Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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The search goes on.

Maple Harte was not a happy woman, deep down.

There were times she felt happiness. Ecstatic happiness. But that did not make her a happy woman.

So much had happened to her recently. She was not sure if she remembered even twenty percent correctly. But Monestary had born fruit.

Siva had been among the survivors from the nightshrikes. After making sure she was okay, they had gotten drinks on her ship.

Maple was still covered in animal blood somewhat, the killing having left her sore and empty began changing out of her biker leathers once she was in her bedroom. Siva, a curvy green Twi-Lek woman in a black, tight fitting combat suit whose age was creeping towards thirty-three took a slow slip from a bottle of Whyren's as Maple came out in a shirt and sweatpants both black, having just finished processing the Confederacy contract awarding her the Ventress class ship she had been promised. She had been well compensated also for all the beasts she had killed.

Siva leaned against the white sofa, relaxing. Maple examined her rifle at the lounge table, checking for damage.

"I remember when that thing used to be really something. How you could drill a hole right through a Mando's faceplate with it. And then you...well I don't wanna say you went soft, Uri. But you sure as hell became a lot more reluctant with it."

"I was going through a bad time." Maple said, disassembling it without looking up. Siva took another sip, passed it to Maple, who took a sip and passed it back. She began cleaning and inspecting the parts with a small kit.

"Weren't we all." Siva thought out loud.

Maple didn't need to ask. She'd helped Siva scatter her sisters ashes before she left the Jedi. Bone cancer had killed Siva's sister. It had not been a quick death, nor one without pain.

"Why didn't you stick around on Coruscant? Plenty of jobs to be found in the Underworks. Lotsa good ways for a Jedi to get lost...and stay lost."

"I've always hated Coruscant. You know that. Too many people is bad for a planet, sometimes."

"Ain't that the truth." Siva admitted ruefully, taking a sip, flexing her muscles teasingly the way she knew Maple liked. Maple pretended not to notice.

"But that isn't the only reason."

Maple still had not told her about the illness.

"No...its not. Don't think I didn't consider just disappearing into the gutters like you have. But my problems would have followed me there. And the less exposed you were, the less at risk."

"I thought you liked it when I was more exposed."

Maple recalled with vivid clarity the first time she had seen Siva naked. A small smile crept to her lips but little else.

"I do...but..."

"What?" Siva asked.

The horror of the Mind-Binder prevented her from speaking of her issues.

"You said you had gotten a lead on Ursula's ship." Maple said, changing the subject quickly. "Any sign of Ursula herself?"

Siva took the hint. "My sources told me where it was last seen. But you're not gonna like it."

"Try me." Maple said.

"The Silver Rest."

Maple stopped. The Silver Rest was a temple. A Jedi temple. The Silver Jedi's temple.

"Report was filed about an H-type Nubian flying close to the forests on a seemingly irregular flight path deep into the surrounding woodlands. Last known coordinates before it disappeared off scanners are here." Siva said sliding her a datapad.

Maple took it quickly. "Thanks, Siva."

"So...if Ursula happens to be attached to her ship if you find it what's your plan?"

Maple looked up. "You're afraid I'll try and start a fight."

"The thought had crossed me to be honest. She DID trick you into murdering your old friends."

I'm not crazy enough to start a fight on a world crawling with my former peer group. If Ursula's there, we have a nice calm talk before I move on. If she isn't...well...not not like I'm not owed compensation."

"So settle for pissing her off by taking her ship..."

"If its there."

Siva took another sip, passed it to Maple, who took another swig and passed it back, her throat burning.

"I just don't wanna see you get hurt Uri."

"Thanks for the concern."

"I mean it, Uri." Siva said with concern, straightening up. "This Mind-Binder business has me scared for you. How many brushes with death do you get just on a weekly basis?"

"Forty-seven," she answered, starting to reassemble her rifle. It was just a random number. It was probably closer to ten. Maybe half that.

"I just don't wanna wake up and find out you got skewered by some force adept you weren't even looking for. It'd break my heart."

Maple looked up. Siva was dead serious.

"You mean a lot to me Uri. Losing you would hurt like losing my sister hurt. Maybe worse."

"There are no guarantees in our line of work. You know that Siva. Even you could wind up the same way."

"There are no guarantees, true. But there are precautions.

Maple flinched as Siva clasped her hand gently.

"Promise me you will be cautious." Siva insisted quietly. "You're not the best of the best anymore, Uri. I can see it. You get by, but I know when someone is barely keeping the boat from sinking."

"I'll be careful, Siva. I promise." Maple reassured her, covering Siva's hand with her own. It broke her a little, knowing her condition would not allow her to keep that promise. But it reassured her, which was her goal.

Siva nodded, resting against the couch once more and knocking back a swig. Maple after reassembling the rifle, set it aside and joined her, taking another swig, feeling the numbness spread.

"You know we only do this drinking thing when we're both bummed, right?" Maple asked, passing the bottle back. Siva took a sip.

"Had to put Spotty to sleep a few days ago."

Maple gasped. "I loved that old Kath Hound! Did he get sick again?

"Yeah. But more than that, he was old. Could barely stand on his four legs. He went peacefully. I held him."

"May we both go in such a pleasant manner."

"I'll drink to that." Siva said

"We probably won't."

"Nope. We probably won't." Siva agreed, taking another swig.



A few days later.

This planet was awash in the Force, she thought as she stepped onto Kashyykk's soil., clad in her black biker leathers. She thought she had one assignment here in the past but it was hard to tell if the memory was true or not, but as she started her progress, walking toward the beautiful temple in the distance, she felt almost overwhelmed by the power of the Force, how the Jedi fed it with their actions. Their natures. A nature that was foreign to her. The Silver Jedi were friends with the Confederacy, despite it being run by Darth Metus, but she was not sure how far professional courtesy would extend to such a low level grunt like her. Skip. The shackles she had worn for eight hundred years dug into her ankles. The doom of the universe beckoned! Skip. Home of the wookiees, and half her psychotherapy issues. The Jedi can smell your soul and thoughts. Damn, why did the lies have to start up this instant.

Pulled into a delusion that lasted six years in her head, only for her to forget most of it as she snapped back to reality and continued walking, confused. Was this happening? Was she actually on Kashyykk? She pinched herself. Felt real. Enough.

Maple after a half hour finally reached the grounds of the temple. It was a bright day, and being at a temple brought back a lot she was not comfortable with, even less than with that fetus contrilling her spine. Wait, no, that was the delusion of that guy on Ryloth. Maple walked past the busy grounds, ignoring the serenity and brightness. She hadn't come here to meditate. She'd come for a piece of the past.

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