Wardens of Yumfla

[Veino Garn]

Veino strode from his starship, adjusting his bandages and wincing at the ache. The joys of undercover work, but at the wrong time. He had studied the reports of the events of Susefvi, heavy with the news of the death of the President. He had been a good president, capable of uniting all the factions together. And now he was dead, murdered by the One Sith, with the act caught on holovid of the Sith assaulting the negotiation chamber.

The secondary enclave was in organized chaos, Jensaarai rushing back and forth to their positions, some uunloading defenses, others running to man their ships, armed and modified freighters for the most part, ships lifting off and establishing a perimeter around the location and the continent. Those whose duties were the tending of the greenhouses rushed out, dropping their tools to don their armor and report to their positions.

Some nodded towards him as they recognized him and he nodded, pulling a crate from his ship. His own armor. He'd most certainly need that in the coming days. Things were about to be very unsettled with nobody entirely sure what was going to happen. No president had been assassinated in historical memory. What would the legislature do? What about the Jensaarai now that they had been proven to exist? Would there be a civil war?

Protests had already erupted in the streets with many fearing violent protests would erupt while others decried the presence of the Jensaarai. No amount of external force would solve this now. It would only exacerbate the issue.

"Defender Garn!" A voice called out. "The Saarai-Kar wishes to speak with you! in the command room!"

"Thanks, Krax," Veino called back, "I'll head there immediately."

He slung the box over his shoulder and strode into the main building, ducking past the greenhouses and mechanic buildings. Others rushed past him through the corridors and he shouldered his way aside into the room where Lareena stood leaning on her staff.

"Defender Garn!" She barked, "Glad you could finally arrive. Are you briefed on the situation?"

Veino nodded.

"Good. I hereby assign you as Warden of Yumfla," She turned, "Take a team of twelve Defenders and their apprentices and our... new students to Yumfla. Establish security in the city and train the New Jedi Order students in our ways. Hurry. Some reports are of looting."

Veino nodded and dropped his armor box, opening up the lid and pulling out his gear. The Saarai-Kar rotated and talked into her wrist comm.

"[member="Tachon Zur-Ksi"], report to the command room to meet Defender Veino Garn. He will oversee your training and of those at the city."

Veino looked up and would nod as the student entered, but he was cycling through comm channels, contacting a dozen Defenders. Most of them he knew, in fact, he had grown up with several of them, and trained under the rest. An ache of regret tugged at him. How he wished his old master could be here for this. His wisdom and kindness would be needed to restore order. Hopefully he would be able to live up to that.

 

[EmKay]

When he received the message from the woman he now understood was the leader of the Jensaarai, Tachon stood from the secluded seat he had found and made his way through the complex. It was an odd journey, full of motion and members of this Order going about their business and frenzied tasks. Soon enough, he found his way into the Command Room, where some Jedi had already assembled. Others were behind him, and even when mingled into the crowd he stood out dramatically against the robe-wearing monks. Even those that wore armour still looked distinctly Jedi. Being an outsider of all Force Orders, Tachon had no knowledge of conduct, respect, tradition, or any such things related to these long-standing organisations. So when he laid eyes upon the man he could only presume was the [member="Veino Garn"] he was instructed to seek out, he gave a respectful nod and said,

"Good afternoon, Defender," which was hardly anything remotely Force Order-like. No bow, no elaborate shows of respect. His demeanour was more soldierly, befitting the Saarai-kaar's analysis of his 'warrior-like' state of being.

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Tachon Zur-Ksi"]

Veino nodded in welcome as the Zabrak appeared in greeting, as he pulled on his greaves His armor was complete now and he lifted his helmet from the box, holding it under his arm. "Tachon, correct? Just call me Veino. Titles are not used in normal conversation."

He stood and saluted the Saarai-Kar, who gave a nod as she observed a riot forming in the streets of Yumfla, lips pursed.

"Tell me about yourself. Where you from? What's your background?"

"Defender Garn!"

He turned as another Jensaarai called.

"Your ship is ready!"

"Understood! Set the rendezvous point at safe house nine!"

"Roger, that!" Veino set his helmet on his head. "Tachon, with me. We'll talk on the fly." He strode through the hallways again, slipping in and out between them back out into the open area of the complex to the hangar. His own ship was in the hangar getting repairs. A different, more discreet one had been prepared. He strode in and threw himself down on the pilot's chair, powering up the engines.

 

[EmKay]

[member="Veino Garn"]

That made two things Tachon was unaccustomed to already. First, regarding a superior by their first name. Second, having a 'normal conversation' with that same kind of person. He shifted almost uneasily, mentally coping with the stark difference in custom, he replied,

"That's right, and," he was about to continue when the other Jensaarai burst in.

Tachon watched and listened to the activity. The synchronicity of the Order was a sight to behold. He had not had very much interaction with the Jedi, but from what he heard from the Alliance Military, they were not the most cohesive bunch of Force Users. The way they apparently had connections everywhere was another interesting facet of these Jensaarai. It was as though they were an integral part of everything. The Iridonian quietly followed Veino along to the ship, and stood behind the pilot seat. He hung onto an overhead rail while the Defender went about piloting the vessel.

"My background?" Zur-Ksi mused, it was a complex tale to tell it all, but a place to start would be simple, "I was raised on Iridonia. Battle has always been part of myself," he said, already trying to think of where to go from here.

"I was taken somewhere else when I was young, and I grew up there to be what I am today," he tapped his thumb on the rail he hung onto. His past was a touchy subject and he was doing his best to be honest without divulging too much. In an effort to divert the subject, he scanned the view ahead and asked,

"What's Safehouse Nine?"

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Tachon Zur-Ksi"]

Veino nodded as Tachon spoke, listening. Interesting. Iridonian. No wonder he hadn't fit with the Jedi. Their culture did not mesh well with that of the Jedi. Far too warrior-like for the diplomatic culture of the Jedi. He raised an eyebrow at the abbreviated story as the ship sped across the landscape towards the city. He adjusted the shield controls, diverting power to the engine to boost the speed. Well, that story was certainly something that would need to come out at some point, but not now.

That last question was one he could answer.

"Safehouse Nine is an apartment we maintain in the city for temporary living quarters." He slowed as the city drew closer on the horizon, surrounded by ships buzzing in security patrols. He studied them carefully, closing his eyes to reach out with the Force. There. That one was a Jensaarai. He sent a quick telepathic nudge, adding Tachon in as a secondary recipient. The ship peeled off and dropped in beside them as an escort.

"Lesson one on the Jensaarai. We are a small order so we place ourselves in the most effective positions," He gestured to the fighter guiding them to a landing pad. "Work in a way that maintains your enemy's expectations of you very low so they never keep the guard up."

The ship came in for a landing, settling with a thud and jolt of the landing gear. The boarding ramp dropped down with a hiss and he flung a gray cloak over his shoulders. "We can talk more at the safehouse. Follow close behind. Watch the streets, they're easy to get lost in."

 

[EmKay]

[member="Veino Garn"]

Tachon gave an understanding nod at the idea of maintaining a place within a circle of operations to coordinate from. It made sense. If you're ingrained so far into a community that you are capable of being on top of everything, such locations would be necessary. The telepathic 'nudge' hit Tachon unawares. He had never practised or been educated in any method of the Force. What little he could sense or do was purely instinctive or accidental. An invasion such as communication by thought startled the Iridonian. His gaze cast down to Veino in a blend between inquisitiveness and mild frustration at Zur-Ksi's own self-perceived shortcomings. His attention was quickly diverted by the fighter now flanking the ship they were in.

While he watched it, he listened to Garn's teaching. The suggested action was nearly tactical in nature, and rubbed Tachon in such a way that it reminded him of how he would stay behind Alliance grunts in a firefight and take pot shots out at the enemies. He would be seen as a support, and likely as weak, when they knew nothing about the killing ability he possessed. It was a violent analogy, but it was an easy way for the Iridonian to wrap his mind around the concept. For now, at any rate.

Tachon readied himself for the jolt of landing. As the ship bounced, he bounced with it, then stepped to the side to let Veino pass unhindered.

"If I get lost, I'll just think at you really hard and hope it works," he half-joked. The Iridonian had no intentions of being left behind, but he was prone to attempted one-liners.

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Tachon Zur-Ksi"]

Veino clipped the helmet to his belt and draped the cloak over his shoulders until it covered the armor and then flipped up the hood. It made him seem quite large and very bulky. Not someone wanted to meet in a dark alley, perhaps, but he changed his demeanor, slouching and hanging his head. In all appearances, he seemed to be a mourner, one of the many that crisscrossed the streets, cloaked in gray and bearing dim lanterns. Some were Jensaarai, but for the most part, they were mourning the death of their president. Such a horrific attack by the One Sith. How could they do such things? It had stirred up this entire sector against them. Reaching behind him, Veino grabbed not one, but two lanterns and a second cloak before tossing them to Tachon.

"We'll be undercover"

Then he strode down the boarding ramp into the hangar and into the streets. A damp fog hung over the city, drifting in from the sea, and it carried the smell of brine and fish. Hardly pleasant to outsiders, but for the locals, it was home. He paused before heading down the winding streets, crowded with people coming and going.

"And don't worry. Think at me hard enough and I'll come find you."

 

[EmKay]

[member="Veino Garn"]

Tachon caught the cloak and the lantern, setting the latter down to don the former, then picking the lamp back up and activating it. He trotted quietly to catch back up, then fell into the fray with Veino. Honestly, it would be easy to get lost here, so Tachon took it upon himself to try out the thinking really hard method of communication. His brow furrowed and he strained to feel like he was somehow projecting outward, but after a minute or two, he had managed to send out the very weak telepathic message. It was crude and forced, but it happened, which was a little exciting.

"Undercover for what?" he inquired. Within his side thoughts, Zur-Ksi hoped it worked.

 

[Veino Garn]

Undercover for what?

Veino frowned slightly as he got the quietest mental message he'd ever heard before. That was not expected, but he could work with that. Time for a teachable moment then. He gestured for him to move closer before replying, pausing at an intersection as speeders whizzed past. He reached out with the Force, nudging at Tachon, and adding a message this time.

Things are delicate right now and the Jensaarai are not accepted. It is unwise to provoke anyone. And to better your messages, relax. Let them flow through Force. Don't try to push them through my skull unless you want both of us to get a headache.

A few more blocks and he ducked inside an apartment building, heading up the stairs to the third floor where he entered an apartment. It was empty at the moment, but it held cots folded against the wall, large lockers, and a workbench. Veino paused, reaching out with the Force to sense those inside the apartment. All clear. They were the first to arrive. He removed the cloak and hung it up on a hook. He activated his comm.

"Saarai-Kar, we are at Safehouse Nine and awaiting the rest of the team."

"Very good, Defender Garn. Carry on."

Veino moved to a nearby table and sat down, setting the helmet on its top. "Now, let's work on your instruction." [member="Tachon Zur-Ksi"]

 

[EmKay]

[member="Veino Garn"]

Veino's instruction, however brief, wired its way immediately into Tachon's brain. The Iridonian rolled his shoulders and slowly unwound himself. All this cloak-minus-dagger had him tense. He was a little confused to why the Jensaarai would not be accepted, though. The Alliance was willing to work with them, and the Jedi did not seem to mind either, so he did not know what the fuss was. He made a note to ask, but for not continued following Garn to the Safehouse.

When they entered, Tachon sensed no danger, and Veino seemed to hold the same opinion. After the Defender messaged the Saarai-kaar and found a seat, the Iridonian took an opposing chair and rested his hands on the table. A moment passed, then he spoke.

"Sounds good," he reclined when he remembered to relax, "Where do we begin?"

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Tachon Zur-Ksi"]

Veino nodded and rose after a moment before he searched through the cupboards for whatever food was stored here. Mostly canned and dried foods, but it was enough. He began pulling them from the cabinet, along with pots and pans, which he filled with water. There would be fourteen people here. That was a lot of food to cook. He hummed for a moment before considering how to answer. That was a good question. History was probably a good start.

"Are you aware of our history? If you are, I'll move on to philosophy or answer any questions. Otherwise, I'll give you the brief story."

The water began to boil in so he switched over, adding some space-Kraft cheese and space-noodles. Even intergalactic defenders had to cook sometimes, right?

 

[EmKay]

[member="Veino Garn"]

Tachon watched Veino get to work. He was here for a different purpose, but he would assist if asked. For now, he would focus on his task at hand. When addressed with the question, he shook his head.

"Not really," he answered, "I read that small booklet but I get the feeling that the introductory page isn't the whole story."

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Tachon Zur-Ksi"]

Veion paused, trying to think of how to explain this at least somewhat eloquently. Or not. He decided to just go for it.

"We were founded during the Clone Wars by a small group of Jedi who were persuaded by Sith artifacts that to truly understand the Force, one needed to use the Dark and Light together to protect people. Unfortunately, the first leaders fell completely to the Dark Side and Jedi came to apprehend them. All the leaders died and a few of the Jedi. Our order was trapped, but survived to continue in secret and remaining in the Light. When word reached us of Darth Vader's hunt for surviving Jedi, the then Saarai-Kar's son went to volunteer his assistance. Darth Vader killed him on the spot and the Jensaarai went into hiding, evading the Empire's Jedi-hunters for decades. Then after the fall, a former Imperial officer turned pirate managed to blackmail us into hiding her fleet from the New Republic until Jedi Corran Horn came and destroyed her operation. We had a... interesting meeting the New Jedi Order of Luke Skywalker and eventually created friendly terms, allying with them and the New Republic. Much later on, Darth Krayt's Empire forced many to join at the threat of our destruction and the massacre of the people we protected. After its fall, we reunited, swore off the Dark Side, and went into hiding once more. With Republic funds, we constructed a new enclave. During the Gulag Plague, we did the best we could for everyone, but most of died and the enclave sealed off for the survivors. After it passed, we began to rebuild and are still rebuilding."

He took a deep breath. Had he missed anything? Not as far as he could tell, as there would be plenty of time for further elaboration later.

"Any questions?"

A timer went off and he turned to adjust the temperature for the stuff in one of the pans, giving it a quick stir. In the front, the main door hissed open and a pair of footsteps echoed through the rooms.

"Veino!" A voice called, "Are you trying to poison us with your kitchen sorcery again?"

Veino shook his head with a smile and added some spices, "I have gained vast powers since we met last. Come in and meet my student."

Two figures strode in, one in armor similar to Veino's and the other, younger, in just general street clothes. Veino wiped his hands on a towel and turned.

"Tachon, this is Kryn. We were good friends when we students together."

 

[EmKay]

[member="Veino Garn"]

Tachon's brow quirked at the story, and went to open his mouth to ask his one question, but when the others came in he decided to ask quietly and hope the thought line was indeed private. The action came a little more smoothly, and the chime into Veino's mind was a little clearer.

"If the Jensaarai were founded on balance, why eliminate all Dark Side from practise? Shouldn't Dark and Light coexist to retain that balance?" that asked, he turned his attention to the two who had just entered, speaking of food.

The one Tachon was introduced to immediately, Kryn, obviously captured his attention first, but the lack of introduction on the second did not escape his scope.

"Nice to meet you, Krin, who's your friend?" he gestured to the second individual.

Spoiler

DELAYED STATUS UPDATE

CORE RANK-UP
CONTROL LEVEL
[|||||||||||||||||]

NEW FORCE POWER/POWER RANK UP

• TELEPATHY
  [|||||||||||||||||]

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Tachon Zur-Ksi"]

Veino paused slightly as he received the telepathic message. Now, that was the question. Why had they done that? He paused to consider it as Krin answered.

The defender gestured to the figure, a younger Miraluka woman who gave a quick bow in greeting as she moved to the doorway and adjusted the security controls.

"This Nya, my apprentice," Kryn said, voice growing a little somber. "She... can't talk." He gave a quick cough and moved to take a seat. By this time, Veino had prepared his answer and sent it.

Because they were wrong. Dark and Light can not be used in balance. The Dark corrupts and possesses all who use it. Balance between the two is impossible. Instead, we use the Light and our emotions as healthy sentients, bound together by a commitment to defending others. That keeps us from falling, though we may stray... close at times.

That may not have been the best answer, but it was the best he could do right now. That would take more time and research than he had applied to the question before. Historical study was not his strong suit, by any means. He picked up a pan and a skillet and deposited them on the table, their contents steaming.

"Eat while you can. Once intel arrives it might be a few days before we get a full meal again."

 

[EmKay]

[member="Veino Garn"]

"Oh..." Tachon replied to Kryn with little to no tact. In this world of Force Users he was the least experienced of anyone, and it showed.

As such, Veino's answer was certainly lacking an element that satisfied Tachon's curiosity. Perhaps it simply wasn't what he wanted to hear. Perhaps he was being guided by something beyond his control. Either way, this would be something he would look into more later. When the skillet hit the table and Veino said to eat, the Iridonian wasted little time. He considered himself the guest though, and took enough for him to not be starving anymore, then he'd just wait until everyone else had some before taking anymore. After his first couple of bites, he looked across the table at everyone here. It was a little bit awkward. They all had something in common. He just got here, and knew little. There was a small comfort in knowing more now than when he woke up this morning. Then the realisation hit him that Garn just said 'a few days'.

"Sounds like an adventure," he commented.

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Tachon Zur-Ksi"]

Veino paused as he sensed more presences approach before the door opened and they spilled in. He let out a silent breath as he caught a glimpse of who they all were. Other Jensaarai. That would be the rest of his team then. He grinned and threw together more food, bustling back and forth as quickly as he could, pausing to notice that Tachon wasn't eating much.

"Tachon," Veino said wryly, "It'll be more of an adventure than we bargained for. So eat up. It's field rations after this one."

The other Jensaarai hurried into the room, jostling with each other and joking as they removed their helmets and took seats around the table and room, giving Tachon friendly if somewhat guarded smiles. Veino waited for several moments until they had quieted down and he gestured towards Tachon with one hand.

"This is my student, Tachon. I'll be teaching him our ways and our culture, so consider him a full member of our family." They all gave him a welcome then, which while still guarded, was more open than they had been previously

He paused as he received a transmission from the enclave command and he frowned. A ship had jumped into hyperspace from the edge of the system, leaving traces behind and a brief appearance on the sensors. Observers and informants had caught sight of some dark figures disappearing into the drainage system, perhaps to attempt to flee by sea. As he listened and relistened, he began assigning teams to investigate or observe various events, marking the missing ship as beyond his capabilities at this point and directing it to the Ring Defenders.

Those in the sewer he left for himself and Tachon. He knew his capabilities and Tachon seemed capable enough. It was a recon mission primarily, but he would have two pairs held in reserve on a rotating schedule to always have someone on backup and resting. He sent out the various assignments to the teams, except for Kryn and his own.

"Right," Veino said after a moment, "I have sent detailed instructions for all missions to each of you. Kryn, you take first reserve with Nya. Tachon, you and I are going sewer stalking."

He sat down and dished out his own plate of food and started wolfing it down. "Leave as soon as all are ready. We have gear in the cabinet if you need anything more, Tachon. Nothing fancy, but serviceable."