Private A storm in the sky

[Chloe Blake]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Chloe stood at the head of the common area, her expression warm but knowing, offering a nod to each person as they made their choice. Whether they were in or out, it didn't change the steady respect she held for them. After all, she'd been around the galaxy enough times to understand the weight of what she was asking. This wasn't a simple run. This was deeper, more dangerous -- a mission through territory riddled with traps that could turn lethal at any moment.

"Aa'kua -- 'Preciate it, Sosa," Chloe drawled, indicating a phrase of respect in Oly Corellisi, "The Aurora can handle the flight; we won't need an additional ship."

Her tone made it clear that no one had to feel guilty for staying behind. But even so, there was a glint in her eye, a stubborn spark that said she was set on doing this, come what may.

"Considerin' what we're about to run up against, I'd rather take the reins on the nav myself," she added, the soft drawl now laced with resolve, her shoulders squaring as if she was readying herself to face whatever came next. Navigating Jorus' star charts and thinking how he would was no small feat, and if anyone was gonna pull it off, it'd be her.

"I'm in," Choli said, stepping forward. That meant Trix, Brassycc, Arryk, and Trextan were in too, rounding out the crew that would head into the unknown with the Corellian Warden.

The Bothan quietly excused herself, muttering about needing to monitor the lanes she was assigned to, but Chloe didn't press. The Bothan gave Arryk a look as if concerned that he was going, but said nothing more about it.

"Well, then," Chloe continued, her easy smile never faltering, "we'll drop the rest of y'all at the closest station, get what supplies we need, refuel, and then we're off. "

She took a breath, the weight of leadership settling comfortably on her shoulders like an old leather jacket. She was seasoned, prepared, but she wasn't jaded. There was still that spark of optimism in her, the kind that refused to believe anything was impossible.

"I'll go get us a path charted, Chumani, get us underway. Y'all rest up," she said, already turning to head to the cockpit.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Chloe looked like someone who had just come alive. Trextan had known her for a long time and yet he didn't know as much about her last as he could have done.

He felt a stir of passion down in his gut as he realised that a reluctant leader was the kind he wanted to follow. Someone who took on the mantle when it was required, not when it suited them.

He was first to move, but not to go and rest. Trextan was first on Chloe's heels, following her to the cockpit.

"These ships?" he asked. "You know what we're going into? I might...do some shopping when we stop."

 

[Chloe Blake]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Chloe paused at the doorway to the cockpit, casting a glance back at Trextan over her shoulder. The dim glow from the control panels bathed them both in a soft wash of blue and green, flickering like distant stars outside the ship. She slid into the pilot's seat with the ease of someone who'd done it a thousand times over, her movements fluid and sure, as if she was born in that chair.

Trextan's question hung in the air, giving Chloe pause. She took a deep breath, her fingers tapping absently on the console.

"Aye... and no," she replied, her drawl a bit softer, more contemplative. "Rave made several vault ships, and each one's its own sort of chaos. Remember Gee-Tee?" Referencing one of the Aurora's droids that traveled with Chloe; looked as unassuming as an Astromech but packed a punch.

"I got him as a remnant of one of Rave's vault ships -- the one that knocked me out. Security droid packed to the brim with Ssi-Ruuvi particle beams. Then you've got Sith poison traps, puzzle timers rigged to self-destruct… and Rave, well, she was a Nightsister Alchemist. Could twist beasts like Terentateks to her will. Whatever's on that ship? Could be anythin'."

Her hands moved over the Aurora's navigation controls, pulling up the detailed star charts. These weren't your run-of-the-mill hyperlane maps -- this was a patchwork of routes stitched together from her decades of experience. Jorus Merrill's wild jumps, Levantine Sanctum corridors, Warden secrets, Order of Selab paths -- everything she could get her hands on, all right there at her fingertips.

She tilted her head slightly, glancing at Trextan. "Why? You plannin' on pickin' up somethin' that ain't already stowed away in that duffle bag of yours tucked in my phrik pillbox?"

Her tone carried that light-hearted warmth, but there was an edge of seriousness beneath it. She wasn't one for underestimating a situation, especially not one as loaded as this.

Chloe barely had time to shift her focus back to the nav charts when she sensed movement behind her. Without turning, she knew it was Choli, the young woman's quiet steps barely making a sound as she leaned against the threshold of the bulkhead, arms crossed. She didn't say anything -- didn't have to. They were all in this together now, whether they liked it or not.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Why? You plannin' on pickin' up somethin' that ain't already stowed away in that duffle bag of yours tucked in my phrik pillbox?"

"Based on what you're telling me I think I'm going to borrow a tank. How do you feel about a tank on your ship? Technically it has guns."

He didn't hide his concern. Trextan knew how to face a Sith head on. He had honed his combat skills with Jacen, but the sith themselves had taught him how to face a challenge head on.

Poisons and magics and traps were outside of his expertise. His arrogance in taking on challenges he was unprepared for has hurt him and hurt those he cared about.

He turned on his chair and looked up at Choli. His gaze lingered longer than it should have done. There was so much he wanted to express and to ask, but they were already swept up in something so much bigger than themselves.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "Sorry, probably a silly question. You've only just...yeah...sorry did you want to talk to Chloe?"

He was preparing to walk into hell but in that moment he felt like stepping into and airlock.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Chloe chuckled softly at the mention of a tank, her smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. She shook her head, her drawl easy but sure. "Ain't the sort of thing that'll help us out here. How's your telekinesis? That'll be more useful -- keep us from getting hit."

Her eyes flicked over to Choli, catching her standing at the edge of the cockpit. Chloe gave her a nod, the way a big sister would, curious if the younger Warden had something on her mind. There was no missing the way Trextan's gaze lingered on Choli, though. Yeah, seemed like there were still some things hanging between them that hadn't been worked out.

"Better," Choli replied, unfolding her arms and stepping forward. "I was just checking in to see if you needed anything from what I remember of the interrogation. Maybe it might help narrow a few things down... for what it is worth."

She could feel Trextan's eyes on her, the weight of his gaze tugging at something inside her. It was hard to ignore. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she pushed off the doorway and moved into the cockpit, sliding into the seat by the comms panel.

The air felt heavy, like there were things unsaid, but Choli focused on the moment. There was work to be done, and whatever lingered between her and Trextan? It could wait. At least for now.

"... so what is Sith Poison?" well that was a landmine of a question.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Ain't the sort of thing that'll help us out here. How's your telekinesis? That'll be more useful -- keep us from getting hit."

"Under control," Trextan said firmly. That was as important as anything. His potential was almost limitless, but being able to direct that power in the right way was not.

"Putting jokes about thanks aside, maybe we want to get some serious bulkhead cutters."

"Better," Choli replied, unfolding her arms and stepping forward. "I was just checking in to see if you needed anything from what I remember of the interrogation. Maybe it might help narrow a few things down... for what it is worth."

Trextan gave a slow nod. Most people would have wanted to rest and to deal with what had happened in their own way. May this was her way. To deal with the cause of the problem head on.

"... so what is Sith Poison?" well that was a landmine of a question.

"You might know more," he said, looking to Chloe, "But I know they try and use it to bring people closer to the dark. Strips down barriers, builds the rage. Makes it easy to fall into the dark side of the Force."

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker
Gear - x x x x x x

"I think we have a pair of plasma cutters we salvaged off a mining site that might be your style," Chloe replied, giving a soft chuckle. Still, her expression turned somber at the offer from Choli to provide any details of her interogation to assist.

"If you are feelin' up to it, sure. But don't push yourself. I can work this out just fine on my own. I lived and traveled with Jorus for years... so I know how he thinks." Chloe added, but the tone there indicated that perhaps there had been something more.

Either way, the Corellian took a deep breath and gave a nod, indicating that Trextan had it right.

"It is a biological toxin created by Sith Alchemy. When a Force Sensitive is exposed to it, it amplifies the rage typically felt by a person and spreads like a disease, making it impossible to ignore the pull of the Darkside, turning even the strongest of Jedi if they managed to survive it." Chloe explained, recalling the horror of the infection. Had Jorus not found her...

"It is nearly impossible to treat, and I was only able to survive it by Jorus taking me to Rave herself to draw the Sith poison out within hours of my exposure. Had it not been for him, I'd be a very different person here today."

Hearing that made the situation all the more serious for Choli, who couldn't help but flick her gaze over at Trextan. The thought of any one of them being exposed to such a potent toxin was chilling.

"Do we have any plans to do our best to avoid getting exposed, and if one of us does, what is a way to handle it? If Rave is dead, then what options do we have?"

A valid question. Chloe bit her lip.

"That's where fully contained suits can help.... I'll have to see what to do if exposure does happen. I have no experience with Sith Alchemy so I won't be any help... and I don't think any of the rest of the crew does either."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Oh you really knew them then?" Trextan asked.

He had tried to ask it as a serious question, not knowing the history between Chloe and the Merrils. As soon as he said it, it sounded more like a pointed question about her travels with Jorus.

He looked a touch embarrassed and continued with another question.

"Do you really think poison would be on the cards again? How was it delivered last time?"

He didn't think he would be the best to mentally withstand such sith alchemy. He didn't want his anger directed at the rest of the Warden crew. He had met Choli's gaze and some of that concern was obvious. He would have to use whatever control he had to isolate himself from them.

 

[Chloe Blake]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Chloe raised an eyebrow, a bit unsure if Trextan had meant his comment the way it sounded. She decided to play it cautious. "Aye, we traveled together for a few years, before and after Mara was born," she said with a soft drawl, her voice warm but with a hint of something deeper beneath the surface. There was a whole mess of 'what-ifs' and 'missed chances' woven into that, but now wasn't the time to dive into old memories.

She leaned back in her seat, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I'm almost positive Sith poison's gonna be a factor again. If not that, then something worse. Sith alchemy, maybe Sithspawn, with a Nightsister twist."

Chloe's tone stayed casual, but there was an edge of warning in it. She wasn't sure how much Trextan knew about Nightsisters, but Chloe had made sure Choli spent time with the Witchmasters in Rekali territory. It was a world of its own -- dark and dangerous.

"How familiar are you with Sithspawn or Nightsister magick?" she asked, her eyes flicking over to him with genuine curiosity. It wasn't just small talk; she needed to know what kind of skills they were working with. Because if things went sideways, they'd need every bit of knowledge they could muster.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

He should have noticed the tone in Chloe's voice as she recounted her past with Jorus. Instead he was watching Choli out of the corner of his eye.

He knew there were more important matters and wanted to focus on those. He couldn't read her mind and it was the wrong time to ask more direct questions about her. About how she was and what she had been doing.

Maybe she would give something away if he just...

"How familiar are you with Sithspawn or Nightsister magick?"

"I've crossed a few varieties of Sith spawn. I think."

The 'I think' made him sound like he was exaggerating.

"One was a sort of ghost thing. I don't know if that counts. I've never crossed a nightsister. I know nothing about them."

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

"I see… well, best if you get some insight on Dathomiri magick," Chloe said, giving Trextan a sidelong look, a hint of doubt in her eyes. She wasn't sure if he was serious or just talking up a storm. And, well, she couldn't miss the way his gaze kept wandering over toward Choli.

"Alright, Choli -- why don't you take Trextan to the meditation chamber and grab Shae Koda's holocron? There should be a few datacrons in there from my time with Ember Rekali studying Nightsister alchemy. Study those for now." Her tone softened as Choli made a slight move, about to object. Chloe caught it and cut her off, reading her like a well-worn nav chart. "No need to dig up what they were asking you back there in their custody, Choli. I've got a few ideas, trust me. We'll work with what we have."

Choli clamped her mouth shut, any objection trailing off in the face of Chloe's calm assurance. And she knew Chloe had a point. But it also meant she'd be spending more time with Trextan than she'd expected, which was fine. They were adults now; they could handle a few hours in the same room reviewing datacrons and holocrons… never mind how a lot of those study sessions had ended in the past.

She cleared her throat, giving a nod. "Alright -- but let me know if you need anything," she replied, casting a brief look at Chloe before her hazel gaze flickered up to Trextan, bracing herself.

"Well," she said, attempting a faint smirk to tug at her lips. "Hope you ate already. This might take a bit."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

T R E X T A N​

Trextan spared a last glance for Chloe. There was more in her history than she said. If that was simply a matter of privacy then he wouldn't spare it another thought.

The Wardens went out of their way to protect, but he had the sense that she felt some responsibility for this. Not because of anything she had done, but because she felt her history and experience meant she had to act.

On the other hand, he was deeply relieved to have someone to follow. Choli didn't have to delve into what had been done to her.

"Well," she said, attempting a faint smirk to tug at her lips. "Hope you ate already. This might take a bit."

"You know how I love reading," Trextan replied. He offered a small smile back.

"She's taking this all on very..." Trextan said before glancing back over his shoulder. He didn't know what else to say.

"How have you been?" he asked suddenly. He had wanted to move off the question he couldn't finish, instead veering into the one he really wanted to ask without thinking.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker
Gear - x x x x x x

Choli gave a sigh but nodded at Chloe, catching a flicker of the Corellian taking a bit too much on herself. There was history behind those quiet glances of Chloe's -- Choli knew it. Parts of a past her mentor hadn't yet shared were things she was maybe still protecting Choli from.

"Alright, let's go," she said, starting down the corridor, Trextan trailing behind. His quick comment drifted over her shoulder, and she caught his look.

With a deep breath, she replied, "Yeah, well… I get it, feeling responsible for things," brushing a hand through her hair to let it fall to one side, her steps steady even if her mind wasn't. They were headed to the meditation chamber, and she knew what that meant -- not only studying but the inevitable bit of catching up. The questions that lingered but also what she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to know or not. She could feel them ready to surface, like the hum of a ship warming up for takeoff.

At the stairwell, she paused for a beat, sorting through how much she actually wanted to say.

"Well as can be," she finally answered, knowing it wasn't much of an answer at all, given the shape he'd found her in. She took the steps one at a time, bare feet soft on the metal rungs.

"Was doing a run as a favor for Tiny, bartering for ship parts, when things… well, they got messy," she said, giving him a sidelong look.

"You?"

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Chloe was taking me to a gathering of Wardens."

Trextan followed, but kept his hands free. He know how strong and stubborn she could be. He was slightly worried that she was more determined than she was fit to walk right now and he kept his hands free.

The torture that had been administered had been more focused on causing physical and mental anguish than it had been on doing serious damage to her. Walking into her like that would take time to sink in. It was a memory that would stay with him forever.

"I'd started thinking you might have been there. Then you weren't and then...yeah."

Any mental preparation had gone right out the airlock.

"I've been travelling around. Worked with a friend of my dad for a while, Coren Starchaser. Your studies were going well?"

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Choli slipped out of the ladder well and straightened, casting a look back at Trextan. His curiosity, the way he mentioned expecting to see her at the last Warden gathering -- it stirred up a familiar ache. They hadn't exactly been trying to reach each other since the split. She'd let him go to figure things out on his own, to choose his path without her shadow hanging over him, without either of them feeling tied down to a life they hadn't fully understood yet. But that didn't mean she didn't wonder sometimes.

As for Coren Starchaser -- yeah, she knew the name well enough. She'd worked with him back during her time with the Alliance, and he'd left an impression. Turning back, she reached the sealed and locked entrance of the meditation chamber, the place Chloe had set up like some kind of floating library fortress. It was entirely sealed off with Turadium, a space that could break away from the ship if necessary, protecting the holocrons, datacrons, and knowledge Chloe had collected over a lifetime of work in the galaxy's fringes. Even had an encrypted line to the Jedi Academy's main library, giving access to countless records and insights from other Masters. Chloe wasn't one to do things halfway.

Choli pressed her hand to the lock, her voice light. "Yeah, I am usually around for the gatherings if I am in the system," she admitted. A little pang echoed through her as she thought about it -- if things had been different, maybe they'd have run into each other sooner.

She continued as the lock cycled open, the door sliding away to reveal the softly lit interior of the meditation chamber.

"Training went well. Spent a few seasons picking up Teräs Käsi from Master Lomi Rav, then some time with the Guardians of the Breath. Just finished a year over on Yanibar." She glanced at him, offering a small smile. "Tiny had a few jobs lined up to help patch up my ship. Couldn't pass it up."

Inside, the chamber was quiet, the soft hum of the holocrons filling the air. She stepped in and motioned for him to follow. It felt strange, standing here with Trextan again, sharing the space where so much knowledge -- and so much time spent between them -- had been gathered and guarded. But then, the galaxy had a funny way of drawing lines back to where they started.

"... So how is the 'Verree doing?" She asked, wondering if he still had the ship they'd built up together.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

There was a familiarity to this. Choli had introduced him to Chloe and they had travelled together for a while. Then they had been travelling in the Verree for a while and they had spent less time learning about the Force and more time on other things.

"... So how is the 'Verree doing?"

"Still intact," he laughed. Trextan stepped into the chamber. The door hissed softly as it closed behind him. Sound was immediately hushed, the adiabatic seals keeping out the constant drone of the ships systems. The holocrons seemed much louder.

"I never thought a ship could be invincible and always about to fall apart.

"It would have been nice to meet again under different circumstances," he said, voicing one of her thoughts. He glanced down at her hands. They had been in such a state.

"You remember which is Shae Koda's?" he asked. She had been travelling and learning, in three years she would have mostly put him from her mind and moved on.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Hearing that Verree was still going strong stirred something bittersweet in Choli. She could practically see it -- patched together with Squib tech and those aftermarket parts they'd scrounged up, not to mention the salvaged bits they'd bartered for by taking on every odd job they could find. That ship was more a piece of them than metal and wires, a little beacon of everything they'd built together...before they hadn't.

She came to a stop in front of the row of closed shelves, each compartment holding a softly glowing holocron, pulsing faintly with the energy of the Force. A bionic lock clicked open under her touch, and she felt his gaze but kept her eyes on the holocrons.

"Glad she's still holding up for you," she said with a slight grin, though her voice came out softer than she'd intended. It felt strange, but good, to hear the ship was in hands that knew how to keep her flying. After the split, all those hours of maintenance, upgrades, the little tricks of fixing the quirks in the ship -- those had become his to manage, carrying on what they'd started together, but now living his life on his own.

The faint blue glow washed over her as she reached forward, fingers brushing past the holocrons until she found the right one. A square one with a deep viridian hue, traced with intricate tribal designs.

"I remember which one," she murmured as she picked it up, holding it gently.

Her head turned slightly, the dark waves of her hair casting her face in shadow. She couldn't quite bring herself to meet his eyes, not yet, so she fixed her gaze on the glow of the holocron. Even though the med-pod had healed the injuries, there was still the ghost sensation of what the Knights of Ren had done to her hands. It made her fingers flex unconciously, as if triggered by memory.

"It is a big galaxy," she agreed quietly, hearing the edge in her own voice. "And yeah... guess we have both kept busy."

She finally turned, holding up the holocron between them.

"So, what else have you been up to? Figured out what path to take?" To make his own decisions. Looking for himself out in the black. Not due to his father, the Jedi, the Sith... That had been one of the hardest things, knowing he needed to grow without her, even though every desire had told her to stay.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Glad she's still holding up for you," she said with a slight grin, though her voice came out softer than she'd intended. It felt strange, but good, to hear the ship was in hands that knew how to keep her flying.

"Yeah," he said fondly. "I enjoy the look of horror on the face of every dock coordinator. She could probably do with your touch though."

She didn't have to be looking at him to hear the grimace in the last word of the sentence.

He chose not to talk whilst she found the holocron. He had wanted to talk to her for so long that it had felt as if nothing he could say for how long he had left it. She had clearly moved on with her life and focused on her training and wouldn't have wanted to hear from him.

Trextan hoped they could talk again. He liked being around Choli. Talking about what needed touching wasn't going to help anything.

"So, what else have you been up to? Figured out what path to take?"

"Yes, and no," he said.

He looked down at the faintly glowing holocron and then back up at her eyes. He didn't have a full map of all the colours that could be on display to reveal her feelings. It would have felt like cheating so he tried not to think about that.

"I guess I couldn't say what my path is. But it's mine. I go places where I feel like I'm needed. Where I feel I can make a difference. Met some interesting people along the way but stayed on the move. Tried not to get in over my head with any trouble. Sounds like you learned more though."

He very delicately took the holocron.

"Guess I need to learn more or I could get us in real trouble."

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker

Choli's lips twisted into a knowing smirk at Trextan's grumble about the dock coordinators' suspicious glances toward Verree. That ship had always looked like it was hanging on by a thread, a patchwork of salvage and Squib ingenuity -- but she was more than just parts. And three years without her? She was still flying strong.

Choli's gaze lifted briefly to study Trextan as he mentioned his path, his own choice, still half undefined but his all the same. She knew how much that mattered to him; it was why she'd let go in the first place.

"Yeah," she murmured, nodding slow, passing him the holocron before leading him toward the circular mat in the center of the chamber, its woven threads tracing ancient designs under the ship's soft lighting. She settled down crosslegged, shaking her hair loose as she went, then finger-combing it back into a braid to keep it out of her face.

"Guess both of us are still finding our way," she admitted, securing her braid and trying to play it off with a half-smile.

"My training...well, I got tossed out with a bunch of hermits, learning the odd thing here and there. A little chaotic, but I picked up a lot more than I expected." Her voice softened. "Met some good folks too."

She caught herself, quickly pulling focus. "Alright, let us see what we can dig up on Nightsister majick," she said, gesturing to the holocron, the faint blue glow casting them both in its cool light. "We need every edge we can get if we are gonna hold our own out there."

It was better to focus on the now than the past.