Private Far From Any Road

[Maynard Treicolt]

Of course it had to be Concord Dawn. If all the places Ryv's BD unit was able to pick up a trace of his master, it was Concord Dawn. The old stomping grounds of Maynard's early childhood until he was taken off-world, freed from the life of tenuous stability and less than amicable impoverished living conditions to be absorbed into the Jedi Order as a padawan learner. A short lived reprieve, regardless - it seemed Maynard was re tracing his steps all the way back again.

None of that mattered, at least he had to make sure it didn't. More was at stake for Treicolt than digging up the past. Ryv was alive from what seemed like the most unlikely circumstances to ever crawl from. The last anyone saw of him he was on ice and under the custody of Purge Commandos in the first encounter any of the Jedi had with them. A horrid but effective first impression. It was a unit Maynard had tried a hand digging up information on after the operation to save Lanik and lose Ryv had gone through, only to come up with dead ends on every turn.

"BD you better be joking with that..." He said as he saw the droid's coordinate input into The Renegade's nav computer. Not only was the trajectory an area being cut through by Sith-Imperials under new orders to cleanse any Mandalorian populations from the sector but also strikingly close to the very point of origin of the spacer turned Jedi. It was only fitting.

"Well- shit...we're gonna have to drop more out of the way than I'd like but hell, what can ya do, right BD...Buddy?" He said, glancing back from the sticks to the two droid units accompanying him to reassuring binary tones. The blockade in place was easily avoided with a good bit of tact at the sticks and the baked in cloaking system of Maynard's blockade runner meant a smooth entry into the system. What were once golden waves of grain and crops had turned to molten masses of burnt stock much akin to the sky above it. Blues dimmed to horrid grays.

Setting The Renegade down into a cleared patch of burnt out grain Maynard set off with a blaster pistol in hand with Ryv's BD unit clamoring over his shoulders much to the protest of his own astromech.

"Wh- who the hell else is gonna watch the ship? Ol BD the one who knows where Ryv is, cmon now Buddy don't give me all that." The jedi said on the way out to a solemn sequence of binary from the droid before the ramp shut closed behind him.

"Probably Imp patrols out n about...we ain't too far off from the signal though...just gotta be all sneaky like, ain't that right BD?" He said to the droid along his shoulders as he trudged through burnt earth toward the nearest tree line, crouching down and slamming a shoulder down against a felled tree trunk as he recognized the chatter of Imperial legionnaires on patrol in the outskirts of the burnt out hamlet nearest to Maynard's old homestead. Through charred husks of buildings he was able to make out some of the features only to enough to recognize it, drawing a fevered breath from him as he tightened his grip around the pistol before he made his way deeper into the town -- honing in closer on Ryv's pulsating distress signal piped through the BD unit.

---

Ryv

 

[Ryv]

Days Prior

A string of wild rides led Ryv off Concord Dawn, back again, elsewhere in the galaxy, and there once more all in a matter of a few short weeks. He fought side by side with the Sith, took on Hutt gangsters, escaped bounty hunters, and survived the Inquisition. Each day proved more dangerous than the last, shaping the young kiffar into a far more skilled Jedi than anything he could face aboard Peace. It left him scarred. Darkness pooled within him, reminding him of all the terrible things he'd suffered since once more taking up a lightsaber once again, but it wasn't enough to break his resolve. His home waited for him. Auteme, Maynard, Loske, Aaran, and Bernard all waited for him. He couldn't give up hope because he believed his friends hadn't either. It's what led him out of hiding and out into the public eye once more.

Rumors circulated the small community of workers Ryv took up residence with upon reaching the planet. A group of imperial soldiers were preparing to comb Concord Dawn in full under the orders of a mysterious Sith Lord. Their targets were the escaped Mandalorians and kiffar. His greatest ally up until that point was the lack of an overarching presence. Orders were passed down among various groups to find him, yet, no unifying voice took charge of the operation. That all changed with the arrival of whoever brought so many Imperials to the backwater towns Ryv fancied.

An incursion to a local cantina brought Ryv in contact with some residents who used to till the fields surrounding the small town. The group identified the kiffar for who he was but did not turn him over to the Sith. Instead, they spoke of a member of their community who went off to become a Jedi years prior. Of course, they wanted to know more about their local who went off to make a name for himself, so Ryv obliged. It didn't take long for the Treicolt name to show itself in the conversation, further instilling a sense of trust in the young Jedi. Ryv regaled them with tales of his friend's heroics, assuring them Maynard had become someone they could all proudly admire.

With the coordinates to the pilot's former homestead, Ryv set off with a promise. One you'd come to expect of the young Jedi.

"We'll be back soon enough. Just you boys wait and see."

Present Day

Ryv leaned against the remains of a wall in silence, a hastily constructed device currently serving as a distress beacon. He programmed it with the hopes it would reach his trusty BD unit across the stars, putting himself in danger all the same. With a ruined region acting as his hiding place, the Jedi gambled on no one thinking to look so far out of the way to find him. Yet, Imperial intelligence had a reputation for finding their mark, whether it involved burning down entire cities to do it or crosschecking every source they had in stock.

He eventually pushed himself to his feet and began wandering about his friend's former abode—the force coursed through all things, though there was something different about the homestead. It was if the light and the dark warred for supremacy within the home. All around him, memories screamed for his attention, seeking to tell him something he couldn't quite see.

With a deep breath, Ryv removed his glove and ran his hand along the surface of a ruined table.

Maynard Treicolt​

 

[Maynard Treicolt]

The force echo projected several years ago...

"Maynard! Ah damnit- where the hell've you been?! Don't tell me you were hangin' around with those damn scrappers again..." A low and disciplinary masculine voice sounded out from the entrance way of the homestead before a young boy no older than eight ran through the door. The two of them both wearing worn and poorly made farmer's clothing, the stitching poor and wrought with holes and damage be it from toil, dirt or dust. The entire homestead reflected the same. Though it was a farm with land under its name it was...not one that was doing all too well for itself.

The Treicolt name was one known in the area but not one in the best of light, the news of Maynard was only welcomed if only in that...Maynard was alive and hadn't croaked an early death by beating the devil's tattoo.

"Yeah but- the hell else is better to do 'round here? Found ourselves a wing to one of those Mando birds, pops!" Maynard said -- seemingly delinquent in the activity but otherwise jovial at the find.

"Watch your language! And don't be givin' me lip- you could get yourself hurt with them and I can't afford losin' a hand around the farm." The boy's father retorted ed, planting a light smack upside Maynard's head before he motioned him into the kitchen, toward the very table Ryv laid his hand on to begin with.

"Oh quit it you two! Don't care where he's been he needs his supper..." A feminine voice protested. Wearing clothing of no better quality than the rest of her family though she was perhaps a decade or so her husband's younger. Ushering a platter of food toward the table she motioned the two to sit themselves down at the table, planting a kiss on Maynard's forehead before he joined them in seating.

"Boy just got some thought that he's gonna go off flyin' away. Ain't nobody- not me, not my old man or his ever left Concord, ya hear? Just not happenin', no way he's leavin' neither." Maynard's father spoke up before he dug his fork into a piece of meat, chewing it down. All the while Maynard was more content to fumble with the food as he rested his chin in his hand. His mother offering a solemn gaze in return. It was clear even at a young age Maynard wanted off the dusty rock but between the three of them they had all but assumed it wasn't possible.

"Couldn't even tell you where he'd even learn to fly the damn thing if he ever even gets his damn hands on anything. Boy barely does good doin' farm work and he's thinkin' he wants to fly outta here? Give me a fuckin' break..." Maynard's father sounded out before his mother piped up.

"I'm sure he could learn- if he was given the chance at it." She said before she continued to eat the food set out before them.

"Let's see him work a damn vaporator before we start talkin' about starships- cmon now be real." He retorted.

"I- I hear the Alliance is always lookin' for pilots. Maybe one day they come on 'round here..." Maynard offered, his father offering only a laugh through food chewing to his son.

"Cmon boy- they ain't gonna want shit with some damn dumb boy outta Concord. Now quit yer damn yappin' n eat. Next word outta yer mouth and I'm throwin' it in the trough." Not that the food was much good to begin with, given the scarce materials they had to manage off in the first place.

With that -- the echo shimmered away into nothingness. A brief and seemingly mundane view into the past. Even still -- the homestead was not void of its presence in the force. It seemed to beckon Ryv to an open door way that led out of the back of the house once more.

All the while -- Maynard still honed in toward Ryv. The closer he got the more familiar the lay out around him got. While it made avoiding the Sith sentries an easier task it also enveloped his stomach in a pit of dread. With a lay of the land also came with it lingering memories. A scant few of them positive.

---

Ryv

 

[Ryv]

Ryv's eyes glazed over as the echo took over his sense. No longer in the rundown dining room, he viewed the past through the memories of the force. So much raw emotion littered the vision. He wondered who's emotion tied this moment to the cosmic power surrounding them. He assumed it was Maynard, given his apparent desire to get away from his home and set out on an adventure. With each second that ticked by, Ryv felt less confident in his guess. Maynard's father reminded him of so many others who'd been beaten down by a system that thought nothing of him. A father should build up his child and inspire greatness, not tear them down for their past failings.

Withdrawing his hand, Ryv wiped the dust off on his worn cloak and turned towards the open doorway. While he didn't think too highly of himself, Ryv knew the truth of what his life had become. Many considered him a hero, others a friend. If it weren't for the late Jedi Master, Ryv would likely have found himself in a similar place as his closest friend, struggling to make something of himself, stuck in the shadows of much worse men and women. From the moment the kiffar met the wayward pilot, he felt a sense of respect for Maynard. Perhaps it had something to do with the way he worked aboard Peace without complaint. Very few had the same work ethic as the former resident of Concord Dawn.

Stopping right before the door, Ryv ran a hand along a pile of rubble beside it. "I've gotta say, man, I really should be thankful for growing up the son of a Jedi. Farming doesn't seem like lucrative work. Though, I'm not sure being a Jedi is either," he chuckled and stepped into the door frame. He took a deep breath and pressed his hand against the frame.

Maynard Treicolt ​

 

[Maynard Treicolt]

10,000 Days

As soon as Ryv stepped into the doorway the dim light of the sunset and everything else seemed to shudder black for a moment before re-emerging in a darkly lit rain fall and thunderstorm. Peering about - the homestead surrounding Ryv was not too dissimilar to the force echo, save for some signs of structural decay indicating the passage of time of about a decade or even longer.

"SEARCH THE AREA - FIND THE JEDI." Sounded out through the distorted comms of Sith troopers as they barged through the entrance of the homestead, flipping furniture and disfiguring the place until it began to take shape into the place of sudden and abrupt chaos that it resembled in current day.

"The farmers - where are they?" The same Sith sergeant barked out, pointing a finger toward one of his subordinates.

"No sign of them..." The Sith trooper sounded out in return. This clearly resembled the first wave of Sith conquest over Concord Dawn. From the sight of reddish black filling the sky -- the smell of fire and death heavy. It was clear why the Sith troopers were deliberate in cleaning this place out- they were looking for Maynard.

"Check the other buildings..." The NCO sounded out, motioning a flat hand toward the back of the homestead, the section of troopers shuffling past Ryv in the door way. Headed back toward the main barn on the homestead the trooper on point planted a closed fist against the blast door, finding no reply they jolted the door open with a press of a control panel button. As soon as it opened a crimson blaster bolt shrieked through the door way, sending the trooper to press his shoulder to the flank of the door way only for another to pull from formation and yank the pin of an incendiary grenade, tossing it into the building before the blast door shut cleanly in its wake. Making way from the building the sounds of terror and agony sounded out as the squad of Sith troopers turned to make way toward another, smaller building on the homestead.

Eventually the blast door opened up once more to reveal the man nearly charred to a crisp with his body bathed in fire, making it only several feet before collapsing unto the ground as the last shuddering whimpers of life escaped him. All the while the Sith-Imperial levymen carried on placidly, nigh automaton like in their conduct on the homestead. The pained gaze could only resemble the shadow of what was Maynard's father as he reached out hopelessly before eventually the flames and smoke ripped the life from his lungs.

Likely drawing his focus, the charred man would distract Ryv from the Sith troopers wrenching a woman from the other building on the homestead to pained and horrified cries of a woman, Maynard's mother.

"The Jedi! - Where is he?!" The Sith NCO barked out, grasping ahold of the woman by the collar he rested a vibro knife against her neck.

"I- I don't-" She said before she was interupted.

"Ma- No! Wh- Hey!" An unnervingly familiar voice barked out - Maynard if only in his younger days. Donning the robes of a jedi he flicked a cobalt saber on. His tears were concealed by the utter downpour around them. In his pain and anger the dark side presence that seemed to flicker around this echo all but enveloped Ryv as Maynard approached the Sith troopers, all but trying and failing to conceal his boiling anger. Not minutes before - his master was slain in the first wave of the subjugation and Maynard was left behind to help fend off against the innumerable odds unguided.

"Let her go! Stop!" Maynard pleaded, his voice bathed in shades of rage and urgency more than anything else before a blaster bolt cracked out and bit into his arm, nearly sending him to the ground.

"Well- we've got him now." The Sith trooper sounded out, slicing the vibro knife through her neck before throwing her to the mud beneath, all but regarding her as refuse before he slowly approached Maynard who'd barely been able to reclaim his footing.

"Ma-! No!" Maynard barked out, starting a charge toward the man before the click of blaster rifles hefted in his direction stopped him in his daze of emotion and adrenaline.

"My masters have requested that I see you captured, alive else I'd have my men end you this very moment, boy." The NCO sounded out in an attempt to negotiate with the padawan.

"So then- why don't you put that saber down, whelp. The Sith will remake you into something...far far better than this...crying boy on some cesspit..." The soldier said, offering out a hand as he slowly sheathed the blade. The Padawan's shoulders rose and lowered with heavy, laboured breaths. He was seething in anger in this moment - it was then that any presence of the dark might've been overpowering before soon enough he erupted in a loud cry- surging forward and cutting the saber through the trooper's neck, offering a swift decapitation. Immediately after his gaze snapped to the next- all but jumping toward him the blade of his saber plunged clean into his chest, placing a hand on the impaled body's shoulder to turn it and use the slain trooper's armor to deflect a blaster shot from another.

Retracting the saber blade Maynard broke out in a clean sprint toward the trooper, taking a blaster bolt to the side of his abdomen in the process causing his saber to lurch free from his hand. Tackling the trooper to the ground he began to savage him, wrapping his hands around the man's neck he hefted his throat up before slamming his helmeted head into the ground repeatedly as he managed to control the man's body in his straddle over him. In a bloody and horrific murder he let out a blood curdling scream as the trooper was all but bludgeoned to death by the young padawan, Maynard being maybe a couple years younger than Ryv was in this very moment.

Exhausted and wounded Maynard slowly crawled himself from the corpse of the Sith trooper, rolling into the mud he began to weep, his lightsaber only but an arms reach away as he beat his bloodied hands into the mud in futile rage. He seemed content to die right there - to let himself wither away in the midst of his suffering. Eventually the characteristic hydraulic clatter of a bi-pedal walker sounded out nearby. Seemingly sounding his survival instincts through his body he slowly wrenched himself to his feet once more - the sheer exhaustion visible in his body clattered with mud and blood. Leaning down to take up the lightsaber he peered over the hilt, battered before he ground his teeth against one another- looking in the direction of the nearby treeline he reeled his arm back before throwing the saber's hilt into the woods with a powerful heave. With that - the echo shimmered back into reality. Here - the rest of the homestead was all but recognizable, the bodies buried or looted while a great deal of the homestead had been ripped apart for scraps.

---

"I was really hopin' this wouldn't be where he ended up..." Could be heard, all but an insurmountable task to try and reapproach this place once more for the Jedi and even still he made his way to the main entrance of his child hood home. All but baring in context the first time Maynard ever felt he wished to leave and the last he ever was here, Treicolt slowly approached Ryv with his BD unit clammoring over his shoulder. Sliding his DL-44 into the holster he lets off a sigh, unable to stray his gaze away from the Kiffar as he speaks up to him.

"Had your fun, pal?" He asked, offering a grin in sheer bewilderment that he's able to see his best friend alive once more.

 

[Ryv]

The sound of rain cascading upon the momentarily whole homestead took Ryv by surprise. He expected another memory, yet there was always something off about your consciousness perceiving something that was no longer there. He turned on his heel at the sound of booted feet thudding against wooden flooring, right before the door to the homestead caved in and splintered. Wooden debris scattered across the door as water flooded inside, bringing with it a whole new layer of grime and mud. The sight of armed and armored Sith troopers put Ryv on the backfoot immediately, his hand subconsciously falling to the lightsaber he no longer carried. As the squad of trained Sith-Imperials tore the place apart, the kiffar took a deep breath, reminding himself it was only a vision of what had transpired. Once the captain's words reached Ryv's ears, a sense of horror overwhelmed the young Jedi. This painful memory that surrounded him made all the sense in the world. He raced forward, out into the illusory rain as if he could do anything to prevent what would inevitably come next.

"This has got to be the darkest timeline," Ryv muttered as he watched the barn door pulled open. The single blaster bolt went wide, clearly handled by an untrained marksmen, only to be met by a fiery end. The kiffar charged forward and slid onto his knees as if to catch the man that was Maynard's father. Without missing a beat, the memory of the dead man's body flowed right through Ryv and descended to the muddy dirt. Fear emanated from Maynard's mother as the imperial troopers ripped her from another building and pulled her out into the rain. "C'mon Maynard, don't do it, man. This is a trap, just stay wherever you are," he whispered to empty air, speaking to no one in particular as his mind followed the force echo. Ryv couldn't say he was surprised when the younger form of his best friend pushed out of the nearby building and called attention to himself.

Ryv looked away as they slit Maynard's mother's throat and dropped her to the muck. He moved towards her and gently ran a hand through the memory. "I'm so sorry you were drawn into this. I couldn't imagine a worse fate for such honest folk," his voice trembled, and he looked up to witness the stalwart pilot brutalize the soldiers one at a time. The kiffar couldn't bring himself to blame the Concordian as the powers of the dark side exploded from where he stood. In the younger Jedi's shoes, Ryv would likely have walked the same path had he witnessed the death of his parents before his very eyes. To this day, the kiffar held a grudge against the people who almost assuredly doomed them. Tears ran down his face as he stepped up beside Maynard's fallen form. He knelt and centered himself, reaching beyond the boundaries of the physical, touching the metaphysical realm comprised of the force. He urged the boy to flee and find his way to somewhere safe, hoping the pleas of the future would overcome the plights of the past.

When the vision faded away, replaced by the dusty and barren homestead, Ryv wiped the tears away from his face and stood back up. He made his way back into their former home and took a seat beside the small beacon signaling for aid. His eyes closed, and he slowed his breathing, falling inward to focus on what the force had deigned to share with him. The meditative period came to a close as he heard the eerily similar sound of booted feet approaching the home. He pushed himself to his feet, ready for what could potentially be an attacker, only to visibly relax as Maynard strode into his former home.

"Thank fuck, dude," Ryv exhaled a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding in before crossing the room to grasp his companion's hand firmly. "I knew you wouldn't let me down, brother."

Maynard Treicolt ​

 

[Maynard Treicolt]

When Ryv reached to take Maynard's hand he refused in favor of embracing the Kiffar, slapping a hand on his back with a grin before he stepped away once more.

"You thought for a second I'd let you linger all out here alone? Cmon now." He says as the BD-unit seemed to hop from Maynard's shoulder to Ryv's with a sequence of enthusiastic beeps.

"You don't look like you're in too bad of shape man, not gonna lie. Though man- you been crying or?" Maynard said, he seemed to ignore the venue their reunion took place in - taking any time at all to really settle into where he was would only draw deeply negative memories from him as Ryv knew better than to assume otherwise. Though eventually he had to break the silence over the matter.

"So- shit I honestly was hoping here wasn't where you ended up but...only makes sense I guess in the fucked up way things work, anyway what the hell you been up to out here man?" Maynard asked, seeming to brush off the familiar setting best he could before continuing to speak though he was more content to listen to Ryv more than anything, the guy was missing after all.

---

Ryv

 

[Ryv]

Ryv returned the embrace, patting his pal's back before pulling back. He took a step away and took BD-8 from his shoulder, lifting him in the air as if he were a child before returning him to his first perch. He didn't realize how much he missed the little droid until the time spent away from it. BD-8 had joined him in every task and mission the Jedi took on since Wyatt gifted it to him in thanks. The bond created meant as much to Ryv as his other friends, like Loske and Maynard. To once more find BD back on his shoulder, he couldn't stop the beaming smile from taking form on his face. Maynard's questions regained Ryv's attention, causing him to turn and face his companion.

"Nah, I didn't think you'd leave me out to dry. Its more, uh, the idea of putting up a distress beacon in Sith controlled space. A lot more worried about someone managing to catch onto it before you two could," Ryv stated as he moved towards the makeshift beacon he created. Without missing a beat, he kicked it down and started stomping it into the ground. "Hopefully, that should keep us off the radar until we can get out of here," he moved towards the window and leaned against the wall, watching the empty yard in silence. "You know how it is, man. I'm an emotional dude. I saw some real sad stuff, and it made me feel all kinds of ways. None of which were good," his voice dropped, reflecting the horrors he witnessed.

"I've been up to lots, not gonna lie to you. I've had a few trips off-world before coming back here. Something about this planet just felt important, couldn't leave until I figured out what's going on," Ryv pushed himself from the wall and moved to take a seat on a ruined counter. "I made my way to neutral space, found myself captured by Inquisitors, and dragged to Dromuund Kaas. Helped a Sith lady, before I knew she was a Sith, survive a rather brutal beating at the hands of some thugs. She's super hot though, not gonna lie. Think she had a thing for me," he pulled out his holodevice and flickered it on, revealing Dahne deWinter to the other Jedi. "After that, I ended up meeting a Sith Zeltron chick named Zhani, joined her on Nar Shaddaa, and saw the Ziggard Starborn perform. Immediately after, some Boba Fett looking dude beat the crap out of me and kidnapped her. That one was nutty," he rubbed a hand over his cheek, almost as if he remembered the feeling of contact.

"Rough few weeks after my escape from the Beast," the Kiffar admitted before his eyes snapped open. "Oh yeah, I was brought to a Mandalorian prison camp and tortured for six or so months at the hands of this d-bag Sith Lord. A group of Mandos and I managed to escape, but that sucked too."

It is hard to miss Ryv's larger form after months of working in the camp. Dozens of scars crisscrossed his arms, with one even decorating his face.

Maynard Treicolt ​

 

[Maynard Treicolt]

Maynard seemed more content to listen to Ryv than speak now that'd he found him. Sometimes you just needed someone to do that, be an open ear. The fact the Kiffar had lived at all was extraordinary but even so he seemed to go through a slew of adventures that made Maynard think that the man never wanted to return to begin with. He could imagine it, his years as a spacer were certainly unforgettable even if in the end, he looped back to the beginning of his journey no dissimilar to Ryv. In the end, as much as the life of a Jedi could rip someone apart inside, it was anything but void of purpose.

"You- shit you're telling me in...not that long, you hung out with all these SIth chicks, survived a Sith death camp, came out alive and then wrapped around all the way here? Shit man, seems like you could've come back for a while but...hell, I feel ya. One hand...people need you man, the Jedi it- all that shit you're not just any Padawan man you're a damn asset to us, we've barely been able to pick up the slack with you gone but hell, on the other... I get it. I mean...there was a bit I was damn well sure this shit wasn't for me neither for a long ass while, needed to...be away from it, clear my head. Something about being a Jedi where...sure you help a ton of people out 'n do good by folks but...sometimes you just gotta do good by yourself too, man. Not sure where I'd be if I stuck with the Jedi before I left, wasn't in the right head space. " Maynard said, letting off a low and shuddered breath, Ryv certainly gathered by now Maynard's ill at ease in this place.

"Seems like it might've done ya good though man, 'side from the prison camp n' that but shit man, you're alright. Hell seems like you had a hell of a lot better luck than I have. My dumb ass is still head over heels for Loske, I mean man I think she's into me but, I ain't really the best judge of these things man I don't know. I'm just glad you're up and kicking man, straight up." Maynard said, letting off another shuddered breath, scratching the back of his neck before he offered a nod. Something wasn't right though it very well just could've been the weight of the history within this place for Maynard.

---

Ryv

 

[Ryv]

"I probably could've made my way back, yeah, man. I'm just not sure I was supposed to," Ryv said as he squatted down to sift through a pile of rubble. He could feel the sense of unease drifting off of his companion, permeating the room in a cold sensation. "Like I said, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be here. I'm not big on the whole; the force is a guide, type of thing. Its been my only real companion the last few weeks, though. So, when I felt this sensation like Concord Dawn was important, I couldn't just leave. I needa know why and how this place matters," he trailed off, momentarily stopping to gaze up at the native Concordian. Maybe the kiffar already figured out what was so important about this place. It was the site of his best friend's greatest failure, yet, there had to be more. Concord Dawn could be an opportunity for Ryv to help Maynard overcome the first hurdle to his growth. The mental block set in place after such a horrible trauma could not be left alone.

"While a part of me is glad to know you guys missed me so much, I'm worried at the same time. If the Order can barely function without me, I've messed up somehow," Ryv scratched at the back of his head as he pushed himself back up. "I've done some good stuff, yeah. I think I'm stronger and more focused. The force even feels more present when I allow myself to think about it. Used to feel like I had to search for it, now it's just all around me. It's nice," he reached out and gently waved his hands through the air. The mention of Loske momentarily put the kiffar off balance. While it was no secret Maynard had the hots for their fellow apprentice, Ryv never realized how much those feelings grew over time. It brought a smile to his face as he looked over his best friend.

"Look, man, there's nothing wrong for feeling the way you do. Loske is a certified BAMF. If I couldn't have you at my side, she'd be the immediate follow-up. Hell, best case scenario? I've got both of you as backup. She's beautiful, courageous, witty, and selfless. These are great traits to find appealing, bud," Ryv reached out to pat Maynard's shoulder as he moved towards the hole where the door used to be. "I gotta tell you, though. Loske and Cedric, our master, have a bit of a weird thing. It makes me uncomfortable for a master-student relationship like that, especially since I think they share a force bond, but uh, just keep that in mind," he looked back over his shoulder and began walking backward, keeping his eyes on the pilot as he moved. "I'm not saying this to knock you down though, brother. I high-key think you can win her over. While you aren't a Jedi Master, you've got something Cedric lost a long time ago."

Ryv lifted his hand, closed it into a fist, and pressed it against his chest.

"You've got heart, Maynard. No one else could find me, but man, here we are. You and BD managed to figure out what no one else could. You braved this terrible place to come rescue me. Who else would willingly face their past to help their friend?" Ryv asked the question, his customary smile never leaving his face, even as he alluded to knowing of Maynard's troubled past. "I've worked with Loske a lot during the Imperium days. If she gives you the time of day and genuinely cares about you, you've got more than a chance. Cedric isn't a stationary guy. He's going to run somewhere else eventually, leaving us all behind. When the times comes, chief, you can be there for her."

Maynard Treicolt ​

 

[Maynard Treicolt]

Maynard nodded once to Ryv with a grin as they eventually roamed out through to the back of the homestead. When he brought up Loske and Cedric he felt a pit of dread fill his stomach. Had to be his luck, he finally finds a girl he's into and it turns out shes...with her master. Despite Ryv's vote of confidence, Maynard could offer up nothing but a solemn nod in return, his expression only dimming even more when he mentioned his past. He figured something brought Ryv here and he knew well enough a Kiffar's ability to read the history in objects.

This place had all too much of it for Maynard, he never got along too well with his folks but the night he saw them die before killing several Sith troopers in rage...it stuck with him even if he'd never told another mortal soul about it. Breathing out a shuddered breath he nodded again to Ryv, already feeling a bit defeated, almost seeming to want to forget all his feelings for the girl in this moment. All the more just some dumb fucking mistake by the bumbling farm boy from Concord Dawn, at least in how he saw it and therefore saw himself.

"Yeah...maybe..." Was all he could mouth out, breathing once through his nose in dejection with a shake of his head.

"I don't know man...I just wanna get the fuck outta here." Maynard said outright before he glanced back toward the homestead one last time.

Cyggys Keessk // The Butcher Of The Beast

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Shrouded in the darkness which enveloped this long abandoned pit of squallor, the Kaleesh Dark Lord seemed to wait with some form of premonition that these two would convene here. As soon as Maynard turned to spot the towering Kaleesh Sith he ignited the crimson saber and lowered the hood to reveal the broken and mended bone mask of the alien warrior, slowly approaching the pair, it smoke in a low and gravely voice.

"Quite the friend you are, Kiffar. To summon the boy to such a place of great pain for him. Must be some deep seeded cruelty that waits within you. You escaped me once...you will not escape me again, the pitiful 'General' who saved you is now broken in anguish after the terrorist attempt to re-seize Moridinae...I will not allow you to escape again...far too much potential." The Kaleesh said before he surged forward to slice the Kiffar in two with a harsh upward cut.

Thwarted if only at the very last possible second, Maynard ignited his cobalt saber before crashing it into a lock with the Kaleesh, the ever recognizable clash of dark and light spelling out on the collision of red and blue. Those golden eyes widened for a brief moment as they locked with Maynard's almost as if reading that buried darkness within the Concordian.

"And after he forces you to relive this suffering...you defend him...a fool, you're useless to me. It's the Kiffar I want." The Kaleesh says before stroking the blade up to try and drive the lock into Maynard's face only for the Concordian to retort with a surge backwards, the wayward Jedi offering up a scream of pain and anguish as he releases the lock and returns with a downward strike toward the Alien's head, the Sith there to block the two handed blow with a single arm lifted in the air. Offering up a guttural laugh the Kaleesh then hefts his other hand, pointing its clawed digits toward the Concordian he releases a surge of crimson lightning through Treicolt to which a cry of intense pain sounds out through the treeline surrounding them.

Balling up his fingers he then throws Maynard back with a harsh push into the dirt, disregarding the boy as little more than refuse.

"A pitiful showing..." The Kaleesh offers before he surges forward with a thrust toward Ryv's abdomen with the saber.

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Ryv