Crossroads of Canopy [Jor Kvall]

[Sabine Galen]

​

The jungles of Kubindi were not kind to visitors.

The flora was thick and unruly, twisted vines and heavy brush made it a difficult way to travel. There were predators here, too – jungle beasts hungry for their next meal. And, the heat was absolutely oppressive. Mixed with the high humidity, it was not a recipe for a nice trek, not at all.

“Bloody jungle,” Sabine Galen muttered under her breath, pausing to wipe the sweat from her brow.

Her hands swept her red hair up into a bun, and she blew out a breath. This jungle business was already growing tiresome. Dressed simply in a tunic and trousers, she may not have immediately looked the part of a young Jedi Knight. However, the saber that she drew from beneath the fabric of her tunic was a tell-tale sign. Igniting her blade of deep blue, she cut through the next section of brush with a graceful sweep.

No matter how she disliked this place, Sabine knew that she had a job to do.

The journey had begun on Handooine, where she had been asked to help locate a wide number of locals that had been kidnapped from a village. The mysterious disappearances had led the authorities to believe that a new ring of slavers had come calling, taking women and children by force. Most of the able-bodied men had been killed trying to defend the village, she had been told. From there, she followed a small trail of disappearances on neighboring worlds.

She was getting close now, she could feel it. There were no ships here, but she hoped to find evidence that the slavers and their victims had traveled through here – and she hoped to find it soon. If the whispers she’d managed to scrape up were true, the camp was located somewhere in the area, hidden deep within the jungle. Closing her eyes for a moment, Sabine reached out with the force.

Suddenly, her senses were alerted to something… or rather, someone.

She was not alone here…

[member="Jor Kvall"]

 

[Jor Kvall]

[member="Sabine Galen"] was not the only beating heart amidst the veins and capillaries of branches and trees.

The forest-hearth was present with another alien. These were not the woods Jor Kvall was used to; they were far too choked with sour humidity that crept upon the bones of his armor in small droplets. These were far from the woods of Krownest, in Mandalorian space. They were home to vagrants and enemies of the Mandalorian people. Ne'er-do-wells and outcasts, such was their lot, resorting to piracy and raiding to satisfy their ends.

But the firefly-glow of the azure blade that shimmered amidst the hazy forest marked the presence of another, this Jedi. It was easy for Jor to notice, and he held his slugthrower pistol in its direction, approaching carefully. Of course the Jedi were somehow mixed up in this business, and the Alor of House Kvall would have loved nothing more than to gun down this enemy of his people on the spot. But his true quarry was near, and he could not risk alerting them to his presence with slugthrower fire. So he waited, quietly, patiently trailing the blue blade until he was able to distinguish the person behind it as a woman.

"I have a slugthrower aimed at your head, and a sonic grenade primed," Jor said, suddenly announcing his presence behind her. "You had best put that lightsaber down."

 

[Sabine Galen]

Senses keen and honed to the other presence, she knew that the source was near. However, the tangled flora of the jungle made pinpointing it a problem. She carried on for a few more steps, saber still clutched in her hand. But a male voice made her pause, and she listened to the warning he spoke.

A slugthrower was a primitive weapon, yes, but it was effective against a Jedi – it was difficult to block slugs with a saber, and even doing so was dangerous. However, she was not defenseless without her saber. And so, she extinguished the blade and let the hilt fall back to her belt, her movements slow to demonstrate that she was heeding his words.

“Very well,” She answered in a crisp, clear voice.

Turning calmly, she let her blue eyes settle on the armored figure that held his weapons pointed in her direction. A Mandalorian, if she wasn’t mistaken by the plate design and the man’s accent.

“I am here on a mission of goodwill,” Sabine said with a nod.

She kept the details tucked away, for she needed to know first if this man was working with the slavers. It was entirely possible, as it was strange to suddenly come across such an armored man in the jungle, so she thought to herself.

“And your weapons?” She asked, “I mean you no harm,”

It was true, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t move to defend herself…

[member="Jor Kvall"]

 

[Jor Kvall]

The blade shrank back into the hilt, its reverberating blue glow retreating along with it. [member="Sabine Galen"] agreed to his demands and powered down her weapon, but a Jedi was never truly defenseless. Within a moment the same blade could be humming through the air again, whistling its tune of death. Jor didn't lower his slugthrower, yet.

"If good will is what you seek, you're on the wrong planet," He answered her, his slugthrower still threatening her head, obscuring the view of his helmet as the weapon was held out towards her. "Slavers and pirates, this place has those in abundance, but none who would favor charity."

Jor considered lowering his slugthrower. She was clearly not one of the slavers, and from the sound of things, was probably here to rescue the enslaved. That would be a typical Jedi mission. For some reason, lately Jor had been a magnet for this cult his ancestors had spent thousands of years fighting. He simply could not go anywhere without running into one. Even worse, they always ended up on his side. Maybe the old Gods were trying to tell him something.

He lowered his slugthrower, but kept his hand on the sonic grenade.

"So, Jedi," He said again, moving back to keep out of reach of her swing, if there would be one. "Tell me. Why are you really here?"

 

[Sabine Galen]

Sabine arched a brow; it seemed that the armored man knew of this world’s dark reputation. The Jedi’s blue eyes stared down the barrel of his slugthrower, calm and collected as it pointed back at her. And when the weapon was lowered back to the man’s side, her gaze followed momentarily – but saw instantly that his hand was kept on the sonic grenade. When he questioned her purpose, she made no movements, save for the occasionally blinking of her eyes.

“I was contacted by a settlement on Handooine,” She began, recalling the beginning of the adventure. “A number of villagers were taken captive, and the rest of them gravely injured or slain.” Sabine had seen the burial mounds herself, it had been quite a grim scene. “There have been other reports in the sector of such crimes, and I have been on the trail – from Handooine to Tammar, and eventually ending here.”

Her head canted to the side slightly to indicate the jungle of Kubindi. She had no reason to withhold the truth. But, now that she had cleared the air about her own motives for being here, she had to wonder what reason this lone man had for being in the jungle. Perhaps he was on a similar mission, she thought to herself, eyeing him quietly.

“And you?” She asked, gaze growing slightly wider in anticipation of an answer. “I cannot imagine that anyone would come here willingly,” Sabine noted aloud.

“Especially dressed like that.”

[member="Jor Kvall"]

 

[Jor Kvall]

This Jedi posed no threat to him; the malice was purely on Jor's side. Realizing this, the Mandalorian resolved himself to release his fingers from their grasp around the grenade at his belt. Jedi, such as they were, were far too concerned with the lives of unknown innocents to start another fight here with a Mandalorian in the hell-soaked jungles of Kubindi. Jor chose not to escalate the situation further.

"These slavers you speak of have drawn us both together," Jor said, answering her question as to why he was here. "Regrettably because some of them are my kin. Outlaws of House Kvall, all of them, murderers and adulterers who now resort to terrorizing the skies as pirates. It seems word of their actions have traveled far indeed, to warrant a response from the Jedi."

Jor would not attempt to kill [member="Sabine Galen"] today. Although her remark about his armor made it tempting.

"My clothing is earned, yours merely given, hanging sadly off your neglected bosom," Jor replied, crossing his arms. He wouldn't attack her, perhaps he would even cooperate with her, but that didn't mean he wouldn't enjoy trading a few words with this Jedi.

 

[Sabine Galen]

Sabine let out a breath; it seemed that her fate today was tied to that of the Mandalorian man before her. Their search would inevitably take them to the same place. Her objective would remain the same, to rescue as many of the captives as she could and return them safely. At this point, she couldn’t say for sure what role the armored man would play, but he seemed intent on dealing with the slavers – his rogue clan members.

However, it seemed that he’d taken her quip about his armor and turned it into a dig about her own clothes. There was nothing special about this outfit, but the jungle just wasn’t a place for heavy clothing, in her opinion. Glancing down at her ensemble, she gave a casual shrug.

“These are just clothes, not all that meaningful. You’re right.” She answered, “But I’ve things that I’ve earned – my robes that signify my status as a knight, for example.” Sabine was also quick to add, “And my garments hang just fine, thank you very much.”

The strawberry-blonde turned her head slightly and cleared her throat; there may have been a few words under her breath about being thankful for not having to wear a bucket on her head. Taking a few tentative steps towards the man, she held out the palm of her hand in greeting.

“Right, then… I’m Sabine Galen,” She said with a nod. “We may as well get to know each other, as it seems we’re looking for the same thing.”
For the moment, she gave no mention of working together, the waters needed to be tested first.

“Where is it you’re from?” She wasn’t familiar with House Kvall by name, but Sabine had a feeling that would soon change.

[member="Jor Kvall"]

 

[Jor Kvall]

Jor reached out a hand and ensnared his fingers around the palm of [member="Sabine Galen"]. The texture of his skin was absent, only the fabric of his Mandalorian gauntlet.

"I am Jor Kvall, Alor of House Kvall, the same House to which some of these brigands once belonged," He answered her, giving his name. "We hail from Krownest. I am here to collect their debts."

Sabine might not know where exactly Krownest was, depending upon how familiar she was with Mandalorian space. But the masked man before her neglected to offer an answer.

"You're obviously a Jedi, judging from those robes you cling to so dearly," He scoffed, crossing his arms again. "So I suppose that makes your homeworld irrelevant. The galaxy is your home now, or some such nonsense, is that right?"

The Mandalorian reached for the grenades on his belt again and unfurled one suddenly; the moment of tension quickly evaporated as he tossed it, unprimed, in Sabine's direction. If they were going to work together, he might as well give her some proper ammunition as well. The Mandalorian renegades amongst the pirates would be versed in dealing with lightsabers.

"Who is it you're here to rescue?"

 

[Sabine Galen]

As her handshake returned with the firm grasp of a gauntlet, Sabine blinked but shook his hand just the same. She listened as the Mandalorian provided an introduction of his own, informing her that he was the Alor of House Kvall, which she took to mean that he was their leader. Though her travels had taken her far across the galaxy, Sabine’s interactions with the warrior people had been few. Theirs was a space that she and her master generally passed by.

As he continued, Sabine lofted a curious brow. His tone carried a disdain for her kind, it seemed. But, his remark about her galaxy-wide home tugged at the corner of her mouth.

“Yes,” Sabine answered flatly, “And in my spare time I enjoy weaving a good basket.” She said with a small chuckle. “Actually, I grew up on Naboo.”

However, her origins were a bit mysterious. Though she’d been found on Klatooine by her master, her actual place of birth was still unknown. Blue eyes watched as Jor’s hand went for the sonic grenade, her senses suddenly alert again. But, her gaze followed as the grenade soared towards her in a graceful arc. Her palm rose into the air and caught it. Sabine mused that this might be some kind of ‘peace’ offering, and clipped it to her belt.

“Thanks,” She said finally, “And to answer your question, I’ve come here with the hope of returning victims to their homes on Handooine. But, I’d like to see all of the captives freed if I can manage.”

Nodding her head towards the path she’d just cleared, she began to move.

“What do you plan to do with your clan members, when you find them?”

[member="Jor Kvall"]

 

[Jor Kvall]

"Naboo, huh?" Jor answered, still appearing suspicious and quizzical before [member="Sabine Galen"]. "Hopefully the Jedi taught you the ways of warfare that your countymen shirk, or this will be a short adventure."

It wasn't often he ran into Jedi - although it seemed to be happening more frequently - but Jor wouldn't miss a beat in verbally sparring with them as much as he could. Those of the Kvall bloodline had evolved with perpetual war against the Jedi which harkened back millenia. It was burned into their genetics; those fabled battles of old ran in their blood. They were as much a part of Jor as his armor was.

"Do what you will with the captives," He said. "As for my Clan members, our law demands they pay a price for their crimes. Though I anticipate negotiations will be sparse. I seldom wish to negotiate with men bearing hostile weapons. Swords only speak to swords."

Further ahead, beyond the sight of the thick jungle, shouting could be heard. Raucous, barking voices echoed through the humid air, through the trees, and carried all the way to Jor and Sabine.

"I should warn you. They will likely be carrying slugthrowers and scatterguns in addition to blasters. Be careful what you block with that lightsaber."

 

[Sabine Galen]

As the armored Mandalorian quipped about Naboo, Sabine shook her head slightly. “Pssssh,” Her lips curled at the ends, just so. Though she was quite serious about being a Jedi, she had a good-natured way that tempered the ridged lifestyle.

“Understood,” She replied when Jor made his intentions very clear.

For her own part, she would need to make sure to keep the captives out of harm’s way. The Mandalorians were a warrior-race; Jor seemed to be a prime example. He was right… negotiations would be short, if they had a chance to happen at all.

“Thanks for that,” She said in response to his warning, her eyes turned in the direction of voices. “The lightsaber isn’t my only weapon, I have the force.” Sabine added, smirking slightly as she crouched down and pushed the brush aside.

Moving quietly, she continued forward. The faint smell of a campfire found her, though the smoke was unseen in the thick jungle. Reaching out, she could feel the dense presence of many – slavers and captives alike. Her thoughts shifted and she glanced at Jor out of the corner of her eyes. If the two simply strode into the camp together, it would be quite an oddity, she was sure… but it would also reveal their hand right away.

“Alor of House Kvall,” She started in a hushed voice, “I doubt they’d be expecting to meet you, it might catch them off guard. I will be waiting nearby in the brush, give me a signal if you need to – I’ll cover you.”

Indeed, she had a way to look after him, and keep that armor from even receiving a dent. But, she had a feeling that Jor would wear any hit received like a badge of honor.

[member="Jor Kvall"]

 

[Jor Kvall]

Jor narrowed his eyes at [member="Sabine Galen"].

"Let's hope your Force is with you today."

Ahead, the landing zone of the slavers' camp bustled with activity. Just as Sabine laid out her plan of attack, another dropship could be heard overhead, engines whirring, slowly lowering itself down onto the landing tarmac. As it touched down, it soon became apparent that the ship was filled with a fresh batch of captives. The slavers, some of them wearing Mandalorian armor, began congregating at the dropship and barking orders as the exit ramp was lowered. The engine thrusters of the dropship had not yet cooled when Jor began to move towards the enemies.

"Just... cover me when things get hairy," He turned back to her and added, before moving forward.

Hopefully the Jedi would hold up her end of the bargain. He could confront them directly as she suggested, but the mere sight of the Alor of House Kvall would cause these Mandalorians to attack him on sight. They knew that their actions here were considered dar'manda by their House. Stealth was the best option, while he had the opportunity. Jor snuck around the side of the landing area, finding cover behind a stack of empty crates. The slavers, for now, were distracted by the dropship. The slaver nearest him had his back turned, which would make him the first target.

A vibroknife flashed through the air in an instant, burying itself in the back of the pirate's exposed neck. Jor's arm remained extended, just as he had thrown it. The pirate had little time to process what happened, reaching back haplessly and gurgling before falling forward, his armor clanging loudly against the tarmac, causing the rest of the slavers' heads to turn.

"What the hell?"

 

[Sabine Galen]

Sabine's blue eyes shifted skyward as a drop ship soared overhead. Her gaze narrowed slightly at the sight of the transport setting down in the slaver camp. Armored figures in the distance were quick to move, there was work to be done now that there was a new delivery of goods. The Knight's attention shifted to Jor as he began to move and Sabine gave him a steady nod.

Ducking down, she crept through the brush, keeping a bit of distance between them. Silently, she wondered if this would all go to plan. A nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach told her to prepare for the worst. Settled within the heavy brush that lined the edge of the camp, Sabine watched and waited. She couldn't see him, but she knew Jor was there – she could feel his presence nearby, a beacon.

Her blue eyes flickered in the direction of a stack of crates.

Jor was about to make his move. Drawing upon the force, Sabine began to prepare. The shining blade of a vibroknife cut through the air, and made a new home in the back of a slaver's neck. Sabine's teeth gritted together as she cringed. It was not the type of move she would have ever made, but it was an effective way to take them by surprise.

The Alor of House Kvall knew how to make an entrance, she would have to give him that.

As the body of the slaver slumped to the ground, the sound drew attention. There was no going back now. Heads had turned in Jor's direction and heavy boots were soon in motion. It became clear to Sabine that negotiations were not going to happen. A group of three slavers advanced on Jor, one of which drew a blaster.

Red bolts fired. However, instead of hitting their mark, they fizzled against an unseen barrier that seemed to surround Jor. From the brush, Sabine's outstretched hand might have been seen.

[member="Jor Kvall"]