What Is On Felucia? History, Sadness, And Pain

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

​

Voss
Early Morning

Seraphina had heard through the grapevine that a Jedi pal of hers had rejoined the Order of the Silvers. That was both timely and fortunate for her, given the objective she had self-imposed upon herself. She was after something ancient, something of historical value to both the Jedi and her people. It seemed there were few Force sensitives among the Twi'lek race. She had personally known only one other, a young apprentice by the name of Tacitanya. Aside from that young girl, she had grown up an outcast among the rest of the Jedi Order. Sure, there were other Twi'lek Jedi, but they were few and far between it seemed, and she had never the opportunity to meet another in person. That was part of why this mission to her was so critical; To retain a piece of Jedi and Twi'lek history, before it was lost forever. It certainly helped that the former owner of this particular item was also a follower of the Ataru form and a known Jar'Kai practitioner. This was, for lack of a better phrase, her Jedi role model.

As the ship's landing gear extended to the Voss spaceport, she reached for her communicator and attempted to reach the one person she was familiar with, enough so to trust and call a friend on Voss: [member="Connor Harrison"]. Because of Felucia's close proximity to Voss, it only made sense to start her search by reaching out to Connor. Perhaps the Silver's had some of the data on the days of the old Clone Wars, and perhaps better insight into the possible whereabouts of the exact battlefield where this war took place.

"Connor, it's Sera. If you're there, I could really use your help. What I need to talk to you about however, is, well, classified. I prefer to speak in person, if you have the time."

 

[Connor Harrison]

His com hadn’t signalled for a long, long time. Even on Voss with his return it had remained quiet while he began to establish himself back into the swing of things in the Silver Sanctum and Silver Jedi Temple. When it did go off, a voice he recognised spoke to him from the city and how she needed his help.

It was [member="Seraphina Shel'tah"], and he smiled to himself with the fact she was still around and could still count on him for assistance. Whatever it was sounded rather personal, her tone and urgency spoke volumes.

”I’ll meet you at the spaceport – don’t go wandering around now.”

He was already en-route to Voss when he sent a reply. Making good time across the plains to the old city, Connor wasn’t sure which ship was hers, so made about looking for the second most recognisable thing – her unique pink skin. That was one thing that stuck out to him years ago when they met with the Republic Jedi, her unique colouring. It didn’t take long to pick her out of a relatively quiet port.

Rubbing his hands together, he smiled and walked towards her, pulling his coat around him to keep him comfortably warm.

”It’s good to see you again, Sera.”

She looked…different, somehow. There was something about her. Nothing dangerous, but something fragile.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Seraphina laughed as she tucked away her com deep into her pocket, stepping out from the ramp of her ship and finding a suitable spot to sit to wait for [member="Connor Harrison"].

Several minutes would pass before her eyes caught his as he waded through the starport towards her. She stood as he approached, bowing her head as he greeted her. "It's quite nice to see you again too, Connor."

The last time she saw him he had been wandering, much like her, seeking to find his place. It seemed as though he had finally returned to the Silvers. Fate, perhaps. A strong gust of wind rolled through the open terminal area, a dull howl following in its' presence "Is there somewhere private we can talk?" Her voice was calm and gentle, much in the same manner she typically spoke.

It may have been a stretch to assume prying eyes and ears on Voss for what she was seeking, but it never hurt to be more cautious than less.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Straight to business, just as he expected from her. Looking around, he glanced to her ship and extended his hand, leading her back up.

”Your ship may be best. Never know what ears are loitering around the port or even the city itself at times.”

He slowly walked up with her.

”Nothing sinister, I assure you, but for total privacy I urge you to stay within the walls of your own ship.”

Letting her overtake him, Connor stopped and wrapped his arms across his chest and waited if she was comfortable and to begin, his attention on her only, the howl of the wind behind them now.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"Very well." She said with a nod, and turned on her heels to walk with Connor up the ramp of the ship.

Once clear of the ramp she pressed a button on the terminal to seal the entryway before turning back and leading Connor to the common area with a bit more comfort. Down the corridor and around a few short turns they ended up in a relatively open space where a few chairs circled a table. She motioned for him to have a seat as she pulled up one for herself.

"So, I'll get right to it. The reason I came to Voss wasn't for the sightseeing this time, unfortunately, though I assure you it's nothing troubling." She slid one hand into her pocket before pulling out a small holoprojector. Placing it on to the table between the two she pressed the button to activate the device. A bluish figure of Aayla Secura from her Jedi records appeared, followed by a detailed outline of the Twi'lek's lightsaber.

Seraphina pointed to the saber. "There." She said, looking to Connor. "That's what I am after. Aayla was murdered somewhere on Felucia during the Clone Wars by her squad of Clone Troopers. Her saber has never been recovered. I aim to find it."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Sera got straight to it once they had moved deeper into the ship, and Connor took his seat, resting his elbows on the table and looking to the projection between them. He didn’t recognise the Jedi by face but he knew the name, one of those active during the Clone Wars. It seemed Sera had a great interest in the era also.

Connor rested his chin in the cup of his hand, looking at the image and thinking.

”Alright. Well I can point you to the sector on the planet where she was killed. Or rumoured to have been killed. From records of the Clone Wars and even the Rebellion fighting back against Empire, Felucia has maintained a vast history and has always been of interest to the Sanctum. We hope to establish operations there soon.”

He sat back, letting the image between them continue to spin slowly.

”The Empire formed a military base in the mushroom forest, and wiped out a whole colony of Gelagrub in the process. Long story short, it’s the same forest where Aayla was murdered, her death acting as a sick pointer for the Emperor and his Empire to literally grow atop the ruins of the Jedi. Same for the other planets the Jedi fell on.”

With a slight raise of the eyes at the morbid tale, he looked at the saber again.

”May I ask why you want it? Not that I mind of course.”

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

It seemed she had chosen her contact wisely. Connor already had more information on Aayla than she could have hoped for. Unfortunately with her departure from the Order, she had limited to no access to any data or records anymore, save for what she could scrape up here and there, and rumors, but she knew what good rumors were when it came to historical fact.

"That's something to start with, at least. It doesn't surprise me in the least that the Empire saw fit to make a statement like that." She tapped her finger against her chin for a moment, thinking of what that could mean in terms of the fate of the lightsaber. "I guess that would mean, since I don't recall hearing that the saber was ever found, that it is buried somewhere nearby from centuries of overgrowth."

Her eyes settled back on Connor and she explained her desire to find the weapon. "Aayla has always sort of been my Jedi role model, I suppose you could say." There were never many recorded instances of Twi'lek Jedi, and even fewer females. The galaxy seemed to favor them in more humiliating roles for one reason or another. It was as though she was the guiding hand for her life as a Jedi.

"She was a follower of Jar'Kai. She was a practitioner of Ataru. She was nimble, and wielded her weapon with grace and finesse. And, of course, a Twi'lek like myself. To me, it's more of a piece of culture and history worth recovering to cherish than anything else."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Her enthusiasm made him smile. It was nice to hear that Sera seemed to have found herself; found her path. Before the two had come together this time, their previous encounter left the pair wondering where the other was going. Paths of redemption on one side, paths of self-pity on the other. It seemed both had taken the right path.

”That’s sweet. I hope we find it, I really do. And like you say, if we apply both our minds to a Force signature from her saber and, I hate to say it, but any DNA present, we will have something to focus on. To others, it was just a piece of metal from a time gone by so it’s probably been lost in the fauna. I hope.”

His eyes wandered to the ships walls as he thought.

”If you get us there, which shouldn’t be an issue as the Sanctum has connections there we are working on now, so don’t worry about that. I’ll direct you to the outpost which is just down from an old Silver Jedi pyre we had for Master Sochi Ru when she passed.”

Nodding, Connor gave Sera a definite nod.

”I am sure before the day is out you’ll have that saber in your hand Sera.”

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The look of excitement on her face was clear. She was practically giddy. "Great! I can get us to Felucia, if you can direct us to the forest where the old installation sits."

Finding the saber would undoubtedly be difficult, given how long ago it was lost, and how long it has been lingering wherever it was. The dense flora of Felucia had surely swallowed it from the surface by now, driven by generations of planetary shifting, growth, and change. Still, she had a lead now, a location much more accurate than just knowing that it was somewhere on Felucia. That would prove to be of great importance to finding the weapon of the lost Jedi.

"Let's not waste time then, shall we?" The Twi'lek rose from the chair quite quickly, spinning about and beckoned for Connor to follow her to the cockpit of the ship. "You've no idea how much I appreciate your help with this, Connor. I owe you big." She wore a beaming smile as she spoke. "It will just take a minute or two to prepare the ship." Voss was thankfully only a short distance away from Felucia, so the trip wouldn't take long at all. For that, she was thankful.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a generous nod, Connor let her scoot away with a grin. He followed slowly, letting her vent her excitement. It was a good feeling to help another, and to feel appreciated. Just the tip of the iceberg hopefully, for a man wanting to do far more than leave a trail of cryptic messages in his actions - this was the new Connor, and to start using his knowledge to help others like Sera and in turn boost them in their own journey was a reward in itself.

He sauntered along behind her as she spoke

”My pleasure, Sera. If I can help you today, then I'm sure when I least expect it I know you'll be there to help me in someway. Until then, I won't hear another word. That's what I do for my friends.”

Leaning into the cockpit, he looked around and noted the familiar layout he was getting used to on most ships, and he sat himself in the co-pilot chair, spinning it gently with his feet left and right, tapping his hands on the rests as she busied herself.

”So what've you been up to since the last time we parted here? I have to say you seem well. Like you know who you are now. I admit I was worried you were going to take a turn for the worst. Glad you've proven me wrong.”

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The Twi'lek leaned over, pressing a few buttons just above her head as well as flicking forward a number of switches to fire the reactor and the engines. With a low, baseline grumble the ship came to life. "If we can find this saber, Connor, I'm your gal if you need anything, ever." She smiled, pulling forward the controls as the shift lifted just a foot or so from the ground below, enough to retract the landing gear. A slight turn towards the left pitched the vessel in the direction needed to exit the starport before lunging forward and upwards toward the atmosphere.

"I've done a bit more soul searching. I've still kept low, out of the sights of the Jedi Order, and the hands of the Sith. Though I did meet up with Corvus not too long ago, by sheer coincidence, if you believe in that sort of thing. Helped her take down a rather corrupt government official working to swindle his subjects out of their livelihoods and send the planet into poverty. That was quite a trip!" She laughed a bit, thinking back on how the man had attempted to kill them by gassing them to death, only to be choked with such Force by Seraphina that he quickly rescinded that decision.

"What about you? What have you been up to?" As the two exchanged words the ship breached the atmosphere of Voss, entering into low orbit.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor let Sera take control of the ship, watching the planet move gently as the ship turned and raised and moved out. He couldn’t help smirk at her choice of words.

”Anything?” He kept it more to himself, doubtful she would hear.

So then he turned in his chair to listen to the encounter she had, risking life and limb with Corvus and fighting the good fight. It sounded just like what he could imagine for the two.

”Well that sounds rather fun, but I’m glad you’ve found your place. You are still doing what you feel is right, and keeping the best company. There is no need ever to sign yourself up to a cause or an Order you don’t have faith in. Don’t let anyone push you. Especially the Sith.”

He pointed at her.

”If you do, I’ll find you and make you see sense Miss Seraphina Shel’tah.”

Glancing out at the viewport as the atmosphere melted away to the blanket of space around them, Connor sighed and tapped the arms of the chair again, letting the mood hang for a second as the heavens spelt peace for them up above the planet.

”I’ve been travelling around. Meeting cultures and people I’d never thought to seek before, and tried to gain a greater understanding of the Force and my place in the galaxy. I wanted to stand back a little and watch the galaxy turn without me active in it – to remind me how insignificant I really am, but what differences I could make to a few people I come across. I was turning into somebody I didn’t like – somebody conflicted, confused and irrational. Take all those elements away, and you start to see the real man you are. Woman, in your case obviously. So I feel now is the time to come back to the Order and see if I can re-build broken bridges and make the most of the life I have and the person I am, rather than waste it and feel I am in control, when really I wouldn’t be at all.”

He pointed to his head.

”Plus I wanted to give myself a new look. Didn’t expect the stresses to bring out the grey so soon however, but I’m blaming that on over-exposure to the Force across multiple star systems.”

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera thought she heard a singular word come from Connor, though as she looked over at him it would seem she may have been hearing things inside her own head. She angled the ship upwards a bit, before turning towards the navicomputer and dialing in the coordinates for Felucia, before returning to the conversation. "I don't know if I would say that it was fun, but it was certainly an experience." She hadn't ever really been a fan of people trying to kill her on the regular, but spending time with Corvus was special to her. As the ship exited the gravitational pull from Voss she prepped the hyperdrive and launched them into hyperspace.

"If I ever do, I give you permission, Mr. Harrison." She gave him a wink, but was honest in the hope that someone would care enough to find her, should her path go awry. She then hushed, listening to his tale since their last departure. It seemed like he had his composure back, and understood where he felt his place was within both the galaxy and the Silver Jedi. She'd worried that his split from them may have brought about a slow decline into darkness. She was happy to see that he was able to pull himself from the mud so to speak. That sort of thing had to be something one wanted for themselves. She was happy to see he wanted it.

She laughed at the comment regarding his hair. "I don't have that issue you humans have. I'll be bright pink for life. I don't think skin color really changes much on my people."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He couldn’t help flash a grin at her attitude as he looked away to the viewport and the swirling vortex of hyperspace. Connor casually swung back and forth in the chair. The two of them certainly seemed in a better place; more assured of themselves. Confident.

”Don’t worry, I’ll keep tabs on you and bring you back when you start to falter. We can’t all be as strong as me so I’ll help teach you how to be.”

The cocky Connor was certainly coming back to the conversation. With a slight look of wonder, he turned in his chair to the Twi’lek.

”So, let me get this straight – do your people change colour at all, or not? Even when you get older, will you not start to look a little dull or something?”

The Jedi found it hard not to laugh speaking that last statement, the image amusing him. He pointed to himself.

”Few humans get better with age, but I think I’m one.”

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera cocked her head to the side, looking at Connor with an expression that would display her confusion as equally as her incoming sarcastic response.

"No, we're not like some old lights, we don't dull over time. We age similar to humans in that we get wrinkles and such."

She'd point to his hair and raise an eye. "Though, we do seem to age better than you humans do, and not nearly as quickly it seems." She couldn't help herself, laughing at her crass comment regarding his appearance. "If you're one of the better specimens, I truly feel for you humans."

The Twi'lek shook her head and scoffed, "Thank goodness the great and powerful Connor Harrison is here to save me from myself. My hero!" She enunciated the last bit, sounding like a damsel in distress having been saved in the nick of time by prince charming.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Now it was Connor’s turn to look shocked. Sera was on fire – as quick to reply as he had given it, and she looked like she enjoyed it. It was another jab at his hair, and his brow creased as he forced a dismissive sneer at her. He was rather partial to his unique look.

”You’ve no idea how the Force can mess with your genetics when you touch upon things you don’t understand. I’m not THAT old. Everyone always picks on the hair.”

He shook his head and sat up, leant over and pointed to her lekku.

”Watch you don’t get them trapped anywhere.”

Connor sat back, feigning part annoyance and amusement, glancing over to her and shaking his head again, not able to keep the smirk off his face. He busied himself looking at the read-outs on the nav display and followed their progress direct across to the planet, making good time.

”And I’ll have you know Miss Shel’tah, lots of people would like to have Connor Harrison jump to their rescue, so count yourself lucky. And…hang on, it was you who came to me wasn’t it?”

One up to Connor Harrison.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera burst out laughing. "You must not understand many things, judging by how the Force has treated that mop on your head." She made a wolfish grin, before pulling back almost somewhat afraid by the mention of her lekku being caught in something. She placed a hand on each head tail and stroked them softly, in an almost baby-like way. "They will not get caught anywhere! I take quite good care of them, I'll have you know!"

She had nothing to say in return with respect to his last remark. She pressed her lips together and glared at him, stretching for the slightest attempt to recover from that burn. "I figured you'd need something to do to occupy your loneliness." Wow. That was weak, Sera. Weak.

The computer made a series of beep noises, indicating that they would be exiting hyperspace in the next minute or so. Felucia would be dead ahead from there.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Saved by the beeps. Entering the read-out of Felucia that he had from the pyre of Sochi Ru, he stood. Exhaling and shaking his head softly, Connor leant on the back of the co-pilots chair as the ship came out of hyperspace, Felucia waiting for them right where it should be. He stood and patted the back of the chair Sera was sat in.

”Ok, take us to the coordinates I’ve just entered, just up from a huge graveyard of Rancor bones, surrounded by a large crater, you can’t miss it. From there, just head over until you see the large ugly Imperial ruin, or something that looks like a ruin if it’s there, and set us down. ”

She was certainly making him smile again, poking and prodding with her snappy ways that he had missed, and was certainly making up for lost time.

”Come on dear, time to keep me from being a lonely old Jedi.”

He walked back through the way they came as Sera took the ship down and he waited patiently for her to lower the ramp at the rear, allowing the warm light to break through the dark hold, and the sudden humidity and sounds flood through. Connor pulled his jacket off and threw it down on the ground by the ramp and rolled his sleeves up on his navy blue thermal top.

Making his way out to wait for the Twilek, he stood and took in where they were with a stretch. She had taken them down exactly where they had to be. The outskirts of the Imperial outpost that was almost one with the fauna around them. Reaching up high, the grey building was preserved well by the trees and mushrooms and other peculiar plants.

The only problem now would be to find the hilt in a giant haystack.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"Right." She nodded, acknowledging his instruction and began to bring the ship on the course he had set. She gave him a smirk as he headed for the ramp while she brought them down in a space that was open and wide enough to land safely. Her hands reached up and flicked the switches above her to cut power to the engines and reactor, as well as the electronics on board. With the ship settled she headed for the ramp herself, finding Connor already making himself more comfortable as both the heat and humidity began to settle in.

"Forgot exactly how humid it was here." Sera pulled the dress coat she typically wore off, tossing it inside the ship along the ramp. Beneath she had the armor she'd constructed during her time in exile. It was much more breathable than covered in the fabric of a Jedi robe. She looked around at the infinite number of growing plants, trees, mushrooms, and other flora. "Well, time to find a needle in a stack of needles I guess."

Sera stepped up on top of a felled tree, looking in a circular view around for any kind of notable land marks that may have been left behind after eons of overgrowth from the battles of Felucia. "Don't suppose you have any ideas on how to go about this, other than crawling hand over foot through the marsh?"

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor placed his hands on his hips as Sera mounted the fallen trunk. It dawned on him just what she was after now, and the wild terrain they were in, coupled with the warm temperature and giant fauna around them on a planet that was steeped in history but lost due to nature. He racked his brain a little as she threw the gauntlet down to him.

”Hey, you wanted my help and I’ve got you here with a bit of information – what more do you want?”

He clicked softly inside his mouth as he gathered his thoughts, joining her after a moment on the trunk which didn’t quite help them to see through the thick roots of the mushrooms or trees. The sunlight however wasn’t restricted and broke through to give them light and warmth in equal measure. Connor looked to where the ship had come in over the old graveyard, and then turned the opposite way and pointed.

”With the graveyard behind us, the Imperial post, or whatever post it is…was…now should be that way. It’s a good few stories but like I said, probably nothing but a shell now unless others have made it their own.”

He jumped down.

”I doubt it, but you never know. We should head over that way. The graveyard is surrounded by a crater like cliff wall, and this outpost is located within that crater, because it’s huge. Keep an eye for the high walls to make sure we’re in the right area.”

Connor held out his hand.

”Shouldn’t be too far if we can pick up any Force signatures and her crystal is still intact.”

He flashed a smile to hide his real lack of knowledge where the outpost was and even if the hilt was going to be buried in the planet somewhere.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]