Kingdom Come

[L2hunt]

Assorted designs of humanity engulfed the avenue. Jolien weaved and careened her way through the throng like the pattern of an intricate braid. Her feet came close to interfolding with the feet of those around her. Snow covered her dark, laced boots as she walked. Despite the freezing temperature, perspiration beaded upon her forehead. She was too visible, too exposed. She felt like a flame in the wind, capable of being extinguished at any moment. She could not let anyone find out who she was. She would not.
She ached for an empty meadow and the essence of Dathomir’s four moons caressing her skin. There were only strangers here and potential threats. Yet, the same could be said of her home planet. She had not a solitary friend in the world. She had a past, yet it felt as though it belonged to someone else. Her latest decision had transformed who she was and every element of her life.
She had consented to assassinate Dathomir’s Priestess in order to set the Nightsisters free from exile. She had converted into a Nightsister only days before making her futile attempt at mercenary work.
She stopped thinking for a moment. She averted her eyes downwards. She hunched her shoulders and pulled at the hood of her roughspun, brown cloak as she walked. Fallen clumps of snow spun into loose, floating fragments and encircled her ankles. She did not desire to leave footprints, or a single trace of her existence. If only she could come out of hiding.


But, for what?


A Nightsister named Reslah had brought utter chaos upon Jolien’s life gradually, before both women had fled the planet. At least, Jolien concluded that Reslah had done just that. Reslah had triumphantly awakened a maleficent shadow that had lurked inside of Jolien. It had been buried so deeply, Jolien had not even known it was there, now she had no control over it. She could not shove it back underneath the surface. It felt too right. It was splendid. She would never give it up. Reslah had done Jolien a favor by dismantling her spirit. She felt grateful.
As she shuffled along through this winter wonderland, she began to miss Reslah. The only person that she knew on this planet was Ryland. He had saved her from being executed by the Priestess’ men. The two of them had commandeered a ship and fled the planet together. They became wanted fugitives and had no choice but to split ways once their ship had landed.
She briefly wondered how Ryland was doing out there. Had he already found a place to hideout? Had he been caught? Was he still wandering as aimlessly as she was?
What was she going to do? She had some money on her. It was money that Reslah had given her before the failed assassination. She had not seen Reslah at all after that. The woman had vanished.

As Jolien reflected on her thoughts, she realized that truly, she only had one regret. The Priestess was still alive. She had failed her sisters.

​

​

​

​

@anyone​

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino buried his hands deeper into his pockets, hunching his shoulders against the chill bite in the air. This was ridiculous. He really needed to stop visiting cold planets. There were a great many other temperate and tropical planets out there. Most weren't as bad as Teth, of course. In fact, most were better. He should have stopped at those more often. Surely they had troubles there as well. Rarely were they as pressing as the ones found on these ice-balls. Strange, now that worked. Surely, one with even more romantic notions than he could almost find some symbolic meaning in that, as if they all were nothing but characters in a story.

He paused, eyes flickering down the street where a figure walked with hunched shoulders and a rough cloak. Flashes of emotions touched on his consciousness. Fear and concern, like that of someone being hunted, and homesickness. Those were feelings he remembered from his own early days of wayfaring. Those were tough times for any new vagabond, especially young ones from backwater worlds like himself. There was a great deal to learn very quickly.

He slipped to a side and flowed through the crowds in the figure's direction, stopping within eyesight and a good two meters away for extra measure. No need to seem overbearing or threatening. Not yet anyway. Talk would come first. That would be the most effective means, and could avoid any potential conflicts right off the bat.

"Excuse me, can you direct me to a place to find so,etching warm to drink?"

He knew where several were actually, but it seemed like the safest way to begin a conversation with a stranger on a strange world. Anyone could sympathize with that. They all wanted some. They all needed some, actually, if they wished to survive. Well, stay comfortable at least. This temperature was survivable for a while. It was unpleasant though, that was for sure. He had no desire to stay outside any longer than he had to.

[member="Jolien"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor’s fist connected with the gunman’s face, splitting his cheek and spraying a nice line of blood across the snow beneath them. The man yelped and fell backwards over a stack of crates, piled up behind one of the units in the city. Connor’s black hair was peppered with snow and looked rather unkempt, however the Silver Jedi was taking more unorthodox methods to dissolve darkness from the galaxy, but this hot-head had it coming.

Stretching out his hand, the lightsaber came to his palm in a split second and the blue blade ignited with a satisfying snap-hiss, moving to his throat in one fluid movement. Connor clenched his free hand into a fist and looked down at the one-eyed man on the snow, his dirty clothes collecting falling snow from above.

”Next time, I take your head. I will not show mercy. The Order of the Silver Jedi are watching you, Egad. I am watching you. Remember that.”

Eyes locking, neither men moved.

A moment later, Egad scurried up and fished in his pocket, pulling out a small data-pad and tossing it to Connor, standing firm in his charcoal grey combat suit, covered by his black greatcoat. Catching it in his free hand, the saber was deactivated as Egad cursed and fled as quick as he could into the city.

Turning away from the snow coming down on him driven by the chill of the wind, Connor identified the data-pad to see it was a stolen list of Silver Jedi operatives who had been engaged in the recent liberation of Vaynai. Taken from a fallen Jedi, the Hutts had taken what they could get from the battle and aimed to have as many Jedi killed in retaliation. Lucky that it was traceable, and that Connor had been the one to find it here in the hands of a small-time mercenary.

However he wasn’t happy to leave planet side just yet; there was a presence around the city that was either a horrible coincidence or simply a dangerous turn of events that was bringing him in contact with dark forces. A Nightsister of Dathomir, master of Dark Magic fuelled by the Dark Side of the Force, was in the city.

Her sickening and devious signature in the Force reeked of power and evil, and Connor slowly turned towards the walls of the units before him, fixing his lightsaber to his hip and moving slowly forward to the bustling city kissed by the snow and wind above.



[member=Jolien] @Veino Garn

 

[L2hunt]

A thunderstruck man came barreling out from behind a unit ahead of Jolien. He was shouting unintelligible words and cursing under his breath. She came to a halt, tensing up. She prepared herself for anything. She studied him as he stumbled and moaned. He was badly injured. His hands covered his face, but she could make out the blood seeping through his fingers. She found it odd that most of the passerby were ignoring him. Her and Ryland weren’t thinking about safety when they landed on Teth. It was merely a place to tuck themselves away for the time being. She pondered what this man had done to receive such treatment here. She made a promise to herself to not end up like him.
The stranger made his way out of eyesight and was swallowed by shadows. She let her head hang down and began to walk again. She treaded on for an hour. If she did find an inn to stay at, someone in the crowd would notice her go inside. That person would be the perfect eye witness when Dathomir soldiers came to play cat and mouse. She could not find a secluded area. When did the citizens of this city go to sleep?
Jolien let her eyes draw upward and immediately regretted her decision. A very freezing-looking man was observing her. Her eyes darted back to the ground, but from pure instinct, she knew he was moving closer. He was going to approach her. She did not know what to do. Making a run for it in this crowd of people would cause an unnecessary disturbance and would not lead her very far. It was possible that he had no idea who she was. How could he have recognized her? No one else had. No one on this planet even knew who she was, or what she was. There was nothing that would make her stand out. Plus, word couldn’t have spread that fast.

Could it?

If he proved to be a threat, she would do what she had to. Right now was not the time. Although, she could not shake the lingering presence of something, or someone, destructive lurking nearby. She did not believe the vibe emanated from this particular stranger. She ceased up and their eyes met. He had also stopped walking, and stood harmlessly, over a meter away from where she stood.
"Excuse me, can you direct me to a place to find so,etching warm to drink?" he asked. His expression was one of compassion and understanding. She could use him to her advantage. She would certainly be less noticeable accompanied by someone else in this city, as long as it was not Ryland. She almost felt sorry for him, but not quite.

Keep moving. Just ignore him. It’s a trap.

It’s a trap.

It’s a trap.

He knows. He knows. He knows.

She shuddered. Her thoughts were spilling out. She locked them down and thrust them away. It was quiet again. She gazed up into his eyes, playing it off as a shiver from the cold.
“Yes, I know a place.” she lied. “Follow me?” she managed to force a smile.




[member="Veino Garn "][member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Jolien"]

She was scared of something, he could feel it. Not him though. Not at first. Something else. Almost as if something was hunting her. He could sense her tumult and her Force connection. Dark, for the most part. Not Sith though. It was a different dark. His own Force presence had kept hidden. No need to blare it out to the world at large. Normally he would have steered clear, but the emotions indicated something different.

Impressions flickered through his mind. Paranoia? Or a rational fear that someone was hunting her? He wasn't sure, and so he would have to be cautious. No need to walk into an actual trap. Actually, he preferred to avoid those. They never ended well. She smiled, although she wasn't feeling it. He wasn't feeling much of a smile either in this weather, to be honest. But so be it. He nodded, smiling back.

"Course I will. Wouldn't have asked if I woulldn't respond to the answer for my question." He rubbed his hands together and then noticing her apparent shiver, reached into his pack and fished out an extra cloak. He offered it to her. No need for her to freeze to death while with him. That was against the code, he was fairly certain, even if the person could very likely be an enemy. Courtesy and kindness were still rules at figured prominently in Veino's book. For all beings in the galaxy. It was the only way to build bridges between individuals and factions so that peace could be brought about. One person had to step out and offer their hand first before anything could be achieved. Whenever possible, it would be him. This was one such instance. "It's not much, but it should help a little with the chill."

Maybe even more than just a little. It was an emergency cloak, meant for unexpected brutal temperatures to be used in addition to his great-cost. Alone, it was a decent winter cloak. Combined, it would work as almost an extreme cold weather system. He hadn't used it very often. Cold weather planets were ones he tried to avoid. But when he had used it, it worked fairly well. He wasn't sure how well it would work here.


[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

It wasn’t hard to find the signature of the Force radiating from not one, but two, strong individuals now coming together on the ice planet. Connor stuck to a wall of unit, sheltered from the snow by a large crimson overhang which would act as a cover for, what looked like, a market stall next to him. His back on the wall, he craned his head to see the two mingling amid the crowds now dispersing to get away from the weather.

He was sure he would also be able to be felt if they were searching, but with a heavy presence around them Connor hoped he would be able to blend in a little and not stick out like a sore thumb.

Watching curiously, the robed figure was soon given an extra layer by the other, a man. He could only assume the other was a female; such generosity was usually bestowed by others of the opposite sex. And they began to move.

The Silver Jedi watched them move and began to follow slowly and away from sight, feeling the darkness coming from one of them and now seemingly spiralling out of control with the other. He wasn’t going to do anything rash, but his duty demanded any darkness be cut from the galaxy, and if this was a threat, he would be the one to end it.


[member="Jolien"] @Veino Garn

 

[Eric Koor]

Yet another Force signature would've entered the area. Eventually he moved through the snow walking closer to what seemed to be civilization. He had his hands buried beneath his robes to protect himself more from the cold. The only thing keeping him warm was the mask concealing his identity and his light-padded clothing. However, even holding off the cold, his robes did not. It symbolized him as a Silver Jedi. And he was careful to watch out for any threats. His eye gave off a crimson-blood color. It looks as if it was injured for a while.

He walked in a straight line, his head not moving an inch as he moved through the snow as if he was blind. The cold planet was new to him at that time. He did not care for the rocks that blocked him from his path. He carelessly bumped into them, and then, walked around them. He was blind obviously. He sensed the other Force signatures in the area right after that, it was a wake-up call to him.

[member="Connor Harrison"] @Veino Garn [member="Jolien"]

(OOC: Haha first rp post ever. Comment on how I did well on it lol. Bare with me if I didn't. Thanks =P)

 

[Trayce Verati'is]

Trayce stood in the middle of an empty clearing, empty save for all of the snow that was falling in his eyes and hair, catching on his robe and causing his skin to steam. He still wore no clothes on his torso below his robe, preferring instead to keep himself warm through the power of the Dark Side, his rage and fury giving him all the heat he needed, heat enough to melt any snow that touched him instantly, keeping him safe from Teth's freezing temperatures. He loved the cold, loved how it fatigued him, how the snow was so small yet so lethal, and he loved how beautiful the newfallen snow looked, covering the world like a blank canvas, demanding to be imprinted on. The snow reached up to his knees and there were several large rock scattered around him, though he didn't mind. In fact, he preferred they were there, as they gave him a variety in his training. He was currently focused on one particularly large rock, covered completely in white, and he was attempting to lift it with the Force, to no avail. "Blast!" He shouted. His telekinesis abilities were still far below what he needed them to be. He let his anger run wild and attacked the immovable object with a searing bolt of Sith Lightning, smiling with satisfaction as it obliderated half of the stone, scattering smoking debris across the field. He decided that was enough training when he sensed them, four other Force users inside the city... and two were Jedi. His anger boiled as he turned on his heel and used his cloaking abilities to hide his signature in the Force. "Well well Jedi, let's see what you are up to."

[member="Eric Koor"]
[member="Connor Harrison"]
@Veino Garn
[member="Jolien"]

 

[L2hunt]

Frosted mountains cascaded like pillars of pure snow in the hinterland. They ascended over the city and spun shadows as dawn crept up behind them. Crystals of snow stippled the atmosphere. The breeze moaned and generated cyclones of flurries around Jolien and her companion. Raw daggers of ice chilled her bones. She bundled the cloak more securely around her. It was soothing and warm, just like the man who had given it to her.
She shuffled along, reaching increasing levels of exhaustion. She would not survive another sunrise without sleep. She could not recall the last time she closed her eyes for more than a blink. So much had occurred. Shadows lurked in every corner. Everyone that passed was watching her now, studying her, judging her. Was this real or a dream?
She was dehydrated. Her thoughts raced. Her eyes felt like they were on fire and she was weak in the knees. She needed to lie down. She had no idea where she was going and she felt the pressure weighing her down. Where was she going to take him? Her heart pounded, her throat felt dry and she could not articulate words. She missed a step and went down to her knee. She tried to get up, but could not.

[member="Connor Harrison"] | [member="Trayce Verati'is"] | [member="Eric Koor"] | [member="Veino Garn"]​

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Jolien"]

Veino frowned suddenly as new emotions and sensations flickered through his being from her. Exhaustion with heavy limbs, and blurred awareness of the surroundings. Dizziness. Surrealism in all its bizarre glory. Then a flicker of what was about happen flashed through his mind, and dropped to try and support her. It was too late for that now. She was down.

Great. Exactly what he needed. Attention and someone passed out in front of him. His heartbeat increased, and cold knot settled in his stomach. Another time, another collapse nudged at his memory. It had been cold then too, although they had been in the mountains, and it had been raining. Nightmares flickered along the edges of his memory. A badly twisted leg. Blue lips. Chattering teeth.

No. This was not the time for this. He settled himself in the Force, letting its rich, cool depths leech away the fear and guilt that clawed at him, trying to drag him under. Last time, he had had no skills in healing. Now he did. Not much. But, it could be enough. He slipped his coat off and draped it over her shoulders. The chill gnawed at him, and he paused, letting his body adjust to the icy claws that pierced his, unfortunately, too thin shirt. That too drifted into the Force, and he calmed, focusing on his breathing. Then he was still, and he lowered his emotional barriers.

The emotions of the city hit, and he stiffened, his identity getting lost temporarily in the identities of everyone around him. Then he found himself, and his purpose again, and he concentrated on the young woman next to him, waving off a crowd that was beginning to gather. Words were too difficult with the emotional barriers down. Fortunately, someone could understand, and was ushering everyone back. Veino took a deep breath, and pushed his awareness out, focusing on her, and awareness of his own self faded.

Weariness. It slowed him down, as if he had been stuck in a mud pit, and darkness. He recoiled at first, shuddering as the decay touched his consciousness. Nausea roiled in his stomach until that too dispersed into the stillness of the Light. He had no idea how it felt to her. But he sent warmth and energy, working to preserve life. She needed to get somewhere warm though, and probably some food and water. Why had he not spent more time training in healing? That was much more useful than combat. Or should be, anyways, if the galaxy was not as wrecked as it was. Anyone can kill. Not as many can heal. To kill was often regretted, but to heal? Not as far as he was aware.

 

[Trayce Verati'is]

Trayce made his way through the large entrance to the city, the walls climbing high enough to scrape the very edge of the planet's gray sky, and he appreciated the strength it held. He strode onto one of the main roads, still hiding his Force signature, but keeping careful track of the others. Two of them were difficult, too difficult perhaps, to constantly keep watch of, though the two that he had a firm grip on were, fortunately, not very far ahead. He made his way into the crowds that moved throughout the streets, amused at how they kept themselves wrapped in heavy coats and furs, using thermal tech to keep the chill away, while he paid little heed to the cold, and in fact, proudly bared his exposed torso through the large opening in his robe, the power of the Dark Side completely obliterating the piercing talons of the freezing wind that threatened every other sentient around him. He continued to move, drawing the looks of several people, anyone who passed him, mostly looks of amazement or contempt, but he didn't care.
The only thing he cared about were the figures ahead of him, one of them was a woman who had fainted, and she had the Dark Side around her. Strange, he hadn't sensed her before, but perhaps this was due to the aura of madness also about her, distorting his view of her within the Force. However, as soon as he noticed her he also noticed the man standing above her, draping his coat over her for warmth and attempting to heal her through the Light Side, and he resonated with the unmistakable aura of a Jedi, the very air around him appearing to be brighter than others. Trayce bared his teeth silently as his hatred grew, and his every fiber screamed out for him to kill the man immediately... But he held his temper, focusing even harder on hiding himself, and simply stood on in the crowd and watched. He would wait until the right moment.
[member="Veino Garn"]
[member="Jolien"]

 

[L2hunt]

It felt like drowning. Sinking further below the surface and hitting the ocean floor. Suspended in a sea of darkness. Lost. Not afraid. Lost and unsure. Never afraid. Did she have the energy to save herself? To breathe? To try? She knew she was incoherent but she felt impenetrable. She felt like a force to be reckoned with. When she came out of this, she would come out on top. She wanted to shuffle her feet to search for solid ground but they wouldn't move. What useless body parts. She tried to control the movements mentally. She envisioned her feet moving. She imagined the feeling of the soft, sandy, ocean floor beneath her feet. Breathe. She envisioned bubbles escaping her nostrils but she only saw blackness. At least she was still breathing - she could inhale and exhale but it was difficult, like she was underwater. She extended her arm out, waving her hand in front of her face, but she could not see it. Suddenly she saw a light. It shone down on her from above, embracing her cheeks, reflecting in her light brown eyes and filling them with warmth. The vision she sought began to take its hold. Everything was going to be fine, she knew this now and she wasn’t scared.


Her organs vibrated with ripples of life and her mind trembled with awareness. A warmth she could not explain surged through her. Clarity. It was all so very clear now. She opened her eyes. She was in the arms of the man who had come to her aid. Looking up, the stars and sun were at war in the sky and around her was an army of people that had gathered, watching, waiting, and yet she only saw his face and looked into his eyes.

“Hello…” She was testing the waters, only dipping in one toe at a time. “My name is Jolien Oakes, who might you be?” She asked him, continuing to lie comfortably in his arms with no desire to move just yet. It was all coming together now. It felt like coming up for air. “Thanks for trying to catch me,” she actually found the playfulness to wink at him and smile.

[member="Trayce Verati'is"]​

[member="Veino Garn"]​

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Jolien"]

Veino let out a deep breath and his shoulders sagged slightly. That was a relief. He had done very little with healing outside that one training exercise. That was simply a scratch and a broken finger. Hardly life-threatening. This... had been different. And she had lived. He gave her a weak half smile.

"I'm Veino Garn. Nice to meet you, Jolien." He shook his head slightly at the joke. "Sorry I wasn't able to do it better. I'm usually faster." Significantly faster, in fact. He had enough experience with augmenting his speed and precognition to catch her. But, he was off-guard and preoccupied. That could easily divert even a knight. He shifted his arm to wrap the emergency winter cloak more carefully around her, frowning slightly, and went to stand up, helping her back to her feet.

"We should get you to someplace warm with food and water to help you recover." He glanced around at the shuffling crowd, a few beginning to drift off now that everything seemed to be under control. They milled about, unsure of how to proceed. Veino gave them a broad, forced smile. "Everything's fine now. Thanks for your concern."

They began to drift off, some disappointed, others relieved. A few lingered, giving brief, self-assured, contradictory instructions. He kept his smile on and nodded, appearing to consider them. A few grew bored and departed. Others stayed. It was time to move along now.

"I can bring you back to my ship if you want. It's warm and has plenty of food." He shot a quick few glances at those around them. "And is less visible."

 

[L2hunt]

Sunlight’s final rays stretched their fingers across the snow-white land. Jolien felt warmth engulf her body from the inside out. She opened her eyes. Shadows of people, silhouettes of sunlight, blurred and shifted across her vision. There was only one face that stood out clearly. She heard the faint sound of words echo inside her ears and vibrate her ear drums. She found the energy inside herself to reply.
“Yes, please. Can we go to your ship?” her eyes grew wide and dangerously submissive. Her gaze never shifted to the others around her. The crowd of people slowly dwindling back into worlds of nothing. Her eyes were connected with Veino’s. Her eyes locked on his.
The snow spiraled downward, glistening on the pavement. She was standing now. Her vision wavered, she had his arm in hers, their elbows locked. She wobbled when she walked. She felt like she was dwindling away still. She wanted to lie down. She hoped that her and Veino would make it to the ship without disruption on such an unpredictable planet.

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Jolien"]

Veino chewed his lip nervously, trying to make sure she was still alive and wasn't going to drop dead.

"Yes, please. Can we go to your ship?" Her eyes went wide then, and Veino felt tension release from his shoulders. She would live, well, probably. Their eyes locked. A tingle ran down his spine, and he gave her a gentle smile, and slowly began to walk, shooting quick glances to passerby in their way. The people moved to clear a path. She wavered, and he reached out with his other hand to give her more support. Snow crunched beneath his boots as he led her through the winding streets and passerby ranging from indifferent to curious to hostile. He paid them no mind, although a single presence lingered nearby through the entire time. Veino had no energy to spare to investigate it though, so he pushed it to the back of his mind.

He paused for a quick moment at the spaceport to cast a quick glance forward. No sign of the presence though. If Jolien had not so recently collapsed, Veino would have gone to investigate, but he had higher priorities at the moment. He continued on, using the Force at times to keep her on her feet, until he reached his ship, the hatch opening as they neared, and he ushered her inside.

It was cozy, in a utilitarian way. A cot, nearly empty closet, backpack full of travel gear, and a small bonsai tree strapped securely in a corner. He paused, suddenly self-conscious. He'd never had guests on his ship before. It was a small Tachyon class freighter, meant for one or two people, and he had just gotten used to being alone onboard.

"Well," He said at least, not entirely sure what to do next, "Let's get you seated down and I'll get some food and warm clothes." Or mostly warm, anyways. He hadn't left the heater on, so it was a little chilly inside. He nodded towards the cot, and used the Force to pull a spare greatcoat from the wardrobe and brought it over towards them. "Any food you really like?"