Private Old Places, New People

[Ovekpo Vimo]

Location: District 1 "The Den", Harastown, Dagata IV
Time: 2 Hours Before Sundown
Weather: Sun with patchy clouds
​

The rattle of Ovekpo's footsteps sounded throughout one of the many side hallways of one of The Den's various spaceports. As a Dagatan he knew all too well that to tread through the main passageways and entries of these spaceports would lead to a robbery of coin or of time, two things that the young Mirialian had no interest in wasting. He was returning from one of his Aviation instructions, where he loved to teach the younger Dagatans the ideas and techniques of aviation (where he wouldn't forget to show off a tad at the end of each lesson). As his boots clanked along the floor, he came to an opening with a large balcony looking out upon the District. He looked around and began to make his way towards one of the side turbolifts. It was moments alone like this where he was able to let out breaths of relaxation and be genuinely happy in the tasks he had completed and the joy of his flying. As he made his way down the turbolift, the doors opened to an enormous lobby which smelt of spice and recent blaster fire. He exited the lobby quickly, deciding the various smugglers and bounty hunters were not worth his gaze, and as he went outside, the stench only stayed the same, if not worse as it now smelt of garbage and, something Ovekpo was not used to, the smell of "poor". Ovekpo made his way onto the main street, looking forward and walking ahead until he was caught in his tracks- this was not a normal feeling. He felt the presence of something, no, someone; someone similar to him, someone stronger than him. He knew this must be impossible, force users were practically removed from this planet as a whole. He did not recognize this feeling and had not used the Force in such a time that this feeling almost came as a shock. Regardless, he sensed it none the less. He began to walk forward, his Dagatan determination beckoned him to find this being, as he moved along the ridden streets of The Den.

Tiland Kortun

​

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Ovekpo Vimo

Tiland had surprisingly never made it to Dagata IV before. Surprising, since it was just outside the territory of the Outer Planets Alliance. But perhaps less surprising than it seemed. After all, there were thousands of planets in the region of space inhabited by the Alliance. All sorts of things going on in the galaxy and he couldn't be at all of them.

But the Force brought him here now and he picked his way through the streets. Normally, he and smugglers got along well enough, especially the ones just trying to make a living doing things only mildly illegal. Sure, they broke laws and killed people sometimes, but not often, and nothing like what he had seen. It was a vicious, all-out gang war, and they didn't play nicely. So, he'd slipped in and through the area, bringing them down, one by one.

It didn't feel like that was the reason he was here, however. No, something else was calling him. Someone else. Someone he could sense now and felt confused, perhaps shocked, but looking for him.

The old Jedi saw no reason to make it difficult so walked to the end of an alleyway and set his staff on the ground, waiting for whomever had come this far to seek him out.

 

[Ovekpo Vimo]

This truly was an odd feeling. The Dagatan, although he would never show it, was afraid deep inside. All his years of schooling, dueling, and faith had never taught him what to do when one experienced this. That's most likely because he was one of the very few force-sensitive beings on Dagata IV; ironic for how diverse their culture was made out to be.

His walk was short, as he knew passages and alleys which the regular off-worlders of The Den would not think even once to try and pass through. He did not let his mind wander, the attention he had on the energy drawing him was undoubtedly his one and only goal at this moment. Ovekpo turned the corner into a dead-end alleyway, seeing an old man sitting there with his cane on the floor. Ovekpo stood at the entrance of the alleyway, staring at the elderly man, not daring say a word.

Tiland Kortun ​

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Ovekpo Vimo

His soon to be companion was close now. Tiland could sense the approach, growing stronger with each moment, until a young Mirialan appeared around the corner at the end of the alleyway. The old Anzati stood, hands clasped around the walking staff, and smiled. "Ah, there you are. I was wondering when you would arrive."

He picked his way through the alley towards the youth, whistling softly beneath his mustache. "Jedi Master Tiland Kortun, pleased to make your acquaintance." He held out one hand to shake in greeting as he looked around the surrounding cityscape. "Shall we go somewhere we can have some tea? I have a feeling there is much you will want to know."

 

[Ovekpo Vimo]

Ovekpo stared at the old man for a bit, the sullen gray skin and eyes seeping right back into him. He sensed a sorrow over the man, not the thing he would expect from a great Jedi Master; and yet, there seemed to be a curious light about him. After snapping out of it, Ovekpo began to shake his head "No, no. This must be wrong."

He caught himself beginning to step backward away from the friendly hand, mainly out of confusion, but also fear.
"You? Jedi Master? I don't think so." The old man was more than a foot shorter than he was, and looked as if he was ancient. "You must have been searching for someone else. My sincerest apologies."

Tiland Kortun ​

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Ovekpo Vimo

Tiland raised an eyebrow for a moment, before knitting them together in confusion. His eyes half-closed as he reached out again into the Force, and then he chuckled, catching glimpses of the thoughts and emotions from Ovepko. "I suppose that is a fair assessment. I am hardly a young, tall, hot, and muscular character like so many of the Jedi Masters these days seem to be. But I am indeed a Jedi Master, though I still feel there is so much to learn."

His eyes twinkled as he said it, for it was true. Among the many Jedi Masters he met, the only one he could remember being shorter than him was Dhalinar Greystar . He didn't say anything, but let Force Light flow from him into the surrounding area, brightening the alleyway and street. "But you look only with your eyes. It is with the mind and the spirit that we must look to know the truth of the matter."

The light faded as Tiland set himself back down on the corner of the street. "But I sense that you can feel the Force. And it is not coincidence that our paths crossed here, of all places."

Tiland settled himself against the wall with a long sigh. "I will wait here for you if you truly believe this was not the Force that brought our paths together this time. Or perhaps this was the sole moment we were meant to engage with each other. Who can tell?" He considered for a moment. "It is our choices that will define us in the end and not our destiny."

 

[Ovekpo Vimo]

Ovekpo looked away from the old man to the horizon of The Den, the sun was beginning to lower itself into the west and a small freighter ship flew off into the light of the star until it had disappeared. The looming presence of the gas giant Dagata Prime began making headway over the lush moon, and served as a call to the various street vendors to pack up their shops and head to their families for the night.

As if it was a sudden rush, the typically stubborn and impatient Mirialan was overcome with a sense of calm, a wave of light that glowed brighter than the setting Dagatan sun. He looked over at the Anzati, who, while facing away from Ovekpo, looked as if he was asleep. "H- How did you do that?" The boy was flustered, he had never felt something like that before.

Taking a seat on the opposite corner from the Old Master, he looked the figure up and down, his questions were immeasurable, just as the Anzati had predicted.

"The Jedi haven't been in this system for centuries."
"You're not from here, are you?"
"If you're a Jedi, where's your lightsword? Er- lightsaber?"

Tiland Kortun ​

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Ovekpo Vimo

Tiland merely smiled and opened his eyes at the question. "It is an ability known to the Jedi as Force Light. It is..." He considered how to phrase it. "The physical manifestation of the Force. It is not easy to accomplish, as it requires utter tranquility of mind and calmness of heart."

As he had expected, it had accomplished the goal of catching the youth's attention and bringing him in closer, reassuring of the fact that Tiland was indeed a Jedi Master. The nature of the questions, some he expected, and some he had not. At the suggestion no Jedi had been around for centuries, he could only shrug. "Quite likely. I don't keep track of every Jedi and where they've been, although many could pass through without being detected if they wished."

The lightsaber question. It was a traditional one and one to be expected. "No, I come from a planet far from here and very hard to find. As for my lightsaber, it is safely hidden away in a cave beneath a tree on the far edge of a galaxy. I no longer carry it. I do not need, for the Force is my ally and I need nothing else."

He paused to consider. "And what of you? You, I sense, have some connection to the Force, at least enough to be drawn here. What is your story?"