Never Hide Your Heart
Low slow, go flow
Location: Tython - New Jedi Order Temple
Objective: Meet Young Jedi Apprentice
Tags:
Kas Larsen
Tython was a world far removed from Coruscant. Standing at the window of a quiet meeting room within the Jedi Temple, she let her gaze drift across the endless green expanse beyond. It was a far cry from Coruscant's chaotic sprawl. No crowded skylanes. No glimmering towers. Just the soft rustle of leaves and the distant call of birds. Peaceful? Yes. But it felt wrong and disconnected from the pulse she had grown used to.
The New Jedi Order had made the decision to relocate to Tython's jungles, and while she respected their reasons, it still felt… out of place. At least to her. Golden rays of sunlight filtered through the high windows, casting a soft glow across her slender frame. The stillness wrapped around her like a weighted blanket, too calm, too quiet. She shifted slightly, folding her arms as she listened to the birdsong outside. It was almost meditative, though her thoughts remained preoccupied. She was expecting someone, a young apprentice from the Order, someone she'd never met but had agreed to work with on her latest case.
Katarine had only recently left the New Jedi Order. The work had started hitting too close to home, and her ties within the Temple had become complicated, particularly with one person. Now, she walked the path of a Wayseeker, following the will of the Force without allegiance to any one Jedi faction. Still, she wasn't above accepting help when it was offered, especially on a case like this.
Several bodies had been discovered on Coruscant, each victim found with illegal narcotics in their system. But what stood out wasn't just the presence of drugs, it was their horrifying effect. According to the medical examiner, the substances triggered a sudden spike in body temperature so severe it boiled the brain inside the victim's skull. No one had seen anything like it. As a Jedi Investigator, Katarine had taken the case without hesitation. She'd seen her share of strange deaths, but this was unlike anything she'd encountered before. A partner would make the work easier, though not just anyone would do. Normally, she would have chosen
Dean Walker
, but things with Dean had grown… complicated.Too close. Too familiar. Too much.
That, more than anything, had pushed her away from the Order. Fortunately, the Grandmaster had understood and arranged for someone else to accompany her on the mission. A fresh face. A clean slate.
Now, all Katarine had to do was wait for the young man to arrive.