Crystals and Candy and Chaos [Invite only]

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

A snickering Henbeddestr had brought a holonet search to Chiasa's attention, because he thought it was funny. And it was. Little Jedi padawans trying to discreetly find a way to go after their lightsaber crystals. In proper underworld terms they were about as discreet as a pack of rancor. Didn't they know about the wars and the kidnappings and such? They were almost asking to get in trouble. What was an amoral Crime Lord with a seventy million credit bounty on their head to do?

The correct answer to that was to reply to their query, hop into her own personal ship and head for the heart of Republic. There were no bounties, warrants or crimes listed against her ship after all.

Her actual reasoning for this was a bit spotty, but it largely boiled down to 'because she felt like it'. Plus it would likely annoy both the Jedi and the Sith while still helping the Padawans in question. If there was one thing the Twi'lek, and by extension the Red Ravens liked it was tweaking the noses of the great and powerful.

So the Washburne Class Shuttle set down on Ossus at the appointed hour and the tiger-striped Twi'lek waited to see who would show up. She certainly wasn't going into the Temple looking for them, there was brazen and then there was stupid.

[member="Des Kovak"] [member="Kaia Vullen"] [member="Slice Spiralflame"] [member="Zylah Dvale"]

 

[Keira Priest]

Everyone had their reasons for doing things, and Keira was no different when it came to her abandonment of the Jedi. To put it plainly, the lifestyle had begun to bore her, so she simply left with no explanation one night. No one had come looking for her, to her knowledge, and nothing had been put out in the realm of a search and rescue. She had just vanished, like many others in the galaxy, with no previous warning and no indication of ever returning. But now it seemed she was coming back, if just for a brief visit. While she hadn't been made aware of the specifics, something had drawn [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] to the Jedi Temple on Ossus, and so she had decided to come along, if just for her own personal amusement.

It was decidedly ironic that she would be returning to the heart of Republic and Jedi territory after speaking out against them on numerous occasions and meeting more than one warrior of light on the battlefield with intentions to kill. That facet hadn't really changed about her, but it wasn't as if she was out for blood all the time. Or even most of the time, for that matter. But if there was good reason to fight then it wasn't as if she wouldn't take it. But these were Padawans, some of them barely teenagers at that. They weren't worth her time or attention when it came to the more deadly arts. Something else about the entire idea of this had interested her enough to tag along. Maybe it was the thought of returning to what had once been home for years.

Despite being directly in the middle of what was, for all intents and purposes, enemy territory, she hadn't bothered to disguise her presence either on the ethereal or physical plane. She was perfectly aware of her less than light alignment, and amber tainted eyes that would give such away at first glance. Let these Jedi think what they would. One encounter with a Master of another Order had been enough to solidify her stance on these individuals, and it was likely her mind wouldn't change anytime soon. Maybe it was their naivety, or the fact that they were near her age when she left the Order, but something was different about the Padawans. There was her own morbid curiosity at play here as well, and that was certainly a large part of it.

Stifling a quiet amused laugh at the simple thought of being back on Ossus, the aforementioned amber gaze glanced to the new decidedly more orange President of the Red Ravens. "You know, I'll never miss this place."

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Des Kovak]

[member=Chiasa Kritivaas] | [member=Keira Ticon] | [member=Kaia Vullen] | [member=Zylah Dvale] | [member=Slice Spiralflame]

Des Kovak approached the landed craft with some uncertainty. True, he had asked for this, but he had no idea what to expect. He was uncomfortably aware of his lack of a grasp on the situation, but he was too proud to back down now. The Jedi had promised him so many things when they took him off his homeworld of Haruun Kal, and if they wouldn't deliver, then he'd damn well get them himself one way or another. Des was headstrong to a fault, more often than not launching him in difficult situations. Several Jedi who called themselves 'Master' had lectured him on this and many other things, and Des had been reminded time and time again that these Jedi did not accord to his views of what power is or does, despite their formidable reputation. So Des had decided to take some matters in his own hands.

To make matters worse, during one of the group classes they shared, Des had mentioned the arrangement in passing to the diminutive Miraluka whose name he still did not know. If he was able to judge her intentions somewhat, he expected she would try to come along. And where the Miraluka went, the albino known as Zylah would follow. He did not have to admit he liked the pair, but he did have to admit he would feel somewhat more secure for their presence, and that was precisely the reason he had mentioned it. These two were the only other Padawans Des had had any real social contact with. Nevermind that in that encounter, he had decked the Miraluka, sending her to the med ward, and ended up fighting the albino.

As he approached the shuttle, he ran his hand over the holster of the 'borrowed' DY-225 blaster at his hip. He may not have a lightsaber, it would be stupid to come entirely unarmed. The weapon, despite its designation of 'heavy blaster pistol', did not pack a whole lot of a punch. Instead, it was renowned for its powerful stun setting. Just the Jedi, to take a weapon that did not kill as standard issue.

he vaguely overheard one of the two waiting figures say something about "miss this place." "I will not," he said immediately defensively, not realizing he had not overheard the entire phrase and the two would not know what he was refering to. "I am expecting others to join us. Give it another few minutes, if you will," he said. He looked from the Human to the Twi'lek and back. The arrangement had been for one of them to meet him here. "If I may... You know I do not have any money to pay for your services. What's in this for you?"

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"I have similar feelings about Ryloth I suspect."

And the deserts in particular. This answer was given easily to [member="Keira Ticon"] before naturally yellow eyes switched to the newcomer who had interjected. Young, not very tall but broad and possibly still growing. This little beast would be a powerhouse when he was grown. And from the way he talked he was likely the one who'd contacted her to start with. [member="Des Kovak"].

"We can wait. I rather think we're due for at least a week without rebellions or the like no? So we shouldn't have to hurry home."

The Twi'lek added that last largely to Keira with an arch of her brow. She had reached the place where annoyed as it still made her, she could make light of the betrayals now and again. Not that she'd hesitate to put a slug through those responsible. Crime Lords didn't get to be merciful if they expected to hold their place in the galaxy.

"I make a minimum of five million credits per day, I doubt the majority of people could pay me enough to interest me in most activities. This is.. My good deed for the year I suppose. There's word of folks making a habit of snatching Padawans you know. And amusement. Mostly amusement."

Granted one group who liked to take Padawans was the Jackals, and they worked closely with the Ravens, but she didn't like to limit them. They had fun. Besides, from her understanding they mostly just tried to ransom back or sell off anyone they caught. No, it was the new stories of torture that she didn't like. Of darkness sneaking out from the Sith side of space, and bloody stupid little Padawans throwing themselves at it. It likely came from not being allowed to have any fun or being exposed to real danger. It left them moonstruck.

"Plus I'm interested in what precisely the Jedi have been teaching you. They're clearly leaving things out. Lesson one; the favour is a preferred Underworld bargaining chip. Sometimes valued over credits. I take you and your little pals out to fetch crystals, maybe teach you a thing or two on the way, you owe me. Granted at the moment there's not much you can do to pay me back, but in the future? Who knows. Lesson two, don't owe people favours, you never know when they'll collect or what they'll ask."

Kaia Vullenhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/7988-kaia-vullen/http://starwarsrp.net/user/7988-kaia-vullen/ | Zylah Dvale | Slice Spiralflame​

 

[Des Kovak]

[member=Chiasa Kritivaas]

Des narrowed his eyes at the Twi'lek, scepticism clear on his expression. A self styled crime lord doing a good deed? No way, no how, Des thought. At her warning, Des thought back to his encounter with the bounty hunter on Umbara. Something he'd rather not be reminded of. "Trust me, I know," he said, putting ample on the words to convey the message. He ignored the claims of amusement as chaff, something meant to put him off his guard. People who made five million credits a day, if that was true, did not go out of their way for 'amusement'. They threw a couple of thousand credits around and expected the amusement to materialize in front of them. Got their expectations met, too. Perhaps, Des considered briefly, that was where true power lay, but he immediately passed the idea away. Sure, it was power, but it was not the kind of power he wanted.

Ah, and here is the truth of it, Des knew instinctively. Favours owed. She was right, he realized, a favour owed was a bad thing to have, and a favour owed to you from a Jedi could certainly be a valuable thing to have. She had a way with words, this one. "I grew up in the city slums of Pelek Baw, lady," he said with a hint of a sneer. "I also know never to give carte blanche on a favour. You agree to do this for me, let us say I can also agree to do something for you. Something of a similar... magnitude." Of course, that would imply Des could also 'disagree' to turn in the favour when it did not suit him. "If I become a-" He stopped himself, rethinking his words. "Sorry, when I become a Jedi Knight, I can be powerful friend to you," he promised. "Something worth more than this little trip, I think, yes?"

 

[Slice Spiralflame]

[member="Des Kovak"] [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] [member="Keira Ticon"]
Slice walked slowly from the temple, his cloak swayed in the wind. He wasn't one of the Jedi that originally wanted to find crystals, however he caught wind of the plot and decided to drop in uninvited.

Yes it was rude of him however some things needed to be done with out the aid of the Jedi. "I want in," he proclaimed, once he was within ear shot.

Slice was impatient, got bored easily, sure annoyed his instructors to no end. He didn't hear much of the conversation and he wasn't really bothered about it, "Padawan," He said, not knowing the name, "You might want to find better ways to find more secret way of finding help. I'm surprised Master Karr didn't find out." He stopped, maybe Master Karr did find out, maybe he didn't, Slice wasn't sure.

He looked to the Human, she showed signs of Dark side corruption, Figures. He remained on his guard, although he looked relaxed.

 

[Des Kovak]

[member=Slice Spiralflame]

This was new to Des, being adressed like that by another Padawan. Who was he to lecture Des? And who was this Master Karr he spoke of? Certainly of no relevance to him. "And perhaps you might want to mind your own business," he replied, his tone one of warning. He realized it was a lame answer, one that showed he had no better retort, but he would not come up with excuses. Not for this Padawan. "I do not know who this Master Karr of yours is, but he has certainly showed no interest in me. Why he should do so now is beyond me. Are the Jedi so shallow as to ignore an initiate and only care when they think to lose him? I think not." He could fault the Jedi quite a few things, but lack of integrity was not one of them. Des did know one thing, and that was that he did not like this human and his air of superiority.

 

[Kaia Vullen]

Des had mentioned to her that he was going somewhere, doing something. It didn't sound the least bit good, but Kaia's curiosity was peaked, though her gut told her this was a bad thing. She didn't ignore it, but she couldn't leave her slow-brother to make decisions of his own. He would end up running off a cliff or something! She had gripped a hold of Zylah's cloak and hurried to the mentioned place. If Des had found them, they couldn't be so bad, could they? Yes, yes they could. She was worried, but also curious. Such insatiable curiosity. Perhaps she was daft after-all.

When she came within sight, she saw four auras. One she recognized as Des, one she was not sure of, but it was familiar. Perhaps one of the other Padawan, this was reassuring to her. Perhaps he was another friend. She had managed to get her hands on a practice sabre for defence. It wouldn't bite much, but it would block and it was a better defence than her tiny hands. She let go of Zylah's cloak and sprinted downhill, her own cloak billowing and her short twin-tails bobbing in the back of her neck. The two last figures came properly into focus and they gave her disquiet. She had never seen this kind of aura before. Not brilliant like Corvus, but dangerous, powerful and dangerous.

She didn't slow down as she approached the group, but aimed in on Des and jumped. She was naturally good at jumping, especially with such a running start. There was a little bit of the force in there, but a pure force jump, it was not. She jumped onto Des' shoulders, her hands gripping tightly on to the neck of his tunic and her legs anchoring themselves on his chest. She was indeed a diminutive figure, but she made a strong presence in her own way. If her climbing of Des was successful, she would cross her arms over her chest and look suspiciously at the strangers. The normally enthusiastic and welcoming atmosphere she emitted was compromised by force-sight scrutiny.

 

[Elijah Black]

[member="Kaia Vullen"] | [member=Des Kovak] | [member=Slice Spiralflame] | [member=Chiasa Kritivaas] | [member=Keira Ticon]

[SIZE=11pt]Zylah had a bad feeling about this. Ever since Des had let it slip to Kaia in their group training session, Zylah had had a bad feeling about this. She knew of Kaia's determination to befriend Des, and the little one had made her intention to pursue him clear. Kaia would persuade him otherwise, or go with him, Zylah feared. Though she hoped for the former, in the event of the latter, Zylah wanted to be there. There was no way she was gonna let her friend jump on a ship and fly away with some random strangers. What if she didn't come back? Damn that Des, she thought. She still didn't know what she felt about him. She didn't hate him, though she also didn't see why Kaia was so obsessed with him. One thing was certain, however, and that was that she didn't trust him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]"It's against the rules, Kaia. Padawans aren't supposed to leave the premises without a master. What will Master Raaf say?" Zylah said sounding bothered. It wasn't that Zylah was the moral compass of the group, in fact she had just stolen a lightsaber, she was just trying to persuade Kaia to let it go. She thought bringing up her recently appointed master might help to that effect. When Kaia had informed her of her decision, Zylah had gone ahead and borrowed a lightsaber. She had loaned one before. This was just like then, only with less permission and more sneaking. This is so going to get me in trouble she had thought, before meeting up with Kaia again. If things went sour, however, she would need something with a little more firepower than a light sizzle in order to protect her friend. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Her uncomfortable feeling was reinforced as they approached the ship, and she saw the ever energetic Miraluka run off. Zylah was still a padawan, not fully trained in the ways of the Force, but still she was able to sense something sinister coming from that ship. Something dark. "Kaia!" she called out, wanting her to come back, but it was too late, she didn't hear her. "Kark! Kark, kark, kark." she said, frustrated before hurrying after her. As they got closer, she could spot Des and another padawan. She didn't know that one by name, but she thought she had seen him before in their group sessions also. Did they sense the corruption? Did they care? She wasn't sure what Des was thinking, or if he was even familiar with the concept. He seemed like more of a brute to her. More brawn less brain. The fact that he never really said much didn't really help to dissuade her. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Zylah made her way down to the group that had gathered. "We should go." she said to Kaia in a hushed voice, though the advice was just as aimed to any of the other padawans. This was a bad idea. She eyed the two strangers carefully as they got in sight, watching them with suspicion. Zylah would position herself in between the padawans, with Slice to her left, Des and Kaia to her right[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"You might be worth more, then again you might not. The Galaxy is at war love, folks die all the time. First you need to make it to Knight. But yes, there may be some hope for you yet."

She flashed [member="Des Kovak"] a smile and a wink, this angry little Padawan, she rather liked him.

"Connections are worth far more to me than credits."

And this was true credits were easy. As for physical goods, she controlled Nar Shaddaa, everything passed through there. Connections though, people. A value could not be placed on them. They were a resource which if you were wise could be used to accomplish nearly anything.

It was at this point [member="Slice Spiralflame"] showed up. There was a bit of back and forth and then another Padawan, [member="Kaia Vullen"] literally leapt onto the scene, followed by a concerned looking [member="Zylah Dvale"].

"This is fun! Am I taking the entire Padawan class on a field trip? How exciting."

Was she blind to how concerned the majority of them were? Hardly, but as far as she was concerned the more time you spent telling folks you could be trusted, the less you could probably actually be trusted.

"So I understand you usually go to Ilum. That's a terrible idea. It's damned cold for one and for another with the number of Padawans and every other Force-User who's been there looking for a crystal how many good ones do you reckon are left? This isn't a paperweight you're after, this is the crystal for your own personal lightsaber. I see a couple of you have one on you already. What I don't feel is a crystal that knows you. You attune a crystal properly, no one but you can use it, or at the least it can't be used against you."

She eyed them each in turn.

"That sort of things a bit complicated, but you can't do it period if you just pick the first shiny rock you find. You need to find your crystal. Much easier to do somewhere that's not been picked over. Lucky for you lot I have just the place."

She grinned revealing sharp incisors.

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Des Kovak]

[member=Chiasa Kritivaas] | [member=Keira Ticon] | [member=Kaia Vullen] | [member=Zylah Dvale] | [member=Slice Spiralflame]

He still stood eye to eye with the Human Padawan, attention entirely aimed at their little confrontation, when something large clambered up his back and stole his equilibrium. Suddenly, he found himself stumbling around and waving his arms stupidly to stay standing, going "Whoah! Whoah! Whoooaaah!" He sincerely hoped nobody was recording this.

Once he'd found his footing again, he strained his neck to look up and find who it was that had claimed his shoulders as a seat, though he had an easy time guessing. "Hello," he said, keeping his voice as dry as he could manage and hiding as much of his irritation as possible, though some slipped through. He made a face, but despite himself he grabbed on to the Miraluka's legs to keep her in place so she wouldn't fall. He'd already knocked her out once, no need to do it again so soon.

When the albino joined them-Des seemed to remember her name was Zylah, but he wasn't sure- she seemed insistent they should go, Des grinned at her triumphantly, and demonstratively tightened his grip on the Miraluka's legs. This time though, he was careful not to hurt her. "I think she wants to stay," he said.

"If I were to go to Ilum, I'm sure the Force would find a way to get me a crystal. That's how it works, they say," Des objected to the Twi'lek's claims, though he had to admit he had his doubts about the place. When she revealed she had 'just the place' though, it was all just a little too perfect. "How convenient," he said sceptically. He hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well," he decided finally. "But remember, you cross us and there will be no favour to collect later." It wasn't much of a bargaining chip, he knew, but it was better than nothing.

His eyes found those of the Human Padawan again, the only one of his Padawan companions he had not yet had a previous encounter with, and therefore the most unpredictable factor on 'his' side of things. His eyes shone with an unspoken challenge. "If you want out, now's the time to back down," he said, words meant for the Human and the albino both. There was a hint of an implication of cowardice in there, and sometimes that was all it took. It would have been for him, if it had been someone else who spoke those words.

 

[Keira Priest]

It was obvious that although the beginning of what could be called mutual trust, a very timid one, was beginning to form between the Padawans and Chiasa, they still held Keira herself at a healthy distance. Not that it bothered her in any sense as to what a group of Jedi, and young ones at that, thought of her. Once upon a time she supposed she had been like that, obstinately clinging to the light and shunning those that didn't agree with her path as the enemy. It was difficult to fathom, from what point she was at in her life at this moment. And so the group of four only served as some sort of amusement as to the naivety of the Jedi and those that called the Order home. They really didn't know anything about the dangers that awaited them in the greater galaxy.

For a time she merely listened to what could be called impromptu negotiations with some kind of interest. They didn't know what they were getting into, that much was certain, if not blatant altogether. That much was evident when one of them seemed to agree to the idea of going along at least partially, though the others still remained firm, something that was likely in their better interests given who they were conversing with. However, this time the two of them really were telling the truth in saying that no harm would come to these young Jedi. If the Ravens had come looking for blood, no time would have been wasted simply speaking to their adversaries. War would have already been waged, and swiftly so. This was merely a coordinated visit of sorts.

Casting a look to the less willing members of the group, she had to restrain a roll of her eyes, reminding herself that these were just learners, hardly fully trained. Sometimes that didn't excuse their lack of logical thinking. This was one of those times. "If we had come here for the sole purpose of killing Jedi, you lot would already be dead." Far from silver-tongued, she preferred to get straight to the point of any ordeal. "If we had come here to ransom you, we wouldn't have bothered with talking. You don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt. I might be a darksider, but I can have morals when I choose to." And those times of her choosing were, admittedly, few and far between. What they didn't know would hurt them, at least figuratively.

What did genuinely amuse her was the way Chiasa seemed to be going about her convincing of the four. It wasn't as if she hadn't heard the woman at work before, but this was a new path for her to take, there being no subtle threats thinly veiled beneath her words. More or less the Twi'lek was being truthful with her words, at least in the apparent sense of the word. There were other, minor details that had been kept exempt, such as the fact that the planet they would be traveling to was quite distanced from Republic territory, and controlled by the same criminal syndicate the unwelcome visitors were a part of. It really was the little things that made the most difference. And it was those little things most didn't need to be aware of.

"The Jedi are going to tell you a lot of things." Her gaze had shifted to the one that seemed to be the most talkative of the group. ([member="Des Kovak"]) "You'll learn in time that some of them aren't true. I would say that you'd best get used to it." Was she attempting to dissuade them from the Order? Maybe a little, but not through exactly direct means. Besides, it wasn't as if a bunch so seemingly dedicated to this path would be so easily persuaded by one they viewed as corrupted. At the very least she would give them something to think about, but none of them needed word of this reaching the Masters. The Ravens didn't need that kind of trouble on their back, at least not right away. Maybe later.

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"], [member="Zylah Dvale"], [member="Kaia Vullen"], [member="Slice Spiralflame"]

 

[Kaia Vullen]

Kaia looked down at Des and smiled "Hi." Then made a quick scan of the group. She waved a greeting to the unfamiliar padawan before setting her eyes back on the two strangest of strangers. The Lekku'd one, as she did not know their names, had something of a point when it came to the crystals. When eyed, Kaia eyed back all she could, though it made less of a visual impact seeing as she didn't in fact have eyes to eye with. "I'm sorry but, where would that be?" Kaia jumped in with a question of sincere curiosity. It was also something of a safety, knowing where. The other stranger, the human, was nothing if not brazen. Her words were rather antagonistic towards the order, surely some history there Kaia thought.

Though the two seemed sincere, especially with the outburst of having morals despite alignment, Kaia could not completely trust them. However, what could she do? There were other ways to get her crystal, legal ways, but as the lekku'd one said, how many good ones were left on Ilum? And if she did not come, who would make sure Des didn't, figuratively or literally, walk off a cliff? "Also, what are your names?"

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] [member="Keira Ticon"] [member="Des Kovak"] [member="Zylah Dvale"] [member="Slice Spiralflame"]

 

[Elijah Black]

It was, in a way, funny. Des had tried to sneak off the premises to go crystal hunting, and in the process of it he had contacted these strangers of unknown origin. Subtlety was the name of the game, however, here they stood, a group of four padawans in total, class assembled and ready for their field trip. Sneaking around really wasn't his thing. She wondered if the Masters would find out. Did anything get past them ever?

What was not funny, however, was the two of them thinking they could get away with murder on Jedi property. "If you had come for the sole purpose of killing Jedi, you would already be dead." she added quick in reply, giving an intense glare with her clear blue eyes towards the one who had said it. Zylah was unafraid. "The Masters would have seen it." it wasn't a challenge, it wasn't Zylah saying she would be the one to strike them down if they tried anything, but her confidence in the Jedi Masters was unwavering. Why else would the Jedi be standing strong, with all the horrors that unfolded across the galaxy. I can have morals when I choose to, one of them had said. "It's not your morals that worries me the most, it's the choosing that concerns me. What if you change your mind?" Someone with fluctuating morals could hardly be called stable, was that someone she wanted as a guide?

The way the orange twi'lek talked about Ilum, it sounded like she was familiar with Jedi protocol. More so than that, she seemed very aware the process a Jedi went through while looking for crystals, saying a few things that Zylah as a padawan didn't know herself. "You seem to know alot about Jedi ways. You were a Jedi once, weren't you?" she asked, looking back and forth between the two women. The question went out to the both of them, and putting together what both of them said, that seemed to be the case. They didn't seem like Sith, but what did she know. In her mind, their only other alternative background would be as former Jedi. Zylah didn't really consider the fact that they could be trained by deserters from either of the Sith or the Jedi without ever being one themselves. She didn't know who Des had contacted, but it seemed they were at the very least force sensitive. Zylah couldn't quite figure out the twi'lek, but from the other she sensed darkness, there was no doubt about that. In fact, she had said it out loud.

Zylah had her next question lined up, as a follow up to the where, she added a why."Why don't the Jedi use this place themselves if it's so great?" She could make a few guesses as to why, but she wanted to hear it from them. One of the primary guesses being that it was within hostile space, in which case they would be going behind enemy lines. Not good. If it was indeed enemy territory, chances were they were affiliated with the enemy, making them, well, the enemy. With these two being their only ticket back home, the entire set-up seemed sketchy to the young Arkanian.

So far she had ignored Des and his implications of cowardice should she choose not to come. It didn't affect her, as she simply didn't care. Zylah was confident and sure of herself, not requiring validation from others to feel good about herself (the exception to that rule probably being her master). "I'll let her make that decision for herself, Des" she had replied dryly. A lot of this was weighing on Kaia's shoulders. If Kaia decided to go, so would Zylah. If she could persuade the Miraluka to stay behind, so would the Arkanian. Though she didn't want Des to go, getting the feeling that he was slowly warming up to them, he was almost as old as her, and capable of making his own choices.

Kaia had ignored her up to this point, something that concerned her. She didn't seem to share Zylah's fears. It was then it dawned on Zylah what she had to do. "I'll go" she said, exchanging quick looks with the group. Kaia was only there because she had heard Des was going, because she was worried about him. "I'll keep him safe. You don't have to" Zylah offered, this time only looking at Kaia. It was a way out, though whether the young Miraluka chose to take it was entirely up to her. Immediately after saying it, she had had some regret. If things indeed turned sour, she couldn't be entirely sure Des would back her up.

| [member=Chiasa Kritivaas] | [member=Keira Ticon] | [member=Des Kovak] | [member=Kaia Vullen] | [member=Slice Spiralflame] |

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

The Twi'lek snorted lightly at [member="Des Kovak"]s words.

"Thinking like that is probably why the Republic hasn't been doing so well love. Force will help you, it won't do it for you. You stand on a street and look at two storefronts, ones for shoes and ones for hats, you walk into the shoe store the Force isn't going to send you a hat. It gives you an edge, it doesn't undo stupid decisions."

He'd likely find something if he went to Ilum, this was true. A crystal good enough to get by. But would it be the best? If he wanted to see the Force at work, he should look at their current situation. He'd rather foolishly reached into a world that regardless of where he'd grown up he didn't understand, opening him up to all sorts of dangers. And instead one of hers had seen it and brought it to her. Another Force User, and one who would not only mind and help them, but who held sway over a planet that contained exactly what they needed.. It was in unlikely connections like that that the Force could be seen. The Force gave you an edge, made you that little bit more likely to succeed, but only if you dared in the first place.

Then [member="Kaia Vullen"] and [member="Zylah Dvale"] both chimed in. The Jedi questioned seemed to be aimed at both of the Ravens, and Chiasa snickered a bit at it.

"A Jedi? Never. As for who I am, Chiasa Kritivaas."

The lad might recognize the name, if he'd really been living rough. The other three, harder to say. They seemed sheltered, it was quite possible they'd have no idea who the Red Ravens were let alone have heard of the woman who led them.

"And the Jedi don't use it because it's mine, and I never invited them nor anyone else to. Enigma Prime. The far reaches of the Galaxy little ones, law and order and fuzzy feelings don't reach that far. There's only us."

She sent a quick grin towards [member="Keira Ticon"]. This was largely true. Even if planets did have their own security forces, they were usually small or corrupt that far out. Enigma Prime didn't have one. Enigma Prime didn't have much of anything quite frankly, but oh the crystals.

"Speaking of, on or off children, this offer doesn't stay good forever. I've no wish to have a chat with your Masters. That's far more bother than I feel like putting up with this fine morning."

She considered for a moment, before continuing.

"If it puts your worried little minds to rest then here. I, Chiasa Kritivaas, President of the Red Ravens with the Force as my witness will mind you little beasts like blood for the duration of this trip."

Did they know yet that it could be dangerous to invoke the Force during an oath? That it tended to find a way to bite you if you broke it? Likely not, most beings in the galaxy didn't. Of course the flipside of the oath was that she said she would mind them as she would her own blood. She was largely in favour of folks learning to look after themselves, and felt if you coddled them too much you were setting them up for failure. But it was safe to assume she'd at least keep them alive.

[member="Slice Spiralflame"]

 

[Keira Priest]

One shoulder lifted in a shrug as [member="Zylah Dvale"] continued with her deductions. The blind devotion she seemed to hold in the Jedi was at once a source of amusement and vague disappointment. One would think someone as smart as she seemed to be would have already decided that no galactic power was fully sound in what territory they happened to control or what great strength they commanded. Of course, the same went for the Ravens, but Keira doubted the security of the syndicate she called home far less than that of the Jedi. In her mind, there was no greater naivety than mindless faith in something one didn't entirely understand, and especially so at such a young age. And she would have been disappointed, had this been anyone else.

Death wasn't really a concern of hers, whether it was her own life being lost or that of another sentient. It was something she welcomed under certain circumstances, if just to allow herself a greater freedom of action while allowing her to worry far less about the consequences. This was much of the same, though she didn't feel as if she had anything to fear from four Padawans, or their Masters, for that matter. Before in her life she had already clashed with others of the Order in fights short of nothing to the death, and this wasn't any different. If this came to an engagement it would likely be something of a less dangerous sort. Never had the Jedi been ones to kill needlessly, and it was that which would ultimately be their downfall.

Returning [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]'s grin with a half-smile of her own, she turned her attention to the Arkanian Padawan. "Name's Keira Ticon. I was a Jedi, once upon a time. Maybe if you do enough digging, you'll find something. My older brother's here, too." Or maybe he'd left as well. Family connections between the Ticons had been sparse for a few years now, and she wasn't counting on either of her older brothers to stay in one place for any extended amount of time. She would be surprised if Diego had stayed on with the Jedi for this long, but maybe he'd found his niche here. Surprising, but he did deserve a place he could call home, that much she believed. No matter how his ideals clashed with hers, he was blood, and so he would remain.

"I've already fought a few of your brothers and sisters on Kashyyyk. I have to say, I wasn't too impressed. I expected more from the so-called warriors of light." Was that an intentional dig? Most certainly. Most times the younger individuals tended to be the easier to antagonize, and it was something she wanted to test. Being defensive of those she considered friend and family herself, she was curious of how this bunch would react with their fellow Jedi being undermined by someone no less than a stranger, and a darksider nonetheless. It hadn't escaped her notice that they were armed, but she couldn't bring herself to care an overt amount. They probably had skill, but she had no doubt she could match, if not surpass, it.

The faintest of menacing smiles played across her lips. "What happens if I change my mind? I thought you were smarter than that." She let that comment hang in the air for a moment, looking across the group almost lazily, an apathetic glint to her gaze. "But I won't. Not this time around, at least. You should really have more faith in me. I was a Jedi once, after all." Once, during a better time. When she hadn't been a member of a criminal syndicate, when she hadn't concerned herself with who would be trying to kill her in the next engagement that was likely around the corner. With a spur of the moment decision that had changed, and now she was standing on a side opposite of one she may have taken. And she wouldn't really have wanted it any other way.

[member="Kaia Vullen"], [member="Des Kovak"], [member="Slice Spiralflame"]

 

[Des Kovak]

[member=Chiasa Kritivaas] | [member=Keira Ticon] | [member=Kaia Vullen] | [member=Zylah Dvale] | [member=Slice Spiralflame]

Des was content to follow the rest of the conversation in silence for a while. He'd said more than his piece, and no doubt the Miraluka would be rattling on soon enough, he thought. To his surprise, her entire contribution to the conversation came down to two simple questions. He cared little about names and did not give his freely, and the Twi'lek should already know who he was anyway, he suspected, as his deal had likely been with her. When she spoke her name, his suspicion to that effect was confirmed. The more interesting piece of information was the name of the planet they were bound for, and he had to hand it to the scrawny Miraluka that she had weaseled answers to both of her questions from the Twi'lek with her innocent approach. Was it all an act to get this far? Des doubted it, but he decided to keep an eye on her just in case.

Instead of the Miraluka, it was the one who he called 'albino' who now seemed the more talkative of the pair. Strange, Des thought, as he'd imagined her closer to the brooding, quiet kind. At least moreso than the child sitting on his shoulders. What she said mostly didn't interest Des. Talk of concerns, thinly veiled warnings of the great and oh so powerful Jedi Masters who were nowhere around, and further doubts. The only thing that cought him was her deduction of the other two having been Jedi, and the confirmation from the Human. Des had not considered it, but in hindsight it made some sense. He dismissed it as a thing of the past. 'Root yourself in the present,' One Jedi had told him, and that at least was advice he could get behind, despite his adherence to some of his people's traditions.

Des was unable to supress a grin when the albino offered to go and leave the Miraluka behind. It was too perfect. He'd wanted some support, not to go alone, and he'd told the small girl of his arrangement here in the hopes that he would bring the other one along. That was the one he knew he'd be able to rely on if things came to a head. The small Miraluka, who had been taken out by a single unarmed attack from Des before, would only get in the way. Either way, these two could work it out between themselves. Des had already decided he was going, alone or not.

The Twi'lek, Kritivaas, made more and more sense, to Des. She spoke logically and even invitingly. Her reasining made sense to Des, and he nodded as she spoke. If anything, it was already more of a lesson the Jedi had been willing to teach him so far. Everything he'd picked up here was either self-tought or gleaned from group classes. Despite himself, he was almost beginning to like her. Not so much the Human, this woman who called herself Ticon. She was antagonistic, willfully obstructive, and openly Dark. Even Des had recieved ample warning from that, and it was not something that sounded pleasant To deal with or to dabble in.

"Our deal was for you and you alone to pick us up," Des said finally, turning to Kritivaas. "I realize little can be done about it now, but I would like you to return to honouring that arrangement at your earliest convenience." He glanced at Ticon, a frown on his brow. "I do not like this one." He didn't care for any protests the Twi'lek might have, and even less for those from the Human, but he had called her out now and was wary for any reaction. Still, it was something that had to be said. Slowly, cautiously, he started moving past the two who called themselves 'crime lord' towards the waiting ship. They were right: there had been enough talk, it was time to be off.

 

[Slice Spiralflame]

Slice had remained quiet. True, it wasn't any of his business, but if everyone minded heir own business, no one would find force sensitive kids. He was going to comment on this but remained queit, bickering among each other didn't give very good first impressions.

Slice remained quiet after that, n all truth he had zoned off to his own world; he was imagining his own lightsaber, of course it wasn't what he was supposed to be thinking about. He only caught a few lines, one of them being the Human dark sider's comment of killing Jedi "Watch what you say" he muttered, not breaking his eye contact from the dark sider.

The first Jedi started walking towards the ship, he gave the two 'lords' a final look, and followed the first Padawan. He ran to catch up.

His heart was beating very fast, both from fear, and from excitement.
He quietly asked the Padawan "Do you trust them?"

[member="Des Kovak"] [member="Keira Ticon"] [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] [member="Zylah Dvale"] [member="Kaia Vullen"]

 

[Des Kovak]

[member=Chiasa Kritivaas] | [member=Keira Ticon] | [member=Kaia Vullen] | [member=Zylah Dvale] | [member=Slice Spiralflame]

Des stopped in his tracks, his expression one of incredulousness as he studied the other Padawan's face. There was no trace of sarcasm or jest there. "Are you being funny?" he asked with a raised voice, not minding who overheard it. "Of course I don't trust them. And neither should you. That would be stupid. The very idea they could be-" He broke himself off and seemed to compose himself for a moment, but then he just went on. "Look, you can never trust these people to have your best interest at heart. Don't you think for a second they don't see you as a plaything or a means to an end at best. And don't you dare think for a second I would be stupid enough to believe so." As he spoke, he tapped a finger on the Human's chest, as if to emphasize his point. "You want to know what I trust them in? I trust these people to do what is best for themselves. I trust them to recognize a good deal when they see one. I trust them to want a Jedi in their pocket, and I trust them to keep their investments alive. If you believe anything more, you're an idiot. Now, are you coming, or what?" With a final huff, he turned back to the ship and up the boarding ramp.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

"When it's convenient."

She agreed in a good-natured fashion. There were times when [member="Des Kovak"]s high handed approach might have annoyed her. He did not seem to understand his lack of power or bargaining chips in this circumstance, but he was young and rash, and these things could be forgiven.

The long and short of it was that it was dangerous for her to be here. They were all concerned about their own safety, as they should be, since regardless of what [member="Zylah Dvale"] thought the Force did not hand even Masters all the answers. When they were so keen to hand themselves over to Underworld elements there was only so much the Force could do for them. They could easily be gunned down now and their Masters might at best know five, ten seconds before it happened, but to get here and stop it in time? Unlikely. She'd be gone and skipping through space before any immediate repercussions could be brought to bear.

But why would she? What was there to gain for her from killing Padawans? Nothing. Many people stood to gain rather a lot from killing her however, so if she choose not to travel alone most times.. Well that was just common sense. If there was trouble she wanted more than just a gaggle of Padawans to depend on. Des might be useful, the others might well curl into the fetal position and have a cry. Besides, [member="Keira Ticon"] knew the usual layouts and patterns of places like this better than she did.

Two down, she mused, as Des and [member="Slice Spiralflame"] made for the ramp, technically three if the little one [member="Kaia Vullen"] stayed on Des' shoulders. She glanced over at Zylah.

"I sometimes wonder how many Padawans died when the Sith pushed the Republic out of their territory. Probably billions died overall, but for the most part they choose to live there. Padawans on the other hand, are found and collected and brought into the fold, then coddled and kept safe from danger because their all powerful Masters will protect them. Sometimes those Masters fail little one. You'd best know how to mind yourself. Consider this your first baby step. Now, come or do not, be prepared or not, learn or not, but I am starting the engines."

With that she turned and strode up the ramp.

"He has a point. Until you know someone properly don't trust anything beyond their self interest. At the end of the day everyone's out for themselves, even if what they're out for is the warm fuzzies or the moral high ground of doing good."