Sat in the dim lighting of the cargo bay at the back of the ship a hooded figure players with a metallic cylindrical object, fussing about with it in their hands as they drift from one thought or emotion to the next. Distracted from the conversation that had been playing out for a bit of time already the others around her have drifted from her sight as the mind takes over. In this space between spaces she drifts off thoughtlessly. Until suddenly she finds herself rushing backward, coming into herself once more as the faint sound of a voice grows louder.

Cartess looks up, the hood no longer concealing her face fully as she looks toward the sound, the voice, she heard which brought her back to conciousness.

Sol is disturbed from his meditation at the sound of Cartess moving. It was a habit he was yet to break.

"Is something amiss Instructor Cartess?"

Their relationship was still a bit formal, at least to outsiders. For Sol, this level of empathy was... A "work in progress"

"I assume it was my fault. I was trying to look out."

Leah, carrying a small box, made her way back awkwardly over.

"I'm Sorry. I'm...I've never travelled like you guys have before! I hope these are ok? I picked them up before we boarded and while I know and trust the ones from home I...don't here"

She opened the box, which had some biscuits in.

"No," she said, glancing between Sol and Leah and then around. Having sworn a voice woke her up from the trance of sorts she placed a hand on her head to steady herself a moment. Lowering it with a smile as she righted herself where she sat. "We were meant to be discussing what the next steps are though? At least.. that is why I asked you both to risk coming back here," she looked to Leah and smiled warmly.

"Those are wonderful, please," she gestured toward a crate that could serve as a table for their little merry band. "I'm afraid I don't have much to share myself.. but perhaps before I say what I should, are there any questions pressing on your minds?"

A hiss at an open door, then the swish of it closing. A hulking figure clad in a fur lined thermal cloak stood where it closed. Webbed hands drew up to the hood, pulling it back. Revealed were the gleaming teeth of Phroth. The true name of the bounty hunter known as Tranq Sayzin. He radiated an aura of calm, yet every bit of him spoke of precise death. Those yellow eyes looked into the hold, seeing the trio already there.

Bare, webbed feet stepped on the durasteel plating of the floor, as he approached them. His breathing was calm, steady. At his waist, the symbol, wrapped in leather and hide and bone.

"Sorry. Was checking on my speeder. Took longer than I thought."

"Hello there friends." Sol chuckles from behind his mask. "It's been since the mountain that we were all together last, wasn't it?"

He casts a glance over at Cartess. "Forgive me, if I bring up my pet project too. I promise not to steal your main thrust."

"You don't need to apologize, Phroth. But- we're here to talk," she looks from Phroth to Sol, giving each a steadied smile. Bringing a hand to either side of her hood she gently pulled it down and revealed her face fully. "We can talk about anything you all feel we need to discuss but.. first allow me to explain myself as we are all here."

"My visions have pointed me to this planet many times and for many different reasons. I'm.." she glances askance a moment. "I'm not sure where to begin once we get there but my plan is to check in with an old friend of mine. Supposedly she's found herself a shack to live in out in the Badlands, which is a far cry from Coruscant streets," she allowed herself a small smile. Returning to her peaceful expression, "So it would be best if we all went to meet her together to avoid any of us risking the dangers of the planet we do not yet fully understand yet. I imagine she will be a good guide in avoiding many of those once we arrive," she speaks but there's a slight hesitance to her voice there.

"Many of my visions are muddied and unclear but there was one.. a woman, somewhere in the city who is alike to us," she looks specifically at Phroth. "At least.. I sensed the connection we share of that fateful day. I imagine you, Phroth, with your working as a bounty hunter might be well suited to tracking someone down like that?"

"I was more the bringing in the acquisition than finding the acquisition type of hunter, but yeah." The Karkarodon nodded, then gave a glance to Leah, his smile brightening, before looking back to Cartess. "I can run the quarry down, find her." Strong arms folded across his broad chest, his movements deliberate, a center of calm in a package that screamed violence.

"We thinking an evening date to find your old friend?"

"Afternoon, not too long after we land. I would prefer to have a good idea of what we're walking into before we start walking into things, and this should help with that. Besides, she might have a good idea on where we may rest our heads without the worry we might find trying to give luck a chance and find a place on our own," she said, looking between Phroth and Leah at the subtle interaction between the two.

Phroth Lissken wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:49 pm

"Sorry. Was checking on my speeder. Took longer than I thought."

"I swear you spend more time with that speeder than me these days" Leah said with a laugh, putting her box of biscuits down so everyone could reach one. They were just plain and obviously not fresh, but it was better than nothing. She also made sure to take the first one to try, so nobody else would have one if they were bad!

"Mm, there is something there. I always trust my gut feeling, and it was telling me that I needed to come here anyway. That Vex also pointed me towards the planet I don't consider a coinsidence either. I'm relatively good at getting information from people if we need some asking around. I'll save the tracking for those who haven't lived as a city girl their whole lives. Do you have any more info on who they are? Or are they likely to have gone to ground?"

"Sadly, I am not that skilled at tracking. However, it would seem that the Force may have us here for a dual purposes. I ran into Julo onboard, from the Kamda resistance. It would appear a similar intention is at play for Bellionas...only more circumspect. Not direct intervention, but laying a network. They may be able to help us use that network"

Phroth's face tinged slightly blue, as the smile almost turned sheepish. Clearing his throat, the Karkarodon nodded. "Make it nice and apparent then, that we're on approach. I'll start my search in the morning." He turned his head slightly. With his hood down, the jewelry that worked as the padawan braid for beings without hair twinkled slightly in the dim lighting of the hold.

Looking to Leah. "If they're like Cartess or myself, going to ground is the only other option to what happened. Trying to keep to the old ways, in full view? Clones would be the least of your problems."

And then to Solork. "If they're building a network, their focus will be on supporting it. We shouldn't call their resources just yet, I'd think."

"Curious, I didn't know that Karkarodons colored liked that. Are you not feeling well." Solork paused a beat and looked back at Leah. "Oh. Ohhhhhhhh."

Well, that first one went completely by me

Sol coughed, his voicebox adding a rattle of synth, coming out like a bit of audio feedback.

"Well, regardless of their help in our quest, I feel obligated to protect them from. Hopefully to steer them away from the sort of heroics seen on Kamda. If there are resources later to use, so much the better. If there are not, the right thing will still have been done."

Cartess listened. Looking to Leah she lingered for a moment, "That your association with that woman continues worries me. From what I have learned over the past year she is a.. well, she is like most powerful criminals. A dangerous acquaintance to keep. Still.. to trust your instincts is good, but we must be ready for anything that we meet..

Shifting to look between Sol and Phroth she ponders another moment, "For now we should keep ourselves separate," he eyes drift toward the jewelry in place of the braid and held, "we must remember what danger we put ourselves in by being too open about our goals or presence. And not just ourselves but those who are closest to us it's.. important to remember that."

"Phroth," she says focusing more in on him, "you yourself should be careful. For many reasons," she remains steady, "but in the meantime there is much we might be able to do to aid the woman from my visions. What I know is that she survived the same event we have and has been scarred," she lays a hand over her heart, "much in the same way we have. Hiding out on this planet.. if it is who I believe it might be she is a Mirialan, young at the time. If we can find her and offer her some sense of comfort, that would be best."

"A Mirialian? I'll remember that." Sol nods, mostly to himself.

"There is one thing" He clears his throat and looks around the group. "This does not take priority, but I have a pet project that I have been working on since we left Kamda. I am seeking a way to drive the taint of the Dark Side out of an object. More specifically..." Sol does his best to look bashful. As bashful as one can be wearing a mask and with the face of a predator. "Driving it out of a kybher crystal"

Cartess Kenotte wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 30, 2021 8:04 pm

Cartess listened. Looking to Leah she lingered for a moment, "That your association with that woman continues worries me. From what I have learned over the past year she is a.. well, she is like most powerful criminals. A dangerous acquaintance to keep. Still.. to trust your instincts is good, but we must be ready for anything that we meet..

"I'm worried as well. She has done things that I wasn't expecting...but you know my feeling and position Cartess. It wouldn't be right to just run, nor can I just do something against her. Her reach is now moving to Bellionas too, so while she's dangerous she's also useful."

Leah sighed.

"I'm being careful. Thankfully Phroth has taken time to help me learn this side of things too. A Mirilian woman, ok."

She went silent looking at Sol as he spoke, frowning a little before speaking.

"I'm entirely out of my depth here. Is...such a thing even possible? The one I...actually" she looked at Phroth "should I say?"

"Driving corruption out of a piece of kyber? I have no knowledge of such a thing.." she grimaces slightly, shaking her head. "I would have looked to a Master for guidance on that. Though I am furthest along in my training between those of us here," she looks to Phroth, "I was barely only made a Jedi Knight prior to.." she doesn't dare put her voice to the words of the dark memory.

Sol nods. His goal hadn't exactly been a secret from his teacher, but it was a reminder to them all that they were all fighting out of their depth, attempting to put back the pieces of something they had never seen the whole of.

"It is something I am compelled to seek anyway. It is my own quest, and I see virtue in following it through" The words were positively serene (in comparison) considering his attitude to the others here who knew him.

Leah kuso wrote: ↑

Sat May 01, 2021 1:00 pm

"I'm worried as well. She has done things that I wasn't expecting...but you know my feeling and position Cartess. It wouldn't be right to just run, nor can I just do something against her. Her reach is now moving to Bellionas too, so while she's dangerous she's also useful."

Leah sighed.

"I'm being careful. Thankfully Phroth has taken time to help me learn this side of things too. A Mirilian woman, ok."

She went silent looking at Sol as he spoke, frowning a little before speaking.

"I'm entirely out of my depth here. Is...such a thing even possible? The one I...actually" she looked at Phroth "should I say?"

"It's your journey to share, if you want to. It's song is yours to sing." He gently touched his jeweled 'braid', looking to Cartess. "This is only for occasions like this, or if I'm already outed, not every day wear." The Karkarodon chuckled, then drew somber at the memory of the betrayal.

"All we have left is the Force to guide us. Master Kem always told me to listen to the Living Force, that connection to the natural world, Solork. Maybe... listen to what the universe says? Meditate on it?" Phroth didn't shrug, but felt he couldn't add much else to that line.

Phroth Lissken wrote: ↑

Sun May 02, 2021 11:18 pm

"All we have left is the Force to guide us. Master Kem always told me to listen to the Living Force, that connection to the natural world, Solork. Maybe... listen to what the universe says? Meditate on it?" Phroth didn't shrug, but felt he couldn't add much else to that line.

"Ahh, how could I forget to try that?" Sol offers a chuckle, the words coming out as a dry monotone. "I shall also endeavor to be true to myself."

Sometimes it was hard to not tease Jedi teachings for being mealy mouthed mumbo jumbo, even knowing that it was quite often helpful.