First Star I See Tonight

[Jaron Lesan]

Tyhton was a world which had rich history. The ancient Jedi had established their first temple there. In recent history the One Sith had captured it and taken its secrets as their own. Jaron did not care about any of the history or the secrets save one. There was rumor going about that a Starmap existed which would lead to where the super weapon was constructed. Omega had everyone in the galaxy concerned. The official position of the First Order seemed to be if it was not theirs then no one would have it. Destruction was the goal. Scouts were being sent to learn what the could of the weapon and the best possible way to see it destroyed. Jaron was happy to agree to helping in that endeavor.

He had seen Corellia torn with his own eyes. His vow had been to never allow that kind of atrocity happen ever again. When the word of a devastating weapon had reached him, everything stopped. Jaron refused missions, he refused to train. His mind was on one track and that was to see this destroyed and those he built it destroyed. He could offer his skills as a scout to find something about the weapon which would make it vulnerable, and who best to know than those who had designed it.

The Prime Shadow was now making its descent. Jaron had still not found a pilot, but what he had found in recent weeks was a partner of sorts. [member="Isla Ashen"] had proven her worth in how she handled herself on a couple of excursions the two had worked together on. Jaron had decided after the first he liked her, and liked working with her. She was not a traditional Ren of sorts as she did not wear the mask as their fellow knights opted to. Jaron was beginning to take a page form her book when the worked together, his mask now used for known combat type missions. This was not such a one. The possibility of it did exist which was why both lightsabers hung at his hips, one red blade and one blue.

"I do not know what to expect. All we have available to us is rumor and while I like to have things more solid than that, everything is being investigated to give the army and navy a chance. We should stay close together on this one."

His words may have carried a tone of concern for the flame haired woman. Jaron may have even admitted it, but not because she could not handle herself. He feared losing yet another partner. She was his third traveling companion of sorts, and the force seemed to like to tear his companions away from him. Jaron was determined that Isla's fate would not be that of the others.

 

[Isla Ashen]

Ashen Ren sat in thoughtful silence, her gloved hand cradling her chin. Her vibrant green eyes were focused out the viewport. Tython waited for them below, the verdant world with lush greenery and foaming oceans – a place where the force was quite strong. From orbit it looked serene, a far cry from the chaos that was surely raging on and around Castameer. Isla shook her head slightly, she could only imagine.

All of it in response to the Omega.

While the military forces of the First Order were ready to represent the Supreme Leader in this battle, so too were the Knights of Ren. Isla knew that some of her sisters and brothers had gone to the front to engage in battle, but she was on a mission of a different sort. She had come along with [member="Jaron Lesan"], following the rumor that there was more to learn about the powerful weapon coveted and feared by so many. They would attempt to trace the Omega’s roots, and hopefully find hints that would help bring about its destruction. Even if they only had little more than a rumor to guide them, a tiny whisper on the wind.

Isla was hopeful that their efforts would not be in vain, that even from afar they could assist with the destruction of Omega. It may have been something of a dream or stretch of the imagination, but there was still a chance. There always was. Her gaze shifted towards the pilot seat, watching silently as Jaron maneuvered the ship, making their descent to the surface. His face was familiar to her now, he was a fellow Ren and now... a friend.

“Indeed.” Isla spoke simply, her low tone carrying to the side.

She viewed Jaron out of the corner of her gaze for a moment longer, wondering if perhaps she’d picked up on notes of concern. It was completely reasonable, considering the circumstances, and the shadow that had been cast over the galaxy. It was a time for worry. But Isla was a woman that was not easily shaken; though her nerves were stretched taut and alert, they were still.

She pulled her hood up to cover her fiery, red strands, partially obscuring her face as well.

“Ready when you are,” She said, nodding firmly. After all, there was only one way to find out if this rumor was true. The unknown waited outside for the two Ren, and they would go willing into the darkness.

Come what may.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron nodded as [member="Isla Ashen"] noted she was ready. She was always to the point, something Jaron appreciated about her. There was little she left him guessing on which was what made her a good scouting partner. It also helped they danced well together, his mind often recalled how they had moved about the security droids as if each step had been rehearsed. The movements and counters were a testament to her training and skill with a blade. Jaron could always appreciate a fellow bladesman, or in this case as baldeswoman.

The ship touched down on the soft grass of the ground below them. He stood with quick decisive movements. As noted his mask was left behind and a hood pulled up over the heatures of his face. The darkness revealed a slight tint of red to the otherwise dark colored eyes. The dark side moved through him deeper than it had a year ago. Jaron was more given to it. The loading ramp descended, Jaron leading the way down as it lowered. His boots clanked against the metal and made a soft, muted thud as they took their first steps on the fertile ground. The ruins in front of them held a secret, an entrance to an underground temple, city, something. What seemed most strange was the darkness he felt from it. Either there remained a pocket of darkness, or they were not alone.

"We may not be alone," he said with a calm tone as he turned over his shoulder to look at the woman following him down. She was ready for anything, and knew she likely felt the presence, or the darkness herself. Was he sensing a Sith? Jaron had never battleed one, but if they got in the way of what they were there to do he would, and he would certainly end their life. His confidence may have been high, but so were the stakes. The galaxy was in danger of a tyrannical reign that had no order to it whatsoever. This had to be made right.

His hood flapped along in the wind as it had been strong enough to blow it from his head. His face was set with a determined look. All that was needed for them was search out the entrance for this underground temple. The ruins hid it well. Stretching out with the force Jaron paused. "Do you sense a way in, a pull?"

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla’s leather boots carried her swiftly and quietly after Jaron, stepping down off the ramp a moment after him. The dark hem of her cloak brushed against the ground behind her, and billowed against the back of her ankles as she came to a halt. Her sharp eyes pierced the darkness, immediately falling upon the ruins that sat silently in the distance. There were ripples sent through the force, Isla could feel them brushing against the tips of her fingers.

“I think you are correct,” She said, quietly.

Her eyes turned up towards the sky, velvet and black, with a thick blanket of clouds forming above them. There was a rumble of thunder – distant, but growing closer with each moment. Though the flashes of light and booming sounds were familiar, it was clear that this was not an ordinary storm. Isla’s gaze was now fixed on the sky, eyes unblinking, even as rain began to fall. She had heard about strange stories of Tython, and the storms and quakes that came with very strong force presences.

Yes, the two Ren were formidable fighters, but they were not masters yet. She doubted that their presence here on the surface had summoned such a storm. Could it be that they were in the shadow of a powerful Sith Lord? The possibility had not gone unnoticed by Isla. At any rate, it would not do them well to linger here. Her eyes finally found [member="Jaron Lesan"] again as he spoke.

“This way,” Isla said, immediately marching off into the night.

Though she felt sure of the way, the surroundings almost made her feel doubt. This was not the first time that Isla had ventured into Sith ruins, and she had come to know that they had a penchant for deceit. There was a way; it just was not visible to them at the moment. They walked until it seemed that a large stone wall stood before them, crumbling in places, but still tall enough to prevent them from continuing.

Her hands reached up and pressed against the worn surface, it was solid. Isla took a step back, her jaw clenched slightly. Her palms shot forward, releasing a force push, the wave rolling forward towards the wall. An etching of an archway appeared on the wall, momentarily glowing in the presence of the force power released from her hands.

Isla grinned over at Jaron, but she had a feeling that they would be faced with similar tasks the further they went. And the next would likely require a touch of darkness, for such a place craved that kind of power.

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Jaron followed as Isla led this time. It felt good to have a partner who could contribite as much to the mission on an equal level. While Jaron didn't mind being paired with someone who was force blind on occasion, missions like this needed someone that could prove equal to the task in every way. In this instance, someone who liked to show off her intuition proved correct. Jaron simply smirked in response to her grin, and the man walked toward where the archway had shown. "Show off," he teased, with a slight note of flirtation to his voice. His hand rest on the stone and as he pushed on it the slab moved without any hesitation.

This was already fun. Whatever mechanism this was which moved the wall out of their way it was fed by the dark power they wielded. It was not going to be the last of such obstacles, but the nature of it piqued Jaron's curiosity. He stretched his senses out with the force hoping to discern where they were to go next, but everything felt hollow. This sensation also made him curious. Something was masking the area, and yet the darkness he felt was palpable. Perhaps the very darkness they sought to wield shrouded the map they were seeking.

It was then Jaron felt a presence. Unlike the darkness he had sensed before he knew now they were not alone. If they had felt it, then their presence was also already known. The knight did not like this, and his hands hovered over his lightsaber hilts. He did not want to be caught off guard, and if they were not alone then the assumption had to be the source was an enemy. They would protect the source of their weapon at all cost, the enemy would, Jaron was certain. Whoever it was here they were also powerful.

"The presence, do you feel it? We will find the map where it is the strongest."

Jaron was confident of that and pressed further into the darkness. A lighted torch was pulled from his utility belt. The electronic device cast a wide beam of light forward for them to see ahead. Dust flitted about betraying the fact this entrance had not been used in some time. There was another way in. Perhaps it would be the best way out. The pair continued until they passed into a wide open courtyard. Standing in the center was a man dressed in black robes, a red blade at the ready. There was no map in sight. Perhaps Jaron had been wrong.

"Are you two lost? A shame really, because I can't have you finding the secrets this place is hiding."

[member="Isla Ashen"]