The Eyes of Teeda

[Dasquian Belargic]

It was a spur of the moment decision, but after a talk of archery with his good friend Kelt, Dasquian was eager to craft a new bow. Of all the wood he could think of to use ‘greel’ seemed the most appropriate. It was a rare substance, and however much he tried he could not locate it anywhere on Coruscant. Thus the only way to find a sample would be to head right to the source, the planets Pi III and Pi IV in the Arkanis Sector. For the trip he hadn’t prepared much aside from essential things – a few ration packs, arms, and a little light reading material for the long trip. He wasn’t to go alone, however, as he had asked his apprentice, Jacali Danner, to accompany him. The trip would be both interesting and beneficial to her studies, as Dasquian had heard rumors of there being an old Jedi Master living on the planet.

Never the less, the two now sat aboard their transport. Each strapped into a seat, Dasquian turned around to check Jacali was in place. He offered a smile, and thanked her for coming along. Having cleared take off, they set off to their destination, and were permitted to then roam around the ship wherever they pleased until they reached their goal, in two days time.

At this time, Dasquian stood up, stretched out, and yawned, smiled to himself as he scanned his eyes around the room.

“How are you feeling?”

[Jacali Danner]

Jacali was always happy to accompany her Master whenever possible and when he had asked to her to come along with him on this particular trip, she was thrilled to be a part of it.

"I'm feeling pretty good, Master." She answered with a smile. "I feel that my life as a Jedi is finally going in the direction that it's supposed to go. I'm becoming more and more acquainted with ships and what makes them tick in their own special way. Every ship or speeder that I look at, work on or study has it's own specialty. This one may be quick, but that one has better manueverablity, I think it's very imparative in learning."

She paused for a moment, it had been a while since the two of them had spoken. "It had been only months ago that I wondered which direction would suit me and the whole time it was right there, while I was helping in the garage down the street."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“I’m so pleased that you’ve found your calling, Jacali,” Dasquian replied, a smile lighting his face as he listened to her words. “Unfortunately, I don’t think you will have much use for your new found skills on this trip. Pii III doesn’t receive much star ship traffic, although they do run a large network of logging droids.”

[Jacali Danner]

"That's alright, Master. I look at each mission as a useful tool for learning new things. I'm sure, I'll learn something along the way. So, this place is more of forest region?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“That’s right. Although it does attract a small tourist clientel, the type who enjoy the wild outdoors, the logging companies try to discourage such things, being that they can be detrimental to business. From what I read a short while ago, some workers brought up the suggestion of creating a museum of some kind, centered around the industry, but the idea was never brought to fruition.”

He paused a moment, collecting his thoughts.

“Regardless, it should still be an interesting trip – and a welcome vacation away from Coruscant. The atmosphere there is choking.”

[Jacali Danner]

"I couldn't agree with you more, Master. Though, Coruscant is beautiful at night, I would feel much more at home in a less crowded region. When I lived on Corellia, the palace in the country was so perfect. Then we'd go to the markets in Tajh village to get the King Rumal his fresh produce, I always thought I'd live in a place like that, where everything was so quaint and perfect. Perhaps, I'll find a place like that again one day."

Jacali sat back and gave a relaxing sigh. "I can't wait to see this new place, Master. Perhaps, I'll put it on my mental list of possibilities."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“I’m not sure this world would be entirely suited to homemaking, but we’ll see,” the Knight laughed softly.

Dasquian stood with his arms folded over his chest, occasionally glancing out of the ships various view ports.

For a moment, silence held, then he spoke again.

“We haven’t spoken in quite some time, have we? You must forgive me, Jacali. My eyes are- how does that saying go… bigger than my belly?” Dasquian wrinkled his brow in thought, then waved a dismissive hand. “What I mean to say is that I often lumber myself with too many responsibilities, spread myself too thin. I apologize if you feel this has affected you.”

He took a breath, then felt a smile tugging at his lips. “Although, I have heard that you have been spending a good deal of time with Shade Magus. Is it he who you have learned your new skills from?”

[Jacali Danner]

"No, worries, Master. I know you've been very busy and I could've made more of an effort to come by and see you as well, but I've been pretty busy myself."

Jacali always seemed to perk up a bit whenever she heard the mention of Shade's name, this time was no different

"Shade is a good and kind man and he has great skill in many areas, but mechanics isn't one of them unfortunately. I think, I often surprise him with my talent, Master. Ever since, we rescued my sister from Lower Coruscant, we've become...rather inseparable. He helped me with my family and I help him along with the troubles he has with his as I'm sure you've heard of his Sith brother Yurza and their battle. Shade almost died that day, but all is well and our bond is unique, I've never experienced anything quite like it." Jacali was all smiles.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Wonderful.” Dasquian didn’t need to be an empath to sense just how attached Jacali had become to Shade. While he was happy for her, he only hoped that their relationship, however it was defined, would not work to the detriment of her life as a Jedi. Dasquian knew first hand how difficult it could be to balance a personal life with the trying life of a Jedi, and hoped that Jacali knew too.

“Do you have any other stories to tell?” he asked, then sitting down, and looking to Jacali with an expectant and cheery face. “We have a long journey, and although we will need some rest, I’d certainly like to hear what you’ve been up to.”

[Jacali Danner]

"Well," Jacali began. "I'm helping Sarr Koon and Spada fix up a ship in the Jedi docking bay. I never realized that working with them would be so much fun, we really get along very well. I finished my own speeder project about two months back. Felix the garage owner let me do it all at his garage and Rognan Dar helped me."

Jacali thought for a few moments. "Oh, Shade is getting me a ship, he says that he has some friends that owe him a favor and he thought a ship ought to do it and then he's giving it to me. Can you believe that, Master? My own ship, my dad would be so proud. I only wish he could've helped me when I was doing the speeder, it was a Nexx speeder, one of his favorites."

The Padawan smiled at the thought of her father. "It was so strange the way I found it. Felix wanted me to go to a junkyard to find a part and walked around the corner of this one area and there it was...sitting right out in the open. The same year and kind my dad wanted us to restore together one day, he told me if I was going to restore anything have it be an older version Nexx. They run like a dream and mine does."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“You’ll have to show me it sometime. Perhaps Sejah too- I’m not sure if you’ve met him, he’s a Nehantite… quite fond of vintage speeders, motor vehicles and such like.”

There was an almost childish excitement in the way that Jacali spoke. It made Dasquian smile. It was so good to have something to be passionate about, especially if that interest could be tied in some way to a Jedi’s training.

“And what of your training?” he then asked, in that gentle fatherly voice of his, that he so often used around students. “Has Shade been tutoring you at all? Have you been keeping up practicing what you already know?”

[Jacali Danner]

"Well...while our adventures have brought us closer together, it's also strengthened my skills as a Jedi. I've had to fight and think quickly as well as keep my cool on everything going on around me. I think, I've handled situations better than I thought I would."

Jacali paused for a moment. "You just never know how you're going to react until that very moment and I think, I've kept a pretty level head."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“I only wish that I could have been there to witness it,” Dasquian replied, with a hint of both sadness and satisfaction in his voice. Then, as an afterthought, he added: “Perhaps we will have an adventure of our own while we’re here, hm? We Jedi seem to have a way of attracting adventure, even when we aren’t looking for it.”

The Knight returned to his seat, sighing comfortably. He patted the arms of the chairs, as if to say ‘now, what of this’, and asked: “Do you have any questions about the trip we’re taking, Jacali? On one hand, I’m pleased that you are able to restrain your curiosity, but on the other I am surprised that you do not wish to know more about our task and destination – unless, that is, you already do!”

[Jacali Danner]

"No, Master. I don't really know where we're going. My foresight in visions hasn't been what it used to be, every once in a while I'll see something, but not here lately. I'm not sure why, but it's probably because I'm too tired."

She smiled softly. "I have learned a lot about being curious and having patience." Jacali leaned forward. "I am curious about what we are doing, a logging world seems kind of strange to be visiting. But, then again, they could be having problems between the loggers and the non-loggers."

The thought of having angry loggers with hatchets running after them through forests came to mind. "Hmmm, an adventure it may just be, Master."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“As far as I am aware, there are no current problems on this world. Quite a refreshing thought really. However, it is a little off the beaten track, so there may have been news that slipped through the net, so to speak. It is impossible to prepare for anything and everything, but we should be on our guard while we are there.

“I’m not entirely surprised that your foresight has been waning. I suspect that with you focusing so much on your new abilities, it will be effectively pushed out- for lack of a better term. That’s not to say that it won’t be a skill you possess, simply that it will not be your primary skill. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. The Order has a number of seers within its ranks, but very few people who have a passion for machinery such as yours. In these modern times, both are equally important, wouldn't you agree?”

[Jacali Danner]

Yes, very, Master. I just want to do my part for the Order and being a mechanic, even though I'm a girl...is what I love. Helping out other Jedi, like Sarr and Spada makes the time so worthwhile and I'd help other Jedi, if they needed it."

She paused for a moment. "I just can't believe that I finally found my niche, Master. Even my brace isn't enough to keep me down anymore."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“There’s no reason why being a girl should inhibit your being a mechanic, Jacali. Some of the Order’s greatest warriors have been women,” he assured, then smiling. “I am glad that you have found your calling also and that you are learning to take and overcome obstacles as they are presented to you. I don’t imagine, however, that the obstacles we find on Pi will be easy to over come if we are exhausted. It’s best if we get some rest now. I’ll wake you when we’ve arrived.”

That said, Dasquian rose to his feet and motioned further into the ship. “There’s a bed and fresher in there. It’s not the most comfortable in the galaxy, but it’s better than sleeping in these chairs.”

[Jacali Danner]

Jacali nodded in agreement as her Master stood and led her towards another compartment. It would be nice to get some extra sleep.

"Have a good rest, Master and I'll talk to you later." She said as she closed the door.

Jacali lay on the bed for a moment, before she took her boots off. This mission of sorts would be good for her, just she and her master, it had been so long...too long in her eyes. But, Dasquian was a very busy man and she knew that as well.

The Padawan lay back and stared at the ceiling for a while, before finally drifting off to sleep.

[Dasquian Belargic]

The trip passed over in what seemed like no time, and before they knew it Dasquian and Jacali were being hailed down onto the planets surface. Dasquian had asked for modest loggings to be prepared just on the outside of the timber works, so that they would be able to survey the way in which it was made as well as buying samples. The whole area, much to his surprise, looked familiar. The high, gleaming green trees and the vast expanses of forest floor all reminded him of some vista he had once been to … perhaps in a dream. “Well I suppose we should put our things in their rooms then go to the tavern to get some lunch?”

A worker from the sawing mills had agreed to show them the way back to their cabins, and presently arrived, hearing the last of Dasquians words. “The tavern’s currently shut down, m’afraid, Master Jedi. Everywhere is.”

The Jedi Knight lofted a brow and questioned why, to which the man replied:

“The people say there’s a beast on the loose, and won’t come out of their cabins… even the mayor’s locked up in his room away from it,” he said, allowing uncomfortable silence to hang in the air before continuing. “It’s been killing things… and… eating them.”

[Jacali Danner]

Jacali remained quiet and listened carefully as she heard the fear within the workers voice. Her fingers were interlaced in front of her, in a normal Jedi stance as she too, was slightly surprised to hear the turn of events.

"Perhaps, some Jedi intervention is needed here, Master?" She asked mildly, her heart felt for the 'things' that were being killed and eaten, but there surely was some reason for it. And Jacali wanted to find that reason.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian nodded in agreement, then looking to the worker, their guide. As he began to show the Jedi the way to their accommodation, the Knight asked: “How long has this beast been here?”

Just at the mention of the thing, the mans skin seemed to crawl. “Not long. A couple of weeks at most. People used to say things about their being creatures out there, and that’s why some of the loggers got more wages than others, but I always thought that was just a scam, so they could get extra pay. Never believed there was actually something out there.”

“It’s quite probable,” Dasquian replied, “that this creature is exactly what you say it is – a creature, lost and confused, simply seeking food in an unknown place. We will certainly look into finding it for you, however.”

“Oh,” the man looked quite shocked.

“You would? You’re braver than all of us then. If you, er, really want to find it, they say it only comes out at night.”

The Jedi smiled. Things like this always seemed to ‘only come out at night’. It was like some unwritten rule. “Well, thank you for your help.” They had arrived at their cabin. The worker smiled sadly and sloped away, while Jacali and Dasquian entered their modest lodgings. Slinging his pack from his shoulder onto the cot bed, Dasquian looked to his Padawan.

“What do you think of this situation, my apprentice?”

[Jacali Danner]

Jacali thought on it for a few seconds. "I think this warrants an investigation on our part, Master. This thing seems to be on a killing spree, but I have to wonder if it's actually something of a creature or someone trying to scare the people for a particular reason. I've heard of a few things like that happening in remote areas."

She frowned and thought on this some more. "What are your thoughts on it, Master?"

[Dasquian Belargic]

“The situation, I feel, should be approached with care. There are many possible explanations for what is happening, and while not all of them will be as nefarious as we might speculate, we shouldn’t rule out that possibility entirely.” Beginning to unpack a few items from his shoulder bag, Dasquian continued: “Dark will be drawing in soon. Once the sun sets, we’ll head out into the forest. We can pick up a map from one of the locals and, if nothing else, get a feel for the terrain.”

[Jacali Danner]

"Yes, Master." Jacali answered without hesitation and began to unpack a few things she had brought.

The Padawan had brought a pair of electro-binoculars and water cantine and a night-vision visor she had made in her own time.

She took some time to make sure everything was ready, filling the cantine, and checking the charges on the other two items.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Forests were such wonderful places. He hadn't been in a good one like this in...well, he couldn't exactly remember when. That was a pity. But then again, he wouldn't have traded this for the world.

Force-masked, he was walking through the woods, taking note of this world's diversity with much more than his usual clinical dispassion. It seemed almost to sing; the back of his mind said something in response, something he missed. Some Jedi teaching or other, he thought. It was unclear - he couldn't remember specifics of any sort.

He was also taking the time to listen. While many of the animals present had minds complex enough fo rhim to control, he was finding more enlightenment in listening to the noises they made, the miniature dioramas of sound that told the circumstances around him better than his limited skills in the area of Sense.

Right now, he was listening for his Master. Vega was somewhere around here...

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The greel forests were immense, dense things, not unlike the evergreen woods of Fascinataru. They teemed with all sorts of minute life forms, from avian to amphibian. Though for the most part harmless, they had of late been joined by two far more formidable predators that had set their ecosystem at ill ease. It had been a long time since Vega had strayed from the metropolises of CoroNet and the barren plateaus of Ch’hodos, so it was pleasing to finally return to something more natural, more like home.

For little over a week now, Van-Derveld and his apprentice had been living in the wilds of Pi. The experience was what Vega’s father would have called character building, something to steel you and test the mettle of your will. For their first few days, the pair had done little but become accustomed to their surroundings. Once they had learned the lay of the land, however, the real fun had begun. Though the night had not yet fully drawn in, darkness would soon fall and – as the locals liked to say – ‘they only come out at night’. A howl reverberated through the woodland, echoing off into the distance.

Vega appeared out of a thicket of branches, laughing to himself. The highly effective yet strikingly simple trick they were pulling on the locals was working a real treat. “That should get them warmed up,” he chuckled, a vicious smile on his lips. He climbed over a fall log or two, dusting his hands free of the moss and grime that had collected on them during his travels. “Tonight’s the big night… looking forward to it?”

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Those should be use-” Dasquian was cut short. A sound, far away yet still distinct, could be heard. It was an animal of some kind, letting out a cry – though the Jedi could not say whether it was in pain, anger, or for some other unknown purpose. His resolve now seemed stronger, as he gathered up his own provisions and took his lightsaber hilt to hand. Now prepared, the pair of Jedi headed out into open air. The walk from their living quarters to the forests edge would take them at least an hour, and it would be longer still before they were into the woods proper.

Still in the beginnings of their journey, they stopped to pick up a map from the guide who had originally greeted them on their arrival. “Did you ‘ear that?” he said, in a loud whisper that rung of fear. “You can’t be goin’ out there, especially not you, young miss. It’s far too dangerous, even for Jedis.”

“I assure you, we will be quite safe.” Dasquian smiled thinly, yet in the back of his mind found himself doubting his own words. The Force was trying to tell him something, yet he could not place what. Suffice to say, however, that he did not anticipate their expedition being anything less than challenging.

[Jacali Danner]

It was her baby, the first thing as a Padawan she had made...her lightsabre and she had been very accustomed to handling it as she was about to clip it to her belt.

But, the strange howl made her keep it in her hand, it would be of more use there.

She followed her Master to get the map and listened to the man's warning. Jacali merely nodded in his direction and felt an inkling in the back of her mind. For some strange reason the man made her skin crawl and the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.

Or perhaps, it wasn't the man at all, but a warning from the Force.

Either way the Padawan would take heed to the warning.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"It may be stereotypically arrogant of me, Master, but these primitives won't be anything like an effective test."

He cocked a careful eyebrow, surveilling the woods one last time before focusing on the older, larger, taller and more powerful Sith that he was only now learning to operate with. Perhaps it was that much of his training had been at his own initiative, but it grated to be the lesser partner in anything.

And yet he knew that, one way or another, it had to be overcome.

"About ready to tell me exactly what is coming for us?" 'Cause there certainly isn't much worth us going for...

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“All of this has been play so far. Anyone can kill a man, especially a stupid man. No, whenever you want to catch something, Je’gan, you need to lay a little bait to attract it. Spill a little blood and the beasts come running.” Pausing to take a deep breath, Vega looked towards the sky. “Can’t you feel them? They haven’t been here long, but already their putrid altruism is filling the air with a foul stench.”

[Je'gan Olra'en]

He shook his head sharply in negation. "My Sense skills haven't improved much since Southstar finished his role in my training, and it was never a strong point except where danger was concerned. I can feel some powerful hazard-focii within a couple of klicks, but other than that...no, I can't tell Jedi from other minds without taking a closer look to see how disciplined the mind in question is. I was going to get around to that for the focii. Now, I suppose I don't need to.

"When do we move, and how?"

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“We don’t need to move. They’ll come to us, once it’s dark.” Smiling, he took a seat on a large boulder that sat squat in the clearing they were in. “Which approach do you think we should go for - a bit of stealth or meeting them head on?”

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"A bit of stealth is what my old Master tended to favour, and I suppose I've picked that up from him. But this is hardly the perfect environment to walk around invisible and Force-masked.

"Ehh...let's do the direct approach."

[Dasquian Belargic]

With the map provided as a guide, the pair of Jedi made their way into the forests. Unlike those that Dasquian knew from his home world, the greel trees were evergreen. They towered above, so thin that it looked as though the wind might topple them with the slightest breeze. This did not make them any easier to navigate, however, as they were as dense as they were tall – seeing ahead more than fifteen feet or so was virtually impossible. Pausing to check the map, Dasquian glanced up at the sky. He could no longer see the sun.

“If my estimations are correct, then it shouldn’t be more than ten minutes before the sun has set,” he remarked, as he traced their path through the woods with one fingertip. He had planned a route that would take them a fair distance into the forest, but certainly not to its extremities. Once reaching a certain point, their path would circle back on itself, allowing them to cover a sizable area in a short time.

[Jacali Danner]

"Then, perhaps we can find out just what we're up against, Master." Jacali said as she drew herself within the Force and felt around for any kinds of disturbances. Nothing out of the ordinary, well as ordinary as it could possibly be.

Since her mastery over the mechanical side of things, Jacali found her insight to future references, next to nil.

"I feel nothing out of the ordinary, Master at this moment. Though you may want to check for yourself, my danger sensing isn't picking up much."

That was when she noticed it. "Master, the forest is quiet...too quiet." There were no sounds going on at all. No crickets or anything.

"I don't like this." She gripped her sabre tightly as she cautiously scanned around.

[Dasquian Belargic]

As if on command, the wind began to rise and cut a zigzag through the trees, bringing with it the very subtle yet still audible sounds of something or someone moving across the forest floor. Though he had known danger lurked within the woods, he had never suspected any ambush – and what’s more, the Force had not alerted him until the very moment before their attackers had appeared. With hindsight, Dasquian would wonder whether or not there had been a reason for this blind spot, whether the Force had chosen to act as such, or whether he had simply let his guard down a little too far. For now, however, his mind was occupied with one thing and one thing only – the horrendously familiar voice that then spoke…

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Well, well, well… what have we here!”

The Force seized Dasquian like a puppet on a drink, drawing him up into the air by the front of his tunic. He dangled a foot above the ground, paralyzed by the invisible hand that held him. The pair of Sith had emerged from the trees without warning, exacting the desired effect upon the opponents – to leave them shocked and quite stunned at the unexpected waylay. Vega wore a tremendous grin on his face as he regarded the stoic face of the Jedi Belargic.

“Caught you off guard, did we?” With a casual motion of one hand, the Knight was hurled backwards into the thick trunk of a greel tree. He made no sign of his pain on impact, though Vega could feel his hurting through the Force. The Lupine drew his saber and as Dasquian gained his footing, so the Jedi armed himself too.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

With a deep thrumm, a sky-blue blade flashed into existence as Je'gan moved over the uneven ground, walking steadily towards Jacali with a sort of drift to the right to put enough distance between him and the Vega/Dasquian duet. He didn't bother with melodrama, merely raised his unarmed hand and began to create a Force-push.

His weakness was and always had been telekinesis; his Force-push was barely strong enough to knock a humanoid off balance. But when it was focused, as he'd learned to do so long ago, into something with an inch-wide cross section, then it had some stopping power. A long ray of distortion blasted from Je'gan's left hand, straight for Jacali's stomach.

[Jacali Danner]

Jacali's eyes widened in alarm as her master was thrown, she was about to help him, but had her own troubles to deal with.

A younger man, seemingly about her own age, stepped out of nowhere and was coming right at her with his lightsabre.

Jacali's own light blue blade ignited as she took the blast from the young Sith. Her sabre flew from her hand as her back hit a downed log. Recovery time was minimal as she got back to her feet, reached out with her hand and used the Force to retrieve her sabre.

Once the sabre was back in her hand, Jacali used the Force and shoved Je'gan backwards. "Two can play at that game." She spoke firmly.

[Dasquian Belargic]

It had been some time since Dasquian had last clashed with a real opponent, particularly one with some skill. He did not consider himself out of practice, though, and fell into old techniques with ease. Meeting Vega’s blade head on, he locked sabers with the taller man long enough so that he could get a glimpse of what was occurring behind – as Jacali returned to her feet, rearming herself. Though he knew she was capable enough to hold her own in a fight, he wished that he could help – but could not linger on such thoughts for long, as the relentless assault from Van-Dervelds cutting strikes continued.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Eyes glinting, Je'gan amped up his physical enhancement as far as it would go and leapt forward, blasting through the Force-push and towards Jacali with Azubah extended for a stab. His vision took a moment to swim back into focus, though, even with the Force flowing through him as it was: that push hadn't been weak, and neither had his jump. The blow had been concentrated on his head and shoulders. Pressure in his ears forced him to yawn in midair.

He touched down in a perfect Form Two stance, right within blade range, and his right arm flicked that stab out for her solar plexus.