Private Into the Unknooown

[Acaadi]

SILVER BEACON, KWENN

Acaadi meandered through the promenade of level 23 of the Silver Beacon. The space station was brand new, yet already seemed to hold a thriving community. It was now the hub that connected the space watched over by the Silver Jedi with Wild Space. There were dangers beyond the Mid Rim, but there was also trade. Many merchants and smugglers now passed through the beacon as a safe route to the central regions of the Galaxy. It was the most eclectic mix of cultures Acaadi had ever seen. Which was why he was certain Kyra would have already lost herself in interesting new people and shops. So many shops.

They had a mission, which was exciting to him. They were going to head to Ziugen and investigate a number of kidnappings in one of the major cities. It was a terrible thing and he did feel quite conflicted about it. On one hand it was far away from Silver Rest and the tedium of their training. On the other hand he was going to have to go and talk to people who were distraught and had suffered loss.

That also meant he was going to have to talk to Kyra about keeping her away from talking to the families. There was plenty of work to be done and the local authorities had agreed to the help from some Jedi. They were better trained to actually investigate crime, but out in wild space the local law enforcement was probably three over worked men. Everyone knew that the Hutt cartel was the real power in that region of space.

First, he had to find her.

Clothes shops. He would try the clothes shops first.

Kyra Perl

 

[Kyra Perl]

"You know if we're gonna blend in we can't be wearing this stuff," Kyra told Acaadi as she flooded his arms with more clothes. First a basic set-- then a spare-- then something warmer and something lighter. She was fetching them a whole wardrobe, and she was loving every moment of it.

"Aw, shove it. I'm paying for it, least you could do is say thanks for the new set of pants." She paused, a beat filling the air.

"Again."

Her eyes twinkled as she made him hold her purse too, the nudge left raw and unspoken.

"Does purple clash with my coloring?"

 

[Acaadi]

"It's fine I can pay for some...of..." one of the price tags fell from a garment and his eyes went wide. Did she always have to visit the nicest shops in any centre.

"Well anyway..." Whatever he had been planning to say was lost when the penny dropped. Acaadi grimaced with guilt. In a way he was glad she could make light of it. He was going to remain mortified about that for a time to come.

"Erm, right, purple. I'm sure it does. Not bright green though, you don't want that against your skin for too long..."

At least he could make fun of himself too. They had been through some dark times together. It was important.

"We've got a shuttle ready. If you get changed when we're back I'll take us off and let you fly us to the edge of the system to leave."

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra was gonna level another crack, but then his offer hit. Her eyes widened, her mouth opening in the tell tail tick of an incoming squee.




“Acaaaaadi,” she complained, batting his hand off the controls. “Stop it. I don’t need you to do it. I paid attention! I can drive in a straight line!”

It wasn’t as if she was inept. Just occasionally blithe. Okay, often blithe. But after working besides Acaadi she had come to terms with the vitality of knowing a thing or two about ships!

“Close your eyes. Turn around. I dunno. Eat a snickers. You still have your clothes to change into, just leave me beeee.”

 

[Acaadi]

Acaadi recoiled from the controls, holding his hands up in defeat. He wore a strained smile and shook his head.

"I tell you what, I will go and get changed and leave you to get us into hyperspace," he offered. Which was silly, he realised, because it was merely repeating exactly what she had told him to do.

He stayed a few seconds until his paranoia agreed to let him leave the cockpit. It was just flying straight forwards and then pressing a lever. It wasn't fair on her to linger when she was perfectly capable.



When he returned, they were already in hyperspace. Kyra was bathed in its cerulean light. He was better dressed than he had been for weeks, though perhaps a little colorful for where they were going. Zeltron did like color. It was a little tight across the shoulders. She knew his sizes, but after shooting upwards recently his body had started to fill out.

"This is the report from the Ranger," Acaadi said. "We've got to ask some parents about...well about their kids who were abducted. Is that going to overwhelm your empathy?" he asked, deciding to get right to the question.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra grinned at her success, turning to great him with a heavy, unspoken 'I told you so~'. This glee was diminished by the sight of his clothing, pinching ever so slightly in places it shouldn't.

Damn, he was growing fast. Why couldn't she grow like that? It was unfair. She reached out to pinch at the fabric, only to be stopped short by his words.

"We've got to ask some parents about...well about their kids who were abducted. Is that going to overwhelm your empathy?" he asked, deciding to get right to the question.

A bite of pain lanced through her. She wasn't sure she liked what he was suggesting. Her lips pressed into a thin line. She withdrew her hand and retreated into her seat, crossing her arms.

"I will be fine," she answered stubbornly. Were her words for his sake or her own? Hardly mattered, she repeated them regardless. "Fine." She hoped. She had been trying to push past events. She had even taken Caedyn Arenais 's teachings of emotional awareness to heart. But there was only so much awareness that could be practiced in the middle of a chaotic moment. Only so much a training empath could take.

She turned from him, directing her attention back to the controls with a fierceness he'd recognize.

 

[Acaadi]

"I'm not trying to be mean, I just know it will be worse for you to feel what they're feeling. It's not something I can imagine," he continued, despite her making it clear she didn't want to continue. "I'd rather have you with me."

Ziugen 3 was not a pretty city. It was covered by a thick haze that made it difficult to land despite the scanners piercing the smog. He took them down towards the public landing pads.

"In these cities anything resembling authority is usually paid in backhanders from the Hutt Cartel," he muttered as they touched down.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra's mood had not recovered upon landing.

"It'll be fine," came the dismissal, the girl standing up and grabbing the clothing bags. With no further words, she left him in the cabin to change.

She came back out, tossing her robes in a pile on her chair. Her hair was done for once, in loose waves that hid the thing padawan braid at the nape of her neck. The clothing was just as colorful as his, though more toned down than he might had feared. She really had tried to get something for them to fit in with.

She didn't look up at him as she tucked her saber into the folds of her shirt at her hip.

"You coming?" She turned for the door.

 

[Acaadi]

Acaadi fell into step behind Kyra, sealing the shuttle behind them. He hoped none of the locals would try and strip it for parts whilst he was away.

There was little security between them and the wide open streets. Airspeeders zipped overhead, but most of the travel was by landspeeder. He had to mind his step to avoid being pushed into the street.

"I've got the address of the last family to lose a child," he said. It's less than a mile to walk. Acaadi wanted to talk to Kyra at length, but he had started to realise that he couldn't fix everything. He wanted to, it was in his nature. He at least hoped that she knew he was always around to talk to. Or just to get a drink and ignore the rest of the Galaxy for a while.

"That...Silver Beacon was pretty massive?" he tried.

 

[Kyra Perl]

"Unlike some things," she dropped, her tone flat. Now she was just being cruel. She didn't care, her emotions getting the better of her. Ironically.

She pushed past him, crossing her arms and walking faster.

 

[Acaadi]

"Hey, come on, that one wasn't fair!" Acaadi called out after her. He laughed once, but his teenage emotions swung between amusement and a surge of embarrassment. She hadn't meant that comment as a joke, it had been a backlash.

He had to sense to know that she was lashing out at him because she was upset herself. It still hurt a little.

 

[Kyra Perl]

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes, her pace unwavering.

 

[Acaadi]

"Fine well then..." Acaadi stamped one foot as if he was going to stand his ground and then return to the ship.

He lasted all of six seconds before he continued after her.

"Don't rush off Kyra!"

 

[Kyra Perl]

She rushed off.





It was hard to say what got them so trapped. Maybe they hadn't worked well enough together. Maybe they hadn't paid well enough attention. In the end it hardly mattered, they had fallen for the ruse, and now they were in shackles. Kyra had been imprisoned once before. By a hutt cartel no less. It was strange to say this wasn't her first rodeo. It didn't leave her any less agitated or stressed.

"This is your fault," she accused, a grumble in her tone.

 

[Acaadi]

"I don't see how it's...well maybe I should have agreed to call for more help when we realised it was force sensitive children being taken. I'll give you that."

His arms ached from being shackled above his head. Pins and needles were starting to set into his fingertips. At least he was sat on the hard concrete floor and not being hung from the wall.

"You feel that..." he said, a moment before the heavy door was opened. The Force had shifted, moving darkly.

"Children," crooned a voice from the door. A tall togruta man stepped into their room. He had crimson skin, a regal bearing. Two other things struck acaadi: his own lightsaber was hanging from his belt and his eyes were tinged yellow. This was not good.

"I had hoped they would send a real jedi, but instead...children..."

 

[Kyra Perl]

A shiver grew up Kyra's spine, the girl squirming against the chains. Oh chit.

Oh chit.

Oh chit.

She raised her chin to the man, aware of her own boiling emotions as he came to stand over them. See Acaadi, she was fine! "We're not children! Course you would already know that, you stole our sabers." Kyra's was there as well, a fact which bothered her greatly. She had worked so hard on earning it. She really didn't like it taken away.

"Which means you also know we aren't alone!" She bluffed. "Our Masters are nearby. And their friends. So you better let us go now before its your head clipped to one of our belts instead!"

 

[Acaadi]

"Having a lightsaber does not make you a grown up," crooned the togruta. He swept into the room and stood over the pair, facing them. Acaadi could sense the power flowing through the man. He twisted and turned the Force. He was a user of the dark side. The yellowing eyes that showed the corruption had been enough of a sign on their own.

"You're taking children to...turn into sith?"

"You are both very talkative given your current predicament. Especially as you have no masters and no backup in the city."

The sith turned towards the door, Acaadi followed his gaze. There were more coming.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra swallowed hard, choosing to believe that his always were always that color. I mean the rest of him wasn't normal so why not that!

"Well that's the second thing you'd be wrong about today," she pipped up, squirming as several apprentices in dark robes came into the room. "The first being that you'll get anything out of us at all! We aren't joining, nu-uh! Or talkin! Or screamin! Or doing much of anything but waaaasting your time!" Yeah... that class on emotional awareness?

Pretty sure it hadn't coached yelling as one of the man ways of to keep control of the situation. She yanked and pulled at the chains, a spitfire in its truest form.

 

[Acaadi]

Kryze watched as the girl writhed and yanked at her chains. He was entirely passive in observing her plight. Durasteel chains were anchored deep into the wall and wouldn't give got a rancor.

He exploded into motion. One step and his boot swung into Acaadi's gut. The mirialan slumped forwards and cried out in pain. He was left bent over, coughing and gasping for air.

"Do not bark at me. I will get from the two of you exectly what I want from the two of you." In contrast to Kyra there was little emotion breaking through his tone. He sounded like a man who knew that he was in complete control.

"If you look at me like that I will put out your eyes," Kryze said to Acaadi, who could do nothing but glare at him as he wheezed and gasped.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra cried out, responding more to Acaadi's pain then he was. In was in this exact moment she knew she needed to separate herself from the emotions around her. Caedyn Arenais 's warnings of her lack of control hurting others rang strangely true here, though perhaps not for the reasons he had first figured. The sith had hit Acaadi and not her for a reason. She had only reinforced it with her cry out. Could he know she was an empath? No. But she was a jedi.

Of course he would count on her to care more for his pain than her own. She gave Acaadi a desperate look, her throat bobbing as she swallowed hard.

"Stop. Don't-don't do that." Her tone was suddenly much less sharper. Fancy that. "What do you want from us?" Her stomach clenched in fear as the many hodded figures in the room seemed to step forward, like sharks drawn to blood. Was that just a sign of weakness from her? She was at a loss of what to say here, she just didn't want the man to hit Acaadi again.