Private Point of No Return

[Kyyrk]

D X U N
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Voph had only been to Dxun on one other occasion. Back during the war, his crew had hid from enemy patrols among the dense undergrowth. How exactly they had successfully managed to conceal a Harrower-class Star Destroyer, Voph wasn't sure. But he did remember that it was a gigantic lake. But, that was ancient history. Now that he stood upon the shores of that very same lake, he realized that nothing looked familiar. Time and the Elements had shaped Dxun's surface beyond recognition, further complicating his already daunting task. Voph's gaze drew upwards towards the sphere of Onderon floating in the sky above. Perhaps what he sought was on the planet, and not the moon? He was not sure, in truth. But he had heard the legends of the Sith Tomb that his ancestor had helped destroy.

And that was reason enough for him to stay here. The Obsidian star had been locked down tight. No one in or out without her droid butler's approval. And Voph had seen what she could do in simulations of attempted boardings. He was confident the ship was secured. So out into the jungle he struck. In spite of a month long stay upon the moon, his party had never found anything suggesting the presence of a Sith Tomb upon Dxun. But Voph was a different man now than he was then. Finding such things were trivial to a man that had mastered seeing all that the Force held for him to find. The only problem was a small detachment of Sith also prowled the jungles. He had reason to believe they had already found the tomb. And they were hiding it from him. He'd have to do this the old fashioned way.

To make matters worse, a Jedi was near. Where there were Jedi, there was trouble. Particularly with the recent inquisition. The Transponder had identified the ship as neutral, but Voph could sense the presence of another Force user fast approaching. Whether she was there to help or hinder, Voph did not know just yet. In fact, Voph had not had hard contact with her since landing. But he could still feel the Jedi's presence. The odds were even between being there for him, or being there for the tomb. Voph wasn't sure which exactly, and he wasn't taking chances. Though his black robes normally stood out like an eyesore among the dense greenery of the jungle, Voph's attunement with the Force, and his skill and experience with the Jungles native to his homeworld, meant he would be a difficult man to track for the uninitiated. If the Jedi was indeed tracking him, he was going to make it very difficult for her...

Aedrien

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[Aedrien]

T R O U B L E​

Aedrien had never been one with an aversion to getting her hands dirty. Quite the opposite, really, she was a nightmare of a child which meant for an obscene number of cuts, bruises, and chastisement for dirtying her parents' carpets. Even in her adult life, being caked in grime was more a minor inconvenience than a loss. That being said -- why did everything have to be so buggy? ​

She should count herself lucky, she knew, that she had not yet had the absolute pleasure of picking Orbalisks off her skin, or simply embracing them as new armor and hoping she could stop the growth before it completely suffocated her. No, that would be an adventure for another moment. In the current hour, a stream of curses was cascading from her mouth as she pulled herself out of a pond. Never mind how she got in the pond exactly (it definitely had nothing to do with the now-broken tree limb that once hung above said pond), the Arkanian/Sephi hybrid was absolutely fuming. ​

She pulled a cig from one of her many pouches, pleased to find that that particular pouch was indeed water-tight, but found that was about where her lucky break ended as her lighter refused to spark to life. "Chit," she continued her curses, all kark this and kriff that as she shook more water from her gear and person. A moment of focus later, the cig flared up though not without a little extra effort. She paused for just a moment, taking a quick drag of the cig before her enraged ramblings and meanders continued. "Garak, if this place is a bust, I will melt down your kneecaps and feed them to..."​

Kyyrk ​

 

[Kyyrk]

J U N G L E
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Voph paused, crouched by the trunk of a tree looking out over a dip in the terrain below. Voph's helmet turned skyward as a shadow passed over his face. Silent and deadly, Horace glided through the sky, his keen eyes turned to the ground below. There were many things that Voph could sense, but there were some things that even the Force could not decipher. And so, he turned to his newfound companion. For who better to guide his path than eyes that could pierce the dense foliage?

<<Someone follows us.>>

Voph turned his gaze down into the valley. <<No. We follow them. The Jedi.>>

Voph's brow furrowed as he searched for the being. A loud splash reverberated around the valley as wildlife started in reaction to the sudden disturbance. Voph stood, and jumped down the rockface before him, landing softly in the undergrowth below. It was likely best to position himself to strike first, should the need arise. Horace soared past again, then off in a new direction, still scouting for signs of the tomb. <<Beware the pond. The Jedi-fish knows how to swim. If you can call it that.>>

Voph smirked to himself at the owl's wit. Voph was close enough now to smell the smoke rising from the girl's cig. Reminded him of Sabryna, always smoking those damn things. He crouched silently in the undergrowth, now looking directly at the girl. The small clearing near the pond didn't afford much room, but it was more than enough. Voph stood slowly, and stepped forward from the foliage. As the Force fell away from him, revealing his figure and signature to the galaxy, his blade ignited. "You seem lost, Jedi."

Aedrien

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[Aedrien]

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P O N D​

The blonde continued her grumbling as she sat on a log, removing her boots and pouring out excess pond water. Of all the things to get done in the day, taking a small dip had been far from the top. To be entirely fair, it wasn't the absolutely worst thing that could happen but still, the water left a poor taste in her mouth in more ways than one.

She sat there for a moment, taking a drag of the cig. This was fine. Everything was fine, just peachy. She just needed to stop, decompress, and --

"What the chit-" she stood, boots still resting on the forest floor, lightsaber flying from her belt to her hand and igniting as she turned to address the voice. A Sith? No, she didn't think so and he didn't quite look the part entirely. While the possibility of being wrong was always an option, her gut feeling suggested otherwise. And her gut feelings were seldom wrong. Besides, if he was a Sith, why not just cut to an attack?

"I could say the same to you, uh, whoever or whatever you are," she answered in kind with brow furrowed and blade at the ready. Her free hand pulled the cig from her mouth, tapping away the ashes. She maintained, or at least tried to maintain, a balance between casual and battle ready. "Who are you and what's your business here?"

Kyyrk ​

 

[Kyyrk]

W H A T ?
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Voph did not move for a moment, standing at the ready but never allowing his gaze to stray from the girl. His eyeless helmet was pointed directly towards her, giving the clear indication that his focus was on her, even if it did not bear the marks for social niceties. A thing that Voph increasingly did not see fit to observe. Then, slowly, a soft rumble began to build in his throat. Though the helmet betrayed no emotion, underneath it, Voph was grinning. The rumble slowly grew until it became an audible laugh. "It's been a long time since anyone referred to me as a what. Last I recall, they were Jedi too." Voph's grip tightened around his saber involuntarily at the thought. Voph stared at the girl for a moment more, then seemed to relax somehow. His body language didn't change, and yet, it was as if he was less of a threat than he was a moment ago.

"Who I am has never been important. What I seek is best left unsaid. Some things are better left unsaid. Some knowledge left unknown. But if you must have a direct answer..." Voph's head cocked slightly, a position he held for a moment before deactivating his lightsaber. "I am looking for something. Obviously not you. Presumably, the same thing you are." Voph returned the lightsaber to his shoulder, and turned to look up as Horace turned through the sky, descending to rest upon Voph's left shoulder.

"The question now becomes who you are, and why have you strayed into the mighty jungles of Dxun. Site and source of perhaps the greatest defeat the Jedi ever witnessed. Some even claim to call it a victory, from their warped perspectives. Field trip gone awry?" Though there was no visual indicator, it was clear Voph referred to her recent and unplanned expedition into the pond. "Or perhaps there are more devious machinations at work here?"

Aedrien

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[Aedrien]

C O N F U S I O N​

Aedrien practically bristled with both annoyance and high alert, annoyed at being caught off guard and in such a dumb position - for what could be more dumb (and needlessly specific) than caught without shoes? Sure, other situations were far more compromising, but that didn't distract from the fact that caught with no boots wasn't a position she both expected or wanted to be in. Her brow furrowed as he spoke, glare deepening in the creases of her forehead and around her eyes. "I am not other Jedi." Perhaps a bit too quick to point that out, her pride, or at least her insisting on being something more than what an initial glance would suggest, would be her downfall one day.

"Whether or not it's important doesn't answer the question." Her head cocked to the side in suspicious confusion as the lightsaber deactivated, though she didn't dare deactivate hers. No, the moment she let down her guard could be a moment she'd pay for dearly so her eyes and blade both stayed trailed on the other. "Who are you and what thing are you searching for, then?" Only once his lightsaber was returned to its place did she consider lowering her weapon, only to bring it back to ready height as the bird swooped down.

When it came to his own questions and observations once again she felt the bristles of annoyance, maybe even anger. "Again, I'm not other Jedi. Their defeat is their own problem." At reference to her unexpected dip, her checks burned a slight twinge of embarrassment. "That's none of your concern," she hissed in response, "but if you must know, I'm looking for something, too."

Kyyrk ​

 

[Kyyrk]

C R A S H ?
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The girl repeated her question. Who was he? For a moment, Voph was sucked into a whirlpool of memories and thoughts. Who was he? Well, her demeanor wasn't exactly welcoming, leading Voph to treat this meeting with some sense of formality. Voph humphed quietly under his breath. "I have gone by many names, and many faces in my time. You, however, may call me Voph." Voph offered a stiff bow, remaining upright enough that Horace did not lose his perch. "A pleasure, Master Jedi."

Perhaps she had heard his name in whispers. Perhaps she had seen his armor on the holoscreens. The Lord Commander of the Knights Obsidian. Fist of Justice in the Confederacy. Leader and founder of the Inquisition, and stalwart warrior and general. He had been present at nearly every major conflict the CIS had participated in for the last decade. If anyone had kept current on the happenings of war, they had heard his name.

So it may also have offered some clue as to why he was here. One day, it was abruptly announced that some other being was taking his place. Lord Commander Lechner had offered no explanation for why Voph had suddenly abdicated his position. Simply stating that he had done so, and was leaving the CIS for a time. He carried with him the scars of a great loss. An agony that had echoed through the Force from that fateful day nearly four months ago. When a great calamity befell the Knights Obsidian, obliterating their number until only a few remained.

But Voph suspected that she had little knowledge or care of what had transpired. The Sliver Jedi had not lifted a finger to help them. Nor had the New Jedi Order. As much as they preached, Voph had never known the Jedi to actually care for the plight of the suffering. Voph opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a shot ringing out over the trees. His head snapped up, his senses turning to the skies above. A ship streaked by over head, followed by two smaller vessels. Another pair of shots rang out, destroying an engine pylon on the lead ship and sending it careening into the jungle below. "Horace." Voph looked back down at Aedrien as the owl took flight. "If you will excuse me Master Jedi, it would seem that duty calls."

Aedrien

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[Aedrien]

R U N​

A pale brow - though not quite as pale as the rest of her hairs that graced her head - rose when at last he did answer the burning question. The grip on her lightsaber lowered, though the blade remained ignited. She wasn't here to make friends, just as she wasn't here to get dead. But she could, at least, acknowledge the slight distinction between introduction and distraction, though formality itself was lost on the young woman. "Aedrien," she said in reference to herself. "No need to attach a title to it. I haven't earned chit worth mentioning."

Now his name she might've heard of, if only in passing. Or something similar to it, at least. Goph, maybe? Or maybe something about a Moff? What time she'd spent at any temple was limited, to put nicely, and that time spent keeping up with galactic news was even less. The only news that matter was that which was pertaining to the mission at hand. That and updates on an upcoming holoshow every now and then (she wasn't a complete savage as to forgo all entertainment). Either way, whatever familiar ring the name had to it was just vague enough that Aedrien both wouldn't be surprised or unsurprised if she had heard the name before. But if so, that'd be a problem for future Aedrien.

Watching the vessel streak towards a foresty grave, another curse slipped from her mouth. The problems and setbacks just seemed to pile on rather than resolve themselves. Truly, just her luck. "What- hold on!" Sith or not, mysterious stranger or trusted ally, there was a comfort to be had in at least knowing where your enemies were. Even if this Voph dude didn't turn out to be an enemy, for the moment at least it seemed unwise to let him out of her sight. She scrambled to deactivate her lightsaber, jamming her feet in her boots and only bothering with the bare minimum of clasps before she was back on her feet, taking to persuing this fallen craft.

Kyyrk ​

 

[Kyyrk]

M O V E
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Voph moved through the jungle with an uncanny ease. Every branch, every root, he knew their location and adapted accordingly. One of the many perks of Force Sight. As he ran, the soft tickle of Horace's voice wormed its way into the back of his head. <<The Shuttle has crashed. No sign of survivors yet. But there is movement in the trees around it.>> Voph pulled his lightsaber from his shoulder but did not yet ignite it. When he did, he would lose the element of surprise. For now, he ran swift and silent through the trees.

He could feel a strength growing in the Force. They were not alone in the jungles of Dxun. The Dark and Corruption festered in this place, brought life by the beings weaving towards the crashed shuttle. The two fighters circled back over head, and disappeared below the tree line as they landed. Voph suspected the tomb he came searching for was not abandoned. The only question now was why the Sith were here. And did they know anything?

Voph came to a pause just outside the impromptu clearing caused by the crashing ship. The Force surrounded him and enveloped him, as if he did not exist upon the moon any longer. If he was going to sneak up on the Sith, he couldn't have them detecting him early. As Aedrien drew near, her own presence in the Force was dampened by merit of Voph's ward. They had a moment to stop and assess. Voph mumbled quietly. "Two lifeforms within the shuttle. Sith approaching from the opposite side. No weapons drawn. Probably taking prisoners..."

Aedrien

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[Aedrien]

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V R O O M​

Aedrien was far from graceful in navigating the jungle landscape. Focussed more on keeping pace than making a show of anything, half of her trek was spent fighting the foliage more than moving with it. This was fine, quite on-brand for her, actually. Back in her temple days, the word 'abrasive' was often used by masters, trying to suggest she temper her, well, her in general. Those recommendations had fallen on deaf ears, though out of stubbornness or not quite knowing how to change was anybody's guess.

While technically fairly well in tune with the Force, her focus often left much to be desired. Now, running through the jungle with little thought cast towards more trivial matters, she could feel just a taste of how deep the dark side was embedded in the planet. Truly, coming here alone hadn't been one of her smartest moves. That being said, it certainly didn't scrape the top five of her worst.

At the mention of prisoners, her brow furrowed once more. "Like hell they will," she muttered, moving to pass Voph. She didn't exactly know who was being taken prisoner, but that hardly mattered. It wasn't going to happen, not on her watch. Aiming to circle around a bit, make sure the other would be out of line of sight before she drew attention to herself. "Hey! Kark for brains!" She yelled, with hopes of drawing at least one of the Sith away. Both would be better. Well, better for whoever crashed. For her, it might get complicated. But again, a problem for future Aedrien, even if that future was only moments away.

Kyyrk ​

 

[Kyyrk]

F I G H T
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Voph wanted to roll his eyes at the girl's brashness. There were few things that annoyed Voph to the extent that he wished to engage in an action that was physically impossible for him. But, it did serve a use for him. Twin lightsabers ignited as the Sith rushed forward to attack. They hadn't expected someone not afraid to fight, but that didn't mean they weren't ready. Voph waited until the Sith had run past his position.

Voph stepped forward into the clearing as the Sith charged past, shoulder-checking one of them who fell roughly into the dirt. The other one stopped, turning and raising his lightsaber to strike at Voph. Voph's own blade sprung to life, striking the other's blade with enough force to knock it clear, leaving the man open to further attack. Voph stepped forward to press the attack, two swift strikes laying the man low.

Meanwhile, the second individual had gotten back to his feet, now striking at Voph from behind. Voph stepped to the side, bringing his dominant arm up to drive an elbow into the man's cheek. He continued to spin and locked blades with the Sith who was quicker on his feet than his fallen companion. Voph grinned under his helmet. The Sith withdrew his blade and swung against Voph's left side. His arm came up to block the blade, the Cortosis ridge along the back disabling the blade. His blade was already in motion, cleaving the man's torso from shoulder to hip.

He stood still for a moment, waiting and watching for more attackers. But for the time, the jungles had fallen quiet. "Crude, but effective, Jedi."

Aedrien

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[Aedrien]

FIGHT-ER SPECTATOR​

Aedrien braced herself for a fight, lightsaber reigniting as she captured the Sith's attention. With a flick of her wrists, she gave the blade a quick spin before she settled into an opening position, feet widening for balance. Charging in head-first was her specialty, no doubt about it. Still, there was a twinge of nervousness in the pit of her stomach. And for a moment, she had to wonder if she'd made the right - or perhaps more tactically sound was the better description - decision.

It seemed her preparation was for nothing, however. A blink of the eye later and Voph had also jumped into action, intercepting the Sith that would've been on their way to pummel the Arkanian. She found her self slow to jump back into action - the prospect of an ally, even if it was more of an 'enemy of my enemy' situation having come as a big enough surprise that while her feet did move to engage still, the initial adrenaline was cut short as the enemies were made short work of.

She was in position by the time the second Sith fell, ready to strike the being down if Voph didn't do so in the process. Had he been an ally, she would've mocked him, jockingly requesting to be given a chance to act herself. But Voph was no ally, not yet. So she simply drew back a couple paces, still exercising caution though less so than the inital few minutes of their meeting. "If they were taking prisoners, there was no time to lose. I wasn't about to let that happen."

At mention of prisoners, she turned back to look at the fallen shuttle. "Speaking of, better make sure all of that wasn't for nothing."

Kyyrk ​

 

[Kyyrk]

R E S C U E
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At the Jedi's suggestion, Voph turned his attention towards the crashed shuttle where a young woman was being assisted from the wreckage by an armed guard of some kind. Voph figured her to be some kind of nobility. Voph wouldn't say it in front of the Jedi, but had the girl been taken captive, the Sith likely would have led him right to the tomb he sought. But now? He'd have to find it on his own. As the young noblewoman stood shakily on the jungle floor, Voph offered a hand to keep her upright. His lightsaber had been deactivated and returned to its place on his shoulder.

"You're safe now. Are you hurt?"

Voph clearly intended to ask after serious injuries. All in all, the young woman and her escort were shaken, cut, and bruised. All in all, from first glance, still in excellent condition considering the crash. The girl's legs began to give way, prompting Voph and her escort to usher her to a rock where she could sit down for a moment. Voph knelt beside the girl as he checked her over for major injuries, and calling upon the Force to mend a few of the minor ones. "I think we're fine, save for the superficial wounds you see. And shaken, in her case."

The Escort didn't bother pointing out the obvious. The important details, anyone with a brain could sus out on their own. "We're here on a search and rescue. Lady Baelar's brother has gone missing, she has reason to believe he's here on Dxun. Frankly the hostile welcome by the Sith lead me to believe she's right." Voph turned to glance at Aedrien. That meant there would be more of them. And Voph suspected he knew where they were hiding. "As do I."

Aedrien

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[Aedrien]

I N V E S TI G A T E​

That was supposed to be my line-- While hardly one to complain about someone else taking the forefront of an interaction, especially one where tact seemed necessary, it was still almost off-putting to be taking a backseat. While clearly not a textbook definition Sith (or perhaps one exactly, depending on which textbook), Voph hardly gave the vibes of someone Aedrien expected to be high on the humanitarian list. She wasn't about to argue, though, taking the time to temporarily ignore the others in favor of getting a better look at her surroundings.

This shuttle had crashed, there was no doubt about that, but where had the Sith come from? Aedrien paced the scene absentmindedly, looking up to see the girl's legs give out only to reach out with the force to drag a good-sized rock a bit closer to the trio before turning her attention back to the question at hand. She paused again, scarred brow raised as she cast another look at the trio as Voph tended to the girl. Huh. Again, unexpected. Weird.

Her gaze fell to the small piles of defeated Sith. Now that would be a place to start looking for answers. And a datapad hidden amongst ones' robes proved to be exactly what she was looking for. A hand drew close to the defeated corpse's face, unusually gentle fingers sliding cold lids shut before she removed the datapad from their person entirely. She did the same for the other Sith with a reverence only afforded to the dead, one of the few notions of ceremony that hadn't been completely lost on the woman.

"So did they," she interjected, approaching the trio with datapad in hand. "Or, uh, probably but of course not necessarily pertaining to that, these Sith weren't here on a training mission." She held the datapad out for another to look. "Looks like they've got a bit of a base not too far from here, that might be your best bet."

Kyyrk ​

 

[Kyyrk]

F A M I L Y
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Voph turned to look at Aedrien as she held up the data pad. His brow furrowed as he concentrated on it, then shrugged. It wasn't Miraluka friendly, meaning he couldn't read it. But with his helmet on, Aedrien wouldn't know that. So he added, "Can't read that kind. If we're going to find that base, you'll need to guide us." Voph turned his attention back to the girl. She was still shaken from the crash, and not entirely present. But otherwise, she was unharmed. Voph stood, and looked to her escort. He, on the other hand, was fine. He was far more resilient than his ward. "There's a ship landed next to a lake about a klick north of here. If you both can make it there, you'll be safe. I'll do what I can to rescue her brother, and meet you there."

Voph held out a datachit to the escort. "Give this to the droid you find on the ship. It will let her know you're a friend. If need be, she can get you both to safety and come back for me." Voph turned to gesture in the direction the ship had been parked, but was stopped by a rather loud objection. He paused, turning back to the girl who was now on her feet, looking at the trio with a certain fury in her eyes. "I can't just leave him! I have to find my brother!" Voph's helmet focused on the girl, his arm slowly dropping to his side. "No. You need to get to safety. These are Sith. They will kill you just as soon as look at you. This is no place for a noble."

Voph turned and began walking back towards the edge of the clearing, considering the matter settled. She was but a child. Dxun was no place for her on the best of days. And for every moment they delayed, her brother's life was in greater peril. "Please. After mother left, he's all I have." Voph stopped. He didn't turn at first. "I just need to know if he's alright. I'm not leaving without him. Please." Something in Voph's exterior seemed to change. He sighed quietly, and looked down at his thigh, withdrawing the pistol that was strapped there. He turned, and tossed it to the escort. "Stay close. If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I tell you to run, you don't look back. No heroics." Voph turned to Aedrien, and nodded towards the undergrowth. "You'd best lead on, we're burning daylight."

Aedrien

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[Aedrien]

B A B Y S I T T I N G ?​

Another look was cast in Voph's direction, another brow raised. Aedrien had a feeling it'd be far from the last time she looked at the man like that. "It's almost like you're not the only one here." She said at a deadpan, leaving the datapad extended if the girl or escort wanted a look before retracting to study it further. It's in kriffing basic, what can you read if not that? Once more, she went back to mostly ignoring the group's exchange. Trust Voph or not, having the girl out of sight and mind was easily for the best.

She focussed her attention on the datapad, reaching out through the Force as she did so, trying to solidify a mental pathway, anything to cut the travel time without having her nose glued to a physical map. Her gaze wandered to her own datapad for a moment, catching sight of a couple messages that'd come in recently. Garak wanting an update on the mission, Cliff being an idiot, and the thought of sending the Sith's information to her own device was promptly discarded. Too many distractions, best to keep with the unfamiliar device.

"Stay close. If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I tell you to run, you don't look back. No heroics."​

"Hold up -- what now?" She looked up from the devices, brow furrowed to the point of which it might as well stay that way. He wanted to bring these people with? Where there'd surely be more Sith to contend with? The escort she could almost see bringing along. Almost. But the girl? One wrong move and the Sith would rip her to shreds. One right move and they might do so anyway. "This isn't some kinda field trip. Are you mad or are you trying to get all of us killed?"

Kyyrk ​

 

[Kyyrk]

O B J E C T I O N ?
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Voph frowned under his helmet as the Jedi paused and challenged his call to bring the civilians along. He turned back to the girl, his brow furrowing at the outburst of anger from her. Voph turned back to the Escort and said, "Excuse us a moment. If there are any supplies or personal effects you must retrieve from the shuttle, now is the time." Voph turned back to Aedrien, and stepped over closer to her. His voice lowered so that the two civilians could not hear him, but Aedrien certainly could. "No one is asking you to help them, Jedi. No one is asking you to help me. If you don't want to be here, leave."

Voph pointed at the two civilians with an alarming precision for never having looked to see where they had moved to. "That boy is the only living family that girl has left. And you mean to tell her to sit and wait while two people she doesn't know run off on a haphazard rescue?" Voph's arm returned to his side. "What if we never come back? What if she's left to wonder for the rest of her life what really happened to her brother? You won't need to worry about her safety. Leave that to me. If anything happens to her, I swear to you I will answer for it."

Aedrien

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[Aedrien]

I N C R E D U L O U S
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Aedrien didn't back away as Voph drew closer. "You quite literally just said you'd need me to guide you." She reminded with a raised brow, her tone a solid deadpan.

"And you mean to tell her to sit and wait while two people she doesn't know run off on a haphazard rescue?"​

"Yes, actually," Aedrien responded without batting an eye. "And I don't know about you, but I plan on coming back. Give them a com, let them watch from afar, sure. Chit, we can repurpose one of theirs." She gestured toward the piles of Sith. Surely they'd have something salvageable, especially if there were much more of them elsewhere. "But having these two there risks too much. It's a distraction for you, a target for the Sith. If they find out the brother's a high-priority, even worse." Give them an inch and they'd take a parsec.

She sighed, the fist not holding a datapad clenching and unclenching. She couldn't exactly stop the two civilians to come along (or rather she had neither the time nor interest in committing to the task. Nevertheless, the idea of having more than her own back to watch, especially when at least one individual in question had little means to contribute to the cause, was a bridge she hadn't planned on crossing. Nor did she want to. Nor could she simply wash her hands of the matter even if Voph was willing to claim responsibility for them. That wasn't how responsibility worked, not really. She moved past Voph, casting another glance at the datapad in hand.

"Their hideout is this way. If you're truly dead set on playing a hero, the quicker we move the better."

Kyyrk ​

 

[Kyyrk]

R E S C U E
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Voph looked aside, and nodded wordlessly to the two civilians. They picked their way around the debris to join them at the edge of the clearing before the group set off into the jungles. Voph fell silent as they walked, his head bowed in thought as the group moved through the undergrowth. He looked up only once as Horace flew overhead. Then returned his gaze to the jungle floor. And yet, in spite of his tunnel vision, he seemed perfectly aware of all the obstacles near and around him.

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"Why is your armor black? You're not one of them, are you?" The question cut through the silence like a knife. Voph shook his head, lifting his chin to gaze ahead as he was spoken to. "No. The armor is black for my order. The Obsidian Knights. A sign of my devotion to them." The escort perked up at this. "You're a Confederate? Well, now I feel slightly better about our chances. Shame what happened to your people. My heartfelt condolences." Voph simply grunted in response. The group lapsed back into silence before the young noble asked, "My sister had intended to join your ranks when she was younger. She wanted to travel the galaxy helping people. All for the better, I suppose, that she did not. Rumor has it that even your Lord Commander died in the Cataclysm. May I ask, was that true?"

Voph reached up and removed his helmet slowly, before hooking it to his belt at the small of his back. The snow white hair that adorned his head shone in the light, the simple black band around his face marking him unmistakably as a Miraluka. "You tell me." The noble and her escort both fell silent. As if they knew some unspoken weight behind the gesture. The only thing that would become clear to Aedrien was the man's heritage of war. His face was adorned with a multitude of scars. Worse still, the man clearly had the resources to afford good medical care that would leave such marks nigh invisible. To have such wounds in such a state? They could only be there intentionally...

Aedrien

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[Aedrien]

N A V I G A T E
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Aedrien set about leading the way, a sour expression still etched into her face as she pushed through bushes and other foliage. There was no point in continuing to ruminate on just how horrible an idea this was, bringing the two along. Still, she wasn't about to change her mind. They were a liability, a distraction, little more than that.

"You're not one of them, are you?" That nearly got a chuckle out of the Jedi. Nevermind the fact that Aedrien had thought similar upon running into Voph. To be entirely honest, she wasn't convinced otherwise, either, not entirely. Mention of the Confederacy was familiar, if only for the fact that they were one of the largest influences on a galactic scale. Beyond that, well, the context clues suggested loss was in the equation, something Aedrien was well acquainted with. Something she wouldn't wish on anyway.

She cast a look behind her as she heard Voph's voice again, this time not muffled by a helmet. Taking in the hair, the scars, and most notably, the band over his eyes, there was a moment of 'oh that makes sense now' as she put two and two together. Miraluka. Yeah, that'd explain why he couldn't read the datapad. The scars were a sight, too, though Aedrien was far from moved (at least outwardly). Nor was she without her own scars, the gap in her eyebrow of a blow that nearly took an eye with it had never healed on its own. Nor was it something Aedrien had cared about enough to have healed by other means.

"Alive or dead, we're coming up on their hideout," she stated, one hand moving to stash the datapad as the other slid back to her lightsaber. Vocalizing it was far from necessary, she assumed, at least not for those attuned to the Force. While not yet intolerable, the oppressive weight of the Dark Side was particularly poignant here. "This place reeks of bad news."

Kyyrk ​