Private Shadows and Swordsmen

[Caelen Varo]

Crimson Corridor
Equipment: Lightsaber, Force-Imbued Wakizashi
Tags: Shem Spinner

Shani placed her hand to the ground between her bare feet, closing her eyes so as to see through the force. As the felt the ebbs and flow of Ashla's living presence as it flowed through all the living creatures surrounding, the blue-skinned Togruta sighed in exasperation. It'd been several days since she'd been sent to find this disturbance and yet between her senses and the interrogations of passers, she was unable to find it's cause, and she didn't want to spend any more time in this area than necessary. Not for its skyrocketing crime rate - few thought to mug someone who pressed the cold steel of a sword against their throat - no, it was proximity to the Jedi that unsettled her. Well, that and the crowds - the unspeakably large crowds.

While she had nothing against any particular Jedi, between their differences in political philosophy and the Greysons' claims to the core, there was no love lost between the Alliance and the Crusade, and she could only assume the NJO would take umbrage at a dodgy, shadowy force user skulking just a few kilometers from their massive temple district. Hopefully they wouldn't send some headstrong blademaster after her - or worse, assume her a dark sider and send a shadow after her - she was just far enough into her own training to know that would be a problem.

Pulling her cloak further over her head to hide her identity (though her race would be apparent due to her montrals), She continued to follow the flow of Ashla, going where it took her - and hoping she could leave this planet soon enough.

 

[Shem Spinner]

Coruscant, Crimson Corridor
Tags: Caelen Varo ​

Oni was on the hunt for artifacts. Dark Rakatan items had begun to circulate on the Galactic black market. As an individual from that time, Oni was a perfect fit to search and retrieve them, given his personal experience. This was no small task, but he wasn't the ordinary Jedi learner. He was a time traveler, or a forward-time-jumper, which admittedly didn't have a good ring to it. Unfortunately, since picking up a lead a few layers up, everything went cold at the Crimson Corridor.

There was clearly something. Oni could feel it. A familiar dark presence, one that flooded his mind with memories of fighting along side his old order, the Je'daii. There was something here, but where he could not say. It seemed to, for the moment, allude him. Something else did catch his attention, however. A blue skinned Togruta concealed by a cloak, almost aimlessly wandering... At least, that's what it may seem to the common eye. The swordsman recognized this as force sensitivity. She was looking for something, same as him. It was very likely that they were hunting down the same artifact. Still, who was this woman? The Pantoran had not been informed that there were any other Jedi on such assignment. Perhaps she was of a different faction. Worse yet, she could be Sith.

He couldn't know for sure. Whatever the case was, he couldn't let the artifact slip into the hands of those who may misuse it. For now, Oni would simply follow from a distance and wait...

 

[Caelen Varo]

Crimson Corridor
Equipment: Lightsaber, Maksayr
Tags: Shem Spinner

As Shani continued her seemingly aimless wandering, she allowed herself to fall deep into thought, closing her eyes and allowing the force to be her sight as she fell into a sort of walking trance. Though it wasn't jedi-like, she had to admit to herself that she was anxious, scared even. The Council of Shadows, dealing with the Sith resurgent and the Maw's continued violence, had been forced to continually give her missions that were better suited for a Knight, or hell, a knight and their squire, than a lone Free Squire. Visions of her future showed unspeakable pain, and a fight for her very soul. It scared her, but all she could do was steel herself for the tribulations.

A sudden presence shook herself out of this trance, like a light blaring in the darkness. Someone was following her - someone who had at least tasted the taint of Bogan, and a sword... one not entirely unlike her own. This was it, certainly this was some powerful Jedi sent to detain her... or worse. Or perhaps the Council had feared her loss to Bogan, and they were sending another to sniff her out. Either way, the better to confront this person head-on, rather than let them choose the place of contact. Ducking through the crowd, she moved in a zigzag pattern, sifting through the people of the ecumenopolis as her eyes darted before and behind, her montrals searching the air for anything out of place. Suddenly she darted into a large alley, populated only by sewer rats and the most destitute wretches of this district. Planting her feet in a combat stance, she prepared herself to face whatever was following.

 

[Shem Spinner]

Coruscant, Crimson Corridor
Tags: Caelen Varo ​

The cloaked Togruta had seemingly noticed him, breaking into a zig-zag sprint to seemingly flee, or at least move to more favorable terrain. Strangely, he could not sense anything dark about her. If she was force sensitive, what did she have to fear? When he noticed the woman slip into an alleyway, he followed, only to find her in a battle ready stance.

"Do you often scare yourself into unnecessary battles?" he asked, being rather blunt about his thoughts on the matter. "It seems quite counterproductive, especially if your aim is to not be found."

Oni frowned, crossing his arms. He didn't assume an aggressive stance. Not yet, anyways. The swordsman was certain that he could handle the situation rationally.

"You aren't of my order," Oni noted. "Who are you? Who sent you here?"

 

[Caelen Varo]

Crimson Corridor
Equipment: Lightsaber, Maksayr
Tags: Shem Spinner

"You learn pretty quickly there's no one you can trust in this Galaxy. Not among governments, not among pirates, and especially not among force users." She raised her hands in a defensive stance as she made her reply, not yet reaching for her sword or gearing for an attack. "Lady Sala is the only one who's earned my trust. Better to face possible enemies on your own terms, than theirs"

She immediately sized up the boy opposite her. He looked to be half a decade younger than herself by best reckoning, but there was something about him that seemed almost ancient. She still couldn't shake the stench of Bogan which, though it didn't seem to overrun him, still attached to him, like the aftertaste of a bitter drink. His sword was awash in force energies, which she could feel bright as day even as it sat in its scabbard. It must have been not unlike her own to have this sort of aura.

"I am not. You, truly, are partially alien to your order as well- Though your aura mostly reflects Ashla's light, the lingering stench of Bogan has touched you before." She carefully lowered a hand to her own sword, unsheathing only a small part of the blade, her lightsided energies flooding into the blade, revealing the crest of two swords set ablaze. Though she doubt this Jedi would know what they meant, it would at least catch his attention. returning the blade to its cradle, her hands resumed their place in a defensive stance.

"My name is Shani. I was sent by my masters. And you, Jedi?"

 

[Shem Spinner]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Caelen Varo ​

"No one to trust? Isn't that a bit overdramatic?" Oni shrugged. "And there's no need for the defensive stance. I haven't once indicated that I'm a hostile. Believe it or not, it's not polite to attack strangers unprovoked. I doubt it reflects well on your character to have an eagerness to strike down a non-aggressive teenager."

Oni wasn't just skilled with the blade. He threw around his thoughts in a way much like a sword; Calculated and sharp to the touch. The Pantoran saw no need to hold his tongue if she wanted to threaten him on his own turf. The stranger had a strong force presence about her, but her paranoia was even stronger. Who would send such an unstable individual to a planet like Coruscant? It seemed like a recipe for disaster.

"You, truly, are partially alien to your order as well- Though your aura mostly reflects Ashla's light, the lingering stench of Bogan has touched you before."

"I've not known many to speak like that," the swordsman frowned in response. "Ashla and Bogan are... archaic terms from what I've learned... You are not wrong, though. Those of the Bogan have been felled by my blade. It doesn't surprise me that their aura has stuck around, even if faintly..."

Oni was un-phased by the slight draw of the stranger's blade. He was sure to note that she had a force imbued blade of her own. It was not unlike the ones his lost Je'daii forged, though clearly a much more modern interpretation of the art. The crest was interesting, but he had no context for what that may be. Shani is the name that she gave and there was no indication that she was lying.

"Oni," he answered. "I do need to ask what it is you've been sent for. If it's a potential danger to the public, I have a duty to ensure that such things are contained and I'd very much hate for this to be a sore point."

 

[Caelen Varo]

Crimson Corridor
Equipment: Lightsaber, Maksayr
Tags: Shem Spinner

Keeping her hands in a defensive position, Shani did relax her stance somewhat, her eyes leerily looking around to make sure there were no more surprises, and her presence in the force reaching out, still trying to find the destructive force she was here to look for. "Neither is it polite to cloud someone's vision with your own presence, stalking them through dangerous streets. All sentients are corrupt, capable of great, destructive evil. Experience has proved to me that trust is never to be given freely."

Even so close to the gaudy and garishly grandiose temple, she could feel the presence of Bogan around them, and it set her off balance. Sure there was the natural aura of evil that such a high crime area, just naturally would give off, given the corruption these people spread to each other, but It seemed like she'd finally gotten a track on where her target might be... But first she'd have to get past this Jedi.

"Don't you feel it? The general corruption of the sentients around us was clouding my vision but now I can feel its power seeping out. An artifact of the rakatan empire, according to my Council. I believe it some sort of weapon, though whatever it is, if it be Rakatan, it's an abomination that must be destroyed."

 

[Shem Spinner]

Coruscant, Crimson Corridor
Tags: Caelen Varo ​

"Don't you feel it? The general corruption of the sentients around us was clouding my vision but now I can feel its power seeping out. An artifact of the rakatan empire, according to my Council. I believe it some sort of weapon, though whatever it is, if it be Rakatan, it's an abomination that must be destroyed."

"Rakatan..." Oni echoed, his face becoming stern. Now she had is attention.

It felt like only a month ago that he setting off to wage war with their Infinite Empire. That decision was the very thing that had brought him to this time. Thousands of years had past since then. The time that Oni new was long since dead. Still, if Rakatan artifacts lingered, he felt he had a responsibility to see them destroyed. For the honor of his expired order.

"I felt such a presence, but was unaware of it's origins," the Pantoran continued. "If this artifact is Rakatan in origin, take me with you. I have... unique experience with such weapons."

 

[Caelen Varo]

Crimson Corridor
Equipment: Lightsaber, Maksayr
tag: Shem Spinner

Shani was stuck in a predicament. This was not a situation that she enjoyed, but it was something she'd have to make the best from. Despite not feeling an outright attachment to Bogan within him, she didn't trust this young man whatsoever. He apparently was unfamiliar with the faith of the Crusade, and the feelings she could glean from him suggested that he was prone to rash, destructive decisions that could put himself and others at risk.

On the other hand, if this artifact was as bad as she feared, it would be almost necessary to have some backup in taking it on. The council had only ordered her to find it and report back, but even that could prove dangerous, and perhaps with the help of another strong lightsider, she could prove herself more worthy of their approval by destroying it outright.

In an almost inaudible whisper she spoke a brief prayer, "Ashla, guide my thoughts." Closing her eyes, she allowed the force to enter her mind and guide it, centering her focus and allowing her to think clearly. She'd have to be very careful around this Jedi, but despite all of her self objections, it was better not to dive into the unknown alone.

Shyly, in a hushed tone, she very tentatively answered him, "Very well, you can accompany me. Though I should warn you, I intend to destroy this artifact, and any attempt to do otherwise will end badly."