Silence

[Kainan Wolfe]

​

[-SOUNDTRACK-]​

Attn: [member="Jairdain"]​

• Passenger Ship Fair Maiden
  Unknown Planet, Arkanis Sector

Alarms blared as the ship was ripped out of hyperspace and pulled into the icy world's crushing embrace. Whether because of a navigation error, or a malfunction in the ship's systems, the passenger liner failed to account for the planet towards which it was now hurtling, at speeds which would shatter the vessel against the ice below, as one would shatter an egg that was thrown against a wall. There was very little time.

The large ship held numerous passengers, some of whom had paid extra to maintain their anonymity from the prying eyes of customs officials and record keepers. Returning from a secret trip into the Coalition of Independent Systems, one such passenger was pulled from the thoughts he had lost himself in, by the screeching alarm. He did not know what was going on, or why the ship had dropped out of hyperspace. Right now, he did not care to know, either.

The man's experience from his many years spent as a mercenary, had instilled into him a series of healthy reflexes, fueled by a powerful survival instinct. Reflexes which told him that when a ship's alarms sounded like that, it was best to make his way to the escape pods as swiftly as possible.

As this was a secret trip, he did not carry much in the way of weapons. He had left his familiar blaster pistol and slugthrower rifle back home, he did not need them where he went. He had brought his lightsaber, however, and he clipped it to his belt now, the intricately-carved silver hilt of the weapon in his hand giving him an oddly comfortable sensation. He had slowly grown used to the exotic weapon, which was rarely used by non-Force Users.

The man also helped himself to the first aid kit in his cabin, as well as a small box containing a few emergency rations and a small locator beacon, which he activated. To hide his meager supplies from the other panicking passengers, the man wrapped himself in his heavy cloak of leather lined with fur, ending in a wolf's pelt on his shoulders and upper back. The cloak normally served as a status symbol, but he had found that it was a very useful object in many situations.

He dashed out into the hallway, shoving people out of his way, one hand always on the hilt of his lightsaber, in case he needed to use it. He did not. He reached an empty escape pod that had been designed for two people and jumped in, pressing the button which would activate the pod's launch sequence just as another passenger entered as well. He did not pay her any attention, focused on the situation at hand. The door of the escape pod closed, then there was a shudder as the pod tore itself away from the dieing ship and launched itself into the frigid atmosphere below, thrusters firing to slow its descent. Then, came the silence.

 

[Jairdain]

The blind human had been drawn to take this particular flight. She trusted in the Force and knew there was a reason for it. Why then was she suddenly facing death? It wasn't the first time this woman had faced death and she knew it wouldn't be her last. Shaking her head and maintaining an aura of calm, Jairdain left her single person cabin and went searching for the escape pods.

The blaring alarm of the ship had sent others on board into panic and she could do nothing to help them. With a sure purpose, the former sith strode past the panicking passengers. The crew attempting to make order out of the chaos. They never stopped her as she made her way to where she recalled the escape pods were located.

Following the flow of people, she soon found herself inside a pod. If she had been even a second later, it would have been gone. The pod door almost slammed on her heel as she entered and sat down. A shudder was felt through the hull as it broke away from the failing liner and again as it broke through the atmosphere of the planet below.

Not at all or not phased as much as the others on board the transport, Jairdain reached out with the Force to feel the planet below. It was going to be her home for a while, she thought and wanted an idea of what was there.

While she had been with the sith, she had touched the Dark Side. Most of its effects were gone, but her skin was still pale. More likely to the mask she had worn more than use of the Force, but that pale skin grew even paler. There was very little life below. Nothing that indicated a society, at least. No large pockets of life, no cities to flee to when they landed. After her brief search, she turned her attention to her fellow passenger.

Considering the situation that had been going on above, he wasn't scared. Maybe concerned for his survival, but he had a steel will that told her no matter what he was going to go live. What she saw him was just that, that will to survive. Maybe much like her own, not being able to see herself though, she couldn't know. Her unfocused eyes were in his direction when she held a hand out to give a slight introduction.

"My name is Jairdain Ismet and I think we're going to be with each other for a while."

Her tone was dry, but the words she picked were humorous in the situation. On her face, she displayed everything she felt. Concern for their safety, that of the others on the ship and a hope they would work together to get back to their respective people.

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attn: [member="Jairdain"]​

• Frozen Wasteland
  Unknown Planet, Arkanis Sector

Wolfe's eyes snapped up as his fellow passenger spoke. A woman, he noticed, roughly his age, maybe a few years younger. Her black hair contrasted heavily with her striking, violet eyes, giving her an ethereal appearance. She looked fragile, but her attitude was calm and collected, as denoted by her rather dry tone. Wolfe did not think this was the time for jokes, however. "Kainan Wolfe," he answered, his tone dismissive, indicative of his preference for focusing on the situation at hand.

The escape pod shuddered, then shook violently as it impacted the frozen earth below, landing inside a canyon at least three days walk away from the main crash site of the passenger ship. Outside, a fierce blizzard raged, which triggered a string of silent obscenities spoken under the warlord's breath. The weather would interfere with his locator beacon.

Not waiting for the woman, he stood up from his seat and began to take inventory of the supplies within the escape pod. In addition to what he had brought with him, the pod also contained an additional first aid kit, as well as some emergency rations and some basic tools: a plasma torch that could be used for lighting fires, as well as cutting objects, several battery packs and a solar panel generator, which would serve little use in this weather, a water purification device and a pair of thermal blankets. The supplies would not last them more than four days, however, and that was if they could find a more permanent power source. Otherwise, they would run out of batteries in less than twenty-four hours and then promptly freeze to death.

With the inventory taken care of, Wolfe decided to expend some of the pod's precious power source to scan their surroundings. The temperature outside was minus forty, well below freezing and would likely get much lower during night time, but the atmosphere was breathable. Making a few quick adjustments, the warlord partially shut down the pod's life support system, opening vents which filtered in air from outside. This would extend their power supply by a few hours, but they would have to seal the pod again in six hours, otherwise they would freeze.

"We're not going anywhere in this blizzard," he said, finally breaking the silence. "Once the weather calms down, however, we need to move out. The pod's power supply won't last long and if we stay here, we will die. We need to head for the crash site of the Fair Maiden and salvage what equipment and supplies we can," the warlord explained, once more his emotions being suppressed by his honed survival instinct. "Do not use the battery packs in the supplies while we stay here. We'll need the power for the tools, once we move out. Do you have any useful items?"

 

[Jairdain]

Jairdain took her hand back when it was obvious he wasn't going to accept it and nodded when he provided her with his name. The pod did its duty and landed them on the surface of the planet. It was rough, but both of them got through unbruised, but shaken physically. He took inventory of the items and his suggestion for the next few hours.

Taking his words for fact, she didn't have any to verbally add. When he asked about useful items, she shook her head.

"Sadly, no. I have my lightsaber and small recording and reading device. If you ask about skills, I have many of those. One very important one, I am able to recharge those batteries when they run out."

With the Jedi it was called Electric Judgement and with the Sith it was more closely related to lightening. Either way, it was one thing she could do to help their plight. If he wanted to know more of her skills, then she would answer, but for now she felt that was the most important one. There wasn't anything they could burn so her so her pyrokinesis wouldn't be of help. Suddenly one of her skills did come to mind she looked closer at Wolfe with the Force.

"Tell me, Kainan Wolfe, do you know how to meditate?"

Meditation and the skill she wanted to teach him had nothing to do with the Force. ​

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attn: [member="Jairdain"]​

• Frozen Wasteland
  Unknown Planet, Arkanis Sector

The warlord listened to her talk as he worked on the pod's sensors, using them to build a rudimentary map of the surrounding area. Her mention of her lightsaber and her ability to charge batteries is what attracted his attention. A feeling of disgust washed over him at the realization that she was a Force user and his old hatred of the Force flared up, though he did not show any of that in his behavior.

She then proceeded to ask him a completely out-of-context question about meditation, which irritated him. They were in a life and death situation and this girl concerned herself with religious nonsense and spiritual chit and he could not let this slide, when it might endanger his survival later on.

"Jairdain... Look. We're in the middle of nowhere. The outside temperature is minus forty, which means that if the power fails, we'll freeze to death in minutes. We are low on supplies and I doubt there are a lot of creatures large enough for us to eat around here and that storm is most likely blocking the emergency beacon's signal. All of this amounts to a very dangerous situation and I simply do not have the time, or patience, to entertain a useless conversation about spiritual beliefs and nonsense such as meditation," he said in a condescending and impatient tone. He concluded that this woman was probably some sheltered Jedi, or pompous Sith, who had little to no experience with real world problems.

All this time, the warlord kept his back to her, his eyes and most of his attention focused on the instrument panel in front of him. Using his experience as a mercenary, he was able to employ a few tricks in order to get the pod's rudimentary sensors and navigation suite to compile a crude map of the area. He then used his engineering skills to calculate the rough location of the passenger ship's crash site and plot a course to it. He saved the map to his datapad.

"While you've been talking and thinking about spiritual concerns, I've been busy working. I made us a very rough map of the area and plotted a route to the Fair Maiden's crash site. The map isn't pretty and the course is only as short as I can make it, but climbing those cliff faces in winds of up to seventy kilometers per hour, isn't something that we should ever try," he said. Noticing that the blizzard showed no signs of dieing out, he began to assemble their meager supplies into a pack that he could carry, in anticipation for when it finally did. Luckily for him, his heavy, fur-lined cloak would shield him from most of the cold, but she would have to make do with one of the thermal blankets.

Wolfe then resigned himself to having to spend the next few hours doing nothing, while in the company of a Force user who seemed intent on pestering him with pointless religious beliefs that he cared nothing for.

 

[Jairdain]

Allowing Wolfe to go about whatever task he was doing, Jairdain could tell her question irritated him. Through the Force she could read the emotions of people even if they kept them hidden. The disgust he felt she also knew. Why though she didn't know.

His words were true, but spoken with the feelings of somebody that didn't understand the Force, its uses or even why she asked her question. He said he gone and made a rough map of where they were and that of the terrain around them.

"I can also tell you there are no large cities of life on the ball of ice, but there is life. Nothing sentient, I don't think though. The crash is that way," using a hand, Jairdain would jesture in the dirction of where the ship had crashed. "There are no other surrvivors that I can feel in our area."

It may not be as useful as what he had done, but it was still something and that was better than nothing.

"Kainan, I'm not about to get into a conversation about the Force, codes, spiritual beliefs or any of that nonsense. However, I have a skill you can learn to keep warm that has nothing to do with the Force. It is called hypercardio meditation and it raises the heartrate which in turn keeps the body warm."

Her voice was calm and she displayed a full sense of control and confidence.

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attn: [member="Jairdain"]​

• Frozen Wasteland
  Unknown Planet, Arkanis Sector

The warlord waited for her to finish speaking, although she didn't tell him much that he hadn't already figured out himself. It was easy to conclude, based on the planet's climate, that it was uninhabited and he had already triangulated the position of the crash site, though the information that there were no other survivors was both troubling and surprising at the same time. Although, he would not expect civilians to survive in such a situation, so it may have been understandable.

"Hypercardio... meditation. What is this, some kind of Jedi nonsense? Like I said, Jairdain, this is an actual dangerous situation, not some duel with some Sith in the alley of a city in the heart of civilization. This is the wilderness, the real wilderness. I would rather rely on my training and experience, than risk getting killed by following some Jedi nonsense about meditation," he said, deeply irritated this time. He could not stand the arrogance of Force users, who acted as if their religious beliefs in the Force, would somehow save them by some miracle. Her careless attitude in the face of very real danger, irked him.

"Look. It is clear that you have little to no experience surviving in the wilderness," he said with a sigh, like an adult might say to a particularly recalcitrant child. It was just his luck that he had to be stuck here with a Force user. "In that case, let me state a few rules, which, if you want to survive, you will follow at all times. Rule number one: forget whatever nonsense you learned in the Jedi temple, Sith halls, or whatever. Rule number two: when I tell you to do something, you do it without asking me to waste time with explanation. Rule three: never break rules one and two."

Luckily, the blizzard was beginning to die down, which Wolfe noted with satisfaction. "Time to move out," he said, handing her one of the thermal blankets. "Wrap this around you like a cloak, otherwise you will freeze and die. Stay close to me and watch your step. In fact, try to walk in the footprints that I leave. This type of terrain can be deceiving. What might look like flat, open ground because of the snow, could just as likely be a crevice."

With that, Wolfe tied the other thermal blanket into a makeshift pack, into which he deposited their supplies, then lifted it on his shoulder. He opened the pod door, the frigid air rushing in and stepped outside, feeling the ground beneath the snow with his boot, before putting his weight on it. He led the way outside, walking towards the center of the small canyon. The slopes of the cliffs might shield them from some of the wind, but that same wind could also bring down an avalanche upon them and he did not want to be buried in snow. Several hours of walking awaited them, but the impending nightfall would force them to seek shelter, eventually.

 

[Jairdain]

There were times in her life when Jairdain knew she had to show she was strong, this she felt was one of them. It happened very rarely, but he needed somebody to stand up against him and resist his overpowering demeanor. She did patiently listen to what he had to say though and let him finish.

"You are correct, Kainan. We are not having a duel in the middle of civilization, however, what I want to show you, will help keep us alive."

He started treating her like a child, the man that knew nothing about her or what she could do.

"I have a really good idea of how to live in the wilderness. This isn't my first time around the block."

Letting him state his rules, she smiled and shook her head. "No, we work together and do as the other requests. While you might be able to see some things better than I can, I can see things your eyes will miss."

Taking the blanket he held out to her, wrapping it around her frame and letting him open the pod to lead them outside. The frigid air almost took her breath away and she raised the hood of her cloak for further protection. Even though the snowfall was still going on, she could tell it was letting up. His comment about the snow hiding a crevice or pit was valid, but it wouldn't affect her or her vision.

Telekinesis was a generic skill any Force user knew and she would employ it now. With a simple wave of her hand, she cleared some of the path in front of them to the rock under. Turning to appear to look in his direction, she motioned with a small bow. She also felt something from him as he spoke. He had attempted to persuade her with the Force, yet he didn't seem to like the fact she was a Force user herself. Did he not know he could use? Was he in denial of his skill? There were more important details to worry about that this right now though.

"Now, I can clear a path for us to walk on. If a crevice is revealed, then an alternate route can be found. After you."

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attn: [member="Jairdain"]​

• Frozen Wasteland
  Unknown Planet, Arkanis Sector

Wolfe waited patiently for her to finish speaking, the way an adult might wait for an inexperienced, headstrong child. Seeing her shock at the contact with the frigid air, the warlord reacted with a chuckle. "Not your first time, indeed," he said, his tone making it clear that the words were sarcastic. He did not put much faith in her abilities and her reaction to the cold, seemed only to reinforce his negative opinions of her.

Watching her clear away the snow, the warlord responded by raising an eyebrow. This was obviously not the first time he had seen the Force at work, given his rather casual reaction to it. It also did not change his opinion of her, something that would take a lot more than what he considered to be parlor tricks. "Look, wallflower. This isn't the woods behind the Jedi temple, or some Commenori pleasure cruise. You might be able to do some tricks with those Force abilities of yours, but nothing beats experience and training. And so far, you are not demonstrating much of either," he said, his tone dismissive.

He felt disgusted at this Force User's arrogance, a trait so common amongst her kind, regardless of which 'side' of the Force they found themselves on. He did not know much about how the Force worked, but he knew that it must take some sort of effort in order to wield, thus he felt nothing but disgust at her waste of energy, all to make a demonstration. Although Wolfe loved a good battle of wits and could respect another individual who tried to employ manipulation tactics against him, this was not the time, or the place for showing off.

He chose to ignore the woman for the rest of the day, preferring to focus on the dangerous trek through the snow. The walk was hard enough as it was, without having to listen to her religious nonsense. However, a mere forty minutes after leaving the escape pod, a blizzard came out of nowhere, powerful winds lashing at them with icy ferocity and the temperature plummeting drastically.

Wolfe knew he had to think fast. His eyes darted to the cliff face, scanning for a cave in the increasingly poor visibility. Luckily, his experience had given him keen eyes and he soon spotted what he was looking for. Gripping the woman's arm, he pointed to the barely visible crack in the steep, jagged wall of the cliff, barely distinguishable even during clear weather. "We need to get to cover now, or this blizzard will bury us alive!" he shouted to her, struggling to make himself heard over the deafening roar of the wind. Despite that, he had a relatively calm, emotionless demeanor, as if he had completely shut down any capability for emotion.

 

[Jairdain]

Her reaction to the cold wasn't out of the ordinary even for somebody that lived in this sort of environment. The moving from the warm to the cold could do it to anybody. Obviously Wolfe didn't think of that. Commenting sarcastically, the tone wasn't lost on Jairdain and she shook her head.

It was apparent that her moving the snow out of the way didn't impress him, what he didn't think about though was the fact it would reveal those crevices easier than by his method.

"The day is just beginning, by the end of the day, you might be surprised."

He then fell into silence, only communicating when there was a need for it. Deciding for the moment to keep her silence, she stepped where he stepped and didn't stray from the path he made. While she couldn't see the weather around, Jairdain felt a change in the wind and knew the storm was going to get worse. The choice of speaking on it though came and went. Before she could warn him, it was upon them.

Wolfe pulled her to him and said they needed to find cover or they would be buried in the snowstorm. He covered his emotions well, she and that raised an eyebrow. Perhaps he would think of it simply as a reply to his words. Looking in the direction he pointed, she could almost feel where the crevice was. Even though he raised his voice, it too was calm.

Taking a firm of his lower arm, her face got a totally serious look. Raising her voice to be heard over the wind as well, it would prove to be just as calm and level as his. She had no fear here. However, there was a slight edge of authority in it.

"You have to trust me, Kainan Wolfe. Whatever you hold against Force users you can tell me later, but our lives are in my hands now."

Barely giving him the chance to reply. She produced a barrier around both of them. While it was still certainly cold, the wind and snow could no longer reach them. Jairdain took a breath and allowed him to adjust to the sudden change around them before speaking again.

"Now, Kainan travel should be much easier now. Lead the way."

Motioning in the direction of the cave, she waited for him to start walking. Yes, the shield might be taxing to her, but she would make it last until they reached that cave he saw.

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attn: [member="Jairdain"]​

• Frozen Wasteland
  Unknown Planet, Arkanis Sector

The warlord kept his mind and his feelings guarded. His instincts and experience told him not to trust this woman, yet the circumstances put him in a situation where he didn't have much choice on the matter. He did not intend to open up to her and tell her his story, however. That wasn't the kind of thing he simply shared with everyone.

He did not seem to react in any way when she put up the shield, although he let go of her arm. Replying with a nod, he silently led the way into the crevice, which led into a small cavern that would shield them from the storm. Luckily, they had thermal blankets to fend against the cold and the entrance would soon be buried in snow, forming an insulating layer. This would present another problem later on, though, but that was something to worry about later.

For now, they had a moment of respite, which gave Wolfe conflicting feelings. On one hand, he was glad for a chance to rest and collect his thoughts. On the other hand, he wasn't looking forward to hearing the woman launching on yet another tirade about the Force.

He set about putting up an impromptu camp for now, distributing rations for them to eat. He then unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and went about the task of inspecting it. Keeping one's weapons in good shape was a healthy habit which had become second nature to the warlord. It took precedence even over things such as eating.

The weapon was vulnerable to contact with water, due to the synthetic crystal at its heart. A safeguard had been installed, to insure the weapon shut down before it could explode, but luckily, no moisture had gotten into it and it ignited without problems. Satisfied, he shut it down and clipped it back onto his belt. He would just have to make sure it didn't come into contact with the snow.

 

[Jairdain]

Wolfe resigned himself to having to rely on her for the moment. The shield did last until he was able to get them to crevice, which turned into a cavern made of ice. It was bitterly cold, but no wind and what wind there was only near the opening. As soon as they got there, Jairdain released the protection around them and sat down on the ground to regain both her Force and what energy she could.

Her Force wasn't fully depleated luckily and if needed she would be able to perform small tasks. Reaching into the small pack she had, she took out two cups and a knife. Even as a Force user, she did sometime rely on items to accomplish tasks. It was a sharp knife and she used it to cut some ice out of the wall. Setting this ice into each of the cups, she reached out with the Force to melt the ice and handed Wolfe a cup of warm water.

Taking the rations he passed over to her, she nodded and took a bite of the food. It wasn't much, but would see her through while they were trapped and waiting for the storm to pass.

Jairdain heard the familiar snap hiss and then hum of a lightsaber and she turned her gaze in his direction. He turned it off and put it away. He could use the Force, but didn't know and already possessed a lightsaber. There was more to this man than she thought. However, he didn't appear to want to speak to her. It needed to be done though.

She wrapped her hands around the cup to warm her fingers and would appear to be looking into the water.

"Kainan Wolfe, after the storm clears, your communicator should work better. If I can get us higher up the cliff, would it help?"

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attn: [member="Jairdain"]​

• Frozen Wasteland
  Unknown Planet, Arkanis Sector

Wolfe took the offered cup and drank the water in a single gulp, before eating his ration pack in a quick, efficient manner. He was not one to waste time on things such as food, not in situations such as this. He'd much rather work on a plan to get them out of this mess.

An opportunity presented itself when the woman said she could get them onto higher ground. In truth, it was something he had thought of, himself, but dismissed it as the climb would be nearly impossible in the current situation. He did not know how much he could trust this stranger and her abilities, but no better options presented themselves at the current moment.

"It should. The subspace transponder I have doesn't have a very long range, but it should be enough to reach the nearest holonet relay and transmit its automated distress call," he said, hoping that such a relay was indeed nearby, otherwise they would have to try to salvage something from the wreckage of the crashed ship and put together something to boost the signal. And there was no guarantee that there was any transmission equipment in the wreck that was in a good enough condition to be salvaged.

The storm died out as swiftly and unexpectedly as it began. If the weather on this planet was this prone to extreme change, it was no wonder that no one had built even an outpost on it. Now there was another problem, however. The snow from the blizzard had blocked the entrance to the cave and Wolfe couldn't use his lightsaber to cut an opening in the tightly packed, frozen barrier. His lightsaber and water did not get along very well.

 

[Jairdain]

She finished eating the ration bar and drinking the now barely warmed water. Taking a moment feel her Force power, it was almost fully replenished. Hopefully once the storm passed it would be full again.

When Jairdain spoke, he actually listened to her and what she said. He may not be an open book, but she did feel that words brought a sense of hope. His answer was honest and not at all condescending like he had addressed her earlier. A few moments of silence fell between them and she heard that the storm winds had died down. It was possible that it had passed and was over.

Standing up and stretching, Jairdain gathered up the two cups and put them back into her pack. Walking in the direction of the entrance they had come in, she found it blocked off by a pack of new snow.

Not waiting on Kainan to stop her, she reached a hand out to rest on the blockage. A look of concentration came over her face, but slowly the snow at their level started melting. Taking extreme care in her act, she made sure the snow above the hole she was making would remain in place. After a short time, there would be a tunnel for the to use to exit the cavern they had sought safety in.

Lowering her hand when she was done, Jairdain turned to look at Kainan. There was no ego on her face or anything to show any sense of superiority, just a simple look indicating the way was clear to move out. She left the cave and waited for him to join her.

"What appears to be the easiest way up?"

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attn: [member="Jairdain"]​

• Frozen Wasteland
  Unknown Planet, Arkanis Sector

The Warlord chose to ignore the woman's display of her Force powers, wanting to avoid what he saw as a pointless philosophical debate. He could not deny the efficiency of what she had done to clear the entrance, it would have taken him at least an hour of hard, physical labor to clear that snow. But he did not care much for the price of using such abilities. He had seen what the Force does to people, what it does to the galaxy and he did not like it.

Instead, he followed her outside in silence, his eyes scanning their surroundings. It only took him a few moments to spot what he was looking for. "That cliff wall over there," he said, pointing at a wall of rock that was at least thirty meters in height. "Trapped water in the rock has frozen over and cracked open the cliff wall. We can use those cracks as handholds."

"This will be a tough, dangerous climb," he said, without any hint of worry in his voice, simply stating a fact. Despite his rather dark nature, it could never be said that he was rash, or controlled by his emotions. This was a man who maintained a strict internal discipline.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked her. "That cliff is thirty meters tall. If we make one mistake, its a long way down and there are no medical facilities on this planet."

 

[Jairdain]

Jairdain was not going to get attempt to engage him in a philosophical conversation, it wasn't the time or place for it. Her total focus was getting them out of the blocked up cavern. Having accomplished it in way less time than it would have taken him, when they did get out, she waited on his answer. Even if he didn't comment on it, he had to admit it came in useful in this situation. Not pressing the issue, being smug about it or anything outside of the ordinary, she turned in the direction he pointed and scanned the cliff wall he saw.

Reaching out with the Force, Jairdain was able to pick up on the nuances of the terrain and nodded. He pointed out it was going to be a tough, long and dangerous climb up and asked if she was up for it. It would actually be more hazardous to her than to him. She could always catch him with the Force and stop him from falling if he slipped. She didn't have that luxury. He didn't know he could use the Force and with his attitude on it, she wasn't sure if he was willing to even be open to the idea.

There were a few ways she could go about informing him. However, the situation was far from ordinary and the knowledge he needed to know shouldn't have to wait. Placing an arm across her body, her elbow on top of it and hand up on her lower jaw, she face grew totally serious before she spoke.

"Kainan, has anybody ever approached you on the fact you also have the ability to use to the Force? If you think about a few things, it'll be obvious."

Knowing him though, he will deny the possibility. Now it had been aired, the ball was in his lap so to speak and how he treated the news was on his head.

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attn: [member="Jairdain"]​

• Frozen Wasteland
  Unknown Planet, Arkanis Sector

The Warlord reacted to the woman's words with a sarcastic bout of laughter, although his demeanor remained severe and composed. "This is neither the time, or place, for bad jokes. I've encountered both Jedi and Sith, on multiple occasions. If what you say were true, someone would have noticed this by now," his tone a low growl, making it clear that he would not discuss this topic any further.

With that, the warlord turned and began to climb. This woman's irritating arrogance, poor attempts at humor and her lack of respect towards the gravity of the situation, was starting to get on his nerves and he began to seriously contemplate either leaving her behind, or outright killing her if he became convinced that she would be a liability. He would not die on this frozen ball of rock for the sake of her Jedi arrogance.

The climb up the cliff was hard, but Wolfe had the experience of a thousand battlefields and, like any mercenary worth his salt, he steadily advanced, despite the chaotic bouts of wind. This would not be the first time he had climbed a cliff face and usually, he did it while under fire from enemy combatants. Slowly, but surely, he made the dangerous climb, his attention firmly focused on finding foot and handholds, shifting his weight properly so that he would not slip and fall, while also keeping an eye out for the unpredictable wind, which could rip him off the cliff if he was not careful, until his hands finally gripped the ledge at the top.

Pulling himself upwards, he rolled onto the relatively flat ground at the top, his breathing heavy and labored. But he did not have time to rest. For he came face to face with something resembling a cross between a bear and a kath-hound.

The massive predator roared and swiped a claw at him. The warlord dodged and tried to bring his lightsaber to bear, but before he could ignite it, the creature slashed at him again, its paw hitting Wolfe's arm and throwing the lightsaber away.

It took the warlord a split second to remember that he had no other weapons with him and as the realization of what this meant dawned on him, time seemed to slow to a crawl as the adrenaline coursed through his veins. He stood face to face with four hundred kilograms of monster, backed against a cliff and he had no means of defending himself. He weighed his odds of survival and found that he had none.

Frustration overtook him. He had dedicated his life to setting things right in the galaxy. He had been through impossible situations and done the impossible and survived when no one else would have thought he would. He had faced assassins, mercenaries and Sith Lords in combat, only to die on the claws of an animal, in the middle of nowhere, everything he had worked for and sacrificed everything to accomplish, ended in an instant, on this frozen hell.

With frustration came the rage and all the hatred which he hid inside himself, under discipline and his iron will to succeed. He hated this galaxy and its pointless, endless wars. He hated the hypocrisy and self-righteousness of the Jedi. He hated the animalistic tendencies of the Sith. He hated, hated, hated and above all else, he hated the Force.

He realized his right arm was raised, but failed to remember when he had raised it. Perhaps it was an instinctive reaction, the primitive parts of his brain telling his limb to shield his body, in a feeble and hopeless attempt to save his life. He locked eyes with the creature and waited for the inevitable end, his gaze burning with the hatred that he gave into fully and completely.

He felt the hatred course through him like a bolt of lightning and flaring up like a storm. He grasped onto this storm like one would grasp a lifeline, as he had done so many times before. He gave it his all, poured into it everything that he was, fed it with the hatred he felt for everything that was unjust and wrong, fed it with his hatred of the Force itself and fed it with his hatred of this primitive beast, which would put an end to the greatest, most ambitious plan in the history of the galaxy, only to sate its hunger. In that moment, which seemed to stretch out forever, he wished that this creature would just fall down and die.

It would be difficult to describe what happened next. The hatred boiling up inside him, exploded outwards, searching, grasping and seizing... something. It took hold of it and gave it a direction, a purpose and a form. Something like an unseen spear fashioned out of hatred melded with killing intent, shot out from his hand and struck the creature in its chest just as it was rearing up to crush him under its claws. It reeled back, wailing and flailing its claws at the invisible enemy which struck its body. It roared and wailed and shrieked, it thrashed about and raked its own body with its claws, trying desperately to dislodge the unseen thing that was killing it, trying desperately to grasp the thread of its life that was slipping away.

The creature lay dead in the snow. Wolfe stood on his feet, hand still pointed at the creature. The entire exchange had lasted mere moments and it took the warlord just as little time to connect the dots and realize what had happened. Shame overtook him, in that moment. He looked down at his hands, then at the lightsaber discarded in the snow a mere few meters away from him, as if they were something tainted by an incurable disease. As if he himself had just contracted the plague. Oh, how he hated the universe's cruel sense of humor.

Silently, he crept up to where his weapon lay discarded, picking it up and clipping it back onto his belt. The irritating woman, who had so grated him earlier, was banished to the forgotten recesses of his mind. The warlord was a strong man, with an iron will that would not be broken by anything the universe threw at him. But in that moment, he collapsed to his knees, feeling for the first time in years, the exhaustion, the sorrow and the weight that he carried on his shoulders.

 

[Jairdain]

What he pointed out may or may not have been accurate. Some people were unable to tell another person could use the Force. If he wouldn't have attempted to use a mind trick on her to get his way, she wouldn't have known either. Being a mentalist had helped prevent it from working and it told her he had the ability. Even though he denied it, Jairdain had the feeling he was going to soon learn otherwise. A ripple through the Force, the feeling something was going to happen that opened his eyes. Nodding, she started the long climb up behind him.

The climb was in silence and the only sound heard was that of the wind and their hands or feet making crunching noises as they moved. He reached the top before she did and while it took her a few minutes longer, by the time she was up there, she had felt what had happened. Like many of the people that were older in their lives, he reached out and allowed his emotions to rule.

Using those emotions of anger, fear and hatred to fuel his ability, Kainan though opened the door to his ability to use the Force. No longer the Jedi she had been, no longer the sith though either, Jairdain was what her people had made. A question remained, how open was he to her words now? Keeping silent, she walked over to his side and sat down near him if he allowed it.

She felt he was facing a sort of inner demon, something he wasn't ready to face. He was closed though, opening up, reaching out...everything was in his hands. She had no plans to rub in his face something that indicated, an 'I told you so', and just waited on his acceptance and his next actions.

Their purpose for climbing was not lost on her, she through the Force, she searched around for a place to put the beacon to be answered.

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attn: [member="Jairdain"]​

• Frozen Wasteland
  Unknown Planet, Arkanis Sector

Noticing the woman approach, Wolfe remained silent, his mind dissecting what had transpired. Leaning back against a rock, his eyes were fixed on the object in his hands, the intricately-carved lightsaber that he had acquired for himself. Although his composure had shattered for a brief instant, earlier, he had regained it swiftly, grasping his emotions in a tight grip. Despite his use of a Darkside ability, he had the self-control and internal discipline to rival even that of the Jedi.

"I should not be surprised that something like this would happen," he said, breaking the silence after a few long minutes. His eyes did not lift from his lightsaber, however. "You do not wage a war against an enemy and expect it not to strike back," he spoke, his words cryptic. It. He had used the word it, not he, or she.

"You Jedi and Sith, with your fanatical belief in serving the Light, or the Darkside, have been tearing this galaxy apart for millenia. Doing the master's bidding, like the mindless and obedient puppets that you are, always unaware of the true interests that you serve," he went on, although he did not really understand why he was telling her this. She was just another Jedi, one who would never understand what Wolfe did. She had not seen what he saw about the Force. She did not understand its true nature.

Standing up, he looked at her with the fierce intensity of a man who had the willpower to overcome any obstacle. The kind that could move star systems and change the galaxy. "I am not like you. I am not driven by mindless obedience, or by base instinct," he said, and there was a power in his voice that spoke of his conviction. "I serve a higher calling."

 

[Jairdain]

Listening to what Kainan had to say about what just happened and then his belief about others, including herself, Jairdain remained silent until he finished. Some of it certainly fit the base thoughts of how people viewed the Jedi and Sith as a whole. What it appeared he didn't understand is each person was different. He also assumed she fit into one of the two beliefs which she didn't even she allied herself with the Jedi. No longer a follower of that code, he didn't know that though and just lumped her in with the bunch.

She felt his control snap back together and nodded. More mentally than physically and if there was any show externally, it could maybe be blamed on the chill causing her to move than her doing it on purpose. He was obstinate and claimed to follow a higher calling and that certainly brought a mental roll of her eyes. Nothing external though.

He had yet to express interest in her calling or following and instead had treated her like she was a piece of dirt. Littler than he was and hardly worth his time. However, her skills had saved them time and yet she expected nothing in return from him.

"You assume to know me, Kainan. Yet you do not wish to listen so I will not explain my beliefs to you. Only know this, I do not serve Jedi or Sith, beyond that what does it matter? There is no need to go further into who or what I am or even yourself at this time. What needs to be done is that beacon set up and see if there is anything we can salvage from the crash. If nothing else that ship can still provide shelter for us. Once these missions have been accomplished, if you wish to speak further of the Force or ask any questions, we can."

What he said about the enemy striking back struck her in a slightly odd manner. The word 'it' implied this wasn't about ideals, but the Force itself to her. If he chose to expand on that, it would be up to him. Jairdain was not going to push him to explain further unless he wanted to and that would be left up to him.

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]