Mission No One Vanishes Alone (Open to Jedi)

[Iriana Vael]

​

The message had been brief.

A Jedi has gone missing.

For many, it would have been another troubling report among countless others carried across the hyperspace lanes. For Iriana Vael, it was reason enough to change course.

The Wandering Light emerged from hyperspace above Chalacta only hours after fragmented reports reached her network. Underworld syndicates had struck the city with startling precision before vanishing just as quickly, leaving destruction, frightened witnesses... and rumors that one of the Jedi who had answered the violence had simply disappeared.

Rumors.

Most dismissed them until evidence surfaced. Iriana had learned long ago that by then it was often too late. It had already been weeks since the attack. The Jedi Enclave had mostly evacuated Chalacta. There was a lot that could have been missed.

Before descending through the atmosphere, she transmitted a simple encrypted message across trusted Jedi frequencies.

To any Jedi within reach of Chalacta. A Knight is unaccounted for following the recent attack. I will begin searching immediately. If you can lend your eyes, your judgment, or simply your presence, meet me within the affected district. No one should vanish alone.​

No signature beyond her name. Those who knew it would understand.

The district still bore fresh wounds. Collapsed market stalls lined cracked streets while maintenance droids worked beside exhausted volunteers clearing rubble and scorched speeders. The smell of smoke lingered stubbornly in the warm air despite the passing hours. Conversation came only in hushed voices, as though the city feared drawing the attackers back.

Iriana walked without hurry. Her weathered robes shifted gently over reinforced travel leathers, one hand resting loosely near the silver-white lightsaber at her hip. Amber-brown eyes moved from broken walls to discarded equipment, from frightened civilians to the subtle impressions left within the Force.

Violence always echoed. Fear. Desperation. Resolve. She let each feeling wash over her without allowing any single one to dominate. Somewhere within the tangled currents was the absence she sought.

Then something tugged gently at her awareness. Not through the Force alone. Memory. Loss. She turned into a narrow side street. There, leaning almost carefully against the edge of a battered building, rested a lightsaber. Untouched. No scavenger had claimed it. No curious passerby had dared disturb it.

Iriana slowed as though approaching an old friend. She knelt before the weapon, studying every scratch, every worn contour of the hilt before allowing herself to lift it with both hands. Its weight settled comfortably into her palms. Abandoned. Or left behind.

There was a difference. She silently offered a small prayer to the Force for whoever had carried it last. You are not forgotten. Movement at the edge of her vision drew her attention upward.

Several civilians had stopped to watch. A pair of laborers stood with tools hanging idly at their sides. An elderly woman lingered in the doorway of a damaged shop. A young boy peered cautiously from behind her skirts, unable to take his eyes off the weapon.

Iriana rose, keeping the inactive lightsaber visible but relaxed at her side. Her voice was low, calm, and carried without effort. "I'm looking for the Jedi who carried this."

She let her gaze move across the small gathering, never lingering long enough to make anyone uncomfortable. "I'm not here to question anyone's choices during the attack. Only to find someone who may still need help."

Silence settled. She had learned not to fear silence. People often found courage there. "If you remember anything..." she continued gently, "...a direction they ran, someone they spoke to, another face nearby, even something that seemed too small to matter..."

A faint, reassuring smile touched her lips. "...please tell me. Sometimes the smallest thread is enough to bring someone home." She hoped that the citizens would learn to trust her enough to give her a lead. And she hoped back up was coming. This looked like it might be a sizeable task.

IRIANA VAEL

• Location: Chalacta
• Objective: Investigate disappearance(s) after criminal attack.
• Outfit: Normal Robes
• Company: Villagers, LUMI-7
• Message sent to: Aiden Porte | All Jedi

NO LIGHT IS TRULY LOST

OOC: Open to any Jedi, but would like to keep the group pretty small. If there are already four Jedi involved please check with me before jumping in

 

[Braze]

Tags: Iriana Vael

​

Braze had been paying close attention to every notice concerning missing Jedi, pursuing as many scattered leads as he could possibly manage. Several of his Shadow contacts had gone silent in recent weeks, their usual reports replaced by unanswered transmissions and dead channels. As if they had just gone dark with out warning. Sleep had become a rare mercy for the young Echani; when it did come, it often brought with it uneasy visions that dragged him through unfamiliar streets,saturated in half-heard pleas, and blurry impressions that dissolved whenever he reached for them.

So, when he heard of another Jedi vanishing on Chalacta, Braze altered his course without hesitation.

The young Knight arrived dressed for travel rather than ceremony, pale hair drawn away from his face and a heavy fur lined cloak resting across his narrow shoulders. His somber jade green gaze moved over the districts as he advanced, cataloguing any scorched masonry, abandoned thresholds, and the wary faces watched from behind shattered windows. He kept his force signature suppressed and buried deep.

He did not rush to question those who lingered nearby or press them for answers. Their attention appeared to be fixed upon someone else… someone who looked far more traditionally like a Jedi than Braze did.

She was not anyone he recognized nor was familiar with... Braze decidedly allowed his presence to become known gradually, keeping his hands visible and his posture at ease as he followed the encrypted summons farther into the district. Beneath the hustle of passing bodies and the ceaseless noise of the city, he reached cautiously into the Force, searching for the same troubled current that had disturbed his sleep for weeks.

Too many Jedi had already disappeared into silence. He had no intention of allowing another to be forgotten…

"Hey…" he greeted lightly upon approaching Iriana Vael .

 

[Audren Sykes]

Audren didn't believe he'd ever been to Chaltaca before, but he'd definitely been in the area. The system was not far from Kashyyyk, astronomically speaking, and he'd spent a significant amount of time there as a senior member of the Silver Jedi Order. He'd since stepped back from that Order - from any Order as it happened - but maintained ties enough to have current encryption codes for frequencies in use by the various Orders.

To any Jedi within reach of Chalacta. A Knight is unaccounted for following the recent attack. I will begin searching immediately. If you can lend your eyes, your judgment, or simply your presence, meet me within the affected district. No one should vanish alone.

The Sephi frowned at the message floating onscreen. It was hardly world-shattering: being a Jedi was a dangerous proposition these days. Even in his short lifespan, he'd noticed that things were cyclical: governments would rise that were Jedi-friendly or even Jedi-neutral, others would rise to oppose them, and some would fall, only for a replacement to come hunting. He largely kept out of it; his companies would sell to whomever was buying, though the more dangerous equipment tended to be reserved for those he believed would use it more responsibly. But now a call went out due to a single Jedi missing after an attack. Curious.

A small survey crew was working through the Redhurne system to see if there was anything left worth mining. It was doubtful, but it was along the flight path and the resource consumption to check was minimal, compared to the potential profits if something were to be found. He wasn't actively doing anything, just a part of the convoy, so with a quick message to the rest of the ships his vessel peeled out of formation and made the short jump to Chaltaca. If he could help bring a Jedi back into the fold, he would. The nondescript yacht settled onto its landing struts and the sometimes-Jedi strode forth.

He didn't ask directions, didn't need to. A single, long blink and a head tilt were all it took for a direction; the echoes of battle and resonance of another Force user were unmistakable. Those who saw him would be left to draw their own conclusions...without the obvious armor attachments his chosen clothing was common enough in design to be a normal civilian or a Jedi, and the lightsaber and blaster he wore were just two more items on his belt. The purposeful stride would probably be the best indicator of what he was, should they pay that much attention.

The elfin being arrived just in time to see a woman - obviously a Jedi - lift a lightsaber from the ground. It seemed he was using the word curious often for this little adventure, but it once again fit. The weapon of a Jedi was no longer taboo, for it to be simply lying there meant the locals might be afraid of it, respect it, or that they thought it was a trap. It didn't explode when picked up, and no army sprang forth when the woman began asking questions of those watching, though neither did they jump to answer.

The Force was...tangled...here. The attack had been fast and violent, threads of the Force weaving every which way. Lightsabers, though, tended to be intensely personal objects. Even with his rusty skills, he might be able to get a hint should the information not come from a more reliable source.

Iriana Vael | Braze​

 

[Iriana Vael]

​

The silence held only a heartbeat longer. Then one of the laborers shifted uneasily, glancing toward the others before taking a cautious step forward. He was middle-aged, his work clothes stained with soot, his hands still trembling despite the attack having ended hours ago. "It... it wasn't just criminals," he said quietly. "Mercenaries. Organized. They came through fast."

Iriana inclined her head, giving him her full attention. "You saw them?"

He nodded. "Not all of them. Just enough." His gaze drifted toward the lightsaber in her hands. "There was a Jedi. Blue skin... a woman." His expression softened with remembered relief. "She saved people. Got children out of a collapsed café. Held off the shooters so the rest of our group could run."

A murmur of agreement passed through the small gathering. "She could've left," another citizen added. "Didn't."

The laborer swallowed. "They surrounded her." His voice grew quieter. "They... they didn't kill her." Iriana's amber-brown eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "They took her. Some of the other citizens too."

The words settled heavily. Not slain. Captured. That changed everything. Before she could ask another question, another presence entered the edge of the gathering. Young. Disciplined. Purposefully restrained beneath the surface. She turned as a white-haired Jedi approached with an easy posture and an almost disarming greeting.

"Hey..."

Despite the casual word, she could sense the vigilance beneath it. Fatigue lingered around him, threaded together with determination and concern. Someone who had been chasing the same kind of ghosts she had.

At nearly the same moment, another presence brushed against her awareness. Older. Measured. Watching rather than announcing itself. Her eyes flickered briefly toward the far side of the street where the currents of the Force quietly gathered around another arrival. He had not interrupted, nor attempted to influence the conversation. For now, that was enough.

She returned her attention to the younger Jedi. "You received my message, then." Her voice remained calm, carrying the warmth of welcome without sacrificing purpose. "I am Jedi Master Iriana Vael."

She shifted the inactive lightsaber into view, offering the hilt rather than presenting it as evidence. "I recovered this only moments ago." The shiny metal rested easily in her hands. "It appears to have been left behind during the attack."

She glanced briefly toward the citizens before returning her gaze to the young Knight. "I was just about to hear more." Her eyes moved between Braze and the gathering. "These people witnessed a blue-skinned Jedi defend civilians before a group of mercenaries took her alive."

She let that revelation settle. "If that account is accurate, then we are no longer searching for someone simply lost." A quiet resolve settled into her expression. "We are searching for someone who can still be brought home."

IRIANA VAEL

• Location: Chalacta
• Objective: Investigate disappearance(s) after criminal attack.
• Outfit: Normal Robes
• Company: Villagers, LUMI-7
• Message sent to:[/n] Aiden Porte | Braze | Audren Sykes

NO LIGHT IS TRULY LOST

 

[Aiden Porte]

Iriana Vael Braze Audren Sykes​

Anytime there was a Jedi in need, Aiden was always willing to assist. As often as he could, and as much as he could he support. Hope did not abandon anyone so lightly. It was a constant and ever true feeling that, if it lived long enough within someone, it could never dissappear. The Jedi Knight had received the message, and while he was caught off guard, he had arrived a bit late to the designated location.

"Forgive my tardiness, my friends. Aiden Porte here." He spoke just as Iriana began to speak more to Braze it seemed, one whom he had met and worked with on an occasion or two.

She let that revelation settle. "If that account is accurate, then we are no longer searching for someone simply lost." A quiet resolve settled into her expression. "We are searching for someone who can still be brought home."

"Then that is what we will do, take a moment to investigate where she was ambushed, see if the captors happened to leave anything behind, something they didn't intend. Or if our missing friend, left something behind for us to find."

Aiden took a deep breath, as he glanced between them, and towards the citizens close by. The force works in mysterious ways, there may be something there.

 

[Audren Sykes]

Iriana Vael | Braze | Aiden Porte​

For a moment he thought nobody would willingly answer. Then one of the men shuffled a bit and spoke. It had taken effort to do so; Audren both saw and sensed it, and approved. Not hours past a brutal attack on his home town and neighbors, yet he was willing to offer what he knew where most would be incoherently babbling or completely catatonic. Maybe he figured he owed the Jedi, but there were plenty who owed Jedi their lives and never did a thing about it.

Taken alone, the offered information was scant. In context though, it was a definite start. The Jedi was female, which cut out a significant percentage of the galaxy. Blue skin was itself fairly rare, limiting the field further still. Cross-reference that against the listed membership of the New Jedi Praxeum and he'd be shocked if the count of potential matches needed two hands. A name meant a holo meant a start.

It was more than that though: the information went beyond any spoken word. When the man had spoken he'd glanced at the others around him, not to the shadows, the rooftops, or the rubble. He wasn't afraid of the mercenaries still being there or returning in the near future. That meant long-haul speeder or interstellar ship. Given the blitz this attack was reported as, logic suggested a ship. It was possible that planetary records caught identification and recordings, but also not.

"What information of the ship they left on? Where was it, what description can you give of it?"

The Sephi felt no need to explain his logic at this point as doing so wouldn't get faster results. His voice was loud enough to be heard without being overbearing, and while his tone clearly showed that he expected an answer it was indeed a question rather than a command. The focus of this group of Jedi was the missing Jedi but that didn't negate the man's own state, nor his sacrifice in speaking up.

Counting Audren, the group of Jedi now totaled four. The woman had introduced herself as Master Iriana Vael, and the newest arrival named himself Aiden Porte. That drew a second glance: he knew the name Porte but associated it with Kahne, not Aiden. Must be coincidence. The other hadn't introduced himself yet and in fact had spoken only a single word, but the demeanor of both others suggested they knew him. No, in this group it would likely be Audren who was the unknown.

 

[Braze]

Tags: Iriana Vael | Aiden Porte | Audren Sykes

​

Braze bowed his head gently. "I'm known as Braze… or Knight Kai'el."

His jade-green gaze settled upon the saber that had been produced, though he did not immediately reach for it. He knew well that Jedi rarely surrendered something so personal without reason.

"I possess some skill in psychometry. Would you like me to see what I can glean from her saber? Perhaps I can catch a glimpse of who she was fighting last and what they look like or anything I can discern that we should be wary of..."

His attention shifted briefly toward the others.

"The vessel may not have been theirs," Braze offered softly. "Mercenaries expecting pursuit would likely use something disposable or stolen… We should identify her as well. Blue skin narrows the search, and I can compare her description against the missing-person reports gathered by other Shadows and the broader Jedi personnel databases."

 

[Iriana Vael]

​

Iriana inclined her head as another Jedi approached, the familiar calm of one accustomed to answering calls for aid evident in his bearing. "Knight Porte." A faint smile touched her lips. "There was no schedule to keep. Only a hope that someone would answer."

Her gaze briefly swept across the gathering of Jedi now standing together amidst the battered street. "I'm simply grateful that we were able to mobilize." No one had questioned whether the missing Jedi was worth the effort. They had simply come. For a fleeting moment, it eased an old ache she had carried for decades.

When Braze spoke of psychometry, Iriana looked once more to the weathered hilt resting in her hands before extending it toward him. "Then every skill should be brought to bear." She offered the lightsaber carefully. "I have already sought what the Force would reveal to me through it. If there were whispers to hear, they remained beyond my reach." A hint of self-aware amusement softened her otherwise measured expression. "Perhaps they were waiting for someone with a different ear."

As Braze accepted the saber, another figure finally stepped fully from the edge of the gathering. The Sephi had remained respectfully distant until now, watching more than speaking. Iriana met his eyes with a polite nod before allowing the conversation to continue naturally. There would be time enough for introductions.

Her attention drifted briefly to the villagers. Four Jedi now stood before them. To some, that many lightsabers might have been reassuring. To others, intimidating. On the surface, their expressions remained difficult to read. Worry still clouded every face. Yet through the Force, subtle truths surfaced.

The laborer who had first found the courage to speak relaxed... if only by the smallest degree. Not because there were more Jedi. Because they had listened. Audren's question drew the man's attention. He scratched absently at the back of his neck before offering an uncertain shrug.

"Big enough for cargo." He frowned as he searched his memory. "Nothing fancy. No weapons I noticed. Didn't look like a military ship." His brow furrowed. "Just... plain. The sort you'd never remember seeing." He looked apologetically toward the assembled Jedi. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Iriana replied gently. "You've already remembered more than many could after enduring what you did."

The laborer nodded gratefully before another memory surfaced. "Oh..." He looked up again. "The one giving orders..." He hesitated. "She was a woman." His expression tightened with frustration. "I couldn't get a good look at her. Too much smoke. Too many people running."

Iriana folded the new information carefully into the growing picture forming in her mind. A female commander. Mercenaries disciplined enough to extract a living Jedi. A plain cargo vessel chosen specifically because no one would remember it. None of it spoke of opportunistic criminals. It spoke of preparation.

She looked between Braze, Aiden, Audren, and the others gathered. "They came to take someone or, based on the size of the ship, many someones." Her voice remained quiet, but the certainty behind it was unmistakable. "The attack created chaos..."

Her amber-brown eyes drifted toward the scarred streets surrounding them. "...but I no longer believe the chaos was the objective."

IRIANA VAEL

• Location: Chalacta
• Objective: Investigate disappearance(s) after criminal attack.
• Outfit: Normal Robes
• Company: Villagers, LUMI-7 | Aiden Porte | Braze | Audren Sykes

NO LIGHT IS TRULY LOST