Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Upon the Rock of Paradise

VCX-350 Freighter Plainswalker, outskirts of the Bak'rofsen System

The swirling lines of hyperspace shriveled into miniscule specks splattered into the abysmal blackness of space. Two bright orbs dominated the starry expanse, and the freighter’s viewport. In the distance, fiery reds and golds covered the sole, forbidding star of the Bak'rofsen system, releasing cosmic rays across the solar system. Closer to the Plainswalker stood Bal’demnic, its surface covered in sparkling, indigo seas. Occasionally, rocky mountains and sandy beaches defiantly broke through the vast stretches of the world's turbulent seas.

A beautiful world...a paradise...Travot closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, going into a meditative state. It was hard for Travot to explain his communion with the Force, yet it had never led him astray so far. Guided by its currents, he brought the craft in a gentle descent to the world below, instinctively maneuvering the battered old ship through the layered clouds which criss-crossed through the skies. Eventually, the ship settled into a flight path that took the ship almost skimming across the border. The young jedi reached out further into the Force, letting it guide him to what appeared to be a rocky outcropping of an island just off the coast. The coast looked far more appealing to the jedi's eyes, with vast swathes of white sand beaches overlooked by scaling black cliffs which themselves were topped with what seemed to be a sort of rainforest.

In comparison, the island itself was little more a lump of weather-beaten rock that resembled the old Jedi Temple on Coruscant in size and rough shape. Patches of some sort of filter-feeding sea creatures clung to the lower reaches of the rock. Occasionally a white-crested wave would dash upon their habitat, both obscuring the creatures and providing them with much needed substience. The middle of the rocky island where he set down the craft was bereft of any life, but the top seemed to serve as some sort of eeryie for a flock of tropical seabirds. Even as he powered down the ship, the jedi concentrated on letting the Force guide him to his next destination, ever trustful of its guidance.
 
Travot slapped a button on the side of the tramp freighter's hull. A whirling noise announced the descent of the ship's ramp to rest of the barren rock. With it came the salty breeze of the sea, which quickly filtered in through the new opening into the ship to displace the stale recycled air of the freighter and its assorted smell of mixed oils and greases. He wryly grinned, reveling already in his exposure to the new world. He strode down the ramp, carrying little but his lightsaber and utility belt, all wrapped around by his jedi robes. For forbidding in space, he found the rays of the world's sun warmly attractive. He loosened his robes somewhat, letting the breeze flutter between its folds, both cooling him down and exposing his pale skin to its rays.

He eyes floated around the island, surveying his new surroundings. I wonder if anyone has ever been here but me. It seems so untouched...by civilization. He almost regretted the real reason for his trip to the world, yet when the galaxy would be at peace, if it ever could be called such a thing, he would have the times and means to explore all of its wonders without having to visit them only for the necessity of surviving a conflict that pitted almost supernatural beings against each other.

He casually began to stroll around the island's grounds, taking care not to step on the few birds nest that had either fallen from the eeyrie, or which were built by some species he had not yet seen. His eyes lingered on the distant beaches. But the scenery was too alluring.
He closed his eyes to concentrate once more on the task on hand...
 

Abbi Odell

Real Strength is the Most Gentle
[member="Travot Ravenna"]

Abbi shifted on her feet gently trying to find the best way around the group of bird nests that the young Jedi had found herself in the middle of. A light pack settled between her shoulders carrying supplies for a few days. It was kind of Matsu to let her come here on her own. It had been a dream of her's since she was a young child to come to this system. It always made her think of the stories her brother told when they were both small. It was like a paradise from a book.

Pulled from distant thoughts, her eyes flicked around warily. There was a shift in the force, someone was here with her. Picking her way through the nests carefully and making to a small rock formation, the silver Jedi headed towards the new presence but not without caution.
 
A strange feeling tugged at Travot's consciousness, a sort of precognition that he had felt most frequently while facing Darth Nephthys and Darth Carach on Telti. A sort of warning that while he could not see it, there could be danger. Yet the new presence did not feel nearly as dark and forbidding as those of the two Sith lords. No, this presence almost felt more like that of his fellow padawans on Ossus. But he wasn't as trusting with his sense of the Force in this aspect as he was with others.

The large man stopped walking and let his hand slide down to rest on the cold hilt of his saber. His green eyes began to scan the area, looking for any particular movement. Well, nothing obvious yet...

He briefly considered his options. He could try to blend into the environment, though while he liked to think that he was fairly good at in a physical sense, his skill of concealing his Force presence itself was rather lacking. If she hasn't noticed it yet, she would eventually. He frowned. She? How do I know it's a girl? His searched his mind for any particular reason to make that assumption, but he could find none. Not one that was conscious anyways. The susevfian native cleared his throat before shouting out against the sea winds.

Hello? Is there anyone else out there?”

[member="Abbi Odell"]
 

Abbi Odell

Real Strength is the Most Gentle
Was someone yelling? [member="Travot Ravenna"]

The winds were strong on the glistening paradise. It obscured the sounds besides that of lapping water and the ever present quiet hum of the force all around.

Tilting her head in the direction of the yell, the young Jedi closed her eyes and reached out with the force. The teaching of eleven different Jedi academies were actually becoming useful even if she couldn't wield a lightsaber to save her life, literally...

The presence did not feel hostile, it was more familiar than anything. Her feet began to move forward and the pace was quick. Whoever it was knew she was here so she reached out with a gentle brush against the person's mind but did not attempt to breach. It was more of an "I'm here" signal but it contained no ill intent.

The thought that this could be a mistake crossed Abbi's mind. Sith and dark witches could deceive and she was inexperienced in rooting out deception of that nature. It was a chance and one that she took with hope it would work out.
 
I am such an idiot.

The man felt the presence sent out by the woman, and sent out his own signal in response. Briefly closing his eyes to aid in his concentration, the man began to walk towards [member="Abbi Odell"]
s location. He passed by several of the bird's nest, noting that one of them actually remained active, despite being near the precipice of drop that would probably kill Travot if he wasn't careful. The man briefly observed the birds, taking note their gray and white mottled feathers and their cumbersome bright orange beaks. But his eyes quickly darted onwards, as much as he would rather focus observing the wildlife and the scenery, he too remained wary. While his hand was not on his lightsaber, it hovered close to its hilt.

He eyes darted to the top of the island. It'd probably make a great lookout area, maybe a place to observe them before they could figure out who I am...Yet for all of the logical sense it made in some ways, he knew that he would not do it. It didn't seem right to him. Moreover, he guessed that it would probably take more time to scale the vertical surfaces of the summit than it would take the other person to find him if he tried that. No, he would be direct and hoping for the best. The susevfian native gently shouldered aside a scraggly branch of foliage from is path, briefly lingering to bask in its exotic sense. He decided that while it was not a particularly pleasingly plant to the eye with its plain, almost oval-like leaves and scraggly banded tan and white bark, he could see its potential in a garden for its smell alone among many more decorative, if not particularly pungent, plants. But he continued on.

The man briefly closed his eyes and concentrated on the presence he had once felt not too long ago. I'm close now, I can feel it. His eyes fluttered open once more and began to dart around, searching for [member="Abbi Odell"].
 

Abbi Odell

Real Strength is the Most Gentle
At the quick pace the young Jedi was able to get within a short distance of the presence before stopping to take a look around. There wasn't much cover here which meant if the presence was actually hostile there wasn't going to be much to hide behind.

But he didn't feel hostile or at least not openly. His own signal had cemented the idea that he was a Jedi as well or at least a lightsider. Resuming walking but at a much slower pace she approach the place where the presence was the strongest. Finally a young man stood in the distance looking around but not seeing her yet.

He was burly and strong looking which meant Abbi would not be able to take him in a fight. But if he was going to try to kill her it was unlikely that he would stand out in the open. Taking a deep breath, she sent out another gentle brush alerting him of her presence.

[member="Travot Ravenna"]
 
As his eyes scanned the horizon, the man felt her presence again once more, this time much closer and stronger. He turned his eyes to finally meet the figure of [member="Abbi Odell"]. He eyed her curiously. She appeared to be younger than himself, though clearly independent enough that she was likely an adult. She doesn't look like a darksider, her presence doesn't feel like a darksider...does that mean that she isn't a darksider? He knew that was a poor conclusion to make, but it was the best one he could do with such limited information. Appearances could be deceptive. He knew that not all sith fit the archetype, and some of the most dangerous at first appeared to be the most benign. They were cunning in their own way, and if a sith were to be present here, on a republic world, he or she would have to blend in. They would have to seem to fit in, and that would make them especially dangerous to an inexperienced padawan like himself. Yet he knew he could not likely run away from a powerful one either.

There was only one way to find out who she truly was.

He slowly walked towards her like a moth to the flame. The man cleared his throat as he considered the words welling up in the back of his mind. But even as he did so, Ravenna's green eyes bore down on the diminutive woman in front of him.

"I am Travot Ravenna of the Jedi Order. Who are you?"
 

Abbi Odell

Real Strength is the Most Gentle
Instinct told her to back up as the man approached her. He could be an enemy, he could be dangerous. The young Jedi's mind whispered warnings to her but logic took over. If he was a Sith there most likely would have been an attack already. If he was a dark witch there would be the presence of magic or runes. If he was a pirate there would already be a blaster pointed at her face. The young man had done nothing aggressive towards her so that was a positive sign.

"My name is Abbi Odell of the Silver Jedi," she told him. He was of the Jedi Order. Thankfully she was able to repress a shiver that threatened to run down her spine. The Jedi Order had been who her parents had sent her to in the beginning. It had been a miserable failure on both sides.

"Come here often?" she asked trying to make conversation. What was the likelihood of them both coming here at the same time?

[member="Travot Ravenna"]
 
"It's my first time, actually," admitted Ravenna, relaxing his posture, "what about you? Have you been here before? It sure seems like a beautiful place to live, though I hear that the native Kon'me aren't always the friendliness..."

His eyes briefly moved from [member="Abbi Odell"] to glance at his surroundings. But while his green eyes lingered for a moment on a shrub, his thoughts were not focused on the world's beauty. He had never met a Silver Jedi before, though he had heard of them in passing. He would curious to see how similar the two orders were in their culture and to see how they diverged. Admittedly, Travot himself was not exactly one of the more conventional padawans of the Republic's order, being a bit older and independent than many of the younglings with whom he shared certain classes with. Culturally, with his independence, he might even be more similar to the Silver Jedi than the vast majority of the padawans on Ossus. He turned his attention back from ideological comparisons between the two Orders to the woman standing in front of him. He cracked a brief smile.

"I guess in the kon'me's defense, everyone only seems to come here either to vacation or mine the cortosis..."
 

Abbi Odell

Real Strength is the Most Gentle
"No, I haven't been here before. I came to get away for a while though I can see why the kon'me would not like random people showing up," she said watching [member="Travot Ravenna"] eye's wander around the immediate area. It was a beautiful area, with its oceans and clouds. It was easy to forget that its landscape could hold something of great value besides it's appearance.

"I'm actually surprised to see another Jedi here. Even though we are from different Orders we still hold to the same code," she stated while pushing loose strands of hair away from her face. The breeze was gentle and warm.

[member="Travot Ravenna"]
 
A brief smile flickered across Ravenna's face, “As am I, but the Force works in mysterious ways...

He briefly stopped himself. The susevfian was about to start referencing the ideology of the Living Force. Old Master Wurth had told him much about it, he had found himself agreeing with it as well based on his own experiences, though he knew that not all jedi shared the same view, even within his Order. He might be entering a minefield if the woman in front of him did not agree with that viewpoint. And Travot was not one to spoil the moment. Instead, the jedi quickly shook his head as if to dismiss the train of thought he had almost embarked upon.

But perhaps not so much in this case,” said the man, eying [member="Abbi Odell"] intently, “I am here to mine some cortosis. What brings you to Bal'demnic?”
 

Abbi Odell

Real Strength is the Most Gentle
"Honestly, I just always wanted to come here. Maybe not here specifically, but somewhere like it. I've spent my entire life inside of Jedi academies so my mentor said it would be good for me to go out and see the galaxy," Abbi said with a small smile. This was actually the first time she had been allowed to go somewhere alone. Matsu was very different from all of her previous masters.

"Isn't mining cortosis difficult," she asked as her mind began work. Cortosis was rare and was potentially deadly. "Not even the Hutts can touch it with their bare skin and mines require a filtration so the particles don't build up in your system. Plus the pockets of lethane gas that build around the cortosis pockets which are really flammable...." she stopped herself before the babbling reached it's normal intensity.

[member="Travot Ravenna"]
 
A smile slowly creased Travot's face as [member="Abbi Odell"] talked. It was refreshing to hear her speak so freely. Not that the academy on Ossus was a stifling place, but things were more structured there even in conversations. To be sure, many of the casual ones among his padawans were also pretty casual, but most of them were far younger than himself. And those his age typically were much farther along in their studies than he; there were fleetingly few conversations he could have with them and still feel like a peer.

It certainly isn't something to be taken upon haphazardly,” mused Travot, pointing his thumb behind his back, “but I have the equipment and several droids back on my ship to help me with the process. Would you care to join me? I could use the company aside from a few droids. You're welcome to take half of the ore that we end up mining. I've never actually mined it myself, though I've done a fair amount of reading on the process, and talked to others who have...
 

Abbi Odell

Real Strength is the Most Gentle
Abbi was taken aback by his offer. They hardly knew each other but so far he had been a perfect gentlemen. If he had wanted to kill her than he could have done so already.

"Sure, but I don't want any of the cortosis," she said knowing that if she showed up with a cargo full of the metal Matsu would be furious with her. "As long as you can put up with my babbling then we are good to go." She was getting better at not talking so much but it was still a challenge for her.

[member="Travot Ravenna"]
 
A brief wave of surprise washed over Travot, though it quickly turned to inquisitive curiousity. Interesting. Travot knew that it was the jedi way to eschew materialism whenever possible, relying on their own prowess and understanding to see them through certain situations, but his previous life on the hardscrabble fringes of civilization had tempered that idealism in the man. To be sure, one did not always need things to accomplish a task. But often did such tools make accomplishing the task all the more attainable. Travot himself knew that he should not become too carried away in investing his time and energies into such endeavors, yet he felt that if he was to survive the war relatively unscathed, he could not rely on his martial skill alone, even when aided by other jedi and friends.

Travot began to walk back towards his ship, hoping that [member="Abbi Odell"] would follow him to it.

I wouldn't call it babbling,” started Travot, letting a smile slowly crease his face, “not compared to some people I've talked to at least.”

He passed through by several rocks before he could see the outline of his ship, a beat-up VCX-350 that his old master had dubbed Plainswalker.
 

Abbi Odell

Real Strength is the Most Gentle
A smile played across her lips. [member="Travot Ravenna"] had no clue how much Abbi could talk, an endless stream of monologue that refused to stay in the mind. But she would let him figure it out for himself as the day progressed.

His ship was not too far away. Her own shuttle was far off having wandered a good distance away from it upon arrival. "So, is there a specific reason you are mining cortosis. I know about its properties and how useful it can be," she said walking next to him. The young man was tall and it felt like she was walking next to a giant.
 
He smiled briefly, recalling how several of his fellow padawans had teased him about it. While several of them liked the items's concept, they thought his inspiration somewhat childish. In a way, he felt that he couldn't blame them for that, because from a certain point of view, it might be considered hero-worship if he let it go too far. But he himself preferred to see Jan Nesstor as a role model, even if he was a flawed one.

"This is probably going to sound a little corny," admitted Travot, starting to walk up the ramp, "but there are apocryphal tales of a Sith Knight first known as Darth Paenetit who lived during the New Sith Wars. He was turned to the light after going through something of an existential crisis, and started going on a road to redemption. Some of the tales talk a lot about his trials, and maybe this is going to sound fanboyish of me, but I find them inspiring, even if I don't know for sure if they're true. I'm looking to duplicate some of his own equipment to help me survive on the battlefield..."

He briefly halted his thoughts as he began to push out repulsor-cart full of the tools and automated equipment. A simple ASP labor droid fell into line behind him. Travot pilfered through the equipment before handing out an adjustable particle filter mask to [member="Abbi Odell"].

"I can regal you with his tales if you'd like while the droid and I here do some work," said the raven-haired man, flashing a warm smile, "but I'm afraid that I'd be the one starting to babble..."
 

Abbi Odell

Real Strength is the Most Gentle
"I don't think that is corny at all," she replied. "Some of the things that inspire us most may turn out not to be true but that doesn't change the affect they had on us. The story isn't may not be real but what we feel is." Well that got oddly sentimental.

[member="Travot Ravenna"] handed her the particle filter mask. It was efficient and would prevent them from dying so that was nice. Travot had mentioned that he planned on going into battle which was common for Jedi. In a lot of ways he reminded Abbi of her brother who was not a Jedi but still a soldier for the Republic. "I've heard talk around my Temple that the Sith are gaining large influence in the galaxy especially since what happened to Corellia. It is probably a wise idea to have your armor made of cortosis. It will give you an advantage hopefully." Fear skittered across her mind but it was pushed back.
 
Travot nodded in agreement to [member="Abbi Odell"]'s thoughts on the story of Darth Paenetit. It almost seemed to be something of a paradox: what was possibly false and ambiguous could inspire what was true and good. He wondered that if the man was real, what he would think of his legacy now thousands of years later in a different, yet not altogether different, time. Sith attacked and ravaged worlds just like they had in Paenetit's time.

Time appeared to be cyclic.

It was both a comforting and terrifying thought.

They began to walk down the ramp back onto the surface of the world. Travot turned his green eyes to her gaze, letting a brief, if not terribly convincing grin flourish across his face when she mentioned the use of armor. It was a sobering thought to think about, wading into battle once again, even if he was to wear such armor.

"Hopefully," started Travot, "I will never need to actually test it on the battlefield. Excuse me for one moment, please."

He glanced down at a sensor pack in the repulsor-cart, interpreting its ore sensor readout. After fiddling with the controls, he began to push the cart to what appeared to be a rich vein of Cortosis ore located at what appeared to be a shallow depression already set in the rocky ground of the island. He glanced up to observe it with his own eyes. Thankfully for Travot's conscience, there didn't seem to be much growing or living around it, though he guessed that might be because the cortosis ore buried underneath it might kill the roots of any plants that might have grown there, or its microscopic dust in the soil dissuaded animals from living there. He continued pushing the repulsor cart towards the site.

"It's funny how these things work," mused Travot, "there doesn't seem be anything living around where this deposit is. Perhaps its energized properties is a bane to life around it. I think it's odd that something so natural and deadly can be shaped into something that can preserve life. But I guess that's true of many things, even experiences..."

A brief thought flickered across his mind as he brought the cart to a stop.

"Have you ever met a Sith in person before?"
 

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