Retrieval. (Jedi)

[Kira Vaal]

The First Order won the war?
She felt a tightening in her stomach that was sure to get picked up by Jagen, even her attempts to hide it went unanswered. She should have been there, should have put the fight back at them; but no, she was here doing nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“Pity.” She managed to get out after catching her voice. “They seemed like a good bunch, although I suppose when one kicks the hornets nest.” Even she wasn’t convinced by her tone on that one and with Jagen’s increasingly devastating tale of how the Sith were making an encroach on the galaxy as well as the Imperials…

“I thought the Imperials were small time. At least that is what I heard last time I was privy to galactic events.” Again she tried not to let her emotions fly to wild, the thoughts of those who had died already starting to resurface, so fresh in her mind they were. “Charros is in Silver territory right?”

She may have let too much slip too fast, yet she was saved by a small beeping that was coming from her wrist unit. “Strange.” She took a look and then changed her stare to the east across the mountainous horizon. “Must be malfunctioning again, we’ll have to check it in the morning.” She grabbed the herbs at her feet. “Anyway, shall we head back in before that storm hits.” Her spare hand indicated to the giant black clouds heading their way from the south.

[member="Jagen Wren"]

 

[Jagen Wren]

For the first time, he was able to read her emotions through the Force as if they were his own, and truth be told they were; regret. His lips creased into a hidden frown as he continued to stare at her, still on his knees with hands full of herbs and listening to her words. When she asked her question about the location of Charros, he was about to answer until he heard a beeping.

"Yes, of course." He answered in reference to them going back inside, standing up and suddenly putting his hand on his torso; accidentally having tweaked the wound there that he had sustained from his crash landing. Once fully standing, he cast a glance over to the dark clouds hovering ominously in the distance.

Now heading back towards the direction of the woman's abode, he looked down at all of the herbs he had gathered. "What are we doing with these again? I know you said something about grinding them up." He queried, turning his head to look at her again.

[member="Kira Vaal"]

 

[Kira Vaal]

“Paste.” Kira answered happy to have the subject removed off painful memories. “We grind it up into a paste that has a high level of protein and energy output, dash it with some liquid and you got substance for days.” She offered a smile as they turned to move around one of the larger rock formations near the cave entrance.

Kira however stopped in her tracks and put her arm across Jagen’s torso pushing him hard against the rock formation, her other hand raising a finger to her lips to signal him to be quiet. The reasoning became clear shortly after when two droids of an unfamiliar design came walking out of Kira’s cave entrance.

“No sign, but indications of recent inhabitants are clear.” They could here the metallic voice of one say as the other scanned off towards the far side of the pass. “Commencing area sweep.”

Kira raised her eyebrow towards Jagen, who was very close to her face, “Friends of yours?”

[member="Jagen Wren"]

 

[Jagen Wren]

Jagen allowed himself to be pushed as if he had a choice in the matter anyway, "Nine he-" He grunted lightly but was quickly silenced by her signal. Listening to the droids talk amongst themselves, he pivoted his head at his companion's words and noticed how close he was to her, mere inches between their faces.

He attempted his best to ignore the fluttering feeling that had been recurring to him, parting his lips to speak once more. "No, I've never seen that type of droid before." He whispered, leaning forward slightly and trying to conceal it as moving away from the uncomfortable rock formation

[member="Kira Vaal"]

 

[Kira Vaal]

They allowed the droids to seperate slightly before Kira made a move towards where her speeder was currently sat in a state of repair. She kept low to the ground and as quiet as a mouse until she was right up against the metal body of the bike. Glancing across to Jagen she wanted to make sure that he was taking her lead in some way or at least staying out of trouble.

Her fingers grazed her belt well aware that her weapon was in the cavern, locked firmly within a lockbox somewhere deep in the random bits of her mechanical scrap room. However she knew that on the side of her speeder was an old blaster pistol that she had put there for the hunting of larger creatures in the mountain passes. A quiet removal of a clasp and the weapon was free to release but not without an audible click that sounded louder then she wished.

The droids both spun in the direction of the speeder and began to advance slowly like a predator approaching its prey. Kira now inhaling heavily as she tried to find her focus.

[member="Jagen Wren"]

“We know you are there Jedi.” One of the droids spoke across the clearing. Their weapons raised not at the Jedi, but instead towards Kira’s position behind the speeder.

 

[Jagen Wren]

He may have been there when she looked back to check on him, he quickly disappeared into the air when she was busy fiddling around with her speeder trying to retrieve the blaster pistol there and accidentally alerting the droids to their presence. As they advanced towards Briana, several rocks tumbled down one of the larger formations around them, causing the droids to look up and notice one Jedi Knight climbing above them.

Jagen looked down, sending a sly smirk towards his friend before letting go and diving down at the duo.

snap-hiss

His blue lightsaber sprang to life from the hilt of his worn lightsaber, bisecting one of the droids down the middle before he set down on the ground, kicking another to the ground and destroying its weapon. He pointed the blade at the droids head and spared it from destruction, glancing back towards the woman and leaving himself wide open.

[member="Kira Vaal"]

 

[Kira Vaal]

Jagen’s attack surprised the droids, enough so to get a startled reply from them as the rocks fell.
“There is another one.” The metal beast saying no more as the lightsaber cleaved through its torso and left it in the dirt, the second having been caught yet not downed moved forward to attack yet found itself the target of a well placed blaster shot to the chest by Kira. It took two steps, sparked and them crumbled into the ground.

“What were they?” She moved forward and kicked the closest metallic creature, its design completely unknown to her beyond it being a droid. Then something in her head twanged, a twitch of sorts that made her shudder. “We have to go.” She grabbed Jagen’s hand and pulled him quickly towards the cave, the sound of engines on the air.

 

[Jagen Wren]

There is another one.

His eyes had widened as he realized that all of his suspicions had been in fact proven correct. Those droids weren't there for him, they were there for her, a Jedi like him.

Feelings of affection soured into betrayal as a person he had come to care for in such a short period of time was a lie; Briana, if that even was her real name, was a lie. He allowed himself to be pulled into the cave but once they were inside, he was noticeable rigid, a neutral but slightly angered expression on his face that he hid from the woman by glancing outside while she did her thing.

"What do you think they want?" He asked irritably.

[member="Kira Vaal"]

 

[Kira Vaal]

“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.” She had started to skirt around the room gathering armfuls of cloth and pieces of equipment, all of which was thrown onto the table and wrapped together hastily by a length of rope. “Here.” She threw Jagen his clothes that had originally been part of his appearance upon the planet. She noticed his change in attitude.

“I need you to trust me.”

A methodic thump carried up the outside of the mountain as blaster bolts began to hit hard from the craft strafing against their position, obviously whoever these droids worked for wanted them dead. Or her dead. “We gotta move, you know that passage I said lead to nowhere. It leads exactly to where we want to go. Once there you can ask as many questions as you want and I promise I will answer them.”

The passage was a steep decline, slick with moisture. As it grew darker and darker Kira was forced to produce a small light from her belt and light the way, careful not to slip on the ever descending rock. Eventually it allowed them to squeeze through a small gap and into a large cavern, where amongst barrels and crates was the shape of a large freighter, covered with a survival tent and in seeming disrepair. It was this ship that Kira headed straight for.

 

[Jagen Wren]

"Very well." He grunted in response to her promise, moving from his position near the cave entrance where death was certain outside towards her.

Clothes in hand, Jagen followed the woman through the rocky passage that seemed to shrink with every step that he took until they were finally freed into the large cavern. He noticed the ship-shaped object located underneath a tent that she was going for, another lie causing him to seethe internally.

Looking around, his eyes trailed over the multitude of containers as he walked among them, occasionally flickering back towards the other Jedi. What was her purpose in concealing that she was Force-sensitive, was it that she thought he was a threat? He had attempted to cleave her in half immediately after his crash landing, but he was delusional from blood loss and trauma.

He had a feeling that he was about to find out soon enough.

[member="Kira Vaal"]

 

[Kira Vaal]

Accessing the interior of the aged YT series was the easy part, Kira leading the way up the ramp of the ship and practically tossing the pack she held to the ground the moment she was in the hold. Continuing her movement she carried herself towards the cockpit assuring that as she did the switches were allocated for the ship to kick into action.

“I need you up front.” She called to Jagen as she herself slid into the pilots chair and began to bring everything online. The whirring as engines long dormant struggled to give themselves power. “Make sure the deflector shields are primed and ready to go.” She managed to get the ship completely charged up in the process and with a click of something the sound of the engine clicking into full gear filled the cavern.

“Now to open the door.” She allowed the weapons on the ship to turn, throwing the tent off the cockpit as they did. “No time to remove it.” She added as several powerful shots hit against the far end of the cavern revealing a grey sky beyond.

“Come on baby…don’t let me down.”

The ship shot through the hole with such velocity it was as if it had been held under chains and was dying to free itself.
From the air the realisation of the attack became clear, the cave was a flame, a small garrison of droids assembled without as two craft, still unknown patrolled the area. They quickly fell into line behind Kira and Jagen, spurting green blasts of laser towards them.

“Have you ever done a hyper jump from inside orbit before?”

 

[Jagen Wren]

Once he was aboard he set down his tattered robes somewhere before rushing into the cockpit, taking up station in the co-pilot seat next to his companion. He had heard stories about the YT-1300 Corellian Light Freighter and even studied several technical read-outs during his exile, but he had never had a chance to be in one of them, the legendary ship class that had been given its reputation by one of its own.


He looked up and watched as the ship fired its weapons to destroy the hangar door, allowing them to blast out into the sky of this unknown planet. While green laser bolts surged past the cockpit's viewport, Jagen heard the woman ask him a question, which he pondered for a moment before answered.

"Yes but that's a story for another time. Get the hyperdrive prepped while I put in coordinates, I don't want to hit anything this time!" He hissed.

[member="Kira Vaal"]

 

[Kira Vaal]

“Oh good. That makes one of us then.” She smirked and pulled the ship around to at least face the sky. “I don’t think we really have the time to do the maths Jagen.” She pulled a lever forward and if there was ever a sensation of gut wrenching pain it would have followed that decision. The sky folded in on itself and the rain of the planet morphed into star lines before Kira, Jagen and the ship were thrown into hyperspace.

Alarms had already started to go off, seemingly while capable of saving their backsides the craft was just as easily capable of killing them too. “They’ll stop soon, she’s just a bit confused.” Kira explained and leant back in her seat releasing a large sigh. “So…I suppose I owe you some answers?”

[member="Jagen Wren"]

 

[Jagen Wren]

"What?!"

His head snapped towards the woman as she activated the hyperdrive, and every muscle in his body seemed to tense up at exactly the same moment when the stars streaked over the viewports; shooting the ship and its inhabitants into the azure tunnel of hyperspace.

As it became clear that they hadn't collided with the mass shadow of a moon, another planet, or even a star, Jagen seemed to relax slightly but his eyes were still wide.

Calming down, he faced the woman. "No, not at all. You only lied about your identity, about being a Jedi, to another Jedi." He informed, his tone dripping with malicious sarcasm "I mean, I get it from the beginning, yeah. But didn't it become increasingly clear that I wasn't some Sith sent to kill whoever you are as the days went on and we lived together?" He questioned rhetorically, a light glare coming over his features.

[member="Kira Vaal"]

 

[Kira Vaal]

Kira gave Jagen his time to talk, non-interrupted and with no form of face in return. He had ever right to say whatever he wanted at her, she deserved it. Yet his harshness while apparent was no where near what she was actually expecting from the older Jedi.

“I knew you weren’t a Sith the moment you attacked me Jagen.” She explained, hopefully not triggering anything. “The sith tend to be a bit more roar rather then ugh. If you get my meaning.” She gave a rough smile and looked out into the twirling blue beyond. “When you’ve been running as long as I have you start to distrust even those you should be calling friends.”




“My name isn’t Briana, it never was.” She turned her attention back to the man in her co-pilots chair. “It’s Kira. Kira Vaal.”

 

[Jagen Wren]

"I’ve heard that name before..." He raised one of his eyebrows, considering something for a moment, "Weren't you the one that fought the Empire when it was a remnant or something? I read about that when I was trying to get caught up on galactic events." Jagen said, although quite lackluster as if he was still angry with her.

"I’ve been hiding for the last five years, like you’ve been, and I don’t think I’ve ever grown so fond of someone in such a short period of time.” He admitted, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth “I don’t think it’s just a coincidence that I crashed on your planet out of everywhere else in the Galaxy.”

“The Force works in mysterious ways, it sent something called a ‘Ren’ to chase me off of that moon. It is very likely that it sent me, and those droids, to chase you off of that planet.” Jagen theorized, stroking his beard thoughtfully as she might’ve noticed he did a lot.

[member="Kira Vaal"]

 

[Kira Vaal]

“I stood for the people and…” She sighed trying again to calm her mind as images of faces flashed through it. “We paid a dear price. The Remnant, the First Order, the Sith…They are all part of the same, a great wave that none can stop.” She felt her fist clench. “The time of probable peace has ended, now we will again know nothing but an age of darkness.”

She listened to his story. “A Ren? They are the chosen dark warriors of the Supreme Leader. I have encountered their kind before. More dangerous then a Sith for they act not on emotion but on order.” She shuddered. “You were lucky to survive. These droids, I did not recognise their origin however.”




She felt herself go into a deep thought, her eyes narrowing as they always did. “Perhaps you are right though. Perhaps solitude of our souls will have to wait.”

 

[Jagen Wren]

Jagen slouched slightly in the co-pilot’s chair, letting the blue hue of hyperspace wash over his features, gradually softening from angered to saddened as they each recited their experiences with each other.

"Now's probably the time for a drink or four, since we're both feeling crummy." He mentioned smartly, before quickly adding "At least according to my tastes, I don't know if you're a borderline alcoholic."

He glanced back over to his friend, Kira, as if scrutinizing the woman and her looks, a small glint of mischief hidden in his eyes.

[member="Kira Vaal"]

 

[Kira Vaal]

“Not quite borderline yet, but it has helped keep the galaxy quiet. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.” Kira flicked her wrist and a panel near Jagen opened with a hint of the Force. Inside, where usually some form of important component would be was a bottle of rough looking amber liquid. “Corellian. Hard to get these days, but I assure you the taste is beyond anything I’ve had yet.” She would let him take the honours, the blue swirl again taking her attention.

“So what next Jagen?” She sighed. “I’m officially calling this an end to my vacation away. Where do you call home now? Who do the Jedi even support anymore?” They were honest questions, each with several different answers already circulating in her head, answers that would disappear with a simple sip.

 

[Jagen Wren]

Jagen eyed up the bottle before grabbing it with his hand, with a small gesture to have a pair of glass tumblers float freely after it. Looking down at the already-broken wax seal, the Jedi Knight twist the cap off and began to pour them each a glass, rather generously Kira would notice, the golden alcohol swirling around the inside of the glasses even after he had finished.

He handed her a glass, making sure not to spill it over the delicate controls of the Falcon, before raising his own in a mock toast before taking a modest drink; savoring the burning feeling as it went down easy. "Not really sure nowadays, I've been busy doing so many things, getting acquainted with my surroundings." He muttered, staring back into hyperspace "The Jedi Order, this new one I'm with, seems to be affiliated with this Commenori power, only through its grandmaster."

"I wouldn't put too much hope into it, though, I've only become a member out of convenience since the other orders are so militarized that they lost their way from the light." Jagen lamented "Truth be told, as time passes by, this 'Empire' is starting to seem like a grim but necessary choice."

He looked back at Kira, attempting to gauge her reaction to his words by any facial cues or rising emotions.

[member="Kira Vaal"]