[EA3] - For Over A Thousand Generations....

[Phroth Lissken]

Third Floor. Room 8. Phroth had committed that to memory, and told Cartess. He had found her, found the one who shared their pain, their heartache.

He stood tall in front of the door, eyes bright as he knocked on the panel, before looking over his shoulder to the Knight. In a moment, the braid was brought up from his cloak, and worn, just as he had done so many years ago.

[Sholua Tempes]

She was there. She'd been there some time. Preparations had to be made for a start. All the furniture was against the walls. The window was open. The doors behind her were open and the ones in front closed.

At the knock she frowned, took an extra step back, flipped the clip on her holster to aid any fast draw required and took in a breath.

"It's open."

[Phroth Lissken]

The door opened, and in first stepped the hulk of a Karkarodon. His cloak was drawn over his frame, hood over his head it. They weren't exactly the volumious robes that the order was used to, but it worked. His handa came up, drawing back the hood, and the cloak was pulled back.

At his hip, a hilt made of leather, wood, and bone. Nearly as long as his thigh, it clearly was meant to capitalize on his size. The braid jangled softly off his side, and he smiled.

"Hello Sholua. May I introduce, Jedi Knight Cartess Kenote."

[Meiyokashi]

Another cloaked figure stepped forward and revealed herself from under the hood. With a muted smile she gave Sholua a nod at her introduction.

However, prior to any other words being shared another woman approached from Cartess' side. Leaning onto the woman she said, "Coast is clear for now, no wandering eyes," Kira smiled as she looked from Cartess to inside. Spotting Sholua there was a distinct flash of semi-surprise. Bringing one of her hands up for a slightly awkward half-mast wave.

[Sholua Tempes]

The surprise was mirrored in Sholua's eyes. Kira was a very unexpected addition to the meeting. Cartess though, she did not know.

She stood wearing clothes much like the ones Phroth had seen her in the day before, and Kira had at Drezzie's. The heavy pistol holster under her jacket was very visible as was the hilt of an archaic sword sticking out over her shoulder. The blade was hidden behind her back but the wrappings on the hilt were black with a red cord threaded through them.

"So . . . "

[Phroth Lissken]

"Like I said. You aren't alone." Phroth replied, softly, still showing too many teeth as he spoke. "There is still light in the galaxy."

[Sholua Tempes]

"That may be, Too Many, but I need more proof than just you saying so."

She was definitely tense and ready to leave at a seconds notice.

[Cartess Kenotte]

Cartess steps forward slowly, and just once, to claim attention for a moment. "Ask of us, of me, anything you require and I will do what I can to prove it to you. There are many in this galaxy cursed with our gift but it is only one's like us that need fear the repercussions of it most," she glanced to Phroth to make the connections.

Kira, seeing this wasn't quite her place for the moment slipped from Cartess' side and took up a position on the wall behind them. Keeping a semi-casual watch down the hallway as the Jedi spoke.

[Sholua Tempes]

"How did you survive . . . that day?"

She crossed her arms, angling her pose slightly to keep Kira in full view.

[Phroth Lissken]

"I was on Mon Cala. My Master, Scylla Kem, and I were deployed to assist the Mon Calamari hold off against Quarren Separstists. We were in deep operations when our SCUBA troopers turned on us." Phroth spoke up first, pain in his voice. He reached behind his cloak, quickly drawing the Spear-Blaster, the signature weapon of the Mon Cala Royal Guard.

"I don't know how, I was separated from Master Kem. I ended up lost in the depths. Lost my saber... and was captured by Quarrens. They held me in the slave pens of their gladiator pits. Ended up rescued by members of the Mon Cala Royal Guard." He choked up slightly, his breath caught in his throat.

"The guard who helped me... Tila Kentrab... died in the fight out. I took his weapon to honor him. I'd been on the run ever since. Took the name Tranq Sayzin. Worked as a Bounty Hunter in the outer rim, enjoyed killing Storm Troopers when I could..." he sighed.

"That all changed on Kamda." The Karkarodon looked up yo Sholua. "That day... that order. It was called Order 66... and the Clones were programmed to adhere to it. Some... didn't."

[Kira]

While Kira kept watch the question perked up her ear. Though Phroth was first to tell his story there were a few times where Kira, amid his tale, seemed to steal a glance at Cartess. Something that only Sholua had the chance to notice was the muted expression worn whenever Kira stole the glance.

[Sholua Tempes]

She listened to the shark's tale.

"Order 66 . . . sounds such an innocuous name for an act of mass murder across the galaxy."

She looked at Cartess.

"A padawan escaping the betrayals I can almost understand, after all . . . I did, but a Knight?"

She locked her eyes on the Jedi, no semblance of padawan submissiveness in her eyes.

"How?"

[Cartess Kenotte]

"It was.. a recent distinction made by my master within the fateful moment," she said, but that proud demeanor had long since shifted away. Curling her arms up she held them together across her chest. "We'd recently won a conflict against a droid installation on Kamda when the clones turned on us. My master bid me to survive, to flee and.. I did. I escaped through the installations engineering tunnels and out into the desert alone."

"I evaded capture and discovery for years by allowing myself to be misused by a criminal known as Grand. Within his fighting pits I fought against all those who wished to fight a Jedi of the old days.. I only realize now how untenable of a situation that was," she looked up to Sholua, measuring the young woman with her gaze.

[Sholua Tempes]

She nodded once.

"Master N'tresni and I were part of the initial Republic invasion of this planet. We had not been together long, they plucked me from amongst the Younglings as one who fought in their style. We fought here and liberated those who did not want to be liberated. There was never any peace here. Always another fire to put out. When that day came . . . Order 66, I was away from the Master, down here in the Lower City. Hunting a rogue BX unit that had been harassing anything and everything with a squad of clones at my back. Clones I knew. I'd fought alongside them for a year or more."

She stopped, looked at Phroth a moment and then carried on.

"The Master was in the Upper City, planning how to deal with the constant uprisings. I think they sent me a warning. Foresight has never been one of my talents, but I felt them die. Just enough warning to spin to the left as my clones shot me in the back. Enough to make it wounding and not lethal and I fell in to the depths of the really old Lower City. Landed in water, or I wouldn't be here now. Don't remember much of the days it took me to heal and drag myself back up to the living, but the Lower City and the people here have been my life ever since. There are many places I've lived in, worked in, scammed, robbed and fought in this last decade. I thought our Order was gone. Destroyed by traitors with the same face."

She looked at Kira.

"And you . . . one of us as well?"

[Kira]

Kira glanced down the hall once more, made sure of it being clear and ushered in behind Cartess and Phroth. Seeing the door closed before she shook her head, "No. What you all have been through ain't been my ticket," she turned around, looking at everyone but settling her gaze on Sholua. With a nod toward Cartess, "I'm just an old friend of this one. We used to hang out a lot while she was younger.. padawan I think is the word you guys use?"

"Anyway.. best I got is that folk around here hated the Jedi and I found I kinda liked one. So, I got into a lotta fights over it until I eventually moved far enough away from folk I wouldn't have to worry my head over it. Three of you being here though.. gotta mean something, right?" she asked, glancing between those here but focusing most on Cartess who seemed to shy away from the idea.

[Sholua Tempes]

"Right. What does it mean?"

She looked at Kira and Phroth before settling her gaze on Cartess.

[Cartess Kenotte]

"I.." Cartess glances between those gathered here, her hand resting on her hip. Touching on the lightsaber in her robe it was something that felt like it should offer more answers than questions and yet she shook her head. Focusing her own gaze on Kira, "I don't know."

[Kira]

"Kriff me but.." Kira likewise focuses herself on Cartess. Pausing a moment, considering her words before, "y'all are Jedi.. aren't ya? Just.. there's a lotta folk out there in this galaxy that could use a Jedi. Got a whole city of people right here who need a little help. A little hope."

[Sholua Tempes]

"Like I said. I don't have the foresight. My talents lie with Form IV and . . . and I lost my saber when the clones betrayed me. Just as well, would have given me away to Palpatine's hunters. You know he has dark side adepts hunting anyone that can move even a pebble with the Force, yes? Inquisitors they call themselves. I had to have my tattoos changed because of them. Do you know what that means to a Mirialan?"

She brought one hand up and held onto the locket around her neck, like Phroth would have seen the day before.

"She's right. I've been here all the time. This place is dark, downtrodden, losing hope. It can't last forever. It needs a spark."

[Phroth Lissken]

"There's a great darkness here. I saw it, all savagery and violencr. It's deep." Phroth spoke up, looking to those gathered. "I found a grotto of peace, and meditated there. Felt... through the Living Force, as my master taught me." The Karkarodon turned, looking out the door.

"There's something in the swamp. And it wants to feed on everything. And the fear of this new Empire... it's having a feast."

He nodded. "I fought something of a Junior Inquisitor on Kamda. They're powerful, but they look inward. Relying on each other, we can stand up to one."