The Third Pillar: Self-Discipline

[Serena Laran]

"Exiting hyperspace in five minutes."

Serena Laran toggled the intercom from the cockpit of the Gaoth Agus Domhain, alerting her padawan in the back of the TL-1800. Sullust was about as far from Ossus as you could go and still be in the Alliance of Free Planets. The Jedi had been asked to help negotiate a dispute between union workers and the SoroSuub Corporation, and as one of the Jedi trained in diplomacy prior to Order 66, Serena had been tagged to go. Bringing her padawan along was an added benefit. Draiya would listen, learn how to find the middle ground between two sides, but her abilities in the mental disciplines would be extremely helpful.

Serena looked at the countdown display. Four minutes to realspace.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

A day earlier, when Master Laran had informed her that she would be accompanying her on a mission offworld, Draiya had taken time to prepare in the smallest detail. She packed thoroughly, both the mundane items necessary for a trip, but also things that might prove useful in a contingency. Reference materials for Sullust on datapads, a personal field generator rated for thermal trauma, and a medical kit from the infirmary. She'd also made certain that her tunic and boots were flawless. This was a diplomatic mission, Master Laran had said. They would be representing the Jedi Order beyond Sanctuary. It felt so long ago that she'd traveled with Master Laran on a mission to investigate an archaeological site with Scout. In the time since, Draiya had changed, and she was ever aware of the change.

Finally, Draiya had set aside hours before the flight to deeply meditate. She focused on her center, and on the leylines of living energy that tethered her to the familiar and the possible. She'd traveled since - on missions with Master Evanar and also on a personal journey back to her home of Syragor, and she found that with the change of place, there came a disorientation if she wasn't expecting it. Now, she knew better.

When the call came from the cockpit, Draiya left the cabin of the ship, heading up front to view the maelstrom as they prepared to fall back into realspace. Master Laran stood tall and serene - her living energy every bit as colorful as the swirl of hyperspace that danced as a corona around her silhouette.

"I'm rready, Masterr."

Her hair was drawn back into a tight bun, accenting the smooth contours of her face. A far cry from the grubby and brash latchkey from Syragor, Draiya had been utterly transformed by her trials as a Jedi Padawan. And though she sometimes marveled at the change she'd made from the girl she'd once been, she felt strongly that the journey was just beginning.

[Serena Laran]

"Three minutes."

Serena looked over her shoulder at her padawan and smiled. "Better strap in."

She indicated one of the jump seats behind her. Dreg Noru'lya, a Bothan civilian, nodded at Draiya from the co-pilot's station. He had come to Ossus as a shuttle pilot, and had placed himself at the service of the Council. Having another being along on the trip was Solomon's idea, and Serena couldn't disagree with the logic. Should anything happen to the ship, it was best to have another pair of hands.

At the very least, Dreg wasn't going to get in the way.

Draiya took a seat, and the last few seconds ticked away. Swirls of hyperspace smeared across the viewscreen, and then in a blink were replaced by stars; the inertial dampners took the brunt of the reversion, but they were pressed into their crash webbing as the system spread out before them.

Sullust was a heavily volcanic planet, dotted with surface factories in service of the famous shipyards. The Sullustians lived in great underground cities, powered by the extensive geothermal activity of their home planet.

Serena activated the ship's sublights and set them on a course to the coordinates SoroSuub had given them. She looked back at Draiya again.

"Have you studied the information on the union conflict?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"I have."

Draiya secured the crash webbing around her midsection in the jump seat, eschewing looking at her master for a view of the planet ahead. The planet was a quiltwork of greys and reds, obfuscated in broad patches by cloud cover. Here and there, craters could be seen even from near-orbit. Some were natural, but others were certainly man-made impacts.

"The Cobalt Rreforrmation League is the political arrm of the worrkerrs union. They spearrheaded the planet's liberration frrom the Empirre. The Sorrosuub Corrporration employs rroughly half the planet's population, most of them memberrs of the union. The Corrporration contrrols the planetarry goverrnment and rreprresentation in the Alliance Senate. They have been underr incrreasing prressurre to deliverr rreparrations and aid frrom the Alliance, aid that the Senate is incrreasingly rreluctant to prrovide."

The words rolled out, regurgitated roughly unchanged from the text. Draiya paused, pressing her lips thin before continuing.

"The worrkerrs are becoming disillusioned. They're overrworrked, underrpaid, and are starrting to feel that neitherr the Sullustan goverrnment norr the Alliance has theirr best interrests at hearrt."

[Serena Laran]

"Very good."

Serena nodded to Dreg, who began communicating with the planet to let SoroSuub Corp know they had arrived. She glanced at Draiya.

"And what do you think our goal is, mediating these negotiations?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya's attention broke from the planet, and she met her master's eyes with a serious expression.

"We are herre to ensurre the rresolution is peaceful, even if that rresolution is not in the goverrnment's favorr."

The answer felt uneasy on her tongue, and the Syragori Padawan's eyebrows knit as she thought about it.

"Masterr, I'm uncerrtain. We'rre herre at the invitation of the goverrnment. If negotiations do go against them, I feel they would be inclined to crreate an excuse to put down the union with forrce. I underrstand how this worrked in the Rrepublic. I'm less cerrtain now."

[Serena Laran]

"Ideally both sides will feel satisfied with the outcome, but yes, when finding a middle ground sometimes neither side will be happy." Serena guided the ship into the atmosphere, breaking through the top of an ashcloud to bring the volcanic surface of Sullust into focus.

"If it appears that the corporation will disregard the agreement, or punish the union outside of it, then we will enforce it." Serena looked sideways at Draiya and patted the lightsaber at her own hip. "With our words, if we can."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya said nothing at that, but simply nodded in affirmative. Master Laran's words didn't completely reassure her, but they at least demonstrated that there was a plan for all outcomes. Her attention shifted to the approaching landscape, shrouded by heavy clouds of volcanic ash and gases. The shuttle thumped down at a landing platform built up above a large formation of basalt. A group of Sullustans stood ready on the platform, their faces partially obscured by breathing masks. From her pre-mission research, Draiya knew the upper atmosphere of Sullust was barely habitable, but the subterranean cities were far better suited for life.

When given the all clear, Draiya unclasped her crash webbing and rose from her seat. She wore no robe, so her twin shoto lightsabers glinted in plain view from their leather scabbard on the belt of her tunic.

[Serena Laran]

Serena was dressed in typical Jedi robes. Projecting what the Sullustians expected in a Jedi diplomat was important. She handed her padawan a breathing mask and put on her own.

"Greetings, gentlebeings," said one of the Sullustians as they exited the ship. "Esteemed Jedi."

Serena returned the bow, and they were quickly ushered into a small building that housed a bank of turbolifts and little else.

"Everything is prepared for you," said the Sullustian, most of his face covered by the breathing mask. His voice was muffled. "As requested, two rooms, adjoining. A conference room with a round table, for the negotiations." He paused, breathing noisily. "Do you have a preference for food?"

"Human standard fare," Serena said, smiling under her mask. "No dietary restrictions. Thank you, it is good to know that my messages were received."

"SoroSuub is pleased to host you and the negotiations. It is our great privilege."

[Niev Minetii]

The Sullustan entourage escorted the Jedi to the lift at the periphery of the landing pad.

"Senator Minetii has requested a private, informal audience before the negotiations begin in earnest." One of the hospitality officials spoke politely - if nasally - through the breathing mask.

"I am instructed to escort you to his office."

The elevator descended a hundred or more meters before coming to a feathery stop. The opaque durasteel retracted, revealing an immense, open, and bustling subterranean city below. The lift pod glided onto a magnetic rail, and the entire apparatus propelled into criscrossing city traffic as a sky car.

[Serena Laran]

The city of Pinyumb lay before them, nestled in a vast cavern that lay beneath the Inyusu Tor volcano. While it was not dark, it was certainly not as bright as the Jedi were used to, living on the surface of a sunlit world like Ossus. A river of lava cut through one part of the cavern, casting a red glow on the buildings around it.

The dimly lit skycab carried them quickly toward their destination, and Serena clipped her breathing mask to her belt.

"We are amenable to meeting with the Senator," she told their escort, and the Sullustian nodded. "It was my understanding that the negotiations are to begin tomorrow morning?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya mimed her master, stowing away her minimalist breathing mask into its designated pouch on her belt. She tried not to play tourist, but the vista of Pinyumb from the sky cab was a feast for the eyes. While it certainly wasn't beautiful , it was the kind of impressive that demanded attention for its insistence on defying the natural order. The Sullustans had beaten back and battled the geology of their world in such a way as to make it in their image. She'd seen pictures of these underground cities and their far more beautiful and impressive counterparts on the ill-fated world of Shu-Torun. Viewing it in person, it left her with an ambivalence between awe and unease. The Padawan reluctantly turned her eyes away from the window, centering herself in the moment, where Master Laran needed her.

She stood just behind her master, who stood parallel with Senator Minetii's aide. Draiya could feel a sense of nervousness from the aide, but the feeling didn't lend itself towards any particular reason. Without a direction, there was little reason for the Syragori Padawan to delve into it, other than to continue observing passively.

[Niev Minetii]

"That is the intended schedule, Master Jedi." Minetii's aide nodded, his jowls jiggling slightly as he did.

"Barring any last-minute change from the Unionists. With our request for Jedi arbitration, they may interject at the last minute for a change of venue in an attempt to have the meeting on their terms. You can appreciate the delicacy of the situation."

The sky car was nearing their destination.

"We are at a precipice, I'm afraid. If these negotiations fail, there could be a global strike. If our production falls off, the consequences could be devastating."

[Serena Laran]

Serena “hmm”ed non-committedly, the sky car finally slowing as they reached their destination.

“Come,” she said to her padawan. “Let us see what the Senator has to say.”

It was a short walk to Senator Minetii’s office, placed in a prime location with a view of the underground city. The aide knocked, announced them, and then Serena and Draiya were walking inside.

”Senator,” she said, inclining her head, her hands folded neatly at her waist. “Thank you for the welcome into Pinyumb.”

[Niev Minetii]

"Yes, yes, yes."

Minetii gruffed, not immediately giving the Jedi his full attention. The Sullustan sat at his desk, stooped over a series of documents he was intently studying. A pair of spectacles rested across his broad nose so that when he finally looked up, it was almost a comically owlish expression. Niev quickly dispelled that, setting aside his reading frames.

When he did, his somewhat dour and jowly expression seemed to deepen, accentuated by the dropping of his brow as well.

"Master Jedi, you have brought a child to these negotiations."

[Serena Laran]

“Draiya Naaianeya is a skilled Jedi, and my padawan. Where I go, she goes.” Serena’s tone was warm, but brooked no nonsense.

”We are here to facilitate and mediate these negotiations, so any requests you may have of us will be considered... but we cannot show favoritisms to either side.”

[Niev Minetii]

Senator Minetii's expression didn't brighten any. He drew out a long "Hrmm..." steepling his fingers together as he looked to the human youngster Master Laran vouched for.

"It was our request for arbitration that brought you here, Master Laran. I am acutely aware of the dangers of bias, or even the appearance of it. I assure you, I have no interest in projecting an appearance of impartiality upon you."

Minetii stood. He was short like most Sullustans, but quite stocky, hinting at a past life of manual labor. Age had added pounds to the august politician, but he was anything but frail or soft.

"Pinyumb is already quite aware that we enter this game in a deficit of public opinion. Populist movements like the Unionists are attractive to the rabble, both here on Sullust and across the Alliance."

[Serena Laran]

Serena let the Senator speak, assuming he would get to his point soon. As Senator Minetii paused for a breath, she looked at her padawan, to ascertain what Draiya was making of all this.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Seen but not heard, Draiya ignored the eyes of her master, keeping her attention fixed squarely on the Senator, intensely focused on not just his words, but something just beyond as well.

"Those rrabble toil the mines and powerr the machines upon which Sullust functions, Senatorr."

There lay a vein of irritation in Draiya's words, though small enough that it could have been mistaken for nothing at all. Nevertheless, the girl who grew up poor on Syragor knew which side of the table she could more easily sympathize with.

[Niev Minetii]

Niev leveled his displeasured expression at Draiya again.

"And it is Sorosuub that provides them with a trade, work, wages, and a livelihood."

He turned back to Serena, his severe expression softening only slightly.

"A symbiotic circle, for want of a metaphor. Each side needs the other. Even if we may not like the other."

[Serena Laran]

“We shall strive to bring the talks to a peaceable conclusion,” said Serena. “Thank you for greeting us upon our arrival, but it was a long journey, Senator.”

[Niev Minetii]

"There is one other matter, Master Jedi."

The Senator held up a hand to stay her exit. He then glanced to the door to ensure that it was closed. He approached Serena and Draiya, and spoke with a slightly lower voice.

"My security forces have received credible information that there may be an attack during the talks. I think it is only right that you know."

He took a deep breath and let it out in frustration.

"These talks must proceed. My hands are tied. I cannot risk what the public might perceive of canceling yet another attempt to negotiate."

[Serena Laran]

She nodded thoughtfully.

”I trust that everything is being done to thwart such an attack before it happens,” she said calmly, though she wasn’t at all sure that was the case. With such a convoluted political situation, who could say who might actually be bankrolling an attack on the talks?

”We will be alert. Thank you for the warning.”

[Draiya Naaianeya]

The Senator at last dismissed them, and an aide was waiting as the door opened. He escorted the Jedi to a private suite, then dismissed himself. The doors sealed behind the two Jedi, and Draiya at last could speak.

"The Senatorr is both angrry and afrraid. It's unfocused. No, that's not it. He's being verry, verry carreful. He's cerrtainly warry of us."

[Serena Laran]

“I also sense there is more going here,” said Serena, crossing the living space toward the windows. She stood still, folding her hands in front of her, looking out at the dimly lit city.

”Logically, if the talks fail to go the corporation’s way, the senator will lose his status. He likely has a lot riding on this outcome, personally.

”The threat of violence could be coming from the workers, the corporations, or some third party with an unknown agenda.” She turned to face Draiya.

”Thoughts?”

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya's stern expression didn't waver. She nodded.

"I agree. I feel that violence will come from some direction. I don't feel any sense of aggression pointing to the fact from the Senator, but that also doesn't absolve the corporation."

The Padawan considered the possibilities, breaking her eye contact as she turned her eyes to the ground.

"It might be worth seeking out the leadership of the unionists, but I don't think the Senator would approve of that before the meeting. It could raise his fear of collusion."

[Serena Laran]

Serena nodded.

”We are not here to root out conspirators. We are aware of possible danger, and if it comes to us we will take care of it.” She did not sound anything but completely secure in their abilities to stave off whatever threats might come.

***

The next morning the two Jedi made their way to where the talks were being held. Serena set to examining the conference room and sent Draiya to walk the building to check its security, with instructions to return before the unionist and corporate parties arrived.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Though humans and other offworlders were hardly uncommon in Pinyumb, Draiya could feel her very presence meriting attention from passers-by. The emotional resonance of the inner capital was charged with the same tensions Draiya had discussed with her master the previous night. It was easy to find feelings of unease, fear, and even the sharper emotions of anger. That wasn't the problem, it was trying to tune out the noise from the intention.

She paused in her tracks, a frown on her face.

"Focus."

This wasn't what her mission was. She was inspecting security around the building. Searching for a threat that may or not be there would only serve to distract her and possibly chase a false positive. No, this was the path they were on and she had to trust it was the correct one.

[Serena Laran]

She found that the conference room was exactly what it was supposed to be - a secure room for the talks to be held inside. There were no obvious dangers present, and a sweep through with the Force did not uncover anything untoward. Still, there was an unsettling sensation about how the Force was interacting with things.

Serena closed her eyes to meditate, sitting at the large round table while she waited for Draiya to return.


a cloaked man/woman/child was walking toward them

they are small like the Sullustians but they are not from Sullust

the senator is talking, blustering about the unionists and upset at how things are going

the cloaked figure is holding out their hand, something small and round blinks in their palm and things blur around them, people are screaming


Serena's eyes opened, the vision fading as the doors opened and the delegates began to file inside. She rose smoothly to greet them, looking for Draiya who had yet to return.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

The more she looked, the more frustrating the search became. Nothing about the building or its surroundings spoke to the sense of tension and fear that walked in every direction around her. Draiya had made her rounds three times, seeing nothing incriminating with her eyes, all the while her feelings of unease grew worse. Everyone looked the same and different, and the miasma of troubled emotions masked specificity of thoughts.

Wait.

Draiya slowly turned around, looking back at a figure she was sure she'd seen on her last circuit. Whoever it was, they were concealed by a hooded cloak, but that wasn't particularly unusual in the subterranean city. Also unremarkably was their stature. But it was the way they walked that pulled the Syragori Padawan's attention. Everyone else was walking to get to a destination. This person was walking simply to keep moving. Around the government building, just like her.

"Excuse me?"

The figure stopped, half-turning towards Draiya. The angle of the cowl still obfuscated their face.

"Yes?"

"What arre you doing herre?"

"Is it that obvious? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm lost. This is such a large city, and I'm not sure where the central market is."

While Draiya was also a stranger to Pinyumb, she knew that there weren't any markets in the government quarter.

"I think you'rre farr frrom the central marrket. This is the Sorrosuub campus."

"Oh? Oh my. Well thank you, young lady."

The hooded figure shuffled off, leaving Draiya with more questions than answers. She activated her comm.

"Masterr, I'm almost finished herre."

She sighed.

"I haven't found anything."

[Serena Laran]

"The talks are starting, so hurry back." Serena closed the link.

"Please, let us begin. My padawan will join us in a few minutes." She waited for the Sullustians to sit, and then took her seat, puling a datapad toward her with the Force. "We will start with introductions."

The beginning of the talks went smoothly, everyone was very civil and Draiya slipped in before too much time had passed. When they broke for lunch the Jedi ate together in the conference room while the two competing sides took their meals elsewhere in the building.

"Any thoughts?" Serena looked at Draiya over the top of her sandwich as she took a bite.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

It hadn't occurred to Draiya how quiet she'd been until she was finally bidden to speak by her master. Her silence had lasted from the moment the meeting began until now. Even so, the Syragori Padawan was reluctant to unburden herself. What she'd sensed during the talks almost felt foregone. The Unionist leader was animated and passionate, and successfully baited Senator Minetii on more than one occasion. They'd jousted over procedure, perhaps testing each others' mettle before considering anything substantive.

But despite all that, Draiya still couldn't stop thinking about the hooded man on the streets of the Sorosuub campus. There was a preoccupation there that made her skin feel cold to the touch and squelched her appetite.

"They'rre jockeying forr position. The Unionist leader, Caeb Neng, is earrnest. He has deep feelings supporrting what he's saying. Baiting the Senatorr may still be a ploy, but he's not overrtly deceptive."

All true from her point of view, sure. But Draiya couldn't help revisit her bad feeling and discomfort. She looked to Serena.

"I keep going back to an encounterr beforre the meeting...something doesn't feel rright about it. I feel...cold."

[Serena Laran]

Serena nodded as her padawan spoke, Draiya demonstrating that she'd been paying attention, and having some keen insights as well. The second part was concerning, however.

"Tell me more about this encounter. You didn't mention it earlier, why was that?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya blinked.

"At the time, I didn't have any rreason to think anything of it. Nothing was overrly amiss, and yet I have a feeling of unease that won't go away. When I was making my securrity sweep, I found a man in a hood, who appearred lost and looking forr the marrket distrrict. I pointed him on his way, and that should be the end of it, but..."

She shivered slightly.

[Serena Laran]

Serena looked at the chrono on her wrist. The midday break was nearly over and the delegates would soon be returning to the conference room. "Go to where you spoke to this man, and do a thorough sweep of the area. Trust your instincts, Draiya.

"I will remain here and continue the negotiations."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"Yes Masterr." Draiya gave a curt bow, and quickly left the room, retracing her steps back outside of the building. With each step, that feeling that she'd shrugged off before grew larger and harder to shake. Draiya stopped a few strides from the front door, screwing her eyes shut as she tried to feel for any signs of dark intent. On Ossus, it had been easy to feel life energy through the connected symbiotic circle of nature. Here, the people that walked the streets of Pinyumb were little islands unto themselves, sometimes interacting with a passerby, but usually lost in their own world. The Padawan could briefly focus on one or two at a time, enough to know for certain there was nothing tied to this...feeling.

Draiya picked up her pace around the building, but slowed almost as soon as she began. There was urgency that she couldn't shake, almost standing the hairs up on her arms. She darted wide brown eyes left and right, searching for...him!

The man's demeanor changed, as did his energy in the force. She wasn't the only one to arrive at a realization. Whatever he'd been doing the moment before she saw him, he'd gone stock still. Before his fight or flight had engaged, Draiya was after him at a full sprint.

"You! Stop!"

[Serena Laran]

The cloaked figure darted away, but it was too late. The padawan was catching up. He shoved into a doorway, knocking down Sullustians who were going about their day, and threw down tables behind him as he ran to the back of the food court he'd found himself in.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya threw her focus into the moment, going kinetic through the path of least resistance to reach her quarry. Whoever the hooded man was, he wasn't making it easy for her. Deft feet skid across the pavement as her quarry changed direction, trying to throw her off his track by putting pedestrians in her way. Draiya slid underneath a speeder as it cut through an intersection, then hooked a hard turn to the right as she saw the mystery man kick through a door to what appeared to be a mall.

There were plenty of bystanders inside, many of whom bolted out of their seats and shouted at the coming commotion. The fugitive kicked over a table, which Draiya leapt upon, her soft-soled shoes balancing the knife edge to keep her balance as she used the intended obstacle as a springboard to make up lost ground. To give her another chance to gain on him, Draiya extended her thoughts to find his, projecting the image of one of the people ahead falling directly into his path.

[Serena Laran]

The fleeing figure tried to change directions to get around a Sullustian who had fallen in front of them, but tripped over a chair and sprawled to the ground. They scrambled to get to their feet, pulling down a bystander for leverage, but the Jedi quickly caught up.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

The danger appeared as intention - a darkening in the man's living force. Draiya's shoto lightsabers were in hand and sparked by the time the suspect cleared the barrel of a blaster from inside of his hooded jacket. The Padawan deflected a blast into the ground with one blade, the second passing closer to cleave the pistol down to the trigger guard. Draiya kept her kinetic energy, planting a spinning boot to the man's jaw as she again returned to guard.

"Who arre you?!"

[Serena Laran]

"No one," he gasped, his breath quickening. For a moment he closed his mouth and grit his teeth, staring intensely at her. "No thing. No --"

Foam started to bubble out of his mouth and his body began convulsing.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya could see his light going out before the outward symptoms began to manifest. Poison came the thought, electric with immediacy. The Padawan lay her hands on him as the convulsing intensified, working through the Force to will his body to fight the lethal dose he'd given himself. But the poison was too effective, and despite Draiya's efforts, she could only forestall the inevitable. The mystery suspect gave a gargled death rattle, and his head rolled to the side. In those last few seconds, Draiya concentrated with all her might, peering into the man's last thoughts, trying to capture anything and everything before his living energy joined the whole around them.

It felt like failure, but that was small thinking, and Draiya knew it. As she tried to make sense of the last moments, she fumbled for her communicator.

"Masterr."

She panted, gulped, and looked down at his macabre dead eyes. Draiya eased her hand down to coax the eyelids shut.

"Something's happened."

[Serena Laran]

"Just a moment, please." Serena excused herself from the conference table and moved to the side of the room to take Draiya's commcall while the Sullustian representatives studied datapads.

"I can sense turmoil," she said to her Padawan. "What is going on?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

"I..."

Her words cut off breathlessly as she blinked, parsing disjointed thoughts and imagery she couldn't quite yet understand.

"Therre was a man...he...I saw him. He rran. I caught him, but he..."

Draiya looked around with concern. The chase had become a death scene, and if there hadn't been a crowd before, one was forming now.

"He's dead."

But that wasn't all. Not at all. The jumble of intentions and firing neurons at the last moments of the man's life lay in front of her like a puzzle. It was all she had. There wasn't much to make of it yet, but there was one matter that her instincts shouted back that seemed clear.

"Masterr he's not alone. Therre's someone else."

At the man's belt, Draiya saw a device. It wasn't a communicator or anything with conventional use. It was a simple switch, connected to a transmitter.

"They'rre trrying to bomb the building."

[Serena Laran]

"How do you know this?" Serena looked over to the conference table where the Sullustians were finally having a dialogue, rather than conflicting monologues. "Check him for identification or any other clues as to where he came from or who he represents."

She turned to the door and waved in a guard, writing the words check perimeter for explosives on a piece of flimsy and handing it to him. His large, wet eyes widened, and he hurried out into the hallway.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya heard her master's words, and the command seemed perfectly prudent, save for the fact that somehow she knew they were out of time. That fleeting feeling of dark intention that was ebbing away from her senses with the dead man's fading living force, she felt a shadow of that same emotion, distant and indistinct, but on the precipice. Her feelings screamed at her, and Draiya took off the way she came.

"Get out of the way! Move!!"

Bursting into a sprint, the padawan abandoned subtlety, letting her voice carry as loud as she could manage at a full run. She veered into oncoming pedestrians, fanning her arms wide to catch their attention and to prevent them from milling close to the building she was approaching.

"Get away frrom therre!"

The feeling of an approaching shatterpoint occupied every fiber of her instinct, and Draiya felt that she'd arrive too late. Dropping to her knees, she screwed her eyes shut and drove a singular thought and experience outward like an icepick into every receptive mind she could see in the street, to fill their senses with an impending terror. The edifice of the government building split in a spiderweb of shearing concrete, a growling rumble of earth and structure shaking everything surrounding as the building began a sudden and inexorable collapse into an expanding cloud of dust and debris. The Syragori Padawan grit her teeth as she pushed this pure sense of threat and danger into every living thing surrounding her like she was the embodiment of the bomb she sought to prevent. The only thing that wavered her concentration was the crescendo sound of shouting, screaming, and the thundering of thousands of feet. A rush of pedestrians stormed past her, desperate to flee the collapsing building they thought they saw.

Unable to keep up the deluge, Draiya's sensitive connection to living energy began to turn back upon her, and the wind of fear she'd created became a whirlwind. She rose to her feet to get out of the way, only to be bowled over by a few fleeing Sullustans who knocked her hard to the pavement where she struck her head with enough force to explode into stars. Dazed and now bloodied, Draiya feebly began to collect herself after the tumultuous evacuation, only for the outer retaining wall of the building ahead of her to explode for real this time - sending everything into the black.

[Serena Laran]

The negotiations had been postponed for a few days, and the two Jedi had been confined to their guest quarters for their safety. The Sullustians were conducting their investigations into the tragic bombing and had promised to keep Serena appraised of their progress, while also shutting her out as completely as possible. Still, she wasn't without her ways.

"The official word is that it was a Sullustian with a thermal detonator.." Serena cracked another coldpac and handed it to her padawan to replace the lukewarm one she'd been using for her head. "As far as our security knows the government is dismissing the man you tracked down as unrelated to what they're framing as a domestic terror incident."