Private The Fighting Chance

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

T H E- M O M E N T U M
R Y S T A N- B A D L A N D S​

Sakadi gave a silent nod to Mathieu. Showing her recent past hadn't been a kind act. And she hadn't considered that, perhaps, they weren't ready for it yet. She then turned to Yenna again.
"We cannot wait that long Yenna. We are moving against Insatious in this expedition. If he somehow has a connection to the Sith, we'll lose our advantage. Our one and only fighting chance." She explained calmly. "I can figure it out. Will figure it out, if you let me." Use of Force sense was less complex than vividly recalling and projecting memories. But unlocking the secrets of one's head and detecting Force bonds? That was a challenge for most.

The hug that followed threw her off. Her eyes widened and she raised her arms slightly to escape the confining hug. "Right..." She responded, a bit uncomfortable with Yenna's sudden show of affection. It made her remember how open the green Knight really was. When she felt something, her behaviour reflected it. A trait that made her seem empathic, and the opposite of Sakadi's own approach.

Not sure how to respond, Sakadi chose to remain silent instead as Yenna left to find the clone. Now left alone, the Jedi Master finally had the space to think again. And her mind immediately went to the mission ahead again.

The Golamaran ice flats. It was about time that they would have to start trying to get there.

Elryn Freestar Yenna Mathieu Brion Taliya Kassell​

 

[Taliya Kassell]

TH E ~ MO M E N T U M


Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Yenna | Elryn Freestar | Mathieu Brion | Location: Piket-class light freighter

The voices grew only stronger, causing a full-blown bickering contest between the Sith and Jedi spirit. Taliya tried and tried to get her mind under control as her master taught her to diminish the spirit's influence. Nothing worked. Getting more and more desperate, she started to hit both sides of her head with fists. "Stop, please" pleaded Taliya whimpering, though nothing seemed to work like it used to.

Nothing but the sudden hand that was placed on her shoulder, causing the girl to jump like a skittish animal kept in a cage. For the second she was in flight and flight mode, her subconscious actually weighed whether or not to let the Sith spirit take control as a defence mechanism. Luckily the thought only stayed in her subconscious as her bright twin-coloured eyes fell on Eleven.

Taliya had grown to like Eleven, as he reminded her about herself. Besides, there was something about him, that made her feel some sort of traction towards him, even though she didn't understand what the feelings meant. For all she knew, was that he was her friend and he was fun to be around.

Surprisingly, hearing Eleven's voice had made the voices stop their bickering, not only that but the Jedi and Sith spirit had gone completely silent. Hearing his joke, she looked down at her own boots, feeling quite silly.

Looking up at her fellow padawan as he spoke while rubbing the back of his neck, a slight rosé colouration spread across Taliya's cheeks, feeling a bit embarrassed coming off as protective of Eleven. "Oh~ uhm... You're welcome" spoke Taliya meekly and was about to reply, when she noticed the large scary brick-of-a-man actually telling them he wasn't a bully.
Taliya didn't even know how to react, when Mathieu acted so timidly, causing her just to stand there and watch him leave again.

 

[Elryn Freestar]

Eleven jumped back in surprise as Taliya reacted the same upon his touch. He couldn't blame her though, he practically snuck up on her, Eleven would have reacted the same if he were in her shoes. There was a brief silence between the two and the boy could hear nothing but his own blood pulsating through his ears.

Finally, the girl broke the silence and responded to his show of appreciation. Removing his hand from behind his neck, Eleven placed both of his arms behind his back and another nervous chuckle escaped him. "I've never really had friends before. Having one stick up for me was--" pausing, Eleven suddenly felt a strange but familiar enough presence. The Kiffar turned his head to see who and his demeanour completely shifted upon laying eyes on the colossal man, Mathieu.

Looking at him with fearful eyes, the boy took a slight step backward - almost as if to stand ever so slightly behind Taliya.

"I'm not a bully"

Eleven blinked a few times, utterly confused at the random statement. Then he remembered Taliya calling him one earlier, he turned his head to look at her before turning to face Mathieu again. "Uh... okay, mister." the Kiffar responded in a vain attempt to fill the awkward silence. Watching as the man scrambled away, it looked to be in the direction of the cockpit, Eleven turned to Taliya "I'm gonna go and check on my Master. I'll see you around." he smiled before waving her goodbye and heading back to the room where all the drama had previously gone down.

Not looking where he was going, Eleven turned on his heel and took a few steps forward before feeling something bump into his leg. "Oh!" the Padawan exclaimed before lowering his gaze to see his Master's miniature frame in front of him "Sorry! I-I didn't see you there. Umm..." he trailed off, averting his gaze and nervously scratching behind his neck "I was just looking for you."

Mathieu Brion Yenna Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Taliya Kassell

 

[Mathieu Brion]

The Fighting Chance​

Location: The Gouda -> The Momentum
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Taliya Kassell Elryn Freestar Mathieu Brion Yenna

---​

Having sat down in the pilot's seat, Mathieu went through the final systems check before takeoff. The energy readings were good. The shields were at the ready and the fuel tanks had been filled to the brim by the crewmen. There were no reported damages to be aware of after a maintenance check-up. His hand reached for the ignition switch and soon, the engines hummed to life - a familiar and often comforting sound for anyone used to space travel.

It was good for him to be able to focus on getting them out of the hangar. It kept his mind from wandering to the events that had just unfolded. In normal cases, a situation like this would have been cause for pause. Clones were rare and he had confused one for being his friend. In Mathieu's case, it was worse - for it had brought back memories of his fight against the fallen Knight on Oricon. Whenever he allowed his mind to drift for just a few brief moments, memories of the battle flooded his mind. The brutal duel, the rage and the force-induced horrors that plagued his mind - it was something he had spent quite some time trying to overcome before this journey. In some ways, it felt like his recovery had reverted back to square one.

The comms unit buzzed to life and a flight deck operator's voice could be heard from it "Momentum, you are clear for takeoff" his voice was friendly, casual and laced with an undertone of enthusiasm. Mathieu's mind immediately snapped back to the present. He fumbled for a few moments before finally pressing the button to speak "Understood" he spoke the words just like how Chaussidier would say them "Brion out."

With a light rumble, the ship started levitating. Mathieu reached over to the co-pilot's panel and retracted the landing gear. Once by the seat again, he pushed them forth, bringing the vessel out of the hangar to slowly drift towards the direction of their destination. Perhaps Sakadi had something to say before they truly picked up the pace.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

T H E- M O M E N T U M
R Y S T A N- B A D L A N D S​

Reluctantly, Sakadi climbed back up the ladder to The Momentum's second level. It gave way to the three small crew quarters, the minimalistic kitchen corner and - of course - the cockpit. She could imagine how travelling through space for months could remain somewhat comfortable aboard the modified Piket-class light-freighter. It was almost a shame that they wouldn't get the chance to fully appreciate the craft.

Sakadi witnessed how the clone bumped into Yenna just as she set foot in the upper corridor. She glanced at the open door - half expecting Taliya to follow behind the clone. She didn't, and perhaps that was for the best. Taliya tended to ask her lots of questions. And she wasn't in the mood for question. Silently, Sakadi passed the duo, and made way for the cockpit.

Where, of course, she encountered Mathieu.

With slight hesitation, Sakadi sat down in the co-pilot chair beside him. "We're heading for the Golomaran ice flats. on Rystan." Perhaps an apology was in order. Yet she couldn't get herself to bring it up. "We'll have to get through the Badlands first. Requires a Jedi's reflexes." She flicked several of the switched to her right. "I'm not the best pilot out there, so I'll follow your lead." She spoke calmly, as she began to enter the ice flat's coordinates.

"Ready when you are."

Mathieu Brion | Yenna | Elryn Freestar | Taliya Kassell​

 

[Yenna]

Sakadi was understandably quite taken back by the hug, but that was typical of her. To get her to express any kind of emotion required a lot of time close to her... or overwhelming pressure. But the Sephi cared, deep down, and that was quite clear to the little green Jedi as she walked through the freighter's hall to go find El.

They met up again around a corner and Yenna was thrown back by his leg with a grunt, landing on her back a foot or two away from him. It took her a second to realize what happened but a smile quickly formed as she got up from the floor. "Me too." She spoke up as she brushed down her old robes and looked up at him. "Some peace, we finally have." The lightsaber came out again and she held it out for El to take from her. "Just a placeholder, this is. One of my own crystals, it is currently using." She studied the hilt for a moment, trying to remember what else she wanted to tell him about it. "Oh, yes! The controls, adjust length and intensity, they can. And uh... uncomfortable, if the hilt is. help you to adjust it, I can." Her voice carried some strain as she spoke up at him.

"Ready for one... I think you are, El. After this mission, for your own crystal, I will take you." She admitted softly as she walked up to him and gave his leg a hug. "For earlier, I am sorry, El. What happened, I do not know. But talk about it, we can later." With a deep sigh she let go of the boy and motioned for him to follow. She needed to clear all of this out with him. She couldn't keep him in the dark any longer after the earlier fiasco. All would be revealed with the journey for his crystal.

Leading her padawan, Yenna jumped up and into the cockpit to join Sakadi and Mathieu behind the controls. "Some drinks, would anyone like? Caf? Tea? Vodka martini?" She offered with a warm smile as she glanced at all of them.

Elryn Freestar Mathieu Brion Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Taliya Kassell

 

[Taliya Kassell]

TH E ~ MO M E N T U M


Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Yenna | Elryn Freestar | Mathieu Brion | Location: Piket-class light freighter

Taliya followed her fellow padawan with her twin-coloured eyes, standing there silently. At first, when they were beside each other, a small smile had been there, but as El walked away, the masked smile faltered and cracked as she stood alone, surrounded by an empty room. The voices in her head were still quiet, even after Eleven left to find his master, causing Taliya to feel alone.

Even though both Spirits had been so hurtful, literally and mentally, she had gotten so used to hearing them talk inside her mind, that when they didn't she felt weirdly empty. The young padawan sighed and thought about finding her own master, but for once in her life, ever since she met her Master, not to find the Sephi.

Taliya didn't really have much if any friends. The other padawans at the temple didn't like her and she knew they whispered behind her back, not that she paid much mind to whispers and rumours, it was still an uncomfortable knowledge. Was also one of the reasons why she spent so much with her Master, Sakadi.

Instead, she explored the ship a bit more, trying to find a place where she could be alone until she stumbled upon an open room with a window, not too far from the mess hall. The window was round with a circular window frame, to which Taliya planted herself with one leg hanging down along the wall and the other raised in a bent shape on the frame itself. Space was still so foreign to her and the concept of travelling lightspeed was hard to wrap her head around, let alone understanding how nothing happening to the internal of the ship itself.

Right as the Momentum went into lightspeed, Taliya felt the light pull for a brief second before the ship blasted to its destination. The moving stream of unimaginable fast move light, passing by her window made Taliya think of the fresh cold streams of water when she first laid eyes on a river after arriving on Kashyyyk with Master Sinvala.

Watching the endless stream of light pass her window, Taliya's thought of her father... then her mother. Leaning the side of her head up against the glass whispering to the cold oval-shaped glass, "I miss you".

 

[Elryn Freestar]

Some peace, Eleven wasn't sure about that - the tension lingered like a bad odor. "Yeah... that was crazy back there." the young Kiffar added, then drawing his attention to the lightsaber his Master pulled out. Eleven reached out to take hold of the elegant weapon, however he stopped mere moments before grasping it. Whether it was hesitation or anticipation was unknown to the Padawan, he released a breath and took it in his hands.

Lips crinkling into a smile, Eleven rotated the hilt and scanned every detail of the metallic object while Yenna continued talking to him. Then, pressing his left thumb down on the activation switch, a snap hiss echoed and a cyan blade erupted from the emitter. The pale blue highlighted his bronze features and his smile broadened. Surprise then married his youthful features when Yenna brought up the prospect of gathering his own crystal. Lowering his eyes, a meek but grateful "Really?" left his lips.

Smiling as his Master embraced his leg, his elated expression switched to that of confusion. "Sorry? You have nothing to apologise for, Master." Yenna seemed distressed, not only in her demeanour but through the Force as well - he wondered what could have been wrong and if it involved what occured in the other room while he and Taliya were gone.

Following Master Yenna into the cockpit Eleven. The Padawan entered and looked back, wondering when Taliya would arrive, he contemplated looking for her but didn't want to bother her. Taking a seat close to the small Jedi Knight, his chestnut eyes lingered over the cockpit controls as a sense of familiarity and nostalgia melded into his expression. Eleven couldn't find the words but being on a ship, whether it be a cruiser, freighter or starfighter he could feel a sense of happiness stir within him.

Casting a glance over to Mathieu and Master Sakadi, he contemplated asking if he could pilot for a bit... however, he didn't feel comfortable enough to speak to the two yet. Master Sakadi continued giving him a cold vibe, so much so that he wondered if it was all in his head or if he could feel her coldness. Mathieu on the other hand, the tension between the two were still high - although the man seemed genuinley apologetic, he didn't want to risk triggering the man on accident again. So, the young Padawan opted to sit back in his seat and simply enjoy the view as they entered hyperspace - allowing the sense of calm to wash over him.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Mathieu Brion Yenna Taliya Kassell

 

[Mathieu Brion]

The Fighting Chance​

Location: The Gouda -> The Momentum
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Taliya Kassell Elryn Freestar Mathieu Brion Yenna

---​

Sakadi entered the cockpit alone. To him, she was a point of stability. The two of them had been through some dramatic events together, ranging from the hostile encounter in the Jedi council chambers to the meeting with the Empress of the Eternal Empire to when their minds melded at the Battle of Ossus. She had remained steady and reliable throughout. Mathieu looked to her and tried to offer a smile. While his lips formed something of a crescent - as they were supposed to - his eyes told of shame and sorrow. When she spoke of where they were going, he nodded - grateful that she brought his mind to a better place.

While faint, the sound of a lightsabre igniting could be heard from outside the cockpit. It was not the violent kind that some Sith seemed to have - it was a sound he associated with peace, hope and protection of the innocent. But this time, it brought him shivers. For he knew that it was the kid wearing Cassie's face who had activated it. Intellectually, he knew that they weren't the same person, but emotionally, it was nigh on impossible to tell them apart.

The Jedi Master brought him back to the present. "Yes, Master Sakadi" he said, nodding his head in a bow. It explained why they had not brought one of Chaussidier's fighter pilots. He looked to her with sympathetic eyes when she admitted not being the best pilot. In truth, he wasn't all that great either. He was not like Cassie. The Kiffar sure could fly a ship like the best of them. She mentioned that she would follow his lead and he nodded with another "Yes,_ Master Sinvala" but this time with a dampened mood.

Yenna and Eleven soon entered the cockpit and were met by a glance from the large Morellian. It made him wonder where the girl - Taliya - had gone. He looked to Sakadi - maybe she knew? But he held back from asking. The tension was so thick that it could be cut, spliced and diced with a knife. Perhaps this wasn't the best time. The Knight helped alleviate it, offering them drinks. "Thanks" he said, looking to her "but I don't think I should" he added, nodding towards the ship controls.

The large Morellian spun his seat so that he would face straight forwards. It allowed him to focus and avoid seeing the almost timid face of his old friend. Sakadi had already entered the coordinates and together, the two of them had taken the necessary steps for their journey to continue. With a steady hand on the lever, Mathieu slowly pushed it forth, bringing them towards their destination at a rapid pace.

They were experiencing the calm before the storm. At least he assumed so after what the Master had told him about the Badlands.

It had almost become a ritual or a tradition by this point. It would complement Yenna's earlier offer well but would make for a good standalone too. With a single motion, he brought his seemingly heavy bag to the centre of the cockpit, spinning his chair around to face the Yenna and Eleven and Sakadi, if she chose to turn around too. Opening it, a hefty amount of sandwiches were revealed. They were wrapped in foil with small notes detailing their most prominent ingredients. "Here, have some, if you wish" he still spoke with a defeated tone.

As another offering of peace, he looked to the clone "Especially you" a hint of happiness flashed by in a fleeting smile "You kick like an Ewok". He began the motion of reaching down towards the bag, intent on picking out something he knew that Cassie would have liked. But he stopped himself mid-motion. It wasn't fair to the guy - to treat him as if they were the same. Instead, the extended arm was just used to point towards the open bag as he added "Have your pick"

 

[Yenna]

The tension in the cockpit was horrible to say the least. Yenna was quite tempted to hurl various objects at them all to at least get some sort of sound or reaction out of them, but she simply sat in silence along with the rest, only looking at El and his temporary lightsaber occasionally with a bright grin.

Nobody wanted anything to drink for the moment, though Mathieu soon made a brilliant suggestion and offered each of them some sandwiches. Yenna lit up instantly and used the Force to pull a sandwich towards herself, studying the ingredients for a moment. ”Oh, juice, this will need.” She muttered, hopping out of her seat to head off towards the kitchen. A short while later, she returned with a jug full of fruit juice and several cups for them all. Wordlessly she poured herself a glass and settled back into her seat to enjoy the delightful meal. ”Delicious, this is.” She hummed, taking another bite as she stretched out in her seat with a smile.

”Landing, where are we? In mind, have a specific location? Or find it, do we still have to?” She calmly asked Sakadi after taking a long sip of the fresh juice. The temptation to spike it was there... only problem was the lack of alcohol on the ship.

At least she still had some in her flask to mix in. Just enough for a slight buzz but not enough to mess with the taste. Just perfect. Hopefully that would get the others to lighten up...

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Taliya Kassell Elryn Freestar Mathieu Brion

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

T H E- M O M E N T U M
R Y S T A N- B A D L A N D S​

When Mathieu opened the throttle and their ship began to ease forward, Sakadi began to slip back into the Force. She had already warned him that, compared to other Jedi, her skills as a pilot were subpar. But she had other skills she could rely on. Namely the mental techniques she had practiced over the last few decades.

Through the Force, Sakadi closely followed Mathieu's thought pattern. It was a version of the famous mind-melt technique, adapted by her to fit this particular situation. She tuned her actions to what he, consciously and subconsciously, believed was necessary to fly this freighter. It was a neat technique, although it's major drawback was that everything relied on the skill and understanding of one person. In this case, Mathieu.

That was why, when they finally engaged the hyperdrive, Sakadi let out a small breath of relief. That little test-run made her think that this could actually work out fine. "Estimated time of arrival is about seven minutes." She leaned back in her chair. They had been dropped at the outer edge of the system. Therefore, this short jump was necessary. Although that meant she had seven minutes downtime. And no escape from Yenna and her Padawan, who entered right after.

Sakadi shook her head as response to Yenna's offer. Mathieu made a good point. Drinking while piloting wasn't the best of decisions. And neither was taking a sandwich. Again, Sakadi politely shook her head.

"We will be landing in the vicinity of the Golamaran ice flats. A region located just beyond the planet's habitable band." She flicked a switch, causing a projection of the planet to appear, with three red dots in a small region. "The Golamaran ice flats are hard to reach. Daylight doesn't reach there, and the harsh winds and freezing temperatures make surviving a challenge." She explained. "At first I considered landing at our destination itself. But due to the instable ice caverns below, I doubt the flats can support the weight of our freighter." She pointed with a lavender finger to the first red dot. "So we land here." Shifted to the second dot. "Travel here by foot or speeder, depending on the quality of our speeders." And finally, pointed at the third. "And according to my calculations, we have to traverse the ice caverns to this point. That's where I think we'll find 'it'." She didn't swivel her chair. Mostly because she didn't want to look the clone in the eyes. "Does that answer your question, Yenna?"

 

[Elryn Freestar]

Gently shutting his eyes, a peaceful sigh escaped him as he listened to the engine's white noise coupled with the sounds that came from hyperspace travel. Despite the overflowing awkwardness in the cockpit, the Kiffar focused on these ambient sounds and tried to ignore the growing tension he felt in his spirit. Everyone else declined Master Yenna's offer, which was smart, considering the large Padawan and petite Master were piloting after all.

Mathieu eventually broke the ice, drawing everyone with the rattling of his rucksack and its placement in the middle of the cockpit. What was inside were sandwiches, which the big Jedi offered to the rest of the group. It was as if seeing the sandwiches was some sort of trigger, because seconds after Eleven could feel his stomach growl with the ferocity of a rancor. "Whoa..." he exclaimed, pressing his hands down over his stomach in a vain attempt to stifle the loudness of his hunger. He didn't even know he was hungry until now.

Initially planning on declining Mathieu's offer due to not feeling comfortable enough around him yet, that idea went out the window as famine entered. Begrudginly he swivelled in his chair and stood up, nervously approaching the Jedi. At the mention of 'kicking like an Ewok' the corner of his lip lifted ever so slightly "Well... you're a big... person." the boy argued, albeit softly.

When close enough, Eleven rummaged through the bag until he found one with a note that piqued his interest. Taking it out, Eleven turned to face Mathieu and offered him a shy smile and nod "T-thanks." before heading back to his seat and unwrapping the delicacy. As Yenna asked when they would be landing and where, the Padawan took a bite out of his sandwich with a satisfied groan escaping. Realising what he'd just done, Eleven's eyes broadened in embarassment as he sheepishly turned his gaze to the others. Swallowing his mouthful Eleven went on to apologise "S-sorry, this is just... really good. I-I'll shut up now."

Eleven quietly continued on eating his sandwich as Sakadi went on to answer Yenna's question, projecting her words in all of their minds, he assumed. It was still a weird feeling, like firm vibrations turned into words ringing through his skull. The feelings of fear and tenseness he felt whenever telepathy was used on him followed suit as well. He wondered why Master Sakadi only spoke through telepathy, was she lazy or was it something else? Either way he was too scared to ask.

Mathieu Brion Yenna Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Taliya Kassell

 

[Mathieu Brion]

The Fighting Chance​

Location: The Gouda -> The Momentum
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Taliya Kassell Elryn Freestar Mathieu Brion Yenna

---​

Sakadi wasn't all that interested in the sandwich but Yenna sure seemed more enthusiastic about it. He watched her scurry away before his attention turned to the clone. Upon hearing the response that was offered, Mathieu couldn't help but to feel a little hollow. He missed his friend. Cas would have come up with some snappy retort. This one did not. He offered the young Kiffar a pleasant smile before his gaze shifted to the exit where Yenna had left. She was right. They truly were different persons. A little bit of hope died in him as the he - once more - had to accept that the Cassie he knew was gone. Perhaps forever.

Fortunately, the green little Jedi returned. Her good spirits brightened the room "Thanks" he said upon being offered some juice. Of course, he had not missed Sakadi's announcement that they were bound to arrive rather imminently, but a little bit of juice would only make eating the sandwich go faster. Right?

If Yenna hadn't helped raise his spirits enough, Eleven soon did some heavy lifting on his own as he made his enjoyment of the sandwich audible for everyone to hear. A proud smile would start to form on his lips. Hoping to remain somewhat humble, Mathieu shoved his own sandwich up to his mouth to cover it up. With his mouth stuffed with food, he tried to say "I'm glad you liked it" - albeit with mixed success.

The large Morellian continued to eat and drink at a rapid rate when Master Sakadi detailed the next steps on mission for them. It reminded him of how they would prepare before a military operation and with that, his focus started to grow more intense. Mathieu quickly finished up his meal and gave Yenna and Eleven a polite nod before reaching out to grab his backpack and swiveling back to face the viewport and the control panels. He methodically sealed the bag and secured it by a panel.

They were bound to arrive soon. Leaning forth, Mathieu activated the ship-wide coms "This is Mathieu Brion. We are imminent to arrive. Seatbelts on" he leaned back for a moment and followed his own recommendation. He also realised that he didn't know the layout of the ship very well. It meant that the young padawan whom had called him a bully might not either. Treading on the path of carefulness, he added a brief "We've got a seat for you in the cockpit."

 

[Yenna]

A soft chuckle emerged as Yenna listened to the interaction between El and Mathieu. He made a point of not showing his emotions, but Yenna could feel the conflict in him as he turned to check the ship's systems. All she could do was hope that he came around, took note that El wasn't Cas. Taking another large bite, Yenna shifted her thoughts away from the subject and instead focused on the delicious meal.

The sandwich nearly fell out of her hands when Sakadi's voice echoed in her mind, but she quickly turned her attention to the Jedi Master as she explained the plan to the rest of them. Yenna hated cold planets, mostly due to her size. Finding proper cold weather gear in her size was always a chore... finding anything in her size was a chore, in all fairness. "Certainly. Accounted for, all the gear is, right?" She asked her as she studied the map for a moment. "Shoes, I'm gonna have to wear." She groaned as she took another bite of the sandwich. "But... fine, the speeders should be. Work decently, even normal speeders. Take too long, the trip shouldn't." It seemed straightforward and theoretically it would be an easy mission, ignoring the hazards of the terrain and climate. But nothing was ever so simple.

She glanced to El for a brief moment and then to the others as she downed the juice and strapped in. "Um... Master Sakadi... in my size, the right gear you found, right?" She asked with a nervous smile. She knew the Sephi was thorough with things like this... and if not, it was too late to do something now.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Elryn Freestar Taliya Kassell Mathieu Brion

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

T H E- M O M E N T U M
R Y S T A N- B A D L A N D S​

She didn't respond. Her eyes turned glassy as she stared into the swirling blue of hyperspace. A side-effect of the precognitive hint of danger surged through her body.

Without warning, Sakadi yanked back the hyperspace controls. The swirling blue outside the transparisteel window became red in an instant, and a brief warning blared through the cockpit. Violent shudders moved through the vessel as it was thrown out of hyperspace, sublight engines unhealthily roaring to life in the sudden exit. Her hands flew over the main console to get the craft out of its pre-programmed jump. But the danger she had felt was imminent. Impossibly close. And revealed the moment their jump came to an end.

The pathway their navicomputer had calculated was treacherous. And yet, she had never seen a navicomputer's calculations fail. If something went wrong, it had to do with the data fed into it. Always. It made her realize that, even the updated routes to Rystan were still outdated.

"Swerve!" She projected, grabbing her control-yoke to force the craft into a hard right. Several dots appeared on the holographic radar display, informing them of the large chunks of ice ahead of them. The freighter, just barely out of hyperspace, still moved at a speed close to lightspeed. Just a second later, and they would have slammed right against the system's asteroid belt. Even now, it became clear that evading the first chunk of ice was out of the question.

Sakadi flinched as it scraped over their unshielded hull. Warning signals - ones that weren't there already - popped up in their display. "Well at least it's better than a collision." She remarked, trusting in Mathieu to begin evasive manoeuvres. "It'll only get worse from here." Her eyes darted over the displays, both screens and holographic. "Coaxium's destabilized. And we need to get the shield back up." She didn't need to say more. Coaxium was highly explosive and without their shields they were nothing short of a bomb, ready to detonate after contact with a single shard of ice.

"Eleven." There was no time to think this through. She swivelled her seat, backing away immediately. "Take over." She did not approve of him. But there was no denying his connection to Cas. The Force had brought him here for a reason. She figured that this had to be it.

Without another word, Sakadi stormed off. The destabilized Coaxium endangered them all. And as the one who had gathered them, it felt like her responsibility to take care of it.

Yenna | Elryn Freestar | Taliya Kassell | Mathieu Brion

 

[Taliya Kassell]

The ~ Fighting ~ Chance

Tag: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala | Yenna | Elryn Freestar | Mathieu Brion | Location: Piket-class light freighter

"Wooah" expressed a young feminine voice of Taliya as Sakadi engaged in evasive manoeuvring, forcing the young Padawan to hold on to the door frame. Standing at the entrance to the cockpit, Taliya quickly found a seat in the back, saving her behind from an embarrassing potential fall. Sitting and watching the ship having close calls upon close calls with death made the girl miss solid ground and a growing dislike for flying started to form in her mind.

"Remind me again, why we are flying to the planet again?" Asked Taliya, shutting her eyes close together, clinging to her seat, too afraid to look. The girl was too busy to be scared to notice her Master leaving, praying to no one in particular internally to spare them all from smashing into an asteroid. Annoyingly, the spirits decided to speak of all moments.

"Open your eyes girl, show some kriffing backbone" commanded the Sith Spirit annoyed by how easily Taliya was scared. Normally he would use that to try and lead Taliya to embrace the darker emotions, but now he just felt embarrassed by her cowardness.
"You're not helping!" Spoke Taliya out loud, too busy being scared to say it inside her mind.
"Padawan, as much as I absolutely do not want to agree to this insufferable Sith, you have nothing to be scared of. Trust in the Force and it shall guide your companions safely through the asteroid field" explained the Jedi spirit with a very mentory-like tone.

Despite every warning signal in her mind, the words spoken by the Jedi did help as the girl open her eyes, to see they weren't about to die, but managed to avoid and dodge every incoming rock in their path.

"The Light Side 1, Dark Side 0" spoke the Jedi Spirit smugly.
"Oh shut it you forgotten relic" commented the Sith spirit annoyed now by his Jedi flatmate in Taliya's mind.

 

[Elryn Freestar]

Eleven's attention turned to Mathieu as the Morellian made the announcement that they'd be arriving shortly. Following the comman to fasten seatbelts, the boy did as instructed and promptly clipped the seatbelt over his chest and relaxed the back of his head against the headrest as he braced for their arrival.

The blue switched to red in an instant and with it came a sense of imminent danger that rushed through his body like an electric shock. If even he could feel this, he was sure that those more experienced than him felt it earlier and stronger than he did. His guess was right, as soon as they exited hyperspace, Master Sakadi was on the ball as she immediately took control and saved the ship from crashing into a chunk of ice.

Eleven's body snapped left as the Sephi swerved into a hard right, gripping on to the sides of his seat the Padawan released a shocked gasp. Things were hectic, he was a competent pilot for reasons he couldn't explain and he wanted to help - if he could. But the boy questioned his abilities, should he let his seniors handle this? Should he offer aid?

It was as if Master Sakadi had heard him, he heard her ethereal voice touch his mind, calling out to him and immediately snapping him out of his own thoughts. He swivelled to face her, concern, fear and confusion etched on his expression. The Kiffar didn't get to answer before she ordered him to take over. In an instant, confidence replaced his habitual meek demeanour and he nodded, unbuckling his seatbelt and moving over to her seat.

"Okokokokok..." Eleven whispered to himself, chestnut eyes scanning the ship's controls. Reaching out, his fingers wrapped around the control-yoke and he had to trust that Mathieu... despite their rocky start, trusted him enough to co-pilot with him. Ignoring the warning signals in the holographic display, Eleven relaxed himself and allowed the Force, his instincts and muscle memory to guide his reflexes through the asteroid belt.

Responding to both Mathieu and Eleven's commands, the freighter would twist, dive, upthrust, and revolve - evading collision with the field of asteroids, floating inbetween them and safety. A bead of sweat formed on his brow as the Padawan's laser focus continued to stray the line between life or death for everyone on this ship. It was a lot of pressure.

Lips pursed, they had entered the final stretch and it seemed the amount of deadly asteroids had increased in the latter sections, all huddled together. "Okokokokok..." he repeated, bracing himself for a risky evasive maneuver. Coming up on two asteroids positioned close together, Eleven steered the control yoke left and flipped the freighter in a lateral angle. The boy gritted his teeth, trusting in his muscle memory completely as he prepared to squeeze through the tight gap of two asteroids.

Mathieu Brion Yenna Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Taliya Kassell

 

[Mathieu Brion]

The Fighting Chance​

Location: The Momentum
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Taliya Kassell Elryn Freestar Mathieu Brion Yenna

---​

Training with the Soler Navah meant that his capacities within the realm of force based sense was particularly honed. But even Mathieu's senses weren't as sharp as those of the Jedi Master. A creeping sense of danger did enter his mind but it was far too vague to act on. His eyes darted to the Lavender hand as it reached for the hyperspace controls. For the briefest of moments, he wanted to question Sakadi's sanity. Of course they would be in danger if she was going to pull daredevil stunts from the co-pilot's seat. Instead of focusing on her, however, he shifted his attention to the ship controls. If she wanted them all dead - they didn't stand much of a chance now that she were already at the controls. All he could do was to trust in her like he always had and try to make the best out of the situation.

When they exited hyperspace, he realised why she had done what she did as they raced towards an asteroid belt far in the distance. Still rocketing towards it at a furious pace, he followed her suggestion and pulled his own controls far back and to the side. Mathieu always liked joyrides. He liked the feeling of racing forth at a high speed with the power that only a starship could offer pushing him forth. He liked to think that he was good at staying calm and collected in those situations - that he was a responsible pilot and that he didn't put anyone in danger. This, however, caused his heart to race and adrenaline to pump. Before they stabilised or crashed it was impossible to tell whether they'd survive or not. Regardless, they wouldn't have to wait for long before the destination was reached.

Fortunately - they did stabilise. Albeit with an ugly impact against a rock in the planet's belt. A sigh of relief was neither appropriate nor something which he could afford as he focused fully on ensuring that they didn't die. Mathieu did take evasive manoeuvres and tried to align the ship with the direction of the flow of the outer part of the asteroid belt. It was the only advantage of being in the belt rather than the debris field outside of it - the belt was more predictable. Still, danger was only the beginning of the description of what they were doing.

It wouldn't be long before Sakadi left after mentioning the destabilised Coaxium. Mathieu didn't bother looking to the panel to confirm what she conveyed. Instead, he concentrated on not being smashed by the spacerocks which he desperately had them weave between while looking for an opportunity to 'switch lanes' and bring them closer towards the planet's surface.

There was a shift when Eleven took the co-pilots seat. He made expert use of the secondary systems which gave Mathieu the chance to catch his breath. It even gave him time to realise what was going on. The Kiffar was way too young to be this skilled at piloting which meant that the force had to be with him. And perhaps that he had inherited some of Cassie's capacities. If the situation had been less pressed, nostalgia would have surfaced but instead, his focus remained on their survival.

It was becoming increasingly evident that Eleven was doing the heavy lifting. Muscle memory, intuition - they boy had both and it sure appeared to make up for his lack of experience and training. "Passing the controls to you" he said, giving the boy a bit of a warning before he flicked a switch by the pilot's controls which disabled his own control of the steering of the ship - two people controlling a vessel in a situation like this was bound to end in disaster. They needed their most adept pilot to do the actual piloting and in this case, that was El. "Ship is yours" he spoke quickly while shifting his attention.

For Star Destroyers and other massive ships, blasting asteroids before collision was a viable strategy. For a small freighter without the same massive armour and shields, it was simply suicidal since the massive amounts of smaller debris that would stem from it would pose a much greater threat than one single avoidable piece. With that, Mathieu redirected power from the ship's weapon's systems to its shields to make them slightly less vulnerable.

Knowing that a certain degree of tampering would be needed in order to stabilise the Coaxium, he took measures to isolate it from the ship's main energy grid in order to minimise the risk for sudden, uncontrollable and unexpected bursts which could affect Eleven's control of the vessel. He pressed a button and spoke over the ship-wide intercomms "Coaxium has been isolated" he trusted Sakadi to get the gist of what he was saying.

His work never seemed to end as he soon spotted the two asteroids which the Clone undoubtedly wanted to squeeze between. In Mathieu's eyes, it looked a bit too narrow. And the fact that they seemed to be spinning made as they made their way around the planet made the idea even more risky. "Girls" he said, long since having released the intercom button ensuring that it would be clear that he spoke to Yenna and Taliya. "High ask, but try to slow those asteroid's spinning down when we go through." It was a high ask indeed - for the two objects were rather massive and moving at a high speed - just like them. Still, if anything could be done to up their chances of survival, it needed to be done.

Finally, his focus went to Eleven. At first, the necessary information that the force and cloning might not bring "Don't push her too hard before the Coaxium is stabilised." He had talked with some sense of authority so far - perhaps he had been hanging around on Chaussidier's bridge for too long and lead a few missions too many. But now, for this last bit, his tone softened. He was speaking to a friend. Or, at least his friend's spiritual successor. It was the one who was truly going to be put to the test "Relax. Believe in yourself. Trust in the force. I have faith in you."

 

[Yenna]

The moment they dropped out of hyperspace, it was one close call after the other. Asteroids as big as capital ships, debris threating their lives at high speeds as they zoomed around. Yenna clung to her seat with wide eyes as she watched massive rocks fly around them, the ship flinging about as the pilots avoided as much as they could. She had to give it to her friends, they were really good.

Sakadi hurried off to stabilize the coaxium and El was ushered into the pilot's seat while Yenna and Taliya had a wonderful view of impending doom. Yenna's attention immediately snapped to Mathieu as he asked the to move the asteroids with the Force. She was about to ask if he was crazy but she kept her mouth shut. They needed to move those rocks, or else everyone would end up as Jedi pancakes with Freighter toppings on the side of some rock in space. "Focus. A clear mind, you must have." She told the padawan as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "The left, I shall focus on." She muttered, a tiny hand stretching out towards the asteroid.

With another deep breath she sought the danger out in the Force, her hand shaking as she focused entirely on the massive rock. "With the Force..." She muttered to herself as she frowned, her other hand rising as well. The asteroid's roration slowed ever so slightly as they neared, until it finally moved away from the ship. Yenna's eyes opened as she glared at the rock. "... One I am..." More and more it started to shift away, until it was finally sent circling around the ship.

A heavy sigh escaped her as she slumped back into her seat. "A drink, I need." She grumbled as she stared out of the cockpit.

Elryn Freestar Taliya Kassell Sakadi Marathi Sinvala Mathieu Brion

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

T H E- M O M E N T U M
R Y S T A N- B A D L A N D S​

Sakadi barely held on to the safety railing of the lower corridor, as their ship performed another wild turn. She had to remind herself that this was the hardest part. Getting through the asteroid field unscathed was apparently impossible. But passing without injuries? That was still a possibility. That depended entirely on Mathieu and Eleven of course, but thanks to her rash decision, partially on her too.

Luckily, she had come prepared. Sakadi took another three careful steps - finally in reach of the cylinder that hung from the wall. She entered the code on the small keypad, and the thing sprang to life. It was a pill droid. A unique design from her own T6-shuttle. It was outfitted with an extra processor to translate sign language, for it wasn't the first time she had to rely on the help of droids.

She made a swift gesture, instructing the pill droid to hover after her to the ship's small but compact engine room. It didn't take long to spot the problem. The coolant was leaking, and the coaxium's temperature was rising fast. Too fast. Sakadi gestured once more to the droid, giving it the instruction to weld the cooling lines back together. Meanwhile, she brought her knowledge of the Force to bear.

Sakadi placed a hand against the cylindrical coaxium tank. The heat immediately left her hand, making place for a pain and numbness that made her whole body shiver. And yet, the tank's lining needed to be even colder. The Jedi Master closed her eyes, and focused on the heat flow. Contracting what little energy lingered in the tank, pulling it through her body and releasing it in a stream of hot air through her other outstretched hand.

After what felt like an eternity, the pill droid let out a harsh chirp. A sign that the leak was dealt with. A message she would relay through the Force to those in the cockpit.

"Situation is under control. How is it up there?"

Yenna Mathieu Brion Elryn Freestar Taliya Kassell