The Curse of Freedom (Open to All)

[Luna Damia]

Katarr, Defiance - Slums

Luna was out of breath. For almost ten minutes she had been running, trying to get as far away as she could, aimlessly passing through the dirty streets of a city that was utterly foreign to her. Most people paid no attention to her, only a few shouts and whistles by drunks stumbling out of bars and clubs that only caused her to run even faster. The shackles were still painfully wrapped around her wrists and ankles even if the chains that had held her captive were now brokenly hanging down from them.

Who had rescued her was still a mystery to her, as was the question if her freedom had been planned or was simply a happy coincidence caused by some plot against her former, and now dead, owner. Only because the disgusting slug had left the realm of the living didn't meant that she was truly free now. Someone else was certainly in charge now, and that someone was probably not to happy to learn that his property was running around the city without a chain around her neck.

Finally her steps came to a stop, the skinny girl perishing in the mass of people on the overcrowded crossing she had stumbled on. Her strange blue tribal attire entirely made out of feathers would normally considered to be exotic, but compared to the shady mix of criminals, lowlifes and other scum she barely stood out. Slowly her breath returned to normal as she bend forward, pressing her hand against her knees to support her body.

With a mix of paranoia and cautious hope she began to look around, waiting for a sign that someone was following her. When there was none after a few minutes she returned to a straight position, feeling save for now. Again she looked around, this time not in fear but in confusion. All this years she dreamed about being free, and now that she was she realized that she wasn't really happy, only lost. Lost in a place she didn't know, on a planet she had never heard of with nothing but a set of broken chains and the clothes on her body.

The cautious hope faded as quickly as it had come, replaced by a mix of sadness and despair. What should she do? Where should she go? Would anyone in a place like this help her? Could anyone here offering her help even be trusted? All those question echoed through her head as she once more began to walk, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone, stumbling through the city with no goal or purpose, hoping for either rescue or at least a quick death before she would return into slavery.

 

[Slippy]

"You call that strong ale?" Slippy glared at the bartender "Ugh... This is complete chit. I want a refund."

"I don't know what's wrong with you, little buddy but we don't give refunds."

"Know what? I can't even bother with you now." Slippy groaned and left and bar, kicking the bar open.

This city was crap. Apparently this was supposed to be like one of the free cities of Malachor that was formerly ruled by Abyss but he did not have much fun. Most of the people there he thought were complete and utter b*tches. Slippy was wandering through the city. He drank too much at the bar. He didn't even know what he was doing, he was just walking without any plain thought about where he was going. He remembered that at one point he rented a room at an inn but frankly, he didn't remember where it was.

Suddenly, a woman passed him. He didn't get a good look at her but she certainly didn't look like everyone else. She was seems different. She seemed like she was afraid: paranoid. An attitude like that doesn't get you very far through this city. Without thinking, Slippy followed the woman. He was curious and wanted to find out more. If she was so hopeful that running and acting the way she is, she seemed either brave, stupid, or insane. Slippy ran after the woman, trying to catch up and see what was going on with her. He didn't know why but he had this urge to see more about who this woman is.

As he was running after the woman, he noticed the woman had chains on. That was not good news. That must have meant she escaped from somewhere? A prison? Who knows. She must be running from something.

"Hey!" Slippy called to the woman "Where you going!?"

[member="Luna Damia"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

A single Eidolon stealth transport dropped back into realspace over Katarr in high orbit, immediately boosting away from its point of reversion as it engaged into full stealth mode and then pitched forward for its descent planetside. Destination: Defiance.

"Fifteen minutes until planetside," Arisa announced, personally piloting the Eidolon.

Along with her was a small team of fellow Jedi and some of her best-trained Rangers, including some seasoned commandos that originally hailed from the old Republic. Today they were going to begin reconnaissance of Defiance, a Malachorian colony that had been settled within the ruins of the mostly barren world. With new Sith Empires popping up left and right, Arisa wasn't too keen on seeing another established if she could help it, especially one not so close to Kiribi.

Defiance was easy to pick out even before it was in visual range, about one of the few locations on the planet generating any sort of appreciable emissions. Closer and she could make out lights through the cockpit window.

"Impressive," she muttered softly to herself.

On a certain level, as an engineer she could appreciate the tenacity of these colonists, carving out an existence on one of the most inhospitable places in the galaxy. It was her hope in her secret fact-finding mission that she may find some common ground to work with these people.

"Almost there, I'm going to park between some of the buildings on the outskirts where I'm not picking up any life signs. After I release some drones, we'll then be on our way on foot."

[member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Luna Damia"] [member="Kahne Porte"] [member="Slippy"]

 

[Luna Damia]

The creature didn't looked frightening but it sure as the spirit realm felt frightening. Something about it was just not right, something dark tainted the small alien that looked quite harmless on the surface. Luna didn't turned around to answer, instead simply walking faster to get some distance between her and it, her chains swinging with every step. Whatever that thing was she wanted nothing to do with it. If it had just been standing there then maybe she would've stopped, but a dark presence following her could quite as well be a hunter send out to force her back into her prison. That was a risk she was not willing to take, even death was better than that.

Luna turned around a corner, then another and another, trying to shake the thing of her trail as she had learned on the hunt with her sisters. When she changed her direction for the fourth time she once again came to a stop, her heart beating so loud that it almost drowned out all other sounds of the city around her. Sweat was running down her forehead. Even before her captivity she never had been strong or enduring, but after years of being mistreated and malnourished her body was close to giving up under the struggle of being prey.

How much she wished to have a weapon other than magic at her disposal right now. She was far too exhausted to cast even a small spell, lacked the focus to sing the songs of her people to defend against whatever was hunting her. The street she had ended up on was even dirty and broken than those before it. Normally that would've been a bad thing, were it not for the roughly 50 centimeters long metal pipe laying on the ground near her. She reached for it, lifting it up and holding it with both her hands before continuing her path forward until there would be no path forward left. The pipe was a bit to heavy for her small frame, but it was still her best bet to defend herself.

[member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Slippy"]

 

[Valkren Calderon]

Colonel Valkren Calderon rested his plated elbows on his knees, staring down at his combat boots as the transport rocked slightly due to its drop into the space around Defiance. As the stealth ship came to a halt, Valk' would unbuckle the straps that kept him and six other operators from 228th Black ops unit from leaving the safety of their seats when jumping. With his helmet in one hand, Valkren traversed the tight quarters and up to the cockpit, placing a hand on Arisa's chair, tucking his helmet underneath his free arm.

"Whaddya' think, Ma'am. Quick and clean op?" The young Colonel squinted out the window and into the endless space, before gazing at the lights that she had previously spoken about.

The six men in the seats behind him were all adjusting the inside of their helmets, mainly focusing on their visors and Heads-up-systems, assuring that one of the most important parts of their Wraith Class Stealth Armour were in working condition. Without a working HUD, the chance of friendly fire or blue-on-blue contact would be much better if they came into contact with any hostiles.

However, that much he knew his superiors wished not for. The soldiers, though, were itching for some sort of combat. These six men that were with Valkren had spent most of their time on Voss, training. They had completed several missions with great success, but recently due to a lack of operations, they had been spending every waking hour training and honing their skills. So, Calderon saw how well this specific group trained, so he decided the warfighters needed abit of 'fresh air.'

[member="Luna Damia"] | [member="Arisa Yune"] | [member="Slippy"]

 

[Slippy]

Slippy groaned as the mysterious woman ran away from him. How incredibly rude. He didn't bother chasing any farther. It was none of his business. All he knew is that she should be careful around these parts. He knows of Darth Abyss and he knows how his cities are. They are no place for her: A deathtrap to those who make a wrong move. Slippy belonged though. Yes. He knew how to survive in these harsh environments and sensed that she did too. But these are many dangerous people who lurk around these cities. He knows that if you make one wrong move, you make a target on yourself for all to see. His giving up on the chase didn't mean anything. He would change nothing in this woman's story or anyone's story perhaps in any matter and he knew it would not affect his. He started looking for his inn once again thinking about the woman he encountered.

[member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Luna Damia"] [member="Arisa Yune"]

(Not gonna post anymore. I can't really think of much to do with Slippy in a setting like this.)

 

[Kahne Porte]

Sitting down, head resting back against the wall as he lightly listened to the small chatter that was going on around him. Kahne had been doing much in the recent months in terms of diplomacy and mission on his own accord. Volunteering his services as he could, while he was a Jedi he would help here and there as much as he could. As he listened to [member="Arisa Yune"] announcements, he opened his eyes slightly as he looked over to the cockpit and took a deep breath as he got a fix on the situation and what was to come. While Kahne in truth hadn't seen action in almost 8 months, it didn't mean he was a stranger to it. Years and years of fighting had rendered him attuned to almost any situation for the most part.

However, Kahne knew that there were times when situations could just surprise you. However the team could count on him to do what was necessary to ensure everything went as smoothly as possible, just as he entrusted his own safety with theirs. Kahne hadn't been in action with these allies yet, but he trusted them nonetheless. He heard the Colonel speak and he had the urge to speak up slightly.

"Should we be so lucky..." Kahne said as he closed his eyes for a few more moments. Simply preparing himself for what lay ahead.


[member="Valkren Calderon"] [member="Luna Damia"]

 

[Theodosius Organa]

Theo’s head hung low. The solitude of his existence was punctuated of his very appearance. His long shaggy hair draped over his face and beard. He sat there his back propped up to a brick wall. He wore tattered rags of a homeless man. They did little to stave off the bitter cold. It was what he had though. His memories may have been lost but there was a hidden light within his spirit.


It was just a short distance from where [member="Luna Damia"] picked up a metal pipe. Not even a half a block away. Theo, feeling his stomach growl leaned forward placing his hands upon the ground. Crawling a few feet over, he came to the edge of the sidewalk. There was an empty patch of dirt, an empty flower bed. The homeless man pulled out a single seed. His eyes looked pensive as he began to place the seed into the dirt. Then a thoughtful smile came to his lips as he carefully moved the dirt over the seed with his hand.


Something began to happen. It can from the homeless man who just planted the seed. It was his very presence with the Force. Theo’s hand began to illuminate with a soft green glow. Then he moved his hands slowly over the planted seed.
“From thy breath”, The Kashi Mystic spoke of the old words of the Guardians of the Breath.

“From thy sky, to the mountains”, gentle was his voice, as he chanted the words of a prayer. “From thy mountains, to the land”, his head slightly bowed as he spoke the next words. “I give thanks to this bountiful harvest!”

Once the Kashi breathed the last words, he let the Living Force flow through him. Then he extended the breath through his lungs and into his spirit, from his spirit into his body. Clarity, tranquility, it filled him. It empowered him. He felt it flow into his blood and carried through to his hands. The greenish glow around his hands surged with increased power!


The dirt moved. A little green sprouted up from the damp soil. It surged forward; it grew rapidly from a small sprout into a tiny tree. Little branches were forming. Little itty bitty leaves grew from the little branches. The planet surged, it continued its rapid growth from a small tree no longer than a writing pin to the size of a shoe box. Only seconds had moved by and it was still growing. Theo still focused on the task and took another breath, breathing in the air around him. A Kashi technique not just to revitalize him, he drew in the elements around him. The elements were the Kashi's hidden talent.

The air around aided him. He drew it in and through him; he influenced the planet’s growth. Now it was a small tree of three feet in height. It had only been at least thirty to forty seconds after he had said his chant. Pink buds grew from the branches, and then blossomed into flowers, from flowers into fruit. The small little tree was a Starblossom Fruit Tree that naturally grew on Alderaan. There were several of these little fruits dangling from the tree.


The homeless man, Theo, he reached out and took one of the Starblossoms from the tree. Biting into it he savored every bit. It had been days since he had eaten last. He was trying to save that one seed as long as he could. He had to eat though. So he had used his last fruit seed. He might be able to harvest more of the fruit he just summoned.

Maybe because he just had some nourishment. He was able to sense something other than his own plights. He sensed Luna standing off in the distance. Was she hungry to? There were many who were in these slums that were. Theo picked another fruit and extended it out to the woman, who was standing not that far down the street. “Please”, Theo asked the woman. Not even knowing who Luna Damina was, he offered what little he had, “Please have some!”

 

[Luna Damia]

Luna stood, the metal pipe trembling in her hands as she waited for her hunter, fear and adrenalin pumping through her veins. Yet as she stood ready to defend herself with what little she had nothing happened. No one came after her, not hunter, no monster, nothing. The dirty street remained empty, only the witch herself standing between the half faded huts and houses of the derelict city. Very slowly her breath returned to normal as she lowered the improvised weapon in her hands, her eyes jumping from left to right to be perfectly sure that there was really no one after her.

The again she felt something as she had when the strange creature had been running after her. Only this time it was not darkness she felt but something else, a calm, gentle presence that felt so oddly similar yet also entirely different than those of her sisters. Not light, not dark, only the chilling flow of nature itself. Her head turned around, trying to find where the presence found its origin, the hope of meeting a kindred spirit in the depths of this rotten place slowly returning.

She almost could not trust her eyes as a tree rose from the dirt where only seconds ago had been only barren soil. Her eyes fell upon the man below it, looking as ragged and marked by hunger and hardship as herself. Carefully she moved towards him, yet never dropping the weapon in her hand. The witches were in tune with nature as well, but that didn't meant that there never were dangerous, deranged individuals under them. Only once she had seen one of her sister being banned for them village and became a sister of the night, but it was enough to shatter her trust.

When [member="Theodosius"] words reached her ears she still wasn't entirely convinced. He looked nice enough, and she couldn't sense any danger, but people rarely did act sympathetic for no reason. At least that was what her shaman had taught her. The metal pipe was pointed at the man on the ground for just a second, then she lowered it again, cautiously reaching for the fruit offered. Her hunger had finally overpowered her fear. Without saying a single word she took out the biggest possible bite, feeling as her body embraced the fresh, healthy food that she had been lacking for years. Her voice was weak and brittle, yet she forced herself to speak.

"Th ... thank you."

[member="Kahne Porte"] [member="Arisa Yune"] [member="Valkren Calderon"]

 

[Theodosius Organa]

The only memories that served Theo were this place. The cold dirty streets of a city full of suffering. The only names he remembered being spoke to him were slurs. Insults that were flung at him just before someone would kick him out of their path. Being threatened with a metal pipe was nothing out of his daily life. He actually expected the woman just to hit him and just take what she wanted. If she did he would have let her. He was just a filthy transient; it was what people normally do, right? They just kick you out of their way and move on. What little you have they take and leave you with nothing. It may not be the whole truth, of the galaxy, but it was the only world… Theo could remember.


So what happened next he had not expected. The words [member="Luna"] Damina spoke. At first her words came out in hesitance. The first word slowly stammered out as if she was uncertain of what to say. Thank you she had said. Though he could not remember, those two words seemed more familiar then this evil place.


“You’re most welcome my dear”, the words eloquently pour from his mouth. Common civility was, well it was more then uncommon in these parts. It was downright rare. It was the first time Theo could remember someone saying those two words to him. It may have been just two words. To him it was kindness no one else had shown him. It brought some hope to a heart that had none.


“There is a few more. If you like, please have some more”, it seemed, no felt like what he would normally say in a situation like this. It is how a gentleman should conduct a proper decorum, right?


“You should not remain on the streets for too long Miss”, Theo paused, and he was going to call her by her last name, though he did not know it. “Apologies Miss, I do not know your name. However it would be wise if you did not remain on the streets for too long. The streets are dangerous enough. This time of hour, this place gets far more dangerous. Also do not go below ground. I’ve heard whispers that something new has moved in down there, something dark. Something they call Sithspawn.”


It just dawned on Theo. Soon he would have to move to a safer location. He felt, as if danger was approaching! He did not entirely understood why he felt this way sometimes. He had found out quickly though it was wise to listen to how he felt.