The Dungeons of the High Castle

[Cathul Thuku]

[member="Honoko"] has grown nicely as a Jedi. She did learn quite a lot of the powers that made her more effective as a Jedi, albeit from someone else. Cathul returned to Coruscant from Tython in the aftermath of a victorious campaign where the Rogue One Sith naval units that weren't engaged on Midvinter were defeated. In the Tython campaign, several prisoners of war from the Rogue One Sith were transferred to Coruscant, and the highest-profile of those were the actual Sith among the prisoners. So, for this special training session, she could somehow make use of one of the many staff offices of the Senate Building, used nowadays as a city hall. Of course, using the office in the Senate Building earmarked for the naval liaison to the Coruscant municipal authorities, was not without risks, and, courtesy of Star Tours, there were tourists in the Senate Building all day, every day. Even though the she could hear what's happening outside that office because the tourists were so noisy, the tourists could not hear, nor see, any of them. With Honoko assembled in the office, the next lesson began in earnest:

"All right, here are two things you should learn that might be useful to you as a Jedi: Electric Judgment, to use when it is necessary to recharge power cells and the like, and psychometry, which is useful for tracking"

 

[Negative Prime]

Honestly Honoko had the force down to a science. admittedly it wasn't really but it helped to think of it as such other wise it was space magic.
" could be useful " she admitted in essence she understood the principle of the sith lightning but that was in her oppinion all power no finesse.
" if i am correct this is passing the force threw the air? or something. " she asked trying to figure out psychomitery.
[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Electric Judgment does look like Force-lightning at a glance, only, with Electric Judgment, you have more control over the intensity of the lightning bolt. You have to picture the lightning bolt from any finger to the target object. We'll get to psychometry later, but it allows you to read the history of usage of an item"

True, [member="Honoko"]'s description of Force-lightning mostly implied "all power, no finesse". But to use Electric Judgment as a tool, finesse was one of the things she recommended; many Jedi actually shunned EJ because they feel that EJ is a representation of anger or aggression, and Cathul always seemed to prefer using the Force for utilitarian uses rather than for battlefield use, unlike most Jedi she knew about. Plus Electric Judgment was about electricity. Also the next big thing that tourists seem to talk about in the room outside, regarding Tython, is, well, how the Sith Order failed to provide the Rogue One Sith with reinforcements, naval or even ground, and rumors that they were to split up in the post-Midvinter environment. While the Sith squabble each other, we move in and consolidate our position in this sector, she thought, while Cathul knew about some prisoners being held in the Judiciary Detention Center that were at risk of escaping while awaiting their transfer to the lava cells of Sullust.

"Here: try it on my lightsaber. its battery went dead on Tython"

 

[Negative Prime]

Honestly Honoko was more of a physical user than a practical force user but the premise was simple all things considered.
it wasn't true Sith lighting there was no hate involved in this.
emotion had no part in this it was more skill than pure power.
she channeled the force in to her arms then pictured conduits then channeled the force threw them yellow streams of lightning struck out hitting the saber.
[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

[member="Honoko"] filled the lightsaber to full power by now... she was satisfied that the Sephi would be able to use the Force for something other than aggression, hate or something else. It's useful to show the application of what it is used for as a model performance, knowing that modeling is a teaching method that works, in the context of Force-powers. Now that Cathul feels that Honoko is ready to move on to the next lesson, she tells her about what to use psychometry for.

"Psychometry is useful in order to trace back when an item broke down, or for investigating crime scenes, because it allows you to read an item's history like a book. Now, hold the lightsaber in your hands and use the Force to read through its Force-history, and remember that important events in an item's life, that is, what it was used for, as well as by whom, what or when, it broke down (if something is broken), will be more easily recorded into the item's Force-history, even though the more recent items will come out first"

 

[Negative Prime]

" so telling an objects history? " she said flatly looking at [member="Cathul Thuku"] from semi insulted eyes.
" Yeah i get the concept. " she sighed picking up a wrench.
this was the problem. physical things were easy they were overly easy to Honoko to do the physical aspects of the force. this she just didn't understand the concept of the non physical side of things.

 

[Cathul Thuku]

[member="Honoko"] seems to be struggling with the non-physical part of the Force. That's understandable, but if there was a non-physical power that was useful to her, that was to be psychometry. She already told Honoko what other people around her used it for, so she would ask her to read the lightsaber's Force-history. If she successfully gets it done, she will realize that I exhausted the lightsaber's batteries in the Tython campaign, she thought. Then again, she had Honoko pick up the lightsaber a little earlier, and she never used the lightsaber much. Last time she could even remember using a lightsaber prior to Tython was in some boarding action back on Hakassi, about a year back or so. Those who intend to use psychometry for policing purposes have to be wary of using it on dead people because doing it may render the user vulnerable to the call of the dark side, especially if the circumstances of their deaths point towards some dark-side-related event.

"If you're familiar with computer equipment, it's like reading through an item's usage logs. For this reason, computer equipment is great to practice psychometry on. I know it might be difficult but try to read the lightsaber's usage history in the Force for the past month or so"

 

[Negative Prime]

that was easier said than done it was something like tossing a sand-person in to a pool and expecting him to swim.
Honoko had little to no skill with the refined aspects of the force.
how did you access the memories? how were they stored was ir smell?
" ok i'll admit i have no idea how to do this." she said focus in on the wrench making it float and forcing the force in to the thing accidentaly bending and crushing the drop forged steel tool.
" well i can do force crush it looks like. " she smiled to [member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"Memories are accessed by touch: each usage of an item leaves a subtle, tactile Force-imprint on the item, which gives information on who used it, as well as the circumstances of their use, what it was used for, where and when. Also the Force-imprints become fainter and fainter the older they are"

She knew that memories were accessed by touch: she completely forgot about that, and she feels compelled to do so because of [member="Honoko"]'s embarrassed expression upon acknowledging that she had no idea where to start. While Cathul knew about how certain powers were simply inaccessible to some people, especially the more advanced of the gang, and were often alignment-restricted, psychometry required only a keen sense of touch most of the time. Meanwhile, the people outside the room grew increasingly curious to know what's happening inside the room, because holding Force-training in the office of the naval liaison was a little suspicious: probably some Force-user was among the tourists that toured the Senate building. They began to knock on the door of the office they occupied, asking for explanations about naval affairs, especially as it pertains to the Tython campaign. Something is going awry at this point...

 

[Negative Prime]

Saying it was touch was all well and good but this was still beyond her. how did you do this?
dammit she wasn't going to fail this.
ok it was touch... how did you aces all this?
dammit she tried to attract the force from the wrench.
slowly she began to see vague immages on the recent past.
" ok i think i get it. i can see a few immages. i'll need to work on this sorry " she admitted, this was new to her.
[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"I understand that mastery of a power like psychometry does not come instantly"

Finally, Honoko realizes why psychometry users need to physically touch the items to actually use it: it was very much like a Force-Braille system. The content of those Force-images the Force-histories can conjure is often related to the "Ws of psychometry": who, what for, where, when, how, she thought, while [member="Honoko"] doesn't realize that some of the off-world tourists that used Star Tours to get to Coruscant just arrived and that there is a commotion at the spaceport: they come knocking at the door of the naval liaison to the city hall, asking for explanations regarding one of the Sith escapees that was captured during the Tython campaign, headed for Westport. Calm down, little tourists, I'm coming right at you, but what information is there for the recapture of the Sith criminal, I will ask for and use it, she thought, while opening the door, to reveal a throng of angry tourists demanding explanations for the prison break.

"A dangerous criminal is on the loose and is making an attempt to escape off-world"

"Any information allowing to effect an attempt at recapturing the criminal?"

"The Sith criminal has no starship on this planet and had to use public transportation to get to Westport: if you hurry, you might be able to catch them"

She turned to Honoko. "We must go to Westport and hopefully catch the criminal before he can be allowed to leave"

 

[Negative Prime]

" If the criminal is smart they would double back. i loth to disagree but do yoi have a map? " Honoko asked relishing the opportunity to prove her skill.
" making a beeline to a space port is an obvios move. and a pretty blatant feint. "she looked up a map..
" Lessee " she saoid as they exited the building " This is my world sneeky assassin merc stuff. i'd go here Bolkar noon's selfdrive shuttles. it is a rental shop just west of the port and has fueled ships right for the picking. less crowds less security mistress... or is it master. " she admitted bringing uo the location.[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"I would expect the Rogue One Sith to deploy what Graug henchmen they to cover the escape of one of the Sith: that criminal was captured when the ROS made its last stand on Tython"

While on Coruscant, or any other planet with significant planetside naval facilities, Cathul drives a naval police squad speeder, as is usually the case for Jedi on naval shore duty that is not affected to the Starfighter Corps. Out of duty as an Alliance admiral, she guided [member="Honoko"] out of the Senate building and into the speeder, where Cathul, who knew the most direct route to take to Westport, flashed the sirens and sped off towards the spaceport, using the naval police badge issued to her for such purposes. But there was something strange about Bolkar Noon's Self-Drive Shuttles: it seems that naval records pertaining to the Rogue One Sith seem to have rented shuttles from them to even get to destinations around this sector, such as Aargau and Anaxes, maybe even Vur Tepe or Vulpter, for short-term rentals, most of the time not exceeding one day, and rented out to low-level Sith. And certainly Tython. In addition, Bolkar Noon's Self-Drive Shuttles was right next to the freight entrance of Westport. Once she has arrived, sirens flashing, to the rental office of Bolkar Noon's...

"GADF Naval Police here. I have a question: did someone related to the Rogue One Sith return a shuttle in the last few hours?"

"Admiral, I believe the band of Graug that the last tenant had in tow is headed towards the domestic concourse"

 

[Negative Prime]

" What do you think? " honokio asked looking over to [member="Cathul Thuku"] " should we split up? one take the spaceport the other take the rental yard?"
she asked trying to be helpfull.

 

[Cathul Thuku]

"In that case take the rental yard, and I take the spaceport"

The rental yard, that is, Bolkar Noon's, was [member="Honoko"]'s idea to begin with, while the Graug were headed towards the domestic concourse. If the naval police information on the Rogue One Sith's patterns of shuttle rental are correct, the ROS tended not to go very far away from Coruscant: using the domestic terminal may mean that they have to go further away from Coruscant than roughly two hexes' radius from there. In the two years between the Omega War and the Tython Campaign, the Rogue One Sith was categorized as posing no real threat, and kept a low profile in this region. So Cathul was to go to the domestic concourse, using Force-speed to get to the place where the band of Graug is causing a commotion in the domestic terminal: she finds it pretty easy to locate the Graug, but the criminal would likely use the Force-signatures of the Graug as decoys for their own escape. And there she is, confronted by Graug that caused a commotion by attempting to block the passengers from entering the Star Tours flight to Fondor.

 

[Negative Prime]

Honnoko jumped on a speeder to the rental yard. chances were this was a distraction. an elaborate double feint.
there were two groups of graug.
one at both locations so regardless both needed to be investegated.
and thid did need a bit of investegation to find so nodds were this would be the location.
[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

The Graug posted in front of the jetway did their best to smash and terrorize passengers attempting to board the Star Tours flight to Fondor, taking place onboard an AT-AT barge, but they were vastly outnumbered due to the 525 seats in the AT-AT barge being almost entirely booked and a small number of passengers being onboard at the time. It was a daunting sight: Cathul had to aim for the parts of the atrophied Graug brains responsible for controlling their movements so that she could use Force-stasis on the cordon of Graug. It worked: the Graug, who a few moments ago, were hacking away at the frightened passengers, were stunned on the spot. They were usually used as low-level henchmen for Sith wanting to use multiple feints for doing Sithy things, including but not limited to, crimes. In fact, multiple feints were not often part of the Sith's repertoire of tricks, and she has to respect the Sith escapee for doing just that. Then again, [member="Honoko"] realized that the rental yard was filled with H-type yachts and other items such as the Neimoidian Yachts or Sentinel shuttles for the heavier-duty stuff that H-type yachts couldn't do, and finding the one with Graug would be quite straightforward.

"This is the GADF Naval Police: you're under arrest for assisting in a prison escape! You have the right to remain silent; if you do not have legal counsel, the court will provide you weith one. Anything you might say may be held against you"

While the security guards of the spaceport handcuffed the stunned Graug involved in the scuffle, Cathul checked again whether her lightsaber-resistant slugthrower was loaded before proceeding further inside the barge, hoping that the Sith fugitive would be holed up somewhere in there. Meanwhile, the first responders come to the gate, retrieving some of the injured so that they could be treated, if only with bacta patches applied alongside bandages, hopefully allowing most of them to board the flight (which will inevitably be delayed somewhat) while Cathul searches the ship for the Sith fugitive.

 

[Negative Prime]

The rental yard was suspiciosly quiet.
This was obviosly the distraction. a tiny voice in her brain yelled " It's a trap." she didn't need an ounce of force to tell her that.
she drew her Cleaver and slowly entered the yard. The lack of people was a good thing here.
and the mass of oppen entrances facing her was a oppen invitation to " Enter my parlor.."
she smiled.
" So you all going to attack or what?"
[member="Cathul Thuku"]

 

[Cathul Thuku]

Now that she knew that the slugthrower was fully loaded, and fired semi-automatically, she then enters the economy class jetway because the first class jetway was closed by virtue of all the first class passengers having boarded the ship. Because most of the passengers held up by the Graug earlier were economy class passengers, they were now free for advancing, while realizing that the Sith criminal wasn't acting alone. For this reason, the remaining Graug accomplices were tasked of distracting any law enforcement personnel that ventures inside. Luckily for them Cathul loaded the slugthrower with mercy rounds, so that, even if did hit a target, the target will simply fall asleep: the criminals and their accomplices must be captured alive. The Sith criminal made it to the first class area, where she had to pay close attention to not hitting any of the passengers: even mercy shots can still be a hazard and injure passengers. She could spot the main criminal going up the access hatch to the cockpit, and then she had to be quick to fire the mercy rounds at the Graug covering the cockpit access turbolift.

"Attention all passengers: I will initiate the self-destruct sequence in one hour if the GADF Navy does not free the other prisoners" the criminal shouted over PA.

Meanwhile, [member="Honoko"] would soon realize that Graug accomplices have entered the cockpits of nearly every single shuttle still remaining in the rental yard. The Rogue One Sith has a lot of manpower under the form of Graug, sure, but if how the Sith Order used airpower on Midvinter is any indication, using Graug for piloting may not be a good choice.

 

[Negative Prime]

three ships began to take off as she got close.
five didnt there inhabitants all graugers attacked diving out of the ships. thankfully not armed woth blasters all vibro axes and swords.
that was good she needed to try out her new skills.
she began tapping in to the force letting the electric jugemenr flow over her cleaver.
" only 10? " she smiled " Well that cant be good. your freinds dont like you. you nreeded the backup."
[member="Cathul Thuku"]