Private Suspect Tython

[Charlie Nooran]

//: Tython //:
//: Finley Dawson //:

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Once more, she had been dragged to Tython. The first time back around she was able to find her way back onto the shuttle and leave the planet for the time being. Though it seemed that the rather adventurous Finley had other plans for them. She stared out the window of the ship, watching the people pass through the security checkpoints to arrive planet side. With the Alliance currently having control of the planet, things seemed a bit more regulated than the Seoulian girl had remembered from her past. ​

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The whole ride she had pouted not wanting to ever come to Tython again, but towards the last leg of the trip, she decided to warm up slightly to the idea. Her lips pressed together as she forced herself from her seat to gather her belongings. It seemed like they were going to be staying in town before heading out to the more remote areas of the planet. Those remote areas were usually left to more experienced Jedi - ones that knew the planet like the back of their hand or could communicate with the spirits. Fortunately for the pair, Charlie grew up in those remote regions. She knew it better than anyone, she was more of a Tython local than she liked to believe or let on. ​

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Looking towards the Corellian, she decided to keep her discomfort obvious, no need to let him become comfortable with the idea of dragging her to this rock. With her things gathered, she waited on him. “If we don’t hurry up we’re going to miss checking into the room.” Hearing her say something like that made her pause for a moment. Charlie almost sounded responsible. Shaking her head from the sudden onset feeling of being an adult, Charlie decided to head out of the ship and wait for the boy outside. Charlie had suddenly felt too warm to be cooped up in the ship, maybe responsibility was contagious or something. Looking about the space port, she noticed several odd aliens in the mix. There were always a plethora of people arriving and leaving Tython, it was sort of a place where people did pilgrimages especially if they were Jedi. The ancient planet held vast amounts of history in its foundations. Charlie figured that's the reason why Finely would have wanted to come here. ​

Turning back towards the shuttle, the girl flicked her head to brush aside the short brown strands of hair from her face. "Are the Je'daii ruins the reason why you're wanting to come here?" She was always curious as to why this place of all places the Corellian wanted to visit. Why couldn't he have wanted to go to Corellia - beaches sound nice or was that Chandrilla? Frowning, Charlie decided to try and mull through that mix up for a moment. ​

 

[Finley Dawson]

"Yeah yeah," he called out, pushing a speeder bike forward out of storage. There was a large lump on the back from a tarp wrapped around provisions and tools for the mini expedition.

"Better to triple check we have all our junk now before heading out into the field and finding something missing."

He glanced around the throngs of traffic streaming around them as she asked about his intent. This place was a lot busier than the last time he had passed through. The security provided by the new Galactic Alliance gave pilgrims the confidence to come and even build settlements.

The question remained how long the good times would last, though.

The Curse of the Core wasn't just superstition.

"Je'daii? It's the Bendu, actually. I feel like there's already been enough information dragged up about the Je'daii at this point - there's even a few active organizations goin by the same name. Now the Bendu though, very mysterious, all we really know is that they predate the Je'daii and may have even had a hand in their creation."

He caught up to her, nursing the handlebar of the bike under one arm. Side by side, the Corellian still towered over his companion, but the little gremlin had caught up while he was on his voyage, now a more normal height. Sad times, really, he couldn't really tease her anymore and threaten to chuck her like a shock ball.

"You lookin forward to seeing your people?"

By "people" he meant her monastery where she had initially trained. The actual workings of the monastery remained as mysterious as the Bendu, but Charlie had never seemed particularly enthused the few times it had been brought up. Bad memories? He could certainly understand. On mysteries, Charlie herself remained enigma.

Charlie Nooran

 

[Charlie Nooran]

//: Tython //:
//: Finley Dawson //:

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Charlie bit her tongue and puffed her cheeks at the Corellian's correction of her statement. She thought the Jed' aii were way cooler than the Bendu, mostly because she wasn't very much aware of who they were. She listened to him explain his interest in the ancient group. She rubbed her chin, thinking back to her lessons with the Silver Jedi and frowned. She might have taken far too many whacks to the head growing up during training missions, or she was just plain forgetful, but she didn't remember much from history class to add to the conversation. ​

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"So we're looking for ancient buildings that aren't Je' daii ruins. Got it. I think I've seen some before; they kind of remind me of big-headed fat people that look surprised all the time." Charlie thought back to the statues that she had seen during some of her early training sessions with the cult-like group she had been taken into. ​

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He mentioned her people. The Corellian boy knew how to get right under her skin. She had seemingly grown up around him, having gone on several missions with him as her guide. In a sense, Finley had become the older sibling she didn't get to have when she was younger. Her fondness constantly grew, but because they were close he knew far too much about her and that tended to cause her grief. Groaning, the girl covered her face and shook her head quickly. "No, not really. I'm sure you've heard from Jyoti how desperate I was to leave this place. I was quite lucky she liked me enough to let me tag along." Charlie laughed nervously as she remembered meeting the Echani master for the first time. Usually, Masters wandered onto the planet, searching for wayward padawans that were a bit more bent to fighting. Charlie never ran into any of the other padawans that had left the monastery like she did. ​

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Fearing the worst, she did her best not to wonder. They were created to be warriors, after all. Thinking about it only made the K'paur girl feel guilty for having to have actually survived whatever could have become of her. "I guess I have to warn you a bit when we get to the monastery," Remembering how desperate the monks were to sell off the students to whoever wandered to their monastery, Finley needed to at least be prepared to be bombarded. "Just tell them that I'm your padawan and that you're not looking for another. They have this weird thing about bartering students off that they've trained." ​

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Charlie frowned and looked at her companion again, "Are you sure you want to go to the monastery? I mean, there's a lot of places on the planet that we can try to find Bendu artifacts." Despite the monastery after being described sounds like it's precisely what the Corellian is looking for. Charlie thought quietly to herself as she tried to give Finley the same puppy eyes and smile she gave Jyoti when she wanted her fifth slice of cake. Having a feeling she wouldn't win, she looked at her datapad and swiped up, transferring the makeshift map she had plotted for their pathway.​

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"If you're so inclined, we're set for a day's travel into Tython's forest." ​

 

[Finley Dawson]

"Huh, are they training up Jedi there, or assassins?"

He meant that as a half joke, but he did recall when he had first met Charlie, she seemed pretty inept socially, to the point that some people initially thought she was mentally impaired, but was unusually proficient in combat. Much better than her peers, and able to stand up against more veteran warriors. Apparently she had even bested a Sith Lord once. All that while still being a teenager. He just assumed that she had been raised by some real badass warrior monks, but the way she described the monastery, it seemed like there may be something more to it.

"You know, sometimes, as kids we often perceive things as much worse as they were. Back then I resented my parents keeping me cooped studying all the time, but in the end I was all the better for it. Picked up some useful knowledge and a strong work ethic. I'm not saying your feelings aren't valid, but maybe they had a reason to raise you like they did. As you've seen, the galaxy is a tough place. Heck, the One Sith used to wipe their ass with Thython and turned it into a spooky hellhole."

He toyed with the handle of the bike turning it left and right, away and toward the path she had pointed out.

"We don't have to see them, but maybe you owe it to yourself to see them again and understand. On the flip side, if they are as bad as you remember, then could we leave them to mistreat other younglings the way they did you?"

Finley had come to Tython for ruins, but as per usual the situation was evolving into something else. As an explorer, he yearned for one thing, but as a Jedi, duty called for something else.

"No matter what you choose, I'll be with you 100%"

Charlie Nooran

 

[Charlie Nooran]

//: Tython //:
//: Finley Dawson //:

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Charlie half laughed at the half-joke. In reality, she wondered as well what they were training. One day it was to lecture on the old ways of the Jedi. The next, they were learning to Force Cloak and assassinate dummies dressed as the ancient Sith. She was skilled in a wide variety of weapons, but Charlie could remember each of them knowing one weapon through and through. Anything with weight was up Charlie’s alley. She was able to wield the weapon with her unnatural strength with fluidity. ​

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Rubbing the back of her neck, the Seoulian girl pondered the choices that the Corellian put before her. Having to choose also meant she had to think about her morality as a Jedi when all she wanted today was to be the explorer’s assistant. She knew Finley’s main draw to the planet was to explore the ruins, but he had to make his point. Knowing that the cult could still be out there, stealing force-sensitive kids like her - training them to be killers. ​

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It didn’t sit right with her at all. Charlie groaned as she buried her face into her hands. The desire to scream and throw a tantrum rising as the pressure of her duty weighed on her. Finley was right, and Charlie knew it. Hands shot down to her side, and she shook her flushed face. ​

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“We should check out the small enclave. At least there are some uh Zeffo ruins on the way. I remember them growing up. One of the clusters actually used one of the main ruins as their combat training field.” If Finley wasn’t there with her, she would have easily avoided confronting the group, but having the Corellian’s support was excellent. Although, when Charlie thought about it, if Finley hasn’t had been there - she wouldn’t be on this forsaken planet in the first place. Frowning slightly, the girl pulled out her datapad and looked towards the map of the planet. ​

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“The ruins are on the outskirt of the main hub, and about a day or two travel, we will hit where Jyoti picked me up. Shouldn’t be too hard, just gotta pretend like you’re not looking for a student.” Charlie kept reiterating it. She wondered if they both could keep a straight face and avoid snatching up all the kids from the mages or whatever they were. “You all ready to go?” She spoke as she finished mapping out the route they should take. It wasn’t a typical route, but she knew Finley could navigate it well enough. ​

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Tilting her head, she looked at the speeder he had with him, “Is that the only one?” ​

 

[Finley Dawson]

It was apparent that Charlie was even more conflicted than he was. He wondered if she would have come with him if she had revealed the nature of her former monastery from the outset - he would have definitely insisted they check it out or ring up the NJO in the neighborhood.

In the end, with much reluctance, she finally agreed to take them to the Monastery.

"Alright...why don't you do the honors?"

He pat the steering wheel of the speeder bike. Normally, he was the pilot or driver or vehicles, but when he was with Charlie he enjoyed the passenger seat, usually snoozing away.

"Looks like sunset will occur in about four hours, that gives us enough time to check through the ruins a little before seeing your old haunts."

Charlie Nooran