Foundations in Light

[Dasquian Belargic]

It was mid-morning and already the Alliance Hub was a hive of activity. In the process of briefing two operatives on a low-level reconnaissance mission, Dasquian Belargic was interrupted with news that the Hub had received a communique from an important ally. The message explained the whereabouts of the Jedi Knight Daria Nytherciria, and also confirmed her willingness to meet with another Jedi with whom the Alliance had recently come into contact. It seemed important that the two should meet as soon as possible, and so Dasquian wasted no time in contacting Serena Laran, asking that she come to meet with him as soon as she was ready.

[Serena Laran]

"Come with me, Rhianna," Serena looked in on the girl in her room on board Serenity. "I am meeting with Agent Belargic about another Jedi, and I would like for you to come along."

Morgan was off somewhere... probably eating in the mess hall or putting something back together. The girl jumped up off her bunk, slipping her shoes on, and the Jedi and padawan left the ship. Walking down the ramp onto the deck of the hangar bay they had landed inside, Serena was very careful to maintain the same steady pace she always used. Unless there was an emergency, she would not run.

There simply was no need. Dasquian would be there with his news when she reached him.

[Rhianna]

Falling into step beside her mentor, Rhianna tied her hair back quickly. She had been up for a while now. After tossing down a quick breakfast she had gone for a walk, then returned to her bunk. She sat in silence and meditated for a while, but still she felt like she had too much energy pumping inside her. She needed a task. So when Serena had shown up she was eager to join her.

She smiled as they walked up to Agent Belargic.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Good morning Serena, Rhianna,” Dasquian smiled. “I hope you're both feeling well. You'll be happy to hear that I have some good news for you. Less than an hour ago we received a transmission from Daria, the Jedi Knight we previously spoke of. She has agreed to meet with you, though is reluctant to return to Republic space to do so. Her message explains that she has traveled to the Dufilvian Sector, and would like to rendezvous with you on the planet Arkania.”

[Serena Laran]

She wouldn't have called it Republic space, but Serena agreed with the unknown Jedi's sentiment. Avoiding the Empire would be paramount, especially with the young padawan Daria was in charge of.

"This is wonderful news." The Jedi smiled, "I know of Arkania." She hesitated, "I would like to leave immediately, if that is all right with the Alliance. My intentions are to help as much as I can, but the most help I can be right now would be to attempt to reunite the Jedi as much as possible."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Certainly. We understand completely.” This said, Dasquian handed a datapad to Serena. “This contains information on where to go once you arrive on Arkania. If either of you need any help, don't hesitate to get back in touch with us... the Alliance is happy to supply any resources you might need in trying to reform the Jedi Order.”

[Rhianna]

They were leaving? Rhianna eyed up the datapad and wondered what would happen next. She still couldn't believe all of the different places, people and gadgets that she had never seen before. Truely she had led a sheltered life. Talk of hopping from one planet to another would have caused her stomach to squirm not long ago, but now she saw that it was done quite frequently and wasn't at all uncommon. Still, she would be excited to see someplace new.

"Here we go again." She smiled, knowing that her excitement was showing.

"Is Arkania.. nice?" She sincerely didn't know how she would react if faced with the same strangers in white that had altered her life. It was the will of the Life Giver, but still, she couldn't help but feel sadness when she thought of her family.

[Serena Laran]

Serena did not answer Rhianna's question directly, "<a href=http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Arkania>Arkania</a> was once the site of a Jedi Praxeum, a place where those that listen to Abhairt Saoil were trained."

She smiled at Dasquian. "Thank you again, for all your help in this situation. It is a great relief to know that the Alliance is committed to the return of the Jedi." She paused, "We will leave as soon as possible, of course."

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Arkania is located in the Colonies, part of the Galaxy that the Empire is very much in control of. I know that I don't have to warn you but... please be careful.” Dasquian, then, smiled somewhat. “And may the Force be with you.”

[Rhianna]

Rhianna tossed a wave over her shoulder to Agent Belargic. She then quickened her pace to walk beside Serena as they made their way back to the Serenity. She had a million question she wanted to ask, but then, she usually did. It seemed better for her to just be calm and quiet and the answers usually found her.

[Serena Laran]

Serena looked over at Rhianna after saying their good-byes to Agent Belargic. The girl was doing a good impression of being serene, but there were questions beneath the surface, bubbling and trying to get out. The Jedi smiled, and kept walking.

Morgan was still not at Serenity, so Serena sent Rhianna to find him while she went through the pre-flight checks. "I will answer your questions soon enough, do not worry. But for now we need to leave the fleet." She frowned, "I feel a sense of urgency that is not my excitement - the Force is telling us to hurry."

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan was arms deep in a cleaning droid. It had been moving oddly so he had asked what was wrong with it. It had responded with rapid fire beeps and boops and the occasional squeal. After getting the droid to slow down, it complained that it didn’t know what was wrong, and that because neither the scanning equipment nor its internal diagnostics could figure out what the issue was, the technician and the repair droids refused to do anything. The droid led him to the droid repair bay. The slicer sat on the rolling chair in the room and spun himself around a few times before instructing the droid to walk back and forth across the room four times.

“Onto the table with you.” He picked the droid up, although it weighed over a hundred kilos, and placed it onto the examining table. Morgan found the spanners and opened up the droid’s lower housing. Out oozed cheap, dirt laden grease instead of the thinner, proper lubricant that should have been surrounding the lower motivator unit.

“Someone cheaped out on your last overhaul.” He held up a finger to show the droid, which warbled mournfully.

“Yeah, you may want to suck that stuff out. I don’t know where the replacement fluid is, though.”

[Rhianna]

Rhianna nodded, understanding. "I know where he went. I'll hurry.

Before Rhianna and Serena had left to meet with Agent Belaric, Rhianna had peeked in on Morgan, just to see what he was up to and to let him know where they were going. He had mentioned to her that he might stop by droid maintenence. She was still somewhat unsure of the droids, but at the same time she found them fascinating.

She found her way there with little trouble and kept her hands at her sides, afraid to touch anything. Everything around her seemed complex and she would rather not let her curiosity get the better of her. She didn't have the time to go exploring. Serena had stressed the urgency of their depature. She spotted Morgan and tip toed up behind him, watching him silently for a minnute while he worked on the droid. With a grin she stepped forward and nudged him with her hip.

"Another of your talents?" She teased.

"Serena says we are leaving. We are meeting up with another Jedi on.. " She tried to remember the name of the planet.

"Arkania."

[Morgan Evanar]

“Oh. Okay.” Morgan sounded interested, but wondered what the point would be. Arkania had a massive population and was very advanced. It was also very much firmly in the hands of the Empire. It would not be easy to find anything there.

“And yeah, my parents used to fix droids.” He said as he followed her into the corridor.

He boarded Serenity and took a seat in the cockpit at the navigation station. Serena was almost done with the pre-flight check.

“I didn’t realize we were leaving so soon.” He said and did a status check on the navicomp.

[Serena Laran]

"Nor did I, but I feel that it is important that we go as soon as possible." Serena looked up and smiled at her tall student. "If the Force wills, it will be a short trip."

She turned back to the instrument panel, feeling that it was not going to be a short trip. Something was wrong, or would be wrong soon. She contacted Alliance Hub Control for permission to disembark, and the yacht was soon cleared to leave.

[Rhianna]

Rhianna slid into the seat directly nehind Serena and strapped herself into as many harnesses as she could. It wasn't that she didn't trust her teacher, she just was still a bit unsteady with the inital feeling of Serenity taking off.

That, along with a nagging sense in the back of her mind. She knew nothing about the planet that they were heading for, but she had a bad feeling. Everytime she thought about it, she could just feel her skin crawl with warning.

"Is everything.. okay? I don't feel right." She didn't want to worry them, she wasn't falling ill again. So she clarified.

"I just feel like, something bad could happen."

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan stifled a chuckle at Rhianna, but then realized she had no reason to be worried because she knew nothing about Arkania. He frowned. The system check on the navigational system came up clean.

“Navigation’s ready. Let’s hope Imperial Customs agrees with you. And…” he used the multifunction display next to him to bring up a status overview. ”Everything else is ready too. Bad feelings or not, here we go.”

[Serena Laran]

Serenity disappeared into hyperspace, leaving the Rebel fleet far behind.

Hours later, it winked back into realspace just inside the Arkanian sector. Serena had spent much of the time meditating with Rhianna, while Morgan was doing his own version of meditation which involved hanging upside down under the deck in an access hole, tinkering with the ship's non-essential systems.

She looked at Rhianna, who was now sitting at navigation, and asked gently, "Do you feel anything further yet?" She had been trying to help the girl refine the feeling she had gotten just before leaving the Rebel fleet.

[Rhianna]

"Nothing clear.. Just that something isn't as it should be."

Rhianna seemed apprehensive and not at all her usuallly optomistic self. The feeling hadn't left her. The mediatations had helped relieve her unease, but hadn't rid her of the feeling that she was being warned.

"It's like I'm being prepared for something.."

[Morgan Evanar]

He wasn’t so much tinkering as examining the refit work done to Serenity. The entire fluidics system had been stripped out in favor of the current electrical based systems. The only advantage of the fluidics system was it’s resistance to ion bombardment, but generally your engines were kaput at that point, so fluidics almost never made a bit of difference. Clive and his staff did a good job. That gave him some peace of mind, but why did he need it?

The closer they got to Arkania the more uneasy he felt. At least he had his blaster back.


Morgan returned to the cockpit and immediately dove into the ship's status readouts to occupy him.

-bumpasaurus-

[Serena Laran]

Serena cast Morgan a sideways glance as she recieved their landing coordinates from the planetside spaceport nearest to where they were to meet the Jedi Daria. Turning on manual control she began to guide the yacht down to into the atmosphere of Arkania.

"We must be on our guard at all times," she reminded Rhianna, "Do not let a thoughtless word slip past your lips. Even to whisper the name Jedi could lead to unwanted attention."

[Rhianna]

"I think I'd rather go along being a silent observer. It keeps me out of trouble.." Rhianna smiled and slid out of her seat, mentally preparing herself for whatever this new world held in store for her. She wasn't alone, that was good enough for her.

She sincerely hoped that Serena found her fellow Jedi. That they were able to meet without anything unforseen happening. Her feeling of warning was stronger, but she said nothing. She couldn't identify a reason for her feelings, yet.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan walked off the ramp first for some reason. The smell of civilization hit him, which meant it stunk slightly. Super-populated planets put out equal amounts of garbage. It was a race to see how fast it could be shuttled off the surface for either reprocessing or new fuel for the nearest star. Arkania was one of the few planets that truly rivaled Coruscant in density. He dug his hands into his grey jacket’s pockets. Unlike other worlds, where the landing platform was a place to bombard a visitor with services, the Arkanians didn’t bother. They were assured in the quality of the goods they offered. He turned back, looking over his at Serena and Rhianna. Serena had not told them exactly where they would be going, so he waited for her to take the lead.

[Serena Laran]

Serena walked out after Morgan, descending the ramp and waiting for Rhianna to step off before closing up the ship. She spent a moment talking to the nearby 'port tech, giving him a little extra so he would keep an eye on the ship for her. Bribery was wrong, but a tip was never out of order, she thought as she smiled slightly to herself.

Returning to where Rhianna was giving Morgan a bold look (Serena reminded herself to have a talk with Morgan - it never seemed to be the right time), the Jedi retrieved a datapad from her robes. She was not attired as a Jedi, but was wearing long robes in sage green and cream, tied with a wide belt. They were comfortable, and, more importantly, cool in the hot weather they seemed to have landed in the middle of.

She haded the datapad to Morgan, along with a credit chit. "This is the place where we are meeting Nytherciria. We will need to rent a speeder to get there, I believe, if you would be so kind as to do the honors?"

[Rhianna]

She was still doing rather well at keeping the pink flush in her cheeks to a minimum. Rhianna's only problem was keeping her lips from curling up into a grin without warning every so often. Her only course of action was to focus on what they were doing here. Finding another Jedi. She would just have to sort out her attraction to Morgan at a more appropriate time. At any rate, her troubled feeling was increasing. She should tell Serena, but quietly..

"Sámh.. I don't think I like it here. It is getting worse." She glanced around but was still unable to pinpoint a source for her unease.

[Morgan Evanar]

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He called over his shoulder. It would not take long to find a speeder rental near this section of the port. The slicer-turned-something (what was he? Certainly not a Jedi. Not yet. Maybe.) navigated the crowd with practiced ease. He slipped through pickpockets with a simple twist or sidestep. This was a sort of world he was familiar with. The speeder rental could have been transplanted to Nar Shadda, except the building was too intact, and not shady enough. After presenting ID and making a deposit for insurance on the medium sized five seat family speeder, Morgan brought it back to the landing pad, where Rhianna and Serena were waiting.

[Serena Laran]

Serena comforted Rhianna with an arm around the shorter girl's shoulders, and Morgan quickly returned with a speeder. Rhianna sat in the back and Serena took the passenger seat. "The ruins should be somewhere outside the city, it will probably take about an hour to get there."

Morgan nodded, and pulled the speeder away from the landing pad, picking up speed. There was no divider between the front and back, and the vehicle was covered, so Serena twisted around to face her padawan in the backseat. "I feel it too, Rhianna. We will go with all haste to the ruins, and perhaps it will become clear once we are there."

[Rhianna]

Rhianna nodded. She settled back into the seat and waited. It was all she could do really. She closed her eyes and waited for them to arrive at the ruins, hoping that everything would be alright.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan was not a sedate driver. While he did use his signals, he was not afraid to use the accelerator or brakes. The repulsor’s whine changed frequently as he feathered the controls around a corner. He had looked at the map for a few minutes, and, since all of the signs had been agreeing, he knew where he was going.
<o></o>
Serena was right, though. The ruins were far from the landing pad. After five minutes Morgan seemed to concede to the traffic and backed off, behaving just like another commuter. A few close calls were avoided by attentive driving and instant reflexes, but nothing bad came of it. Eventually the city parted and the area surrounding the ruins had long since crumbled and had never been rebuilt. He put the speeder close to what he perceived to be the entrance, and looked around nervously while climbing out of the speeder.
<o></o>
“For a place where Jedi used to live it makes me awfully uneasy.”

[Daria Nytherciria]

The dead... they were everywhere. The Force seemed to radiate from every surface, from within every cracked and crumbled stone. It was as if the Jedi, who had once called the praxeum home, had left a permanent imprint on the land around them. Their presence still lingered and Daria felt humbled by it, as she walked amongst the rubble and debris. The native Arkanians had not walked the halls since they had been damaged – by what, Daria did not yet know. Whether they avoided the ruins out of respect, or because they too felt the past echoing mournfully throughout, she did not know. “This is all that is left of most, if not all, of the Jedi praxes,” she said, turning to the young boy walking at her side, Wyl Staedtler. “The Empire could not stand to leave the buildings intact... as if destroying them would somehow destroy all memory of the Jedi themselves.”

[Serena Laran]

Serena opened the door of the speeder slowly as Morgan idled the engine down. Before he could turn it off, she took his arm, stopping him. "Keep it running." He hesitated, but then nodded, leaning back on the drivers side door and hanging his elbow out the window.

The Jedi stepped out into the dry tundra that was all around the ruins, and waited for Rhianna to get out of the speeder. Stretching out with the Force she felt for any ripples or disturbances. For now, there was nothing.

[Rhianna]

Rhianna hopped out of the speeder and stayed close to Serena. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her long blue skirt to keep from fidgeting. She didn't see anything that would pose a threat, but that didn't mean that what was unseen wasn't also dangerous. She would keep a sharp eye out.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan watched the two walk off into the ruins. He leaned back in the seat for a bit before giving up. The place had been leveled, and there wasn't too much here, but the sense of dread wouldn't leave. The slicer tried to keep alert and occupied while in the speeder, but, short of starting to re-write it's control systems, he couldn't think of anything. He got out of the speeder but left the door open, taking a good look at the place from his feet. Sadly, it was much the same as it looked from inside the speeder, but he could see further into the bleak landscape. Morgan kicked some of the debris. He watched a peppble bounce for a while, and then looked around again.

He hoped Serena and Rhianna would be back soon.

[Wyl Staedtler]

"That's dumb." Wyl said, eying the mass of detritus around them warily. Though still uneasy around the Jedi, the boy had lingered closer to her side than usual since coming upon the ruins. He wasn't afraid yet, but he didn't want to get separated here.

His mother had told him a little about the temple on Coruscant, how nearly everyone had been killed. Whenever she'd spoken about it her voice had gotten very quiet and sad and Wyl had gotten an uncomfortable, heavy feeling in his chest. This place was very quiet and sad too. Dropping into a crouch, Wyl reached out and picked up a jagged piece of stone. It was covered in dirt and so the boy spit into his palm and rubbed the rock fiercly until it's natural grey came through. He tilted it to catch a bit of light on the sparkly vein that ran down it's middle before pocketing it. "How long ago did they wreck it?" Wyl asked quietly, squinting up at Daria.

[Daria Nytherciria]

“I don't know when this particular location was targetted, but the Empire began their systematic destruction of the Jedi temples when I was still a young girl, around twenty-five years ago.”

They walked a little further. Here and there it was possible to distinguish differences in the debris, to imagine the true structure of the buildings that the rubble had once made up, but for the most part it was all the same – shattered rock, littered like the bones of some behemoth long-dead.

“Jedi Master Arca Jeth founded the Arkanian praxeum. Before his arrival, the world was a boon of dark energy... he, and his students, banished the taint, righting the planets balance. It's important that we remember people like this, the Jedi of old, so that we do not lose sight of our own path.”

As Daria spoke, she felt a slight prickling in the back of her mind. For a moment, she felt she could sense another Jedi. Had the woman that the Rebels had spoken of arrived... or was it merely another echo of the Force, playing tricks on her?

[Serena Laran]

Serena walked slowly, not wanting to spook the woman they were meeting by rushing forward. Rhianna strolled along behind her, looking all around as they worked their way through the debris of the praxeum.

There was movement up ahead, and Serena paused to watch a small boy as he bent and picked up a rock. Almost hidden by a fallen wall, a taller figure stood near him. They were several meters ahead of them, and the Jedi felt certain these were the ones they were here to meet. "Greetings," she called out, but remained where she was.

[Rhianna]

Rhianna trailed along behind Serena. She was curious about the ruins, but at the same time she didn't want to know what had happened here. The place seemed like it had a story to tell. She froze suddenly when she realized that Serena had stopped walking. Just up ahead she saw two figures, one of them was a child. It was likely that this was who they were looking for. She remained still, but relaxed her features and managed a gentle smile.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan paced around the speeder humming a no-name tune of whatever note came to mind. He could understand that Serena rightly wanted to make sure nothing happened to the speeder, as it was the escape route. He hoped collecting the other Jedi and her learner would not take long. Arkania gave him the creeps. He plodded and continued to hum while conjuring up more hyperspace coordinates in a vain attempt to keep distracted from the horridly dull landscape. His circle widened after the first ten laps around the speeder, although he was never more than three or four seconds away. Slowly, this became ten, when part of the rubble caught his eye. To him, it looked like a doorway had collapsed, but there wasn’t much around it. He could see remnants of a blast door, but very little structure behind it. He turned back to look at the speeder. No one was there, nor anywhere near by.
<o></o>
Curious, he cleared away several significant chunks of rubble that obstructed the door. He kept an eye on the speeder as often as he could without smooshing himself. Nothing was coming. He stopped to listen and couldn't hear anything but the gentle hum of the repulsors.

[Wyl Staedtler]

Wyl was about to ask what a boon was when a voice echoed behind them. The boy flinched and scurried to his feet, his grubby sneakers skidding on the pebbled ground in an effort to gain some traction whilst he spun around. Heart in his throat Wyl took a step behind Daria, staring with wide eyes at the two women.

They were both smiling and certainly looked anything but menacing. Wyl was worried anyway; this place was creepy enough without people sneaking up behind them. The boy tried to conceal himself as best he could behind Daria without compromising his view of the two strangers. He frowned, let his hand slide into his pocket to clutch the rock within and waited, nervousness practically emanating off of him in waves.

[Daria Nytherciria]

Instinctively, Daria placed herself in front of Wyl. Though they had only spent a short time together, unconsciously she was already growing protective of him. “Greetings,” she heard and turned to look to the source. Although her eyes were blind, through the Force she saw the outlines of two figures. They stood out as two luminous shapes against the empty landscape, both appearing to radiate light.

It had been so long since she had last encountered another Jedi that Daria felt a tense anxiety flare briefly in her mind. She sighed, calming herself, and wet her dry lips. “Greetings,” she called in reply, not taking her eyes from the pair for a moment.

[Serena Laran]

Serena stepped forward, slowly. "I am Serena and this is Rhianna, my padawan. We have come a long way to meet you."

[Rhianna]

She wasn't entirely certain how best to proceed. Everyone seemed to be a little unsure. Rhianna politely inclined her head as she was introduced. It seemed highly unlikely that anyone would be intimiadted by her. On the other hand, she herself had witnessed first hand what trusting people could do to your life. She had once made a silly vow of not speaking to strangers anymore, thinking them to all be as cruel as the Imperial Coimhthíoch's that had slain her family. Yet here she was, now surrounded with people that she trusted completely, like Morgan. Others still were slowly earning her trust, like Agents Belargic and Van-Derveld.

In the end it was a matter of faith for her. Rhianna was once again speaking to the Abhairt Saoil, and trusted what her heart told her to do. Her hands remained at her side, but her palms turned forward, showing the pair that she wasn't concealing anything. She stepped forward to stand at Serena's side and spoke up.

"I'm pleased to meet you both."

[Morgan Evanar]

The blast door was no longer being fed power. An obvious deduction from the lack of motion when he tried to operate the controls. Morgan placed his ear against the metal and tapped at the surface, trying to guess at the thickness from it's tone based on it's outer size. Pretty standard for a blast door, he guessed.

Morgan stared at the door, contemplating how best to get it open, and then stared at the speeder when nothing came to mind.

[Daria Nytherciria]

The trepidation that had clung to the Jedi's mind like a sea-fog begun to diffuse, driven away by the light that shone from Serena and her Padawan. Daria saw the goodness in them and it calmed her frayed nerves.

“I am Daria,” she replied, though suspecting that the pair already knew of her identity. “And this is my apprentice Wyl.”

The introduction was formal. Perhaps in days gone by Jedi might have offered warm, embracing greetings, but these were changed times. The first steps that brought the Jedi together once more were tentative. They were like two wild animals, cautious, uncertain of one another, as though they were entirely different species, so estranged.

“There is another with you,” she questioned, with a frown, though her tone sounded sure.

[Serena Laran]

Serena nodded, "Yes, another adept, Morgan Evanar. He is waiting with our speeder." She paused, "Since I agreed to this meeting I have felt the weight of the Force upon me. You are in danger, Daria. Rhianna has some talent with foresight as well, and she has felt it too.

"Perhaps by coming we have all been put into harms way, but I could not stay away." The Jedi looked down at the little boy's face, and saw the caution and worry in his eyes. She smiled warmly at him, to set him at ease. Nothing will happen with us all together.

[Wyl Staedtler]

They were Jedi too. Maybe it had been spooky, the way they had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, but they were just like Daria. Well, Wyl thought as he glanced up at the woman with an expression somewhere between fascination and unease, Sort of like Daria.

While Serena and Daria exchanged greetings, Wyl stared at Rhianna. She was a padawan, like him, only a lot older. There was something in the quietness surrounding her that made Wyl feel a little better. Until he caught hold of what Serena was saying.

"Danger?" Wyl whispered anxiously, stepping ever closer to his new gaurdian. He had been on edge ever since Coruscant and it took very little to set his heart to racing. Despite the warmth coming from Serena and Rhianna, and Daria's ever-steady presence, the boy felt his chest tightening. "What does she mean?"

[Daria Nytherciria]

The Jedi Knight looked down into Wyl's anxious eyes and laid a hand upon his shoulder. “No harm will come to you, I promise.”

She turned her attention then to Serena. “I have sensed it too... but it was the will of the Force that we should come here.”

Although Daria's words rang with an almost grim fatalism, she believed strongly in the notion that the Force worked upon their lives always. Whatever happened to them, did so for a reason and was doubtlessly part of some larger design for their future.

Daria then asked, “Why did you wish to meet with us?”

[Rhianna]

Rhianna had a good deal of experience with children. She had been responsible for teaching some of the young ones in her clan and seeing to their daily routines. Back then she hadn't thought it much of a job, more of playtime. Now however she felt that those days had given her insight into this new life. She knew how to talk to children, rather than at them.

Slowly Rhianna took another tentative step forward, then dropped to hunker down a few feet from Wyl, meeting him at eye level rather than towering above. She didn't move any closer. The boy didn't need a hug, he needed to be aware of as much as he could. She sensed that he was quite capable of understanding the situation.

"Wyl, do not be afraid. The danger that we felt, it is only one possiblity. I can tell you honestly that the feeling is much better now that we are all together."

Rhianna smiled reassuringly, letting the two Jedi continue their discussion.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan stared at the speeder, his progress impeeded. He was strong, but not strong enough to pry open blast doors. He could hear a distant hum through the doors that was not there a minute ago. The controls for the door came back to life. Unnerved, Morgan returned to the speeder and waited for Serena and Rhianna to return.

[Serena Laran]

"Palpatine is dead. His New Order falters, and the Force stirs the Jedi from their exile." Daria looked to be in her twenties, however, and had certainly not been a Jedi Knight at the time of the Purge. Serena hoped for more like Daria - Jedi trained up by others in hiding. "I left my hiding place in the Outer Rim just a few months ago, and I have already found two adepts and met another Jedi Knight. I intend to help the Jedi Order return to the galaxy, and to do that the surviving Jedi must begin to meet again."

She frowned suddenly. "How long have you been on this planet?"

[Daria Nytherciria]

“A matter of days... I have spent the last ten years moving from planet to planet.”

The time spent on the run showed clearly in Daria's face. The edges of her pure-white eyes showed creases, though there were no dimples at the edges of her lips, none of the usual smile lines. The death of Palpatine had been but a small relief. A frown furrowed her brow.

“What of the other Jedi you have found? Do they support your... noble goal?”

[Wyl Staedtler]

Though he didn't trust her, Wyl found himself believing Rhianna and even offering a small, wary nod. There was a certain comraderie in her levelling withi him that did it. And besides, it was a little less creepy with the lot of them there.

Drawing courage from the comforting weight of Daria's hand on his shoulder, Wyl turned his attention to the conversation at hand.

[Rhianna]

Wyl still looked wary, and rightly so. She didn't blame him at all. Rhianna herself was slow to trust and completely understood. Anything else would have been silly, but at least he didn't look ready to fly into a panic anymore. She felt she had also suceeded in letting him know that she liked children and would listen to anything he had to say. Some things were easy to convey without benefit of any language at all. She smiled and rose to her feet.

She listened to the two Jedai as they spoke of important things. More than catching up, they were establishing lines of communication that were the beginnings of something very important, Rhianna thought. She felt both humbled and privledged that she was here with Serena.

Unobtrusively, Rhianna regarded the other Jedi with interest. She wondered what kind of woman she was and had to remember to keep her excitement and interest quieted for now. As usual, she would just have to wait to learn more. Looking over her shoulder, back in the direction they had come, she wondered if everything was alright with Morgan back at the speeder.

[Serena Laran]

"The idea has been met with cautious optimism, though certainly I do not blame any for hesitating. But the time is right." Serena spoke with absolute certainty. The Jedi would rise again, and she would be a part of their return. It was not in doubt.

Other surviving Jedi would also be integral to the reconstruction of the Jedi Order, but she did not know who, or when. Loklorien was looking for a suitable planet for the Order, in her own way. That one had a long and treacherous path ahead of her. And the only thing that Serena knew for certain about the blind Jedi before her was that she was in danger.

"But we should leave this place as soon as possible." She looked at the boy and then back to Daria. Her feeling of dread, the warning of the Force, had narrowed in focus and seemed centered around the boy. Was he the source?

[Daria Nytherciria]

Daria wondered as to why Serena believed 'the time was right', but she did not object. “As you wish.” The Jedi professed that she and her student were gifted with the foresight, and if they both sensed some threat there was a good chance that their anxiety was warranted. “Where would you have us go?”

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan stared at the now-exposed door from the vantage of the speeder’s hood. He flopped his legs from the knee down about, and occasionally his boots would bounce off each other. Theoretically, he could navigate the speeder through the field of debris that lined the path to wherever Rhianna and Serena were. He stared at the ground that flicked in and out of view through his boots. Morgan jumped back onto his feet, yawned, stretched, and then stared at the door. Why the hell was it there? What was behind it? Why did it have power again? He scrunched his face up. It bothered him, but he would wait until Serena came back.

[Serena Laran]

She still gazed at the boy, conflicting images swirling around his head. Serena looked back at Daria. "If you have a speeder and a place in the city, start heading back there. We will follow at a distance so as not to garner too much attention. Gather your things, and we can meet at the spaceport." It was imperative that they leave the planet as soon as possible. All of them.

Rhianna suddenly grabbed Sámh's hand, and Serena looked at her. She nodded in agreement. "It is too late. We are found."

[Wyl Staedtler]

The conversation had taken a Grown-Up turn and become hard to follow minuntes before, but Wyl understood all too well what found meant and the possibilities it brought. He rubbed at his chest--which fluttered oddly--and visibly tensed; what happened now? Did they hide? Did they run?

The boy looked up at Daria, mouth dry, and waited.

[Rhianna]

Much like she had been after the attack on her family, the tension here and now spurred Rhianna into action. Not giving into any panic, she thought only about what needed to be done. She was worried for the boy, he seemed so small and far too young to have to face the ugliness of the world. She knew though, that as she had Sámh, Wyl had Daria and she would keep him safe.

Rhianna turned her blue eyes on Sámh in silent question.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan turned and looked at the door. The march of metal feet echoed outward. He could see blaster carbines pointing out of the darkness that used to be sealed off. Serena had been right. He should have stayed at the speeder and not moved.
<o></o>
Four droids marched out, abreast. They looked old and patched up. Morgan threw himself into the driver’s seat of the idling speeder and waited. It was possible he was far enough with enough debris between himself and that door that he had gone unnoticed. That hope was dashed seconds later when the droids opened up with a flurry of blaster bolts. Morgan put the speeder in drive, and made it snake through the rocky landscape. He’d need to stay close to pick up Rhianna and Serena. Even though he was somewhat protected from the incoming fire, he flinched whenever a bolt landed nearby.<o></o>

[Daria Nytherciria]

The ruins were so quiet that the sound of blaster fire echoed clearly, even from a distance. The hand that Daria had laid upon Wyl became more firm, and the Jedi found herself drawing the boy closer. “This way. Now,” she urged, turning without further pause away from Serena and Rhianna. They had entered the temple at its southern most point, while Daria had entered from the north, stowing her speeder in the shadow of a large frozen outcrop.

[Serena Laran]

Serena gathered up her robes and moved quickly after the younger Jedi and the boy, Rhianna close by her side. Morgan had enough sense to keep himself safe, so she didn't worry too much about him. Yet.

Moving through the ruins at not quite a run, Serena put her hand on the smooth cyclinder that was concealed beneath a layer of her clothing. It was dangerous to have on her person, but she had felt that the benefits would outweigh the risks in this case. Still, she hesitated to pull out her lightsaber, not wanting to incriminate their group, and not knowing who was closing in behind them.

[Wyl Staedtler]

Without hesitation Wyl anchored himself beside Daria, allowing the Knight to urge him onwards. The echoes of blaster fire resounding off the ruins brought with them unpleasant recollections that the boy was all too happy to flee from. The speeder was not terribly far and the promise of soon arriving made the awful wriggling in his chest--which seemed to push and make his breath come short, his fingertips tingle--tolerable.

Not daring to look over his shoulder, Wyl merely hurried alongside his gaurdian with the footsteps of Serena and Rhianna crunching behind. It didn't matter to him who was shooting, just so long as they kept moving away from the blasts.

[Rhianna]

The sound of the blaster fire was an echo of her past. Rhianna disregarded the urge to confront the source. She didn't quite know where it came from, the sudden urge to face whatever was coming after them. It wouldn't do her good anyways. The delay could only harm them so she kept herself moving, sprinting over the frozen tundra.

She didn't think leaving Morgan to fend for himself was a grand idea, but she trusted that he could look after himself. He had done so until keeping company with them and Rhianna knew that the Force, what she knew as Life Giver was with him as well. She only hoped that they could meet up with him sooner rather than later..

[Morgan Evanar]

Rhianna and Serena could hear the whine of repulsorlifts echoing through the ruins. It grew softer for a moment, and then quickly started to become louder. It rounded a collapsed building on the very edge of control, nearly kissing a massive boulder. It barreled toward the Jedi. Rhianna was almost certain that Morgan would run them down when the air brakes flared from the speeder and the front dived. Morgan cut the controls left and spun the speeder about on its nose. He brought it to a halt tail-first, scant meters from the pair.
<o></o>
“IN IN IN!” He yelled, and threw the passenger side door open with such force that Serena had to give it an extra tug to close. They needed no extra urging to put on seat belts.
<o></o>
“Droids.” He said while his eyes flicked rapidly between the windscreen and the mirrors available. Morgan coaxed every ounce of power the speeder had to accelerate back up to a decent speed. Blaster bolts began to speckle near them as he charged back down the route he came.
<o></o>
A droid stuck out from behind the collapsed building. Morgan made half hearted attempts at dodging a weaving around them, picking up superficial scars on the rental speeder. He faked right, leading the droid to come further out and into the open. For less than a second, the droid must have realized it made a mistake when Morgan’s hand shot out of the open window. He stomped the brakes, and Morgan clipped it with the left side of the speeder, sending its blaster straight into his hand. It was a rather improbably feat. He shoved the weapon between the door and his seat for the moment, and returned his hand to the controls, resuming the careful, frantic dance of keeping the speeder between the debris. <o></o>

[Serena Laran]

Inside the speeder it was a tangle of arms and legs as Daria, Wyl and Rhianna struggled to make sense of the backseat. Serena put on her restraint, and focused on the droids as Morgan drove erratically through the ruins. She recognized them, which meant that these droids were over twenty years old. What were they doing here?

With a subtle hand movement, she sent three of them flying into a stone wall, where they sparked and shorted out.

[Morgan Evanar]

-bumppleasepostthxbye-

[Daria Nytherciria]

The land was a blur. As the speeder swerved and dodged, the outline of the tundra flashed before Daria's eyes in ghostly grays. While she could hear gunfire, she could not see it. Instinctively, she pulled Wyl closer and ducked low. The fact that their safety now depended almost entirely on a hunk of metal, liable to explode should the wrong area find itself a blaster-bolt target, did not sit well with the technophobic Jedi Knight.

[Wyl Staedtler]

Even with the lap restraint pulled tight, Wyl slid back and forth on the seat as the speeder weaved. It was a bit exciting even though all the spit in his mouth had dried up. Daria soon secured him and Wyl hunkered against the woman, eyes darting from the windows to the pilot and back again. When they plowed into a droid the boy couldn't help but let an awed grunt slip out.

The knawing feeling in the pit of his stomach wasn't as sharp and Wyl's grip on Daria loosened slightly. The woman, he noticed, remained tense. "It's okay." Wyl whispered, offering the Knight a tentative smile.

[Rhianna]

After getting herself secured into the seat, Rhianna's second priority had been making sure that Wyl was also secured where he sat between her and Daria. The boy was being brave about the whole thing and even seemed to be offering the Jedi at his side some comfort, she smiled briefly in the chaos of the moment, and then leaned forward, holding onto the back of Serena's seat. She was fighting the urge to chatter about whet the things were, where they had come from, who..? why..? As usual though she remained quiet, letting Morgan concentrate on piloting them to safety..

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan’s eyes blinked only out of necessity. They were open as wide as possible and focused on wherever the speeder was headed. The speeder traveled on the very edge of its performance envelope, loaded with nearly 320 kilos of sentient being in it. More than once Morgan barely kissed an outcropping which sent the briefest of scrapes through the car, but he did not slow down at all. They were nearly to the gap in the surrounding wall when a large, grey commander droid stepped from behind it. The droid filled the air with rapid-fire blasts from its wrist, and the speeder could not squeeze through the limited space, nor could it survive a collision with the much larger commander droid. He swerved the speeder left and danced with the throttle and air brakes to keep the sideways sliding speeder from getting too close to the monstrosity, and between the wreckage that filled the landscape.

"Ok ok crap, now what?" He asked of the wail of the repuslors and powerplant.

[Serena Laran]

"We improvise." Serena gripped the back of Morgan's seat as she leaned forward. "Take the others to the second speeder and secure their saftey. Daria can tell you where to go. I will meet you there if I can."

The Jedi Knight threw open the door and jumped out, lightsaber engaging as she ran towards the commander droid. As long as no shielded droidekas appeared, she would at least have a chance against these oh-so-familiar foes. The speeder hesitated for a moment, then the repulsors whined as it took off during her distraction.

The droid centered its fire on her, and Serena felt only the calm ocean of the Force as her lightsaber deflected the bolts harmlessly away from her.

[Daria Nytherciria]

Daria watched Serena shrink into the distance as the speeder sailed through its narrow escape. The flash of the lightsaber was something she had not witnessed for some time - it was almost hypnotic.

“We aren't safe yet. We need to get off this planet.”

[Rhianna]

Rhianna's head swiveled around to watch as Serena landed on the ground, then stayed behind. She didn't understand how, or even what was really happening. She only knew that Sámh had stayed behind to give them a chance and was now facing alone what was after them.

Rhianna unhooked her seat restraint and scrambled into the front seat with Morgan. There was nothing more she could do for her mentor now, they needed to get to the second speeder and believe that she would arrive to meet them. Concern etched on her face, Rhianna strapped herself in.

[Morgan Evanar]

Daria's face was hidden beneath her hood, but it didn't rouble him at all. Instead, he relentlessly pushed the speeder, taking advantage of it's slightly lightened weight. There were still some droids stirring about, occasionally taking pot shots.

Something told him to flick the speeder sideways. He couldn't see any good reason to, but did it anyway. The speeder continued to move, only being slowed by aerodynamic drag. Out from the ruins, the droids attempted to form a roadblock and leveled their blasters at the slowing speeder. Morgan drew the blaster with his left hand and steered with his right in an attempt to either eliminate them or force them back into cover. He ended
up with a droid crunched against the speeder, but he could hear metal clank against the ground as they sped away toward Daria's speeder. A metal hand appeared on the nose.

[Wyl Staedtler]

Though Morgan's piloting skills were rocketing him ever closer to God-likeness in Wyl's book, he was feeling slightly less alright with the entire scenario. He had been startled when the other Jedi lady had leapt from the speeder, oddly thrilled when she'd pulled out her lightsaber, and now sat with a sense of heavy trepidation as they sped away. Wyl couldn't even remember where their speeder was, he'd gotten so turned-about in all the chaos.

The boy glanced up at Daria, who was tight-lipped, and decided that perhaps it was not the best time to ask questions. They were all grown-ups and knew what they were doing. Probably.

[Serena Laran]

As she'd hoped, her appearance on the ground was drawing a lot of attention. She would have to have a talk with Morgan about what he had been doing while they had been talking to Daria and her padawan. There were at least fourty droids in the ruins, though that number was dropping rapidly.

Serena spun her lightsaber through the torsos of two running droids, and darted to the side to hide behind a crumbled wall. She had a vague idea of where Daria's speeder was, and getting to it would be an inexact science. Thankfully the rented speeder was making plenty of noise and the Jedi ran for another bit of cover as she trailed behind her companions.

How did these droids have power? As far as she knew all Trade Federation/Seperatist droids were powered by the huge droid ships in orbit of whatever planet they were on. It didn't make sense - there was certainly no such power source above the planet. Well, not in the traditional sense, anyway. Serena ducked and then surged forward, whipping the lightsaber around her as a pocket of droids zeroed in on her position and opened fire.

[Rhianna]

For someone who, until recently, had lived in somewhat primitive conditions, Rhianna thought she was dealing with one of her first speeder rides remarkably well. She was certain it required a fair amount of courage. Her attention was divided between making sure the young boy, restrained in the back, was alright and seeing what use she could be in assuring they all arrived safely at the second speeder.

The creeping sensation that something was not right drew her eyes to the front of the speeder. A set of arachnid metal digits were scraping their way upward. Rhianna's eyes widened. She nodded toward the encroaching danger.

"Trioblóidí, Morgan.."

She wished it had really been a living thing, that she would have understood how to get rid of it. This was far worse.. Although it should not be. Serena had said that all things were connected through the Force. She bit her lip in hesitation, wishing that she could ask her mentor what to do. But she seemed to know the answer for herself.

Whatever she had to.

With resolve, the Tincéir girl closed her eyes, opening up with all her senses. She could clearly envision the hand, hear the scratch of it's fingers, a herald of destructive intent. Much the same way she had been training with small objects and plants, Rhianna was going to move it as far away from the speeder as she could. She gave it a tentative shove..

[Daria Nytherciria]

There was a groaning of metal. Daria felt the seat tremble beneath her and jolt suddenly, as the 'droid tried with relentless determination to mount the bonnet of the speeder. At that moment she felt a flickering in the Force and turned to Rhianna beside her. She could feel the girl reaching out through the unseen energies, attempting to seize control of them in an attempt to rid the newly-allied band of their latest threat. As though following the path of the girls mind, the blind Knight lent her own mental strength to the task. The 'droid had managed to lurch its way onto the hood, one metal hand its anchor, its dead-electric eyes glaring through the dust-peppered windshield at Morgan and the others.

“Desist,” it ordered, lifting its free hand – a repeating blaster mounted on its lower arm. As Morgan made another potentially lethal swerve the 'droid was caught off balance, the sudden shift almost sending it flying. The knock was enough to loosen its grip, however, and within the blink of an eye it was swatted into the air – a wailing screech and flurry of sparks spitting out of its chassis as it collided with the angular terrain.

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan knew what it was: a commander droids, which lead the squads for the more fragile, mass-mass produced soldier droids. A combination of almost reckless, relentless piloting had seen them through most of this. He did not dare look at the dented hood. The terrain would consume them. Another droid peeked out from behind an oucropping, blocking the path to Daria's speeder. He hoped they had not found it. Left with the choice between a rock and hitting the droid, Morgan ran the droid down, and corrected slightly for the impact. A seperated metal limb smacked the A-pillar before tumbling over the roof.

He did not ask the sightless Jedi where her speeder was. Morgan knew where it was, for some reason. Home free home free... He was almost there and the speeder was far faster than any of the droids. To add to the already impressive display of skill, he rotated the speeder 180 degrees in a neat reverse J-turn and came to a halt next to Daria's speeder.

[Serena Laran]

She had spent long hours in the forests around her home on Rhianna's home planet practicing the lightsaber forms she had mastered as a padawan and perfected as a Jedi Knight. Serena had not used her lightsaber in her sessions, instead using a balanced staff as she whirled around her cottage. As the years stretched on she had turned the basic sword forms and attacks into a slow, choreographed dance that she had spent two hours every morning performing.

The droids that faced her now saw her morning exercises at full speed, and lasted only moments as their own blaster bolts were turned against them. Serena turned off her lightsaber, attached it to her belt under her cloak, and ran faster than humanly possible towards where she could feel the others.

[Wyl Staedtler]

A prickly sensation had spiked up and down Wyl's skin as the droid that had clambered onto the careening speeder's hood lurched uncertainly, before flying off in a screeching fit. It was a familiar sort of feeling, and the boy nearly turned to look--as if expecting to sight a known associate--but was instead sent skittering across the sleek seat as Morgan came to a stunning halt beside Daria's speeder.

Wyl was quick to unclip his safety belt; for all that he was impressed by their frenzied getaway ride, the child was also relieved that they'd not been obliterated in a high-speed wreck (although the explosion would have been magnificent, he imagined.) Feet itching to be back on the ground, Wyl hastily clambored out of the speeder, all the while lingering next to Daria's side, and cast a quick look over his shoulder; the other Jedi was nowhere to be seen.

The boy glanced up at his mentor, eyes shot through with a mixture of question and worry.

[Daria Nytherciria]

Blind, Daria could not see the anxiety that marked Wyl's expression, yet she could sense it rolling off him in waves. She frowned, the cloth covering her eyes becoming a little folded at the centre. “She is coming,” the Jedi said, nodding resolutely, as she felt her way into the other speeder.

“She will be with us soon.”

[Rhianna]

With the speeder finally sitting idle for a moment, Rhianna paused to take in a deep breath. She wasn't sure if she would ever enjoy being in a speeder again, but she was pretty sure that Morgan had handled the whole affair brilliantly. As for her efforts to rid the speeder of the droid, she didn't know if she could have done it alone or not. However, it was comforting to know that she hadn't been forced to find out. Minus the comforting presence of Serena, Rhianna had found the strength she needed from another Jedai.

She knew without asking that the sudden addition that determined the droid flying away from the speeder had been the work of Daria. Even from the front seat, with her eyes closed, Rhianna had felt her. It was as if strong arms had circled around her from behind, bolstering her strength and directing it when she didn't really know how. Now Rhianna was still going to draw strength from the Jedi by believing in her words, knowing that Serena would be with them again soon.

[Serena Laran]

The speeders were up ahead, and Serena could see Wyl and Daria spilling out of the one and hurrying to the other. Daria boosted Wyl in over the door as Morgan whipped the rented speeder around to block the two from any errant blaster bolts.

Rhianna was poking her head out of the front seat even as Morgan pulled her back in with a free hand. She saw Serena, and her face lit up. Running with Force-enhanced speed, Serena cut through one last group of droids, lightsaber flashing as mechanical arms and legs went every which way. She paused, stretching out with her senses. They seemed to be in the clear, for now.

The blaster fire could have been detected from satellites, and the Imperial garrison of the nearby city would be investigating. It was best that they were far away by that time.

The Jedi pulled herself into the front seat of the speeder as Daria started hers up.

[Morgan Evanar]

“The garrison?” Morgan asked.

Serena nodded.

“I sort of doubt they'll pay attention to this area. It's far enough outside the main district that it's possible no one noticed.” Morgan added.

“We must be cautious.” Serena stated.

“Is Daria going to be able to handle the speeder?” Morgan knew a few blind people on Nar Shadda, and while the Jedi seemed to be better equipped for the world, she still had a lot of the same movements. Coupled with the fact that her eyes were hidden, Morgan was fairly certain she was conventionally blind.

Serena nodded.

“I'm glad I opted for the full insurance.”

[Wyl Staedtler]

Strapped safely into the passenger side of the other speeder, Wyl felt secure enough with Daria's piloting not to give it a second thought; she'd gotten them here without accident, and the boy knew from the brief time that they had spent together thus far that the woman was a far cry from helpless. Daria could read minds, for goodness sake.

While Daria worked on following the other Jedi, Wyl twisted about in his seat to peer behind them out the window. There was a rush of lingering adrenaline making him heart-thumpingly alert, and it seemed a wise choice to act as sentry. "Crap," Wyl said softly, a word he'd heard the other man say, "Where did they come from?" The boy slapped a small palm to his forhead, not expecting an answer.

Instead of feeling better as they drew further from the ruins, Wyl found himself scrunching his face against the glass to get a better view of outside. Something was here, or coming, and even if he couldn't see it he could feel it. It was thick and prickly. The boy's eyes flicked to the other speeder, wondering if the other girl, the one who'd smiled at him (Rhi-something) felt it too. She'd made a droid fly, after all.

"Daria," He still wasn't sure if it was polite to call a grownup by their name, but she hadn't corrected him thus far. "How much longer till we leave?"

[Daria Nytherciria]

“We're leaving now.”

A speeder was not a living thing; it did not leave the same imprint on the world as a sentient being. Daria was loathe to entrust her life to such a thing as a speeder or a starship, but such things were necessities. She had been given minimal training in how to overcome her own inability to see technological objects, and this scant knowledge allowed her to safely drive a speeder. It meant, however, that a great deal of concentration was required in doing so. The Jedi Knights features tightened, her brow a knotted frown as she listened to the speeders engine and the landscape around her.

[Rhianna]

In her own toungue, Rhianna quietly thanked the Abhairt Saoil that Sámh had returned to the speeder safely. Rhianna didn't know what she would do in this life without the Jedi Healer, but the thought was grim indeed, and she refused to dwell on it. She lay a hand on Serena's shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze letting her know how relieved she was that she was once more with them, then sat back into her seat and strapped in. She felt better already, but still there was a sensation in her body.. A warning. They were not safe yet.

Rhianna's gaze fell upon the second speeder and settled upon the eyes of the young boy, Wyl, through the window. He seemed to be trying to get her attention. His eyes were locked onto her. Perhaps he too felt the danger. Though he was a child, the Abhairt Saoil spoke to him as well. Rhianna could feel it. She nodded once so that he would see she understood him across the distance.

"We have to go now.. Something worse comes.."