No Time For Caution

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=14pt]Private Transport Ship[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Approaching Surface – Onderon – Afternoon[/SIZE]



[SIZE=12pt] “What’s going on?!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She wasn’t particularly fond of the panic in her voice. She wanted to be poised in all things, the kind of woman that was thrown by nothing and always had a solution – the kind of woman she’d been taught to be, and knew she was. But she’d never, ever been so far from home even on a normal trip, and the shaking and loud rattling sound of her family’s personal transport ship was not normal.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] “I’m not sure. Give me a minute!” her Father replied, the strain of concentration thinning his voice as she stumbled in to the cockpit behind her piloting parents, losing her space-legs as another lurch sent the ship rocking to the side. The bright-green surface of Onderon loomed beneath them, so close. They had already breached atmosphere: if they could get the ship stable they could make a safe – if messy and loud – landing. Her Father was working furiously, closing off exhaust hatches in an attempt to seal off anything leaking. The idea of a fire catching suddenly set in Olivia’s mind, terrifying images of a fuel leak leading to a catastrophic explosion and leaving them as scraps floating in space. Don’t panic. Stop! Think through this.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“What can I do?” she asked, just loud enough to be heard over the roar of the ship’s shaking as they approached atmosphere. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] “Go transmit a message, see if you can get anything down to anyone listening on the planet,” her Mother replied almost immediately. “Quickly!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She needed no encouragement. Turning on her heel she sprinted to the conference room, moving so quickly she had to skid, slamming in to the doorframe as the door whisked upward. Not even bothering to sit she pulled up the holocam, immediately recording the first thing that came to mind over all the channels she had access at this distance from the planet. “My name is Olivia Durant! My family and I are on a small transport – we’re having mechanical problems, we’re starting to –” The entire ship let out a lurch so loud her ears were ringing, her throat closing with panic as anything not secure started to roll to the left with the tilting of the craft’s rotation. “We’re going down.” Slamming her button down on the key, she sent out the message and started back to the cockpit with her mission accomplished and going back for another.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Her entire world went dark as the ship spun out of control and sent her flying, her head slamming off the wall.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]________________________________________________________[/SIZE]​

​

[SIZE=12pt] “Ungh…”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She could taste blood. Her head felt like it was split in half and as she reached up and ran her fingers along her skull and felt the amount of blood pouring from it she thought maybe it really was. Fire crackled all around her. Where am I ?I don’t…oh..oh! What happened came back to her in a flash, the need to get out and find her family driving her to move despite the pain. Dragging herself along, she moved on hands and knees along the suddenly much smaller hallway, the ship seeming to have caved in on itself with impact. The fire was raging here and she let out a scream as she scrambled past licking flames, singeing her side as she headed for the beam of light that promised an exit.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Wrapping her fingers around warped durasteel, she pulled herself out of a hole in the hull of the ship, tumbling to the jungle floor with a hard thud, fire raging behind her. She almost blacked out again, her head screaming for her to please stop moving. But she couldn’t…she had to find them…[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Kian Karr"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kian Karr]

The Dorin Run
Approaching Iziz

The Dorin Run had just broken atmosphere and was making its way toward Iziz, the large walled city that served as the capital of the planet and now as the capital of the Galactic Republic. This was Kian's first trip to Onderon since the Senate and Military leadership was moved here. He couldn't say he knew much about the planet, though he knew that the local wildlife was dangerous enough that Iziz was a walled city, separating natural from modern.

CG-50 walked across the cockpit and settled into the seat behind Kian. "Sir, dossiers on the senators have been uploaded to your personal datapad." CG-50 said, his dry mechanical voice had an accent that Kian could place. The translation droid, gifted to him by a remarkably talented padawan, had been an invaluable tool to have over the years.

"Thank you CG-50." Kian said and let out an annoyed breath. He had been called to Onderon to answer for a few "financial" irregularities that had been noticed by some upstart senator. While the Jedi were typically exempt from such inquiries, the Shadows often worked closely with Republic Intelligence and this left a paper trail that the politicians liked to harp on about. Kian and the small senatorial task force had already bumped heads several times, as he refused to give details on the goings on of the Shadows. This meeting would be a waste of time. The senators would threaten Kian and he would continue to hid behind the protection afforded the Jedi. In the end it was a mere political maneuver meant to be used by the politicians to show their constituents that they were tough financially.

"Sir." CG-50 said rather urgently, pulling Kian out of his train of thought. "There is a distress signal coming in."

"Patch it through." Kian said and thumbed the holoprojector.

“My name is Olivia Durant! My family and I are on a small transport – we’re having mechanical problems, we’re starting to –” ​

“We’re going down.” ​

​

Kian leaned forward, as he listened to the words. It didn't take a Jedi to sense the fear in her voice.

"Do you have a fix on their coordinates?" Kian asked cutting off the autopilot and taking control of the ship. So much for meeting with the politicians.

"Patching through the corridinates at the time of transmission." CG-50 said. Kian hoped they were alright. Crash landing on any planet was dangerous.....crash landing in the jungle of Onderon was doubly so. Kian punched the vessel forward, pushing it as fast as he could towards the Durant family.

​

[member="Olivia Durant"]​

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=12pt] She managed to get herself moving again despite a searing pain rocketing through her head. Something had to be broken, some fissure in her skull that would snap if she moved again, let her die horribly. But none of it really seemed to matter – not in the face of the unknown status of her parents. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] The burns on her side joined the chorus of agony started by her head as she tried to wobble to her feet, the ground seeming to give way to her nauseating dizziness. Craning her neck she managed to get a fix on where she was relative to the front of the ship, a wing soaring overhead shading her from most of the unforgiving sun shining in through the hole they’d ripped through the canopy of the surrounding jungle. She’d always had an uncanny sense for when something was coming, for when danger was not just lurking but quite literally about to turn the corner and pounce. Here she didn’t trust her instincts though – danger was all around, both the invisible movement of animals screeching and rustling behind huge leaves, and the immediate danger to Mother and Father.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Keeping close to the hull of the ship where she could, she tracked around to the front. Nothing could have prepared her for what she would see, the entire nose of the transport crushed in to the soft silt of the jungle floor. She couldn’t imagine that anyone had survived that…oh god, no one could have survived that…[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Unwilling to allow it to end there (please, no…Force, no…we left to find something better!) she tried to climb the wreckage, fingers slipping on the blazing hot durasteel, almost burning her. She managed to get a good grip, hauling herself up on a piece that had split from the hull, its plating sticking out and creating a natural platform she crawled across slowly, trying to get to some of the glasteel windows of the cockpit. They were mostly shattered, the impact ruining even the incredible strength of such matieral. She didn’t think she could bear to look, imagining their bodies twisted beyond recognition, burned or cut by the blowback of the viewport. Stop it! Keep breathing. Do this for them. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She stopped when she heard a terrible screeching sound, and a branch to her right shaking with the weight of something landing. Something hungry.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Kian Karr"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kian Karr]

The Dorin Run banked hard, barely missing the rather large tree. Kian was flying fast, and flying just above the canopy. He needed to. A solid mist had formed above the tree line, making visibility even poorer in a thick, lush jungle that already provided little visibility.

"Where are they?" Kian asked urgently. He knew that the longer they were down the poorer their odds. On a normal planet, on a normal day they would be able to find the ship simply by looking for the smoke cloud, but with the thick mist that wasn't going to be an option. Then there was the fact that the force was acting.....off ever since the vanishing of vast numbers of people.

"Sir, there appears to be an anomaly due east." CG-50 said and then clattered into the wall as Kian banked the ship hard to the east. "Sir, it isn't necessarily the crash site!" CG-50 screeched as he dropped down into the seat to stop from flying back across the cockpit as Kian settled in on their route.

"Its them." Kian said, more hopeful then certain. Kian wasn't sure what it was about this group....perhaps it was the feeling of being lost that he had felt since leaving the Netherworld or maybe it was the fear he heard in the voice of Olivia when she called for help, but Kian needed to get there. He needed to help them.

As the freighter cut through a particularly thick cloud of mist, Kian saw the first signs of the crash. A patch of broken branches and missing leaves in the top of the tree's canopy. Passing along the tree line, Kian finally set eyes on the crash and his heart skipped a beat. How could anyone survive a crash such as that? The vessel was collapsed in on itself and severed in several places.

"Sir, there is no where to land near here. There is a suitable landing area approximately a kilometer to the north." CG-50 said reviewing the console in front of him.

"Take the controls CG." Kian said stepping out of the pilot seat. "Take me down as close as you can, then circle around until I call for you." Kian said and darted from the cockpit toward the back of the ship, toward the hangar. Kian spared no time to listen to CG's likely complaints or objections. He darted down the corridor, moving as quickly as he could.

Once in the hangar, Kian hit the controls and held tight to the handrail as the hangar door dropped open and the wind began to whip his robes about. CG-50 had brought the ship lower, low enough that Kian could make a jump for one of the nearby trees. Taking a deep breath, Kian leapt and braced himself for impact. Throwing his arms up to protect his head, Kian cut through the canopy and braced as his legs collided with the branch beneath him. Rather then trying to catch himself, Kian used the momentum and bounded to the next branch and then the next. Using this method, Kian slowed his descent and quickly ascended down to the ground, landing in a roll.

Kian ran toward the crash, not sure where to start. He was at the tail end of the ship. Judging from its size, he assumed there was only a few people on board as he made his way toward the cockpit. Kian just hoped he would find them alive.

[member="Olivia Durant"]​

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=12pt] She had no time to look in the cockpit, not when the rustle of leaves and branches that had frozen her in her tracks sounded again. Whatever sense she possessed that had always warned her of danger was screaming now, urging her to momentarily abandon the search for her parents because if she didn’t pay attention finding them wouldn’t matter – whatever it was would kill all three of them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Steam rose from the heated hull of the ship as it rapidly cooled in the shade of Onderon’s jungles. She could barely make anything out through it from her position almost on top of the ship but she didn’t need to – as if sensing her fear and despair, a massive winged creature descended from the thick canopy in which it’d been hiding. It was truly the most horrible thing she’d ever seen, even in holovids or any of her reading. Perhaps some of that could be chalked up to the reality of seeing something like it in real life, but she felt her throat squeeze shut in terror as the beast studied her. It crawled on all fours though it’s front ‘legs’ were truly wings sturdy enough to be used as supports when bent. Standing, it was about four times her height, dozens of eyes rotating on its surroundings and its prey. The reality of her situation truly hit her when she realized that not only was there no way to sneak around a creature who almost positively had a field of vision nearly all the way around its body, but could fly and…when it opened its mouth she saw death. Teeth as big as her arm, saliva stringing between fangs. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] This would be it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] It seemed to catch her thoughts (you’re romanticizing Olivia, pay attention – it just wants to eat you, no matter what you think) and lunged, barreling forward on all fours underneath what was left of the trees after the ship’s crash. (I can’t die! Please, not like this! PLEASE!) She screamed in terror, a sound she’d never heard from herself before as she covered her head with her hands in instinctual, futile protection. She was sure she was going to perish right there, slammed against the ship and devoured, but instead she felt a flash of determination and a instant release of something she couldn’t describe as a wave of power blasted from her body. It knocked the creature back a good distance, enough to buy her a moment to inhale, though now it seemed even angrier at the unexpected rebuff.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] “Help me! Somebody, please!” she shouted as she scrambled back further on the hull, ignoring the white-hot sensation of searing ship metal under her palms. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Kian Karr"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian felt it approaching. The first thing he felt was hunger....instinctual hunger. Then he felt fear, the primal sort of fear that someone who believes they are about to die, and die horribly would feel. Kian came around the corner of a wing and his eyes fell on the Drexl. It was a big, winged creature native to Dxun the moon that orbited Onderon. Dxun had a strange orbit that would bring it close enough to the planet that it would allow the creatures to pass between the two. It was these creatures that had prompted the construction of the walled city of Iziz.

Kian was too late, he'd never get to the girl in time. He'd never be able to save her from the cre.....Kian's eyes widened as he saw the creature fly backwards. The blast of force energy from the girl was hard to mistake. Kian froze and eyed the young, injured girl for a moment as the realization of her force sensitivity dawned on him.

Then the creature roared and bore down on her once more.

Kian darted toward the girl, putting himself between her and the Drexl, pulling his lightsaber hilt from his belt, but leaving it inactive. Stretching out his free hand, Kian felt out for the beasts mind using his telepathic abilities to touch the alien feeling mind. Kian had used his telepathy before on animals to turn them back. It seemed the bigger and more violent the more difficult it was. Several years before, when on Kashyyyk with one of his apprentices, he had turned away an angry Katarn....but the Drexl's was different.

As Kian pressed against the creatures mind, he flooded it with fear, trying as best he could to force the creature to turn away. Unlike the Katarn or the other animals he'd done this with in the past, the Drexl fought him quite determinedly. It seemed the force push had put the creature into a state of rage. It stopped its advance on the two of them, but it didn't turn and flee either.

"Are you ok?" Kian called out to [member="Olivia Durant"], being careful not to break his concentration. Kian raised his hilt up in front of him and ignited the golden blade and took a step closer to the Drexl. He was hoping that the added movement and beam of plasma would help add to the fear he was pushing into the creature's mind.

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=12pt] This is it. It’s over. So much for a new start, for a place where could be live as free as we wanted to.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Whatever strange power had burst forth from her was forgotten in the moment the Drexl’s terrible, rotten breath leeched out through the air to her. She had no idea how to replicate something like that and she felt drained by its first emission as it was. Trying desperately to make her peace, to find some measure of comfort in the idea of joining with those she’d lost – maybe see her grandmother again – she brought her burned palms up over her head in the same futile protection she’d tried the first time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] But she didn’t die. The creature let out a loud, angry sound as something drove it back and when she opened her eyes she almost couldn’t process what she was seeing. Hapes was by no means an isolated planet but even still species besides their own or other near-human or human creatures were uncommon. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of the man standing between her and the attacking beast, but even more otherworldly was the snap-hiss igniting of a blade she would have recognized anywhere. Jedi?! The Hapans had a long, long history with the warriors of the Light. She recognized the weapon though the color was foreign – she’d only ever seen depictions of the traditional blue or green. Regardless she would have faith he was here to help and not to cut down the Drexl only to turn on her – she was, after all, in Republic territory.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] “Y…yes, I’m okay!” she called, her voice failing her at first. The creature was backing away from the Jedi but appeared just on the cusp of attacking despite its fear, enraged and hissing ferociously. “What can I do!?” she shouted over the din of the fire breaking out within the ship’s husk and the angry sounds of the winged creature. The sooner the thing was gone or they bought themselves a minute or two of peace – enough to get away – the sooner she could check on her parents and perhaps get much needed assistance from her savior.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Kian Karr"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kian Karr]

Go away.......you don't want to be here.....we are dangerous.

Kian was pushing the thoughts into the animals mind. He found beast control more difficult than touching and communicating with a sentient mind. Where as with a sentient mind he could communicate directly, animal minds worked on instinct. He had to flash images through the beasts mind and feelings. For most animals it wasn't hard, but Kian was struggle to push the beast away.

"Your family." Kian said, the words coming out with a release of breath. It was difficult to communicate and control the beast at the same time.

"I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold him......get to your family." Kian said and stepped closer to the Drexl and the animal took a hesitant step back. "We may need to make a hasty retreat."

As Kian said the words, the Drexl seemed to gain a bit of courage and surged forward swiping at Kian with the clawed tip of its wing. Kian brought his saber around and slashed at the attack and seared a long burn in the flesh of the animal. It backed away, emitting a cry of pain and Kian doubled his efforts to drive it back with telepathy.

If the beast got aggressive like that again, however, Kian would be forced to abandon all hope of driving it off. He'd have to fight it then.

[member="Olivia Durant"]​

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=12pt] Your family.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Hope and fear came in equal measure as he gave her a task. It was obvious that the enormous beast would have no qualms trying to devour its Jedi opposition and Olivia would have no blood on her hands. Sensing the concentration required by the strain in the Jedi’s voice she set to work without a word, sliding down the expanse of hull she’d traveled in her attempts to get away from the Drexl back towards the cockpit. Smoke poured from deeper within the ship now as fire spread, caustic smells nearly choking her as the casing around wires and nodes caught flame. Lifting the collar of her shirt to cover her nose, she dropped down in to the hole made by the missing viewport, steeling herself for what she might find.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] It was worse than she could ever have imagined. She did not have to check for a pulse. Her Mother sat impaled to her passenger chair by a shard of metal, hands wrapped around its sharp edges as if it would save her. Her Father was slumped off to the side, crushed under the weight of a nav system that had been jarred out of position, most likely right on impact. She stood there for what felt like hours, unmoving, not daring to get a closer look. Olivia feared she would never see anything but their deathmasks again – this would haunt her until she died.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] (Move. Move. Get going or you will have another death on your hands today. The Jedi outside will die trying to protect you. That will be your fault too.)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She was too numb to cry as she darted forward and gingerly took the necklace from around her Mother’s neck, tucking it in her pocket as she fought the lump in her throat. (Later. You can do that later.) Turning, she climbed out of the wreckage and called out to the stranger, her voice thick but clear. “They’re…gone! Let’s get out of here!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Kian Karr"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian pressed the button on his bracer, sending out the signal for CG-50 to bring The Dorin Run back around. They would need to evac quickly, especially if they had injured parties to take back. Kian stepped forward, waving his lightsaber at the Drexl and it dropped back once more. Clearly it remembered the pain associated with the blade from its last attempt at attacking.

“They’re…gone! Let’s get out of here!”

Kian heard the words leave [member="Olivia Durant"]'s mouth and, while he didn't break his attention away from the Drexl, he turned his head to gaze at her from the corner of his eye. For a moment he looked at her, the expression on his face hidden beneath the goggles and antiox mask he wore. Had she been able to see his face, she would see the regret and sorrow that colored his expressions. Kian didn't know the Durant family, but he didn't need to. He regretted the loss of family, he regretted to see and feel the suffering of another.

"I'm sorry. Head toward the stern." Kian said turning back to the Drexl. Kian waited for Olivia to start and then followed behind her, walking slowly and carefully, keeping his eyes on the beast. Kian hoped that as they began to walk away the Drexl would finally retreat, but it turned and followed them hesitantly. This creature did not wish to give up the chance of a meal. As they approached, The Dorin Hope came over the top of the tree line and CG-50 dropped down a cable that was used to haul up freight. The trees were too thick to allow the ship to get low enough for them to get in any other way. At the end of the cable was a caliper.

"Hook that to your belt." Kian instructed, "Make sure it is secure."

"CG-50, once Ms. Durant is ready, haul her up." Kian said into his comm unit. "And do me a favor and give this thing something to think about." Kian added. He didn't want the Drexl hurt, not unless they had to, but he also need to ensure it didn't attack them any further.

"Yes sir." CG-50 said over the channel and a small turret dropped down from under the cockpit. Kian had to give the creature credit, it wasn't stupid. The moment the gun dropped it began to back away. Then CG-50 fired two shots into the ground a few feet ahead of the creature and it let out a screech and fell back to the front of the crash.

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=12pt] She was mostly numb as the Jedi (still an assumption, but one she was hard-pressed to care too much about after what she’d just laid eyes on) instructed her to secure herself for the ride up to the smaller ship. She was a brave girl by nature but her nerves were frayed by the last trying ten minutes of her life and she had to talk herself in to clipping the caliper and keeping her lunch as she was pulled up, holding a white-knuckle grip on the cable as she left the ground. Thankfully the droid controlling the ship in its Master’s absence had been able to get low enough that she didn’t have to be in the air for long – she disappeared within the craft just as the Drexl retreated from the shots pelted at its feet. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Once within the ship she unhooked herself from the cable, scrambling backwards until her back was pressed against the wall. An overwhelming fear that this craft would crash too seized her, threatening to choke her, her head spinning with anxiety. What if she were some bad luck charm, an instant guarantee that something on a ship would go wrong? The smoking wreck down below was her first real trip through space and it had ended in worse than disaster.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Her mother’s face flashed before her eyes and she squeezed them shut as if it would chase the image away.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She was blissfully distracted when the Kel Dor appeared, the soft thump of his boots on the ship’s floor snapping her from her panic attack. Embarrassed, she pulled herself from the floor to stand, thankful the ship was clearly made to accommodate someone taller. She was a few inches taller than the Jedi but it didn’t matter anyway – he’d taken legendary proportion in her mind, tall in presence and power. He might as well have been three feet taller. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said quietly, a voice that was as easy to listen to as she was to look at. “My name is Olivia Durant,” she offered, hoping it might prompt his name in return. Or perhaps confirmation he was Jedi.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] “I…I don’t know what do now,” she said, a thin trembling at the end of her statement that made her even more embarrassed. She was Hapan – she was supposed to be strong in the face of adversity. But they hadn’t prepared her for this.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Kian Karr"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian deactivated his lightsaber as the cable began to lift him into the air. The Drexl gave a growl of what Kian could only assume was annoyance, and then turned and flew off into the woods. Kian was glad to be away from the beast finally and made a mental note of avoiding them in the future. As he came through the hatch into the ship, Kian signaled CG-50.

"Get us to Iziz and the nearest medical center." Kian said to the protocol droid and the ship was moving almost before the hatch doors had closed. Kian clipped his hilt to his belt and turned around to see the young woman rising to her feet.

"No thanks are necessary, I did what I could." Kian said waiving away her attempt to thank him. "I'm just sorry I couldn't help your family. I'm very sorry for your loss." Kian said and meant every word of it. Kian recognized the look on Olivia's face, he recognized what was in her eyes. The lost, numb feeling that permeates every bit of you. When Kian had lost his wife and son he had seen that look in his own eyes. He'd felt that same numbness.

Kian stepped forward and gripped the young woman's arm reassuringly, stretching out with the force to comfort her with warmth and try and still the storm of emotions she was likely feeling.

"My name is Kian Karr, I'm with the Jedi Order. First priority is getting you to a medical center." Kian said looking at the blood the caked her. He thought it likely that she have broken bones, maybe even a concussion. Kian turned and began to lead Olivia into the ship and towards the cockpit.

[member="Olivia Durant"]​

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=12pt] She had to fight back tears when he expressed his condolences, calling on every edict that had ever been drilled in to her mind in school. The Hapans taught their women every skill necessary to make it in their cutthroat political culture: math, science, literature, common languages, art, and the skill of manners and navigating the social climate. Never let them see you cry. She swallowed, blinking rapidly and promising herself she could cry later where no one could see. But in an instant as his hand wrapped around her arm she felt the most unexpected wave of peace. It didn’t blot out her heartache – there was nothing that could erase that kind of loss – but it stilled the frantic buzzing in her head. She could only guess it was some sort of Jedi technique, and she was grateful for it. She couldn’t answer but she was sure he understood. She could feel his compassion.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Following him to the cockpit, she gingerly lowered herself in to the passenger’s seat, the crash catching up with her now that adrenaline had slowed its rushing course through her system. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] He had confirmed he was Jedi, and she tried to imagine what his life must be like as they lifted higher in to atmosphere and shot towards the closest city – Iziz, she thought he’d said. Fabricating a story for him was distracting, made her forget, and she imagined the battles he’d fought against evil, the countless peoples he’d helped, the peace he brought to the Galaxy. The Hapans had a sordid history with the Jedi, at times openly despising them and other times tolerating their presence throughout the planet’s history. Her education had included a good amount on them since Hapes had come in to Republic territory, mostly gray-area teachings neither praising nor condemning them. Facts, nothing more. But she’d always thought of them, in her ever-rosy way, as the warriors of Light. She’d imagined them as truly good. This Kian Karr at least seemed to fit her view.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She realized she’d been silent since they’d sat in the cockpit. Embarrassed again she cleared her throat. “Jedi, hmm? I’ve only ever seen holovids with green or blue lightsabers. Does the yellow mean something?” She was searching for anything to keep her mind occupied against her throbbing in her head and the visions swirling in front of her eyes. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] And she was still exhausted from that burst of…whatever had come from her that pushed the Drexl back.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Kian Karr"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian allowed Olivia her privacy as he settled into the pilot seat and pushed the ship even faster toward their destination. He needed to get her to a medical center and fast. Kian normally had a decent amount of medical supplies on board the Dorin Run but they were running desperately low, but reaching into his first aid kit he pulled out the last syringe of Kolto. Turning back to hand her the needle Kian saw Olivia was deep in thought.

"Here, it is Kolto, it'll help with the pain and start the healing process." Kian said handing her the needle. As he turned back, she asked about his lightsaber. Kian turned back, smiling beneath his mask.

"Most Jedi yield green or blue lightsabers, they are the most common crystals." Kian answered. It was a strange thing to ask about, considering all that had happened, but he could understand the need to think about something else. "Traditionally, green signalized a Jedi Consular, those more focused on studying the force. Blue signalized Jedi Guardians who specialized in lightsaber combat. Yellow signalized a Jedi Sentinel who were a balance between the two fields of study."

"However, now-a-days Jedi tend to wield an assortment of crystals. I've seen violet, silver, white, orange, and even red wielded by Jedi. When a Jedi builds his lightsaber his crystal chooses him through the force." Kian said and realized that much of what he was saying was likely confusing to someone who didn't know much about the Force or the Jedi. "So typically the color speaks to some quality of the Jedi whom the crystal chooses. I've always walked the path of a Sentinel and a Jedi Shadow, hence why I was likely drawn to this crystal."

As Kian spoke the words, Iziz came into view. They weren't far from the city now.

[member="Olivia Durant"]​

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=12pt] She took the syringe from him carefully, though by the time she’d gotten it uncapped and pointed towards her skin she was nearly desperate for its effects, pushing the plunger and hoping it had an instantaneous effect. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Perhaps it was strange to be fixating on the color of the Jedi’s lightsaber, but as she saw it she had nothing left. Her parents were gone. She couldn’t go home, not without a hundred questions and perhaps no welcoming arms. She had very little knowledge of the galaxy at large and wouldn’t have the first clue where to go to get herself settled. Focusing on something seemingly benign and unimportant was the only thing holding her together in the face of so many massive uncertainties and the burden of unthinkable loss. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She thought she understood most of what he was saying as she at least knew the terms lightsaber and Force. So Consulars made it their job to study their power, and Guardians to wield their unique weapon with prowess? She thought if she were Jedi she too would fall somewhere in between, but…violet. She imagined herself with a violet blade, protecting the weak, helping the Galaxy when it could not help itself. She imagined purpose. She imagined making her parents proud. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] “Violet…” she murmured softly, her consciousness fading rapidly. She didn’t know what it said about the Jedi, but it felt right.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She blacked out just over Iziz.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]___________________________________________________[/SIZE]​

​

[SIZE=12pt] When she woke she was immediately disoriented, her heart beating out of her chest and pain searing through her head as she sat up. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] “Please, please Miss. Durant – you must stay still! You have quite a concussion, not to mention two cracked ribs and extensive bruising,” a medical droid advised as it moved in to the room with a hush, its tone a mix of comforting and clinical.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She remembered everything (the curled grasp of her Father’s hand as if he’d tried to pull himself out from under the wreckage, blink, make it stop) but not how she’d gotten in this bed. “Where am I?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Kian Karr"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian watched from above. He was in the observation room of the medical center, the medical staff not allowing him access to the treatment room. Not that Kian would have been much help there anyway....his only real experience with healing was self-healing meditation trances and the work he did with his telepathy. Other people's injuries, that wasn't in his forte. Kian watched as [member="Olivia Durant"] appeared to regain consciousness and was visibly alarmed. He could understand it. She had lost so much so suddenly. Kian had felt that way before.....blindsided by the sudden death of those you love. It was a horrible feeling.

It is okay Olivia.....you're in a medical facility being treated in the city Iziz. Kian said, stretching out with his telepathic abilities and communicating the words directly to the girls mind. Kian usually liked to ask permission before touching a person's mind, but in this instance it was the only way to speak with her and Kian wasn't sure the medical staff were attending to her psychologically, they seemed to only care about her physical injuries. Kian wished to reassure her that everything was okay.....or at least as okay as it could be.

This is Kian, I'm just above in the observation deck. Kian said and turned slightly as he heard the door open next to him and CG-50 enter.

"Sir, the senators are very furious that you did not show for your appointment, I'm afra...." CG-50 began to say but Kian quickly cut him off.

"Inform them that the meeting isn't going to happen. They'll get my reports when I'm back on the Gnost Dural." Kian said and then turned back to the viewport before him. The young woman looked rather beaten up by the crash. He was amazed she had handled herself as well as she had given her injuries.

I apologize for communicating with you telepathically without your permission, but if you wish to tell me something simply speak it and I'll hear you. Kian said hoping he hadn't caused any offense. The girls day was going badly enough already. Is there anyone I can call for you? Anyone I can reach out to about your family? Kian asked, not wanting to upset her further, but hoping she might have other social support to help her through this painful time.

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=12pt] It is okay Olivia...[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] At first the voice only made her more frightened. Hearing voices in one’s head was a sure sign one was NOT okay, and she was too disoriented to recognize the Jedi Master’s distinctive Kel Dor tone at first. When he said his name and told her where to look, she shifted her eyes from the droid to the observation deck, having to search for a minute before she found his shadowy figure up above. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed her panic and tried to find a thread of calm. As the immediate reaction to avoid more harm started to abate, the extent of her injuries became clear, an almost unbearable ache in her head and sides.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE]but if you wish to tell me something simply speak it and I'll hear you

[SIZE=12pt] Speak it aloud? Or…he couldn’t possibly mean speak to him in the way in the way he was speaking to her? The ability on its own seemed impossibly magical, a Jedi trick she couldn’t reciprocate. The thought gave her pause. She’d always been lucky, and sometimes she knew something was about to happen just before it did. She’d always avoided broken bones as a kid, always anticipated the question about to be asked of her in school. Today (was it still today, how long had she been out?) however, was the first time she’d ever manifested anything quite like what had happened when the creature in the jungle had been intent on devouring her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Did she…have the Force?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Now she KNEW she’d hit her head too hard.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She tried to speak back to him telepathically, at first stuttering, having to control the urge to open her mouth and speak that which she was trying to send over to his mind. “I..d…” A brief flutter of frustration washed over her face though she took another deep breath, telling herself getting riled up wouldn’t help her concentrate. “There is no one left. My parents and I were leaving Hapes because we didn’t belong. It was just us.” Whether he was just reading her thoughts and she was putting an embarrassing amount of effort in to them, or she'd actually spoken to him telepathically, she wasn't sure. Either way she hated the sound of pain in her voice, even in her head. She would be eternally grateful for the kindness he’d shown her, for getting her help so she could at least head out in to the world on two feet. And then somehow figure out where to go from here.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Kian Karr"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kian Karr]

I'm sorry. Kian communicated to her upon hearing that there was no one he could contact for her. He could understand that sense of loss....of having no one. It was how Kian had felt when he lost his own family. He'd wandered the galaxy for a time, lost and confused. It wasn't until coming to the Jedi that he had regained any sense of family, any sense of a place in the galaxy.

I've sent Republic forces to the crash site. Kian said continuing, They are bringing back the wreckage and any belongings that were left behind. I'm afraid I do not know the funerary customs of your people, but once the medical staff is done with you we can see to your parents. Kian winced at the comment, unsure if he was pushing things too quickly or was perhaps asking Olivia to think on something that was simply too painful at the moment.

Kian, reluctantly continued however. There was something he needed to bring up. Something Olivia needed to know.

Olivia, I know this is a difficult time.....but are you aware that you are force sensitive?

[member="Olivia Durant"]​

 

[Alkesh Vizsla]

[SIZE=12pt] All his words were starting to blur together as he talked about things like left-behind belongings, funerals, remains. She could feel panic clawing at her brain again, her throat closing with fear and dread and overwhelming sadness. She was immediately glad for his ability to read what she was thinking (her understanding of what he was doing thus far, still not comprehending she was actively sending her thoughts out), a power that allowed her to answer without the embarrassing choking tremble that would have no doubt sounded if she truly attempted to speak.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] His question stopped her thoughts in their tracks. The notion seemed insane but she was hardly in a position to be thinking critically, and a Jedi Master couldn’t be wrong about such things, could he? And…she still couldn’t explain what had happened out in the jungle. Or her string of good luck. Or how she’d survived when her parents hadn’t.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] “The Force?” she asked faintly, though it was punctuated by a nod. “I didn’t know. I never realized…but I…”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] She was gripped by the most powerful urge. She might have said it was grief but looking deeper she didn’t think so. They’d come to find a better life and though things had gone exactly as they hadn’t planned, maybe this is what they’d been looking for. “Can I come with you?” It sounded a child’s question, hardly befitting a noblewoman of her age and culture. But she felt adrift, and this Kel Dor had shown her such kindness. Even if he didn’t want to help her understand this gift that shone from the center of so much sadness, she hoped he would steer her in the right direction.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Kian Karr"][/SIZE]​

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian hadn't expected the request. He had planned on offering it to Olivia once time had passed and she had had time to grieve, but she seemed to be way ahead of him. Kian wasn't surprised. From what she'd said, she didn't have much in the way of options. She didn't have anywhere to go. Kian could understand that feeling and he knew well that among the Jedi Olivia could begin the process of healing.

Yes. Kian said, projecting the words into her mind. Yes you can come with me. As painful as it was to think about, Kian couldn't help but see this as the will of the force. It involved tragedy....it involved loss....but what were the odds that a Jedi would stumble upon the crash site and witness the force use of the young woman. It was too much of a coincidence and Kian rarely believed in coincidences.

As Kian looked through the glass at the girl before him, Kian was struck by the words he'd read so many years before. A Jedi does not cling to sorrow, young Padawan. We accept it. Sorrow is a part of life as well as joy. There are gifts to be found, even in death and sorrow…strange gifts. We accept this, we learn, and we go on. Kian communicated the words to Olivia telepathically. He wasn't sure if they would help her, but they had always helped him look past the loss of his wife and child.

Those are the words of Jedi Master Plo Koon. They always helped me get through.....tragedy. Kian continued and smiled warmly beneath his mask. I spoke with your doctors earlier, they say you are free to go tomorrow morning. Meet me at Hangar 21A, my ship is the Dorin Run. Kian said turning to leave. And again, I am very sorry Olivia, I can understand the loss you feel. Kian added before walking through the door.

[member="Olivia Durant"]​