Public Why No Officer, We Aren’t Supposed To Be Here (Ilum)

[Cale Gunderson]

Why was it always so damned cold? He knew the answer, that Illum had always been cold, and that at his age he was simply feeling its sting more sharply than he used to, but it didn’t stop him from complaining. He was in his fifties now, chronologically, late thirties physically thanks to an assortment of factors, but with ever step deeper into the caves, every gap jumped, every wall scaled, Cale felt the ache in his bones, and the icy sting on his skin.

But while saying he hadn’t come here for himself wouldn’t have been entirely accurate, it certainly wasn’t the driving factor. Cale had a lightsaber, a white-bladed thing he’d purified himself, but it wasn’t his and never would be. Its master died long ago when he’d bled the crystal, then again when Cale and Aleks had finally cut him down. But Aleks had never held a saber in seven years that was truly his own.

So they’d come to fix that. Cale would bury it in the snow, and he and his learner would forge blades anew.

Of course, they hadn’t known that the New Jedi Order had all but completely relocated to the ice world, or else they’d have gone somewhere else looking, even if it wouldn’t have quite been the same. But they were there, and there hadn’t been any sense turning back now. He’d had the boy mask himself the way they’d practiced for years, to hide from prying eyes, and off they’d gone.

“You know, the last time I was here I figured out I had a brother, weird vision thing.” Cale mused to his learner with an openness that was probably as alien to the boy as half the species that they stumbled across in their travels.

“Met a girl too, swooped in and save the day for her and everything.” He chuckled, remembering what’d been like the first day he’d laid eyes on Tallia Farn, and how utterly different things had been when he’d been a boy. So much changed so quickly after they’d grown up, too much. But that day in the caves, that’d been a good memory while it lasted. And to think he’d almost missed the shuttle that day, he could still taste the bread roll between his teeth as he’d sprinted aboard.

It’d been a different time in a different galaxy, it didn’t even feel real when set against the revolving door of nation-states that ruled the galaxy today. A majority of children in the civilized galaxy must’ve changed the flag they lived under at least twice by the time they reached adulthood, more than that depending on the species.

For a long time, that had been reason enough to close himself off, to stay far, far away from the troubles and tribulations of the never-ending game that was galactic politics and the war of light and dark. It still was reason enough, but where he’d once been resigned to accepting the ills of the galaxy, the runt beside him had forced him to change his perspective. He didn’t have to save the galaxy forever, he didn’t have to save the galaxy at all, he just had to do what he could.

The runt wasn’t much of a runt anymore either, Aleksandr Stirsea had grown into quite the young man, strong in his convictions, and skilled enough as a warrior, the fact Cale actually trusted him enough to build a saber of his own spoke volumes. All they had to do now was avoid getting arrested.

“You ready?”

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Ilum​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Cale Gunderson ​

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"Hmmm... nothing."​

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Valery sat on top of her modified speeder and looked across the icy plains of Ilum's surface. Ever since she accepted the position as Ilum's Watchmen for the NJO, she had spent a great deal of her time mapping the area around the rebuilt Temple. But once she had completed that following a series of patrol missions, she began to keep a watchful eye over the planet as a whole.​

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With its crystal caves and Jedi history, it was a valuable planet for many reasons, and she had sworn to protect it to the best of her abilities. But more often than not, there was simply nothing out there — just seemingly endless wastelands of ice and snow, with the occasional cave to spice things up. There was dangerous wildlife, sure, but after mapping their territory, it had been easy enough to avoid them.​

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So once again, a simple patrol mission had turned out to be rather dull for the Jedi Master. But on her way back to the Temple, she noticed that her wrist device was bleeping, and it caused her to stop. ​

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"Master Noble here," Valery spoke through the communications device.​

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"Master? We've detected a ship entering the system not too long ago and we haven't heard from it since. I'm sending you some coordinates now if you could check it out."​

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"Sure thing, I'll be back soon," Valery smirked a little and fired up the powerful bike again to blast off into the last known location of this ship and those traveling with it. ​

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[Aleksandr Stirsea]

“I was born ready.” Aleksandr grinned at his master. He felt a tightness constrict his chest, the anticipation of the day had built to the point that it threatened to rend his lungs in two. Or maybe that was the cold. Now that he had thought about it, it could easily be both.

The padawan pulled his Atrisian cloak tighter, thankful for the little resistance it provided against the biting temperatures of Ilum. He’d thought the caves would be warmer than the billowing snows of the frozen planet’s surface, but it seemed it had only gotten colder.

“You saved a damsel in distress on Ilum?” Aleks echoed to Cale Gunderson . His voice was dripping with incredulousness. “I don’t know if I buy it… you’re not exactly a paragon of heroic virtue, old man.” He teased lightly.

They kept traveling through the cavernous expanse before them. Aleksandr’s gaze settled on the silver hilt on Cale’s hip. The white lightsaber of the inquisitor. That hot plasma blade had saved his life more times than he could count. On Rhen Vhar and on Felucia. He still shuddered when he thought about the latter, even seven years in the memories wake.

“So, finally parting with the old saber, huh? Think you’ll be sad to see it go?”

 

[Cale Gunderson]

"Tallia Farn was- is, no damsel. Never was. Jedi? Of course. Princess of Hapan? Depended on the day." There was a hint of pride in his voice, pride in knowing her, in being her...whatever that had been. She was probably dead or lost to amnesia again, he didn't know, and he'd put it behind him. He manage a smile and a laugh as they neared the exit into one of the many caverns, Cale couldn't help but grin.

"Yeah, hard to walk the path of the paragon when I've got you dragging me and my ship into force knows what." He felt it in the cold, the tingling of a phantom arm that was, as ever, not there. He remembered what it'd been like to leave these caves with a saber in each hand, now he'd be lucky to leave with one. He reminded himself they hadn't needed to come here, that they could've just turned around when they saw the alliance ships, that they could find Aleks another lightsaber.

But something in the force called to them, that, and Ronan refused to let them 'wuss out' of the ordeal, and for some reason, Cale felt the need to prove the old Stormtrooper wrong.

"No, this is where it belongs. It was never mine." He mused, looking down on the plain hilt, which he completely intended to cannibalize for parts. There was a pain in the crystal, something brutal and raw, something that even purified still lingered. Cale needed to lay it to rest, for its sake and his.

"Besides, you aren't the only one looking for a crystal today." He winked, stimstick lit and pressed between his lips. "Remember what I told you, you don't find it, it finds you. Once we're in, open up, and make it fast. No pressure."

He grinned behind his beard, and his tired eyes seemed to hold pride instead of shame for once as they came to the end of the cave.

"Oh and kid, that was a trick question. You're never ready for this." The two stepped into the cavern, and all around the color came into view, thousands upon thousands of crystals embedded across the expansive caverns in an equal multitude of shades. It was just as Cale remembered it, the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Aleksandr Stirsea | Valery Noble ​

 

[Aleksandr Stirsea]

There were no words for what Aleksandr saw before him. Crystals of brilliant blue and sterling white glimmered in the walls and in the ceiling. Some were mammoth hunks of rock that reflected light like they were shards of moonstone. Others were little more than pebbles in a valley of boulders, their cuts and imperfections shimmered silently as his eyes passed over them.

“It’s… it’s everything I ever dreamed it would be. It’s more.” His words were a whisper on the wind. A quiet prayer that he murmured into the Force, soon to be picked up and whisked away by the next gale of wind that passed them by. He looked over all the Kyber crystals that shone so defiantly.

The padawan had no idea where to start.

“Just let it find me. Yeah, I’m sure it’s that simple.” Aleksandr joked to nobody. “Alright, Jedi time.” He breathed in and out slowly. Cale Gunderson often told him that to tap into the Force he had to clear his mind. That basically meant thinking about nothing. And nothing- to Aleks- was a plain white room, undecorated and unadorned. If he could focus his mind on the white room, he could find clarity. But therein held the issue. He had to focus.

Think about… nothing. Think about nothing…. Nothing. His mind was working overtime, and yet, it was failing. Gotta stop thinking about thinking about nothing… Just. Just don’t. Don’t think.

Minutes after closing his eyes he saw it. The white room. The clarity he was sure he needed.

My perfect nothing.

He didn’t open his eyes again, not yet. He sought more direction from his master, having finally mentally prepared himself for the task ahead.

“Okay, my mind is clear. What’s next?”

 

[Cale Gunderson]

Every time Cale tried to clear his mind, to think of nothing, all he found was darkness interspersed with flashes of violence and horror. Peace came differently to him than to his learner, there could be no white room as it would only end up painted with muck and blood, so he'd have to find tranquility another way. Cale let a breath out, then exhaled a visible wisp in the cold air, and he tried to find someplace kind.

"If I told you what was next kid, that'd be cheating. You 'gotta do this one on your own." Cale called back, settling into a meditative position atop the icy rocks, putting out the stim as he closed his eyes and drew in a clean breath of the cold. He went somewhere good, bright and warm, and not quite so lonely as the darkness of his personal quarters on the ship. He touched the force, knowing full and well that it would make hiding that much more difficult for anyone trained to look. But it didn't matter, he just had to trust in the force.

He was on Kashyyyk, in the Silver Jedi's gilded cage, the price paid to avoid Galactic Alliance prison. He'd hated it there, even with is brother, even with Tallia, but he remembered the feeling when she forgave him, It hadn't been his fault she'd told him, he hadn't been in control, the Dark Lord had made him little more than a puppet on strings. So many people had never bothered to forgive him, some out of disbelief in his innocence, others out of their belief in the opposite, thinking he didn't need it.

But by the force he did, and he'd needed it from her more than anyone. He settled on that feeling, that warmth, and cycled to another one. A different scene from a different time, it was a city, blasted by rain, the original owner of the blade on his side had come to reclaim it and held Cale on death's door with a new saber. Then, Aleksandr. The boy had called the saber to himself and thrown himself at the Inquisitor. And by the force, he'd been good. The kid had so much potential, if he'd been raised in a temple he'd have been on the track to battlemaster, and it made him proud in an unselfish way. Cale had only been glad to be the one to teach him.

He'd never had children, and likely never would, but he'd like to have thought they'd have been like the street rat he'd reluctantly taken in all those years ago. Not that Cale would ever tell the boy that.

Finally he found purchase, and something called to him, far across the cavern. His eyes fluttered open, and he saw it, nestled at the top of stone spire, Cale almost laughed. The man with one arm was going to have to climb to get it, how fitting.

"Found mine." He gloated, before he remembered who was the mentor.

"Remember, you're not looking for it Aleks, it's looking for you. Trust in the force."

Aleksandr Stirsea | Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Ilum​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea ​

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The Ilum crystal caves — Valery had been visiting them several times recently to help Padawans through their gathering, but she typically ventured into those behind the Ilum Temple. It was a tradition of the Jedi Order that went back thousands of years, and she felt quite honored to be able to oversee it.​

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But this time, from on top of a large formation of ice and snow, she looked in the direction of a different cave system. The coordinates that were sent her way brought her into its general area, but it was the presence of a pair of Force users that guided her to this location specifically. Whether they were Jedi or not, she couldn't exactly tell — they definitely didn't feel like Sith, at least.​

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"Master Noble here," Valery said as she raised her communicator up to her lips.​

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"It seems at least two people have entered the caves — could just be Jedi. I'm going to follow after them and make sure they aren't here with bad intentions." She then deactivated her comms device and made her way down the ice formation to begin her approach towards the caves.​

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She wasn't here to collect a crystal of her own, but that mattered nothing. The caves were still strong in the Force and capable of presenting her with challenges as well. So she entered with caution and followed her senses in pursuit of those who had entered before her.​

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[Aleksandr Stirsea]

“Found mine.” Aleksandr imitated his mentor facetiously. “Don’t cloud my mind, okay?” He quipped rhetorically. His thoughts sunk back to the recesses of his mind. The ivory room swam into his vision.

Help me out here, force. I need some guidance.

The request did not go unanswered. Suddenly he was somewhere much louder, the glint of sparkling Kyber crystals were replaced by the pulsing hum of neon street signs. He saw snow and frost and all manner of aliens. He saw Cadomai. He stumbled through the chilling storm that had gripped the planet’s surface that night until he came across a lone cantina on the street. The Five Quid Cantina, to be exact. It was still as dingy as he remembered. Fate had had a hand in organizing this meeting. The old spacer was slumped over the bar just as he had been in reality. Aleksandr hadn’t know it then, but that night was the beginning of his new life. That was when he had met his new family.

The memory was sweet. He savored it’s feeling, he let it guide him. Every step he took was in darkness, he had naught but the force to lead him to his crystal. He knew it would be enough, though. He had finally learned how to trust. He felt his hand clutch a crystalline structure. It stretched to the top of the cave, jutted left and right with jagged sides of icy rock and stone. He knew where to feel around for his crystal, even without seeing.

Minutes later he stood triumphantly with crystal in hand.

“I think I got it.” Aleksandr giggled quietly to himself. “I think this one is mine.”

Cale Gunderson | Valery Noble

 

[Cale Gunderson]

Cale was halfway up the face of the wall before he realized what the test was going to be. He'd carefully navigated his way up this far, barely making his way up with careful jumps and desperate grips, but as he made his way higher, he knew. Cale wasn't going to be able to do this with flesh and blood alone, he'd have to wake the ghost that hung off his side. Every inch closer to the crystal brought back memories he didn't even know he had, ones that made him question who he was, who he'd ever been.

He'd been turned into a puppet when the One Sith came, and ever since that day on Coruscant there was a single question that haunted him more than any musings on the state of the galaxy; had he ever been real?

Now, free of the control and conditioning sure, Cale was his own man. But what about before the One Sith, what about then? During the best years of his life, had he even been his own person, or had that too just been implanted in him? Had it been just another mask? Cale had no answers that satisfied him, none that he trusted.

As he came closer another memory so long forgotten he questioned its validity bubbled to the surface. It was some battle, some nameless planet, and he was stuck in the muck of the trenches alongside One Sith Stormtroopers. He should've hated them, and trapped behind his own eyes he did. But as the days turned into weeks, he heard them, they spoke about their lives, their hopes, their dreams, their love for the ones they left behind. He shouldn't have cared, but he did, and when an artillery shell ripped them apart and left him alone, he mourned for them, his enemy, his unknowing jailers.

He came close, and Cale knew what he had to do. The force answered his call, and he felt the arm that was not there. It was nothing more than a series of pushes and pulls interlinked was what he tried to tell himself, it was not a true phantom limb, but Cale couldn't deny what it felt like. He heard the dark thing that had ruled him whisper, telling him to run, telling him he was too weak, but as he looked back across the cavern to the boy, Cale knew it for a lie.

Cale put his faith in the force, and his hand let go of the ledge. He did not plunge to his death, instead, Cale rose, the invisible hand pulling him up just enough for him to take the crystal. The color was hard to tell, but Cale knew the thing was the most beautiful crystal he'd seen in his life. He saw something in it beyond a blade. He came down quickly after releasing his concentration, the ghost of his arm leaving with it.

Normally he'd had wanted them to sit and build their sabers there and then, but there was someone coming. Jedi. Cale pulled the saber hilt from his side and debated trying to disassemble it, to take the purified crystal from the core and exchange it for the new crystal, to see if he'd find the answer to the question he'd been asking for decades now. But he looked at Aleks and remembered all he'd thought the boy about arrogance and pride. He buried the saber underneath the snow and hoped the thing had finally found some kind of peace.

"We have to go, we'll get to the fun part later." He assured his student. "But right now, someone's coming to crash the party."

They were close, whoever they were, too close to avoid now, so that left them with two options, one of which he had no real intention of taking, so that left resorting to diplomacy.

"Let me do the talking, got it?" It was a rhetorical question if there ever was one, and Cale hadn't held his gaze on the boy long enough to see his response, and instead looked towards the interest and sighed as he sparked up another stimstick and pressed it between his lips. Time to see just how wrong things could go.

Aleksandr Stirsea | Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Ilum​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea ​

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Luckily, passing through the caves had been a little easier than expected. There was the occasional whisper and the distant feeling of the Force calling her further inside the caves, but having been inside crystal caves many times before, Valery knew how to find her way without unintentionally ending up within a trial of some kind.​

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Instead, her mind separated the feeling from the caves from the people she felt inside. This allowed her to track their paths and slowly but surely, she began to realize that they had stopped. If they were Force users as well, it wasn't too surprising that they would feel her coming — she hadn't exactly tried to conceal her presence.​

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But she hoped they had at least had no hostile intentions.​

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Coming around the junction of tunnels, Valery stepped into the chamber with the two men, and briefly paused when she realized they really had been waiting for her arrival. With a slight tilt of her head, her fiery quickly settled on Cale and she'd offer him a fairly friendly smile.​

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"Can't say I see people enter these caves unannounced often." Valery's gaze briefly shifted to the younger of the two men, but judging by the way they presented themselves, she figured Cale was going to be the one talking to her.​

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[Aleksandr Stirsea]

“And let you have all the fun?” Aleksandr cocked an eyebrow at Cale Gunderson . “I don’t think so.” His expression grew mischievous, and he flashed a grin as he pocketed his Kyber crystal in one of the folds of his black hood.

It wasn’t long before they heard the footsteps. Something was coming toward them. Probably a Jedi. The kind that could manipulate the Force as easily as they made their breakfast in the morning. Aleks shook out the doubts that plagued his mind. Judging by the sound of the footfalls, there was only one person pursuing them.

Two on one? He liked those odds.

When she finally made her appearance, Aleksandr was taken by surprise. He’d expected the barrel of a blaster or the hot end of an ignited lightsaber. Instead he just saw a person. And she was smiling.

He cleared his throat before taking a step forward. Aleks remembered a trick Cale had employed two years ago, a little Force induced amnesia that had gotten them out of a bind with a group of nosy stormtroopers. He had called it a ‘mind trick’ then, maybe now was his chance to replicate it.

“We’re not the people you’re looking for.” He stated confidently. He even waved his hand slowly just like his master had. The woman’s bright amber eyes seemed no more foggy than they had been before.

Maybe she’s not susceptible to mind tricks…

Aleksandr’s smirk devolved into a sheepish smile.

“That was a joke, of course,” He retreated a few steps back. “Maybe you should handle this…” He admitted quietly, deferring the matter to his master.

Valery Noble

 

[Cale Gunderson]

Cale didn’t bother to stop Aleks, there was hardly any time as the woman entered the room. Her eyes burned in a way that made him worry, made him think about the saber under the snow. It’d only take a flick of the wrist to put all pretenses of talking it out behind them. But she didn’t go for a weapon, and the smile she gave seemed genuine, and not for any reason that gave him worry. If she was of the dark side, she masked it well, but Cale’s guard didn’t drop. He’d known too many people who’d hid it well.

Cale had hid it so well, that not even he’d know.

But as Aleks proceeded with what might’ve been the third worst attempt at a mind trick he’d seen in his years, Cale drew another smoke. In a blink the stimstick was ignited, and he exhaled hard, exasperation melding with the gray haze as it wafted upwards. He was gonna need more than smokes to keep putting up with this.

“Yeah, astute observation there.” He answered his learner, giving him a hard glare before turning his gaze back to the Jedi master with the strange eyes. Cale met her smile with the facade of one, as he fought to put on a friendly face with the stimstick hanging between his lips.

“Ah, sorry about that. Just uh,” Cale tried to think of some rational excuse, and when that failed he simply opted to lie with a few bits of truth sprinkled in. “Figured I’d show the kid some of the places that made his old man.”

He clasped his hand onto Aleks’ shoulder, and kept the smile whilst fighting the urge to kick himself for already saying far too much. But he maintained control, like he always thought he did.

“Sorry you got dragged out here in the cold for ‘somethin so mild.”

Aleksandr Stirsea | Valery Noble ​

 

[Zev Wakeed]

Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea Valery Noble​

Has been a while since he had joined his new "friend-bosses" of the Galactic Alliance. And he was trying his best, to earn as much respect and recognition possible. Because he heard that all Jedi are honourable and respectable people, and if he wanted to ever become one that is how he had to be. Not that people actually took seriously about him becoming a Jedi, but at the same time, he have not encountered a single person who have said to him "No, you can not become one", so he kept carrying on with his dream. Since he was trustworthy and hard-working, most people didn't see any difficulty in giving him assignments, jobs or missions. And so far he had come through in all of them, flawlessly. Well, sometime his methods were a little clumsy and too improvised - because he was severely untrained in most field skills - but the Jawa was cunning and resourceful, and always found a way. He was definitely leaving his mark inside the faction. Even if most Force users and Jedi seemed to see him as a mascot of sorts (a fact that he either didn't have noticed, or didn't seem to care at all).

He was not used to cold. Tatooine was a hot planet, a desert planet, low temperatures there were not as cold as Ilum has presented to constantly be. So being in that accursed planet was the most difficult part of the mission. Initially he didn't believed when people said to him not forget winter clothes, after he saw how some people who had come back from Ilum had arrived. The amount of humidity and snow in their clothes, and sometimes with their faces more pale than normal, he took seriously the advice. But he didn't know how efficient were winter clothes, so he took more than one. Found being a little difficult to wear them simultaneously, one over the other. Rendered him a puffy little person who walked a little funny, for being so stuffed. That much clothe also made him look a little fatter than he really is. But he didn't care. He wouldn't freeze to death.

His mission? To deliver a Holo to Master Valery Noble, that contained an important message directly from some hot-shots from the Galactic Alliance. Nobody said him any specifics: who were the people sending the message, what was the message about, or how important it would be. They just called him, gave the holo and said "deliver to Valery Noble, and only her". He immediately accepted because he knew she was a Jedi Master, and he wanted to be involved in everything Jedi as much as possible - which is probably why they decided to give him that mission, it was known how much that Jawa wanted to prove himself and impress the Jedis, so he would not fail or give up. As soon as he arrived in Ilum he went looking for Valery straight away. Some other Jedis who knows her told him she was out patrolling, and making a recon mission and would be back soon. They asked him if he would want to the leave the message with them, so they could deliver to her when she came back, but Zev obviously refused. He demanded her coordinates instead, and said he was looking for her to deliver in person. After few minutes of unceasing discussion, he didn't caved, and they gave him the coordinates. Zev took an animal mount, the closest available, and went after Valery.

It took him several minutes to get to where she was located, and apparently she was inside a cave. He was not scared, so he just went for it. Had his blaster holstered in his waist, but didn't think he would need it. After all, she was a Jedi Master, and an ally. And he was making her a favour - ordered by their superiors - but a favour nevertheless. The more he walked inside the cave, he could hear what seemed to be a conversation. Wasn't sure of how many people would be involved, but at least two (at least, of course). He fearlessly walked towards the woman - she was the only one who could be Valery after all (even if he never saw or actually met her).

- Akriwi Juwi Ja'bo'ba master? Uiuokka Ai holo from Galactik alliance for Valery Noble.
(Are you Jedi master? Have a Holo from Galactic Alliance for Valery Noble)

Said him without hesitate. Wasn't worried about who were the other two - nor if they should learn of not about the message - but figured that "nobody is a match for a Jedi Master, it is ok".

- Ikee am Zev. Ikee Uwanna Yua Ibee Ja'bo'ba.
(I am Zev. I want to be Jedi)​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Ilum​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea Zev Wakeed ​

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While she expected Cale to take lead, the younger student stepped forward and attempted what she instantly recognized as a Jedi mind trick. It had no effect on her, of course, but it was obvious that she wasn't amused at all. Her orange eyes narrowed at the young man and that kind demeanor she had initially was hidden behind the fierce look in her gaze.​

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"A joke..." she repeated with a tone that matched her expression before looking up at Cale.​

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"You might have to explain to the kid that trying to mess with people's minds isn't to be taken lightly." That was the main reason Valery had a problem with his attempt — the mind trick essentially took away someone's free will and rational thought for a moment. There were times that it was extremely useful or necessary to avoid fighting that could result in injury or worse, but nothing had happened yet to warrant it.​

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The only thing it accomplished was that Valery had gotten a lot more suspicious.​

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"Do you two have some kind of identification on you?" She asked while she raised an arm that held a writs-device with an integrated computer. It wasn't common for her to ask for ID, but she mostly inquired because there had been attempts at getting into these caves by rather dangerous types. They were the primary location she had to protect as Ilum's Watchmen.​

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But moments after she asked her question, her attention was drawn to some movement behind her, and of all things that could have followed after her, she had not really been expecting a Jawa layered in so much clothing.​

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"I'm Master Noble, yes," she replied, able to understand him through Comprehend Speech.​

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"And it's a pleasure to meet you — we can talk more once I've finished up here..." Her eyes turned back around to look between Cale and his student again.​

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[Aleksandr Stirsea]

“Not a kid…” Aleksandr muttered under his breath as he fished through his pockets for his ID. The situation had worsened a tad. Cale couldn’t produce an ID of his own, considering his sour past with the Galactic Alliance and other intergalactic centers of authority. He didn’t know every detail, but there had been a point where Cale was a Sith. Brainwashing or not, he doubted any Jedi Master would take kindly to his appearance on their planet.

Luckily, Aleks’ had no such shady past to conceal. At least, not one that existed on any legal document.

He pulled out a holographic that expanded to display basic information. It read:

Aleksandr of the noble House Stirsea. Born on Atrisia to Lord Vitor Stirsea and Lady Annelle Sandoll.

It detailed a number of other items, his date of birth and other assorted information collected on the citizens of the Galactic Alliance. Aleksandr just hoped it was enough to get them by. Cale had no such luxury as a valid ID.

“That a friend of yours?” Aleks’ eyed the fur-clad Jawa as he waited for the Jedi to review his identification. “He seems pleasant.”

Cale Gunderson | Valery Noble | Zev Wakeed

 

[Cale Gunderson]

“Yeah, well, force of habit. Better safe than sorry out on the rim. But I'll be sure to remind him we're in civilized space these days.” In truth, Cale wasn’t sure if he’d already had that conversation with Aleks or not, but he’d be sure to have it again later. He took another long drag as the Jawa waddled in, but having grown up near an Ewok Jedi, Cale was hardly phased by the small creature. What did phase him was when she asked for ID. Thankfully, Aleks had that covered, and Cale could mix utter lies and half-truths for his part.

“Kid’s got his, I don’t tend to carry, haven’t been here since it was under the Republic anyway.” Objectively speaking that was true, the last time he’d seen Illum he’d been in his early twenties, mere months away from being turned into a slave, chaperoning younglings hunting their crystals. “Given we’re on the third or so Galactic Alliance in my lifetime, and I think a second Republic came and went, I’d imagine there isn’t much record there anyway.”

Cale shrugged and exhaled smoke, hiding the tense worry beneath a look of indifference. She was smart though, that much he could tell, and the way she carried herself suggested confidence, and likely the skill to back it up. He’d found his skill again, shifted, and changed his dueling style to accommodate his injuries, but he was far from eager to test his skill against hers. He wasn’t fond of the Jedi, but unlike the Sith that distaste was not born of personal animosity, he just thought them fools now. Well-intentioned, but ultimately foolish individuals, violence didn’t need to be the answer here.

But his hand still longed to twitch, to arm itself, to protect Aleks at all costs, but Cale needed to remain in control, he had to be smart.

“But the name’s Cassian Jorin, if ‘ya need it.” An amalgam of a false identity and a legendary soldier of the Republic now two decades gone, he hoped it’d be enough. But a twitch in his fingers assured him he was ready if it wasn’t.

Aleksandr Stirsea | Valery Noble | Zev Wakeed ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Ilum​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea Zev Wakeed ​

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"First time meeting him," Valery said in response to Aleksandr's question while she briefly glanced over at Zev. She had taken a quick glance at his ID and was able to verify it rather quickly. Everything checked out so she offered a nod and turned her gaze back to Cale, who was up next.​

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"Please do remind him. Some don't take lightly to attempts like that, even in the civilized world." Valery brought her wrist back up, ready to verify the identity he'd offer, but he had none. She looked up and raised an eyebrow while her eyes remained fixed on his, almost as if she was trying to actively read him.​

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If this had been any other planet, it wouldn't have really bothered her all that much. She probably wouldn't have even asked them for their ID's, but they weren't just on Ilum — they were in the crystal caves. The Kybers inside were extremely rare and while they were used for lightsabers, other weapons could be produced using them as well.​

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They didn't look like the types, but better safe than sorry.​

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"I do apologize, Cassian, but I'm afraid I will need to verify it somehow. The watch over these caves has gotten a lot more strict, and for good reason," she said completely calmly. She didn't make it obvious whether or not she picked up on any rising tension, and showed no desire to use force. There wasn't a need in her opinion. Not yet, anyway.​

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"I should be able to do that at the Temple, which isn't that far away from here."​

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[Cale Gunderson]

“No.” Cale answered her bluntly, interjecting before Aleks could think of some sharp-tongued remark, something almost akin to fear hiding beneath the declaration. If they went there, then they’d take Cale, but more than that they’d go for Aleks, and he couldn’t let that happen. He’d failed enough people in his life, he wasn’t letting the kid end up in some Alliance cell on his account.

“Not to offend, but we’re on a tight schedule here, and I-,.” Cale thought to do it, to pull it into his hands there and then, but there had to be some other way. Cassian Jorin didn’t even exist, untold billions of people had been all but erased from every database in the constant shuffling of nations over the decades. He had to take that chance, didn’t he?

Cale sighed and puffed smoke, turning his eyes to Aleks and giving a weak smile. “Well, he can take care of himself I suppose. I come with you, he goes and sits in the ship and waits for us to sort this out, that good with you?”

Even if they took out the Jedi master, which was a rather massive gamble in and of itself, they’d never break orbit. If Cale was with the Jedi, then there was every chance Aleks could be gone before trouble came, after all, he wouldn’t have hurt anyone and Cale could sell the lie that the boy didn’t know about him.

But the Jedi wouldn’t have kept records on him, not that would’ve survived this long, right? Surely they’d have let whatever records of him go to save lives one of the dozen times their temples had been sacked, the universe wouldn’t do this to him. Right? He’d been a slave, it wasn’t his fault, and even still he’d tried to do right, he’d-

Cale stifled his frustrations and smiled as diplomatically as he could. He could pull this off, couldn’t he?

Valery Noble | Aleksandr Stirsea | Zev Wakeed ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Ilum​

Valery: Appearance​

Tag: Cale Gunderson Aleksandr Stirsea Zev Wakeed ​

​

The moment he said no, Valery's eyes visibly narrowed and while there was still no sign of her getting more aggressive, she was definitely mentally preparing for this to get less friendly. But after he began to explain his reasoning, he quickly stopped himself and seemed to turn around on his rejection of her request.​

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Or at least, he offered something that she was willing to consider.​

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Valery's expression softened again and after a brief moment of thought, she nodded in agreement. "I have my speeder parked outside the caves. I'll get us back to the Temple and he can remain on the ship. If everything checks out, this will not take very long." Valery assured him before she turned to the little Jawa.​

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"Feel free to join us and head back to the Temple. I can look at your message there, and once all of this is done, I'm sure I can offer some help to you as well." She smiled kindly and gestured with her head towards the exit, her eyes fixed on Cale.​

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"Come on, let's get going."​

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If he were to accept and follow, she'd lead him back out of the caves and to the relatively big speeder bike. She hopped on and waited for him to get seated in the back, before getting ready to blast off towards the Temple. The drive wasn't going to take very long but she really hoped this whole situation would be settled quickly, too. ​

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Checking IDs and dealing with little things such as this weren't exactly what she enjoyed spending her time on.​

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[Aleksandr Stirsea]

Aleksandr wondered if they could hear his pulse quicken as Cale Gunderson surrendered himself to the custody of the Jedi Master. An anxious rumbling set in on his mind then. It beat with the constant thrumming of his heart, and it grew more and more intense as he watched his master be whisked away. There were a thousand things he wanted to call to him.

I won’t go without you. The lightsabers still there in the snow. I won’t let you leave me, too.

For once in the youth’s brief flash of life, he learned how to hold his tongue. Aleksandr said nothing. Soon it was just him and the crystals, and for all their vain beauty, he felt as empty as the cavern he stood in.

He slammed a fist in the nearby crystalline tower. Then he hit it again. And again. And again. His gloved hand was split by the time he was finished. His knuckles bled and blossomed blue and purple contusions. For all his wrathful effort, there was barely a crack in the crystal column.

Rage was not the emotion of a Jedi, but Aleks didn’t care about that now. He figured he was shitty at being a Jedi, and the Jedi were shitty enough as is.

He walked back to the ship in silence. Outside the snows fell around him, but his mind was too occupied to notice the frigid winds.

Valery Noble | Zev Wakeed