Going with the Current

[Taeli Raaf]

"Connor, if you're still there, I'm setting the rendezvous to the Almania system," Taeli said into her comlink. Leaning back in the chair of her ship, she had just finished punching in the coordinates to that system herself and was waiting for the computer to finish. She would be stopping on Obroa-Skai first, but then she would meet him there.

"I have one little stop to make before we link up again, but I promise that the Almania system is going to be worth the stop. The Fallanassi live there, and they are masters of illusions. I'm sure you have heard of the White Current. The tricky bit is going to be finding them and learning their secrets. They are quite protective of them generally. Anywho, hope to hear from you soon..."

With that, she closed her comlink and made the jump to Obroa-Skai to run her errand first. It wouldn't take more than a few hours, she hoped. Once he messaged her, she would be on her way to the meeting spot.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor had made his peace, temporarily, with Thurion – Grandmaster of the Silver Jedi – and vowed he would return as a better friend, warrior and Jedi Master. For now the clash on Toola between the Sith forces, led by Darth Azurea, and Jedi on had ended and relationships tested with wounds opened - physically and emotionally.

Nursing his pride, confidence and sore muscles and cold bones, he had made it to the starfighter “borrowed” from Taeli while she had left to oppose invading Sith of her own. It seemed no matter where you were, the tendrils of darkness always lurked behind you.

The message came through, and her voice was at least welcome relief to know she was safe. Unsure how long it had been waiting for him at the com inside the ship, Connor wasted no time in parting Toola to continue and fulfil his time away in exile to become what he really was inside. So far, he was heading in the right direction.

”I’m not dead, so no need to worry,” he said, smiling as he imagined her eye-roll at his comment, ”so I’ll be there and hang tight to await your next trail of breadcrumbs to follow.”

With far less urgency than the trip too Toola and Sanctum space, the flight across to the Almania system was perfect to try and close his mind to the confrontations he had endured, the words exchanged and the guilt he felt, in part, for letting down a sister who once trusted him with hers. He closed his blue eyes and focused as Master Mong had told him to, and shut himself off from the dizzying ripple of hyperspace as he set course for the Almania system.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

She was just finishing up her data collection on Obroa-Skai, a very fruitful trip for her in terms of things, when she heard Connor's message ... and her heart eased a bit. He was safe and he would know she was fine too. She quickly made her way back to her ship for the short jump to the Almania system, going at a run to the hanger that made her a blur to those passing through.

Settling in as her ship's autopilot began the task of take off and the jump to hyperspace, she busied herself with getting familiar with the Fallanassi. It was going to be difficult to locate them as she was basing her destination off of where they had been in the last records she had access to. It could very well be they moved and they would need to track the group down ... but perhaps if that was the case, a clue might have been left for those seeking them and their knowledge to find. To prove they were worthy.

Well, she would worry about that when she got there if she needed to. The blue tunnel of hyperspace surrounded the vessel and she was on her way to link back up with Connor and learn an art that was incredibly effective.

 

[Connor Harrison]

It was a while before Connor was brought of his meditative state on arrival at the system, or at least it felt a while. He had lost concept of time recently, and night and day, and so existed simply as his body dictated. Moving from one system to the next, racing across the galaxy on matters of urgency, and back again, it didn’t help ones perception of the days.

The stars seeped back into dots in the far distance of space and a number of orbs came into view, the planets of the Almarni system. Connor stretched and brought the fighter to a slow crawl as he looked out over a rather peaceful looking system – it seemed quiet, and no signs of other life or natural formations.

It was ghostly quiet and he leant forward, ”I’m here.”

For now it was just him, and the planets, and the entire galaxy again watching him.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

Connor's moment of quiet would be disrupted as Taeli's Sicarius-interceptor dropped out of hyperspace almost right on top of him. The proximity alert stirred her from what she was doing and she quickly grabbed the controls to avoid colliding with the starfighter. Recognizing it though, she smiled and hung in front for him to dock with her ship's transport bay.

"Gave me a heart attack there, Connor, don't just sit on the edge of a system like that, even a quiet one like Almania system," she said into her comm before getting up to go meet him down in the small hanger. Once he was outside of his craft, she would rush him in a big hug.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Nothing prepared him for the arrival of Taeli; literally up and over him with a sharp acceleration up and around his craft that shook it like a small fly being wafted by a fan. Connor cursed and grabbed the yolk to steady the craft, before noticing the large interceptor circling around. For a split second he thought maybe Azurea had followed him to eradicate his meek little existence, but thankfully that snarky Raaf voice broke a smile from him.

Saying nothing and following her lead, he docked the fighter with ease, much like the E-Wing, and exhaled gently and he thought how close he had been - THEY had been - to an all too close encounter.

”You women pilots need to watch where you're going!”

Connor beamed as he dropped down onto the hangar floor and ran forward, embracing her tightly.

”I actually found myself missing you - I'm glad you're alright,” he opened his eyes and pulled back. ”Is everything alright? Did you...did you control the Sith advance?”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"I missed you too," Taeli admitted, smiling into the hug for a moment before the next part of his question came and her smile faded to be replaced by a somber look. "The Republic lost at Contruum, we were shattered and half of the Republic has gone dark now. We retook the Roche Asteroids though so we can at least start establishing lines of communication with the lost half ... but it's not good right now."

She sighed and looked out of the small viewport.

"Ossus was one of the worlds that got cut off," she said sadly. "I know my sister will do her best to get everything off of there that is important and get it to one of the Kenobi Praxeums we have ... but it leaves that world vulnerable. The Silver Sanctum will probably need to step in and safeguard it from the Primeval. But, there is some reason to celebrate. Barely got any scratches on me, even if two Sith tried to kill me. Wouldn't give me room to breath, the fight was that intense, but I did learn a few things. Sadly, Azurea didn't take kindly to the idea her sister was alive and being held captive. I'm guessing, by how long you took, she came after her?"

 

[Connor Harrison]

Hearing her report on Contruum, Connor gave Taeli the respect of silence as she explained. He knew the pain, partly, of how it felt to lose a world once established to the Sith. He followed her as she turned to look out into the void of stars. He placed both hands on her shoulders gently.

”I am sorry to hear that. I'm just glad you're alright. If it's any consolation, I am sure Thereon will do what he can with the Sanctum to protect Ossus and keep it from the clutches of those parasites. We are gaining strength steadily and am sure it will be ok. I, I hope Corvus is alright and staying strong. If it's one thing the Raaf sisters are good at, it's keeping the strength others fail to see.”

He moved beside her looking out and kept a hand on her shoulder for some degree of comfort.

”And you did me a favour - you did the Sanctum a favour - telling me about Setzi. Yes, she and a small group of Sith came knocking on Toola, one step from Voss, wanting Chastity back. And I guess I took the brunt of things as I caused them to come to our system by failing her sister.”

Connor forced a smile and exhaled.

”I'll tell you later over dinner what happened. Enough Sith for now.”

He turned to face her. She was becoming more and more attractive as time went on, and being with her on this journey was certainly testing him.

”What's your next plan of action then, boss?”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Next plan of action is to go to Almania's moon of Pydyr and find the Fallanassi," Taeli said, shaking off her somber expression. She was alive, he was alive, her sister was alive ... and that was all that really mattered in the end. "Not sure how welcoming they will be, but they should be friendly enough if they stuck around this place."

Leading the way back to the main part of the ship, she set her ship's computer to take them to the moon and to ping an automated message she had recorded for clearance to land. He was just as attractive to her as ever, but he seemed more ... focused now. Still tired, but a spark was lit in him. She could tell and it was exhilarating to see.

"Don't mind the clutter," she said, going around a stack of datapads that was sitting precariously on a chair. "I was in the middle of some research for my company and got carried away it seems. Oh, I forgot to ask, how are your scars recently? I know the ointment should have eased them to be almost non-existent by now right?"

 

[Connor Harrison]

Following her through the ship, knowing the layout pretty well himself now, Connor glanced around at her unique mess. Taking off his greatcoat and laying it over a side chair, he took a seat and rolled up his sleeves.

”Sounds good. You always have places I've never been to before. I like it.”

Gently spinning left and right with his boots, he laced his hands together.

”My back is looking good, your handiwork near gone now but I'll never forget that time together,” he smirked,”and my neck is good, and even more knuckles. It really eased that rawness that flared up. I'm not using it on my arm or stomach for now. It's, it's sort of a reminder of the past and something I don't want to erase. It'll stay with me as a reminder what path I've walked to get here.”

Spinning still, he smiled and gave a content sigh.

”And your company? How's it going? You seem busier and busier each time I see you.”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"I'm glad the scars I caused are healing," she said, smiling softly as she took a seat while the autopilot chimed they were allowed to land and began the descent towards the moon. "And yeah, business is business. We're finishing up a major project in a brand new class of Star Destroyer, we're working on developing more variants of our Harbinger war droid, and I'm getting us started on a project that will revolutionize power supplies for just about everything. But I'll say no more about that, but yeah, busy bee that I am. I can't seem to stay still in one spot without running off on an expedition or to view a company project."

Sighing contently, she watched the clouds start to appear as the ship made its way to the surface of Pydyr.

"But the best part is that right now, I can just focus on two very important things to me," she said, her smile widening. "Spending time with you and learning something new. The White Current is an absolutely amazing skillset to have."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor followed her gaze outside as the ship was smoothly heading to their destination. Another world ready to be explored and new discoveries to be made.

”Well,” he said, looking outside, ”I'm not going anywhere as long as I can help it and until I know I'm ready.”

After a moment, he didn't want to ask, but he had to.

”What is White Current?”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

Smiling at Connor, she crossed her legs and settled into her chair to give a brief explanation. Well, brief for her anyways. There was always something lacking when one couldn't go in-depth into a subject ... but such was life on the road.

"The White Current is another name for the Force, the one the Fallanassi prefer to use," Taeli said. "I don't any of the particulars, that's why we're coming here to learn, but the White Current is more like a ... underwater current I guess in the Force. The Fallanassi use it to create elaborate illusions and to conceal things. It effects the mind and senses, not the physical world. The White Current is more of a way of peace than action. Full immersion, from what I understand, allows one to hide from sight, the Force, and even scanners up to starship scanners. There used to be Fallanassi illusions protecting the old Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV during the days of Luke Skywalker. Kept it hidden from the Empire for quite awhile."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Sitting back, slouching a little, Connor gave her his full attention. She was so full of knowledge, more than anyone else he had ever known. She knew many cultures and ways of learning and the one thing that seemed to bind them together; the Force. She swung gently back and forward and rested his hands on his chest as she explained.

It made sense for sure, but it was something he wasn't sure he understood.

”I see, so it's more a form of mentalism than anything else? It can create or remove what the eyes see through the Force?”

He thought for a moment, tapping his fingers.

”Force cloaking a whole Jedi Praxeum? That's impressive. We could really turn the tide with invasions if we can master this White Current and understand it. Well I certainly will be up for learning what I can about this.”

He flashed his eyebrows up a little and glanced outside, leaning his head back as if he was on a charter ship on vacation. The clouds were passing by the viewport clearly now which meant it wouldn't be long. Blues and whites could be seen further out on the, what he thought, was the planet surface.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Essentially," Taeli said, shrugging. "I think my sister knows the techniques, but I'm not entirely sure. Still, it should prove very educational and very useful for us. Oh, and I forgot to mention one thing, things immersed in the White Current are undetectable for the most except by someone else immersed in the White Current."

With that, the ship jolted a little as it came into land on an open air landing pad. Her smile widening and her eyes getting brighter with excitement, she quickly grabbed her trusty satchel and slung it over her shoulder and made sure to grab plenty of credits.

"Just in case we need to rent a speeder or something," she said, hitting the button to lower the ramp. "Now, let's see if we can't find where the Fallanassi are or if they are still here."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Falling back into old habits, but forced on him from the trip to Toola, Connor rolled his sleeves up on his thermal gear and stepped down the landing ramp behind Taeli, leaving his greatcoat behind and his lightsaber which he hoped he wouldn’t need again. He had nothing of worth on him beside his com, and made a mental note what he would owe Taeli for her expenditure.

Looking more and more less like a Jedi each time, he flicked back his hair coming down his fringe and squinted to adjust to the light of Pydyr.

A moon that was divided with high rolling hills and oceans that could be seen from above, they had landed on the outskirts of what looked like a settlement in the hills, overlooked by a few mountains that touched the clouds.

A few bodies milled around, and it seemed quite peaceful. Various coloured flags waved in the breeze that were erected on large poles around the entrance to the settlement that probably stretched on far beyond what they could see now.

”Nice place. Tell me, are all these places you visit linked by scholars and prophets? It feels very…I don’t know; mystical. Like they are hidden away from the wider galaxy, but house great secrets for those worthy enough to find them.”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"After Palpatine's purge, many of these orders decided the best way to survive was to hide away ... so yes, I guess everything is a place that we need to prove we're worthy and is mystical," Taeli said, chuckling a little. "You don't seem to mind I take it? What with your rather limited travel experience before we began this expedition of knowledge, I would think you'd be happy for the chance to see the wider galaxy."

Heading into the settlement with him, she could definitely see that this place at least had avoided the horrors of the war. The Almania system wasn't exactly a resource rich place or strategically important to any galactic power. It's only claim to fame was a rather dark history during older times, but those had long since passed and now things had recovered.

Going around the settlement, she politely asked around for information on where they could find the Adepts. As far as the locals knew, they were still on an island to the south. So, happily mind you and chatting away about this and that, she rented a speeder so she and Connor could go to this island themselves.

"I hope they're there," she said. "Otherwise, we're going to need to re-evaluate some things or track them down."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor stuck behind Taeli, taking in the sights, sounds and smells that surrounded them. Probably looking more like lost tourists, the two continued through the shanty town-cum-established village to stumble across whatever, or whoever, they were looking for.

Talking to a group of children about where he came from – minus the Jedi part – Connor waited for their speeder purchase to go through before leaving the excited youths to head off. Not always a nervous passenger, something about her driving skills kept him on edge. She was fast, and precise – TOO fast and precise. And she shouldn’t be talking while driving unknown terrain.

”You just keep your mind on what’s head before you start thinking beyond what and where we are,” he urged, ”I’m sure there will – CAREFUL- there will be someone who can help us!”

She was worse than him at high speed it seemed.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Oh quit complaining," she laughed, enjoying the trip from the village to the ocean side cliff they had been directed to. Stopping at the edge, she could see the island off in the distance through the speeder viewport. Re-engaging the speeder, they took off again to skirt along the top of the water, spray whipping up on either side.

Something was nagging at her though. The island was supposedly cloaked by the White Current, but they could see it as clear as day getting closer to them. Had the Fallanassi decided the illusion wasn't needed anymore? Too few Masters to maintain it? Not home? Too many questions, but they would have the answers soon as they neared the the island and could see the buildings of a small village.

Parking the speeder, she got out and she knew immediately something was off.

"I don't sense anyone in the Force, but I do get local wildlife," she mused to Connor. "Come on, lets check the village out."

 

[Connor Harrison]

As they sped along, spray whipping up around them, Connor began to relax with fewer and fewer obstacles to hit. He glanced at Taeli, her eyes sparkling and a real confident glow to her face. A little shake of the head and a smile; that Raaf spirit was near indestructible. What would it take to ever bring Taeli down? She just kept going and going and never saw the bad in anyone.

”I couldn't live in a place like this,” he started as they got out, ”so don't get any ideas for early retirement. Give me the sands of Jakku or Tatooine any day.”

It was ghostly quiet, and he looked back to where they came and it felt like they were a million miles from anyone. His face was puzzled and he scratched his head. He turned to see a pack of small animals race across the floor, squeaking.

”Maybe they've gone? Seems too quiet for a village housing something so important.”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]