The Pillow Book (Taiden Keth)

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Taiden Keth"]

Matsu while she was waiting was feeling, searching to make sure the padawan wasn't lost or enraptured with some of the girls or boys up above. She wasn't going to judge him, the pleasure district was a dangerous place for anyone. She held a small grin only because she was expecting the shock for him of what places could be like and the large district was a wonderful place you could see the beauty in.... Then the door was opening and Matsu stood there looking at Teresa while she entered and spoke. "I hope Taiden is okay, it can be very..." She struggled to figure out the word for it that could be happening.

She was moving inside and was careful holding a hand out while she was pushing a bubble to conceal them. She had studied with Arya and elders of the Fallanassi with Jeela. Their skills for concealing from sight something she could use here to protect them in the guilds basement while she looked up the stairs and moved a little slowly pressing against the wall. "The illusion will break if you bump into something but it should be able to conceal us long enough to search for records. Be careful and leave no trace you are here and do not harm any of them." She was adamant about that while moving.

 

[Taiden Keth]

Velvet and silks draped around him, pheromones in the air, pawing hands, his heart was pounding in his chest, he had to close his eyes and center himself. Taiden pulled himself away, minus a few goods from his pockets, good thing his Master hadn’t seen him! [member="Nima Tann"]. He had kept his calm but found the whole thing fascinating, they almost didn’t let him leave but he adamantly insisted, being the Jedi that he was. It was a close call, Kei might not have made it out of there in one piece.

Moving on! Now he had a problem, he was in unfamiliar territory, separated from Matsu and he couldn’t see anyone, worse he shouldn’t actually be here, hopefully the credit chip he’d just tipped the ladies behind him would buy their silence. Taiden gracefully stepped, lightfooted moving from cover to cover, using his senses to stretch out and see what was coming. He was still a padawan but his experience now as beginning to show.

Still he had no idea where to move to, and having no ability to mindspeak yet was even more hindered. He just repeated the same thought over and over in his mind, hopefully loud enough for Matsu to pick up on. ~Which direction.~ Guard! He ducked back behind another set of boxes. Seemed like his credits had bought their silence, for now... but of course that could change at any time.

[member="Matsu Ike"]​

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Taiden Keth"]

Matsu was focusing on keeping up their illusion to hide while she heard the padawan and spoke into her mind wanting direction. She remained calm for a moment moving and stopping in the corner as one passed by them. Matsu held her force energies back and was working to keep herself hidden from everything with the others while they moved towards slowly an office. "Head west and follow the pipes towards the offices and we'll be there." She was searching and moving her hands quickly now to look at what they had, namely the large amounts of documents to read through and she was searching through it to try and find whatever they could for shipments or recent sales. She kept going over the reports and flipping her eyes up to observe the area to best protect them. She was certain the padawan would be able to handle himself and she had a few skills she could use if needed while she was going over it.

 

[Taiden Keth]

With a sense of relief, Taiden heard her voice sharply, his senses were growing and gaining more precise focus. ~Yes Elder~ he found himself saying a few times in his head, hoping she heard him. The guard was still there, so he had to wait for the man to finish up a smoke, and then continue on his way back to his post.

The Padawan bided his time, patience was a strong suit for Taiden Keth when he needed it, cautiously waiting longer than was necessary to move. It was however too long because just as he rounded a corner to spot Matsu, the same guard spotted him, doubling back on patrol. Instinctively Taiden raised his hand defensively and a bright light came forth. Force Blinding, blinding both the guard and unfortunately himself, so surprised as he was that he'd managed to manifest a new force technique.

The Echani balanced by finding a low center of gravity, and coverd his eyes, blinking and trying to get them to focus, he used the pipes to feel his way down toward Matsu, stumbling only briefly until he found her, blind luck getting him past the rest of the guards. "Sorry Elder, I just need a moment," he said quietly as one of the men with her looked him over.

[member="Matsu Ike"]​

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Taiden Keth"]

She was listening to the padawan and didn't speak just sent a wave in the force that she understood while slowly opening up the drawers and looking through as she checked one of the files and found a list of shipments from the latest acquisitions. She was going over it and looking for something that wouldn't be checked..... She found it, the waste and run off of what they mined could be transferred and because it was considered dangerous not checked to often if at all. A smart way and she had seen smugglers use methods like that in the past to bypass the jedi but it was generally easier with medical waste or chemicals.

"I might have found something." She said it low and moved committing the information to memory as she was moving now. Going over what else was in the desk and making a copy for the echani of the waste disposal records. They could check the ones that deviated from the disposal site as she wasn't expecting them to use their public and private one. Those could be flagged and checked after all, instead the last thing Matsu took was some of the wiring they had. She held up a case and spoke. "Should be worth about twenty thousand credits.... They'll know someone was here we might as well let them think they came for the expensive wires."

 

[Taiden Keth]

Slowly Taiden’s eyes came back to focus, taking a glance to the office door, but that was well watched by the Echani with them. Taresa looked Taiden’s eyes over, even as he held his hands up to say he was okay, just stunned, still Taresa made doubly sure to check, and for a moment their hands touched, but only briefly.

“Are there any clues as to the break in Elder?” Taiden asked curiously, still unsure why Matsu had picked this particular office. He was carefully poking around in the desks and workstations nearby himself for anything of note.

One of the Echani at the door hushed them, by raising a hand as someone was coming, a guard perhaps or… it was hard to tell, Taiden’s hand reached behind him to his weapon if needed. Hopefully they’d not enter, a hope that was short lived, because a knock at the door followed. A clever member of the honor guard had jammed her foot at the swinging door, so that when he tried to push it, it appeared locked.

A few moments later the guard or whoever it was, was turning back around, hopefully not looking for a key!

If there was relief on Taiden's face it was hard to tell, he did relax partly, letting his hand fall away, but still seemed fixed on the door, that was a close one.

[member="Matsu Ike"]​

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Taiden Keth"]

Matsu was looking at them and spoke. "I found some references to the vaults vaguely. The sections under the lake are the silver jedi temple and protected so them being there looking for rare minerals I doubt but the division that was working it seemed more interested in trying to understand. One of the hammers we found embedded in the stone under the white tower, the royals had used it to decide the worthy for lines of succession for thousands of years. It was detecting something in the blood or the force about the people, I think they want to try and figure out what it does... or sell it on their invisible market which would mean we might never find it."

 

[Taiden Keth]

That seemed a motivate enough for any thief but....

“Would this be a threat to the dragon king if these were used?” Taiden posed the next leading question, wondering if it was something to do with the self-assumed ruler, but he didn’t have a great deal of time before he heard the guard coming back again, this time with a set of key cards in his hands, running through them to find one to fit the slot outside.

Raising a hand for silence, the Echani tensed, well they were all out of options, unless Matsu could disable the guard without making any noise, Taiden would try hand to hand, he looked to Matsu and made his way to the side of the door. He would use the door ready to disable the man, because the guard thought it locked, so when he pulled it, it was going to hit him straight in the face, with a little help.

That was unless Matsu intervened with a cleverer tactic, it was going to be hand to hand from the padawan.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

Spoiler

You can bunny what happens next to Taiden or the guard.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Taiden Keth"]

Matsu was looking at him, her eyes watching and she listened for a moment as the guard was coming and she let the force flow through her limbs. Quickly and quietly as she was listenign with the senses in the force and as the door opened she moved. Her body shifting as she pushed the energy to vibrate her limbs and come around to wrap an arm around his throat, with her arm pushing his jaw up so he couldn't speak. She pushed the force with her free hand while focusing on the airways and blood flow to slow it with tight constrictions before easing him down and to the floor while she motioned with her head for the echani to go.

"Down into the basement quickly." She was getting them into the warehouse while she moved making a quick show someone had broken in and stolen the wires along with a few other things of value... Not really but they were in cases in the office that made them seem valuable to some of the thieves. The jedi motioned for them to keep moving and lept up towards the wall as she started to crawl letting the force work to cause a distraction for another guard before motioning for the others to go and she kept moving. Robes clinging tightly around her frame as she closed quickly the warehouse doors at the top and opened them to get itno the lower areas.

Matsu was moving through it and made sure the doors were closed before she spoke listening with the force and her hands. "It shoudln't let them go after him but you never know. It could all be part of some grand scheme." She had a smirk on her face for a moment listening and motioning with her hands for them to go quickly into the maze of storage areas. Matsu didn't lead them back to the Sasori warehouse she instead brought them out overlooking a large bazaar under he city that was showing off creatures and stranger things. In the center above it was a platform carved with a black stone.

"That is the base of the ancient weeping stone, the royal palace is above us and." She trailed it off while motioning. "The marketplace here is you could say for some more rare things, acrobats, animals, anything you would like for celebrations or parties as well as rare things. We can go up to the Silver jedi's mission from here and to the moon following them." She had a look though while searching and checking while leading the way down as she spoke. "We have a ship arriving and have some time to spare in case you want to get a few things or look around. Never know what kind of things you can find down here."

 

[Taiden Keth]

A blur, Taiden barely saw how fast Matsu could move, much more effectively than a door! Moving obediently and swiftly, lightfooted they were as ever, and precise in following the Jedi Master, you never need tell an Echani a command twice.

He silently felt she was right it was worth considering that a grander design might be in motion here, his mind was naturally already on the stratagem that might be at work here, at least till they reached their destination. "I will keep my eyes peeled for further clues in the coming days Master."

Taiden was nearly irresistibly drawn to new knowledge, it was one of the more dangerous traits of the Keth bloodline when unsupervised, thankfully he had better teachers than his kin, [member="Nima Tann"] and [member="Matsu Ike"] had both helped bring him along, along with Coci and many at the temple. Sorting through the marketplace he pulled out a puzzle box, he didn’t so much find it, as it found him, requiring a puzzle lock to be completed on the top of it to open the container, on another stall they also found a rare dry herb one he’d never seen before, which was uncommon given his skill as a herbalist, but then his planet had been full of many wonders for all the senses.

Another Echani located a runic golden scepter of note, and decided to take it with them, but otherwise they left the stalls undisturbed, something about the scepter was wrong, or felt wrong but Taiden didn’t have the force sense to really feel what it was, and he was concentrating on the visual puzzle on box too much anyway which felt much more curious. "Are we really paying these people enough for this?" One of the less easily swayed Echani spoke, hesitant to put her hands on anything, the thought gave Taiden pause as well, because back home these relics were surely valuable but here they seemed more commonplace.

[member="Matsu Ike"]​

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Taiden Keth"]

Matsu continued to push them forward while also going through the marketplace. Paying for the things here was something easy as slowly she traded credits and notes for the stores the researchers had on hand. To acquire artifacts while she was looking over some of the things and with a map brought her attention to the padawan and his people. A grin forming on her face. "We have an allowance when it comes to acquiring artifacts, if it is within budget and the means for us we can fund our work and moving forward towards the ship explore some of the ruins." She had more ideas but was letting the echani get what they needed before her hands were picking up a small talisman and paying the man.

 

[Taiden Keth]

Taiden nodded a quarter bow, and several of the honor guard took note, mostly they chose practical defences, nothing for style, though a couple picked small wind chimes to fold up into their backpacks. It wasn’t long till their quiet reserve had broken and they each at least bought one item if not more, they rarely got offworld, and their families might make use of some of the more exotic items they found here so they stocked up.

“This has been a trip for of wonder for my people and I Master Matsu.” The young Echani said honestly, finally clicking the puzzle box into place to reveal a silver item wrapped inside a dull cloth. The puzzle had been of interest but the artefact underneath was regarded carefully now with a scholars eye on the markings.

“Is there anything you wish brought back with us, for your benefit?” They had the numbers to carry heavier items more easily if she needed it, that as the least that seemed to be on offer, and several of the more keen honor guard were awaiting her word, wondering the same question, though truly few matched how eager the young echani seemed to be to return what he saw as a favor.

[member="Matsu Ike"]​

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Taiden Keth"]

Matsu continued the movement while she had a grin. Looking at what she had tapping her hand on the small trinket she had picked up. The raised ends on the rectangular talisman, the jedi master wiped at the script on it as she walked towards the ports. "I am not certain what it is but it was interesting enough. We've found many such trinkets on worlds and they can lead to things." She had the grin on her face while leading them. "Besides training is never over, we have other places to go and things to see. The map we were working on should be finished and deciphered on the ship."

 

[Taiden Keth]

“Do we have an archive of some of the discoveries?” Always inquisitive, always asking the next question.

Training is never over. She sounded more and more like an elder of his people, another bow, more deeply this time and less formal, one or two of the others did the same. So far Matsu had lead the honor guard fearlessly and without anything but the smallest casualty, how many expeditions could say the same? Actions not words swayed the Echani to follow her lead, Taiden along with them.

He just took one look around the guard with him, there was a unified appreciation there, and they readied to move in perfect time once more, turning precision on a dime. Steps not like a march but placed almost as one body of men and women, spacing and timing everything as they moved. Taiden felt honestly spoiled by all these new discoveries and learning so much of this place, being over keen to continue, just the smallest of dust and small tares from below ground on the otherwise spotless white tunics and battle robes they moved, they looked as ready as they ever were.

[member="Matsu Ike"]​

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Taiden Keth"]

Matsu looked at him. "I have one, I have not seen one from the jedi for a long time." She hadn't seen much in the ways of working to gather knowledge, most seemed interested in purely their own goals instead of collecting or focusing. It made her think about it more leading the ways up to the ship. Another good benefit of well being old was you acquired things and ships was one of them as she moved with some of the different designed ones before she was moving into the large ports with more creatures moving around them. She had the Harlequin ready to go while moving ahead and up the ramp. The crew milling about with most of the equipment and crates ready to go. THe maps and charts in a hologrom they had using holocron star maps.

 

[Taiden Keth]

Taiden almost had to resist himself asking if they could stop by the archive, the desire was there but held behind his often reservation at betraying anything about his personal desires, still there was that childish wonder somewhere behind the young man’s eyes.

“That is a shame Master Matsu, a repository of knowledge allows others to learn and save them the pains and mistakes of the past.” Taiden a scholar was troubled that the silver Jedi, now the sanctum had no real central library of sorts to share their findings and assist each other, if only to safeguard young minds wandering into dangerous findings.

Following diligently behind their leader, the Echani, Taiden included, offered to assist the crew, formally as it was, one or two did pitch in to help. They were standoffish by their nature, but also acting to allow the flow of the mission to move smoothly, always picturing the world around them in motion and current.

“Master Matsu, how do you deal with dangerous artefacts, is there a safe method?” His family line had been forever changed by Sith artefacts, and Taiden had no wish to repeat the mistakes of the past, but he still didn’t want to simply ignore the fact they existed, perhaps with Matsu's experience he wouldn't have to stumble around in the dark, did she have an example safely secured away?

[member="Matsu Ike"]​

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Taiden Keth"]

"There are ways." Shew was looking a them while setting more of it up and with the maps setting a course. "It is able to work to varying degrees but nullification resin will help seal it away so the influence doesn't come out. However the danger of that is you are't really stopping it just holding it back and if there is a crack it was leak out slowly corrupting what is around it." Matsu continued to work on some of the things they had with the course laid in and the ship leaving she sat down at a table letting some food arrive asthe crew with her sat down making it a large party almost with dinner and plenty for the echani as she displayed some of the other things. "As for a repository that is why it is best to work on having the memory of it all. I have worked to remember everything in the holocrons should the worse things happen."

 

[Taiden Keth]

The Scrolls of Taiden Keth: Entry #50, a banquet to remember of the times before.

Taiden nodded silently in deep concentration and thought, he was perhaps asking this question a bit too much, or with too much zeal, but he had his own ulterior motives for want to be extra careful in his pursuit of understanding. “How can you be certain an environment has been breached or tainted Master?” The young Echani asked pausing what he was doing, assisting her by her side, especially with the cooking or preparation!

Because Taiden was a Master chef, a herbalist like his ancestor Aiden before him, the same family traits passed down, such smells and wonders would come from his quarters and today here. Though they were vegan brews, a broth, a casserole and a very simple offering of dried herbal paste in a sauce from his home garden on the estate. Taiden’s diet was strict yet very varied and although all the Echani with him were careful in the portions they enjoyed at Matsu’s kind offering, Taiden was absolutely meticulously with his food.

“To our host,” one of the Echani called and thanks, nods of the head and one or two bows were given around the table, while Taiden ate little, incredibly reserved, he did enjoy what he had, "what are your plans for the future Elder Ike?" Taresa Kae spoke, seemingly the only one not eating she was merely sipping her water, [member="Hana Kae"].

[member="Matsu Ike"]​

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Taiden Keth"]

Matsu looked at the padawan as she was speaking and brought her hand up showing the holographic display of the map. "The plans are to continue working towards the ultimate goal. Discovery and there maybe something. We recently found information regarding a complex constructed thousands of years ago and abandoned on the edge of the galaxy. The old Imperial Reclamation services used it to store what was artifacts. That was part of the information we wanted to get and have been working to get." She had a grin on her face thinking about it while her attention was on the other things they had. The trinket she had been cleaning showing it was an old Hapen one but Matsu was looking at some of the real fun they could get. "We'll handle it and never know what you might find there."

 

[Taiden Keth]

The young Keth took a break from his endless questioning, he often got carried away going after details! While Matsu answered Taresa Kae, he nibbled lightly at his food, ever so graceful in how he approached every mouthful, the steaming dish was enjoyed for its fragrance as much as its texture. He could not help but be a bit taken in with Elder Ike, like any young warrior or more scholar might be at her understanding of such a wide range of topics, that and her clear fluidity in battle.

Clearing his mind of such unworthy distractions, the Echani group shared a small ceremonial moment for the passing of the noon hour, and the meal drawing to a close, nothing if not traditional Keth, Taresa was silent but no less proud or respectful, a small blade was unfolded and offered to the host of the table, noting the house of Kae. Almost entirely silver, it had a jeweled hit and a flawless finish to its edge.

At least two of the Echani guard immediately stood up declaring, “we will be honoured to be your guard Elder,” Taiden’s reserve and poise deepened at the display, “it seems you have their loyalty,” he allowed himself a half smile, “not unworthy at all, you also have my sword, my mind, and whatever our house can offer in the finding of these artefacts.” Which beyond the honor guard here, wasn’t saying a lot these days, but at least it was something, a ship or some information, a piece of the puzzle she might not yet have. Perhaps she had an idea how they could best help?

[member="Matsu Ike"]​