Private Temba’s Soupworks [Location Thread]

[Romi Jade]

TEMBA'S SOUPWORKS
(Underground)
Olega City, Olega​

The hum of the old conduit filled the narrow chamber, a low vibration in the duracrete floor as Romi crouched over the junction box. Sparks jumped when she pressed the leads together, but the relay seemed to hold... the current was flowing somewhat steady from the buried line she'd spliced all the way back to the ruins of Olega's Jedi Temple. Sweat beaded her brow, hair pulled back beneath a band of cloth darkened with grease.

She'd spent some time with Henna Ashina and the Lightsworn, offering whatever help she could for the fight ahead...but in typical fashion she set out on her own side quest. What she saw on Balowa...she couldn't get out of her head, she needed to know. She was sure the others were looking, without a doubt, but she carved out time for her own research.

A flex of the hydrospanner, a final twist, and the strip lights she'd bolted to the unfinished walls flickered to life; they struggled to get there. The hidden room smelled of scorched wiring and damp stone, but it was hers now. This whole hub, her refuge. Buying an old noodle shop had never crossed her mind, but in her state, the grounds were suitable enough, and quiet. For now.

She knew eventually, with enough love and grease, this place could be cover, income, and access to rumors...and especially the place where she builds one of her greatest works thus far.

She exhaled, sliding back onto the mat she'd been using as her workbench, eyes on the half-assembled lattice of amplifiers and crystal mounts that dominated the center of the chamber. It was still really crude, but she could feel it already -- the faintest pull.

Then the conduits light shut off -- a failure.

She took a break and started welding more encephalic sensors into the paneling in the walls.

But also, this allowed her to avoid any unavoidable conversations with Briana Sal-Soren , Lossa Aureus , Kaleleon amongst many others.

---​

OOC: Using this as a location thread for a sub later. Opening this up to associates of hers for some potential extra flavor, past or present, feel free to jump in or bail anytime, or pop in if you need to talk/train with her about anything. I will use it as context in the sub later on.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

The name Romi Jade rung through the annals of Jedi history not as an echo, but a roar.

Cora had found herself on the periphery of said woman in several instances. The last had been during the Midnight Council, when she'd been too tired, too frazzled, too consumed with the collapse of her Order to be of much help.

She'd felt like a tree stripped bare of its leaves. Only stiff, twiggy limbs remained, swaying awkwardly in the middle of a storm.

Cora drifted into the noodle shop with the distinct impression that she'd been misled. Temba's Soupworks, really? Was this some sort of prank…?

Then again, she knew of a Jedi who'd hid in a brothel while the Sith had hunted their kind across the galaxy.

The lights dimmed and flickered, accompanied by the distant sound of electricity surging. The faint scent of charred wiring drifted from somewhere beneath the floorboards.

"…Hello…?" she called out, tentatively. One hand gripped the armrest of her hoverchair, uncertain.

Romi Jade

 

[Lossa Aureus]

Robes​

"They won't respond. Not mid project." Her hands settled on the back of Cora's hoverchair.

Her presence muted given the emotions that were contesting for first place. Intentionally pushing away that natural connection to exist without being a potential threat to others while she processed.

Joy at knowing Romi was indeed alive. Anger at not knowing sooner. Anxiety that she hadn't reached out. Confusion of her return being revealed now.

Details that would come out eventually no doubt.

Her eyes staring at the flickering lights before a smirk appeared. Progress. With some set backs. But progress without set backs was akin to being handed something without knowing how it could fail. Glancing down at Cora and her chair with a huff.

"Have half a mind to pull them out by hand." A grumbled set of words until she lifted her leg and slammed it down. Announcing them as well as calling out would have maybe. Maybe painting them as potential problems.

But they'd cross that shield gate when they got to it.

Romi Jade | Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Romi Jade]

TEMBA'S SOUPWORKS
(Underground)
Olega City, Olega​

"Oh, c'mon..." she muttered to herself, several lattices of crystal mounts casted a faint blue glow in her goggles -- she had tried a new configuration pulled from a new concept she pieced together based on old convos with Jend-Ro Quill & Coren Starchaser ; it had been steady for the first time in weeks. She leaned against the console, hydrospanner in one hand, watching the oscillation lines crawl across the display. Stable. Finally.

'Feth yes." She rolled her goggles up, "Gonna need more power but--"

Then--three sharp thuds overhead. Heavy boots. Voices muffled through the flooring.

Her head lifted. Nobody should've been upstairs...they weren't even open yet; renovations hadn't been completed or inspections.

A sharp trill sounded from the corner of the room -- her jury-rigged surveillance system, just some scrap she pieced together to run a camera feed from above to down below; an old holocam patched into a proximity alarm, it was flashing red. Someone had tripped the sensor.

Too low res to make out faces.

She pulled the cloth from her shoulders and moved toward the lift and palmed the controls.

The lift opened into the pantry. Several duracrates disguised her exit, and she slid it aside just enough to step out into the dim light.

Two figures stood out. Both would have to turn as Romi appeared from the back, her apron already slung over her shoulder to hide the oil stains from below.

As she sauntered out "Soupworks isn't open-," she said evenly, voice narrowing, as she was overwhelmed with familiarity; Lossa. "-Just...yet..." She looked like she saw a ghost, and then her eyes fell on Corazona in her hover chair; she hadn't known the girl personally as she did Lossa, but recognized her face from the Midnight Council and from other circles.

The tone, and her stance shifted.

She didn't know what to expect, "Erm-wha-has something happened?"

-----

Corazona von Ascania | Lossa Aureus​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Los-"

The admonishment faded from her lips when something actually stirred in response to the Zeltron's stomping. Cora's hawkish gaze softened, quickly flicking from Lossa to her side. The sound of scraping duracrete at the far end of the noodle shop heralded an arrival.

Behind us?

The chair's servos gently whined as it whirled around.

There she was. Romi Jade. A legend in her own right, but what struck Cora was her beauty. The greying hair and subtle creases of her face only added to it; the passage of time something beautiful in its own right.

Romi's nonchalance drifted into surprise, then that too faded. Cora glance up at Lossa once more. The Zeltron had been the one to suggest approaching Romi, and had been kind enough to accompany her in unfamiliar territory.

There was a time where Cora had been jealous of - and admittedly rude toward - Lossa Aureus. They'd been teenagers then, just children. Now, they'd grown closer. Close enough for Lossa to trust Cora with her daughter, and close enough for Cora to trust Lossa with this delicate task.

"We apologize for the…abrupt intrusion, Master Jade." The blonde dipped her head. "Corazona von Ascania, Jedi Knight."

While searching for the words, her fingers drummed against the armrest of her chair.

"I was injured during the battle for Arkania, and my body hasn't been able to recover properly." Cora gestured to the left side of her chest where, beneath her tunic, a wound festered deep into her flesh. The twisted essence of a smoke demon could be felt lingering in the Force. "Lossa was kind enough to suggest seeking you out, to see if you knew of anything that might help.”

Romi Jade Lossa Aureus

 

[Lossa Aureus]

Robes​

The chastising words died in the air as something shifted.

A smirk sent to Cora at the effectiveness of her action until a hidden passage behind them began to shift and reveal itself. The Zeltron shifting protectively around Cora as her eyes locked onto the figure to emerge.

The harsh stare shifting to a soft smile of recognition. The question earning Romi Jade a frown.

"Master, the galaxy always has something going on." As much an answer as a dismissal as Lossa went quiet.

Not sure of what matter she wished to speak on now that Romi was properly in front of her. Relief? Expectations? Irritation? It seemed unfair to hurl her own feelings at the woman that had more than earned herself a quiet retreat from the galaxy at large with all that had happened already and that which had happened prior to Lossa coming into the tutelage of Romi Jade.

Instead, remaining silent but hovering protectively around Cora still as she examined the shop itself.

Mind already working out how she might help.

Romi Jade | Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Romi Jade]

TEMBA'S SOUPWORKS
(Underground)
Olega City, Olega​

Her lips curved upward; pursed. She gave a slow, thoughtful nod, as if confirming the conclusion in his own mind, "Well..." her shoulders shot up, "Valid point. You're right." She said, realizing quick that Lossa was right. Chaos was chaos, and there was plenty of it.

Though with Cora, her brow furrowed in concentration, eyes narrowing as she processed the information. She glanced down at her hoverchair, and back at her -- she was young. She hesitated for a moment, knowing her own state, and she was never a healer by skill. She thought she'd have more time...

"I'm no healer, but..." She sighed silently to herself, glancing back at Lossa; a second that seemed way longer. "I'll take a look at you and see what I can do, come with me." She reached out and motioned for them both to follow.

As she walked "Temba's isn't much, least not yet. but with a bit of love, she'll be something soon enough." She led them back towards the lift in the back, crossing the threshold and tucking herself off to the side to make room for the others. She smacked the controls to send it down once they filed in.

"There's only a handful of people in the galaxy who can track me down like this, Lossa is one of them. If she's referred you then..." She glanced over to the Zeltron. Looking back to Cora, "Tell me more about what happened on Arkania, and this injury you have."

-----

Corazona von Ascania | Lossa Aureus​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Master?

Cora sent her gaze silently between Romi and Lossa. Something was exchanged between them, a measure of familiarity that didn't need words so much as it needed a mutual understanding.

"Thank you," she murmured with a grateful dip of her head. Some old habits died hard.

As Romi punched the controls for the lift, Cora hesitated. She let her stomach feel the weightlessness of descent while chewing on her words.

"I tried to excise a smoke demon bound to a man's soul. It was sealed with Sith runes."

Her fingers tapped along the armrest of the chair, electing to leave out her reasons for fear of judgment. It wasn't Voldran's corruption that drove her actions, but his suffering.

"I've cracked my fair share before, but these were…different. Bound far more tightly, and with more strength than I've encountered. When I tried to break them, the demon fought back. It overtook the man, and tried to absorb me."

Cora paused, perhaps realizing how ridiculous that sounded. The recollection of ashen vapor flowing into her pores was not a pleasant one.

"The last thing I remember is his hand solidifying in my chest."

Pulling down the collar of her tunic, she drew the dressing back to expose a line of gnarled, blackened flesh that ran from just beneath her collar bone and over the modest curve of bosom.

"I was spent several weeks in treatment - bacta takes, surgeries and the like - but the doctors were confused as to why my body couldn’t heal fully. My heart and one lung are still relatively weak, but I'm lucky to have survived."

She glanced up to Lossa before her gaze flicked back to Romi, and something softened.

"I know you said you're not a healer, but…Lossa speaks highly of you. Of your experience and knowledge. If there's anything that you can do, anything that you know of which might help remove the lingering essence…then please, I humbly beg you."

Romi Jade Lossa Aureus

 

[Lossa Aureus]

Robes​

The glances Romi sent her way were met with a careful neutrality.

There was no disdain or joy behind the look. Acknowledgement before directing the look back to Cora. Still feeling at odds with how she felt at seeing Romi once more without the facade of another title. The wonder of it being someone else gone now as she observed her Master move and speak.

"If your hand is involved, I'm sure it will bring help in whatever shape it is." Her smile genuine despite her mixed feelings.

Romi was nothing if not a caring presence in the galaxy. Helping others was something that had defined Lossa's perception of the woman. Even if the methods were unorthodox.

The ride down was both an eternal journey and a quick venture.

The mention of Lossa being one of the few able to find Romi brought a smirk to her face. A bit of pride about it swelling and helping to settle her feelings.

"I have a decent idea of the signs to look for. And Cora is the godmother of my daughter. I trust the both of you." A reminder of their positions in her life.

Lossa had paid attention to the movements and habits Romi acted on. Perhaps not studied them like someone with a vendetta, but enough to be aware of the signs.

And Cora had remained an exemplary being despite all that had happened to her.

Romi Jade | Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Romi Jade]

TEMBA'S SOUPWORKS
(Underground)
Olega City, Olega​

"A smoke demon? Oh boy..." she said, "I've only ever read about them, was never unlucky enough to encounter one. Manifestations of the dark side of the Force."

The turbolift shuddered as it slowed; there was a low hum vibrating through the floor, signalling its end. "Lossa knows to look for the trash dumps, and she'll find me."

With a dated hiss, the doors parted, spilling a dim light across the trio. She stepped to the side, giving room for the others to exit first. Then, Romi stepped out behind them.

The space opened up into a cavernous chamber -- part workshop, part sanctum, all just half-finished ambition.

The ceiling arced high above, lights were strung unevenly along scaffolding that framed the massive, skeletal silhouette of Romi's project. It filled nearly the entire chamber: a circular frame of durasteel ribs, cables dangling, consoles patched together from scavenged parts. Even incomplete, this Cerebro-like machine radiated intent.

The room itself? Dark corners, crates of supplies stacked haphazardly, the smell of metal shavings and coolant thick in the air. Along one wall, duracrete gave way to carved stone alcoves that hid smaller chambers like her quarters, a study with scattered datapads, a locked door that pulsed faintly where something on the other side awaited possibly.

From atop a precarious stack of durasteel crates, a tiny voice barked:

"No, no, no! I said bring more power, not… more people!"

Bobbajo, no taller than a child, popped his head out from behind a cluster of wires. His oversized goggles magnified his eyes into comical saucers, and his tool belt looked bigger than his entire torso. He scuttled down the crates with surprising grace, muttering in Anzellan as he waved a hydrospanner like it was an indictment.

Romi sighed, though the corner of her mouth curved into something almost warm.

"We'll get the power we need. I'll go back to the old Jedi temple and I'll run more lines. Patience, Bobbajo. We've got gues-" She started before the Anzellan stamped a tiny foot.

"Patience doesn't run generators! Patience doesn't charge capacitors! You Jedi always say patience, but patience doesn't keep the lights on when the whole karking system trips!"

"If you want this monstrosity to hum like a nexu in heat, you'll need four more power couplings, six conduits that aren't fried, and maybe a miracle. Or two. Preferably two."

Romi arched a brow, folded her arms, tilting her head down at him. "Miracles happen to be my department." she snarked.

The Anzellan froze mid-pull, then looked up, goggles reflecting her face. "Ha! Then we're doomed."

Romi eye-rolled hard, and turned to her guest, "Don't encourage him." She started, motioning them to follow, "Come."

She guided the ladies into one of the alcoves, this one was her study. "Cora, if you don't mind me taking a look at your wound?" She asked.

"So we've got a Smoke demon, and Sith runes...so there's obviously some level of sorcery likely involved. You've said you spent several weeks in treatment already...and still haven't been able to fully heal..."

"Your ability to feel or call on the Force, as vague of a question as that seems, has their been a noticeable difference? And lingering effects, hallucinations?

-----

Corazona von Ascania | Lossa Aureus​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Lossa's declaration of trust eased the thrumming ache in her chest, if only for a short while. Cora reached for the Zeltron’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before falling away. No words were exchanged, but the expression she wore - one of warmth and faith - said all that she needed to.

But then-

"The trash-?"

That certainly wasn't where one expected a Jedi Master to be, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed that the galaxy's greats often sought simpler, grounding surroundings. Away from gilded halls and war councils, connecting with the Force on a level that reminded them of who they were meant to serve; the people of the galaxy.

That train of thought came to a grinding halt at the introduction of one surly Anzellan, who was quick to scold Romi for straying too far off task.

Though startling at first, Cora found the exchange rather warm. It was familiar, in a way. She did flush faintly at the comparison of a nexu in heat. Some habits died hard.

"Apologies," she tilted her head to Bobbajo, a little amused, a little sheepish. "We won't occupy Master Jade for long. Perhaps we can help you procure the hardware you need, in penance."

The alcove provided a little more seclusion. Cora didn't fuss as she loosened the collar of her tunic and swept the bandaging to the side, allowing Romi a better look at the gnarled skin.

A beat passed as she let the question settle in her mind.

"My ability to feel the Force hasn't diminished, no." She shook her head before continuing. "I tire more easily when using it, though. It's as if something is sapping my energy. Some days I feel relatively fine, and others, I can't take a few steps without losing my breath."

Cora frowned. "One of my lungs is still collapsed, and the vessels near my heart aren't working as well as they should be. I've consulted all of the texts that I can about this sort of thing, and I don't believe it's a stretch to say that whatever is lingering in this would is keeping my flesh from healing."

Romi Jade Lossa Aureus

 

[Lossa Aureus]

Robes​

The offered hand was squeezed in kind before Cora withdrew the touch. A small grounding for her feelings as Lossa absorbed all that was around her.

A wry smirk appearing as Lossa turned her attention sharply to Romi.

"Only certain trash dumps. Usually where refuge, or hope, is waiting to be shared." A playful tone to her words despite the sharp edge beneath them as she leveled a look toward Romi.

A slight flare to her ruby eyes as her connection to the Force rekindled itself. Lossa felt as protective of her Master as she was of Cora beside her. Even if that meant admonishing the one she aspired to be in some small way. Her feelings no longer conflicted about her Master as a new voice joined their chorus.

A further amused arch to her smirk appeared as she turned between Bobbajo and Romi. "I see you wrangled someone willing to yell at you at least."

Her mood much lighter now as Cora and Romi began to go back and forth. The wound revealed as Lossa gave a low whistle at the sight of her wound. The effort of those prior failing making her think alongside the two as she scrunched her brow.

"Sounds parasitic in some way–like a siphon maybe, or a leech?"

Romi Jade | Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Romi Jade]

TEMBA'S SOUPWORKS
(Underground)
Olega City, Olega​

"Who isn't yelling these days..." she said shuffling for some gloves, "Especially at me...I'm sure there'll be more where that came from." she followed up, though a murmur. She ran her fingers, gently, across the outer ridges of the wound -- all in examination, and with gloves of course.

"Hmm...", She made sure to be careful not cause pain, but have enough sensory output via pressure to get gauge on what she was dealing with; this was outside the visual inspection. The dark side had corroding effects, it would visibly corrupt and damage the physical form, they'd all seen it. She noticed it here in her wound, but it was faint faint lines of it.

She pulled back in thought, pulling the glove off, "Well, I'm sure you know by now -- A Smoke demon, as texts go, are products of Sith magic. Sith magic goes beyond what we know as conventional dark side abilities, it channels the raw power of the malignant side of the Force. These entities are brought about by some form of ritual, and the way I see it, it's more a manifestation of negative intent, than an actual creature itself; there's a fine line there when dealing with the Force though..."

She turned in her chair, co-signing Lossa's theory with an expressive finger point, "You really are my student -- but that would be my guess. Of course we can only theorize. But, there are creatures, artifacts, things that affect or manipulate the Force in ways that can leave us scarred, or breached somehow." She said that last part as if she knew from personal experience. "I would think, based on your story and how the wound looks, that there's a piece of that thing, a small portion, left behind that's entangled and feeding off of you."

"And let me just tell you -- Sith magic is no joke Cora, just being subjected to a small portion of its power -- it can literally make you physically weak, and cause severe damage to your psyche. You've got major willpower, some natural resistances to this stuff; that's beyond majority of Jedi in the last decade or so I'd say." She said highly impressed, as Sith magic is rare, most never master it, and more never encounter it. There are many Jedi without the power to even counter it.

"Smoke demon's destroy the body at full strength, this is but a piece of that, so that's probably why your flesh and organs are struggling to heal -- it can't fully do what its intended to do to you at this level; it's become a leech. I also think subconsciously you're likely utilizing a portion of power to stave off this thing, which is why you feel sapped--" her voice trailed off as she stood up and searched amongst a pile of journals.

"The tricky part is how the hell we get this thing out..." she murmured. If this were years ago before her accident and torture, she'd be operating at full strength but...

-----

Corazona von Ascania | Lossa Aureus​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

A little smile quirked the corners of Cora's lips at the exchange between Lossa and Romi. Despite the layered feelings that bonded them in the Force, what existed between them now was a little more warm. Genuine. A true tether between master and student could change shape, but rarely did it break outright.

Her upper lip curled into a suggestion of a sneer as Lossa used the term leech. It was an expression she wouldn't have felt comfortable making had she been in less familiar company.

"As…disgusting as that sounds, I think it's an unfortunately accurate descriptor."

Cora held still during the physical exam, finding it far less invasive than her weeks spent aboard a medical frigate. She remained quiet, somehow both relieved and concerned as Romi confirmed her suspicions.

"I'm no Arca Jeth, but I've spent much of my time trying to cleanse the dark where I find it. Lingering entities, decoding runes…" Cora shook her head, a tight smile pulling the line of her lips taut. "Right before this happened," she gestured to the blackened wound, "I'd finished purged an old Sith artifact of a dark-sided spirit."

As she leaned back in her chair, her smile turned wry. "I suppose the Force might have a sense of humor."

Then, her mouth dipped into a thoughtful frown. If what Romi said was true - that she had the willpower and resistance to keep the smoke demon's essence from consuming her entirely - she'd hate to think what fate might've befallen someone with less experience.

"Is there…a possibility that it can be suppressed?" Cora's eyes followed Romi as she stood and began rifling through a stack of texts. "If it can't be removed outright, I mean. My husband has been so wonderful in taking care of me, and I know that he'd continue to do so, but I…"

Her gaze flicked to Lossa. She would know something of the hard life that Makko had been through. At times, Cora had been the source of his troubles, and the lingering guilt still ate at her.

"I want to make things easier on him."

Romi Jade Lossa Aureus