Private Everything I Tell You Is a Lie

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

The holocron of Vergere.

Kass never would've even dreamed that such a thing could be real, and yet the documents she had recently unearthed in the archives had provided solid evidence for its existence. The Council had approved her request to follow up on her research, but they had included a stipulation: that she not go alone.

Since her move to the NJO, Kass had not taken on a padawan, too wrapped up in her work in the library to devote the necessary time and effort needed to train an apprentice. By assigning her a student companion on this mission, she supposed the other masters were hoping to change that. Kass was a bit annoyed, if only because the planet the holocron was reputed to be on, Chaldea, wasn't exactly the most friendly world in the Alliance. Especially toward Jedi.

She had sent the padawan, Adrian Faal, a message asking him to meet her in the Temple hangar. There was no time to waste.

Adrian Faal​

 

[Adrian Faal]

​

Adrian Faal could do nothing but look at the floor as he stepped through the spacious hanger entrance, muttering some words of apology as he brushed past one of the vibrantly-dressed maintenance crew members. A summon from a Jedi, a master of the force at that, did not have the young force user in good spirits.

There was little enthusiasm found in what he supposed he should consider an auspicious occasion. His cheeks burned with both shame and dread. Any other padawan would be jumping at any moment to prove themselves, eager to show their worth and potential; that they had a future here. He found even less upon finding the attention of the only Jedi-in-waiting.

He weaved his frame between ships as he made his way over to the figure that was Kassogtha Cthylla; who he did not recall seeing around the temple prior to their meeting. Adrian pulled at the fabric of his gloves, trying to air out the uncomfortable sweaty sensation from his skin. “Uhm… Kassogtha, was it?” He inquired with rigid shoulders as he tried to gauge whether this was an assignment or a lecture. The temple hanger was an odd place for the latter. “You summoned me?”

Kassogtha Cthylla ​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

“Uhm… Kassogtha, was it?”

"Yes," Kass said cheerfully, swiveling around to face the padawan - though it was hard to tell which side of her body was which, given that she was covered in eyes and mouths. "Master Kassogtha Cthylla. And you must be Padawan Adrian Faal."

The young man appeared to be a Keshiri, judging by his purple skin. The pointed ears and white hair were harder to pinpoint, but then he could've been mixed.

"I have been tasked with retrieving a supposed relic from the planet Chaldea, a holocron. The Council asked me to bring a padawan along. They recommended you." She gestured to the shuttle waiting to take them to their destination. "If you have no objections, I'd like to leave as soon as possible. This will not be a leisure trip, but if we exercise caution, it shouldn't be too dangerous."

Adrian Faal​

 

[Adrian Faal]

“That’s me,” the padawan confirmed. Adrian wasn’t quite sure which face he should look at and settled on keeping his gaze mostly on the ground and their surroundings. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

Chaldea, a holocron…. Well, that was certainly worth checking out. Artifacts in general were well sought out in all corners of the galaxy. He recalled some of the underbelly thieves who claimed to possess many. With the right kind of buyer, they could sell at high prices. Now that he was looking back on it… they were probably fakes.

Holocrons were incredibly rare, though. Adrian knew that much. Feeling reinvigorated, he dipped his head in a curt nod and moved to board the vessel. “The sooner the better, I suppose.”

Kassogtha Cthylla ​

 

[Kassogtha Cthylla]

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

"No, not long at all..." Adrian breezed past her and headed up the ramp. His eagerness didn't surprise her - that was common and sometimes quite welcome in padawans - but his curt manner did. Ah, well. Perhaps he would warm up to her in time. She followed him into the vessel.

---

Chaldea was a lovely world in terms of natural and architectural beauty. It was just a shame that the people living there weren't even half as pleasant. Kass and Adrian received dirty looks the moment they stepped off their ship. It seemed as if everyone could immediately tell that they were foreigners, which must have bothered them a great deal. Kass, who was used to being stared at, ignored these foul glances and minded her own business.

As they headed out of the starport and into the capital city of Nezamiyeh, Kass paused to look at her datapad. "My notes said the holocron was located inside the catacombs of the Chaldean Academy," she said. "Not a very original name. According to this map, the Academy should be right over... there."

She gestured with a pseudopod toward a massive fortress-like building constructed from magnificent white marble. The Academy stood in the very heart of the city for all to see it. "How pretty it is," she remarked. "I wonder how will we retrieve the holocron from inside it?"

Her tone and the look she cast his way with her many eyes was prompting, trying to see if he would come up with a solution or an idea for how to accomplish their mission.

Adrian Faal​