A Hunt For History

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There were certain matters Cedric could entrust to no one but himself. It wasn't that he did not trust his companions, but this was a task for a Jedi, and there were none in the Imperium with the experience that he had.

The late Jedi Leron Grayson had served the Old Republic dutifully during its wars against the old Sith Empire. He had lived in a tumultous time, when both of the galaxy's great nations were brought low by a new contender, the Eternal Empire. An alliance of sorts between members of the Republic and the Empire had been formed shortly thereafter with the goal of dethroning the Eternal Empire from is place of power.

Cedric did not know the details of what had gone on, only that they had succeeded in their endeavor, and that the alliance had eventually been split in loyalties between the remaining governments. What he did know was that Leron called Odessen home, and it was here that it was said he'd died. With him went a holocron that told much of what had gone on in the era, a priceless artifact that could reforge the Imperium's official timeline on galactic history.

Thus it was that the Jedi Master's X-Wing settled down outside one of the only settlements on the planet, Cornwall, a farming town erected a few miles out from the old alliance base.

Clad in combat armor and robes of a raven's shade, the Jedi Master entered the only cantina in town. It was a dingy little place lit by candles and sparking lights. A few farmhands were gathered about the handful of tables, drinking away at the local swill before their next shift began.

Cedric quickly made his way to the bartender.

"Afternoon," the portly human greeted.

"Evening. New in town," Cedric drew back his cowl, revealing a patrician face marred by scars. A faded red tattoo adorned the right side of his visage. "Can you tell me anything about that old fortress a few klicks out?"

"You buying?"

"If you're telling."

A credit chip was slid across the counter. The portly man produced a mug of frothing white liquid. "Not all that much stranger. Been here a thousand years, probably longer. No one goes there anymore - they say it's haunted."

"Good to know," Cedric took the mug, and turned to make his way toward an empty table, "Thanks for the info."

 

[Wrenarias]

It had taken Wrenarias several weeks to find a freighter that would agree to take her to Odessen for a reasonable price, but it was the next stop that made the most sense. Bouncing from one backwater to the next had been the standard for the past few years. Maybe she'd get lucky and find something of value in the ancient runes, or maybe it'd be a complete waste of time and credits. In the back of her mind, the twi'lek argued that the latter was likely the case.

But still, she needed to see for herself.

Kelina had visited Odessen at some point. There had to be something here.

Some sort of clue that she could use.

Her first stop would be the cantina. Perhaps someone there would remember Kelina from her last visit, the Mirialan had been a distinctive individual after all.

Just as she was approaching the entrance to the establishment, a strange feeling tickled at the nape of Wren's neck and she glanced up towards the sky; something she always did when she felt some sort of inkling through the Force. She wasn't sure why her instinct was to look up towards the stars, but that did little to alter the habit. As usual, there wasn't anything physically there. No bright sign flashing in the clouds to tell her what to make of the feeling, as convenient as that would have been.

Instead, she had to pause and close her eyes -- focusing inwards to search for the answer.

Someone with a connection to the Force was close, the sensation little more than a faint ripple in a vast lake, but it was there nonetheless.

A concerned frown formed on the woman's lips and she hitched her bag a little higher on her shoulder. She couldn't tell who it was, or even what their intentions were. All she knew was that she wasn't the only one like her in the small farming village. She took a tentative step back, raising a hand in an apology to the farmer that she bumped into in the process.

"Oh... stars, I'm sorry." She mumbled.

The older man raised a brow at her, chuckling. "No worries, girl. Headin' in for a drink?"

"Erm... no." Was her reply as she glanced towards the entrance. The ripple she felt was definitely coming from inside. "Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me which direction it is to the abandoned fort?"

"Hmm, dangerous place to go visitin'. That said, it's a few klicks to the east. Should only take a few hours to get there on foot, there's an old huntin' trail that'll take you straight there. Just don't go wanderin' too far, eh? Wouldn't want you to get lost." He answered, waving a hand with a warm smile that only a kindly old farmer could manage.

Wren gave a quick nod, tapping two fingers to her brow as she returned the friendly smile. "Thank you very much, sir. Here, have a drink on me." She offered the gentleman a few credit chits.

Before he could protest, she turned and hurried off in search of the hunting trail that the farmer mentioned.

She didn't want to risk encountering whatever waited inside the cantina.

 

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The empyrean twisted curiously.

Many beings envisioned the Force as many things. All of their views were entirely valid - simply the methods their minds used to rationalize the living Force. For Cedric, he generally saw the empyrean as a vast ocean, and the sentients within it as island or other geographical structures. The tides turned in ways that reflected the actions of those sentients. It was in that way that Cedric could predict what actions other might take, and just what the empyrean had in store for him.

Now, however, he saw the strands. It was a rare thing for him to perceived the Force in such a way - strands generally meant the presence of Force Sensitives that might play a great role in his destiny. After extensive experience, he had determined it was a way for the Force to tell him what paths to pursue. As always, he went with faith on this one.

Without a word, the Jedi rose to his feet, and quietly made his way out of the cantina. The strand was a fleeting thing, and he could no longer make our its trajectory, only its presence. "Must have went somewhere else," he mused to himself, his gaze turning toward the massive mountainous ruin in the far distance.

Whomever it was, if they felt the Force, that was the likely place to be.

Given purpose, the Jedi Master made his way instinctively toward the hunter's trail. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, Cedric's journey toward the old alliance base began.

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

The lower the sun dipped below the horizon, the more and more difficult it became for Wrenarias to see the path in front of her through the trees. For some, this would have been a frightening moment; but for Wren it reminded her of home. The twilight equatorial zone on Ryloth was not so different. These precious few minutes where the world teetered between shadows and light always brought back memories -- some good, some not so good.

Shaking her head, she refocused her attention to the present and tugged the hood of her jacket up to cover her lekku. It was getting chilly as the darkness crept over the landscape.

Another whisper of the ripples tickled at the back of her neck and she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes briefly glanced upwards and then she quickly looked over her shoulder.

It was the same presence from before, of that she was certain. Her fingers itched and she reached inside her jacket, brushing her fingertips over the hilt of the lightsaber that she had hidden away in an inside pocket. She was tempted to carry the weapon in her hand, but decided against it. Drawing the weapon would mean that she intended to use it, and that wasn't the case just yet.

Still, the uneasy fear that someone was following her caused her to pick up her pace to a jog... which gradually increased to an all out sprint as she felt the ripples in the Force more and more often.

As she fled, her mind started to formulate a plan. She could get to the ruins and find a place to hide, preferably someplace with a vantage point.

By the time she reached the bridge that crossed the gorge from the forest to the old Alliance base, the sun had set. Darkness made it impossible for her to see the deteriorated state of the metal supports that had largely rusted away over the centuries.

Halfway across the bridge, the ground gave out beneath her footing as a large chunk of plating crumbled from the impact of her boots.

She leaped forward, scrambling to catch herself on the far side of the gap. It took a few seconds for her to hear the crash of the panel hitting the ground below.

Panting to catch her breath, Wren clung to the ledge for a few moments, pressing her brow into her forearm as she muttered under her breath. "Too kriffing close..."


[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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A number of beasts followed the Jedi's path.

They were large carnivorous things, but there was no violent intent to them. Not yet anyway. Cedric had been aware of them by the time they came within a mile of his position. Such creatures shone brightly in the empyrean: they thrummed with contained energy, ready to pounce the moment he let his guard down.

The creatures only watched for now. He heard them rustling a few meters behind him, the pack large, but seemingly not large enough to urge an attack. There was also the matter of his presence within the empyrean - he willed the creatures to see him for what he might be capable of: to be a creature that simply was not worth the time trying to take down.

In truth, it was the thunderclap of metal slamming against solid rock that sent them scurrying off into the darkness. Cedric had only been walking for the majority of the trip, but this broke him into a dead sprint. Whomever it was that he had felt in the empyrean, they would likely be up ahead, and they may very well be hurt.

The wind snapped at his black cloak as he stepped out of the treeline. He peered out from beneath his cowl, eyeing the gap where the bridge had fallen, and centering his gaze on the prone figure that lay across it.

"You alright?" He called out over the low whine of the winds.

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

She quickly twisted around the sound of someone calling out to her in the darkness, nearly losing her grip on the platform in the process. Not wanting to be in such a vulnerable position with a stranger at her back, Wren hauled herself up onto the relative safety of the bridge. Once both her feet were on something solid, her instinct was to draw her blaster.

Shooting first and asking questions later had served her relatively well throughout her time in the Outer Rim. Often times there were too many variables to take into consideration and it was safer to take out the threat before it even became one. Life had a brutal way of beating that into people's minds. Kelina had instilled that instinct in her during their time together.

But something caused her to hesitate.

The twi'lek was still crouched low to the ground in a clearly defensive posture.

For several moments, she grappled internally with whether or not she should say anything to the robed figure lingering by the treeline. With him in sight, she couldn't sense the malice she'd felt when the Sith had descended upon her before... this was something different.

"I'm fine." She called back to him, slowly making her way backwards towards the solid ground of the fort behind her.

"Are you following me?" She demanded, having to raise her voice so that it would carry across the gorge and not be lost on the wind.


[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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Yep, definitely this one.

Cedric's arms clasped behind his back as he stared across the gorge. his gaze was not upon the woman, but the ruin at her back. The structure was ancient at this point, and had fallen apart in several places. He could only hope that some clue as to his ancestor's endeavors might remain within.

When she finally spoke, his gaze turned to her. "Glad to hear." He drew upon the empyrean, willing his words to carry across the winds so that he might be heard as if speaking normally. "I was not following you, or rather I was, but it's not why I'm here."

The energies of the empyrean drew into his limbs with reflexive ease. He willed it particularly into his legs, and drew himself up into a leap. With his abilities enchanced by the living Ashla, crossing the gap was a simple task. He did a flip for showmanship's sake (and because it was fun) before thumping to the ground a few meters away from the Twi'lek.

"I came here," he drew in a deep breath as he recovered from the exertion, "For this," he gestured toward the ruin. "Old holocron. Just happened to sense you along the way. Thought you might have been one of the exiles."

[member="Wrenarias"],

 

[Wrenarias]

As the stranger flipped his way across the gorge, Wren took note of his trajectory and took an instinctive step backwards.To say she was wary of him would be putting the sentiment lightly. One hand was held out at her side, bent cautiously at the elbow; and the other lingered close to the blaster that she carried strapped to her hip.

The man's vague gesture towards the crumbling fort might have distracted her when she was younger, less experienced; now, however, her eyes stayed locked on hooded man and narrowed ever so slightly.

Once, before her training with her mentor, Wren might have dismissed the entire situation as nothing more than a coincidence. Some small part of her wanted to do just that. Chalk this entire encounter to happenstance and then be on her way. Unfortunately for her, she'd been taught that coincidence was rare for force sensitives like herself. There was something else, something other than chance, at play here.

Her lips pursed slightly and she eventually gave a single nod of her head.

Another long pause filled the air, the faintly howling wind filling the void while Wren gathered her thoughts. There would be no doubt the woman was making a concerted effort to carefully choose her words.

"One of the exiles? I haven't been exiled from anything..." She answered hesitantly.


[member="Cedric Grayson"]

 

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A pregnant silence hung in the air after Cedric spoke. His gaze shifted evenly from the woman to the ruined fortress several times. The empyrean had called him here, though as to exactly why he was uncertain. He suspected it had much to do with the Twi'lek woman though, and so his investigation of the ruin would have to wait.

"Hmm," he blinked, gave a light shrug, and focused his attentions on the woman. "The Force whirls about you. I thought you might have been one of Jedi from the fallen Republic hiding out on a force sensitive world. Didn't sense any of the sort of violence that generally accompanies the Sith." He folded his arms about his chest, making a conscious effort to keep his hands away from his lightsaber. Telegraphing a threat that he did not intend would likely not lead to this ending well.

"My name's Cedric. I came here to look into these ruins," he gestured toward the aforementioned structure. "One of my ancestors died here centuries ago. I had hope he might have still been carrying something important to my family," he paused, eyes narrowing as he appraised the Twi'lek. "Why are you here?"

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

The twi'lek bristled when he mentioned the Sith, her posture shifting somewhat as she stiffened. This disdain was clear on her features as she folded her arms over her chest, lavender eyes slightly narrowed at him with her lips pursed. Her tongue pressed against the inside of her cheek and then it clicked in thought.

This stranger, Cedric, was no Sith. She felt safe enough making that judgement call, which put her somewhat at ease.

Exhaling a soft breath, she finally seemed to relax to some degree. Her posture shifted to a more casual stance, with one leg supporting more weight than the other.

"I'm... well, I'm not a Jedi." She explained in a softer voice, glancing towards the entrance to the ruins that loomed nearby.

"But I'm certainly no Sith, either." She added defensively. "I'm here trying to find out what happened to my mentor... I know that she visited here once, and I thought I might... I don't know, find something inside..."

 

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Another rogue then. There were far too many in the galaxy as of late. A comination of a lack of discipline, capable masters, and a cohesive Jedi Order led to splintering. Heretical teachings that blended the Bogan and Ashla were prevalent, and so many had strayed from the path. It was an unfortunate reality of the galaxy, and one Cedric was keen to see changed.

“Maybe we can help one another then,” he mused, choosing not to open the bag of worms that might be her alignment. Not Sith was good enough for Cedric.

“I’ve no idea what might be inside. Odessen was home to an ancient alliance of Jedi and Sith. It was inevitable that it would fall - the two cannot coexist.” He peered up at the structure. “Perhaps your master came here for its history. Only one way to find out.”

He began to walk the winding path that led up to the entrance of the fortress. If she chose to follow, she was welcome. If not, then he’d simply continue as he was.





[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

"Uh... she wasn't my Master. She just taught me things. A teacher." Wren frowned when the man turned to walk further down the path. She gripped one of the straps to her bag with her left hand and then trotted after him.

Truth be told, she didn't know what she was looking for here at the ruins. Maybe there wasn't even anything to be found. It didn't make much sense to follow the steps of someone who was by all means likely dead; but Wren didn't have anything else to go off of.

If Cedric knew what he was looking for, and had knowledge of the Force, it stood to reason he might be looking for the same thing that had brought Kelina to this place all those years ago.

"How exactly... could we help each other?" She asked after a few moments of walking along behind the robed figure.

 

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"Forgive my assumption then." Cedric waved a hand. Master, mentor teacher - all monikers for the same thing, albeit with different levels of respect attached to them. He assumed she'd been trained by a force user, given her presence within the empyrean. It lacked the general naivete that most of the untrained practically exuded. The path was a long winding one that had lost all sense of structure after the passing of so much time. A few outcropping stones were the only sign that anything planned had ever been there.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "If the ruin has inhabitants, it's possible they won't be the most friendly. In that case, numbers are always an advantage, and if you can use the Force, even more so." He explained as they drew nearer to the mouth of the fortress.

It was a massive cavern carved into the side of a mountain via heavy machinery. Cedric could only make out darkness within, but he was certain this was the path he was meant to walk. If his ancestor's belonging would be anywhere, they would be here.

"I'm a Jedi Master," he added, "It's my duty to assist anyone that may require it, anyway, and something tells me you're in need of it."

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

The twi'lek came to a stop at his side, a strange flutter of excitement blossomed in her chest when he revealed just what he was. Her eyes flicked to the man beneath his cowl while she pulled her own hood back. The silver of her cybernetic lekku glimmered in the dim lighting, the appendage partially wrapped around her throat.

"A... Jedi Master, eh?" She asked as she rummaged through her bag for a torchlight.

When she clicked the button to activate the light, nothing happened. Sighing irritably, she smacked the side of the plastic device and the beam flickered to life. The light illuminated part of the tunnel ahead, but the darkness swallowed the beam after only a few meters.

"I'm not sure how you could help... I don't even know what I'm looking for." She murmured, her voice rather crestfallen.

"An alliance between Sith and Jedi... doesn't really seem feasible. Any Sith I've ever seen has been... monstrous. Was your ancestor a Jedi too then?"

 

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"Those sorts of situations are what I specialize in," Cedric mused as he stepped into the darkness. Whatever vessels might have once called the hanger home were gone now. Scavengers had made off with the loot they provided centuries ago. All that remained of the aging fortress were the metal walkways and bulkheads, all of which were rusted and in various states of disrepair. A damp, stale scent clung to the air, as if the entire structure was in a state of rot.

"Often times when we have no idea what we need, the empyrean guides us. Perhaps that is why our paths have crossed," he mused, plate-bound fingers trailing along the rusted walls as he traversed the hanger. "Or at the very least, that's how it's always worked for me."

He glanced over his shoulder toward her as she asked her question.

"He was, as are most of them. My family has been a part of the Jedi Order nearly since it's founding. You could say it's our calling," he explained, pausing to examine a particular piece of ruined wall. "Never got your name."

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

"Because I didn't give it." She answered him cautiously, walking on the other side of the hall. There wasn't any animosity in her voice, in fact, it was almost playful in a way.

Particles of dust drifted idly through the beam of light, their foot falls echoing off the metal walls. This abandoned facility was hollow and rotted, like a corpse left behind on a battlefield. She wondered if there was anything of any use hidden inside still.

"I'm Wrenarias." She said simply as she came up beside him at the wall, tilting her head back to look over head, realizing that the ceiling extended well up into the inky darkness.

"And I'm not any one special. No long family ties to an ancient order of warrior monks." The twi'lek added with a soft laugh, the sound echoing through the metal corridor. Her free hand reached out, tracing her gloved fingertips along the crumbling wall.

"No connection to much of anything, anymore..." She mumbled quietly with a small frown on her lips.

 

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"A pleasure, Wrenarias," Cedric replied distractedly as he examined the structure. Now would have been a good time to have [member="Loske Matson"] around. Her ability to see the past would likely make this investigation go far more smoothly.

"Everyone's special," he added as he gestured for her to follow him down one of the adjacent tunnels. It was half collapsed, but enough room remained for someone roughly the size of a human to slip through the cracks. "Just in different ways. Ties to the Jedi don't mean much anymore, anyway. Most of us are either dead, or are something that aren't...quite Jedi." The temptation to go on his usual rants about the state of the shattered Jedi Order was there, but he denied it for now. There would be another time.

"Your mentor train you?" He asked as he began to slip through the cracks. It was a claustrophobic, dark, and wholly unpleasant experience, but then most ruin delving tended to be. He reached out int othe empyrean, willing the small insects that called the crevice home to move aside. He had little desire to have spiders and beetles crawling all over him.

"In the Force, I mean."

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

She didn't voice her unease, but Wrenarias had a deeply seated discomfort of enclosed spaces. It wasn't quite a phobia, or even really a fear, but she was always uneasy whenever she had to squeeze through small gaps like the collapsed tunnel. The flashlight was clamped between her teeth so that she had both her hands free to help make moving through the tight quarters a little easier. Whenever she went to answer his questions, she had to take the flashlight back into one of her hands for a brief moment.

Cedric earned points with the woman when he used the term mentor for Kelina. The word 'master' did not sit well with her.

"She taught me things important to survival... and combat. There was never much time to get into anything more than that, and she didn't like to talk about her time as a Jedi." She explained, pausing every so often during her speech to squeeze through a particularly small gap, or to move a piece of rubble out of the way.

"She did tell me that coincidence isn't really something that happens. Said that the force brought people together, had the pieces all fall into place... but I'm not sure I buy that, after everything that's happened." She muttered the last part, shaking her head.

 

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The flicker in the empyrean was brief, but it was enough to alert the Jedi Master that something was alive within these ruins. He only registered it for the barest fraction of a second, but Cedric knew it was there, and he knew that it didn't want to be found.

That complicated things.

Choosing to keep it to himself for now, the Jedi led his way through the crevice, eventually coming out into a massive empty hall that had been carved through the bedrock. This chamber was quite large - blessedly so considering the tight entrance.

"She was right. There is rarely any coincidence. The empyrean guides us through subtle changes in the galaxy. It would have far more of an effect on things, if things were different," he explained as he patted some of the dust from his cloak. "There are two competing wills to the Force. The Ashla, and the Bogan. They are made up of the collective desires of those that have passed on before us. The Ashla is the Force in its natural state, some call it the Light Side of the Force. The Bogan is its opposite, known as the Dark Side. The Bogan is wholly unnatural, and indeed cancerous to the Living Force. It corrodes everything it touches, and seeks only to fuel itself. Both of these aspects attempt to guide us - the Ashla to salvation, the Bogan to damnation." He continued matter-of-factly, as if he had all the answers.

That was, partly, because he did. Most of his life had been dedicated to studying the dichotomy between Ashla and Bogan. "The Sith worship the Bogan under the false pretense that it gives them freedom, and in doing so, become its slave. The Jedi seek to preserve the natural order of things, and keep the galaxy from falling into complete chaos. We've not been very good at our job lately."

[member="Wrenarias"]

 

[Wrenarias]

A few moments later, Wren emerged from the tight crevice. She moved with the grace one would expect a member of her species to carry, squeezing herself through the slender gap without any unseemly stumbling.

She came up beside Cedric as he explained the two aspects of the force, only partially listening to what he was saying. Kelina had told her similar things during their time together, brief as it'd been. The flashlight failed to cut through the oppressive darkness of the massive room around them, only able to illuminate a small circle of a few meters around them.

"Heh..." She made a small sound of dry amusement in the back of her throat.

"No offense to your ancestors, but I'm not sure if Jedi have ever managed to keep that from happening." She'd started to say something more, but she felt something. It wasn't quite a ripple, but she couldn't be sure what. Truth be told, she wasn't even sure if she'd sensed something. Surrounded by the darkness and in the presence of a stranger, it was easy to chalk up the uneasy sensation to paranoia.

"Feels like I'm chasing a ghost..." She finally mumbled, biting her bottom lip as she glanced around the dark chamber.