Ithor? Does Eeyore live there? [Sochi]

[Josh Dragovalor]

He had sensed a familiar presence on Ithor... But what? Something had driven the Jedi Master to visit here. Was it fate? Was it the Force? Something.... Something had.

The Jedi Master had touched down on Ithor, not with a particular purpose. He let out a sigh as he would begin to take a walk past the spaceport, gazing around, as if every person, every sign, every little thing might be the thing he was being drawn to.

If he didn't find anything by the end of the day, of course, he would head home. But... His curiosity had driven him here. He hoped he wouldn't be disappointed.

[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Cortana Jade]

She had come to Ithor because she heard the call...the echo from across the galaxy. It was like a white noise in the back of her head that pulsed constantly unless she acknowledged it. Mother Jungle had reached out to her through the Force...and this was unlike any ordinary call, it was an outcry. The backlash of pain was what finally forced the Togruta to step foot on the ruined planet.

Years ago the planets ecosystem was destroyed by the vong, and even now the land remained scarred despite the terraforming of the Ithorians. She however, was an echo herself and she descended into the jungle below without the consent of the elders. Her presence was strong and the elders feared she would bring further harm, but such was not the case.

The Ithorians worried for the safety of the planet once again, a force user of Sochi's magnitude could have a great influence over the ambient energy that was the mother herself, this utterly caused chaos amongst nature priest who were stationed at the spaceport blocking tourist from renting speeders for sight seeing, it wouldn't go unnoticed.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He didn't know what had led him here, and he didn't think he would ever know at this rate. But he walked. He didn't know where, but he would trust the Force to take him. But as he passed by another figure who had walked by him, he stopped dead.

Something felt... Familiar. Yet distorted somehow.

But... It couldn't be. He'd been there, at the grave site... He remembered.... He had mourned, he had paid respects, but yet...

This had to be a mistake. Somehow.

He would turn before [member="Sochi Ru"] could get past him fully, quick enough to be able to see her face. And indeed, it was just as he remembered it....

Sochi Ru.

His face was that of horror, of surprise, of dread.... Why was her presence distorted, as if crowded in darkness? But what was she doing here, at all?

"No...."

 

[Cortana Jade]

She didn't remain on the spaceport for far too long. She was quick about her descent into the jungle below. There was a pull that was calling her, perhaps it was her connection to ambient life that allowed her to hear it more clearly than others. She would assume any Force user deeply attuned to the Force could hear the call of the Mother. The Ithorians did for sure, and maybe thats why they panicked given the situation. The Echo was there, but it wasn't pleasant.

--------------

The jungle had an emptiness to it, as she walked through. It was as if it were an illusion, it was visible, but there was a whole left unfulfilled that gave it an artificial feel. This was evident of the aftermath of destruction that befell the planet so long ago. All she had to do was follow the echoes and it would lead her through the scars and to its epicenter. She didn't pay much attention to the things happening around her, she assumed no one would know of her here...she was gone so long ago. Thus she wouldn't dare be aware that someone would be trailing her throughout the jungle floor; at least not initially.

OOC: She's in the Jungle now, just kind of skipped around a bit to get the setting to change.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He had followed her. Something wasn't right. Sochi Ru was dead, he knew it, he'd been at her gravesite. But he recognized her face, he recognized her presence. He'd trained her to a degree personally, he wouldn't forget someone's presence after that. But her presence was clouded in darkness.... Yet it was still one he was able to recognize. Was this why he had been drawn here?

Yes. It had to be. There would be no other reason he would be drawn to some backwater planet like this if there wasn't something like this doing so.

So he followed, into the jungle, as empty as it was... Something about it sent a chill up his spine. Once they had gone far enough, he would stop, and then he would call out to her.

"Sochi"

[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Cortana Jade]

She stopped dead in her tracks, the nearly half naked Togrutan woman disregarded her dark robes for the favor of movement; a very primitive look. She said nothing, and only the sound of their surroundings were heard...she turned her head slightly, and from the corner of her eye she noticed a figure with that signature blonde hair.

"I'm not sure I should answer...yes I once went by that name...now i'm no longer sure if i'm that same person." she turned around fully, with a serious expression on her face as if her quest was completely interrupted.

She knew him, once...a long time ago. She wondered if this was the same noble man she worked with during her past life.

"There is only one person whom i've ever known to have your stature and golden hair. An acquaintance...in another life. What would a former Grandmaster be doing here?"

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The Jedi Master looked her up and down. From her half-naked form, to her face - her face he studied for a good long time as he walked closer, finally stopping right in front of her, looking her dead in the face, without much distance between them. It was obviously hard to believe, that the woman who's grave he had visited and mourned after her apparent death, was standing right there in front of him. But it was Sochi. It was the same woman he had worked with in the past, the same woman he had assisted in training. The same woman who had been in the Order during his Grandmaster tenure, the same woman he'd hoped to work with more before learning of her demise. Those regrets were evident, but suddenly, it was as though the clock had been turned back.

She confirmed his suspicions. And he would nod. Slowly. A slow, puzzled nod that complimented an equally puzzled expression. If it had been any other instance, he would have joked about her being half naked, maybe shot a joking flirt or two. Like he always had during the era that Sochi had known him. But this was serious. This was a situation where an apparently dead Jedi was standing right in front of him, alive, and with a dark aura to her...

"Something brought me here. A feeling. The Force, perhaps..." He answered. "Now I know why it brought me here. It brought me here to you. So tell me" He spoke, raising an eyebrow. "How? How are you here, when I saw your grave?"

The faintest hints of a smile crossed his lips. "The flowers I placed down are going to go to waste."

But he had to wonder what she meant... Why did she no longer go by Sochi? What was going on here?

[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Cortana Jade]

He got closer, really close and she did nothing for the moment. She allowed him to get closer so he could truly see her here and now. He was much taller, so she looked up to him as they stood there together. His expression and the emotion in his eyes told it all...she knew his mind was racing for a logical explanation...and so he did.

"I...I don't know." she wasn't allowed to say, and it wasn't because she didn't want to but it was the influence of [member="Darth Vornskr"] that inhibited some of her actions. He was...off somewhere, she couldn't feel his presence and thus she might have thought the curse was in a weakened state, so she chose to escape and start a new story.

"Are you sure that it was me the Force was guiding you to? Maybe, just maybe the very thing the brought me here called for you as well. Can't you feel it? This jungle is screaming out for help...it needs to be heard. Listen..." she said turning her head and walking a few steps before turning back towards Josh and approaching him again.

Maybe she could use him...[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He didn't trust this. He didn't trust her, he didn't trust this entire situation. He wasn't the same Jedi she had known... He had become more cold, more serious, less trustworthy.... He refused to be taken advantage of the way that he was that fateful day in the Temple, on his last day as Grandmaster. Not again. Never again.

Part of him felt as though she was lying. But perhaps that was just his trust issues kicking in. He listened to her theory on why they had been brought here. He nodded in affirmative, hiding his skepticism. He listened as she talked about the jungle calling her help. It was clear she wanted his aid for... Something.

He let out a sigh as he watched her step toward him again. "If you think so, then let's go" He spoke calmly. He'd walk with eyes in the back of his head, for sure. But he knew sticking with her for now was the best way to try and get answers.

[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Cortana Jade]

Her eyes became wide, she felt surprised. He was so willing...but she knew the caliber at which Joshua could think and he was no fool. However, she didn't lie about the state of this world. Her sensitivity to it may have aided her in feeling it more so than others, but it was evident that the Ithorians were gathered here after Ithors destruction to heal it...and the fact that they wouldn't allow anyone on its surface was also proof.

"You haven't seen me in years, yet your so willing to help me. I saw it in your eyes Dragonsflame, you don't trust any of this..." she said speaking through her exotic accent. "Believe me...I wish things were different." her attitude shifted almost instantly...she felt deeply saddened because this...wasn't how she pictured things would turn out.

She shifted back to a clean and tranquil demeanor..."However...I do not lie. There's something calling out here...I cannot ignore it even if I tried. I have to see for myself." she said walking forward, quickly displaying a frown but hiding it further from him...an old friend

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

She saw the truth, it seemed, and she called it right out. And he couldn't help but laugh. She was so right, he didn't trust any of this, and rightfully so. The two were close enough at this point, that he was able to look her dead in the eye, his expression serious and fierce now. It was clear he had something on his mind.

"Sweetheart, I put my heart and soul into leading an Order that I had served loyally with rose-tinted goggles since the age of 5. I put -everything- into being Grandmaster, I put my health at risk, I put my sanity at risk, and I did everything I possibly could to do what was best for them, even if it meant bringing harm to myself. And then a group of Jedi, my apparent brothers and sisters in arms.... Padawans, Knights, Masters, all come into our chambers and want me impeached. Said it was because I was WEAK. Because I couldn't brutally and thoroughly kill the Sith with the sharpness that the Order apparently expected. Because I felt that we didn't need to resort to brutal violence for every situation, and become nothing but Sith in Jedi robes. They pressured me into stepping down and giving up everything that I had sank my HEART and SOUL into for all these years. My own brothers and sisters in arms who I fought alongside and sacrificed for, for my entire life, stabbed me in the back and cast me aside like -nothing- after all of my sacrifice. And now an apparently dead Jedi is standing here in front of me, her aura as black as night, probably not entirely right in the head and more then likely being manipulated by some agent of the dark side, trust me, darling - I've seen this chit before with someone else I used to care for - and you want my help, and I'm supposed to trust you?" He would ask coldly.

"No. I don't trust you. I don't trust anyone without a damn good reason. And why should I? Where has trusting people blindly gotten me?" Josh would ask. "I'll help you. But if this starts to seem iffy, or if you -dare- try to stab me in the back... Trust me, sweetheart, I like you, and I wish things were different and we'd never lost contact to begin with, but if you try to take advantage... You'll find out that the Jedi Master you knew is gone, and when you do, you'll find out too late" He spoke flatly. He didn't care about hiding his hand, he knew full well she wouldn't expect him to blindly follow. He wasn't much for lying regardless, it was better to get his real feelings out to begin with then holding them in. Granted, it wasn't like he was telling her any new information anyway.

It was clear that the events since they had seen one another had effected him deeply. But he would nod, taking a breath and speaking calmly again when she spoke of the calling she heard. He would walk behind her, his expression calm and collected once again. "Then let's find out what awaits us" He spoke quietly as he walked. Even he himself was curious....

[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Cortana Jade]

She nodded, "Then it has been put forth...it would seem that we've both changed. Though I shan't speak too much on what has become of my nature now..." she said squinting her eyes and reverting them back to their regular position as she responded to them. Then she let go a smirk that was brought on by his honesty, she liked it.

She stared him down with her solid black eyes and then turned to walk further. Then suddenly her path came to an end as she dropped down from a ledge and onto the jungle floor where it continued. She turned her head slightly so that she could view him from her peripheral vision. "Such a tense atmosphere you keep around you Joshua...are you in much awe that I'm here...with you?" perhaps he was still thinking on how this wasn't a dream...she wasn't sure but she had her thoughts.

Then she stopped and looked down. "The flora here...dead" she said as if that was the only thing she could care for. She crouched down...and examined it. "The destruction of this planet was years ago...this plant has recently withered away."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I can probably guess" He spoke flatly as he would get to walking, without a word more for a little while. He didn't seem to acknowledge her stares, instead his demeanor had become more business-like and serious. He didn't hide a thing, and he didn't need to. It was clear he had his suspicions about Sochi, and he wasn't shy about voicing them. Trusting people... He had found that trusting someone too much could spell your downfall. It was a hard lesson to learn, a bitter pill to swallow, but he hadn't survived this long by being stupid.

As their path came to an end, he would close his eyes, as though he were gauging their surroundings for life, trying to see if there was something at the bottom or nothingness. While he found no actual life, what he did find assured him that he would survive the drop. With that, he would open his eyes and drop down without hesitation, not giving Sochi much chance to speak as he did. Of course, he heard her, and finally, he would smirk faintly - the first positive sign since he had been honest with her earlier.

"A Jedi is always curious, always learning... But I know you won't tell me a damn thing. I may not trust you, but..." He began, then looked over at her finally with a playful smile. "I can say that I'm happy to see you" He would conclude aloud. Of course, he couldn't help but throw in some kind of quip. "After dealing with so many slavers and other uglies by myself for so long, it's a godsend to see a pretty face for once" He quipped with a teasing tone before continuing on.

The two would stop, and he would place his hands on his hips as he looked down at her. His eyes darted to one unspoken spot behind Sochi before his gaze would divert for real toward the source of what she was examining. "The question is, if the planet died long ago, what caused the plant to wither only recently?" The Jedi would inquire, tilting his head. "Perhaps it's lifespan simply expired now, despite surviving something as groundbreaking as planetary withering?"

[member="Sochi Ru"]

 

[Cortana Jade]

She looked to him with a very emotional expression, as if she wanted to confess but she couldn't she couldn't because circumstances wouldn't allow her. She reverted back to her tranquilness surpressing all that attempted to pour out to him, shaking it off. Though his next phrase stating that he was excited to see a familiar face, "Ahh and there it is...the Dragon we all know revealing himself. You tease even now. Impressive" she said speaking through her exotic accent.

She was unaware of his glances, but she knew of Joshua as what one would call a "Ladies Man" during her apprenticeship he was considered a hearthrob among the young women of the order. She however didn't indulge in such emotions but she watched as the others did. He was somewhat of a celebrity, they glorified him. For a time she thought he was arrogant but...

She stood up, and turned to him. Looking him in his eyes, she nodded as they conversed. "Ahh, then the next question would be what exactly would be able to sustain it for such a long period of time why now, has its power suddenly began to fade?" she placed a finger on her chin as she thought for a second. It started to make sense, seeing as how this ppanet radiated an echoe, almost like a cry for help.

She heard the world become still. she looked up, and got close to Joshua placing her hand on his shoulder. They were close enough that their bodies touched only slightly. "You hear that? The jungle has become still" in truth she got close because she didn't want to talk loudly and alert whatever it was that stalked them.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The Jedi would only give a cheeky grin in response, for a moment, before speaking. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a tease, I've heard it all before" He cracked, nudging her playfully. "I mean, I could go be Selena Halcyon levels of grumpy if you want" He would joke with a casual shrug. "I can do that" He would add as he would make the grumpiest looking face he could. Actually, it sort of resembled Selena Halcyon. "Sochi, you're late for the warmongers meeting, report for Grandbootying immediately!" He would crack, doing his best Serena Halcyon voice. They were both active in the Order while the "Grandbooty" was in charge, he couldn't help but make a joke when he knew the both of them would likely make a joke about it. Even in a serious situation, the Jedi Master hadn't lost his sense of humor. Some people might find it childish or immature, but for him, he saw it as a positive. Cracking jokes on the battlefield tended to boost morale and keep teammates happy, he found, and despite the situation, Sochi could be considered a teammate right now. Of course, even with his jokes, his guard wasn't anywhere near down. While he conveyed it, and was as laid-back as he usually was, he would strike the moment Sochi might even seem to be about to try anything.

As for being an apparent heartthrob... To be quite honest, the Jedi Master didn't even know about that, at all. If she'd bring any of it up, he wouldn't have any clue what she was talking about. Nobody had ever actually informed him. As far as he was concerned, the teasing, the playful flirting, it was fun for everyone and hilarious to do, and didn't hurt anyone. To him, it was all in good fun. As far as he knew, nobody had actually taken it serious, nor actually acted on it.

Of course, whatever ends up happening... Happens, really. He was cool with that. He'd roll with it. Of course, even with all that, it was actually funny that he was the opposite of what his jokingly flirty personality conveyed. He was the kind of guy who preferred a long-term, committed relationship. He wasn't one for casual flings or casual sex with strangers. He was the kind of guy who deep down wanted to be a family man at some point. But his lifestyle, and the people he knew... Well, that didn't make it exactly easy.

Regardless, he was curious about why the plant life and vegetation had lasted long after the planet itself had wilted away. There was some force, some kind of magic, keeping them alive... And only now were they beginning to die. "That's a good question" He spoke quietly toward her. "It's clear there was a magic at work, but now it seems to be fading away... Is it a natural expiration... Or is there something causing it to prematurely die?"

A chill could be felt down his spine, it felt like something was crying out... Not physically, not in a way that could be heard to the regular ears, but through the Force... It felt like something was crying out in pain. That made him think that perhaps... The latter was the case. And then... Just like that... The jungle was still. Still... Quiet as death. It unnerved him. But as he would begin to move toward Sochi to mention it, he would realize he hadn't been paying attention to Sochi's movements, and hadn't realized she had gotten rather close. With his accident, it went from a slight touch to almost full blown touching face to face, and that wasn't something he planned on doing with someone he couldn't trust to not stick a lightsaber in his gut. But he did let the position linger for a moment, looking her dead in the eyes, before his eyes motioned to the fact their noses near touched and her hand was on his shoulder. "Geez, at least try dinner and a movie first" The Jedi would whisper as he moved a little to regain the position that Sochi had before he had moved without realizing the position. Back to slight touch, though he knew the reason. He had the same mindset as her on why, and would add in a whisper....

"I can hear it. But what could be happening?"

He knew that alerting what could potentially be stalking them could be dangerous.... Though his hand visibly lurked where his lightsaber was. Both in case it jumped out, or in case Sochi did.

[member="Sochi Ru"]