Dark Ages: A Search

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(Aellyn Ver Orcant stepped into the bar, and looked around with a sneer. She was here for a reason, and didn't intend to waste her time with the fools who thought drinking lum and other intoxicating things was a perfect way to pass the day.

The tall woman looked like she knew what she wanted - pushing anyone who obstructed her out of the way, she walked straight over to the bar and asked in a loud voice.)

"We demand to be taken to our daughter."

[Kikran Akard]

::Kikran stood up from a table::

"What do you mean?"

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(Aellyn looked at the young one with a pitiless stare. She wasn't here to explain herself. She was here to get her thoughtless daughter back before she would make an even bigger mistake. However, she realised that she needed to tell this Jedi fool a little more, in order to get what she had come for.)

"We are looking for our daughter. Her name is Branwen Ver Orcant. We were told she is with the Force-users. You will take me to her."

[Kikran Akard]

"Miss, I"ve never heard of your daughter."

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(Aellyn stared at the youngster with contempt.)

"Don't lie, little one. She is here. Maybe you know her under a different name - Branwen M'Orcant, maybe?"

[Kikran Akard]

::Kikran smirked at the woman's arrogance::

"I've never heard of that name either, miss."

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(Her lips set to a thin line)

"We don't care if you've never heard of her before - you will go and find her for us now."

[Force Master Hunter]

:; Hunter listened to the convesation, before speaking::

"Aint heard no one of that name here lady. And if you want help, please works well here"

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(Aellyn turned her head and looked at the person who had dared talk to her wihtout being asked.

Of course, she knew that she was not being all too friendly towards these people, but it had been a long time since she had last been amongst so many strangers she had no wish to see otherwise, and 350 years of the same habits are difficult to loose.

So she growled at the man who had dared approach her.)

"And who're you that you speak without permission? You're not to tell us what to do - we have no time for your foolish niceties. We look for our daughter - there is reason to believe she is here, amongst these force users."

[Force Master Hunter]

"Foolish niceities?"

The move was too fast to follow with the eye and in a blink she was staring down the barrel of a very large handgun, the barrel yawning like a dark cave.

"Uh uh. Dont move, dont even think wrong lady. It's set for hair trigger and believe me, I can react much faster than you can. "

"I speak however the hell I want, to whom I want, how I want. And right now, I'm telling you to take a dose of polite pills, sit down and tell me what your daughter looks like. Do I make myself clear???"

he indicated a chair at his regular table. "Sit, especially if you want to live to walk out the door"

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(Unfazed, she looked down the gun's barrel back into the man's eyes. He had some nerve to try a foolish stunt like this... but it also impressed her. She eyed him with a bit more curiosity, the way a buyer would check out a bargain)

"Don't flatter yourself. If you want to shoot us for being unfriendly, then go right ahead - we don't fear death. Quite on the contrary - we'd embrace it if it were to offer itself. Just don't waste your time on it - it's not worth the trouble, trust us."

(But she sat down, and pulled out a small holopad, flipped it open and showed the man her daughter's picture.)

http://www20.brinkster.com/warrenssigshop/branwen_Sig.jpg

[Force Master Hunter]

"Waste time? No, I'm only concerned what your duaghter might think with your brains spattered on the wall. Puts the other customers off too as well. Did that once and then this cat thing began to lick up the mess. Pretty funny when you think about it"

He looked at the picture.

"Interesting. I believe I might - might have seen her before. But not around here I think. What makes you sure is here?"

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(Aellyn smirked at the youngster. Truly, how could they understand? Drily, she remarked,)

"We believe we could tell you that our daughter would most likely be delighted to hear about our brains decorating your wall here. Our death would make her quite happy - she's been waiting for it for the last 50 years, after all."

(Matters between her and Branwen hadn't been very peaceful when her daughter had left - but that was only to be expected; the child's father had been extraordinarily stubborn when he had still been alive. The five years with him had not been easy, but that had been the price to pay. At least the poor man had died happily.

She decided that this brief memory of things so long ago was really not worth dragging up now, and turned her thoughts back to now.)

"So you've seen her? Where is she? We were told she is with the Force-users. Foolish girl thinks she can escape us this way."

[Force Master Hunter]

"I hanve no idea where she might be right now. If she has been here, she's not now. And I know who's here"

Hunter internally groaned. What an arrogant b*tch. Shortening her by a head would be doing the galaxy a favour. who the hell was this ugly fug anyway?

[Kikran Akard]

"Why would she run away like that without a good reason?" Kikran said as he went back into the conversation.

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(Irritated, she got up again. This man didn't seem to want to help her. A slight note of worry crept into her voice.)

"She has to be here. Where else could she be? Force-users were the only ones where she could have gotten what she wanted. If she's not...."

(Very real worry distorted her face now. if she would not find her daughter soon and convince her of the foolishness of this entire venture, Branwen would die - and no matter how much they loathed each otehr, she still had plans for the stubborn child.)

[Kikran Akard]

"Miss, what did she want to do?"

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(Aellyn looked back at the timid youth whom she had been talking to first. It seemed he had finally found enough courage to answer her.)

"Oh, she's got a reason alright - she's decided to give up on our family tradition. Our daughter's got a bit of an independent mind - and some fool at the academy put this idea in her head that she had this silly Force power. She went off to learn more, if it was the last thing she would do... Foolish girl, doesn't she realise she'll be dead within 3 years if she goes without it...?"

(The last part she said as she turned away from them, mumbling more to herself than saying it aloud. She had her reasons for not wanting her daughter dead, and somehow, she suspected those reasons to be part of why Branwen had run off.

But that would be something to discuss when they met.)

[Kikran Akard]

::Kikran sat back down in a chair, as he looked back at the woman::

"Well, I've never seen her nor heard of her, so I don't have any help for you. Maybe she went somewhere else."

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(This young one didn't seem to understand. Branwen had told her she was going to find long life with the Force-users, and if there was one thing her daughter would not do, then it would be to lie about something like this - Branwen lacked the imagination to lie.)

"We highly doubt that. Our daughter is stubborn and once she decides to do something, she usually does it without fail. Is this the only settlement of force-users?"

[The Shadow Jedi]

"Hunter.... withdraw your weapon. There is no need for it. Kikran, aloow me please"

The cloaked stranger advances, with every bit of him covered. A deep and powerful voice he had too.

"I will deal with this"

"Good evening. I.... dont particularly have a a name, for names are useless. Shadow Jedi will do if you have need to name things. You search for your daughter, do you Life-witch? Is her time coming where she must be with a male? Answer me truly"

[Kikran Akard]

::Looked at the newcomer::

"Either he's really strange and trying to hit on her missing daughter, or there's something else I'm not seeing yet," Kikran thought to himself.

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(Something struck her as curious about this new development. Evidently, the person she was now talking to seemed to hold some higher rank than the other two, of he could just order them to stand aside.

Well, maybe he thought that was it, but she was not finished talking to the older one of the men. There was something about him that spurred her interest.

She called after him.)

"You! Come back!"

( - belatedly she remembered something he had apparently taken much interest in, and added that - )

"... please."

(If she had paid any kind of attention to the newcomer, she didn't show it now. Instead, she walked up to FMH who stood rooted to one spot, and circled around him. Her eyebrow rose.)

"If you don't mind us asking, but how old are you? We are currently caring for another gentleman, but if you should ever wish to spend your retirement in perfect health and happiness, we would be most pleased to lend you our support until your death."


(Finally, she seemed to remember the other man, nd turned back to address him from her position behind FMH. Her voice didn't sound very accommodating, but as this was a being with obvious stature, she replied truthfully.)

"As we have already pointed out to these two youngsters here, our daughter is indeed who we are looking for. The obstinate child dos not understand the dangers she puts herself in by leaving the predestined course of tradition, and instead thought she could find a new path in following her other skills. Quite foolishly, we might say."

(Walking past FMH towards the other man, she waved at FMH in passing, and added as an afterthought,)

"...You may leave now...."

(Aellyn stopped before the other man, and eyed him with obvious distrust.)

"You seem to know what we are, but it's quite clear that you don't understand what this brings with it. Understand this - if our daughter does not embrace the family tradition by supporting for another being, her age will catch up with her and she will die in less than a year. And we will not allow that to happen."

[Force Master Hunter]

:; Hunter spluttered and raised his gun, utterly intent on blowing this woman's head clean off. What the HELL?!?::

[The Shadow Jedi]

He saw the Bounty's Hunter's move and saw his intention.

"Hunter. No."

The words were said so quietly and so evenly, but yet they seemed to twist the fabric of the atmosphere with the power of it's command. He saw FMH turnin surprise and slowly, slowly put the gun away.

"Life-witch, you may be a guest here, but do not tempt fate. Force Master Hunter has the ability to take down any Jedi and his temper is short. Please, you may have a casual attitude to death, but even then I do not believe you wish to be killed before your time. He also has problems with races like you who are basically vampire.

Oh make no mistake life-witch, I understand much better than you might realise. A man may accept your offer and live for a while longer, thence extending both your lives. Now, that may be the family tradition, but I do not believe that she should be forced into something she does not want to do. Let her understand the consequences, yes. But if she genuinely does not wish to partake, then that must be so. For your way of living is only right when it is voluntary and understood. Woudl you not agree?"

He was also probing the life-witch's mind with the Force, quietly and undetectable by most Force users even, just watching.

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(She cooly stared back at the Jedi.)

"And as we said before - if he wishes to shoot us, he can do so; we are quite prepated for it. However, we hope he will refrain from such an action, as shooting up older women is really nothing satisfying at all, I'm sure. Besides, if he's got no better reason to kill us than his own narrowminded vision, it's not our problem."

(Aellyn felt amused at that. The Jedi with their codes of honor and all that, really didn't seem too concerned about the people who stayed with them. If this man was truly as trigger-happy as the Jedi had said, then why did they bother with him? For someone accepted by these Jedi, he really shouldn't be allowed to carry such prejudices.

Jedi..... what an entirely old-fashioned idea....)

"You might think you know so much, but if you truly think we would just let our daughter die, then you don't know anything. We assume you have no children, right? Well, maybe that's what it is - if you had any, you would know what it means to have to fear to loose them to something you can't control. And we're speaking of something much worse than just loosing them to another person, or to some creed, or institution - we're speaking of death here. If this child of ours is wrong in her assumptions that the Force can help her stay alive, she will die. And we won't allow that to happen, because we are her mother."

[The Shadow Jedi]

"Hunter is kept around here, because... do you see the armed guards here? Those swear allegience to him under a different name. He is the armed fist that would seek to prevent trouble. If he is trigger happy, so be it. He is a soldier and if you win his trust, there is no better person to know. Besides, his instincts on who needs shooting are often proved correct. He was the only one to realise that one of the main Jedi - Darth Turbogeek no less, was going mad and posed a greater threat than anyone. I would not allow it to be any other way

I do not have children that are biological to me, but I have looked after and trained ones who have meant much to me. But if they die, they do so and if it is by their actions, despite my council to do otherwise, so be it. Death.... is not the end Life-Witch. In some ways for those who know the Light Side of the Force it is only a beginning. Maybe that is what she seeks. I myself neither welcome or run from death, but accept it as I know it is only a passing from crude matter to the full realisation that we are Luminous beings. The Dark Side is a rejection of this and that leads to finality at death.

Prehaps this is what she seeks. There would be great wisdom in doing so if one has the wisdom to do so, to know and to understand what the Light is about. Is that not a great gift you could give her, to discover if what e can teach is real?"

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

(This was getting ridiculous. She had better things to do than discuss personal opinions with a narrow-minded Jedi - it was quite obvious by now that even if Branwen was here, she would not be taken to see her. But wiht every minute that passed, Aellyn became more certain that her daughter was nowhere near these fools.

The problem was that even if she didnt' like standing here talking to him, she still needed to at least find out if there was any other settlement of Jedi where she could look. But that meant she would have to talk some sense into this youngster, no matter how much she was beginning to loathe him.)

"Look - we really do not wish to discuss our personal views with you. We do not know what Jedi need protection for, nor do we wish to question it any further.

The one thing we do question is this: we had heard that the Jedi consider themselves the protectors of the galaxy, looking over the welfare of everyone. But they do not meddle in traditions, or a people's cultural traditions - they accept them as they are, and support them as they can. Not as they see fit, no?

Shouldn't you therefore accept that this is part of a tradition, and for our daughter to go against that, out of her own ignorance, will result in something that could most likely threaten the entire survival of our race? We don't care what your personal opinion of us is, nor of what we are, yet we are as much a part of the Galaxy as the Force-users are. But you don't see us openly scorning your ideas and powers just because we don't like them."

(Her face grim, she looked at him.)

"Nor do we need to hide our face in the shadow. What kind of man are you that you can't even openly show your face, or what you are? Are you ashamed of something? Or do you pretend to be something you're not and seek to hide it inside your cloak?

If you were the Jedi, or even the man, you speak of being, then you would tell me where it is you have seen my daughter; or at least tell me where else I might go and look for her."

[The Shadow Jedi]

"And you are arrogant and narrow minded, self centred with your own needs and wants"

The words were like a physical blow with their power, power created from and used in the Force. He could clearly read her thoughts and her self obsession and justification was repellant.

"For a Jedi you are one of the most repellant creatures we could think of. Using someone else's life to extend your own. A truly self centred act, even if you claim it is tradition.

We do not seek to deny traditions, we seek the Truth. If you think Jedi meddle in traditions.... you are false. But those who seek our wisdom do so on our terms not theirs. Those who seek the power of the Force will be taught our values for proper control and knowledge. By your own word, she came here of her free will and rejected your values. To think that she can come here and keep values contrary to the Jedi is the height of absurdity, just as if I came to accept what you have for males and tried to impose my values there. I will not there and you will not here.

If she coes here to learn of our power, she does so in accordance to what we demand and on our terms. Not yours. And while you are on the planet the Jedi are based on.... we will place our views before anyone elses. We understand the Force and what it requires. You dont. The Force is part of you, of your daughter, of all that exists."

If his face could be seen, she would have seen him smile. But it would be a smile devoid of humour.

"If I hide my face, it is because I wish to. It is not a man's appearence that identifies him, but it is his actions, deeds and words. You are foolish if you think I can hide just by using a mere cloak in a roomful of Jedi. Some hearing my words know exactly whom I am. Mere appearences can be faked. But the true essence of who you are cant.

If you want to find your daughter and speak with her, you are free to do so. If she wants to stay however.... you will not be permitted to take her. If she is even here and of that I am not even certain."

A Jedi is not for placing one self first he thought. A Jedi serves others. Sucking the life from another sentient being and using it to extend your own. Something of the Dark Side, althugh this leech would not know that.

[Aellyn Ver Orcant]

"We do not do what we do out of personal gain, or because we take pleasure out of our actions. What we do is a tradition that was born out of necessity: we are born this way. If we were truly an abomination of the Dark Side, why would something like us have been created?

No, there is nothing evil about us: the men who come to us enter the bond with full knowledge of the responsibilities, and in most cases, they exchange their last five years of complete happiness for a dull life full of sorrow and pain - others come to us for they wish to gain more time before illness and a natural death would take them away, so they might live to see all the things they wished to see but could not before. For most of these men, the bond with us is a second chance to enjoy life. They give their life freely to us, and we do not take it from them if they do not know the risks involved."

(She turned away, to leave. This had been a fruitless effort, and it was clear that she would not receive assistance from the Jedi here.

Yet she could not refrain from saying one last word.)

"And what makes you think that we will force ourselves on our daughter's will, make her what she does not want? You do not know anything, yet you give judgement anyway."

(Suddenly, she slumped her shoulders and looked openly at him. For anyone else around her, the sudden change in her posture and face was a surprise: the woman seemed to have aged at least 20 years; her face wrinkled, her skin having lost the lustre teint and firmness that her body had shown just a moment ago.

When she spoke again, there was a change in her speech, also.)

"No, you see before you a mother who is anxious for her child. My daughter has little experience or knowledge of the world around her, nor does she know much of her own people. For many years, she prefered to live away from her natural home, her head stuck in books, learning about many things - but what she neglected was to learn more about the ways that created her. I did not wish to burden her with the knowledge before her time, but now the time has come for her to know what she is - what will become of her if she does not embrace her traditions. Yet when I reached her new home, she had left - gone to follow a different path.

Do you think it is wise not to tell her what will happen to her if she does not follow the path she needs to? She does not know of the danger she is in; maybe with all the knowledge she has gained, she will be able to find a different solution. But she needs to know first, and that is why I seek her."

(Finally, she stood straight again, and the years seemed to fall from her stature. Sadness crept into her voice.)

"Do you still think bad of my intentions now, Jedi? You did not know of this, and judged me for it anyway. But speak no more - I will remove myself from this planet, so you'll be spared to have to reply to a ruthless being such as me."

(And wihtout another look, she walked away from him.)