Rules Are Meant To Be Broken [Kaia]

[Julianna Nero]

Julianna loved the silence in a way, loved the fact that there was no one around, because that meant that there weren't many influences to affect how she felt or acted. It was a chain reaction when something bad happened to her, and then around her. Her surroundings were very important, being an empath. If she had been walking around on any given day, people wouldn't bother her at all, but once she was weak, that's when it would cause a downward spiral. Now that she was away from people, the only person that she could get a grip of was Kaia, which was really just a small amount of anxiety and slight confusion. That was something that Julianna could deal with.

"Kaia, I don't really know this place, or where we're going. I figured we could, like just come down, look around, and get back out of here. Now, well, chit's getting real." She said honestly, and then she held on to the side of the building, with her blaster still in her other hand, and Julianna had made her way back to her feet.

"Yes, I can get up, and move around now. I wish I had someone that would come and get us. Because I really don't know what we're going to do. I think stealing a transport down here is going to be signing our death warrants." Julianna looked both ways, and then she had a thought come to her. Once that made her facepalm with her free hand. "Chit, my parents are going to kill me if they find out we're down here. What about Callum? You think he could come get us?"

 

[Kaia Za'tire]

Keeping her blaster held up to her chest, she just watched Jewel for a moment. It was true that neither of them really had any idea about this place, and that most of the information that even Kaia had heard about was that it wasn't a place to be at, without adequate protection--or, in the words of her father, "Without a Battalion of Wookie protecting his little girl." She was thoroughly lost, and didn't know what to do. They were, for the most part, entirely stranded down here with no way of getting back.

Then Jewel mentioned calling up Callum, and her eyes went wide with disbelief, "Um, ..." She muttered, not wanting to really resort to getting ahold of either one's family, as it would no doubt spell trouble; of course, Callum would be trusted, and he would definitely be willing to help and probably cover her tracks with some help, but she would never, ever live it down. There were some fates worse than being yelled at by her Mother and Father combined.

She shook her head, "I, um, I think Callum is actually, you know, on a job with Dad. They're probably... halfway across the galaxy right now, I imagine." Her eyes darted back and forth shiftily, not wanting to actually have to rely on Callum for the help as she was absolutely positive she could get out of this trouble on her own with the help of Jewel. There really wasn't a need to get others involved, right? Kaia's thoughts returned back to one of the other things that Jewel had mentioned:

"Chit, my parents are going to kill me if they find out we're down here."

Her eyes widened a bit, "Oh, shit. Shit, ... oh no..." She stood up immediately and started to pace back and forth, already becoming absolutely terrified and worried once more. "I'm... we're... no, I'm supposed to meet with Mom in..." She pulled up her data-pad and looked at the time, "... in about thirty minutes!" She said with a shocked look, suddenly becoming terrified more at the thought of being late to the meeting, than being stranded down in the Underlevels. "Um, okay, let's see... okay, okay... we have to... we have to get out of here!" She said hurriedly, pacing back and forth.

If there was one thing Kaia did not want to do... ever, that was piss off her Mother, and she knew that if she didn't show up to this important meeting right away--and on time--her Mom would be thoroughly pissed at her. The last thing her Mom ever wanted to do was look incompetent in front of the Jedi Council, and Kaia would make that happen.

 

[Julianna Nero]

Jewel found it odd, and maybe even funny in another situation, when Kaia started to freak out at the mention of parents. Though, what wasn't funny was the massive panic that Jewel had felt, and it even made her twitch a little when Kaia started to pace. Jewel looked at her friend for a moment, wondering what they would do. She had a feeling that Callum would cover for them if he was called to come get them. But if he wasn't around, then Jewel figured that she could call someone. But, really, she didn't want Isis down here, or to take her parent's speeder to get down here, in case it might get scratched or...blown up.

Augh..

"Okay, just, stop wigging out for a second.." Jewel had pinched the bridge of her nose, taking deep breaths to calm her emotions. "Let's think about this. There is no way in hell I am asking Isis to come and get us. She'd have to use my mom or dad's speeder and I can't have her risking getting hurt, either. If I called MY mom, I think she would kill us, and if I called my dad, I think he would be angry, too. So...if we don't wanna tell our parents, we're going to have to find a way up there on our own. If we can find another speeder, we can hijack it again, or, we'll have to try to bum a ride off of someone, but...I don't know how well that will work."

Jewel bit her lower lip and she frowned. "Can you think of anything? Because I'm not sure which one is worse, my parents finding out, or your mom finding out."

 

[Kaia Za'tire]

Looking over to Jewel again, she paused for a few moments, trying to conjure up a plan, then it hit her. If she can't get ahold of Jewel's parents, since they'd wreck havoc on her, and she couldn't get ahold of her Mom, the only one left to actually contact would be her father. Would that work? Would he be so forgiving of knowing they were in the Underlevels of Coruscant and badly beat up? Well, what would the harm of asking be, then? "I have an idea." She said in her once-again calm demeanor, walking over to Jewel and placing her right hand on the girl's left shoulder.

"I'm going to try to get ahold of Dad. He might be more lenient?" It was a hope, but it wasn't something she'd put all her hopes on; after all, he was out on a job, and could be gone for a long, long time. If anything, it would be a fail-safe if they didn't find their own way out. "Give me... one minute." Taking in a deep breath, she pulled out her holo-comm and took a few steps away from Jewel, back into the alleyway again. Tapping in a few buttons, she attempted to get in contact with her Dad's own comm.

Finally, after a few long seconds passed by, the image appeared before her of Noxu sitting right in his Captain's chair of his XS Freighter. A small smile came across her lips when he spoke, and in a bit of a calm tone at that.

"Kaia, sweetheart, now isn't the time to talk. I don't have the time. Make it quick. We're..." She paused as her Dad looked off in the distance for a moment before turning back to the communicator. "... let me put it this way: If you could, when you see your Mother, could you tell her that, well, ... I might be gettin' into some serious chit here?" A small, maybe even a slightly nervous laugh escaped his lips before he waited for her to speak.

"Dad, um,... just... called in to let you know that... Me and Jewel kind of got into some trouble of our own! We ---" she was cut off when the comm went static and the image disappeared. "Oh... damn it!" She groaned out, starting her pacing back and forth again, but this time in a calmer manner. "Okay, we need a plan. We have to get out of here! Hijack another ship? Do you have any credits on you to rent a speeder or two?" She looked hopeful at Jewel before she got a great idea. "We're going to get a speeder, one way or another. Let's just decide on how we get one!"

 

[Julianna Nero]

"Okay, um...if you can get a hold of him..tell him not to tell my mom and dad, PLEASE?"

Julianna figured that was a good idea, if anything. Noxu would understand, and she figured that he wouldn't tell her parents, right? Then again, they might find out from the giant gash on her back anyway, but she wasn't home all of the time, so maybe they wouldn't even know...at least, not know about how she got it, she could always make something up at the top of her head, but she let Kaia call Noxu, and she remained there, leaning against the wall of the building and keeping on a lookout.

Little did she know that her mom was with Noxu at that moment, and it was probably a good thing that she didn't know that, either. Her stress would go through the roof if she knew that her mom knew she was in trouble, but she heard Noxu, say that he was in some chit himself, and Jewel cringed. "Uh, that doesn't sound too good." She admitted, and then let out a sigh. "You know, you pace WAY too much." She pointed out, but it was through a forced smile like she was making a joke overall. Finally, she had another idea. She knew that her mother would seriously ground her forever, and her dad? She was unsure of what he would do. She was pretty sure he'd be mad since she got hurt. Being in the Underlevels of Coruscant wouldn't be horribly bad to explain, but that she was speeding and she got herself hurt? That might make him more angry.

Jewel rubbed her face before she came to one more conclusion. "Jessalyn. What if I call Jess? She might come and I'm PRETTY sure she won't tell our parents. Or...make up some kind of story to help us out. It's worth a shot, right?"

 

[Kaia Za'tire]

How could she have forgotten about Jess? Maybe it was because Jess wasn't always around like Jewel's parents, or her own parents. They'd worked together before, but it wasn't often that she was around. The idea escaped her, but she was absolutely delighted in hearing that name. She would help, there was no doubt about that; after all, she was almost like that older sister she never had, but always wanted. An entire air of calmness washed over her as she relaxed a lot more, her pacing slowing down. "Jess! I think... that's the best option now..." She said with a bit of a wide grin.

They were still weak, however, and she knew that if they didn't keep an eye out, and be prepared still, something could happen. Walking over to where Jewel stood, she kept an eye out in the opposite direction, making sure no one came about from that long end of the alley. "Just make it quick. You need to get healed up pretty bad." Looking back at Jewel, she took a note of her cut along her back. It wasn't a good thing, and definitely needed to be taken care of; if only she'd taken her Dad's advice and carried some spare kolto with her.

It was a hard-taught lesson, and one she would definitely forget later when they got out of this problem. After all, she had no reason to admit fault, why would she? She learned from so many years ago, that there was always a valid reason for things that happened. This one just happened to be a malfunctioning engine--nothing that she or Jewel could have prevented. After reassuring herself in a moment, she stood with her back still to Jewel, waiting for that call.

 

[Julianna Nero]

Jewel could only hope that her older adopted sister would help them out in this situation. They were close growing up, her and Kacius both, and even though Jess was off in the galaxy doing her own thing, she always made time for her and to spend time with her....no matter how much Jess and her dad disliked each other. Jewel cleared her throat and she got out her holocomm, and got Jessalyn's frequency, and she took a deep breath.

"Jess? It's me. Hey, you don't happen to be on Coruscant do you? Because, Kaia and I are in a situation and we really need to get out of the lower levels."

Jessalyn, on the other end, gave Julianna a level look on her face. "Jewel, what are you doing in the lower levels of Coruscant...stuck?"
"Listen, Jess, it's a really long, long story, and I just want to--"
"Why don't you call your mom or dad?"
"Are you SERIOUS? They would freak out."
"Kaia's dad? Call Noxu, he'll come and get you guys." Jewel knew that Jessalyn knew Kaia's dad really well, living with him for a long time and being a member of his crew for a while.
"Yeah, uh, he's in trouble somewhere else, too."
"Mmhmm, that sounds about right. Alright, biggest question...are you or Kaia hurt? Because I can't make it to Coruscant for another.." There was a long pause. "Four days, twenty-two hours and thirty-three minutes." She said with a frown.
"Uh, alright I don't want to be stuck down here that long, I don't think Kaia does either. But, I got scratched up on my back, the speeder we were in exploded, and then.."
Jessalyn raised her hand to her, basically telling her to stop, and then she narrowed her eyes. "You are hurt, in the heart of the scummiest place on Coruscant. Jewel, do you have ANY idea how rough it is down there? People see vulnerable, pretty girls that are hurt, and I tell you what, they're not going to take you to a medbay safe and sound. You call your mom and dad, and get the hell outta there before you guys get hurt."
"Jess, really, we're fine and I can't call them because.."
"If you don't, I will. I'm worried about you, and since I can't come to get you, and you're hurt? Someone needs to come and get you. Look.." Jessalyn's screen began to buzz out, and static. "You..just...okay? Just..." and then it had cut out.

"Really? Why does it always do that at the worst possible times?!" Jewel had said to herself, and looked up to Kaia, and shrugged. "Well, Jessalyn's no help except snitching on me I guess." She had stood straight up, and the thoughts ran through her head about calling her mom or dad, and then she rubbed her face again. "I don't have a lot of money. Not nearly enough to rent a speeder or anything. These people kinda give me the creeps, anyway...so...back to square one."

 

[Kaia Za'tire]

There was a small glimmer of hope as Jewel talked to Jess. Although, she had her back to her friend, she listened intently to the conversation. Nothing seemed to want to work out for them, and time was running short; if she wanted to get back to the meeting before her Mom was there, they'd have to act fast. Judging by the sound of the conversation, four days was going to be a bit too long before the meeting started. She knew, that even now, her Mom would probably have a feeling on where she was, since she was far, far more adept in the Force.

Nearing the end of the conversation between Jewel and Jess, Kaia heard some noise up ahead: footsteps. The slow tapping of feet against the concrete grew closer and closer, getting louder and louder. The darkness in front of her kept the figures hidden from sight until they stepped right under a light.

------------------------

Two men, roughly in their mid-30's stepped into the light. Neither of which looked very well off, and definitely had lived a rough life in the Underlevels. Their clothes were a bit ragged, and their faces were covered in dirt. The one on the right was taller than the other, standing at roughly 6' 1", and the other stood at Kaia's height, around 5' 8".

"Why, lookie what we have 'ere." The taller one said, flashing a crooked grin, and showing his few missing teeth; the underlevels hadn't treated him well. "Ya two girls aren't lost, are ya?" He asked with a smirk, pulling out a device from his ragged pocket and holding it up. "I'm 'fraid you won't be gettin' to talk to yer friend, an'more." He spoke in a dialect that clearly wasn't taught by any higher form of education; probably learned on the streets. The device in his hand was definitely a remote signal blocker, shutting down the communication between Jewel and Jess.

"Ya two dun look tha' well off..." He commented, looking at, not only Kaia's scrapes and slight tears across her outfit, but the cut along Jewel's back. "How 'bout we help ya out.." A low, sinister chuckle came from his lips as he slowly stepped toward the two girls.

------------------------

Kaia was calm as she saw the two men approach and just watched them. She stepped back as they stepped forward and bumped into Jewel. Her voice was low, and definitely not loud enough for the two men to hear. "Jewel... we have to run... now. Anywhere is safer than here..." It was obvious she was saying something, but the two men had no idea of what. "Can you run? I'll cover you while you get away, take a couple of shots off... maybe scare them off..." Time was definitely running short, but what more could they do?

As she spoke, she pulled her blaster up and held it upright. "You two have one chance to back off." She was being generous, but it was known that she would always give at least one warning before fighting back; and she knew how to fight.

 

[Julianna Nero]

"Naaw. They don't loook well oooff..." Agreed the littler man that followed. Jewel had a strike of fear in her as soon as she had seen the two men approaching her and Kaia. She had visibly gulped, and looked over at Kaia for a moment as the other continued to talk.

"They looook a lil lost, I bet'cha we could find these preeetties a place to stay for the night." The man began to chuckle, just as Jewel had stepped back. She smiled and shrugged with a somewhat innocent look on her face.

"Nope! Not lost! Perfectly capable of handling ourselves. But boy, golly, gee whizz you fellas are swell!" She looked at Kaia again, just as she formed a plan in her head. Well, not so much a plan as an idea that was not thought out quite well. She didn't even respond to her friend, and just allowed Kaia to give out a warning. The men had laughed, quite loudly when Kaia raised her blaster and threatened them.

"I liiiiike 'em feisty like that!"

Jewel just smiled back. "Well, then, you'll love this." She said. If there was something she learned from her parents, more than anything, it was how to shoot both blasters, and guns. She raised her blaster, the one that Noxu had given her, and took two shots, one to each of them. She had no idea where or IF they even hit, but Jewel's strategey was this:

"RUN!"

She turned around and zipped out of the alley way, hoping that Kaia would follow right behind her.

 

[Kaia Za'tire]

Her plan went off better than she had hoped, although it wasn't a part of her plan at all. When Jewel practically jumped out from behind herself, and started to take a couple of potshots at the two pursuers, Kaia just looked back at her almost shocked, for just a brief second. That's when she yelled out the most obvious thing that she'd heard anyone yell out.

"RUN!"

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she spun back around and grasped onto Jewel's right arm, scooping her arm up underneath hers, and getting her close, essentially locking themselves together. She wasn't about to let go of Jewel, and she wasn't going to let her go, no matter what; if one of them were grabbed, the other was going to be grabbed, too. It was a perfect plan, and with Jewel being a bit slower, it would only help her move with Kaia as her support.

Twisting her right arm back as best she could, she took another couple of potshots at the two pursuers, who from a quick glance, didn't seem to be hit--but she didn't get a good look at them, and all she saw was them starting to chase. "This.. isn't good..." She said, not having too much of a problem with running, but using as much of her support to help Jewel to keep on moving.

Once they exited the alleyway, she took a sharp left, and ran down along the building--heading further away from the wreckage, and to get as much distance between them and the two thugs as fast as possible. Her mind went back to the training she was taught, and knew that if it got too terrible, she could use one of the many tricks she learned to help them get away, or the better option would be to use her own Vibrostaff.

She didn't want to have to kill them, but would have no hesitation in doing so, if things got too risky.

 

[Julianna Nero]

Julianna ran as quickly as she could, as fast as she could, to get away from these thugs. She didn't have the BEST plan in mind, but at least it was something of a distraction so that she could get away from them to the best of her ability. Julianna bit on her lower lip as soon as Kaia took her in her arm, and helped her run. Jewel wasn't familiar with the tricks of the force, at least to the extent that she could do anything to help them out. She could maybe move some small objects or something like that, but nothing that was going to distract the men even more. They were on their own.

When Kaia said that this wasn't good. Jewel cringed in pain and knew that she was right. "It's alright, I think we're losing them...I THINK." She had said, and hoped that was true. Because they could only get so far before this happened again, or something like this where it looked like they were going to get taken advantage of, in some way, shape or form. In a way, she wanted to cry, not out of the situation-Jewel took pride in knowing what to do, when she could do it. But instead, in pain. The gash on her back was not getting any better. She hadn't been losing blood, but the blast made it so sore and rough, she was sure that she would need to take a nice bacta bath after this.

She hoped they were lost, because Jewel wasn't sure how much longer she could go like this. She shook her head, and she got herself loosened from her friend's grip, and she had sat down. Still, she held her blaster tightly. Now they were both playing a dangerous game of life or death, and without a way out of here, she knew that something needed to be done. Noxu couldn't get them, Jess couldn't get them, Callum couldn't get them..their options were running out. Kassey? No, she wouldn't call her mom. She would call her dad before her mom for sure. "I...I need to call my mom or dad. I think...I don't know what else to do."

 

[Kaia Za'tire]

They were getting away, but she wasn't sure they lost the two. The two low-lives were definitely smarter than that, she knew, and she had a feeling they wouldn't be too far behind. While she wanted to keep on running, she didn't want to push Jewel any longer, knowing that her friend couldn't handle it much more. When Jewel had pulled from her grip, she gave a disconcerted groan, not at all pleased with this, but completely understanding that Jewel wasn't in the best position to keep going. Only one last option:

"I...I need to call my mom or dad. I think...I don't know what else to do."

No, that wasn't the last option--at least, not for Kaia. Turning around, and away from Jewel, she stood steadfast and reached to her right hip, pulling up what looked like a hilt from her belt. She was feeling weak from the multiple cuts and bruises, but the two thugs didn't seem too well-armed. This would be an easy fight, and if it meant protecting herself and Jewel, she would do what she had to do.

Focusing her thoughts for a moment, she remembered what her Mom had taught her about Force Sight--it would allow her to see through walls, and at least get a good idea of where people were, within a short distance. She wasn't very adept at it, but she could manage it for a while, and so that's what she'd focused on, managing it for as long as she could. She saw the two thugs up ahead, coming around from the nearest corner. They were still in pursuit.

When they showed up around the corner, and started to approach them once again, they both had a sinister look on their face, clearly not wanting any more pleasantries. Both of the thugs pulled vibroknives from their belts, and started to walk up to them quicker. "I gave you one warning." She stated, holding the hilt in her right hand still, unwavering and dropping the Force Sight, seeing them both clearly now.

The two thugs wasted no time in starting to sprint up to them, and muttering something, which she couldn't exactly make out. It was clearly a threat, and she'd have none of that. Pressing a single button on the hilt, both of the ends opened up and a smaller metallic rod extended from both sides of it, and pushed out to at least two feet on each side. Once the two sides were at their extent, the tops of them opened and the blades, that were made from cortosis weave, came out from around the edges. "No more chances."

Even though she was hurt, she knew that she would be able to handle this issue, and tapped another quick button on the hilt, causing the blades to begin to vibrate rapidly. Standing still, she waited for the two to get closer. Although their steps had slowed, they still pursued. In times like this, she tried to maintain as calm a demeanor as possible, but even she knew that if she messed up, it would cause serious problems. In a moment, she ran at the two, in hopes of either of them running away, but they were stupid enough to continue the pursuit.

As she run at them, she put all her focus into a Force Leap, and lunged at the two at a high speed. She spun in a three-hundred sixty degree circle, while holding the vibrostaff outward. In just a few moments, the two were slashed across their chests, and their backs, causing large and gaping wounds to form from them and blood to begin to be spilled. The two thugs were in shock as they saw this before they dropped to their knees, almost simultaneously, and collapsed on the ground in front of them.

The move had drained Kaia greatly, and when she dropped, she fell to her knees, eyes closing and actually on the verge of passing out. Too much energy was exerted in the move, and she had little energy left to even keep herself awake. "I.. have your back... Jewel..." She muttered with a sly smirk, trying to keep her focus.

 

[Julianna Nero]

When Jewel had seen them come across and back around the corner, she almost groaned again. She still had the blaster that Noxu had given her, in her hand tightly, and she stood up to her feet, ready to shoot. If she concentrated well enough, she would be able to shoot the two of them in they were stupid enough to go through with it, but that was her only defense here where she stood now. If they still came after her while she shot, she would be in trouble and she would know it for a fact. Jewel raised her blaster, but then she saw Kaia get out her vibrostaff. In any other situation, she would think...awesome. But now she was more concerned about her friend's life than her own, or for show.

Jewel didn't say a word, looking like Kaia was in deep concentration at the time, and so she just watched, prepared to fight if she needed help, but, to skip the formalities and put this in layman's terms..Kaia had seriously owned these two. The trick was, was that there was little noise to it all. It was quick, quiet, and Jewel just remained there, eyes widened, and watched as the blood spilled. She had seen a LOT of things in her life, so it wasn't like she was shocked at these kinds of things, but having her friend be the reason why? It was..pretty awesome.

But when she seemed to be tired, having a toll taken on her from what she had done, Jewel hobbled over to Kaia as soon as she had fallen to her knees, and she knelt down as well. "Kaia...Kaia stay with me.." She said, worried for her well being. "Kaia please, you'll be fine, just..stay with me okay?" Then she had a smile that passed her face, as if she were trying to bring light to the situation. "Kaia that was so awesome what you did, I know that you have my back, and I couldn't ask for a better friend. Can you hear me?"

 

[Kaia Za'tire]

It was over, at least for now, and she was drained of just about all of her energy, barely able to even keep her eyes open. She let out a small sigh, as she struggled to pull herself up to at least her knees, but just couldn't get the strength; it was the first time she'd ever used a power in such a way, especially to defend herself. Most everything she'd done before was purely training and practicing, and never in an actual live scenario--she could barely manage to keep herself awake.

In the distance, she heard a faint voice calling to her, but she didn't even recognize it at first. It was quiet, and it almost seemed to be miles away. Shaking her head a bit, she just laid there, attempting to at least keep her eyes open.

"Kaia...Kaia stay with me.."

"Kaia please, you'll be fine, just..stay with me okay?"

"Kaia that was so awesome what you did, I know that you have my back, and I couldn't ask for a better friend."

Her eyes closed finally, and she laid on the ground, relaxed and comfortable. Her vibrostaff was let go from her grip, and it rolled off to the side a couple of feet, and she let out a long sigh of content and relief. Able to relax, the pain seemed to escape her mind, and fade away from her while her mind had gone into that wonderful restful state for her to recharge and regain her strength; it may have been the worst time possible, considering their location, but her body couldn't handle the stress of it.

 

[Julianna Nero]

She had seen Kaia fading, and Jewel had actually started to cry. Kaia had did this to make sure that her and Jewel were SAFE, and now she was fading so quickly from what she had done. Jewel shook her head frantically, she had no supplies, nothing to help her with. She couldn't drag her to a medbay, she couldn't call and shout for help in fear that something similar would happen again, her only thought was to call her parents right now.

Jewel slapped her cheek a few times as she cried, keeping quiet, though, so no one would hear them. Seeing two wounded girls with two dead bodies would not be a nice thing to be confronted with. Jewel checked her pulse, she checked her breathing, everything that she was taught as a kid. She wasn't rapid, she wasn't in any cardiac trouble, she was just losing consciousness. It was a horrible thing, to watch her friend slip away from reality like this.

"Kaia...please....can you hear me? Say something..." She had said, and she knew Kaia, she knew how the forced worked, and she had a feeling that she would be alright, but she wanted to get Kaia out of the open, and behind something to keep her hidden. Jewel had pushed through her pain, and she reached down to try and grab her upper half of the body, and Jewel moved to go behind one of the buildings. It wasn't far, and they would be hidden away from the naked eye.

"Kaia, I'm going to call my parents. I don't know if you can hear me." With that, she had checked Kaia's pulse again. As long as she was breathing, and not bleeding, Jewel had a feeling she would be alright.

 

[Kaia Za'tire]

A small inkling of a feeling for her to remain conscious kept poking at the back of her mind. At first, she only thought it was her own thought processes, which kept her lightly conscious, but the longer it remained, the more she began to hear the voice in the back of her head. It wasn't Jewel, but instead, it was her own Mother speaking to her through the Force. Her eyes opened a bit, and her focus grew just a bit more, only really able to pay attention to what her Mother spoke of to her.

"Kaia? What happened? You're hurt, I can sense it. Where are you and Jewel?"

"Mom..." She said aloud, while laying on her back, not knowing that she actually had spoken that. Her voice was low, and it was only but a whisper, and her lips only lightly moved, giving notice that she was--at least--still alive. A few moments had passed, and she attempted to focus as much as she could. Her Mother wasn't around them, she knew this, so it must have been through the Force. This would exert quite a bit more power from her, as she still wasn't as strong as she'd thought she was.

"I'm okay, Mom. I'm just... tired. We're in..." Her thoughts escaped her for a moment, "... we're in Coruscant... didn't go anywhere..." If she was awake, and more conscious, she definitely wouldn't have told her where they were, and most likely, would have come up with an excuse or a lie--even if Ryori would've seen through it. "I'm okay. With Jewel. So tired...." Her thoughts carried her off, as she struggled to keep herself focused longer.

"Don't fall asleep, Kaia, whatever you do. You need to stay awake and alert. Is Jewel okay? Tell me where you are."

The more she tried to focus, the weaker she got. It was a challenge all in itself, but she knew she'd fight on. She'd get at least the few words out to let her know where she was, but that was beginning to seem like the most difficult task in the known galaxy. "Mom... we went to... explore. The Underworld Portal." She took a deep breath, attempting to focus harder on the Force. "Jewel is okay... She's strong..." Her thoughts were beginning to lose focus, and the more she focused, the weaker she got.

"If you're not already, get yourself somewhere safe. Find a place you can't be snuck up on, a corner of an alley or something. You need to stay awake, Kaia, and that's an order. I'm going to get there as soon as possible. Reserve your strength. If something happens, you tell me."

Force help her, she was determined to stay awake and more conscious. "Jewel..." she muttered a bit more loudly, "No need... to call your .. parents... Mom's coming.. she knows we're here... she'll follow the Force, guide herself to us..." It was her hope that she would. She knew her Mom was powerful with the Force, and that she was a force to be reckoned with, but she certainly had no idea just how strong she was in the Force; it was something she never actually had the chance to find out.

As she was sat up against the building, she relaxed a bit more, slowly starting to feel a bit more strength returning to her, but not enough to actually do anything. It still hadn't hit her that she had just killed two people.

 

[Julianna Nero]

Julianna started to cry again. It wasn't because of the situation, or that she had to call her parents. No, she wasn't that young to be scared of those types of things, at least not in a situation such as this. Kaia had just killed two people right in front of her, which, Jewel had her moments, she had her struggles in being a Jedi as a child, and knowing her parents and how they worked, death was nothing special. Of course, it's not as though she had brushed off two people getting killed by her best friend, she had never seen that before and it gave her a sense of inner struggle herself. She wasn't afraid that Kaia would hurt her, but the struggle remained with just how far Kaia was willing to go to help Jewel, being her best friend, and through all of this, it was showing right now.

Jewel would be there for her friend, in whatever she needed. At this time, she watched as Kaia had seemed to stir just a little bit. She looked concerned for her friend, she looked puzzled is to what was actually going through Kaia's mind. Until she began to talk.

It brought a sense of relief to the girl, and Jewel moved in closer, so that Kaia wouldn't have to talk too loud, or move too much. Jewel was going to keep her as steady and safe as she possibly could. After all, it was the least that she could do now. She had said that her mom was coming to help, that she didn't need to call her parents, and that was enough to make her believe every word that Kaia had said. Julianna had to smile a little, and nod her head, just as she wiped some of her tears away. "Okay, okay great. See, we're going to be alright. Your mom is going to come and get us, and we'll be just fine. You just need to relax and hang in there with me, alright? I'll be here the WHOLE time."

 

[Ryori Holloway]

Outside the Underworld Portal
@[member="Teynara Jeralyr"]

"If your daughter's unconscious, we might need more medical aid than I can provide without equipment,"

Ryori's stride didn't break, and she didn't even turn to look at Teynara, but she was listening. "You telling me you have medical training? Cause now would be a great time to tell me that..." she said. If she did, Ryori would know without a doubt that the Force had guided the two of them together. The one thing Ryori was never able to master was healing, and that shamed her. It shamed her for a number of reasons, none of which were really important at the moment.

Her senses lead her to a taxi terminal somewhere outside the temple, the same one Kaia and Jewel had used. Ryori motioned for Teynara to get in the passenger seat. Sliding into the driver's seat, flat out ignoring the droid running the terminal, Ryori popped a panel off the dash and began to fiddle with some of the wires. Typically, she was horrible with electronics. The only exception was mechanics. In seconds, she'd jump started the taxi without its key and over rode the security controls that allowed the vehicle to be remotely controlled in case of theft. Slipping the speeder into gear without so much as a second glance at the security around, Ryori floored the pedal and tore out of the terminal.

"You ever been to the Underworld Portal?" Ryori asked casually as she weaved through buildings and people at high speeds. She doubted it, considering the young woman's seeming propensity for propriety, but Ryori could be surprised. Wouldn't be the first time.

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

Sliding into the passenger seat besides Ryori, Teynara couldn't help but wondering if they were doing something illegal by hot-wiring the speeder. Well, not really wondering, if you put it that way, she thought in resignation. This is entirely illegal and I'm not stopping to so much as look behind me. She didn't like the thought that accompanied it, but it was definitely true that Ryori was going to get her into a good deal of trouble before long. That's what you get for choosing to work with a woman who describes herself as an 'unorthodox' Jedi, she mused with the softest of sighs. Oh well.

"I have a little medical training, yes," the blonde woman remarked in response to Ryori's earlier question. She'd have answered sooner, but she was too busy watching the Jedi go ahead and steal the speeder in which they were now sat. "I'm no Doctor yet, but my father's a surgeon, and my mother is his surgical nurse, so I've learned a little," she added, though it probably didn't entirely count as professional training. It'll take more than a few years to work on that one, she mused. "I should probably note that I'm a certified Xenobiologist. I know my Femur from my Fibula, Tibia and Sternum," Teynara observed with a wry smile. "Provided she's not too injured, I should be able to help. That's assuming we've got a Medikit stashed away in here..."

She wasn't entirely sure that it did, but any sensible speeder pilot would think to have one on hand, just in case. Plenty of people have speeder accidents, and while most of them have to be smeared off the windscreen, there are bound to be some who survive with just a few bumps and bruises, she thought. It did make her feel slightly ill-prepared - she hadn't really figured that she'd need to carry a medikit around her with the Temple medical facilities not a million miles off. And who's going to get seriously hurt sitting in a garden?, she thought. Guess things move fast around here.

Now what in the name of the Force is the Underworld Portal?, Teynara wondered, slightly confused by the name - seemed like an odd reference to summon forth from nowhere. Maybe she's wondering if I've ever been at someone's bedside when they're dying, on the threshold of the Afterlife, if there is one? The blonde gave an internal shrug, not quite sure how to respond to that one. Sorry, but I'm afraid you've gone of the deep end and lost it there, Master... Probably not a good thing to say outloud, she mused with a wry smile curling the corners of her mouth. She wouldn't appreciate the humour in that one.

"I can't say I've seen a lot of people that close to death, Master," she said softly, wondering why Ryori would ask something like that. "I'm sure we don't have to worry about your daughter being that badly injured, though," she said reassuringly. "Jedi can tell things like that, right? She's probably just fine," the blonde woman concluded, hoping that was actually the case. And what she's learned just from those extra-sensory senses of hers already should be enough to tell us that Kaia's going to live, or so Teynara figured. Must be one hell of a diagnostic tool, though.

 

[Kaia Za'tire]

Sitting back against the wall of the alley, she tried to regain her strength. Although it was one of the worst possible times, she still sat there, and tried to keep her eyes open, using all of her strength to keep awake for as long as possible. "I know you won't be going anywhere." She said in a hushed, low tone, clearly on the divide between sleep and awake. Her eyes remained open for as long as she'd willed herself to, knowing that passing out at any moment could be a terrible thing. Tilting her head to the side, she looked at Jewel directly, gazing into her eyes.

"You ... you'll be okay. Don't worry... Mom will get us out of here..." Letting out a sigh, she relaxed more and more, getting into that comfortable position where she'd soon pass out, if she wasn't kept awake. Placing her right hand to the side, and keeping the staff away from her, she tapped the button on the hilt, closing the dual-sided staff inward, and closing up so it'd look like just a simple Lightsaber hilt. Leaving go of the hilt, she let it drop to the ground, and just leaned back against the wall.

It still hadn't hit her what she had done, mostly as she was too tired to really realize it just yet; she was just thankful that she was able to protect Jewel, and even herself, from what seemed to be a terrible fate. "I'll stay... awake... Jewel, don't worry..." Slowly, her eyes closed, as if she was actually going to fall asleep.