First Reply Echoes in the Ether

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
WEAPON: Lightsaber

CHOLGANNA

A strange thing waking up somewhere you didn't know how you'd gotten. When he'd lain down for sleep the night before, he'd been in his room in the temple on Coruscant. Now he was lying on the dirt, in a jungle, and rather cold. He looked around, eyes adjusting to the relative gloom caused by the dense foliage, and then climbed to his feet.

"Fate?" he asked, looking around him. "Fate, where are you?"

There was no response from his droid companion. Whatever it was that had transported him there from Coruscant had clearly not brought the droid along. His hand instinctively went to his hip, and found his lightsaber was there. A sigh of relief escaped him. At the least he was able to defend himself if he needed to. At worst, he could use it to, if needed, reach out to his mothers Force ghost. Maybe. He still hadn't quite figured out if that was something he could do on command or if that was something that just happened when he most needed it.

The one thing he did know was that he had no shelter, no food, and no water. At least he was wearing his robes, which were warmer than most of the clothing he currently owned. Nothing seemed off in his immediate surroundings - it was just jungle. There were animals around, he could hear birds and other things in the vicinity, but having no idea where he was, it didn't mean that he was safe. Grabbing his saber, he held it in his hand and started to walk, picking a direction and going in a straight line. There was some semblance of an old path there, so it made sense to follow it.

Something out there was calling for him, had brought him there, and he had no choice but to see what it was.

 

[Trayze Tesar]

OBJECTIVE B: A SABER RESTORED

---

CURRENT MISSION - Vision Quest
Immediate Goals -
1: Ascertain the viability of nexu related products in lightsaber construction (FAILED - Nexu parts are not suitable for lightsaber construction)
1: Return to ship
1: Investigate the presence.

BLUFOR - Allies Unknown

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Caelan Valoren || Open Frequency

---

"I am truly sorry, milord..." the craftsman stated, looking down at the bloody mess at his feet. "But... to my knowledge, nexu bones are not feasible for the construction of what you require - save as a charm of sorts." The craftsman had good reason to be excessively frightened - before him was a Sith, covered in Nexu blood, after personally dispatching it with his bare hands.

Even if the craftsman couldn't get used to the Sith Acolyte's tired and oddly blue collar demeanor.

"Prolly fer the best..." The Kiffar said with a sigh, he was dissapointed, but he wasn't angry at the craftsman. Trayze Tesar was having a problem, that problem was a consistent dream he had - pulling a blade from the maw of a creature... was it a Nexu? Was it some other feline creature? Was it a metaphor for something? It probably was.

He was about to return to his shuttle until he felt... something - A Force presence was one thing, a lightsaber was something else entirely.
"Milord-?"
"Stow the titles, I work fer a livin'." the Kiffar snarled at the craftsman, before asking. "...You got place Ah can spit-shower? There's someone out there in need of rescuin', and Ah would much rather not look like Xennar the Axenator."

For at the edge of the settlement, a pair of B1s had their backs to the forest, and the old worn path that led into it.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
WEAPON: Lightsaber
TAGS: Trayze Tesar

Something kept calling to him. He was certain it wasn't a person because he didn't feel words, or emotions, just a calling. Keeping to the path was a sure way to avoid going in circles, even if it was an old one. Incidentally, he was traveling away from the settlement, but he had no way of knowing that because his sense skills weren't very good except in his immediate vicinity. Had he known that he'd probably have turned around and gone to the settlement to get out of there.

There was a definite sense of danger about him. Things in the jungle were alive beyond that of birds and the normal. Something moved in the branches of the trees in a way that was certainly unlike that of a bird. In the far distance he could hear a roar of a sort. Some large feline hunting, probably. Wherever he was, it was far from safe, and that only made him tighten his grip on the lightsaber, thumb ready to activate it should he need.

He didn't stop until he stumbled across something.

An old ship. Very old. Almost unrecognizable as a ship anymore. The forest had overtaken most of it. He'd have have mistaken it as a rock outcropping had he not noticed markings on it, and a fallen door where a hatch had once been. Whatever had brought him there, whatever called to him, must have been inside. He hesitated to enter, however. If something, or someone, lived in there, they could very well attack him at any moment. Stepping in could lead to his doom. He decided to test it.

"Is anyone there?" he called, recognizing that an animal may soon spring upon him from within. "Hello?"

 

[Trayze Tesar]

OBJECTIVE B: A SABER RESTORED

---

CURRENT MISSION - Seek and Ye Shall Find
Immediate Goals -
1: Investigate the presence.
1.1: Ascertain the intentions of said presence.

BLUFOR - Allies Unknown

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Caelan Valoren || Open Frequency

---

It wasn't the spas of High Jutrand, but a wet towel, some dish-soap, and a spare jacket would hopefully be enough to not send the wrong idea. Entering into the underbrush with the nearby B1s, Trayze forded through, following senses unseen to the inevitable collision course with the presence he felt earlier. They were inexperienced, youthful, but the lightsaber and absence of passion indicated them to be most likely a padawan...

Who the kark leaves their kid in spitting distance of Korriban?! Trayze thought to himself as he sound of tree rustling, and another nexu - or something suitably large, angry, and feline - roared in the distance. Well, on the positive side, since his "vision quest" was more metaphorical, the Force shouldn't be too angry if he just told his droid soldiers to light any hostile wildlife up, right?

However, there were things not in nature that may pose a danger - that old rock cropping that the Craftsman talked about earlier, nothing more than a local landmark for example. There was an echoed "hello" from in there, however brief, and the presence was in there.

From detective-work to fleet captain and part time acolyte, Trayze knew that sometimes it pays to be paranoid, and he motioned for his B1s to establish a perimeter. Some making slightly more noise than the Kiffar had hoped, but the B1s were meant to be canon fodder.

"Hello there!" Trayze began, his eyes more towards the brushline in case what he was walking into was a trap. "Ah know yer in there - poking around in caves isn't too safe. How 'bout ya come outside?" Hopefully the presence can come along quietly, he had no inclination to fight the Jedi, even if they were a padawan. Bringing a slugthrower to a lightsaber fight only works when you're not packed in there like sardines - of which the cave no doubt become a tomb if he wasn't careful.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
WEAPON: Lightsaber
TAGS: Trayze Tesar

Nobody answered him, at least not immediately. Still, he waited for several minutes, making sure that nothing was going to come rushing out at him, then he activated his saber to use for light, and protection, and stepped inside. It definitely was an old ship. Really old. There was some language written inside, scrawled in the metal wall, that he didn't understand. He traced a finger over it, but that didn't help, it just helped him feel that it was real. Someone had lived there, survived there, for quite some time.

He moved further in, half expecting something to jump out at him, but it never did. The ship wasn't huge, but it was big enough that when he got further in it was pitch black without his lightsaber. Had he not had it, there was no way he would have been able to explore within. At the least, the ship would make a decent shelter until he could find his way out of wherever he was.

In the deep recesses of a ship he found a spot that had obviously been used as a home. Whomever had scratched the words into the walls of the ship had obviously lived within the space for quite some time. He half-expected to find a skeleton or some such lying around, but all he found was dust covered utensils, a bed that hadn't been used in a really long time, and a bunch of other odds and ends. The most interesting thing he found was a book. No, a journal, he noted after opening it. The same language as on the walls was inside of it, handwritten.

He was still looking through it when he heard a voice from behind him. Spinning around, he heard the voice say something about coming out of the cave. Grabbing the book, he made his way back towards the entrance.

"It's not a cave," he called to whomever it was. "It's an ancient ship."

He stopped not far from the entrance, trying to feel out the situation.

"Who are you and what world is this?"

 

[Trayze Tesar]

OBJECTIVE B: A SABER RESTORED

---

CURRENT MISSION - Seek and Ye Shall Find
Immediate Goals -
1: Investigate the presence.
1.1: Ascertain the intentions of said presence.

BLUFOR - Allies Unknown

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Caelan Valoren || Open Frequency

---

Trayze ascertained the boy's words - his heart sank when it was confirmed that the lad who couldn't be older than fifteen was within an old starship ruin. Jedi certainly were being negligent of their charges in this day in age were Trayze's thoughts, as he tapped the metallic exterior of the ship. This action was twofold, to ascertain the words of the lad, as well as to signal where he was - he didn't want to startle the padawan and receive a lightsaber to the ribs in self-defense.

"You're on Cholganna, son." the Kiffar explained, his tone changing from challenging to somber, a tone reserved mostly for the injured, the addled, and the underaged. "Specifically, near th' town of Peltspot. As fer me, Ah'm Trayze Tesar - Lieutenant Inspector of the Sith Imperial Peacekeeping Force, badge number 527-443-222-8091." he would lean against the entrance of the area, revealing the fact that he was armed with a pistol... but no lightsaber, despite the clear Force training that the young Jedi could sense.

"...Yer a long way from th' core. What's yer name?"

 

[Caelan Valoren]

ATTIRE: Link
WEAPON: Lightsaber
TAGS: Trayze Tesar

Cholganna? Where was that again? Wasn't that near Sith space? That was confirmed when the guy outside indicated who he was and what he was a part of. Sith Imperial Peacekeepers. That wasn't good. First he was transported across space by an unknown entity with an ability he'd never heard of and now he was faced with Sith Imperial forces. This wasn't good. What were they going to think about a Jedi poking around on a planet near their space? Probably not good things.

He pushed the book inside of his robes into a spot where nothing would happen to it, but decided to keep his lightsaber drawn and remain in the confines of the derelict vessel.

"I would say it's nice to meet you, but I don't tend to find meetings with Sith forces to be pleasant," he said, leaning against a wall.

How did he explain what he was doing there when he didn't really know what he was doing there? Maybe it he lead with the truth, even though it sounded rather crazy, it would show that he was honest? Sometimes it was the craziest things that were true, after all.

"No idea how I got here. Went to bed on Coruscant, woke up here. Rather keep my name to myself, if it's all the same to you. You can call me Cael, though." He paused for a moment, then continued. "How do I get off this world?"

 

[Trayze Tesar]

OBJECTIVE B: A SABER RESTORED

---

CURRENT MISSION - Seek and Ye Shall Find
Immediate Goals -
1: Investigate the presence.
1.1: Ascertain the intentions of said presence.

BLUFOR - Allies Unknown

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Caelan Valoren || Open Frequency

---

Silence hung in the air as burgundy eyes from the Kiffar assessed the young lad. Beneath the visage of stoic professionalism there was a sense of pity, as he truly believed the boy's words. He noticed the padawan hiding the texts, but chose to allow him to leave - he wasn't here by choice, and so, he wouldn't force the eternal war between Jedi and Sith upon him.

"Ah believe you." Trayze answered, motioning for his B1s to stand down and to return home. He would turn his back, not reaching for his weapons, nor intending to use violence. As he walked away, he spoke.

"By ship, along the Perlemian Trade Route back ta' the Core." he answered. "...I have a Frigate Under Marque, and you may be aboard until we reach wherever you wish to go." He paused, turning to the brown haired lad. "Unless you have a friend to call on, Mister Cael?"

 

[Caelan Valoren]

Sith were wiley. It was difficult for him to decide whether to offer trust in this situation. It could be a trick, a ploy to get him to lower his guard so that he could be captured easily. But he didn't get that feeling, between the way the man spoke and his actions. It seemed that he was genuinely offering to help him. Perhaps it was telling the truth that had gotten him what he needed. Perhaps it was just the nature of this particular man. It wasn't something he could ascertain.

But he did step out from within the derelict vessel and deactivate his lightsaber. If the man was going to give him passage back to civilization, he should be wise to take it, considering he had none to call on himself.

"I thank you for your offer," he said, moving to catch up with the man.

He wasn't afraid of the world they were on. Sure, there were beasts aplenty on Cholaganna, including the fearsome Nexu, but he was confident in his ability to defend himself. More confident than he had ever been before. Certainly more confident than he'd been when his family was attacked. Had he the skills he now did, he could have defended them all. If he'd known what was happening before it happened.

"My full name is Caelan Valoren. I would accept passage to the nearest world with a public starport provided it's not in Imperial space. I should be able to get back from there."

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8

TAGS: Trayze Tesar​

 

[Trayze Tesar]

OBJECTIVE B: A SABER RESTORED

---

CURRENT MISSION - What Child Is This?
Immediate Goals -
1: Escort Caelan Valoren back to civilized space
1.1: Figure out how the kark he got here...

BLUFOR - Caelan Valoren (Escort Mission)

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Caelan Valoren || Open Frequency

---

A pause hung as Trayze slowed down only to allow Caelan to catch up and introduce himself, the silence continued as he mentally calculated which route would be the best. Between here and Alliance Space was the "Empire of the Lost" and the Mandalorians, neither of which were fond of Jedi or Sith - not to mention whatever the kark was the "Dark Empire". "It's nice to meet you formally, Mr. Valoren." the Kiffar began, a genuine smile beginning on his face. "Ah'll take you to Tirahnn, an' wait until someone ya trust picks ya up there. Ah'd hate fer ya ta' get whisked away to who-knows-where again." There was a slight twinge of mirth in that last statement, as he began to relay orders to his droid compatriots to prepare the Conciliator for a "coreward detour".

"Speakin' of, anyone you'd like to call ta' pick you up? Parents, Master, surprisingly cool teacher?" he asked, the routine of ascertaining where a (technical) minor was meant to be subdued by the charm required to not cause Caelan to panic or think Trayze was gonna nab him. He personally didn't want to involve children in war, even though he knew that Caelan would no doubt protest that he can take care of himself just fine.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"That'll work," he said after catching up.

He didn't fancy getting whisked away again, and despite the man being a part of the Sith Empire, he did seem rather cordial. Possibly it was because he was a teenager. Most older folk treated him as a kid because, by age, he was one. He understood why they did it and it didn't really bother him. A lot of the time he still did need help. Especially since he didn't have access to the accoutrements of his home world, such as the family's transport and the protection of the fighter squadrons.

"My parents are dead. I'll place a call to my Master if you'll allow. She can come pick me up on Tirahnn. Though I'm sure she's going to wonder how I got there. But without my droid she'll understand something strange happened. I hope."

Getting in trouble for this wasn't something he wanted. It wasn't like it was his choice to end up all the way out on Cholganna. He'd been asleep in his own bed and just woken up there. She'd have to give him leniency, right?

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber

TAGS: Trayze Tesar ​

 

[Trayze Tesar]

OBJECTIVE B: A SABER RESTORED

---

CURRENT MISSION - What Child Is This?
Immediate Goals -
1: Escort Caelan Valoren back to civilized space
1.1: Figure out how the kark he got here...

BLUFOR - Caelan Valoren (Escort Mission)

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Caelan Valoren || Open Frequency

---

"Well consider me a witness at least." Trayze offered a small smile, walking at the pace Caelan would set. "Not sure if yer Master'd take me at m' word, but in some coreward courts, a photoreceptor playback is just as good as cam-footage fer evidence." He would nod to the droids escorting them in lockstep. While said in half-jest, Trayze truly didn't want to fill out a chaperone report on the padawan. Not only was it embarrassing for all parties involved, it belied a deeper issue of trust between master and apprentice - one that most Sith would be keen to exploit and never rectify. Trayze wasn't most Sith, in that he truly sympathized with the padawan in being a fish out of water, since he himself was a latecomer to Sith-hood.

"Hope that'll satisfy 'er, and if that don't work - say ya somehow managed ta' access hyperspace in yer sleep!" he gave a warm, teasing grin that wouldn't be remiss among older brothers or cool but infrequent uncles.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"It'll be fine," he said with a small smile. "Worst that happens is I end up cleaning the temple for a month."

The notion of accessing hyperspace in his sleep was amusing, but not entirely without merit. There were some skills in the Force that allowed one to traverse large distances in the near blink of an eye. He'd read about some of them but he'd never tried them before. Honestly, he was pretty sure that someone had done this to him, anyway. The same someone that had left behind the journal he now carried and intended to translate when he got back to the Temple.

He had a feeling there was a Force ghost at work here, someone still present who could manipulate the Force, but their body was long gone. They hadn't shown themselves, and probably wouldn't, but that was the explanation he was going with either way.

They walked and he felt strangely alright being escorted by an enemy and his droids. Sometimes enemies could be cordial.

"I'm curious, are you only being nice to me because of my age?"

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber

TAGS: Trayze Tesar ​

 

[Trayze Tesar]

CURRENT MISSION - What Child Is This?
Immediate Goals -
1: Escort Caelan Valoren back to civilized space
1.1: Figure out how the kark he got here... (Optional)

BLUFOR - Caelan Valoren (Escort Mission)

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Caelan Valoren || Open Frequency

---

"Partially" he answered as they made their way out of the clearing, to a very confused gathering of the few near the town Trayze had used as his impromptu "nexu hunting base". Perhaps Caelan could still smell the stench of the Kiffar's quarry, or sense the strangely tolerant behavior the townsfolk had for Trayze - and only Trayze. Battle droids were trouble.

"Part of it's because Ah know what someone horribly lost looks like. Ya got them eyes."

The route to Tirahann would be a long one, plenty of time for Trayze to investigate the young lad - or rather, the little artifact he was totally not hiding in his tunic. Call it a precaution, call it a misplaced correlation from his own failed vision quest, but Trayze was till curious about the young lad. He'd only heard of Padawans, never really fighting them, none quite as young as Caelan. Part of him wanted to offer him a home away from home, but he wasn't sure about ticking off a Jedi - the worst that he'd do was let Cael stay up past bedtime and play THROOM.

But for now, he needed to maintain the cordial relations he's found himself in. "...But seriously, a month? Ah hope yer exagerratin', becaue punishment implies some form of responsibility." another angle of his character was revealed, the "by-the-books" lawman. "Again, yer welcome ta' kip in a cot and see where ya end up... but the Conciliator ain't a science ship."

 

[Caelan Valoren]

The eyes? Well, he couldn't look at them himself, so he'd have to take the mans word for it.

This little village was a bit of a surprise, and he smelled the stench of death, though the people standing around didn't seem bothered by the two of them. He did catch the way they looked at the droids. It was understandable. Battle droids were not something one normally saw about. Plus they were generally meant for war. People being wary of them wasn't exactly uncommon.

"I don't think they'll punish me at all, to be honest," he replied to the man. "It's not as if I took a ship and flew out here on my own. They'll understand."

He didn't care what the transport was like. More than once he'd flown places via public transport in order to try and be less conspicuous. Hadn't always gone well, but at least he'd tried. And now here he was taking a ride from an Imperial. This was going to basically round out his flight experiences with people that weren't Alliance.

"I don't mind as long as it gets me there. I've flown on some real hunks of junk before."

---

ATTIRE: Link | COMPANION: BD-F8

TAGS: Trayze Tesar ​

 

[Trayze Tesar]

CURRENT MISSION - What Child Is This?
Immediate Goals -
1: Escort Caelan Valoren back to civilized space
1.1: Figure out how the kark he got here... (Optional)

BLUFOR - Caelan Valoren (Escort Mission)

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Caelan Valoren || Open Frequency

---

"The Conciliator's a Munificent-class." Trayze explained. "Oldie but goodie - not the best fer, ah, organic passengers aside from a handful." While not a cruise liner, the Conciliator was much like her captain - a rugged beast of burden that gets the job done with little questions asked. Of course, save for the routine.

Whatever goodbyeing would occur with the village, then came the long route back. A silent one, where Caelen would feel the eyes of the Sith upon him, and occasionally be seen. The padawan would find himself weighed, not probed, but simply taken stock of, and the mind's eye had found whatever it was stored beneath the fold of Caelan's robes.

It would be up to him to determine whether the contents would be worth running from the group and hiding over, or if he would risk sharing this knowledge with a Sith in exchange for safe passage.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth," he said in response to the man's words. "A safe flight is a safe flight."

Comfort, while great, was not the end all, be all of his life. Not anymore. At one point he would have demanded such things, but given everything that had happened in his life, he no longer cared. As long as he had food and shelter, nothing else really mattered aside from ensuring the safety of his people and finding his sister. Those things mattered just as much to him. In most ways, they mattered more, but he wasn't able to do them without ensuring the first two.

After some time into their flight, he felt the eyes of the man on him, and realized he had noticed that Caelan was protecting something. He decided it was best to divulge as much as he knew.

"It's a book. A journal, really. I think whoever was in that ship when it crashed survived and lived there. I also think it was a former Jedi and these notes he or she wanted found. I think it was them that brought me there."

He pulled the book out to show him, revealing it was written in some ancient language.

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber

TAGS: Trayze Tesar ​

 

[Trayze Tesar]

CURRENT MISSION - Last Train to Tirahnn
Immediate Goals -
1: Escort Caelan Valoren back to civilized space
1.1: Investigate the contents of the Journal...

BLUFOR - Caelan Valoren (Escort Mission)

OPFOR - Enemy Unknown

TARGETING ACTION(S) - Caelan Valoren || Open Frequency

---

The Kiffar took a moment to lean in a bit, blinking and squinting his eyes, as if trying to read the text - but the Padawan could instead feel the Aura of the acolyte to comb over the journal proper. It... didn't feel unusual, which in of itself was unusual - the more ordinary something tried to be, the more secrets it would hide...

"Ah got Persephone, who's a protocol droid." Trayze explained. "Might be able ta' use the Evidence Examiner Room." A broad grin returned to the Acolyte's grin.

"Ever wanted ta' see how the detectives piece the case together?"