacta, and the mud meant that nothing else was sterile. She would have to resort to an unconventional method. She tossed her wet jacket onto a nearby corpse and proceeded to rip a swathe of fabric from the bottom of her (mostly dry) shirt. Balling it up, she stuffed it in her mouth and bit down hard. Perching her wounded limb on the armrest, she took in a deep breath and concentrated.

She felt her body get even colder as small flickers of flame appeared on her arm. The fire grew and danced upon her skin, appearing to do no harm and cause no pain. Yet. With dread, she took the plunge and willed the flames to cauterise her wound.

- - - - -​

Her screams, although muffled, echoed out into the hall and could be heard as far as the entrance to the starship…

| Caedyn Arenais |​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

The solo hike towards the derelict starship didn't take Caedyn overly long until he was standing with the wreckage looming overhead. From what he could tell, the vessel looked to be familiar with the former Republican style of fleeting ships, although these days it was hard to tell as few single governments stuck to any one particular make or model of destroyers and the like...

As he looked across the wreckage, he took his time assessing it briefly for any sign of compromise or vulnerability that might see him harmed during an attempt to explore further within. Nothing was a given in such a state, yet it never hurt to be on the cautious side and in the few minutes he spared to study of the downed giant, he noticed a slight glow coming from the head of the former craft.

With light, usually came the presence of others. This far into Sith territory, the Jedi Knight found himself airing on the side of caution once more and instead of reaching out to probe the scene for a hint of person(s), he instead withdrew his own force signature within an almost non-existent state in order to avoid being sensed by whomever had decided to make a home of the fallen warbird.

While he held no intention of attacking or bringing any sense of ill intent with him, he couldn't exactly say the same for whoever else was nearby. Of course, he couldn't simply leave without knowing without any certainty that his presence there wasn't a needed one and so storing his faith in the force and believing that everything happened for a specific purpose, Caedyn sought an entry point where he would then begin to climb the various levels to where, he assumed he would find the bridge and command center.

Being responsible for the care and command of an assault cruiser himself, he was quite familiar with the feeling of walking the decks of a destroyer. Although this one had seen far worse times than the Vagabond, something he could count himself fortunate for despite the battles it had seen in it's short service so far; Regardless the Jedi Knight wasn't without his own sense of direction and would soon find his way towards the bridge, having to pry his way on through one of the damaged and rusted over reinforced durasteel bulkheads.

The sound of movement and clashing metals likely giving away his arrival; just in time to witness the scream that echoed throughout the bridge and caused the Jedi Knight to stumble over himself in alarm.

Kaiah Nihl

 

[Kaiah Nihl]

The pain was unbearable, far worse than the claw that caused the wound. Her body shook with the screams, but her eyes remained locked on her arm. She watched the flames do their work, tracing the edge of the lesion and start working its way in. She willed to it move faster, even though it caused her more pain. She bit down harder on the rag and pushed through the agony, until the last drop of blood was sealed away.

But the fire did not stop.

She had stayed somewhat composed up until this point, but now she was entering a full state of panic. She threw herself off the chair and onto her jacket, dousing the flames in wet fabric. Once it was out, she spat out the rag and let out a loud sob. Tears streamed from eyes, running down her face and dripping off her chin. Is this what she had inflicted on foes, back with First Order? If so, she had caused so much suffering…

Her body let out a shudder, barely able to keep up with the toll she had exerted upon it. Yet even through all these distractions, she something twinge through the force. She sensed a presence - someone was nearby.

Her head snapped up at the sound of boots on metal. The newcomer was human, male. Piercing blue eyes stared at her from the doorway. He wore traditional robes, ornate and thoroughly unsuitable for the swamp. ‘A Jedi?’ she thought. She laughed inwardly and maliciously. Typical of her cursed existence to deliver her an enemy right when she was weakest.

“Stay back” she said, the words coming out in a hoarse whisper. Old techniques, almost forgotten, rose to her mind. How to shield her thoughts; how to block other’s attempts at reading her mind. It wasn’t difficult – her mind was focused almost entirely on the blinding pain from her left arm. “I-” She tried to rise but her legs buckled underneath her, and she collapsed to the floor.

What a wretched sight she must have looked. Her boots and pants caked with mud, her shirt torn at the bottom. Her hair was a tangled mess that hung in front of her face, bright orange eyes peering up between the curtains. Her lightsaber was stowed in her jacket – it would take her far too long to retrieve it to defend herself. And besides, she doubted she had the strength to even raise the blade.

“I’m at your mercy, Stranger” she said, her words barely audible. “Please make my end quick, I do not wish to suffer…”

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

“I’m at your mercy, Stranger.
Please make my end quick, I do not wish to suffer…”.
​

Caedyn Arenais had clearly stumbled upon someone's hideaway, although the woman didn't appear to be in much of a state to put up a fight and for that the Jedi Knight counted himself fortunate; Every battle avoided was a potential life saved.

"Judging by the state of your arm, that's very clear..." He replied to her, gesturing to her wound with his left hand and speaking with a blend of sarcasm and attempted humor, hoping to alleviate the strangers sense of fear and alarm.

His right hand moved to his belt, unclipping the hilt of his Lightsaber with evidently slowed pace, his eyes remaining on the woman while he moved cautiously to leave the weapon down on the floor nearby the entrance before rising back to stand upright with his hands held out by his sides. "You should let me look at that..." He suggested further, forgetting to introduce himself in the moment as her wound seemed to be in a much more serious need of attention.

Just as he had disarmed himself, he moved to approach Kaiah Nihl with care in his pace, keeping his hands in open view in the hope that she would not jump on the attack. Were she to have a blaster on hand and he not react fast enough, well...-Caedyn was obviously taking a big risk in leaving his weapon behind him.

"I'm not exactly sure who you think I am but I don't just go out of my way to attack the injured. I realize you don't know anything about me, and that wound's not going to get any better on it's own...-I don't blame you for being on your guard but I'm not here to hurt you".

 

[Kaiah Nihl]

The bridge of the cruiser felt a lot smaller now that there were two of them. She eyed the stranger warily, her right arm snaking underneath her jacket. ‘Don’t trust him’ a part of her thought. ‘Don’t let him near you’. But the man had disarmed himself, he said he meant her no harm. ‘It’s a trick, a Jedi doesn’t need their lightsaber to kill you’. But she was weak, with little to no defence. Why would the stranger try to deceive her? Why not just cut her down now?

“I-” she started, her throat dry. It had felt like years since she had talked to anyone. For the longest time she had only spoken in one- or two-word sentences, simple phrases to get her through spaceports. Speaking was much like meeting an estranged friend after an age apart - awkward and uncomfortable. She swallowed and breathed deeply, composing herself. She focused on blocking out the pain, her tears subsiding. She twisted her arm around to examine it properly, letting out a shiver as she did so. She had sealed the wound alright, but it had left the skin red and blistered. She felt a wave of revulsion hit her as she examined the edge of the injury. It was sure to leave an ugly scar.

‘Let him approach’ a new voice in her head whispered. ‘Let his guard drop and then attack’. Her right hand found the hilt of her lightsaber beneath the jacket. But she needed help, her burnt arm could become infected. Was she in any position to turn down assistance, even from a stranger? ‘You don’t need him, only his supplies’ Her head pounded and her grip on the weapon tightened. The arrival of a newcomer was complicating her mission. ‘Jedi lie and manipulate. They get in your head. Don’t let him fool you’. Her teachers had told her that; they had taught her almost everything she knew. She thumbed the button of the lightsaber.

She let the weapon go. “You are right, of course” she said with a bitter laugh. “You cannot hurt me, stranger. I’m far too damaged in body and mind to break any further”. She was finding some strength in her voice now, her Imperial accent from Dromund Kaas returning. “But I suppose I could use some assistance. I have credits in return for rendered service”.

She pushed the jacket aside, keeping her weapon concealed as she moved back onto the chair. She lowered her damaged limb onto the arm rest, hissing as the tender skin touched the aged fabric. “I am Kaiah. Your timing here is… most fortuitous”.

| Caedyn Arenais |​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

The bitterness behind Kaiah Nihl 's laugh caused Caedyn's brows to lift marginally, a sense of pessimism and humor at the expense of the moment perhaps? Sighing to himself, her studied her for a moment, apprehensive not in the task of helping the woman, but rather what her intentions would be in response. Meeting a stranger this far out behind enemy lines wasn't particularly safe, yet he wasn't someone to leave another in a positive of need without offering his assistance.

"Kaiah...-It's nice to meet you" Caedyn replied softly, approaching her slowly and still keeping his hands out in plain sight; "My name's Caedyn Arenais...-I'm a Jedi Knight" he informed her outright. The Jedi weren't exactly overly trusted by the rest of the Galaxy, especially out within these regions of charted space, yet civilians alone remained skeptical for the power they could control. It often didn't matter whether they were Lightsiders or Darksiders, if they could use the Force then they had one up over common society.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to hurt me..." Caedyn said, moving to cautiously kneel down before the woman looking to her arm; "I can accelerate the healing process but it will need some time yet..." he explained, rolling his left shoulder back to allow his pack to slip down the one arm and drop to the floor on his right side.

"If you'll let me, I mean".