Private Rumor, rumor

[Fa-Olan Warren]

JEDI TEMPLE, CORUSCANT
Weeks after Invasion​

It had been a tumultuous time for Coruscant, following the attack by the Dark Empire.

Rebuilding efforts had started immediately, once the primary threat had been repelled, but that didn't mean it was a quick process - nor did it mean every danger had been removed from the spanning city planet. There had been rumors of enemies still fighting throughout various levels of the city, reports of groups of suspicious individuals meeting, and even some pro-Imperial demonstrations and protests... and it just so happened that one such rumor, which had been reported to the Jedi, was serious enough to require investigation.

A potential safehouse for a hidden group of Imperials.

Fa-Olan had been with the New Jedi Order for around six months. He had been given the rank of Padawan, had started his lessons in fundamental Force and lightsaber uses, as well as undergone group training and education sessions. He wielded a training saber, blue bladed, but for the mission he had been picked for, the weapon had been turned to a higher intensity - it would now hurt others, though remained non-lethal. It was also an opportunity for the youngling to prove himself, to show he was suitable for a master.

And already, despite so little time within the order itself, Fa-Olan had proven very capable with the Force.

Dressed in his Jedi robes, Fa-Olan looked out over the city skyline. It looked like it always had, save for an entire section that was just... missing, like a giant boot had stomped a portion of the buildings. There looked to be some preliminary structures being erected, scaffolding and the like, but the Senate District was far from recovered, and Fa-Olan guessed it would take many months, if not years, for the damage to be undone.

At least structurally.

Fa-Olan turned to regard the speeder he stood near. It looked impressive, sleek and new, and was likely more expensive than anything the Padawan had ever owned. It would serve as the transport for himself and the Jedi that he would be joining for the investigation, someone Fa-Olan felt a particularly strong connection with--

"Master Corazona, hello!"

--the boy greeted, as he heard footsteps. He offered a deep bow as he turned to face the other, feeling a building sense of excitement.

Finally, a real mission.

___________________________________________________________________

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Drawing the hood of her navy cloak back, Corazona tilted her head in greeting.

"It's good to see you again, Padawan Warren."

She smiled at Fa-Olan, appraising him briefly as she did so. The boy had come a long way since they'd first met, when she'd been apart of a strike team that liberated an illegal mining operation found to be using slave labor. Blessed with the Force, Fa-Olan elected to make his new home among the NJO.

How unfortunate that they'd found themselves underneath the Dark Empire's boot only a few months later. They’d managed to repel their forces, but not without a heavy loss.

Cora looked to the procured speeder with a hum of approval.

"Do you have any experience driving, Padawan Warren?"

He was a promising student with a powerful affinity for the Force - and given the trauma of his past, the council had elected to keep a keen eye on his progress.

Cora viewed him with a little more warmth. His eager, earnest demeanor reminded her of her second brother, Volkhardt.

Fa-Olan Warren

 

[Fa-Olan Warren]

Fa-Olan smiled as he finished the bow, and stood up to look at the other Jedi. Despite his own robes being typical of learners, the boy couldn't deny that Corazona looked like a Jedi from posters or holodramas; she was pretty and elegant, with a grace that had been imprinted into Fa-Olan's mind since the day he saw her descend from above into the mining pit, all golden hair and lightsaber glow.

"I'm glad I was picked to join the mission with you," Fa-Olan said, as he fell into step and walked with the Jedi Knight. "I've been waiting for a chance to show you how much I've learned."

The mining pits had been Fa-Olan's entire life, darkness and labor, with slop for food and the expectation of slow death of age or injury. In comparison, the Jedi Order - even with its strict rules and expectations - felt like a holiday, if only because Fa-Olan had freedom. He even had his own room. And clothing. It had been a pivotal turn in his life, one that he had been thankful for every day since, and part of the reason why he tried so hard to do well.

Don't dwell on that.

The speeder doors opened as the pair approached, which caused Fa-Olan to frown.

"I... haven't learned, no," he admitted, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "I've never even touched speeder or fighter controls."

Still, he was eager to learn.

"Can I watch you and observe?"

Without really waiting for an answer, Fa-Olan hopped into the front passenger seat and strapped in, eyes watching Corazona expectantly. He was excited to see more of the planet city, even if it meant descending beneath the surface, because of how large it was. An impossible maze, the youth knew there was no way he would see it all, though that didn't distract from the want to see however much he could...

___________________________________________________________________

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Before joining the Order, I hadn't either."

As she settled into the driver's seat, Cora gave the Padawan a reassuring smile. She'd spent the majority of her youth being chauffeured, of course. Why would a noblewoman need to learn to drive? She had servants for that.

"Certainly."

He was young and eager to prove himself, but it was not lost on Cora how vastly different their backgrounds were. That certainly wasn't a bad thing – the Jedi thrived with those of diverse origins – but it did perhaps limit how well she understood Fa-Olan. Even though her marriage to Horace had been a gilded prison, that comparison didn't exactly pan out to being raised as a mining slave.

Still, they were both Jedi. Cora would do her best to guide him in whatever way she could.

The speeder's engine thrummed to life as she keyed in the ignition. The Knight took her time, making sure that Padawan Warren could watch her pull back on the controls, then slowly push them forward to send their vehicle into a gentle descent. They drew closer to the scaffolding that he'd been observing earlier, passing by construction transports that seemed to spring up on the city-world overnight.

"It was mostly the surface that took damage – by comparison, the lower levels were a safer place to be." There was a note of irony in her somber tone. "Have you had a chance to visit the lower levels of Coruscant before?"

Fa-Olan Warren

 

[Fa-Olan Warren]

Fa-Olan smiled, as he began to observe the speeder controls in action, his bright eyes scanning over every movement from the Jedi Knight. He wanted to remember, so he could begin to learn, too, and that meant giving it his utmost attention. It was also nice to know that Corazona hadn't really piloted before the Jedi, either.

The view from the cruising speeder was far better than from the steps of a temple, Fa-Olan had to admit; his attention, despite his goal to observe otherwise, turned toward the sprawling city as the pair flew the traffic lanes. There was just something magical about the open sky for the youth, something that resonated with him and seeing it, especially flying on high. Even after the months since arrival on Coruscant, Fa-Olan couldn't help himself, even as his mouth opened and he stared out the window.

"Foundations are usually safer than structures," Fa-Olan responded without thinking, before he turned to look at Corazona. He missed the irony. "I... no, not really. I've been part of clean-up crews in the weeks since the attack, but never too deep."

Today remained to be seen just how many levels down Fa-Olan went.

But with Corazona, I should be okay.

In truth, the deeper into the city under levels the Padawan went, the more discomfort he felt. It was an odd feeling, as - even though he hated to admit it - being in darker and more enclosed surroundings offered a degree of unwilling comfort; but on the other hand, he had experienced open sky and expansive spaces, which filled him with relief and joy.

"Is there anything I should know about the suspected safehouse?" Fa-Olan asked, as he recalled the mission, as the speeder descended. Perhaps distracting himself would help. "Will we engage if the Dark Empire are there? My lightsaber damage setting has been upped, so it can incapacitate!"

Not to mention Fa-Olan had been improving daily in lightsaber form one.

"I think it would be wizard to see a Jedi Knight in action."

Fa-Olan grinned at Corazona.

___________________________________________________________________

Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Fa-Olan Warren watched her with the type of wide-eyed enthusiasm that had a hint of a smile pulling at the Knight's lips.

"You'll have a proper instructor to teach you the fundamentals, soon."

Whether that was her or someone else, Cora wasn't sure. While she had the basics down, she wasn't nearly as skilled as some of the other Jedi and Alliance operatives in driving.

The Padawan's attention was quickly stolen by the landscape, and then her question.

"I should warn you about the smell ahead of time. The lower levels have a very distinct…scent."

She wrinkled her nose. Perhaps Fa-Olan would be completely unbothered by the underworld stench, but it always managed to offend Cora's noble sensitivities.

The further they descended, the less structural damage there was to the landscape. In contrast, their surroundings grew less and less refined and more unseemly.

"I'm afraid that we don't have much to go off of," Cora admitted, "only that a local business with Imperial sympathies might be housing remnants of the Dark Empire who fled into the underworld following the attack."

The mention of his lightsaber damage output being increased had her brow creasing, but then it smoothed a little.

Wizard?

Ashla, she had trouble keeping up with the lingo of today's youth. Was she getting old?

"Our task is to investigate," she clarified, "and my hope is that these rumors are false. But in the event that they are true-"

Cora gave the Padawan a meaningful glance from the corners of her eyes.

"-violence is to be our last option."

Though, lately, it seemed as though they barely had any other options at all.