Fateful Meeting

[Anten Thalcyon]

After boarding a shuttle on Alderaan a little over six hours ago. The wondering orphan, Anten had found himself right back on Nal Hutta. Now he always made the poor decision of sneaking onboard shuttles without contemplating over where the shuttle may go. Now there were a few that took him to nice places. But Nal Hutta? That is not a good place to wind up. Not if you are a blind kid armed with nothing more than a staff and what little he can do with the Force.

But he is not trained so the kid is not able to call on the force like how those that are trained can. Yes he is self taught but he has limitations. His main use of the force is to help him see as he sends out pulses to detect people or objects. But this ability is only useful for detecting things in front of him. Not behind.

So Anten was not aware of the three gangsters that had been trailing the boy since he had arrived on Nal Hutta. What was their plan? Well it was to kidnap the kid and take him as a slave. Possibly to use him to sell their drugs or even to use as light entertainment as they throw him in with a beast or two. Who knows what they are planning to do with the kid.

The boy came to a stop when a crowd started pushing through the narrow street, forcing the kid to take shelter behind a stack of crates to avoid being trampled by the group of beings that varied in species. It was then that one of the gangsters grabber Anten by his arm just below the kid's right shoulder. The blind orphan yelled on top of his lungs, "Let me go!" As he swung his staff at the gangster. Nailing him on the head. The gangster let him go but another grabbed the boy from behind telling him to be quiet. But the now panicked kid only struggled more, becoming more panicked when the third ripped his staff out of his hand and threw it.

"Come on kid. We have a very easy job for you. All we want is for you to go to the Hutt and sell him our spice. You can keep a portion of the money." What the boy did not know was that in the package was not spice but a rip off to get some easy money. Though a Hutt and his henchmen can easily tell when a product is not spice. If Anten agreed to do what the three gangsters tell him, he will be killed.

Unfortunately for the three gangsters, Anten was not willing to do such a job. Which he made clear as he yelled, "No!" And started struggling.

"Well. Then we will just have to force you to do it then." One of the gangsters said as he prepared to punch the kid. Whom surprised the three gangsters as he force pushed the two in front of him away then kicked the one holding him in the groin. The Zabrak instantly dropped him. Anten scrambled up the pile of crates to get away from the the three gangsters wondering if anyone was going to come help him or leave him to the mercy of the three gangsters who may surely kill him now.

 

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The scent of the Hutt's blood made Cedric's nose scrunch up in disgust. It clung to his cloak: a final assault by a crime lord that had met his death only an hour or so ago, granted it was an assault on the senses rather than one that would bring Cedric bodily harm. He focused on ignoring the rank smell as he pushed on through the grime stained streets of Nal Hutta. The swampy world of the Hutts was one the Jedi Master had quickly grown to despise after making planet fall - everything Cedric abhorred seemed to call this world home.

He'd come to deal with a contact of the Jedi Shadows that had decided feeding Jedi secrets to the Sith was a profitable venture. The Hutt hadn't been wrong; the credits he'd received were a testament. The alien had not, however, accounted for the retaliation that would come, and he had been unlucky enough to have that retaliation come in the form of Ession's last knight. Another Jedi might have given the creature leniency; Cedric had no such mercy for those that lived off the livelihood of others.

The sounds of conflict made the Jedi Master pause. He reached out into the empyrean, and felt the Great Ocean's tides wash over him. There was blood in the water, and it was close. Springing into action, the armored knight wasted little time in rushing toward the source of the commotion.

The snap-hiss of a cyan blade silenced the gangsters. They each turned to regard Cedric. The Jedi Master was clad in phrik plates and cloth the color of obsidian, his visage hidden by a mask of similar make to the plates. The light of the Ashla flowed from the weapon in Cedric's hand in waves.

"You will force nothing," his voice was heavily modulated by his helmet's vocoder. "Leave the boy, or I will leave with your heads."

[member="Anten Thalcyon"]

 

[Anten Thalcyon]

The three gangsters focus remained on the trapped boy until they heard Cedric talking to them. Their focus will then turn towards the Jedi Master. Anten will however remain on top of the crates to remain out of reach of the gangsters as they too will have to climb the pile to get to him. If they did then Cedric could easily cut down the gangster as he tried to climb.

The gangsters looked to each other. One seemed to become hesitant while the other two stepped towards the jedi. One of the two gangsters though finally seemed to realize it was suicidal to stick around and took off followed by the hesitant one. The one that remained however needed to take another look at what he was up against, alone as his two comrades had literally abandoned him. He too will retreat without a second glance.

When the three men were completely gone and sure that they are not going to be coming back for them. The blind orphan climbed down from the stack of crates. He was having a harder time getting down than he had getting up the stack, but he did manage to get down. Now it was finding his stick but first he, well tried, turned his attention to Cedric using the little pulses of the force to locate him, "Thank you for helping me mister!" The kid said cheerfully once he located the strange man. As Anten moved to face the Jedi his foot tapped against his staff, he quickly picked the item up, "Is there a way that I can repay you for what you did?" He asked as the kid stepped towards Cedric, he was unsure of the man that helped him but he wanted to repay him for his assistance.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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A quiet sadness filled Cedric's heart as he watched the boy stumble his way up to him. This child was far too young to be wandering a place like this alone - the boy reminded him of the many thousands of children that had lost their parents in the destruction of his homeworld, and it pulled at his heart strings.

The Jedi Master took one final look to make sure his foes were truly gone, and doused his lightsaber. A plate bound hand fell to rest upon the boy's shoulder. "There is something you can do," his tone had softened, "You carry the mark of the empyrean upon you. You've been touched by the Force boy," the hand squeezed. "My name is Cedric Grayson. I am a Jedi Master, though I hold no allegiance to any power or world - if you've no one here to look after you, then perhaps you can come with me. I would teach you how to properly wield your gift."

And keep you from being enslaved by these degenerates.

"You can repay me by joining me, should you have nowhere else to go."

[member="Anten Thalcyon"]

 

[Anten Thalcyon]

The boy could not help looking around, even though he can't really see anything that well, to make sure the low life thugs were gone. Last thing he wanted was for them to come back in more numbers. Anten shivered a little as the Jedi Master put a hand on his shoulders, feeling the sadness that Cedric was feeling. Why was he feeling all that? Then it hit him.

The blind orphan looked up to the man, "Mmm.." The boy thought about the man's offer. It would get him away from this place for good if he goes with him. And wait did he say train him? No way!! The boy became a bit excited about the thought of the strange Jedi to train him.

Anten nodded, "Yeah I accept your offer.. Master Grayson? Uh oh! My name is Anten Thalcyon." The boy paused, "I don't have anywhere to go. My.. I'm an orphan, Sir." The boy said quietly, "I was brought here after my planet was destroyed. I think. I don't remember much." He told the Master with a hint of sadness and frustration in his voice. Frustrated because he can't remember much of home.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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A moment of curiosity was piqued. Had this boy come from Ession as well? It was a possibility, though it may not have been entirely probable. There were a number of worlds entirely scoured of life within the past few decades, let alone centuries. The loss of life was on a truly massive scale, and it likely would not do much good for the boy's psyche if Cedric started probing the child with some very adult questions about his homeworld.

Another time.

"I'm pleased to hear that Anten," Cedric replied genuinely. There was a warmth to his voice that had not been there before - almost fatherly in its nature. Cedric had trained several children in his earlier years, and he truly did enjoy the enthusiasm with which they took to learning. Despite all that Anten had likely witnessed and experienced, the boy retained a peppy attitude - the child was strong, and would make for a suitable apprentice.

"You'll come with me. My world was destroyed as well," Cedric continued as he started walking down the alley, and gestured for the boy to follow him. "There are many dead worlds these days: the results of a galaxy at war," he paused, deciding such a conversation might be inappropriate for the child. "What do you know of the Force Anten?"

[member="Anten Thalcyon"]

 

[Anten Thalcyon]

The boy looked saddened when Cedric told him that his homeplanet was destroyed as well. Well that made the two of them orphans in a way. Though he is not sure of the man's past. There is no telling how long the Jedi Master had been without a planet to call home. Anten quickly started following the jedi, well as best as he could, though he managed to keep up without running into him.

"Honestly I do not know much about the force. All I know about it is that it influences everyone in different ways." The boy replied using his own experiences to answer Cedric's question. All he knows about the force is through his own personal experiences so far.

The boy wondered if his answer was wrong. He is sure that the Jedi will correct him if he is. Which is fine. But this is the first time that a person will take the time to teach him. Everyone else that came across him passed him off. So everything he knows and can do is all through personal experiences and teaching himself as far as his force abilities.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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"One could say that no one knows much about it, truthfully," Cedric replied with a hint of amusement to his tone. "The Force is truly infinite. For all that we understand of it, there is so much that we do not. Even still, we seek to learn all that we can." That much was a truth that Cedric truly believed. For all that he had learn of the Force over the several thousand hours he'd spent doing research and wandering the empyrean, there was still so much he did not know: did not even begin to comprehend. He felt that understanding the enormity of the Force was the first step in learning to understand it.

"You're correct though: the Force does influence everyone in different ways. It varies from person to person, though the Force does have an inherently benevolent nature. The Force is a reflection of ourselves and our own emotions: in its natural state it is a compassionate well of energy. It is the purity of life, the warmth one feels when giving to aiding others out of the goodness of their own hearts, the pride one feels when their family and friends succeed in their endeavors. It is a positive thing, and seeks to preserve the balance of all life."

They rounded out into a main street. Cedric kept a hand locked onto the boy's shoulder to better guide him, and to keep any unsavory parties from trying to snatch him away.

"All positive emotions are a result of the Force. All negatives are the result of our mortal corruption manifesting within the Force itself: we call that the Dark Side. It is the Force's most unnatural state of being, and the Force can only reach such a point via the cruelty and false ambition of mortals."

[member="Anten Thalcyon"]

 

[Anten Thalcyon]

Anten listened closely to all that Cedric told him. What the Jedi Master was telling him both caught his interest and peaked his curiosity. Never had he thought of the force being anything like what is being explained to him. He thought it was just an energy that influenced beings, not a well of warm, positive emotions. Well the dark side was a different story though. The thought of someone using the force to commit cruel things to others frightened the orphan. Perhaps it was one of these dark siders that destroyed his home.

The boy edged closer to Cedric as the two walked past a group of people that made the boy feel a bit frightened as he unintentionally felt their emotions. He looked up at Cedric, "How do you know if someone's ambitions are false though?" He asked curiously. How can one tell when the ambitions of another person are false? Well he is just a innocent kid who has seen and experienced a lot in his life so far. But even still he is not sure how to detect when someone is a dark sider besides when they show off their blades. He had come across one before and does not want to come across another for a while.

"So.. Why have I been touched by the force?" He asked as now a lot of questions were starting to come to his little mind, "I am blind and have had issues since what happened at home.. Why me? No one else that was in the group brought here afterwards were touched by the force." He told the Jedi Master wondering why him. All the others were in better condition than him at the time. So why chose a blind kid with lung problems to go with it?

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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The walk down the crowded street was surprisingly peaceful, all things considered. Cedric was half there, half out swimming through the depths of the empyrean. He was searching for any individual or creature with ill intent nearby; if he needed to defend the boy, then he wanted to be aware of any approaching threats long before they could arrive. When the child asked his questions, Cedric spoke with a quiet, steady tone.

"There are a number of ways. The most obvious way to tell is the way someone carries them self and speaks to others. If they treat others badly, or seem to have an over inflated opinion of themselves, then they likely have ill intentions." Cedric explained. "Alternatively one can feel the presence of others in the Force. Once you learn to attune yourself more to its currents, you'll be able to pick up on many of the thoughts and intentions of those you come across. It is not fullproof, as some beings have been trained to hide their signatures from the Force, but most beings do not know how."

He paused a moment, brow furrowing. "And sometimes you simply can't tell until people show you exactly what their intentions are. Life is complicated like that."

The boy explained his blindness, and Cedric felt a pang of sympathy for the boy. "The Force chooses individuals with the potential for great things to manifest within. It does not care about your body, so much as your spirit. If the Force is within you, then it has done so because you have the capability to change the galaxy. When that potential is corrupted for evil intentions, it is of the Dark Side. Jedi teach our students to fulfill their potential so that they might serve the needs of others. We wish to maintain the balance of the Force, and by extension life itself."

[member="Anten Thalcyon"]

 

[Anten Thalcyon]

Anten listened closely. He had no idea that under the right circumstances that a dark sider can be detected before they allow themselves to be found. Now that made thr boy wonder if he missed some signs before the attack happened. The boy pondered over the idea as Cedric continued to answer his previous questions. Though it did not do anything to prevent new questions from coming to mind.

Wait pick up the thoughts and intentions of another person? As in their emotions? If that is the case then the boy can already somewhat do that. Well not completely since he can't control when he does it. Not like the one ability he taught himself.

Anten will then ponder over Cedric's answer to why the force decided to touch him. He had no idea why or how far back he was touched by it. Perhaps it was even before the attack happened. It is a big possibility. The boy looked away from the Jedi Master, "That does make sense." He said quietly as he reached his free hand into his pocket. His fingers carefully wrapping around the crystal he kept hidden in his pocket. He had no idea how important it may have been until now, "There was something I found before the attack. It was strange how I found it though. I always kept it as a good luck charm more than anything because I had no idea what it was." The kid explained as he pulled the crystal out of his pocket, showing it to Cedric.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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They were drawing close to the spaceport now. Cedric's mind was travelling to a thousand different places at once: it had been some time since he'd agreed to train such a young pupil, and there was a great amount of planning required to make sure the boy had a suitable education. He almost missed the crystal the child had produced as his thoughts were wavering toward future training regimes. When he saw the crystal, Cedric drew to a sudden halt, likely stopping the boy too.

"The empyrean flows from this crystal freely," Cedric mused as he examined the stone. He would be remiss to call it a true kyber, but there was no denying the power of the Force that clung to the geode. The Jedi Master was tempted to snatch the crystal away from the boy: it was unclear if the stone was dangerous or not, and without study Cedric could not truly be sure. Still, its signature within the Force was not malevolent. It might prove to be little more than a force sensitive rock.

"You need to keep that crystal safe boy," Cedric instructed. "It might be important to you in the future. In what way, I don't know, but its touched by the Force just as you are. You finding it was not mere luck; it was the Force's will."

[member="Anten Thalcyon"]

 

[Anten Thalcyon]

With Cedric's hand still being on his shoulder to guide him through the street as well as to keep others from snatching Anten, he came to a stop when the Jedi Master abruptly stopped when he saw the crystal in the orphan's hand. He had no idea how important the crystal is or if it will be in the future. The boy remembered finding it in a stream while playing with other kids on a forested hill outside the town. Anten had no idea if it is one of those that Jedi use for their lightsabers or not. All he knows was at the time he found it that it felt like it was reaching out to him. So since then he had kept it in his pocket as a good luck token.

In his hand the stone shined as a bright, icy blue. But as he listened to Cedric the boy nodded when instructed to keep the crystal safe, putting the geode back into his pocket. Putting it deep so no one can take it or the stone fall out. Besides his memories the stone was a reminder of home, before it was torn apart. When life was happy and peaceful.

The kid looked to Cedric, "So the crystal called out to me to find it?" He had no idea that crystals can be force sensitive and use the force to call out to people. The orphan pondered on if he would want to use the crystal for when it is time to construct his lightsaber or find a different stone so he can keep the one in his pocket as a good luck token as he has been since the day he found it.

Shifting on his feet the boy looked in the direction behind the Jedi Master when his unigue ability alerted him to something coming their way, "Master Cedric. I think they are coming back." He said nervously unsure of how close they are to where ever the Master was leading him to. He can hear ships taking off or landing in the background so the boy thought that where ever Cedric was taking him had something to do with the spaceport.

[member="Cedric Grayson"]