Hidden In The Sands

[Aela Talith]

[member="Lee Novastrider"]

She took the ration and offered him a smile. "Thank you, and It's the right one."

There was a confidence to her voice, but not one that denoted ego. She knew that they were in the right place because...well she just knew. Sometimes the force worked in rather mysterious ways. They could have traveled around Jakku for weeks, perhaps even months, but instead Aela had been lead straight here. It wasn't a coincidence, there were no such thing was coincidences when it came to the force. She knew that better than anyone.

"The force." She began, not knowing Lee knew anything about the force itself. "Is sometimes a guide."

That was the best way to put it. "Some people can follow it more closely than I can, they could tell you exactly what ship and what deck it was on, but for me...well its more of a general thing. The Holocron is here because...well I can simply feel it somewhere out there. It's like a beacon, close...but I can't exactly see it."

That of course opened up the argument that they should have taken another, more sensory focused Jedi, but they didn't have Aela's skills, nor where they working with the SIS. The Cabal would eventually strike, and any other Jedi might well fail in defending the Holocron. There was no quesiton that Aela was one of the most powerful Jedi in the New Order, and the others who could have handled the task were off doing their own thing. The Cabal wasn't the only threat that the Alliance faced, far from it in fact.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Lee unwrapped his portion of rations and began to eat. He listened to the Jedi speak of the force and how it worked and Lee remembered hearing stories and such about the force. Jedi were so dependent on the force, but Aela seemed to be able to function without being dependent. Still, Lee didn't know much about the Jedi.

"I understand. I was tested for one of those Temples to be taught Jedi stuff." He paused and continued to eat the rations. What he had received was way better than anything he had ever had with the general military. "So yeah I passed saying I have force sensitivity, but they didn't decide to accept me". Teeth tore into a bread like sphere. Chewing he pondered the feeling she mentioned and nodded. "Yeah, it's like a feeling that gives you a heads up about stuff when you're fighting or something."

He continued to work on the rations. "Well I'd hate to see what position we would be in if you didn't feel the Holocron the way you do." Lee tilted his head and kept his focus on the food. "You always been a Jedi?" [member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Lee Novastrider"]

"You should go to the Jedi Temple then." She told him simply. "The New Jedi Order does things a bit differently than the places of old, I suspect you'll find something there."

At least when his time with the 5th Legion was done. "I can help when you're ready."

Not to train him, Jamie was enough of a handful as it stood, but she could certainly aid him in finding the proper training. She knew that everyone, no matter how small their force potential, could benefit from training with the force. Jamie herself had thought herself weak, but on Dxun she had found out just how strong she could be. It was an important mark, and one that Lee would likely find within himself in the future. Though she supposed they would see.

"Not always." She hadn't imagined herself as one.

"Though my mother is a Jedi." Aela didn't mind sharing facts about herself, mostly because anyone could do a quick Hoogle search and find out every detail of her life within half a second. Having two famous parents, a galactically famous grandfather, and being famous herself did that to someone. She rolled her shoulders. "I enjoy it, helping people and doing what I do, but I also doubt I'll always be a Jedi."

She knew that would be his next question.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Pondering her suggestion he shook his head. He had already accepted the fact that he would never become a Jedi. The dreams of becoming what had saved him when he was younger was already gone. She continued on with her tales of being a Jedi. What peaked his interest of course was her comment of not always being a Jedi. Lee chewed and looked at her. Aela seemed like someone who was alright with the cards that were dealt to her, mostly because they had to be good cards.

Lee on the other hand was trying to change his cards. He wanted to be someone important, someone that was a hero and saved people like the Jedi saved him. Swallowing the rehydrated meat, he scratched the scruff on his chin lightly. "Not always a Jedi?" It seemed like an odd concept. Lee knew he'd always be a soldier, that's what he's always been after being a slave. When he thought about that, he nodded.

"What would you do if you weren't a Jedi? Travel? Something like that?" She had given a bit of herself, so he returned the favor. "If I wasn't here, if I had been released to civilian status - I'd travel. I always wanted to go to the beach or a big city." Lee shrugged and smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth. [member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Lee Novastrider"]

She shrugged.

The truth of it was that she had no idea. Adder had taken her to the beach once, and it wasn't like she didn't currently travel, but in all honesty she had no idea what she would do other than being a Jedi. That was one of the issues. She had lived her entire life with a mission, but as she grew older, she realized that a mission wasn't enough. It wasn't a life, and she knew that she would live for many...many years to come. So there had to be something more, something more than just being a Jedi.

The realization was a slow one, but it was there. Of course, just because she knew this didn't mean she could ignore her duties. Aela couldn't just walk away from what she was, and she certainly couldn't leave while there were others suffering in the galaxy. It just wasn't in her. "I don't know."

It was a truthful answer.

Her father had said that eventually she would find something else that she wanted to do, that perhaps she would end up just wandering like had. He had said it didn't really matter. She would live for centuries to come, and time had a way of shaping things in a way that one would never really imagine or think of. Aela knew this, and she accepted it as truth, if only because her father had already lived well over two centuries. Who better to give advice.

"Get some rest." She told him. "Lots to do tomorrow."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Rations were finished and Lee was already up cleaning his mess up. A part of him still wanted more, especially the meat. He lived off rations, never really enjoyed a normal meal. Cooking was something that had eluded him. One didn't need to cook if they were always on a mission. The distance between missions really hindered his dietary intake.

Still he survived. The woman gave him an answer he figured was on the table. It wasn't too often someone their age would go well into the future with doing what they were doing. So again the fact that she had no idea what she would be doing when she stopped being a Jedi. It would just mean she wasn't ready to stop being one.

Lee returned to his seat and shook his head. Aela told him to rest, but sleep was something he avoided if he could. Waving his hand, the man shook his head, "No, don't need it. I'll take first guard watch. You need the most rest, the faster we find the holocron the better." Lee adjusted his seat to focus whole-heartedly on the graveyard. "[member="Aela Talith"].

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Lee Novastrider"]

"Rest." The word was terse, and not a suggestion, a hard state following along with it.

She didn't particularly care about what he said, nor did she particularly care that he wanted to take first watch. Aela already had everything set out in his mind, including the guard schedule. There wasn't really room for changing it, especially since everyone had different specialties.

"Bria is taking first watch." One of the soldiers in armor looked up and nodded. "She sees better in low-light than any of us."

Something that would be dreadfully necessary out here. Jakku only had the one moon, and by all accounts it didn't get very bright during the night time. Of course once things got a bit darker it wouldn't really matter much at all since there would be essentially no light, but at that point the auto-turrets and their sensors would take over the task. That couple with the fact that they really only had to watch the entrance of the cavern made this entire situation much easier.

They were a part of a team though, and that meant utilizing each team members capabilities.

Lee would have to learn that.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Plans were destroyed and he sighed softly. It seems the first watch wouldn't go to him. Even if he did get it, the watch would be the evening. He didn't need much sleep, one of those racial traits he obtained from a father he didn't know much of. Sleep meant he had to relive things, so even when he needed it, Lee did his best to avoid it. The rations were disposed and the rest were put up. Lee removed the cap from his head and shoved the non bill part into his pocket.

"Alright, seems you have everything figured out. So odd working with a Jedi." He nodded towards the woman that would be taking the first watch. Despite this he began to formulate a little walk that would hopefully occur when the Jedi fell asleep. The former military man was curious about the landscape. If the whole planet was covered like this, how many graveyards were there? How big were they? Lee had so many questions and he wanted answers.

"You get some rest as well, long day tomorrow. Good night Aela." The man retreated to his tent after waiting a moment in case the Jedi needed him for something else. Inside the tent the data pad and some other things waited for him. [member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Lee Novastrider"]

Sleep had never come easily for Aela, not because she was restless, but mostly because she always had so many things to think about, consider, and actually take care of. She was a leader, but beyond that she had so many other responsibilities. Now with the Cabal and everything else...it seemed to weigh rather heavily on her.


Lee wandered to his tent, the other two did as they had all planned, one taking up nightwatch the other heading to his own tent.

Aela lingered within the camp for a moment, keeping the guard company as she set herself up on one of the rock outcroppings. She wondered for a time whether or not this was going to be more difficult than she had initially anticipated. Finding the Holocron was one thing, but...well fighting the Cabal could be far more than any of them could expect.


A small pit formed in her stomach.


Eventually however the Marshall began to lull herself into a calmer state of mind, her legs crossing as she closed her eyes and began to meditate. She began to focus upon the force, taking strength from it instead of sleeping.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Lee worked quickly in his tent, he imputed the information he had gathered while he had zipped ahead of the group earlier in the day. After the data was tied in, a 3D model formed, it had several empty zones, but it was enough to have a solid view point of where they were located. The caverns for the most part were on the money with what Aela had stated and that put his mind at ease. The man was someone that needed information to back up what someone had said. It just how he was. Trust didn't come easy for the man.

He studied the map relentlessly, he needed to see where the Cabal could attack and what would be a more likely point for them to do so. In the end, he came to the conclusion they were sitting ducks and that made him grit his teeth in frustration. They needed to find the holocron and they needed to protect it - on top of that they couldn't lose anyone, especially the Jedi.

Gathering his rifle and a blaster, he checked the typical armor he wore and stepped out of the tent. There was a blind spot in the map and that would mean a small blind spot in his tactical plans. Despite Aela and the others having a plan, he still was bothered with not having that uncovered. He stood in front of his tent adjusting himself and glanced about. Things seemed to be clear and he slowly began to stalk away from his tent. [member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Lee Novastrider"]

”If they catch you we won’t have time to look for you.” Aela’s voice rang out within the clearing.


She still sat perched upon the rock, her legs crossed and her eyes closed. There had been no point in moving, the force revitalized you in ways that sleep couldn’t. Meditation was one of the first skills that Aela had learned as a child, and it was something that she had always excelled at. Her eyes slowly popped open, bright orange bulbs glowing as she slowly looked at Lee within the dark.


”You are only putting the mission and yourself in danger.” She said simply. ”Go back into your tent.”


Her voice was stern. They wouldn’t actually leave Lee behind of course, that wasn’t how Aela worked, but the mission would for all it’s purpose, be done. The Holocron would be lost, either because Lee would divulge information or because they had lost a member of what was already a very small team.


He was being a fool, and Aela could not abide by fools.

 

[Allyson Locke]

His boundaries were even more visible. Stopping where he stood, the voice of the Jedi echoed in the back of his mind. She was better than she looked and it made him frustrated. Her words were right and he understood the risks. In all honesty he didn't care if he was detained and executed by these Cabal as long as the information he provided his team was worth it. Shaking his head, he realized his mistake when he interpreted her initial speech.

Lee assumed he would be a one man team, but it was obvious this branch functioned similarly to the military. Here he was forced to work with a team. Something he was going to have to get used to. Lee moved back to his tent full of frustration, he said nothing to Aela as he retreated and would have to wait till morning.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Lee Novastrider"]

As soon as he returned to his tent Aela closed her eyes once more. The force washed over her, calm exuding from her. The rest of the night passed by rather quickly, dawn coming with a wash of heat and fog. The graveyard before them remained still as ever, though dark clouds on the horizon told of a coming storm that would likely be enough to rip most men from their feet.

Aela looked at it, frowning as the others slowly got out of their tents. ”We’ll search quickly today.”


There wasn’t much else choice. Sandstorms on Jakku could tear flesh from bone, so it would be best if they were inside of a building when they were hit. There were plenty of starships of course, a few that were large enough to take entire days to search. Hopefully her own senses in the force would guide them to the right place.


”Eat breakfast.” She told them as she rose from the rock. ”Pack extra rations just in case.”


Today they would travel into the graveyard.


She didn’t know how long it would take them, but she hoped it was enough time for Jamie to find what they needed.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Doing as he was told, Lee pulled out a couple of extra rations and packed them into his pack. He slung the shoulder bag onto his back and began to clean his weapons and then store them on his body. Poking his head out of the tent he peered towards the landscape and watched the dark clouds move towards their camp. His usually emotionless face broke into a frown. This was going to make things difficult and this trip was already wearing on his nerves. He felt more tied down than he was during his time with the military. He thought this unit meant more freedom.

“Jeez..” Fingers ran through his dark hair while trying to relax a bit from the thought of the storm. The loud noises that usually occurred from storms and the like reminded him of the crackling sounds that echoed through the dark halls of a cultist’s fortress. His nose wrinkled and he finally stepped out of his tent. Making his way through the small cavern camp he came to the area where everyone was gathered. Taking his order, he chewed on a protein bar and drank a cup of instant caff.

“How general is the area that you feel the artifact? Storm is coming and I’d like not to get caught in it.” Another two bites of his bar and he downed the rest of his caff. A few adjustments fo the straps of his pack he looked towards Aela. “Let's’ go. I don’t think we have more than a few hours to look before we are screwed.” [member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Lee Novastrider"]

"It's over there." She pointed towards a trio of capital ships.

They were ancient, all of them. Two Harrowers and a single Valor class-cruiser. Aela could recognize them from where they stood, their unique profiles still sitting above the sounds. She frowned slightly, looking in the distance at the oddly majestic sight.

"That's nearly three thousand meters of starship." Aela said it quietly. "The storm won't hit us if we're inside one of them."

Which was, of course, very likely at this point.

"Bring the drones." The drones would do most of the searching for the team. They would begin with the Valor Cruiser, if only because they were supposed to be looking for a Jedi Holocron and it would make sense to find it on the Ship that belonged to the Republic. She frowned for a few seconds and then nodded to herself, as if she had to somehow confirm her own thinking on the matter before being able to move on.