Private Shanty Town?

[Aayla Shan]

She clipped a little dirt from under her fingernails, still contemplating the fight that had taken place not long ago; checking the map to see their current location. This world was habitable, civilized, and in the Galactic Alliance's sphere of influence. For a borderline hyperspace skip of a jump, she was happy they hadn't pancaked. That being said, looking out of the viewport on her (starboard) side, she stared at one of the ships wings wiggling incessantly. She glanced over at Kadan briefly, then back to the window; raising a hand and pointing. straight out the central viewport at a distant runway. After dropping out of hyperspace, the ship almost immediately caught fire. Luckily they had dropped out of hyperspace in a place called Brentaal IV; the planet was luckily habitable, and civilized. Enough so that there was Air Traffic Emergency Crews on standby. As soon as they had gotten into the atmosphere the interceptors were on them, spraying fire killing chemicals and the like, not to mention assisting the inevitable crash landing that was soon to come.

Now that they were closer, she would just lean back, having pulled that sliver of yellow Kyber into her hands again, as her feet now raised to rest flat against the control panels in front of them.

"She looked like my mom, or I guess... What I would imagine my mom would look like. She was human though, not.. Well, whatever I am"

She had mentioned that and absent-mindedly tugged at one of her elven like ears. She rolled the glowing Kyber lightly, and leaned up to pouch it yet again.

"And ever since we got close to that vault, every now on then I've been seeing her, almost like she wants to guide me but can't... During our fight with that creep, after I got hit with the lightning attack? She said... If you're gonna die, then die on your feet. Something like that"

Aayla had decided to come straight with him about everything that was happening. After all they were far from Coruscant, and she wasn't sure if she should have brought this to her Master just yet. Not when she could investigate the matter further, and bring him more to go off of. As such, she had trusted Kadan with this information; believing in this instance perhaps two minds would meld better than one.

There was a crackle from the radio then, as one of the emergency crews had a message for them.

'ATC 1 to N-Wing Infiltrator, repeat ATC 1 to N-Wing Infiltrator. Oye Jedi, remember to cut your power before you touch down, don't worry, we won't drop you. Syncing time now, if you bump it too hard, it could get explosive'

The voice came, causing Aayla to roll her eyes and use her right hand to hold a switch up to respond.

"Hard Copy your last, will cut reactor before controlled crash landing... Syncing time..."

She had become comfortable with using their bond, and would barely nod her head to the buttons Kadan would need to press to synchronize their "mission" time with the three trailing craft outside.

"Now... Thanks for the assist ATC, over and out..."

With that, she would look over to Kadan, and just sigh; eyes focusing on the world they were about to be on. It was then she remembered a night out on Coruscant with a certain young woman and smiled.

"You know what, I'm content to take a day... No Jedi business, no politics, no getting shot at, or electrocuted by Sith Lords. Just light exploration... And maybe some gourmet stuff"

She would say, glancing over and gauging his reaction.

Bright4

 

[Bright4]

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ROUGH LANDING​

​

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. That seemed to be the duos motto for the last few adventures. Alarms blared across Kadan's control panel, as they were coming too fast out of hyperspace, and there wasn't a real way to slow down without shredding themselves in the atmosphere. "I have no idea what sort of coordinates you set us up with, but we almost went nose first into the gravity well. Still, you did good, that low orbit jump fired the hyper-drive." He spoke back to her, pulling back hard on the controls, trying to angle the ship to breach nose first, hoping the entire vessel wouldn't be consumed in flames. He certainly knew how to pick them. There was too much to keep track of, and the ATC was trying to hail them. He needed to get the controls back in working order, so he sent the comms to Aayla while he tidied up. Thankfully the emergency response craft were already aiding in the first steps of their recovery. "Hey, if you hear flight control, chat 'em up. I gotta get us ready for the rough landing." ​

​

He knew she'd come through for him, she always did. Sorta why they made a good team, least so he thought. When it was all said in done, the ship wasn't at risk of falling apart, and he had established a somewhat safe glide towards the spaceport. They finally had a moment to talk, and Aayla divulged something he hadn't thought he'd hear from her. She was talking about her family. He could feel a sense of openness with her, something that informed him that she was being vulnerable, and he was the only one she could disclose this with right now. Coming from someone struggling with their own sort of family dilemmas, he let his guard down as well. "Yea? Think it might of been someone from your families past?" He asked, his mind more at ease as he knew what was coming ahead; no longer did he have to worry about the ship falling apart around them. "Aayla, it might not help, but there's many of us who don't know who or what we are." He knew that she knew that, he only wished to remind her that she wasn't alone. Then again, given the account from his companion, it seemed she had a little guardian spirit looking out for her. "It sounds to me you've made a powerful connection. I think in time, she'll make herself known to you." He could only give a suggestion of what he thought might happen. He had only read about these things recently on Coruscant.​

​

The voice over the radio informed him that they'd have to start up a new process for the rough landing cycle. Being in step with Aayla made the coordination effortless, the two moving as one, the synchronization was perfect. They dropped back into conversation as if nothing had happened, because in the mind of the two jedi, it was merely a routine maneuver made trivial by their linked state of mind. A smile coming to his face, as he couldn't help but agree; something she'd sense from their bond. Slowly turning to face her, he'd reaffirm what she had said. "You know, I couldn't say it better myself. We shoul-"​

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The fighter came to a sudden jerking halt, Kadan nearly slammed his face against the flight controls, as the starports tractor beam caught the pair, and brought them to a sudden halt, the device slowly lowering them onto a docking platform, where a repair crew seemed to be waiting for them. Grunting, he tried to play it off, like he didn't just nearly shatter his skull against his console, but the damage had been done. "Listen, you've done alot helping me out, so why don't we just relax. Be a bit before the ship's even repaired, and we could use the R&R." Kadan frowned, a flash of guilt sparking through their force bond. "Listen, are you alright? You took that lightning shot and I know from what I've read it isn't exactly a gentle zap." He left out what he had done as a result of her injury, hoping she might have missed that portion of the fight. Regardless, Aayla wanted her night out, he'd give it to her.​

​

Which reminded him of something, he hadn't gone on a nice night out in far too long.​

​

Aayla Shan​

 

[Aayla Shan]

It was obvious the purported defeat had taken a little oomph out of her step. Her carefree demeanor seeming somewhat jaded ever since they left Fellucia. As he noted she did a good job, Aayla would turn, offering him a smirk in response. After a few moments, his next words struck her and she flattened a bit...

"Yeah, for sure... She wanted to help, but she also seemed so distant, like she was trying to guide me. Perhaps its a powerful connection, yes; but it might very well be a dangerous one if I don't know anything about her. Yeah, of course I get it. I mean I have to put down other whenever I fill out any paperwork under species. Though it is what it is..."

She admitted, though many people took to calling her Arkanian, Sephi, or Enchani. She wasn't exactly any of those things. He was about to agree with her on taking a few days when the ship jerked suddenly, causing her to tense for a moment, exhaling from the sudden cease in momentum. Rude...

"I'd like that Kadan. Lets see what this place has to offer in the way of R&R... And yeah, sure... That creep just caught me off guard, if I had another chance I could probably deflect it. Should've been more prepared for that, fighting a Sith Lord."

She admitted, opening the cockpit and used a hand to hop straight over and down to the ground. Exhaling on contact, she stood and looked around.

"Hey, I got a spaceport! Aeros Shan Station..." She joked pointing up at the nameplate, unaware that it wasn't as much of a joke as she thought it was. With that she moved inside, immediately moving to a cafe and getting an iced coffee for herself, and Kadan. Once they were made, she would slide one over to him, while sipping her own.

Bright4

 

[Bright4]

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RECOUP​

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They both had taken a bit of a blow from that encounter on Felucia. Kadan had lost his saber, and more than a bit of his pride after the pummeling he had been given. He had tapped into that power, and what it gave him in return was...desirable. He could feel it within himself, shame was there, certainly. But there was a desire that called for him to master it. That he could overcome the nature of this power, if only he had more practice. He forced himself to detour away from that topic, knowing from his studies that this was precisely what lead so many others down the path of the dark side. He wouldn't let it become his. Not yet.​

​

He tried t raise her spirits, knowing all too well what it was like to have doubts about ones self. "Hey, least you're beautiful. There's a freighter full of people who'd kill to have half of what you got." He was pretty sure that was lifted right out of the Binary Sunhouse trilogy, but he doubted Aayla knew what that was. He meant what he said though, she was one of a kind.​

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He grinned as he put the landing struts down, flipping several switches and dials as the hydraulics were out to their maximum setting. "Listen, we both got our rears handed to us. My fething lightsaber is back there in the mud somewhere , and I can't make a new one any time soon." She would sense a tinge of emotional pain flair up within him as he spoke of it, clearly there was a deeper connection to his blade than he let on. "But, yea, let's just unwind. No more dark side temples or fighting Sith Lords." He affirmed, watching as she leapt out of the hatch, and quickly commented about the spaceport.​

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Kadan was a bit befuddled, as he soon joined her, and found that no, in fact this port bore the woman's surname. Weird. "That's a heck of a coincidence." Which to say wasn't a coincidence at all. They were meant to be here. Kadan merely chuckled in amusement, stepping past her as the repair crews went to work. They'd send him the bill later, which Kadan wasn't even sure if he could afford. But that was a later problem. Right now, they were going to go relax. The force had brought them here for a reason, and he'd have to sit back and learn what that reason was.​

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At current, it seemed to be so Aayla could get her coffee fix, as the padawan darted off towards the first cafe her eyes found. Unable to not follow after her, the pair were soon sitting down, sipping coffee, and left to mull over the past days events.​

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Unlike Aayla however, Kadan wasn't in the mood for coffee. He felt a sadness welling within him, one he couldn't exactly pun down. "Funny, how losing something so small has such a large weight." He commented, his smile fading, as he looked to the ceiling tile for an answer. His hands gripped his knees, though his elbow brushed against something cold and metal. He paused, his hand shifting to grab the item, and brought it up to view. Feeling the scraps and wear on the metal surface, he still held the mask of his mother in his hand. It had been through hell, certainly. More than likely a testament to her last stand against whatever had killed her. He felt the sadness over the loss of his weapon ebb away, and acceptance stood in it's place. He still had something dear to hold onto. "It was worth it in the end I suppose." He glanced back to Aayla, looking for confirmation. "Right?" A part of him still felt guilty over the whole ordeal.​

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Aayla Shan​

​

 

[Aayla Shan]

His first sentence caught her off guard, she almost had a response, but knew exactly how it would've went. She would've probably mentioned the fact she was scarred up, and he would've said something soppy about her being beautiful regardless, and she was going to get emotional; she didn't wanna' go there with him. Not when she felt his true emotions so deeply. She knew his words were honest, but she also knew what he was hiding, and hadn't mentioned it. He was curious about the Dark Side; and that was something that secretly bothered her. As much as he hid it, she in turn hid that she knew, or tried too... A combination of emotions that had left an unexplainable awkwardness in their bond; an empty space. A place they both had the answer too, but were withholding from each other. Though, if he wanted to continue in that way, she would too... She would pretend right alongside him.

"Sometimes... I'd kill to switch places with them Kadan Scipora. And not have this... Destiny within the Force. People talk it up, and make Jedi into these majestic things, and they don't know the struggles. The Dark, and pure Evil we have to wade through..."

Aayla mumbled, sipping that coffee and strutting away from him, observing the place with interest. Shan Aero was a commerce city within Satellin; the place didn't have any other overt nods to her heritage, not yet anyway.

After a few beats would pass, she would cave however, not content in letting it run off and be forgotten; you should never waste words...

"You're more handsome than me, anyway... You should shave.." She offered, blushing deeply and turning away to pretend she was looking at something else. A few moments would pass, and her head snapped to him, sensing his unrest and frowning. When he finished speaking, she would switch her drinking hand, pressing her right hand against her own clothes to dry them before reaching out and gripping his left shoulder.

Her head canted lightly as she seemed to be pushing for eye contact with the other, gray hues peering into him, as if she wanted to see his very soul; "We're gonna' get you a new one... A better one. And push come to shove, we'll go back one day and get your saber back; I swear that on my honor as a Jedi Guardian; plus... Beskar can't be that hard to find right? I mean, even though I heard the only place to get it is under Sith control.... Mandalore or something?"

She said, relinquishing her grip and continuing to walk as the approached a large imposing statue of a woman ahead; in the center of the town.

Bright4

 

[Bright4]

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PUTTING IT TOGETHER​

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She wasn't wrong. People acted as if jedi were above the rest of the common folk, like some sort of idealized position in the pecking order of the galaxy. It was a bit annoying truthfully, that people had this level of reverence for jedi, believing them without fault. It caused many problems within the order itself, making some jedi believe that with the force, they were untouchable. Kadan knew well enough that wasn't the case at all. He figured Aayla would deflect away from his compliment however, or at least, didn't expect her to give him one in return. His cheeks turned the slightest bit red, cupping his beard as if it ask what was wrong with it. Did she not like it?​

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The sudden contact from Aayla caught him off guard, his blue eyes meeting hers. It probably wasn't her intent to stare as intensely as she had, but it certainly had a given effect. He felt as if she was looking right through him. A smile crossed his features, finding her determination to combat his depressive mood to be rather endearing. He reasoned she deserved an explanation, after all, she knew his feelings, but not his culture. He'd have to take time to change that. "I probably should explain, but erm...it's not just beskar. It's a clan medallion, it was given to me when I was born. When Mandalore was leveled, it was all I had left, so I melted it down to become part of my saber." He shrugged his shoulders, giving a sigh. "Hence why it's...a bit depressing to think about, but not a total loss." He reasoned, finding himself able to move on past the loss, stowing away the mask he had nearly died to obtain. "But as for getting ahold of Beskar, it's not easy. In fact, some say it's impossible. The Sith took most of it. A punishment to my people they said. Most Mandalorians wear Durasteel now." It was a sad truth, but one that couldn't be ignored. It was almost a point of insult now to ask what a warrior made their armor out of, given the shame of not donning true steel of the homeworld. "There was a work around they made in a lab years ago, but most Mandalorians would rather disembowel themselves before admitting to the fact they let it touch their skin. My people are rather dramatic at times." It felt wrong saying 'my people'. He had never truly been one of them as they had loved to inform him time and time again.​

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But that was a topic for another time.​

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Sipping the coffee that he had left untouched, the pair now looked upon a statue of a woman, though there was something familiar about it. It reminded him of the old jedi statues on Coruscant, just given the nature and the style of it, he imagined it was rather old. He glanced about, looking for a name, and found it. "Hm, Satele Shan, says she was born in this city during...." Kadan paused as his eyes went over the year mentioned, and soon widened in disbelief. "By the force, this thing is ancient." He muttered, glancing up at the woman's statue, then looking back to Aayla. "Shan seems to be a popular name here, doesn't it?" He inquired, feeling almost certain they hadn't come here by accident now. Though, the naming convention was getting to be a little odd.​

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The shard that Aayla held however, would pulse ever so slightly at the mention of the name Satele, only enough for the young padawan to notice it. She would almost feel compelled to grasp it once more, perhaps out of comfort, perhaps out of need. There would be merely a feeling of...oneness that called for her, and one she felt she could achieve within reach.​

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Aayla Shan​

 

[Aayla Shan]

That coffee was getting her a little energized. Well, actually she was becoming a slight bit hyper. Still, she managed to keep her trap shut long enough for Kadan to finish what he was trying to tell her about his clan, and his people; she smirked at his appraisal of his beard, not to mention him considering the Mandalorian peoples his own. She wasn't going to grief him over that, she understood it at this point, all too well. Before they reached the statue, she would say her own peace.

"Well I don't give a damn how, or where we gotta go... If your saber is still on Fellucia I'll go back and get it. Oh, heck I forgot to tell you I'm getting a new ship, an Interceptor from Matsu Ike; sent her the schematics this fore-day morning, after the jump... Gotta' go to 'The Monolith' "

She used air-quotes on the word Monolith, unaware just what she was talking about. After sharing that information, she would moved to start looking at the statue, reading the name just as he said it; looking up to see the face of Satele Shan, perhaps she was a distant relative...

"Or we could get you some Beskar from... Somewhere, I dunn-.. I-... Kadan?"

She mumbled, glancing over to him, then back up to the face that was on that statue.

"This is the same woman... This dead lady from, w-... Feth.. Its her, Satele Shan that's whose been stalking me; its a coincidence though, it has to be; she's..." Aayla side-tracked, seemingly intent on finding any reason it couldn't be.

"Human, for one... I think. She wore her hair short like me though.. A-.." Her eyes focused on the ground, and about thirty meters away from them. She saw her, walking from left to right; smiling in Aayla's direction, walking off of the path, and onto a downwards hill that lead to an old plantation of sorts. Aayla stared at the apparition, then gave Kadan a single glance before sipping her coffee again, throwing it away. She had drunk only half, not really liking the sudden uptick in her heart rate, and overall energy level; it was like a drug! Interesting feeling, but maybe coffee wasn't her thing.

Bright4

 

[Bright4]

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GHOST TOUR ​

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He was a little stunned that Aayla had gotten her own star fighter of all things. He had always thought of trying to get something like that, a starfighter with his own specifications placed within? It would have been rather cool truth be told, but honestly he didn't have the budget for it. "Where did you get the credits for that?" He asked, sounding dumbfounded at the revelation, though if he knew Aayla, there was probably more to this story that he wasn't aware of. "Lucky you, I'm just flying around in a base model. Well, I was flying around in a base model. Probably going to have to scrap it if they can't fix the hyperdrive." He muttered to himself, gripping his head as he recalled just how expensive those things were to replace.​

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Hopefully they gave jedi discounts.​

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Aayla seemed insistent on getting more beskar, but he wasn't too much a fan of that idea. The metal was hard enough to come by, no need getting themselves killed trying to get more of it. He was more taken up with the intrest that Aayla had in the woman, ranting that it was the same woman she had seen on Felucia. Odd. Kadan looked to his friend, tilting his head to the side as she tried to explain herself. "Satele Shan has been talking to you?" He inquired, glancing back to the statue, then to Aayla, whom suddenly felt...different via their bond. She seemed, unfocused, wavering, distracted by something; almost as if something was trying to pull her away from him. Befuddled, he followed where her eyes lingered, and found nothing of the sort. "Aayla, are you feeling okay?" He asked, eyeing his friend suspiciously, as something was feeling...off about this whole ordeal. Making eye contact with the woman, Kadan picked up on one thing in particular. She was about to get into something, which meant he was going to be taken along for the ride.​

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Sighing to himself, he awaited the inevitable; Aayla had something on her mind, and he was going to witness whatever that happened to be. He didn't mind it though, truthfully. This was their day to relax after all.​

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Aayla Shan​

​

 

[Aayla Shan]

When he said that, she had to remember Kadan wasn't one for the holo-net, and shook her head lightly. "Master Jade set it up a while back, if you haven't been using it you've probably got more credits saved up in there than I do... It was a while back." She said, bringing up her wrist-pad as they walked and tapping away. Eventually mumbling aloud to the wristpad.

"Romi. Enclave. Requisitions" she said vaguely, tapping once more then turning her back to him, not even thinking about it as she pressed her form lightly into his own. In the moment, she really didn't think of it in anything other than a manner of showing him something he didn't know about, and could help him. On the screen, there was a various amount of information. As she scrolled past the first part, she would shake her head.

"Don't mind that, this padawan, Thalia Senn took a swing at some Jedi Master... With her saber, I don't think Romi liked that. Nice girl though, met her on Coruscant... Look.." She said, turning and glancing back at him briefly. It was right in that moment, she took a tentative step away from him, eyes faltering before snapping back on where she was headed. She wished she didn't get sidetracked so easily sometimes. Closing the message, she continued on; increasing her pace and turning the corner onto a dirt path that lead down into an old orchard. It looked abandoned, and yet the fruit that was growing here was abundant.

It was almost distracting, but not as distracting as the question he asked next. She stopped dead in her tracks, and turned back to him. "I wouldn't say talking.. Well, she has been saying stuff; intermittently... Randomly.

She didn't notice, or care about the no trespassing sign.

Pressing on, she noticed again just the head-top of the apparition moving further across the orchard, off of a beaten path. And his next question was purely deflating... How did she even answer that? No, she wasn't she was following a woman that was clearly dead out in the middle of nowhere, and here he was asking if she was okay? Absolutely not. She felt like she was going insane... And yet still, she snapped a glance to him.

"Sure... I think so." A tense chuckle leaving her form, though her face would become serious as soon as she looked back at the path. Ahead of them, a grown over tunnel, it felt like nothing. but that was where Satele was leading her, she was positive of it.
Bright4

 

[Bright4]

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SIXTH SENSE​

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As Aayla began to go into the explanation, truthfully, he had a lapse of attention of his own as she began to lean into him. She didn't seem to mind, and he didn't care. But it was a bit amusing none the less. He smiled slightly to himself, not wanting to embarrass her, nor minding the contact. Frankly, they were in each others heads near constantly, something like this was trivial. Then, she turned back to him, and in an instant, it was like their conversation never occurred. Aayla shifted away from him. His smile faded, leaving the padawan to question if perhaps he was in error.​

​

Kadan was puzzled that Aayla had so suddenly lost interest in showing him the ship. Though given what she was claiming to be dealing with at the moment, he couldn't exactly blame her. He only wished there was some way to help her, given this whole experience with a force entity was clearly getting to her; something that became more evident as her behavior became even stranger. He had no experience with these sorts of things however, only going off of accounts and books he had read. Little else would be helpful here and now.​

​

He could feel her mood dampen due to his question, and the padawan felt a bit of guilt on his end of the bond.​

​

Aayla had always stood by him in questionable times, and he would do the same for her. Even though her mind felt off to him, and her actions indicated she was having some sort of episode, he couldn't and wouldn't leave her hanging. When she looked to him, he could see there was a nervousness within that glance; he could feel it as well, but the look said it all. She needed his support, because she had no earthly clue what she was doing. In a gesture that called back to their first meeting on Tirahnn, he reached for her right shoulder, and gently squeezed. His eyes looked for hers, seeking to inform her that she still had his trust; even if he had no idea what was going on. "Aayla, I'm...not sure what the force is trying to tell you right now, but I got you, alright?" Perhaps that was the reason they had come here. He knew her well enough to know that she wasn't going crazy. She might have been a small bit crazy, but it was the manageable fun sort. No, whatever was going on here, would be between her, and whatever spirit was trying to speak with her.​

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This was her journey, her calling, so he let her lead the way, making sure he kept in step with her.​

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His coffee was left behind however, a casualty of the events to come.​

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He could only hope this spirit didn't wish ill of them. The last few hadn't been so kind.​

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Given the creepy abandoned tunnel that Aayla seemed to be en route to, he had to assume it wouldn't end well. Then again, most of their trips went this way.​

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Aayla Shan​

 

[Aayla Shan]

She glanced over to him, shrugging.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd get the impression you think I know what it wants... I'm just... Following, like a fish following a worm; that's what it feels like."

She admitted, shaking her head and approaching the tunnel. It was dark, and her immediate reaction was to draw her saber, a snap-hiss emanating from the hilt as the blade took shape. She held the weapon forward, in that instance more like a tool than a weapon. Ahead of them was a stone wall, etched into it was a faded insignia. She ran her hands along it, making it halfway around as she cleared it of dust when the entire wall jutted, and began sliding up as if on some sort of mechanism.

After she had taken a step back, she glanced over to Kadan, offering him a nod. And with no other words, she followed; what she felt like her destiny. Silently thankful Kadan had chosen to follow, not to mention had done so with a bare minimal of questions. He deserved so much more answers honestly; when she had them, then he would. From there, it was a short walk to a large circular amphitheater. She looked behind them, noting the way they came immediately seems wrong. It was gone, or at least seemed like they were somewhere else.

It was a hot, sunny day, and yet down here water fell freely from the ceiling; between where they stood, and the center of the room was about a ten foot gap. On the platform they would be jumping too, the platform was indented, so as it could receive an excess amount of water, the rest draining over the side causing there to be a waterfall all around it. In the middle of it all, there she stood; Aayla glanced over to Kadan, figuring that he wouldn't be able to see it; though in this regard, she would appear to Kadan as a Force Ghost, just barely visible; and yet he could see the woman standing there with her hands behind her back.

"So you don't see that..."

She Whispered to him, deadpanning slowly to lock eyes with him, then again back to the woman. To Aayla, there was no aura; the woman was standing there as plain as day.

'You have something that belongs to me Padawan... Come. You can stay where you are, young Kadan..."

Satele said, feet seeming to be melted into the water, hands still unmoved from behind her back.

"To take the next steps with you, would defeat the purpose."

The apparition said, to which Aayla wildly glared in his direction.

"If you want, we can leave right now... We don't even know if she's really... Her.."

Bright4

 

[Bright4]

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I AIN'T SCARED OF NO GHOST​

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The tunnel that the pair proceded down was one that hadn't been touched in many years, truthfully he was a bit astonished at just how long it must have remained without anyone taking notice of it. He had taken larger leaps of faith for far less however, and this wouldn't deter him from assisting his friend; as odd of an encounter as it may have been. Aayla had something here to discover, be it about herself, her destiny, or perhaps just that small glowing rock she had stolen from the vault. It was all leading somewhere, and he would not interfere with the current of the force at work.​

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He stayed relatively calm, thinking that this might lead to some secret underground passage, or something akin to it. But no, there was nothing of that sort to be found, merely a damp and rather dank amphitheater that very well could have been part of a sewer system. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case, but there was an oddity to this whole thing. Like why Aayla was being lead to such an isolated location. After making their way to the center platform, Kadan still wasn't certain where Aayla was being lead to, until the blue shimmer of a woman appeared before him; well, them to be more precise. Kadan's eyes widened, clearly seeing the ghost now, as he wasn't sure what to say. Truthfully, he had only read of spirits like this, and they didn't appear for no good reason. Something important was at hand, and he was lucky enough to witness it. "No, I see her now." He muttered a response back to Aayla, almost too stunned for words.​

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The pairs eyes locked once more, a clear sense of 'you're seeing this too' being shared between them, before the words of Satele put the padawan on alert. It almost sounded like a threat, that Aayla had something that belonged to her? It didn't put Kadan at ease what so ever.​

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The words that followed made it clear, at least to Kadan. This spirit was going to test Aayla, and it didn't want him to step in what so ever. Aayla made a comment that they should leave, but Kadan felt to do so would be pointless. "She clearly wants to speak with you. To deny her that would only prolong the visits, which you don't sound happy to be getting in the first place." He shrugged, trying to remain the good friend, and hoping for the best out of this outcome. "I say get it over with, see what this is all about. She....is family after all, right?"​

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If only he knew what was to come.​

​

He would have tried to stop this.​

​

Aayla Shan​

 

[Aayla Shan]

She breathed a sigh of relief as he agreed he could see her, and listened to what he had to say. Fair enough... She was family right? At least, somehow. Though Aayla didn't understand the connection; she didn't understand why after so many thousands of years this woman would choose to reach her throughout the Force. Neither did she understand how long a Force Ghost could remain connected to their plane. In any case, she suspected she had come here for answers. Collapsing her saber, she would nod to him, and turn; taking two steps and leaping onto the platform. Her feet landing in water deep enough to create a large splash, from both of her feet.

As soon as she landed, she would slosh towards the woman, who was unmoving the entire time. Her eyes were initially fixated on Kadan, as if to solidify her warning to him; and yet as soon as Aayla met that platform, her eyes snapped to the padawan. Satele's right hand come from behind her back, a gentle upwards motion as if clawing something from the Earth. What rose was a platform, atop it a yellow kyber crystal; though it seemed fragmented. As if it was missing a piece of itself. Aayla's brain clicked, reaching into her pouch to pull out the missing piece.

"Return it... And in return I will give you power. The power it takes to wield such a crystal. My broken legacy... From the old days, your destiny; and that boy's whom you follow around like a puppy have been intertwined."

She said, moving a little closer to the podium, and raising a hand as if to suggest Aayla should get along with it. Which she did. She approached, and raised her hand to it, surprised when Satele grabbed her wrist, and kneed her very hard directly in the Solar Plexus. She didn't even have time to fully recognize a ghost had just knocked the wind out of her, the woman grabbed at her hair, hoisting her with ease from her standing position and about seven feet away. She rolled landing fast first in the water; a brutal combination as she was already struggling for air.

"Wai-.." Her want to know why snuffed out as she was on her again. A right fist landing solidly on Aayla's cheek, causing her to stumble back; the kyber fragment falling from her hand and landing in the water, but that did not stop Satele's assault, she would beat her like an enemy, much less a member of her family. Aayla quickly finding a groove and avoiding the attacks, or blocking them. There was no clear avenue to respond offensively just yet. As such she just tried to survive the sudden combat she found herself in.

Did she want her to fight back? She had told her to return the crystal and started wailing on her immediately when she tried. She was confused, but didn't have time to ponder. She could only act. No doubt Kadan Scipora could just as well feel her confusion, and the sense of betrayal plaguing Aayla's emotions. This isn't what she expected.

Bright4

 

[Bright4]

.​

GHOST BE DAMNED​

​

He watched with a sense of forbodding as Aayla moved to confront the spirit. At first, it seemed to be going well. He was a bit perplexed at having been told his and her destinies were interlinked, but what was more alarming was the entity promising Aayla power. That didn't sound very jedi, legacy or no.​

​

Then the spirit began to strike at Aayla, and he felt as if time had paused for a very long and torturous moment.​

​

Shock was the first expression he had, followed by anger as he watched the woman continue to strike at Aayla. Feeling the pain of his friend through the bond, he wasn't about to sit and watch this be done. No, not one bit. He moved to intervene, ignoring the warnings of the specter from before, as his temper seized him. "Stop this!" He commanded, reaching out with everything he could muster, and trying to drive the spirit back. He had no idea if it would even work, nor did he care. He wasn't going to let Aayla be struck like this and not intervene. Destiny be damned there was no reason for this senseless assault.​

​

If he hadn't been beaten into next week as a result, he would continue to expend his energy trying to stop the attack on Aayla, growing more desperate with each failed attempt, straying ever closer to tapping into the anger that was starting to grow within himself. He had been unable to defend those he cared about for so long, and even now still, he was unable to keep people safe.​

​

If he had to suffer pain to save his friend, he would. He was no stranger to suffering after all, his life had been full of it.​

 

[Aayla Shan]

There was something to say about this Ghost's connection to their plane, as she would turn and swipe a hand at Kadan, forcibly cutting him off from the Force. IT caused her apparition to dampen slightly; to him anyway. She had turned her attention back to Aayla, who had a few moments of respite, and was slinking towards the center podium. This caused Satele to smirk, seems the girl was getting it now; but it couldn't be easy. Aayla was grabbed again, and noticed it then; she was almost shocked she hadn't noticed it before. Curling up, she would block the hits that came, being thrown away from the center of the platform yet again. This time, as she rose she would gather the Force around herself and fire off a Force Throw in Satele's direction.

Nothing here worked right, but the water wasn't regular; it was pitch black, and Aayla realized quickly that Satele was using it in some way, to increase her connection to the plane. As she did this, the image faded briefly, prompting her to run to the podium and quickly slot the kyber fragment. The water was still falling from above, and Aayla glanced right to see the visage of Satele reforming. Aayla couldn't tell whether she was impressed, or disappointed; but she certainly wasn't hitting her anymore. She felt like her lip was busted in two places, and she was sure some of her hair had gotten ripped out.

"A lil' drastic don't you think?" Aayla asked, to which the Force Apparition melted into the water, appearing on the other side of her.

"Is that what that Sith would've said? Satele moved closer, whispering to Aayla; "Does he know, that its his Father.... Or did he bring you along with the hopes you both got caught together?" The spirit said, acting in an ubiquitous manner regarding her affiliation. Aayla couldn't tell whether this spirit was Sith, or Jedi... It would take a moment to realize that this wildness, it was her. The duality that she carried at times. Even the method of testing, was her; as she preferred to put hands on an opponent before activating her saber.

"He's never hurt me like you did, and I trust him with my life... I think I'll be going now, Whoever you are.." She said, stepping back with a groan.

"Take it... Before you go, it will help you in the battles to come; the path is hard, which is why you needed to be tested. If you think this is the worst thing that will happen to you in this life you've chosen... Then perhaps you aren't worthy of my legacy after all..." The spirit said, turning away from her and moving through the water in an eerie manner.

Aayla thought about that, grimacing at the words. Then took a step forward, grasping the Yellow Kyber crystal. In the moment she did, she was gifted indeed with something. A sudden flash of visions, a lifetimes worth; she wasn't joking when she said inheriting the legacy; she watched an entire liffe within ten seconds; her brain overloading from the action; Aayla fell back with a deathgrip on the crystal; the air inside the ampitheater suddenly find life again. He would be able to hear outside again, and feel wind. Whatever they had come to do had passed them by, And now he was left with Aayla, beaten and passed out; her fate being squarely in her hands.

Bright4

 

[Bright4]

.​

CARRY ON​

​

Kadan's eyes widened in horror as his power left him, leaving him stripped for a moment without the force, his body suddenly feeling weak. He watched on, unable to aid her, merely having to be a spectator to the blood sport below. It wasn't easy, but Kadan had to hope she could pull through, given he had no way to reach down to her otherwise. There was something strange at work here, something he didn't know of, or know about. The force was different here, warped, twisted. He couldn't reason what it could be, or how a ghost was capable of doing this. The power he felt here was different, like the force but more...fluid? He couldn't explain.​

​

Watching on, he could only listen to their words, or rather, Aayla's words. She trusted him, that much he already knew, but what was the spirit telling her? He had no way to know. He watched the end of the affair however, the anger welling within him, but was powerless to do anything about it. He could only watch.​

​

He witnessed Aayla fall, the spirit leaving, and with it, the strange aura left. The force slowly came back to him, and as it did, so did the desire to access that facet of power. He leapt down, perhaps using more power than needed, but he didn't care. He needed to make sure she was alright. Reaching her, he knelt in the water, hand moving to her neck to check her status, and found her to be well. Breathing a sigh of relief, his anger dipped, being meshed with concern as he lifted her; finding her to far heavier than he had thought. Cradling her form, he called upon the force again, and leapt back towards where he had been standing earlier. Her hands grasped something close to her chest, something pulsing and glowing in the force. He could only speculate as to what it was, as his focus was to get her somewhere for help.​

​

It didn't take long to find help, as the man ran into the streets, looking and asking anyone where a clinic could be found.​

​

He felt guilt for not protecting her once more, that by her coming into contact with that crystal, he had gotten her into this state.​

​

Aayla Shan​