Private Trial of Insight

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

Sacorria
"The shadows of the past guard their secrets well; only those who know when to let go will find what they seek."

​

Hey kiddo, Looks like you got your head knocked around a little. You aren't dead, but you are very unconscious.

Sorry, but I don't have long to talk, You've come into contact with a dark entity from my past, one that your father should have never inherited. You felt the his power on Tython, the raw hatred in his very voice for my bloodline. Your new inheritance. A dark sword is the key to his true strength, lost in the far reaches of space. Seek it out... see it destroyed. I have faith in you, little one.

I would be prepared for a migraine when you wake, It seems Kai'el chaos transcends blood. I guess that one is my own fault... Take care of them."​

Ever since Braze had experienced those strange Force visions, accompanied by the cryptic warnings of Dillon Kai'el, he found himself captivated by the pursuit of this so-called legacy. It was a calling, pulling at his thoughts and driving him to ask questions about who he really was. He knew of the vile Lord Kalrath from their encounter during the sudden attack on Tython, where they had crossed paths and blades. It was there that he witnessed firsthand how Aris Noble could be hurt. It was a realization that shook him, forcing him to reconcile the vulnerability of those around him, even those whom he'd once seen as untouchable. Braze couldn’t help but lament his introduction to Zaiya Ceti and all that had occurred on that fateful day—a tangled mess of choices and consequences.

This quest that had been thrust upon him had led him to ask himself, What is a legacy? It was this question that drove him to Malachor V, to investigate the echoes of history that had resonated there for so long, trying to glean some insight from the distant past. The scars of Malachor spoke volumes—of power, of devastation, and of the choices that left behind more than just ruins. From there, Braze found himself joining Aris in her visit to Korriban, the dark heart of the Sith, in an effort to uncover the mysteries of legacies tethered to the dark side. This misadventure had brought the two of them to their little escapade on Malsheem, a destination that seemed inevitable, as though the Force itself guided their steps. It was thanks to Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax ’s swift intervention that he found himself in that foreboding place, searching for meaning among the fragments left behind by those who came before. The pursuit of a legacy, it seemed, was never a straight path—it twisted through darkness and doubt, challenging not just his abilities, but his understanding of what he truly sought.

Back at the ancestral home, Braze was determined to find something—anything—that might be a clue to lead him in the right direction. He took it upon himself to clean the home from top to bottom, deep cleaning it like it had never been gone through before. There had to be something here that would allow him to make that connection with the long-dead ancestor of his adoptive father.

​

​

 

[Dillon Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"Alright, Dillon. Enough sitting around."

Within the meditation room of the Kai'el estate, two bright eyes appeared within the Force Crystal that lay at the center of the room. Cracks began to form, splintering the giant stone. Light began to spill out from the breaks, filling the surrounding area with a golden, shimmering aura. The crystal cracked down the middle like an egg, the two halves falling apart as the ancient Jedi Master emerged, rubbing at a sore spot on his neck.

"Four thousand years... Force, Master Reth wasn't kidding when he said this would hurt," the old Jedi wheezed.

He instinctively reached for his gut, where the near fatal blow had been made. There was still a hole seared into his clothes, yet the wound was scarred over. A relief that it was healed...

Even if it had taken way too long.

The old Jedi turned his head, making direct eye contact with the young Echani cleaning out the home. He paused for a moment, considering what would be the best thing to say. A sheepish smile came to his face, surprisingly awkward, giving a half wave as he decided on his greeting.

"Uh, hey kiddo," he greeted. "Sorry about the mess... I'll help clean it up."

He felt bad making a mess right as the kid was cleaning.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Dillon Kai'el

Braze had cleaned the entire house from top to bottom—literally. He was just about finished, in the last room he could possibly be in, when he found the massive rock. It looked strange enough to catch his attention, so he decided to clean it too, curious what might be underneath the grime.

He started scrubbing its surface when something unexpected happened—cracks began to form. Braze panicked immediately. Did he break it? Oh no, oh no, oh no. He backed away, heart pounding, but before he could react further, the cracks grew wider. Light poured out, and suddenly, right there, the strange man from his dreams stood in front of him.

Braze froze. He dropped his dust rags, letting them hit the floor in a heap. He pointed right at the man, practically shouting, "HAH!" The sound came out so high it was almost a squeak, but he didn't care. He knew it. He wasn't crazy. Not since Marissa Shoda had given him that concussion.

"You ARE real!" Braze blurted out, his eyes wide, his thoughts tumbling over each other. He stared, his mind struggling to piece things together, each thought colliding until it all felt like a jumbled mess. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, so many things that didn't make sense.

"Wait…" he said, blinking and squinting at the man, his voice slowing down now, almost hesitant. "So… you're not dead?"

He eyed the figure up and down, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. It felt like everything in his head was frying, a tangled wire sparking as it overloaded.

​

 

[Dillon Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"Wait…" he said, blinking and squinting at the man, his voice slowing down now, almost hesitant. "So… you're not dead?"

"Unfortunately, I did die..." Dillon noted in a somber tone before grinning. "But I survived! Sort of. I think."

Dillon began stretching his fingers, letting out a sigh of relief. It had been so long since he felt things. Thousands of year and he had almost forgotten what it was like to feel. He clapped his hands together just to hear the sound, smiling at the sensation before continuing to speak.

"Right, sorry about the visions," he noted, his tone gentle, "I wasn't sure when my body would be repaired, so Kalrath being loose was a matter of great concern. Luckily I can take a much more hands-on approach to keeping the wind-bag mitigated. Hopefully I didn't cause too much distress. There's only so much one can do in a vegetative state within a gemstone."

The old Master moved to take one step forward, only to promptly fall over. Dillon rolled onto his back, a wide smile spreading across his face before he simply burst out laughing.

"Alright, I've forgotten how to walk."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Dillon Kai'el

Braze winced in surprise as he lost his balance, flopping back into the pile of rocks scattered across the floor. This was not how he'd expected his cleaning spree to end. Braze squinted, confusion knitting his brow. He gestured vaguely in the man's direction. "So, you... did... die?" He paused, frowning. "Ya know what, I think I did too. Recently. And, uhh... yeah, something wierd happened."

His voice trailed off as he tried to piece together the recent whirlwind of bizarre events. Briefly Braze wondered if perhaps he was in a coma and never made it outta that fight with the Empier's agent and all of thsi was just his delious fever dream. "Pretty sure I was clinically dead for a moment... Or seven," he added, with a crooked smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Braze padded over, his bare feet crunching softly on the scattered stones, and peered down at the figure sprawled amidst the wreckage of stone. The man looked... disoriented, almost fragile. Braze's gaze was equal parts curiosity and uncertainty, the kind of look one might give a dead snake before poking it with a stick.

"Well,~" he said, his voice lilting with sarcasm, "I dunno about all that big talk if you can't even walk, Grandpaw." Despite his words, there was a hint of affection beneath the teasing. Braze turned, searching for the broom and dustpan he'd set down earlier, intent on dealing with the mess. The floor had already been spotless once, and he wasn't about to let it stay any less than perfect.

After sweeping up most of the mess—enough that the floor no longer offended his sense of accomplishment—Braze paused. He turned back toward the man, hands on his hips, the dustpan dangling from one wrist. "You need a, uh... hover chair or something old man?" His voice was half-joking, half-genuine, but he didn't wait for an answer.

Instead, Braze reached out with the Force, his eyes narrowing in focus. He drew on it, and with an almost terrifying ease, the man began to lift from the ground, the rocks shifting away as Braze willed him upright. The gesture seemed simple—effortless even.

"Up you go, Blondie," he muttered, a grin tugging at his lips. "We've got questions to answer, and you lying around isn't helping."

 

[Dillon Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"Thanks, kiddo," Dillon chuckled as he found his footing. "I... suppose 'Grandpaw' is appropriate... I can't imagine that there's a title for a thousand times someone's grandfather... Oh well."

The old Master shook his head.

"No chair required. Joints are just a little rusty," he stated. "I haven't walked in four thousand years after all. Let's loosen up a little..."

Dillon rose his hands, the air becoming flat in an instant. It was as though every molecule in the room stopped moving, anticipating a command from the hands of a maestro. Slowly the fragments of the Force Crystal rose into the air, retracing their steps and reassembling back in the center of the room. The Jedi seemed to encourage the pieces to bind themselves back together, the cracks all but vanishing. A playful grin played across Dillon's face.

"Right," the man nodded. "We have questions to answer indeed. There's a sword at large after all, and I imagine Kalrath will be eager to locate it when he senses my emergence... if he hasn't already."

The old Jedi lumbered over to the kitchen, only to open a small door that was very well hidden. He withdrew a plain vibrosword, running his hand along the blade in a way one might when they were reminiscing.

"This thing will shatter," Dillon sighed, returning the blade to it's place. "I'll have to mend her later. So... Braze, I believe? Dillon's my name, which I didn't provide I now realize. Out of order introductions aside, I'm sure you must be curious about a great deal. I can provide you with some answers, but I'd take them with a grain of salt. four thousand years isn't kind on all the finer details."

As he spoke his hands found the fridge, opening it with wide eyes.

"Isn't this thing sleek," he remarked with a grin. "The one I installed in here could've passed for a casket."

He reached in, pulling out a left-over slice of pizza, no doubt the remnants of Jasper's last meal. Dillon held it by the crust, examining the cold, greasy slice inquisitively.

"Food has certainly gotten interesting..."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Dillon Kai'el

​

Braze watched the old man, still mystified that this was happening, as if he were trapped in some surreal version of his life. He marveled as Dillon casually reassembled the shattered Force Crystal. It was almost like magic—like watching a piece of history unfold right in front of him. Braze squinted at the crystal, trying to make sense of it all, confusion etched across his face.

He followed Dillon as the old man seemed to know his way around the home, his movements strangely confident for someone who hadn't walked in four thousand years. Braze watched with morbid curiosity as Dillon opened a hidden cabinet and pulled out a vibrosword, running his hand over the blade like it was a cherished memory. When Dillon sighed and put the sword back, Braze frowned but kept quiet, deciding his questions could wait.

Braze's eyebrows rose slightly as Dillon moved on to the fridge, pulling it open and grinning at the sight of the sleek, modern appliance. He pulled out a cold, greasy slice of leftover pizza—definitely not what Braze imagined a legendary Jedi would consider a meal.

"You might wanna heat that slice of pizza up," Braze advised, the corner of his mouth twitching with a hint of amusement. He sighed, shaking his head as if trying to shake off the absurdity of it all. He ran a tired hand through his hair, sweeping it back as he let out a weary sigh. Today had been long, and his body felt every hour of it—muscles aching from all the cleaning he'd done without relying too much on the Force. He was sweaty, grimy, and covered in dust.

"Right, go ahead and help yourself to whatever's in there," Braze said, nodding towards the fridge. "I'm gonna get cleaned up. After that, I can show you the research I've been working on, and maybe we can figure out where to look next. If we can pin down a location, we can take the Ashwing out."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Dillon for a moment, curiosity crossing his tired expression.

"Anyway, make yourself at home," he murmured, offering a small, tired smile before heading off to get cleaned up.

It wouldn't take too long before Braze returned, freshly washed and dressed in nice silk robes with black, white, and a splash of red here or there. He had some polished boots on, and his hair was brushed out and damp, but not tied up, save for his Padawan braid, which had been rebraided neatly.

 

[Dillon Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"Anyway, make yourself at home,"

Make yourself at home.

Dillon couldn't help but find this statement to be rather amusing, at least in regards to himself. He had built this home roughly seven thousand years ago for his family. Now, highly displaced from his original time, the old Master was a stranger to the space he established. It was funny.

He didn't bother heating up the 'pizza,' as the young Echani had called the curious slice of processed foodstuffs. Instead he simply sank his teeth into the cold slice, far too hungry to even care if it was hot or cold. Needless to say his first meal in four thousand years hit him like a truck, and the old man consumed the slice as though he were an elementary student at an end-of-the-year party, eager to ensure they'd be able to go back for seconds.

Braze would return not long after, having refreshed and gotten new clothes. Dillon had long since finished his meal by then.

"Taris," Dillon stated, "What we need will be on Taris. The sword was there last, lost in our final battle. With luck the lingering essence of the blade may provide some insight." He'd pause for a moment before continuing. "Ashwing, you said... Your Liberator? Probably not now that I think about it. I don't imagine the Order uses the Liberator anymore, huh?"

New starfighters was certainly a surprising prospect. He had experienced a similar thing when he had been preserved in carbonite. He expected that a lot of things would be new for a while.

Fortunate that the healing process had gone so well. Dillon had been blind when he came out of carbonite.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Dillon Kai'el

​

Braze chuckled. "No, no. The Ashwing isn't quite like a Liberator. It's much smaller—a two-seater, really. Technically, it can fit three to five people, but it's designed for just a pilot, maybe with a co-pilot." He paused, glancing at his companion thoughtfully.

"How long ago was the Battle of Taris? We're somewhere in the 902 ABY range, right?" Braze asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone. "Do you really think heading there will help?" He shifted slightly, patting his side. "I do have this crystal—Echo—that might come in handy once we get there."

​

​

 

[Dillon Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"How long ago was the Battle of Taris? We're somewhere in the 902 ABY range, right?"

"ABY?" Dillon frowned. "Oh, yes, the new calendar system. I heard Jasper use it in passing. Uh... well, the original was a good seven-thousand years ago, but the one relevant to our situation is closer to four-thousand. Unless there have been more Battles of Taris. Is it still a hellscape?"

Dillon shrugged.

"Well, I think it will give us some insight," he stated. "Kalrath and I were always drawn to Taris. Remnants of that day may linger in that space the same way we did." He paused, examining the crystal that Braze had with him. "Oh my. A most curious little thing. Such a perplexing aura about it, no? It reminds me of the tingling sensation one may experience when drawn into a vision..."

The old master reached out, running his hand along the stone. He didn't allow it to connect to his mind, not yet. Instead Dillon simply probed the stone through the Force, gathering insight on the object.

"Yes, I believe this will prove valuable indeed," the old man nodded. "You seem to draw quite handy things to yourself, my boy. No tool is stronger to a Jedi than good luck, no?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Dillon Kai'el

​

"I suppose if you consider ceaseless toil and broken dreams being the essence of urban living, it could be considered a hellscape," Braze offered softly, his tone laced with a quiet resignation.

"I suppose luck has something to do with it," he added, almost as an afterthought, as he led the way to the ashwing, his steps steady and deliberate. Braze opened the hatch and climbed into the pilot's seat with practiced ease. He glanced back, a small smirk playing on his lips. "You don't get airsick, do ya, old man?"

 

[Dillon Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"Airsick?" Dillon laughed. "You're funny, kid."

Airsick. Surely he would be airsick, the man who both served as a pilot in during the Mandalorian Wars and built his home on a steep cliff side. There was surely no way that he liked such things. Dillon took the time to admire the paint job of the vessel. Flashy, overly detailed, polished to the centimeter... What a character indeed.

The old man plopped himself down on the bench behind the pilot's seat, letting himself recline.

"Perhaps we'll get around with ease," he noted with a playful grin. "They used to offer veterans discounts everywhere on Taris. Might do us some good if we need to investigate a coffee shop."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Dillon Kai'el

​

Braze smirked at Dillon's comment, rolling his eyes in exaggerated fashion. "Discounts on Taris? Maybe a couple decades back. Now they probably charge extra just to breathe in the upper city. But sure, let's grab caf at a 'veterans-friendly' dive. You can regale the barista with tales of bygone glory and charm her with your rugged good looks. ." He ran a quick diagnostic on the ship's systems before strapping in an taking off hard and fast.

The descent into Taris's orbit was an altogether different spectacle. The planet's luminous atmosphere spread out like a glowing blanket of clouds beneath them, an electric sea of lights that hinted at the endless, layered city below. The ship pierced through the atmosphere with graceful ease, and soon the endless cityscape revealed itself in stunning detail.

The upper city shimmered like a polished jewel with towers of glass and metal catching the sunlight and refracting it into dazzling arcs. Air traffic buzzed in neat, regulated lanes, and large signs advertising everything from fine dining to high-end weapons scrolled across building facades. Braze maneuvered the ashwing into a lower altitude, weaving between the cleanly etched skylanes.

Soon, the gleaming spires gave way to the mid-levels, where the gloss and glamour dimmed. Structures here were still functional, but the grime of neglect was starting to seep in. The lights were less vibrant, the lanes more chaotic. The ashwing's transponder pinged as they approached a mid-tier docking platform—a sprawling structure surrounded by utility shops and food stands. The platform was busy, but not overwhelmingly so; a few freighters, shuttles, and cargo ships rested here, their crews milling about like ants tending to their hive.

Braze guided the ship to an open berth, the docking clamps engaging with a mechanical groan. As the engines powered down, the familiar sounds of the port began to fill the air—droids clattering along the durasteel walkways, distant voices bartering for parts, and the faint hum of repulsorlifts echoing through the cavernous space.

He rose from his seat, stretching his arms above his head. "There we go. Middle of the pack—just high enough to avoid the rats, and low enough not to stick out. Perfect." He grabbed his jacket and glanced back at Dillon. "Let's see if your veteran charm gets us more than a sympathy smirk at the caf stand."

​

 

[Dillon Kai'el]

Taris
Tags: Braze

​

You can regale the barista with tales of bygone glory and charm her with your rugged good looks.

"I'm well past my charming days," Dillon noted. "Made a bloodline though so I can't imagine I was half-bad at it, eh?"

The old adage of 'that baddie I pulled by being goofy' was very applicable here. Not that Dillon would be capable of describing it that way with his lack of knowledge on more modern slang.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Taris, and the older Kai'el found himself rather surprised. Rather than the bombed out, overgrown ruin, Dillon found himself looking at a Taris that actually looked like it had before being delta-zeroed by Revan's Sith Order. It was almost like he had gone back in time by going forward.

"Well, let's forget the coffee for now," he decided. "I want to probe your intuition a little for some direction. If a valuable, but misunderstood artifact wound up getting into someone's hands, where might they end up putting it?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Dillon Kai'el

"Probably got sold for credits… most likely for the highest bidder," Braze speculated, his tone thoughtful. "A collector, another Sith, or maybe even a museum. If it's credits they're after, a museum's probably the safest bet—less risk of being double-crossed that way. There's a small museum here. We should check there first."

Braze tapped into his gauntlet interface, quickly pulling up directions. With the route displayed, he motioned for Dillion to follow and led the way. In short order, they arrived at their destination.

 

[Dillon Kai'el]

Taris
Tags: Braze

​

"There's a small museum here. We should check there first."

"Very well," Dillon nodded. "I'll follow your intuition."

Good. This was good. It had been a very long time since he had initiated Knighthood trials for a padawan. Now that he was fresh out of stasis, he was eager to offer some contribution. Braze wouldn't notice until later, of course, but his insight was going to be the sole factor leading them today.

He'd simply observe and assist where necessary.

It wasn't long before they were at the small museum, and almost immediately he could feel the remnants of a familiar darkness. A normal individual would simply pass by the sensation with little concern, but not Dillon. He knew what it was.

"Oooh, this place gives me the shivers," he quipped, rubbing his shoulders. "A real nasty fellow was rather angsty here, it seems."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Dillon Kai'el

Braze stepped up to the front desk of the Taris Museum, the sleek admission kiosk reflecting the neon blue lights of the entryway. With a few deft taps on the holopad, Braze transferred the credits for admission, receiving a pair of small, digital entry badges. As he moved past the gates, the museum unfurled before him: a striking juxtaposition of ancient and modern. Holographic displays floated alongside carefully curated relics. The main gallery featured immersive dioramas showcasing battles, with holographic figures enacting pivotal moments in galactic history. One of the larger installations projected a towering map of the galaxy, highlighting key celestial bodies lost to time, with Taris prominently displayed in all its troubled glory.

The atmosphere thrummed with quiet energy—a blend of curiosity and apprehension—as patrons hovered over interactive exhibits, accessing holofeeds of long-past events. Braze handed Dillon the admission badge, adjusting his own before wandering the halls. The unsettling feeling clung to him like a shadow, a prickling unease beneath his skin. He moved deliberately, attempting to sniff out the source of that sensation, while resisting the strong urge to reach out and touch any of the artifacts, to read their stories through psychometry. This was neither the time nor place. " How about that?" Braze said pointing to what he thought they may have come here for this felt like it was probably the source of bad juju that was behind a locked glass case on display.

 

[Dillon Kai'el]

Taris
Tags: Braze

​

" How about that?"

"I'd reckon that's it," Dillon nodded.

Evil triangles. Sith loved those things. This was a weird one, not something he had ever seen before. It was akin to a holocron, but something was off to him. The old Jedi leaned in, stroking his mustache as he examined it.

"Weird looking holocron," he remarked. "That leads me to believe it's likely something else. How about it, kid, ever seen one of those thingies before?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Dillon Kai'el

​

"I think it's a wayfinder, like the one that Sith—Maldor Mecetti—had," Braze said, his gaze shifting warily around the room.

"So, uh..." He glanced left, then right, as if checking for any museum staff lurking nearby.
"Right... is it better to ask forgiveness than permission, you think?" Braze asked, flashing a wry grin toward Dillon Kai'el.

The thought hung in the air, playful but edged with intent. He could theoretically just snatch the thing from the case and leave with it—bureaucracy might let them keep it afterward, or maybe they'd just confiscate it later. On the other hand, asking to borrow it felt like a surefire way to get a big, fat no.

 

[Dillon Kai'el]

Taris
Tags: Braze

​

"A wayfinder, ey?" Dillon mused. "Naming conventions are a little on the nose there."

But what was the wayfinder used to wayfind? A perplexing question indeed, one that they had certainly ought to answer. A playful grin spread across his face when Braze asked if they were better off asking for forgiveness later, an amusing sentiment. After a few thousand years of playing the wise ghost sage, Dillon was rather pleased to be in a scenario where he could be a bit more...

Chaotic.

"The way I see it, this junk is all likely stolen anyways," he shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt to cause a bit of a scene... Ah, I got it."

Dillon pointed his finger in he direction of a promotional tapestry, one clearly present for some sort of event. A subtle, little spark of golden electricity leapt forth from his finger and flew across the room to the location of the fabric, the heat singing a small hole through it. The singe didn't stop, however, the whole growing until faint flames could be seen licking the tapestry. Then something in the chemical makeup of the cloth caught fire and it spread violently, creating a much larger threat that everyone immediately became aware of.

"FIRE IN THE GALLERY!" Dillon called out, masking his mischievous grin.

They'd have a clear window once security was dealing with evacuation.