Finder's Keepers (All Jedi)

[Jend-Ro Quill]

"'A gift if you would, we created with our research pure lightsiide metal light as a feather so long as you are light but for a darksider the weight of a star." She offeredit as a small thing to at least remember the planet. "Our quartermaster and tech division have developed much." She waited in case anyone wanted to take it and nodded towards Jend-Ro Quill with all of the island around them. "Do you have a preference master jedi?"

Quill accepted the feather-light piece of metal. He touched it with his mind and did a double-take - it felt like nothing he'd ever encountered. He slipped the curio into his pocket. "Fascinating things," he said. "I'd love to spend some time with your artificers one of these days, when time permits."

He glanced back at Jacen Voidstalker , who'd wanted to talk, probably to catch up about his problematic Padawan as they'd done before. "I can't linger as long as I'd like, Master Ike - but I did want to get your take on something. I'm dealing with a 'Child of the Emperor' situation, if you know the term, and there may be genetic tampering involved, a trigger for Dark Side-induced obedience or something like that. Do you have resources I could draw on to learn more?"
Matsu Ike

 

[Matsu Ike]

She listened to the situation and stood there for a moment. One hand going to her chin. "Darkside-induced obedience.... hmmm." She thought about it and there was one or two things that might be able to work. "The children as I recall were sleepers until activated which usually means there is something that will trigger it. A strong enough connection with someone might be able to break through it. Removing it with a strong enough bond." She tapped her chin while focusing on it. An idea formed in her mind though. "We have the weavers, they have been spinning threads of the force and observing the past, the present to better see the future in some cases."

There was a thought the idea was too simple and easy though doubtless they could just solve it and peering into the past or the future could always alter things sometimes for the worse or the better. "It wouldn't be that easy, walking and observing the past can be dangerous in its own right and there was never many who could do it effectively enough to go back and observe. They mostly only weave impressions of the past, feelings and the barest hints of what happened." Still if they had someone who could become a puppet it might be worth a shot." The main question is if you are certain though? If they are infused with the essence of a darksider who can control them."

She paced a little though and. "There is another route maybe... we created it for jedi shadows... not silver shadows that go undercover and are basically spies. Real shadows... the ones who hunted the darkside and." She trailed a little but came back around holding a hand out and focusing on the holographic display from her wrist. "We created force limitors for them, to control their power for the situations. They can use as much oras little as they want for a fight." They also tested it with scouts who were able to move around much quicker to hide their force presence. "If this force user feels the force limiting the connection could prevent them being used until one can be sure. Is there a first son preventing them and others from being found?"

Jend-Ro Quill Jacen Voidstalker Coren Starchaser Leea Pandac Talohn Atar Serya Talith

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea patiently spoke with the droid; they seemed understanding enough and indeed was quite helpful. From it, the seeker learned the frequency for any emergency communication. She hoped it wouldn't be necessary, Though if I get into a tough spot, I can always try to reach Talohn.

Perhaps more important than the security of comm, the droid explained the goal of this training; supplied her with a rebreather and climbing equipment, and further still advised her as to where a beginning location may be found. The retired soldier was accustomed to carrying a decent pack and she found the tools an easy burden to bear.

This additional weight was soon put to use as the path indicated led towards a small cliff face and rough land. Pulling a pair of climb claws from the pack and began the ascent. "Not the first time I've had to do this. I'm surprised, I would expect the challenges to be more difficult." She spoke to herself to keep breathing.

"I guess this might be harder for someone who hasn't been fighting most of their life. Wonder what Jedi do when they aren't.... well being Jedi..." The craggy wall buckled for a moment and Leea froze, preparing herself for a drop. It never arrived, rather several rocks had shifted and loose soil and bits of stone sent falling. But nothing more than that, fortunately. Leea decided not to waste any more time on this particular section and swung sideways in a jilted motion. Clasping onto the wall beside the loosened portion, the initiate began climbing with adrenaline pumping through her veins. The last few seconds were perhaps the most difficult, Leea could feel her body beginning to wind back down.

Finally cresting the sheer cliff face, she rolled a few meters from edge. She lay still for a moment, her back complained about some sharp implement in the pack poking through the cloth of her shirt. Leea allowed the backlash from the little exertion to subside a bit before she picked herself up. Winded yet recovering, she tossed the claws into the backpack and continued the trek. It seemed the wall had been the difficult part though, as she soon found the small clearing with a rocky overhang as the droid had directed.

"Well, here we are. Time to find the first clue." So Leea began a thorough search of the area. She started with a small crumbling standing stone that stood opposite the overhang, seemingly defying the greater boulder to crush it. Seeing nothing on it or near it, the near-human dropped her pack next to it and began exploring the area. She examined the rocks that appeared most out of the ordinary, then the pathways as if there might be a sign based on previous travellers, and even the larger mountain further inland.

It took quite some time before the Mirialan exhausted all of her options and decided that there were no clues. Indeed the only thing of interest was the carving in the middle of the clearing, to obvious an answer for her when she had started. "What am I missing?" Pacing to and fro, she exclaimed, "There's nothing here that I've not already found. Two nests in the rocks. The holes I imagine were foundations or something. This scratching in the earth. I guess this is the most recent addition. Maybe that's it?"

The Mirialan realized she had to open herself to the Force. This was not a simple task of using survival skills and the physical senses to locate hidden caches. This was not a measure of mind or body, at least not primarily, it was a test of the Force. Not really a test or measure, but an attempt to teach. Leea corrected herself.

Though she understood what was necessary, it was the actualization of that concept that stumped her. Finding a spot of tough grass she fell to her knees and focused on the Force. The calm serenity that she often felt when meditating enveloped her. In that moment the worries of life came at her, demanding attention and attempting with all the power of a star cruiser to drag her out of the trance. Battle, friends, responsibilities, even her own mind felt like it was vanishing as she patiently pushed away from the world. As she reached the point of tranquillity, that point where she began to feel the Force within herself and could begin to recognize its trickling influence in her past and future, Leea tried to turn her sense outwards. It was like trying to turn her mind inside out, or so it seemed. It was as if her concerns were just waiting for the opportunity and they flooded her in a flash. She had to start over. And so she did, over and over. As long as it would take.

Jacen Voidstalker Serya Talith Matsu Ike Jend-Ro Quill Light Rises Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Talohn nods when she refuses the lightsaber, respecting that wish. Thus, he stores it back on his belt. "Lead on then, this is your mission after all." He smiles, before proceeding to put on his helmet. He's heard in certain trials, be they jedi or sith, some kids get a bit too ambitious and try to sabotage the competition. Should there be any toxic apprentices seeking to look better through deception around, the scary mandalorian should make them think twice about going for Leea. He allows the Mirialan to travel on ahead, but keeps a close eye as he follows from further back. This was her trial, he would only step in if serious trouble were to arise.

When they reach the cliff, he follows her up, though he arrives faster through the use of the jets on his feet, allowing him to do a high power jump. Once on the ledge, he crosses his arms, waiting for her while leaning on a nearby tree. "Most jedi are kids that have been pulled from poor homes, hoping to find better lives....Whether it be with the parent's consent or not. Well....least I read they used to do it that way, dunno if they do anymore. Either way, being taken as a child and indoctrinated into a religion? Sounds sucky. Either way, you're bound to be more skilled than the average village lad." He shrugs. "What do they do? Uhhh..... Meditate. Jedi don't really party...or drink...or have fun. Least that's my experience with them. I'm not gonna make assumptions for all of them."

Talohn remained silent as she searched for the clue. This was her test, his aid would be cheating. He watches her begin to meditate. He can feel it, her fluctuating mental state, her struggle. That was one thing he could help her on that wouldn't be cheating. All the surrounding competitors had one leg over her in the aspect that Leea had little to no experience in the force. Thus, he spoke up.

"You're lookin at the force wrong, Leea. You're looking at it as a rope or a thread that you need to grab and hold on to, something you need to pull into yourself. That's why you lose hold of it. It's not a thread, it's a lake. You don't grab onto it, you submerse yourself into it. Then, once you're under the water, open your eyes. Then, you'll see what you're looking for." He states, passing on the wisdom to her that she might find a bit jarring coming from the mandalorian. After all, he had never mentioned his force sensitivity. Was he force sensitive? How did he know what advice to give? Strange cat.

Leea Pandac

 

[Serya Talith]

Serya folded herself into the circle, a rush of air leaving her lungs as she felt the force tune in a little clearer around her.

"Whoa," she breathed, her agitation with Jacen fading away. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, but she held the earlier instructions close to her chest. Close her eyes, open up... and search for what is missing. The force would lead her to it. It was a treasure hunt after all.

Jacen might feel a small pulse of energy as she tapped into, melding into the force and letting it guide her. Of all the tasks she struggled with this was certainly not it.

She let her mind explore, following the threads of light around her.

Jacen Voidstalker Matsu Ike Jend-Ro Quill

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Quill scratched his beard thoughtfully, pondering the wealth of information that Matsu Ike had offered. He'd clearly come to the right place.

"Disturbing thoughts," he said, "but glimmers of hope regardless. Thank you for that, Master Ike." He frowned deeply. "I'm going to need to ponder this. I may be in touch later to follow up. Good to meet you."


After he'd moved on, he went to join Jacen Voidstalker , who'd wanted to catch up with him. From here Quill could get a sense of what Jacen's Padawan Serya was up to. Innocuous meditation, thank goodness. The kid had a wildness to her that Quill didn't entirely trust, in the same sense as an electrical fault. It didn't have ill intent of its own but could still, you know, kill.

"How are you, Jacen? How's she?"

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Jacen was also letting his sense of self stretch out. He could feel Serya immersing herself in the Force. It was probably the best kind of practise she could be doing right now.

"I'm fine, I'm worried about Serya," he said without pause.

"She is exceptionally talented. Last person I tried to train like that...well we can say I haven't seen them for some time. Other problems," he added with a wave of his hand.

"She exhausts herself. It seems...worse than that. When she taps into her real power its like she hits a wall and feints. With her background I fear this might be...something that has been done to her."

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Quill scratched his beard and wished he'd harvested more thala-siren milk. "So...a potential prodigy who triggers fainting spells. And..."

He chewed on that for a minute, taking a seat on a rock that overlooked a rushing cove. Porgs blurped on the beach.

"Done to her. If so, she probably witnessed it to some extent. And if that's the case, either someone removed that memory or she flashburned it. Either way, I can probably recover it, in whole or in part." Between his past with the Raskava and his pilgrimages with the Gutretee and the elders of Entooine, he knew his way around memory better than most.

"Do you think she'd be amenable to that? And do you think it would be wise?"

Jacen Voidstalker Serya Talith

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

"Those are two very different and difficult questions."

Jacen scratched at the thick stubble that was once again rapidly approaching a beard again.

"We can ask her, to deal with question number one."

He chewed on his bottom lip and looked up the hill to where Serya had gone. Jacen looked back to Jend-ro and sighed.

"Does the name Talith mean much to you?"

Jend-Ro Quill

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

"I did think it sounded familiar." Memory enhancement was a Jedi skill, but some things were just too old and casually remembered. Quill flicked a rock down into the surf. It skipped once or twice.

"Is she related to the gods of the Moross Crusade? Or maybe it was something about Byss or Prakith?"

 

[Atrayas Talith]

You reached out to me...

The voice was faint at first. Just a whisper on the breeze. Each note was one of joy.

Across all of space you reach out again.

An image slowly coalescing together. Colourless, formless. His skin was deathly pale, his hair jet black. His eyes, however, they were a reflection of her own.

He let his feelings flow down that connection unbridled. Then he sensed the light side of the Force. It was all around her. Atrayas recoiled.

"They have you." The statement was a flat observation. What followed was a desperate plea. "Where? Give me a name!"

 

[Serya Talith]

Goosebumps prickled over Serya's skin, her eyes slowly opening to a presence that felt ... like a childhood lullaby. Lost, yet... yours.

That lack of recognition coiled in her brows, her stare growing longer and more pronounced as she beheld the ghostly figure before her. "Who are you?" She answered back, the bright colors of the area melding into a sea of watercolors. The world faded away. He grew clearer.

Her hand gingerly reached up, caressing her own high cheek bone.

"Your eyes," she breathed.

She had never seen another like hers before.

 

[Leea Pandac]

The Mirialan began to feel the calm leaving her, every attempt fostered that slight irritation at her own failure. Every failure drove her just a little further from tranquillity. Leea felt her legs begin to ache, back beginning to complain, and the eyes of her friend on her. Must be really annoying to have to stand and watch, waiting for something to happen. Wonder how long before he starts getting antsy.

As if on cue, Talohn spoke up. At first, Leea did not understand the words, so obsessed with reaching the point of meditation she was indeed pushing herself too hard. Then, the learning sentient turned her attention to his guidance and realized what he was explaining. The idea that he somehow had knowledge on the subject seemed amusing. Leea wondered if he worked with a Jedi in the past. It would explain where the lightsaber came from... Something I need to ask him later.

She turned her head to the Cathar and gave a slow nod. Worth a shot, not like you're getting anywhere with this. She closed her eyes once more and considered the Force. She tried to contemplate it as Talohn had suggested, truly something that surrounded her. Don't focus on it as something to be pulled or held onto. It is around us. All around us. The momentary break allowed her to slip back into her meditative trance. She began once more to feel the Force.

Leea felt as if she were on a beach, a much more peaceful beach compared to her experience. There was a pulse, an ebbing and flowing that struck her at once as ominous and relaxing. It's as if the Force has a heartbeat, or a tide. What could it be? But the Mirialan did not dwell on the question for long. She had a mission, and she hoped that she would be able to return to this state at some point in the future. For now though... For now, Leea opened her senses to her surroundings, feeling for something, anything, that might connect to her first clue.

She almost lost hope for a moment, as her senses turned beyond herself, she was struck by the brightness of the world. Not the physical light, but rather the Force's strength in this place blinded her. Her imagination ran ahead of her and she feared that she might be burned by the intense light. Trepidation did not stop her though, and Leea did not flinch as she stared into the great brightness. Even as she gazed into the shining void, the Force trainee began to see beyond it, as if her mind's eye began to adjust to its new environ. She began to see lights in every which way, some sparkling and faint, others steady and bright. Most of the lights were far away, perhaps elsewhere on the island or maybe on the world. But in her immediate vicinity, she could sense, almost see, a circle radiating the Force, and a glimmer of a star near her. Is that?

Surprise broke her concentration and in that moment Leea snapped awake. She found herself drenched, exhausted, but she felt no small degree of elation. A smile beamed across her face, and she slowly brought herself up to her feet and took the few steps to the circle carved into the ground. Her voice sounded distant and faint as she breathed heavily, "Once more. Let's do this." Half-falling, Leea dropped to a cross-legged pose and slipped back into her meditation. This time though, she knew what she was doing and she turned her mind to the circle. It is supposed to have something that can help find the artefact.

Light Rises Talohn Atar Serya Talith Atrayas Talith Jend-Ro Quill Jacen Voidstalker Matsu Ike

 

[Atrayas Talith]

"Who am I?" he echoed back. His outline wavered and it seemed her would dissipate back into the living colours. He seemed genuinely shocked at the question.

"You must...you know who I am. You must feel what we are destined for."

Which each word his confidence seemed to grow. At the core of Atrayas was an unshakeable faith that had been instilled by his father. It would take more to shatter it.

"You know me."

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

"I did think it sounded familiar." Memory enhancement was a Jedi skill, but some things were just too old and casually remembered. Quill flicked a rock down into the surf. It skipped once or twice.

"Is she related to the gods of the Moross Crusade? Or maybe it was something about Byss or Prakith?"

"Gods of the Moross. A family line, usually woven into the dark side of the Force. They usually have more talent in their toenails than your normal jedi. Always the same eye colour. She reminds me of a Talith I knew."

There was more to it than the eye colour. Everyone had a signature in the Force. It was just as much a unique identity as appearance.

"So I'm left wondering why a member of that family was found picking pockets in the streets with a mental block on using the Force."

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

The hermit sucked his teeth in thought. Audibly.

"Offhand, every serious possibility I can of is one of three things - they did it and might Very Much Object to having it reversed; someone else did it and the family's looking for her; or she flashburned herself and, again, they're looking for her.

"In theory I could bring back her memory distantly - with a filter of sorts to soften the emotional side of things. It would keep the memories from overwhelming her. And if it turns out she's some mindblocked dark prodigy, maybe it gives an edge to who she is now."

 

[Serya Talith]

Answers lingered on the tip of her tongue, out of reach yet there on the edge of her thoughts. Like mist.

"I- don't know you," she insisted, growing flustered and stressed and the mist refused to coalesce. "But I have seen you before. Susevi, you were in my-" dreams? Or had that been a vision after all. Her stomach dropped, her world suddenly feeling very out of control. She didn't like that.

"Why are you here? What you want?" She demanded, her voice echoing out over the sloping hills.

Jacen Voidstalker Jend-Ro Quill

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Jacen chewed on the inside of his cheek. He was shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"I was very much hoping that you wouldn't tack on 'family looking for her' to most of the options. In isolation this would be...delicate. I think that something needs to be done. She's going to do herself serious harm. Well, that block is.

"If someone is..."

"Why are you here? What you want?" She demanded, her voice echoing out over the sloping hills.

Jacen Voidstalker Jend-Ro Quill

"...hell."

The conversation was abruptly broken by Jacen turning the dash after Serya. It seemed like he was making every mistake possible. "

 

[Atrayas Talith]

"I- don't know you," she insisted, growing flustered and stressed and the mist refused to coalesce. "But I have seen you before. Susevi, you were in my-" dreams? Or had that been a vision after all. Her stomach dropped, her world suddenly feeling very out of control. She didn't like that.

He took in a long, slow breath. Clearly, her admission bothered him. It took the young man a few seconds to let that sink in. She had given him the name of a planet too. That was something he could use.

"Why are you here? What you want?" She demanded, her voice echoing out over the sloping hills.

"I am not here. You must remember me, even further back. I want you." Atrayas sounded desperate rather than angry. He started to reach for her before remembering that she was still beyond him.

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Serya's yell carried over the porg-infested hills. When Jacen cursed and took off running, Quill followed as well as he could. At a guess, Jacen ws younger by at least a decade - and significantly more motivated. Quill kept up, more or less, just because he knew this landscape and this particular path.

They came up around a bend and into sight of Serya. The subject of her outrage or fear was barely visible to Quill: a ripple, a sense of wrongness. He halted to plant his feet and called up Force Light. A soft-edged ray shone around and past Jacen, silhouetted him, and illuminated Serya. Whether the unwelcome presence was a spirit or a projection, Force Light ought to make it go away in short order.