Almalthia

The Red Hoods: Rebirth IC

I’m in.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Siobhan

Location: Swan Songs

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Interaction: Alejandro @Pyxis

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Mentions: Paige @Pilatus

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Siobhan heard her phone go off. The sound was as if someone had turned on a lightsaber. She laughed softly as she pulled out her phone. That laugh was enough to make people pay attention to her more. “Excuse me Alejandro, my nerd is showing.”

Looking down she smirked at the text Paige had sent that she had been spotted. She’d hunt Paige down later. She had pressing business with Alejandro. “Sorry a friend just texted telling me she spotted me. My name is Siobhan. Local artist. Moved here a few months ago from Prague myself. Where do you hail from and how long have you been here?”

Siobhan looked at him and grinned. “That wouldn’t happen to be The Golden Flower? If so I’d love your permission to take some shots so I can paint the shop. I confess I was hoping to run into since I went by there and you weren’t there. I like to ask before I invade someone’s life so that I can make a living.”

Letting her eye roam she noticed the intricate details on his tattoos. “Nice ink work. Did anyone design them or did you get them homemade?” She smirked taking the edge off the statement making it a tease just like he did with the pop comment.

Siobhan waived at the vinyls in her hand. “My mother’s birthday is soon and I like to get her obscure vinyls as gifts. So here I am.”

Suddenly there was a commotion at the door and Siobhan saw The Sirens come in. She rolled her eyes and turned back toward Alejandro. “Great. The last time they were in public the place was raided by police. I barely got out before I was handcuffed, and not in a good way. I’m not much into sports but there’s a baseball game that might be interesting and less likely to get us arrested. Would you be interested in going and talking business and you getting to know how I work? I always find that a good start with a prospective client.” Siobhan smiled winningly at Alejandro. Her eyes twinkled with excitement. “My treat. Little baseball, some hotdogs and chatting about me taking photos of your shop. What do ya say?”

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Ethan

Location: Friday

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Interaction: NPCs (Open)

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Mentions: Siobhan; Alejandro @Pyxis; Victoria @PrinceAlexus & Joel @Pilatus

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Ethan was just getting out of the shower as the phone rang. It was a number that he didn’t recognise. “Hello?”

“Mr. Aster. I have some information that you might find...intriguing.”

It was the PI that he had looking into some things that might have been a little sensitive. “I’m all ears Hutch.”

“It seems you have a half sister.”

Ethan gripped the phone harder but his voice stayed level and controlled. “You must be mistaken.”

“Not a chance. I do my homework very thoroughly Mr. Aster.”

Ethan went to his closet and opened the door the silence on the other end not boding well for the man on the other end of the line. “Would you stake your career on it?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Your life?”

“Look I know who you...associate with and yes I would.”

“Thank you Hutch.” Ethan paused counting to ten. It didn’t help. “I’ll double your fee.” Ethan ended the call and threw the phone violently across the room onto the bed. He still needed that phone.

Ethan got dressed in hisoutfit and went downstairs to see the rest of the band in their regalia. Paul, Drew, andTobias. And of course the flunkies. Yolo was off but not really. This was the thug’s version of staying low. Being seen with The Sirens. He wanted to “have a good time” and apparently that meant that he was sticking with the band.

Ethan mentally shrugged. To each his own. The requisite groupies, or as the band referred to them...guppies, packed into the limo as well as the few flunkies that they had, Yolo included. Ethan smiled and flirted meaninglessly as the girls fawned and cooed over the band and flunkies. The partition rolled down and Drew looked at the driver and nodded.

“Fifteen minutes to our destination gentleman...and ladies.” The partition rolled back up and the limo started. Ethan raised an eyebrow as the brunette with big brown eyes and...other bigger attributes began to get better acquainted with intimate parts of him.

Her eyes got wide. “Oh BIG boy.”

Ethan smirked and leaned his head back reaching over to turn up the music and enjoy the entertainment.

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They pulled into the lot across the street from Swan Songs and got out the tabloids were in force. Comments were yelled incoherently and largely ignored. They all gave the routine smiles and waved. Making it into Swan Songs finally they walked past the bar to the far end.

Ethan noticed the blonde woman that had been with Siobhan at the art auction. Well isn’t that interesting. Usually where she is so is… Ethan looked around and saw Siobhan with a tall hispanic man. Curious. She is here but the grease monkey isn’t. With the tension between them and Victoria I doubt that Victoria or Marlin are here.

Ethan walked up to the blonde woman and smiled. He was going to at least have a satisfying conversation. “Paige I believe.” It was a statement not a question. He knew who she was. “Nice to see you again. Will you be singing or are you here in an official capacity?”

Yolo had taken a look around and rolled his eyes. Seeing the Marshal that had been chasing him he grinned and walked right up to the bar a few feet away just waiting for her to see him. Unless she wanted to cause a scene then she’d just end up glaring at him all night. Grinning he ordered a beer and leaned against the bar and waited for her to notice him.

[Jedi] Tython

Jaslyn Dayne & Takryn "Tak" Malkovi

_{Collaboration @GrizzTheMauler & @Almalthia}

Jaslyn came out of the interrogation wrung out emotionally. Then she was in a surprisingly calm and sedate conversation with the Grandmaster. THEN she was bombarded by that vision with Brye and Selene. She was practically weaving as she walked down the hallway to her room. Amazingly they’d let her go to her rooms. Why she didn’t know. Probably because she still had to stand before the Council. Though the interrogation had happened in her quarters the Grandmaster was not present till later.

Jaslyn looked up from staring a hole in the floor only to see someone very familiar. It was Takryn. She hadn’t seen Takryn for six years. Jaslyn put a hand on the wall to keep from falling over. This was too much all at once. Her vision became narrower and narrower.

Takryn had just finished the first of his surgeries. They had managed to stop both the constant bleeding and the poison. He was free to go for the day, told to head off to the Padawan Quarters. Of course, he’d gotten a bit lost on the way there and when he looked up, he saw something out of a dream.

“Sithspit…” He swore softly. “Is… Is that you, Jaslyn?” He was floored. The last time he remembered seeing her, she was being taken away from him. Master Vika had caught them in the middle of their kiss. He still remembered that, a sharp spike of rage pulsing through him. WIth his free arm he clenched his fist. “Where did they take you? What’s going on?”

Jaslyn shook her head which helped a little the world was less narrow. “Takryn? I…” It was no use she was going to pass out if she didn’t sit down. “It’s probably not the best idea to be seen with me right now.” Jaslyn tried to slow her breathing and pulse but she was far to distracted by the boy, no man, she’d had her first kiss with to really focus. To be fair he’d been a man by the time they’d had that experience; which had been ruthlessly pulled apart and they hadn’t seen or heard from each other in a half dozen years.

The half-zabrak scowled. “What do you mean? I know there’s a lot going on… I saw the Storm when we arrived.” He started to walk over to her. “But you’ve always been the more.. Scholarly type so I doubt you’ve been in trouble. I’m usually the one who does stuff wrong.” He gestures to his arm in the sling. “Oh get injured.” She was so much… More now. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. Probably even more so. “My promise still stands, you know. I may be injured but if you’re in trouble, I’ve got your back.”

Jaslyn almost laughed at that. Almost. Laughing would mean not breathing and possibly passing out. “What I need right now is to sit down or just pass out and get it over with.” She swayed and leaned heavily on the arm that was now propped up on the wall not just her hand. She leaned her head on her arm resting on the wall. Turning her head she looked through the edges of her thick coppery hair and looked Takryn over.

He was still as handsome as when she’d last seen him six years ago. He had a few scars but those seemed to add to his attractiveness. He’d been killer to her blossoming sexuality at thirteen and at nineteen struck a similar chord in her that she was just recently really becoming familiar with. “Honestly Taki I’m not sure what is going on anymore.”

The large man grunts. “Get exactly what over with.” He’s watching her closely. “Should I get you to the Med wing? You’re not looking so good. “ Concern wormed its way on his face. “I can probably carry you there. As for what’s been going on, just tell me. What caused that storm? It made even Rekka nervous. And she’s rarely nervous. If what I overheard was right someone crash landed here?”

Takryn looked her over more closely, noticing for the first time that she was missing her belt and lightsaber. “Jas... “ He looked her in the eyes. “Where is your lightsaber? You know they drilled it into us that you always need to carry it…” He looked back in the direction she came from. “Are you… Did they?...”

Jaslyn turned her face away from Takryn’s searching concerned gaze. “Yes they took it. At least for now. Yes someone crashed into a part of the Rift. Her name is Selene and she’s a Dark Side user…” Jaslyn looked back at Takryn. “And I...I had a choice and I made it. I followed her to see what she was up to...or at least that’s what it was at first...then it became about truth.” Jaslyn looked up at Takryn knowing this next part might break his heart. “I didn’t kill her Taki. I didn’t even think about it for an instant. She didn’t threaten me so I made no move to kill her or attack her...I defended Selene when San, another Padawan, drew down on her intending to kill her.”

Shock overcame Takryn. A Dark Side user? The very thought of it sent chills down his spine and made his scar itch. “Tell me you-” When she finished his face morphed into a snarl, rage filled his eyes. “Why didn’t you? They’re dangerous, Jas. The Sith need to be taken out, wherever they may be.” He was visibly shaking with fury. “You should have let her die. How did she even find Tython? It’s supposed to e a secret, hidden away so they couldn’t find us!” He shook his head, disbelief canceling his rage. He took a deep breath, using the breathing technique Rekka taught him to calm down.

“Do you know why I came here, Jas?” He opened his eyes, gold meeting hers. “Because I was kidnapped and attacked by her people. The Sith.” He spoke deliberately, each work filled with pain. “He tortured me for a week, and when I wouldn’t give him what he wanted, intended on using some kind of ritual to force it out of me. He stabbed me in one of my hearts. I would have died if not for the timely rescue from Rekka and Shadow Urgos. While I’m sure you had your reasons, I’m conflicted.”

Jaslyn jerked as if slapped as his rage washed over her. She could see it and feel it and it affected her next statement heavily. So heavily that she snapped at Takryn in irritation while he paused to control himself. “Selene isn’t Sith!” She bit her lip and looked away letting him compose himself and doing the same.

Jaslyn was horrified at the next thing he told her. That he had been kidnapped and tortured was abominable. “I...I don’t know what to say to that. Taki...are you… a week? How did you survive that long?”

He visibly sighs when Jas says Selene isn’t Sith. “That’s only slightly better. And Zabrans are a combative race. Even being half what he did wasn’t all too bad. Sure, I have some electrical burns and had to get heart surgery, but it’s more… Mental. He had access to a skill I’ve never encountered before and apparently my hatred was keeping him out of my head. So… He decided to amplify his ability with the ritual. Using my blood as a catalyst to apparently ‘Drain the knowledge from my stupid thick head.’ I was a bit fuzzy at the time. Rekka has been training me with a new force ability, Crucitorn. I can only really use it to dampen pain. And it helped.” He shook his head. “Again, mostly mental stuff like trying to starve me or extreme dehydration. Got me through two Trials.” He chuckles bitterly at that.

Jaslyn swallowed and the room tilted a bit. “I need to sit down. Besides if Merrian or Rekka catch us we’ll both be in trouble. My room is right around the corner.” She straightened and took her arm off the wall.

She staggered down the hallways and lead them to her room. Thankfully there were no other Padawans or Younglings hanging around to chat with Jaslyn. Jaslyn opened the door and practically fell onto the bed. Her vision had narrowed so much that she was worried that she would have passed out about halfway down that last hall. By sheer stubbornness she made it the whole way.

She leaned double and waited till things looked right again. “Crucitorn huh? Sounds pretty cool. Not how you found out you could tap into it, but still cool.” Her room was neat and orderly as usual the only thing out of place in neatness was the bed. Jaslyn never understood having a neat bed. You were just going to mess it up once you crawled into it again. She staunchly refused to make her bed, it had been that way for years. Merrian had given up when everything else was kept neat and orderly.

Jaslyn leaned up slowly and unclipped her cloak and leaned back on it. She was laying across the bed her feet on the floor. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Takryn. “Taki...you never really told me why you’re here. What’s going on?” She looked confused.

“I’m not sure we should be..” He sighed as she began to move. He followed along dutifully, free hand out and ready to catch her if she fell. He could tell she was exhausted. “It’s a fairly common warrior ability, from what Rekka said.” He looked around the room. He saw she’d become a bit tidier than she was last he saw and he nodded. Taking a seat on the edge of her desk he shrugged his good shoulder. “I’m actually here first for the medical treatment, make sure no part of the Ritual worked, and then secondly because… I’m actively in my Knight Trials.” He pulls out the sith crystal. “My next task is to purify this. It belonged to the Inquisitor. It’s not your typical sith crystal either. It’s very force receptive. I’m pretty sure Rekka intends for this to be my new lightsaber crystal.” He pats the saber at his hip. “This one is on loan from her, until I finish with this one and fix mine. Never really been good with the building process.”

He sighed, giving a firm shake of his head. “And lastly, it’s to get away from all the stress. I’ve never set foot here before. Rekka thought I might get a lot out of training here. Bonus being if I can train with Grandmaster Satelle.” He grins at that. “I’d love to spar against her. Rekka only really said good things about her.”

Jaslyn moved away from the crystal as if it were a hot pan. She felt better as he put it away and she moved back nodding as he went on. “Knight Trials and two down already? You know I’m still gonna be Knight before you, right? You remember that bet don’t you? Bet you don’t.” She smirked prodding gently in his side.

Takryn chuckles. “Actually, Three. I’m almost done.” He smirks. “Have you even started your Trials?” He raises an eyebrow. He remembered the bet they had. He had thought it void but was glad that it was still on. “If I remember right, Winner got to demand one thing from the loser, within reason.” He scratches his small goatee. “I’m ahead by far, Jas. You’ve got a ways to catch up. Trials usually take a few months to complete.”

Jaslyn grinned widely. “You always needed a handicap to keep up with me Taki. And you can’t cheat and say that this one is done. So it’s only two.” She teased holding up two fingers. “I might even let you get to three to give you a fair chance.”

She sighed and looked around the room. Upon seeing the stone that he had given her when they first met; to skip rocks on a pond, on her dresser her eyes went wide. She grabbed her pillow and slid it across the dresser, a little too forcefully. She heard the stone hit the floor with a muffled thud. She went back to her original position of leaning up on her elbows.

“Actually… The whole surviving the Sith Inquisitor counted for two. Courage and Flesh.” He shrugs. “I’m on Trial Four now. Apparently, you can advance quickly if you fight the Sith, so I’ve been told.” He sighs. “Not exactly the way I wanted to go through it. As for the handicap, I’ve gotten a lot smarter. Less of a brute, more using my head. Pretty sure I’ll have finished this Trial before you begin yours.”

He saw her slide the pillow, noticing the rock as it falls. With a hand he lifts the rock from where it falls, calling it to him with relative ease. “You… Kept it?” It was made of andesite with flecks of sodalite, flecked to match her eyes. It was noticeably smoother and his expression softens. “It’s been a long time since we were at the Temple, huh…”

Jaslyn blushed and looked away. “I haven’t found a good flat pond to skip it on.” Jaslyn looked back and reached out to take it from his hand.

He handed it to her. “Well, I’m sure there are ponds here.” His hand lingers on hers. “Maybe I’ll get a new skipping rock, or three.”

Jaslyn raised her eyebrow. “Oh yeah? You try finding the perfect conditions to beat your skip record of eight. I haven’t found the perfect pond yet. And using the Force is cheating. I’m still convinced that you only got eight cause you used the Force. It’s the only way you could have beat me.”

He grins. “I told you, I did a lot of that back home. Was something that let me bond with my dad. I’ve always been good at it. You have to be good at the timing.” He shrugged. “I’ve actually gotten a bit better, since Rekka encouraged the activity when we started training. She’s… Kind of like a mother to me. I look up to her a lot. Even her husband is a great. He’s pretty strong.”

Jaslyn smiled. “Timing. Right sounds like a coverup to me. Timing for skipping rocks. What next? Telling me that the sky is green and the grass blue? But your timing is awful.” She teased him unmercifully tossing the rock lazily from one hand to another.

Raising a hand the rock freeze in place. “You know I was terrible with fine control back then. Sure, I have an insane amount of telekinetic strength, but moving a tiny moving rock? No way. For my Test of Skill I had to not only levitate myself, but a bunch of rocks and pieces of rubble, shifting the small stuff around. Absolute nightmare.” He shivered. “Pretty sure my nose bleed for the rest of that week.”

Jaslyn laughed and pushed Takryn lightly. “That’s why she tested that skill. And now apparently you have it. And you didn’t let a little nosebleed stop you. Fine. Four tests down. What do you want as your boon?”

“Yeah… Was actually part of the reason why I had gotten caught. Apparently I shifted something on instinct to grab when the ship hit a bit of turbulence. The guy trailed us for the rest of our trip. Then I was off on my own, since Rekka went somewhere to meet up with someone.” He
shrugs. “I’m not sure what I want as a boon yet. I’ve got this and my last test to do. And when I finish I’ll let you know. You gotta catch up quick, Jas.” The large man grinned, letting the rock settle on her head. “Maybe I should take my time with this next test.”

Jaslyn levitated the rock back to the dresser rolling her eyes as she put it gently on it. “You know I still remember that you hate being tickled right? Don’t make me use your weaknesses against you.” She smirked leaning over to snatch the pillow off the dresser.

“Tickling me requires you to get into arms reach, and I’m strong enough to pin you easily.” He smirks. “You could try, but you won’t defeat me. Age grants its own strength too.” He flexes, showing off his arms. “I’m a lot bigger than I was then.”

“Yes old man, but you’re as weak as a kitten when tickled. Shall I prove it to you or leave your fragile male ego alone?” She’d taunted him like this years ago and hadn’t seen she was pushing the line of friendship to more. Or maybe she had realized it subconsciously and done it anyway. She’d fallen back into that same old habit. She blushed and looked away sitting up fully fussing with the pillow.

“I’m not that old. Just four years your senior. And I can numb my sense of touch, rendering your tickling null.” He smirks. “My ego is safe from your attacks.” He remembered this, enjoying the playful banter and the sass. He realized he missed having this, enjoying spending time with her. “Any redder and you might be mistaken for a zabrak.” He winks.

Jaslyn whipped her head around at his last remark and glared at him. “I refuse to play the game of how red can we make Jas. It’s not fair!” Jaslyn leapt at Takryn using speed that was obviously enhanced and proceeded in tickling him on his sides.

Takryn let her get the edge for a second before turning the tables, using
his force ability to dull his sense of touch a bit, so he could pin her against the wall. He looked down at her, nearly a full head above her. Takryn smirked. “It’s a fun game. Mostly because it’s easy to get you to blush.”

“Is not you brute! It’s not that easy!” Jaslyn struggled then growled and hissed like the kitten she called him.

“Really?” He leaned in close. “You’re almost as red as a tomato. It’s kinda cute, really.” He watched her closely, keeping a loose but firm hold on her wrists.

Jaslyn caught her breath as Takryn leaned in close. She was starting to sound like one of those simple females in holo-vids. She narrowed her eyes at Takryn. “Don’t use that word. You know I hate that word. I’m far from cute. Only babies and animals are cute.” It came out less threatening than she wanted. Pretty much not threatening at all. But she wasn’t backing down.

He looked deeply in her eyes. “Well, I can only think of a few words to describe you know… Though ‘Beautiful’ does come to mind.” He smirked. “You are very beautiful, Jaslyn Dayne.” He was face level now, mere centimeters away. His hood fell back and revealed his broken horns. Once a sight she called his Crown, cracked and burned. He bore his scars with a mark of pride, his slinged arm held to his chest as a twitch of pain came. He pulled back, letting her hands drop.

Jaslyn started to reach up but dropped her hands. “I expect that whoever did that is no longer among the living?” Her eyes had travelled from Takryn’s arm in a sling to his broken “Crown” back to his golden gaze. “And don’t look at me like that for changing the subject. Saying something like that is what got us in trouble in the first place…” She tapered off biting her lip to stop the flow of words.

“Watched him die. Felt only a little better about it but then again, he cut off my horns with his lightsaber.” He shook his head with a dark chuckle. “Yeah… Especially since well, you’ve gotten yourself into a spot of trouble. Rekka wouldn’t be too happy.” He sighed.

Jaslyn raised an eyebrow. “And you’re still recovering, so no she wouldn’t be happy that you were flirting with me.” Putting her hands on her hips she leveled him with a stare that she reserved for when the Younglings got out of line when they were playing. “You, sir, need to be resting up.”

I don’t remember him being this...big. It’s like he makes the room seem smaller, more confined and intimate than he used to. Jaslyn was flustered. She didn’t get flustered easily, usually. He’d always been able to read her and the fact that nothing had really changed was comforting and confusing. Taki and Selene have that in common. She can read me just as well as he can. Although I doubt either would appreciate the point.

“She reminds me of my mother. Both were strong willed women who wanted to do good. Mother was proud that I’d become a Jedi.” He sighed. “But then they died in the Sacking. Dad…. Dad’s still around but we don’t talk. He’s not too happy about Jedi and well, considers me dead to him. As for resting, I probably should. Though I recover fast like most of my kind. I’ll be getting horn surgery tomorrow, fixing up the cracks. Not sure about if I should get prosthetics for them. They are quite sensitive now. I get headaches every now and then.”

Jaslyn smirked. “Well those were where all your brains were. So of course they’d be sensitive and aching.” Jaslyn got up and shooed Takryn to the door. “At least if you’re gonna be here act like you’re guarding me.” She was close. Too close. She could feel the tension rising. As if all they did was put a pause on it after he’d called her beautiful. She looked up at him and knew that had been a mistake.

Takryn rolled his eyes at her. “I know I’m not the smartest Jedi in the world. I would make a terrible guard for you. You know that.” He looked down at her and his hearts skipped a beat or two. Instinct told him to lean down but a soft but firm knock sounded at the door.

“Takryn, I do hope you aren’t getting into mischief.” The voice of his master made his head snap over to the sound with a sigh.

“Yes, Master.” He frowned at Jaslyn. “I’ll visit later. Rekka is rather persistent.” He opened the door, revealing the tall Umbaran jedi. She smiled at the two of them.

Jaslyn sat back down on her bed heart pounding. I know that look. He was going to kiss me again. Six years hasn’t changed that look. Jaslyn looked over at Master Rekka and nodded.

With a smile and a wave, Takryn left the room, following his master towards his. “I’d tell you to stop, but I know you too well. I urge you to be both cautious and discreet. Right now, she is under the intense gaze of the Grand Master herself.” She shows him his room, following him in. “And no, you will wait until you’ve recovered before you begin training with the Battlemaster. We just had your heart fixed.”

Takryn sighs as he sits on the bed. “Yes Master Rekka. I’ll be good. Go enjoy your vacation.”

“It’s merely an assignment on the same planet as my husband, not much of a vacation, young Padawan.” She bid him goodbye, leaving him to his thoughts as sleep overcame him.

[Jedi] Tython

Jaslyn Dayne

Jaslyn bowed to Grandmaster Shan and hurried along the corridor to her rooms only to find it blurring. The image was super imposed with another. A darker different corridor. Confused Jaslyn blinked and slowed her pace. What is going on? What am I seeing? Seeing Brye Jaslyn stilled. Then the vision went dark and she heard Selene speak. Brye? Selene?

Neither seemed to notice anything amiss. She listened to the conversation. Brye lost her lightsaber? And who did all those things to her? Jaslyn about held her breath as Selene and Brye talked. Lights came on and Brye walked away Jaslyn snapped back into her reality. What is this? Is this the link that Grandmaster Shan was referring to? And who or what is Revan? And what has that to do with the Grandmaster? Now I have more questions...

Jaslyn was still disoriented and exhausted. She was mentally, emotionally and spiritually drained and it showed physically. There were plenty of people she walked by who glared at her or turned away. She ignored them and kept on to her destination.

Just a little farther...

[Jedi] Tython

Jaslyn Dayne & Grandmaster Satele Shan

_{Collaboration @Ruby & @Almalthia}

The Masters huddled in a dark corner split in half by a narrow beam of Tython sunlight that had begun to come out again in the last few hours. They spoke in hushed tones, all three constantly reaching out to sense the presence of any of who might be nearing their little hide-away in a corner of the claustrophobic lower level corridor of the Tython Temple. The Togruta female Jedi Master Kiwiiks, the Zabrak Master Uakro, and Satele spoke quickly after she emerged from the chamber, human Jedi Master Kaedan soon removing him from the guard of this 'Selene' long enough to join them.

Some basic facts had been established from their questioning of the Dark Sider: Selene had been planning this for a long time, Selene was no Sith, Selene disliked the Sith in equal amount as she disliked the Jedi, Selene was an academic, killing Jedi or even conflict with Jedi was nowhere in Selene's list of motivations, Selene had a unique understanding of the history of both Tython and Force users in general. One of the largest issues at hand that remained, to Satele, was how Selene had found them and gotten enough information on Tython defenses to set up a way through it all.

Master Kiwiiks returned to the point of escape, or more appropriately the apparent lack thereof. How did Selene plan to escape Tython? There seemed no plan for it, it never seemed part of the young woman's equations for the entire operation. Master Kaedan offered the theory that sounded the most interesting considering what Satele had sensed from Selene in person: that Selene never planned to escape. That the plan was to get captured by the Jedi Order. It created a coil of anxiety in Satele: they couldn't just kill Selene, they couldn't strip her mind and memories, they couldn't hold her on Tython--the weather alone made that clear.

Satele was confident in sending the woman to a prison built to hold her. That was, at least, until Master Kaedan offered his theory. Was she playing into the Dark Sider's plan by sending her to a prison? Is that what she wanted? The Jedi Shadows had been able to confirm the Empire was after Selene, a message she had received just before going in to talk to Selene personally. Was it that simple, she wondered? Was whatever Selene had done been worth imprisonment, a fate better to Selene's point of view than whatever the Sith would do?

If you had to be taken prisoner by one, which would you pick?

It was an uncomfortable thought that only added to the tension of the hard knotted coil developing deep in her stomach. Every time her mind pushed away from her body, her energy, away from the energy of those around her, and focused on how the Force flowed through and around Selene...it was maelstrom of light and shadow. Satele saw no shatterpoint, Satele felt only an endless void of darkness swirling unseen but there just the same. Alarming as all of that was, Satele had a more immediate concern, a cause for concern that erupted the huddle of Masters whispered in quick fire heated tones.

There was a link with Selene and...Satele could not tell. Was someone manipulating Selene? Was someone watching it all on the other end of the link? Was Selene working with someone?

The huddle ended with more questions than answers. The question of the link burned hottest on Satele's mind until she walked into her quarters, turning around after closing the door behind her to see Jaslyn waiting. Her eyes fixated, widened at their edges just-so, and like that the answer to her burning question was offered up to her. Satele almost laughed. It was so obvious, at least, now that she knew.

"Jaslyn..." Her voice began, her eyes coming down on Jaslyn with weight and intensity rarely seen from the Jedi Grand Master as realization was heard in Satele's words, "you're telepathically linked to a Dark Side academic." War, her thoughts whispered to her, as a pang of some emotion perilously close to anger fired off in the back of her mind like a lightning bolt far away on some stormy horizon.

Satele's head tilted to the right, just slightly, as her eyes narrowed on the girl's image, and her voice lowered. "What did you do? What happened under the silent sands?"

Jaslyn stood as Grandmaster Shan entered the room and shut the door. She was on edge and the statement that came from the Grandmaster made her go white. Jaslyn had never had a puzzle piece click so well for her. I am? I am. This means I kept my promise. She won’t ever be alone. Jaslyn almost smiled at that but swallowed it quickly.

Then came the question that she wished no one would ask. Jaslyn made herself look at the Grandmaster her expression calm and flat. Well almost. Jaslyn’s eyes showed her emotions like a kaleidoscope. Fear, anger, belief, love all rolled in upon each other for a brief moment in time. That moment in time felt like a lifetime as Jaslyn quelled each emotion one by one.

There was no way to have missed that display, nor the way that Jaslyn was able to reign it all back in. Jaslyn kept eye contact with the Grandmaster. “We entered a chamber that was decorated in symbols that were unfamiliar, yet familiar all the same. I believe questions were answered, truths discovered for each of us. The only logical explanation is that since Selene and I were in telepathic contact when the door to the chamber opened, we are now linked.”

Jaslyn bit her lip. “Grandmaster she needs someone. She’s so... alone. I could feel it. The sadness was like my own yet not mine. It called to me. It was so deeply a part of her that it was heartbreaking.”

Jaslyn stood straighter, taller, her stubbornness clearly apparent. “I made a promise that she wouldn’t be alone anymore. No one deserves that heartache.” Sadness filled Jaslyn for a moment remembering how deeply filled Selene was with sadness and loneliness. But when Jaslyn had promised that she wouldn’t be alone anymore hope filled Selene. “Grandmaster I felt hope and happiness when I made that promise. Surely that would mean that if she learned from us she would not be so… unbalanced?” It was going out on a limb but maybe Jaslyn could convince them to let Selene stay and she’d be able to see her again.

Satele’s expression ran dull. A very small, focused, sigh escaped her lips as she simply walked past the Padawan and into her bedroom. It was only a few minutes and when she returned removing clips from her hair, her bright eyes weren’t eager to return to the Padawan.

There was simply too much going on, in her mind, and Jaslyn’s.

“This woman will not bring you happiness or fulfillment. She will be a shadow on the wall, always dancing just out of your grasp, no matter how hard you try.” Never, not once, did her tone waiver. Her words carried the weight of someone who could see, and had seen, from the Force before.

Satele could not question what she felt now. Her mind shifted, like someone might shift their weight from one side to another, her mind switching to another side of the matter altogether: “She will be escorted to a max security Republic prison built with Force users in mind. She will spend the rest of her life there, if we’re lucky.”

“She wants you. I feel it. She’s…” Satele frowned. She may have had a ‘secret’ child with the Supreme Commander but Jace was no Dark Sider. Satele had to know more about the chamber. “Selfish, Jaslyn. With time and the right conditions, yes, I think perhaps you could save her. With a lot of time.”

But when has the galaxy ever been kind enough to give any of the time and right conditions for anything lately?

Her dark hair rain wavey in the light as her fingers teased out tangles, her eyes swinging from mirror to Jaslyn. It might have seemed an odd time to groom, but that was Satele’s point by doing it; she was comfortable, enough to groom, in Jaslyn’s presence. If she was upset, she wasn’t showing it, focused on something so...mundane.

“In the meantime, I have to save you.” Satele Shan smiled and turned to face the Padawan. “You did what you did because you follow your own path, as it will be. That path is not the typical Jedi path, but...it is a very not typical time for the Jedi.”

Satele jerked her head towards the door, the intensity in her bright eyes never once leaving them. “C’mon, walk with me.” Out the door, closing it behind the girl, Satele nodded to the Jedi Guardian human standing ready. His brown eyes eyed Jaslyn hard, and Satele’s smile widened. “You will be popular for a while, Jaslyn, ignore it.” Down the corridor of painted stone walls and cut polished stone tile floors, around a corner marked by a pale milk white marble column, only when they were alone did Satele speak again.

Much softer than before. “We Jedi are light. The Sith are dark. I am not naive, there have been before and will be again those between the two. Those stuck in the haze of gray,” she said it, finally, that word. Gray. Her head turned that way and this, then back again, then to Jaslyn where they settled heavily. “Stay with us, Jaslyn. You have not yet finished with the Jedi Order, I think, still some things to learn...patience with destiny, Jaslyn, it’ll find you the moment it wants to. I’m sure the Council will punish you, but I would expect the mother of all demerits more than I would exile…”

The smile shining on her lips bordered on playful, and might have gotten there, save for the shadow of the dead today. “Enjoy your link. Such links can be fickle things, prone to simply dissipating over distance and/or time.”

Olympus Academy // A School for Demigods and Demigoddesses

@Altered TundraThank you both for your time!!

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

@PyxisI like her. Just remember to wait for a second approval.

Olympus Academy // A School for Demigods and Demigoddesses

Ghislaine Le’Beau, Daughter of Hephaestus

Redacted

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

I’ll be getting a post out tomorrow night and Tuesday.