Objective: Locate Missing Hoylin that Disappeared in the Nothing
Tag: [member="Amilthi Camlenn"] | [member="Cassius Droma"]
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Gianna was happy to wait for Jedi Camlenn to make her assessment before they went onward. Jade eyes followed her movements, noting slowly, that she was testing the differences between the two areas. She could feel her flickering in and out. As if her Signature in the Force was being shielded, or hidden, when she moved too far into the colorless lands. The flame-haired woman had not crossed into the Nothing yet. There was something about it that made her skin feel cold, just by looking, and she wasn’t silly enough to venture past the border without an anchor. Jedi trained, for the most part, to be complete in themselves.
It was both right
and wrong.
The Jedi Knight grew momentarily distracted when a familiar light began to race across the surface of her mind. It was a pleasant feeling and a gentle reminder of what it was like to have her Padawan close at hand. Their training was unconventional, due to his age, and @Cassius Droma often spent time on his own. She encouraged it whilst providing an ever-safe place for him to return to. In all honesty, she should have noticed him sooner. Typically she did. Gia attributed it to the consuming influence of being so close to the Nothing.
As beautiful as Elbright was…The Nothing—was not actually nothing. It was something.
She just didn’t know what.
Her eyes rose when Amilthi returned. Her experiment had taught them both a quick lesson, which, truth be told, was more than any of the people of Hoylin had been able to tell them. For all of their peaceful natures, they didn’t seem to have many Force-Sensitives among them. Perhaps that was why no one had noticed it before. The Jedi that had come before them, the Order of the Sacred Lotus, had thought that the anomaly was contained. Things had just evolved on their own.
Worsened.
She recognized the expression that her fair-haired companion wore. Gianna could feel it, like the air on her skin, and instantly felt an empathetic response.
“I understand. I will be mindful.”, she promised softly, returning her small smile, with one of comfort and honesty. The green-eyed Nabooian was definitely the younger of the two, though, she would never take advantage of that. Instead, she remained grateful for the unspoken concern. The pair of women operated smoothly on mutual acceptance. Equal burden, equal respect.
The sound of a turbo-engine rapidly approaching did not surprise her in the slightest. Cassius liked things that moved. Be it fighters, starships, or a land speeder. The sweet woman turned as the machine idled and couldn’t help when her spirits rose at the sight of his energetic entrance. Always, he seemed to be there, exactly when she wished him to be.
“You never replied…”, Gia spoke, though, there wasn’t an ounce of displeasure in her tone. It was a statement more than anything else.
She let her rucksack slide from her shoulder so she could set it inside the speeder before turning, abruptly, to fuss briefly over her student. Yes, she allowed his freedoms, but she still worried. A light hand reached up and brushed his hair from his forehead. A familiar habit. Intelligent eyes seemed to be searching him for signs of physical distress, whilst her aura responded on its own, silently, doing the same. It searched for weakness. Breaks, where metaphysically, he would need to be strong.
Finding no reason for concern, especially, when they were about to head into a potentially dangerous situation her smile brightened as her hand fell away.
“I’m glad you made it.”
Though, she hadn’t realized, that Amilthi knew him so well. She'd spoken of him before but Gianna didn’t know much about his former Master. In all honestly, he hadn’t offered the details, and she hadn’t pried. Everyone was entitled to a history of their own. Everyone had a past, though often, it was simply best to let it go. Existing in the present, though attentive of the future, was her preferred tactic.
“There’s nothing wrong with a bit of exercise, considering, we don’t know exactly where we’re going. We’ll head in the direction the missing Hoylin were last seen.”, she returned, glancing back at the speeder, that seemed to have been modified for four seats instead of two. Briefly, she went over some of the details that they had discovered about the Nothing. Including, the warning that Amilthi had just issued. Gianna worded it in the very same way. Not to scare, or unsettle him, but to prepare him.
She didn’t have the same qualms that Jedi Camlenn had about bringing her student into the Nothing. Gianna was mindful, careful, and always placed his best interests first before tradition. The galaxy would be denied the vast amounts of good he could do if she didn’t prepare him properly.
Once finished, she turned to Amilthi and beamed, her hands clasping as if they were going on some sort of field trip.
“Front seat or back seat?”
Once decided, they would be off. The Hoylin seemed troubled. Gianna hoped, that soon, they could put at least some of their worries at ease. The landscape of the Grey Barrens was intimidating. Once they passed the barrier, Gianna had to note, that Amilthi was more than right. The air felt dead, chilled. The sky was washed out there was still light. The typical sounds that should accompany nature were suspiciously silent. She could feel the other two Jedi with her, and yet, their light seemed diminished.
It just made Gianna burn that much brighter, ever, the light in the dark.
“Head due west…”, she instructed Cassius, though, silently willing him not to drive too quickly. The terrain looked flat, save, for jutting rocks that were easy to avoid—but her instincts bade her not to trust what she saw. Regardless, they had to be on high alert for any signs of their missing Hoylin travelers.
