Private Mariners and Mercenaries

[Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris]

Location: Trask
Objective: Locate the mercenary
Tags: Reina Daival

The skies above the port town in Trask hung heavy with grey clouds, adding to the already miserable, gloomy mood of the sea slicked docks. That was until a carefully manicured hand reached up to the sky, and with a gentle push of the force, created a small hole in the clouds. Sunlight shone through it, illuminating the woman directly underneath like a spotlight at the Galaxies Opera house.

The woman who warmed herself under the thin slit of sunlight did indeed stand out. Dressed not in the drab neutrals of the dock workers around her but in the colourful silks of her home planet, Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris was unmistakably a visitor here. Her light whips hung ready at her belt as she leaned against the railing, repeating the details of her mission here over and over in her head.

Just a day ago, the high Jedi council had summoned her to a meeting room. Gathered around a holo desk, they had shown her the image of a Quarren with a terrible scar across his face and a modified harpoon gun in his hands.

"They call him Leister. From what we have been able to gather, he is a mercenary who specialises in hunting Jedi. We believe that the sith order hired him to do - well, to do this," One of the council members explained, changing the display to a recording of the same quarren breaking into the temple grounds. Cori watched with sickening dread as he stalked through the hallowed halls, testing each door until he found the one he was looking for - the youngling quarters. The ersansyr looked away as their screams rang out.

"It was a surprise attack. Three of the younglings were badly injured before the temple guards were called and he escaped," the council member sighed. "And with the war stretching our resources thin...we can't say for sure whether or not they will make it."

Cori clenched her fist. "Then I will do everything in my power to bring him to justice."

Nods from all around the table. "We've tracked him down to Trask, where we believe he has purchased a boat that he is using as a home base. You will find it and bring him to us in handcuffs. And remember Cordelia, violence is not the Jedi way."

"We're assigning a padawan to accompany you," another Jedi added. "She is young, but skilled with naval navigation. She does not know of the mercenary's crimes - only that he is a dangerous criminal that must be apprehended."

Tuning herself back into the present, Cori sighed. Such tragic events really suffocated all of the joy of being near the water again. If she could, she would make sure the red headed padawan she was assigned wouldn't feel the same. A small smile graced her lips as she recalled her meditation the evening prior, where the force had given her a vision of a ginger haired girl looking out over the sea beside her. Apart from that, the future was a mystery.

Still, the Jedi knight waited patiently, scanning the docks for this mysteriously skilled padawan she had been partnered up with.

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Trask
Tags: Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris
Lightsaber - Pequod
Leg - Anchor

Everyone on the docks seemed to be having the worst days of their lives. The constant gloom on their face in combination with the grey skies above them. Yet as Reina was making her way there, the woman couldn't help but smile. This was the kind of weather she liked. Dreary. Grey. With a strong breeze. It reminded her of nights out at sea. It reminded her of home. Yet that changed as the skies opened up to reveal beams of sunlight gracing the land. A small grumble escaped Reina's lips at the sun, but it wasn't enough to ruin her mood.

She was dressed in her old fishing outfit. It was strange. Reina was sure she hadn't grown, but the outfit felt smaller on her now. Perhaps it had been how she had grown as a person. Whilst she thought she'd look like she used to...There were still key physical differences at least. The Lightsaber at her hip. The prosthesis leg that clacked against the dock. At the very least, since she didn't expect them to be walking on a soft surface like mud, she didn't need to put the actual foot part of the leg back on. So for now she hobbled with one good foot alongside what was basically a peg leg. In a way, she felt like she was becoming more and more like that Darker Version of herself she saw in the mirror some days...but she was adamant that she was making her own path. Staying away from that potential future for herself.

It didn't take long for her to find the Jedi Knight she was meant to be meeting. They stuck out like a sore thumb. Whilst Reina could have easily been mistaken for a local, it seemed like the same couldn't be said for Cori. None of that mattered to Reina however. She had learned pretty early on now to judge someone by her appearance. It was one of the actual good lessons she had learned from the fishing crew that raised. For now, she made her way over towards Cori, raising her hand up awkwardly in greeting. Reina wasn't good...with talking to people. She had a habit of being blunt but she was trying to change.

"Knight Eldoris? I'm Reina. Or well...Padawan Daival. Sorry. I'm still not into the whole...titles and stuff. I'm here to help get this...criminal guy."

Reina rubbed the back of her neck, trying to figure out if there was anything extra she should say. They were going after a criminal. Reina's natural instincts, that she was trying to push away was that they needed to remove him. But she knew that wasn't the right way. Not anymore. If it was a case of self-defense, that was different. She shouldn't go out looking to kill someone.

"...I should warn you. I have a bit of a...temper. I can be volatile. I'll try to restrain myself. But it's something I believe you should know."

With that, she lowered her head. It was her way of showing respect. She wasn't much for bowing, nor for saluting. In her eyes, respect was something you gave by listening. By following orders. This was the losest thing she could to actually show it.​

 

[Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris]

Location: Trask
Objective: Locate the mercenary
Tags: Reina Daival

"Knight Eldoris? I'm Reina. Or well...Padawan Daival. Sorry. I'm still not into the whole...titles and stuff. I'm here to help get this...criminal guy."​

Even though she was actively looking for her, Cori was still surprised when Reina snuck up and introduced herself. The padawan, despite her flaming orange hair, had a remarkable ability to blend in, likely due to the fishing clothes she was wearing. Cori pursed her lips, worried for a second that she had missed some crucial briefing about wearing disguises.

Then again, Cori had always been skilled at reading people, and from what she could tell, the girl wasn't uncomfortable in her outfit, but rather, it seemed that it was something she actually wanted to wear. Besides, the lightsaber at her hip made it abundantly clear who she was, so if it was a disguise, it was a poor one at best.

The girl looked at her expectantly and Cori blushed, realising she hadn't said anything yet. Inwardly chastising herself for being so rude, she shot the girl one of her classic, friendly smiles.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Reina. I mediated on you last night. The force told me you have a good heart," Was that too much, too soon? Maybe. But Cori knew her honesty would likely be appreciated later. Especially if the jedi knight happened to have another one of her vision induced fainting spells. "And the Jedi council told me you have a good head for navigation. That will be very useful for our mission."

"Oh, and please, Cori is just fine," the ersansyr added cheerfully. "I understand how you feel about the whole titles thing. Thankfully, you'll find that as you advance in the order, more people are willing to let that slide."

"...I should warn you. I have a bit of a...temper. I can be volatile. I'll try to restrain myself. But it's something I believe you should know."

With that, she lowered her head.​

Very gently, Cori used her fingertips to carefully lift Reina's head back up. "Hey, that's ok. It's something we have in common, perhaps," she let her hand drop back down as she turned to gaze wishfully out at the ocean, "You don't know this, but my species is known for being a little...savage at times. Especially if we haven't had a chance to be submerged in the water for a while."

She shook her head, returning her gaze to the padawan. "But I am a jedi. When it comes down to it, I know I can keep myself in check. And I know you will too."

With that, she clapped her hands excitedly before pointing to the boat beside them. "But enough of that! This shall be our vessel. I trust you can help me prepare it for the journey?"

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Trask
Tags: Cordelia 'Cori' Eldoris
Lightsaber - Pequod
Leg - Anchor

"Me? A...good heart? I...I think you should...maybe ask the Force if it's sure."

Reina couldn't help but let out an awkward chuckle at that, tugging at the collar of her outfit. A good heart wasn't something she associated with herself. She was closed off. Cold. Not good with people. Yes, she wanted to protect them but she was also far too aggressive. She had been someone who had closed her heart off to the Galaxy and was only just starting to open it back up again. Letting herself feel things she had never felt before and she wasn't sure if it was helping her grow or holding her back...

"I can work with just Cori. That's...fine with me. I just don't want to sound too...lazy or friendly about it all."

She wasn't sure how most Jedi felt about being relaxed. Sure, some of them were probably all for it, but it would be Reina's luck that she started acting friendly to the wrong Knight. Though before she knew it, she felt a pair of fingertips on her chin. Almost immediately, the woman's cheeks turned a bright red out of embarrassment. Reina didn't do physical contact. Not overly. Everest was different since she was her best friend. She made Reina feel...warm and secure whenever they hugged. She liked that feeling. Wait. She was getting off track.

"...Heh. Maybe I have some of your species' blood in me. I get extra...annoyed when I'm away from water. It's just...I know there's times I haven't kept myself in check."

With that, Reina tapped her prosthesis for a moment. She didn't elaborate on it. But it was the truth. She saw too much red in that moment. It was also interesting that she leaned more about Cori's species. Reina didn't know anything about her birth family. What species her parents were. What blood flowed through her. She knew she was at least part human. But she knew she had too much of an affinity for the sea to just be a regular human. Yet once again it wasn't important for the task at hand.

Instead she turned her eyes towards the boat, giving it a quick apprisal before giving a sharp nod. Her gaze had changed ever so slightly. She was no longer looking as things like a Padawan. No. She was a sailor now, getting ready to set out on the sea as she made her way over towards the boat, expecting Cori to be right beside her.

"It's a bit smaller than I'm used to. But that's fine. We have a smaller crew to be fair with just the two of us. I should be able to get us heading in the right direction."​