First Reply Nothing to See Here in Zoronhed

[Jorus Q. Merrill]

ZORONHED
ZONJU V
NEAR SITH TERRITORY

Two things to know about this place. First: for a quarter century, the Sith have been the dominant power in the region, and almost every sapient in the Zonju system has lived with that impending threat since youth. There's a dread that lurks on the horizon like a sandstorm and rushes in every once in a while. It doesn't help that so much of the oldest stonework on Zonju V is similar to Sith architecture. Anyone who knows anything about that finds Zoronhed ominous right out of the gate.

Second: there is a market stall that's been there at least fifty, sixty years. It's labeled Baobab Astrography in futzy holosignage. Some days it's run by a little droid, sometimes by assorted spacers, and often by the proprietor, a human with faded gold Corellian Bloodstripes on his pants. The dread doesn't dig in so hard near that stall.

Alright, three things. The old proprietor's name is Captain Jorus Merrill. Before most of you were born, he and his partner Alna D'Lessio forged the Mara Corridor. He's one of the great hyperspace explorers of history, and history is where he belongs. He has deep regrets he'll talk about (like missing the defense of his beloved Kathol Outback when the Sith moved in) and plenty that he won't.

His time has inarguably passed. These days he sells star maps, and teaches astrogation part-time, and hopes the Sith won't show up. So far hope's been enough.

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Zoronhead | Blue Lightning

Jorus Q. Merrill
———————————————
​

Okkeus tossed a few credits towards the nearby worker droid. This would assure him a good number of hours to park at this hangar bay. The last thing he wanted was to return only to find his ship impounded, forcing him to deal with the bay's operator. Dealing with them meant getting law enforcement involved. As most people knew, the law around here was the Sith, and he was not exactly on good speaking terms with them. Nobody was these days, not even other Sith. After double-checking that the Blue Lightning was locked up, the man made his way out towards the market.

A multitude of shops and stalls passed by as the spacer walked around. While the sights did look promising, he knew there would be a later time to see what they had to offer. There was one reason in particular that he was all the way out on this side of the galaxy. That reason was in the form of a dimply lit sign out in front of a medium-sized stall. A small smile decorated the man's face as he made his way over.

Entering the stall, Okkeus' eyes immediately darted around, peering at all of the treasures and trinkets that were spread about. So much history just in this one stall. He wanted to see it all. But what caught his eye the most was the man that was inside. The last time he had seen him, they were venturing to Companion Cresh. That journey seemed like ages ago. He wondered if the man remembered taking it. Maybe all the trips started to blur together after years.

"Hello, Jorus? My names Okkeus. Okkeus Dainlei. It's an honor to be here."

 

[Jorus Q. Merrill]

Jorus fired up his piss-poor memory and brightened up. Even took his boots off the counter. "Cotan's expedition! Cotan Sar'andor 's exgal convoy! You're the - you were the kid who brought the X-Wing all the way out to Cresh! I don't remember if we bumped into each other out there, but I sure remember that X-Wing. What you flying these days?"

The stall didn't have much in the way of amenities, but a second chair, sure, albeit a dusty one and meant for Krevaaki. He gestured at it in a have-a-seat kind of way and shuffled over to a disguised mini-fridge. It contained cold water and cold cheap lum and some Zonju cave cactus juice far more suited for anesthetics than recreation.

"And what can I getcha? We got lum and water. Pretty good water, too, not ship-distilled. There's a spring up by the Sherec Expanse and some swoop biker brought a keg back to Zoronhed."

Okkeus Dainlei

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Zoronhead | Blue Lightning

Jorus Q. Merrill
———————————————
​

A nod of thanks was offered towards Jorus as the man took a seat on the dusty chair. Soon a smile decorated Okkeus' face at the mention of the expedition.

"Yeah! Still can't believe that the X-Wing made it all the way out there. I'm flying around an old Lakota-class these days. She serves me well. My X-Wing is down for maintenance right now, but he'll be back in the air soon enough."

The journey to Companion Cresh had been long and taxing, but most definitely worth it in the end. That was the first time he had ventured out to another galaxy. Many stories were told to him as a child of the wonders that lie behind the main systems. It wouldn't be till many years later that he finally got to experience them. And it was astonishing. He made sure to take detailed notes about his journey so that his family could make the travel themselves. Well...whenever he started a family.

"I'd love some water. The stuff back on my ship has got kinda stale. So, how have things been on this side of the galaxy?

 

[Jorus Q. Merrill]

"Lakota-class, that's what, KDY? Sienar? Got sort of a Koensayr angle to it, that the one?"

Jorus got out an unlabeled, oft-reused and oft-sterilized water bottle and a can of lum, one of each for each of them. He cracked the tab on his and resumed what had been his customary seat for, on and off, a non-negligible fraction of the last half century.

"Out this way," he said as the first guzzle of lum settled in, "there's a mood. Twenty-fourth anniversary of Timbra Ott coming up, the big battle, the Sith taking the Kathol Outback. Folks here've been worried for a long, long time that the Sith will wade in again like the FIrst Order did. But now with Terminus under their control, and that's the whole pipeline from here to the rich worlds...an occupation feels inevitable. Tomorrow, or five years from now. So there's a mood."

Okkeus Dainlei

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Zoronhead | Blue Lightning

Jorus Q. Merrill
———————————————
​

"Good old KDY. They were Imperial cargo transports if I remember correctly. Mass produced, hardly used. Found this one in a junkyard back on Utapau many years ago."

Okkeus grabbed both the water and the lum and set them on a small table nearby. He listened as Jorus recalled the war that was two decades ago. The man was only a teenager when this would have taken place. Still running around with the Silver Jedi while fighting the Bryn. It felt as if that was ages ago. Truth be told, it was. Nearly three decades worth. He still couldn't believe that the Sith were so prevalent throughout the galaxy. Made him think about all those battles, all the lives that were lost, yet no difference was made. A sigh escaped his mouth.

"That sucks to hear. I figured the Trade League out here would have at least put a dent into their territory. Or maybe even the Alliance sending some ships. But having people living in fear like this is not alright. Maybe I'll have to call up a few of my Jedi friends and see what we can do."

Grabbing the can of lum, Okkeus too a small swig, pondering on what he might be able to do.

 

[Jorus Q. Merrill]

Jorus drank pensively. He weighed his guest, wondering what conversations might or might not go over well.

"A while back," he said, "well see, I was raised as a Warden of the Sky though I couldn't use the Force for anything but navigating by instinct, doing hyperspace tricks sometimes. But there was this Jedi, this Grandmaster, and feth I can't even remember her name - Kayla or Kaska or - no, Kaska was someone else. Anyway, she reached out, said she had holocrons that needed someone to figure out how to protect..." He waved it off. "Long story. She invited me to be on the Jedi Council. I didn't have much use for the Jedi and wasn't one, but I said yes. Master of First Knowledge, that was the job. Five, six years. Learned a lot about the Jedi. Number one thing that comes to mind right now, and every time I think what you're thinking...can't rely on Jedi to be brave or ethical any more than anyone else. To save you, I mean."

He snorted.

"Not that it matters. Near on thirty years of Sith running this side of the galaxy. Uprooting them's no 'get a few buddies' gig. It's been tried."

Okkeus Dainlei

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Zoronhead | Blue Lightning

Jorus Q. Merrill
———————————————
​

Okkeus sat there, reminiscing.

He listened as Jorus told his story of being on the Jedi Council. Okkeus only knew of him using the Force to chart out hyperspace routes, not to help serve the Jedi Order. Heck, he didn't even know if the man had a lightsaber or not. Nodding his head solemnly, he agreed that it was hard to be brave...or ethical. Times of the great war flashed through his head. Imperials battling Sith. No amount of blood that large should have been shed. Countless people all lost their lives, all because no one could live in peace. He knew it had gone on too far when Jedi started to fight against each other, arguing who was right and who was wrong. They were all wrong, and it took Okkeus too long to realize that.

Friends had been lost because of it.

"I suppose you are right. A part of me wishes that there was still hope in the galaxy. Hope for change. But it seems like that ship has long since flown."

The man swirled around the lum in his glass before taking another drink. He wiped his chin before setting the glass down.

"Reminds me of a time with the Silver Jedi. A few of us were sent out to retrieve a rogue Jedi. He was out of a manhunt, can't remember what for. Long story short, a senator ended up getting killed. I didn't see it happen, but I was tasked with getting us the hell out of dodge. It wasn't pretty. Oh, it was slaves, that's what it was. The senator was trading slaves. But they killed him. That wasn't for us to decide. That was up to the Alliance. Yet us Jedi were 'keeping the peace.' It's what we were told to do."

Some emptiness filled the man's eyes. All the trauma and pain from his youth coming back. Many nights had been spent trying to erase that from his life. It always found a way to return.

 

[Jorus Q. Merrill]

Since Okkeus Dainlei wasn't hyperspace, Jorus' sense of him in the Force was nil. Even without Jedi senses, though, the younger man's regrets and cognitive dissonance came through like a relay beacon. Like a hazard flare.

"That's being the getaway driver, yeah," Jorus said slowly. "If you don't know what they're up to in there, you wonder while you wait - but you're locked in, can't just leave'em. Then the drive, the flight, you don't have space to think about it until after. Maybe you start wondering whether you could've left your friends after all."

He was thinking of Underground raids, some dirtier than others, with friends, some truer than others.

He snapped his fingers. " Kiskla Grayson-Matteo , that was the name. One of the greats, and it's not easy to be great as a Grandmaster. Most Grandmasters are navel-gazing narcissists and always have been. But Grayson reached out. Made common cause seem like common sense. Really built some bridges nobody else could've."

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Zoronhead | Blue Lightning

Jorus Q. Merrill
———————————————
​

Thoughts of the mission began flowing back into his mind. None of them really knew that they were doing there. All the information was on a need to know basis. He was only a kid. Maybe it would have been best to leave them behind...

"They sound like an amazing Grandmaster. I do agree it's getting harder these days to find good ones. Then again, not too many people are searching either."

Okkeus stretched out his right leg while still sitting in the chair. A small pop could be heard, a sign of his age. It seemed like every day there was a new part of him that was aching and sore. That's what you get when you had escapades like him. Starfighter battles and lightsaber duels weren't exactly the greatest on one's body.

"So...you mentioned that you were raised as a Warden of the Sky? My parents were supposedly raised that way as well. I don't remember much about them since they passed when I was young. All I know is that they wanted me to follow the same path, but the Force had a different plan. Do you mind telling me a little bit about what the Wardens were like?

 

[Jorus Q. Merrill]

"Lost my parents young too, but not as young. I got raised as a Warden except that I couldn't use the Force. So some of the traditional skills - the projected fighting and all - were beyond me. And Wardens are private about being Wardens, and I didn't keep my mouth shut as well as I should've, not good enough at blending in. The Warden life worked out, though, for a while. Probably more Warden still than I ever was a Jedi.

"I've tried to make sure some of my family learn the Warden way as well as I know it. If you want a real expert, a real lifer to help you learn your heritage and all, you should talk to a captain named Chloe Blake , flies a YZ-series called the Aurora Hawk out of Corellia. We flew together any number of tiems when we were your age. Still got her number around here somewhere." He laughed under his breath. "Wardens don't have hierarchies or institutions and we sure don't have Grandmasters, but if we had one, Captain Blake'd be it, no question."

Okkeus Dainlei

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Zoronhead | Blue Lightning

Jorus Q. Merrill
———————————————
​

A mental note was taken of the name and the ship. He had no clue of the next time he would be over by Corellia, but Okkeus would definitely make sure to try and find Captain Blake. Downing the last little bit of his lum, the man sat up in his chair, pondering a question that had brought him here.

"I'll have to make sure I fly back to Corellia one of these days. Anyways, there was a reason I ventured out here all this way. I'm looking for something. A Lasan Bo-rifle to be exact. There is word that when weapon is connected to a ship's navigational systems, the charge somehow 'auto-charts' a course for the planet Lira San."

He remembered reading about this a long time ago in a Jedi Temple library. Which one however alluded him. They are started to run together. But if the writings were correct, the Bo-rifle became a navigational tool for those Lasat wanting to return home. It was not Okkeus' goal though to visit the planet. The technology inside the weapon was fascinating, and he wanted to see how it worked. And, possibly, replicated it for a different location.

"I was wondering if you knew where I might be able to find one? My guess is a lot of interesting pieces of ship tech have passed through your hands, so it was worth a shot to ask you."

 

[Jorus Q. Merrill]

"Lasat? Lasattan?" Jorus set his can aside and laced his fingers on his belly. "I can't say as I know the people, let alone the tech, sorry. Would love to know more if you find it."

He got up and stumped into the back of the shop to dig through some files on an old terminal.

"Lasan? Yeah, nothing showing up in my drives. Oh, did find something you might get some use out of."

He retook his seat and tossed a durasteel-and-bronzium tube of sorts to Okkeus Dainlei

"Here, take my lightsaber. I was always shit with it. It's waterproof and that's about it, bog-standard blue kathracite lens. I haven't used it in a fight for...might be ten, twenty years. Guessing you can put it to work."

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Zoronhead | Blue Lightning

Jorus Q. Merrill
———————————————
​

The lightsaber hilt was caught in Okkeus' robotic hand with the sound of metal lightly clinging against itself. Immediately his eyes were drawn to the weapon. It felt as if there was a weight to it. Not physically heavy, but more spiritual. Even though Jorus stated that he wasn't the greatest with the lightsaber, the man could sense that there was a long history behind it.

"Jorus, I-I'm honored. There must be something that I can repay you with. It would feel wrong not to give you anything in return."

It was his guess that the man did not want any credits. Hell, he probably had enough from charting the Mara Corridor many years ago. But it would be wrong for Okkeus not to offer something back to Jorus. Even if there was an errand that needed to be run, or an item that needed to be found, that only felt proper for him to do. Besides, it meant more time that he could spend learning from the seasoned captain.

 

[Jorus Q. Merrill]

Jorus hid a smile poorly. "Oh hush, let an old man give a gift, not everything's gotta be reciprocal. Besides, you're doing me a favor just taking it. Every time I see it I start wondering if I'm still a Jedi or if I was ever a Jedi at all. I've got better things to spiral over."

It was a pang, letting the thing go, disused or not. For the best, he told himself. It wasn't doing any good in a fleabitten market stall in Zoronhed.

A thought struck him and he laughed, loud and surprised.

"When I was younger I wanted to be my generation's Mungo Baobab, Saesee Tiin, Mari San Tekka. Turns out I'm my generation's Vima-da-Boda. Hell yes."

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Zoronhead | Blue Lightning

Jorus Q. Merrill
———————————————
​

Okkeus accepted the man's gift and words, realizing that it was a kind gesture and not a full-on trade. He rolled the hilt around in his hands, pondering the design. It was simple, yet effective. There was a strong urge to ignite the weapon right here in the stall, but the man decided against it. Didn't need any Sith supporters noticing a lightsaber turning on in one of their towns. That was just begging for unwanted attention.

"Growing up, I wanted to be like Luke Skywalker. Destined for a great purpose than myself in this galaxy. Being the author to a story bigger than my own. Then I realized that it was never my path in the first place. Kept trying to steer my ship onto a lane that wouldn't allow it. Took me too many years to see that."

The man let out a soft sigh, thinking about his previous years and what led him here.

"But hey, now I'm living the dream, traveling all across this galaxy and the satellites. Discovering systems that no one has even heard of before. That is how I'm writing my story."

 

[Saga Merrill]

Saga ducked in through a draped side door and straightened to his full height. He nodded to Jorus, who'd built him in much younger days and was now somewhere in the neighborhood of an estranged brother, and focused on the visitor.

"Recall that galactic-scale government only reemerged in the early thirties," said Saga, taking a stool uninvited. "Each of us has reconnected worlds to the galaxy, to their benefit and detriment alike. A source of regret and pride."

"Saga Merrill," Jorus introduced him. "Saga, this is Okkeus Dainlei "

The name popped a flag in Saga's memory banks. "The Sar'Andor Cresh expedition, of course — the young man who found the formation of huge comscan dishes. A pleasure."

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Zoronhead | Blue Lightning

Jorus Q. Merrill | Saga Merrill
———————————————
​

Turning to his side, Okkeus watched as the droid sauntered into the room. It was a model that the man was unfamiliar with. Looked protocol-esque. He listened to the droid's comments as hydraulics lightly hissed, lowering the droid into a nearby chair. Offering a nod of greeting, he listened as Jorus introduced the droid. A note was taken of the Merrill last name. That must have meant the two of them were close. In his youth, Okkeus had a similar relationship with a droid named Mouse. His padawan, Caden Evesa , had built the droid for him as a gift. But that was a long time away, along with another long story to tell.

"Ah yes, those ol' dishes. I never knew what happened to them. Could've been salvaged, could've been rebuilt, who knows. Guess this calls for another trip over there, doesn't it?"

I offered a light chuckle to Jorus. The trip had been long enough one time around. But hey, with their hyperspace beacons now planted, he imagined the trip would be a lot quicker.

"Did you ever figure out what that artifact was? The one you found in that nebula? Haven't even that about that again until now, but I remember it puzzled me."

 

[Jorus Q. Merrill]

"The, uh..." Jorus tapped his fingers on the desk. "The chunky hourglass thing with the oversized sensor signature. No, I never did crack that and I don't think anyone did. Saga?"

"So far as I'm aware," said the droid, "the artifact went undisturbed. We did use the radiological output readings to improve sensor decoys. There was a theory that the range of receptors you found, Okkeus, were designed to pull signals from that artifact, since they were only a few parsecs away. But it's merely a theory."

Most of that rang a bell for Jorus. More and more these days, when Saga was around, his perfect memory was a vital resource and a point of friction. Jorus' memory was lukewarm shavvit.

"I hear what you're floating," he said to Okkeus, "but I'm not flying out to Cresh again. I don't do the exgal thing much. Got tagged in to help navigate this one expedition, the Longjumper's Mark, an augmented superfreighter run to the Yuuzhan Vong galaxy if you'd believe that - but I tagged myself out again. But hey, I hear they're still in the market for someone who can pull instinctive astrogation in an emergency."

Okkeus Dainlei

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Zoronhead | Blue Lightning

Jorus Q. Merrill | Saga Merrill
———————————————
​

He listened as Jorus and Saga talked of the artifact. There had to be plenty more out there in the universe, just like this one. So many secrets that had yet to be told. This is why he loved exploring so much. Who knows, in time, maybe the ancient hourglass would reveal its secrets.

"Yuuzhan Vong Galaxy you say? I didn't think there was anyone crazy enough to travel out that way. Sad to hear that you don't travel exgal anymore, I'm sure you done it a lot. But I think I might see if that group is still interested. Been quite a few years since I made a journey like that. Have any seasoned tips that would help me out?"

While waiting for a reply, Okkeus pondered the thought of the journey. So much of his life had been spent here in the main galaxy. So much pain, so much conflict. Maybe that is why he like to travel. He was searching for a place that was different from the one he knew. One that could give him a fresh start and forgive him for his past wrongdoings.

A small scuttering behind him caused Okkeus to turn towards the door. In walked a small BD droid. What would seem like an uncommon sight wandering around was actually a fairly new occurrence for the man. The droid walked over and stopped by Okkeus' leg, looking up at him. His hand went down and petted the droid on his head.

"This here is Apollo. He's my little navigator droid. Helped repair him quite a few years back, and now he travels with me everywhere."

Apollo scanned around before walking over to Saga. Hopping up onto a table, the little droid began to view the large droid, introducing himself in binary.