The Je'daii Order, Chapter Three: When Forces Collide

[Lief]

Remaining in control of the beast which quivered within was more than a little difficult. The pure, unfiltered agony she felt as she walked through the encampment was enough to drive any empath insane, much less one who turned to a mixture of brimstone and embers should her control of those emotions slip. She could feel small pinpricks beneath her skin, which had already begun to turn an ashen grey, yet for now she ignored it and continued her mental ruminations, a meditative ritual which kept her whole.

After stepping into the tent she quickly cleaned her hands with an antibacterial scrub before turning to Ar'ekk and asking him to do the same. These people were suffering enough already without the risk of infection. A brief gust of wind had the opening to the tent flapping for just a moment, drawing her attention toward it.

"Send in the next patient" she said, as she stepped toward one of the medical stations. There were three inside the tent, the other two already in use. She didn't recognize the medics, but she was grateful for their presence all the same. Likely the Queen's men, Jyn knew most of the Je'daii by face these days.

"Most of their diagnostics reveal the same few things, it's actually a pretty quick process once you get into it and know the signs. Those with the gravest of injuries have already been tended to, though some are coming over by ship from Levia - another settlement - and when that happens it'll be all hands on deck. For now we just do a quick physical test and some blood work, make sure they don't have any of the diseases which are lingering around the encampment, and if they do... Well we already have a few remedies lying in wait."

She gestured to a medical cache to one side, which was refrigerated and housed various ampules, salves, and antibiotics. Jyn was no doctor, she could barely pass for a medic, but times were tough, and everybody had to pitch in. Thankfully they had technology which severely aided in the diagnostic process, and a few medical droids lingered in wait for anything too severe.

[member='Ar'ekk'] [member='Jade The Rogue']

 

[Lief]

He was a little presumptuous, this man who had come seeking answers, but then again when had anything she'd seen of him suggested otherwise? He was brash, uncensored, brooding... Angry and broken. All things she could, despite his disbelief, understand.

He likely looked at her and saw a child, with little to no experience in the Galaxy, but she had been through much for her years, she knew what it was to let down those she loved, those she served, to be a disappointment, and to face hardship and strife. Aellin had seen to that.

None of this was relevant, however. This was not a contest of who'd faced the more difficult life. Instead she merely shook her head and let him have his moment.

"I have seen your path, and hers" was all she said instead, "I know the harrowing experiences you both faced, the losses you took; I'm not here to anger you."

She hadn't even flinched when the fist came barreling down toward the crate. Her time on the Graveyard had left her devoid of fear where such was concerned, what could this man do to her that had not already been done?

Now came the real questions, and Asha's gaze lingered to the entrance of the tent which obscured the view of her friend beyond, the woman who - if he had bothered to look upon her at all, looked eerily similar to a certain woman. Then her gaze returned to Tracyn.

"She kept from you only what she kept from herself. A past that she lost from the pages of her own memory. The only thing she knowingly kept from you was her involvement with the Je'daii, though that came later at any rate. After you had already lost your son... During your absence."

With a heavy sigh, she looked away from him with a thoughtful expression.

"There is a woman here, on Aurum, who barely knows the truth of her heritage. If you looked her way, you'd know who it was I spoke of. She may not be your blood, she came before you entered her mother's life, but she is Asha's."

[member='Tracyn']

 

[Caesar Valen]

A Raider-class Corvette zoomed out of hyperspace overlooking the planet Aurum. A lone pilot, with a skeleton crew of droids steered the vessel towards the planet's major city, Azar. As the ship slowly made its descent into one of the landing bays unannounced the pilot sat back in his chair. His co-pilot droid looked at him.

"Master, are we just refueling?" the droid asked.

"No, I have some business to attend to, make sure everything is locked down, and open the hatch i'm going to get us some more fuel." The pilot replied.

The pilot made his way down to the main hatch, his boots clanking against the metal ramp as he descended to the docking bay. The young man was clad in an Imperial bodysuit, the one worn by TIE Fighter pilots. He stood waiting for some time. His features were strong, his hair dark like his uniform, his eyes brown like mud, and his skin a creamy tanned white. At his hip was a DC-17 Clone Wars blaster pistol replica. He had many more blasters, and equipment on board his vessel, but those were for another time. A lightsaber dangled from his left hip, silver, and very plain, an heirloom passed down from his grandfather and uncle.

 

[Lief]

"My Lady,"

The voice snapped her from her thoughts as she walked away from the group to collect her thoughts and consider how best to proceed. It seemed there would be not even a moment of respite, though what did she expect when returning to her former Seat? She ruled over Midvinter at the side of her husband, she was not foolish enough to believe that her absence would not be without its issues, though she had never expected things would be so dire.

Damn the Vong, those most ruthless of beings. She had never seen eye to eye with them, in truth it was in large part her reason for separating with the major Sith forces in the Galaxy, their integration with the otherworldly beings was a disgusting notion.

"What is it, Captain?" she said, recognizing the voice of one of the shipmasters. At once she turned to face him, offering a small yet fatigue-filled smile.

"A ship just pulled out of hyperspace, and is nearing the City."

Lifting her gaze to the skies, she noted the speck which was indeed nearing the ruined City. Too far for her to deduce its markings.

"Let them land, have a party escort them from the vessel; find out why they are here. People don't just saunter up to Aurum, it's in the middle of nowhere."

"Of course, My Lady... Or is it Your Grace? Forgive me."

Another small smile. These men had served her for a very long time, but never on Midvinter where she was Queen- they were not used to referring to her as such. "Either will do, Captain. Proceed... Oh, and be sure to bring them to me once you find out if they are friend or foe."

"At once, Your Grace."

He turned to leave, and Kära could not help but frown. Aurum had once been a paradise untouched by the Galaxy, and now? Well, there was nothing Utopian about a broken planet.

As she worked her way toward the Spaceport, where the ship would soon come in to land, she sent out a mental message to her personal ship which was likewise docked within one of the hangars.

Send for me the moment Theryn wakes... Soon the chaos involved with initial set up would be over, and then it would be safe for her boy to roam the City at her side. For now? She wasn't going to risk it.

[member="Caesar Valen"]

 

[Caesar Valen]

As the pilot waited patiently foot steps approached and soon a squad of armed men were around him.

"Halt! In the name of the Queen identify yourself!" The squad leader said pointing a Saber pike at the pilot.

"My name is Caesar Valen, i've come to refuel and search for the Je'daii Order." He replied calmly while raising his arms.

"Relinquish your weapons and tell me where you come from?" he barked.

The Imperial pilot undid his belt, and let it drop to the floor before kicking it over to one of the guards armed with a DLT-20A rifle. The guard knelt down, and picked up the belt containing his DC-17 Blaster Pistol, and silver lightsaber.

"I'm from Bastion originally I fled after the Sith captured my homeworld, and I've been living with family in Rishi for some time before deciding to come here."

"Come with us then. You two stay with the ship," He pointed to two guards armed with blaster rifles to guard the landing platform.

The pilot was lead out of the docking bay, and to a more luxurious part of town. He felt he might have been mistaken for an Imperial, though he was an Imperial, but not one that obeyed the Sith. His allegiance lay with the Fel Empire, and its subjects who were now scattered across the galaxy living in exile.

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

Jade heard voices, someone saying something about a next patient. She thought for a moment about going, but decided against it. There were others with severe physical injuries.

She could sense someone, an old man, just clinging to life. With a weak wave of her hand, Jade gave the man some of her own energy, so he can survive just long enough for the doctors to save him. Jade felt as if she was going to collapse. The pain from the light and dark fighting in her forced her to slide to a sitting position against the tree. She panted, but kept quiet.

 

[Arekk]

As they walked through the medical tent reviewing each patient's condition, Ar'ekk couldn't feel but sad of what Aurum was going through. It was a sight he swore would never want to see again yet it was something unavoidable, painful memories of pain and suffering. He knew Jyn's reaction to emotions had an immediate effect on her but apparently held back with ease, much better than years ago when they last saw eachother. As a sign of respect, Ar'ekk bowed before every patient and quietly waited behind Jyn as she performed the assessments of every person.

"I have some medical supplies in my ship. They are not much but will suffice to help your people." he suggested amicably to his old friend. The promise of helping those in need would never fade from his mind as he did during war time. No more he would want to see a sad face in a child or a hurtful one on anyone at all.

The Padawan sensed something, a feeling oddly familiar. The Force was strong and worked in many different ways, someone in the camp had a strong connection with it. And from afar, a dangerous feeling as well. He felt he was in danger due to early encounters, so his demeanor changed entirely. The apprentice pulled his hood up to cover his head and walk along without revealing much of himself, he was more aware of his sorroundings now.

"I sense something but I am not sure what it is. How possible it is that the Sith come here, Jyn?"

[member="Jade The Rogue"] [member="Caesar Valen"] [member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Her feet led her down toward the spaceport, where a group of guards were leading who she could only imagine to be the Captain of the vessel in her direction.

She frowned at their unnecessary use of weapons, especially given that the man was clearly unarmed, yet she could not blame their distrust. Even the Je'daii had acted similarly to her return. Emotions were running high here, it seemed, what with all the destruction and sickness.

"That's far enough, thank you Captain,"

With a nod of her head she dismissed the Guards and stepped closer to the offworlder, head tilted somewhat to the left in curiosity.

"Ensure any belongings you removed from his person are returned to his ship."

When the two of them were alone, or as alone as could be expected given the general traffic of the area, with Je'daii and the Queens men rushing to tend to the injured, she offered him a small smile.

"Forgive their distrusting nature, this world has been through so much that even the potential for further threats is being diminished. My name is Kära, and you are?"

[member="Caesar Valen"]

 

[Caesar Valen]

"Good evening your majesty," The pilot said with a smirk of his own as he gave a formal bow.

"I'm Caesar Valen, I've come looking for the Je'daii to train. I heard that they are here conducting humanitarian aid."

His mocha color eyes met hers, a slight breeze swung his thick hair from side to side. He stood waiting her response, anticipating what was to come.

 

[Ryiah Tenriem]

The Force was a living thing, something beyond the scope of mortal and eyes and, perhaps, even beyond the scope of what mortals would understand as living, existing in a state beyond what was seen as 'Life'. But, no matter the case, the Force was Life, Dark and Light both, and, so, it breathed its own rhythmic pattern, an ebb and flow to its waves as it wove its way across the Galaxy. It was that pattern, that evidence of life, that Ryiah matched. With ever inhale, she took in the Force at the peak of its own breath, letting it fill her body, stabilising her fragile core. And with every exhale, she allowed it to escape her, let it flow back out and join with nature once more.

With every inhale, flames would spark to life: pain, suffering, righteous anger, every emotion would serve to fuel those fires and they would grow brighter and brighter, hotter and hotter, threatening to consume her, burn her from the inside out. Then, she'd breath out and the calm would return, flames quenched to a smolder, still there but more reserved, more controlled and tamed. In and out. Circular in nature just as the Force was. In and out.

A final, stuttered exhale would herald the breaking of the trance that the Echani had fallen into. Grey eyes stared out once more into the world, gazing blankly at the ground before her, unseeing as he mind waded through the swampy mire left behind by the trance, a sense of exhaustion blossoming to life within her body as the weight of her broken mind, the burden once shared with the Force, was placed directly upon her shoulders once more. It was this fact that conjured the sad smile that accompanied the exhausted gaze. Ryiah knew she was broken when in the trance, could acknowledge it, but, with the Force helping her bear the burden of such knowledge, the future seemed bright and hopeful. Now, with that burden heavy once more, it was a struggle to lift her head and gaze towards the dawn of a new day with hope.

For a moment, the silence that had existed from the meditation continued to remain, but, soon, it would be shattered, fragile pieces of glass falling to the ground. A stifled, demorolised sob would fall from trembling lips as Ryiah's entire body seemed to fall limp as she collapsed to the ground. Fingers tightened against the ground, almost as if desperate to hold on to something solid, something real - blades of grass being grasped between clenched fingers - as Ryiah fought against the whispers. For, now, with the balance granted to her by the Force, it was louder, more dogged and infinitely more vicious in its pursuit to break her.

After all, while insanity was a burden even when you couldn't realise that you were insane, when you could recognise the pressing weight of insanity it much, much worse as you could see the precipice looming before you.

An age seemed to past in the perspective of the young woman. An age in which she fought against the voice that persisted in the back of her mind. An age in which she struggled to keep her eyes from doing anything more than watering slightly. An age in which she attempted to keep the sobs welling up from her chest contained and hidden. An age in which she failed at all but one of those attempts. For when she pushed herself up onto her elbows, tear stains delicate features - an ugly expression of her sorry - and her eyes were bloodshot. But, the whispers were suppressed once more, hidden away until they would be strong enough to once more haunt her nightmares. After all, it had been a long time since Ryiah had dreamed of pleasant matters, a long time since she had been able to rest without bolting awake in a desperate attempt to stifle her cries. And, so, she knew that while they were gone for now, those whispers would be back that very night, knew that her insanity continued to loom ever close.

In and out. The mantra that she had held while in her meditation cut through such depressing thoughts with a panicked suddenness. "In and out." This time the words would be uttered outloud in her cursive accent as she fought to wrangle her breathing and get it to obey the mantra once more. "In and out."

Soon the panic began to subside and Ryiah heaved herself to her feet from the position she lay in: her front lay out upon the ground apart from where she had propped herself up on her elbows Wiping at her face with rushed hands, seeking to do away with the evidence of her break down, Ryaih rolled her shoulders, whispering to herself. "I am broken, but I am whole. I am my own tool, theirs no longer. I am broken, but I own myself wholly. I will conquer this, I will master myself and I will know balance. I am my own tool."

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

@Ar'ekk


Jade could hear footsteps as someone walked close. The person was one of the neutral Jedi types, a padawan.

"Hello, young one." Jade coughed weakly and strained to breathe.

 

[Arekk]

The unmistakable voice of the person next to him caught his attention right away, she had been walking amongst the injured just as he did a few moments ago. She motioned him over and he obliged, bowing before her but noticing afterwards she was, in fact, blind. Regardless, the eyes could be deceveing to oneself. The woman seemed to struggle spewing the words out of her mouth but he showed the respect of someone like her deserved.

"Greetings." he replied back to [member="Jade The Rogue"], a warm smile unveiling upon his face. The connection with the Force was strong between them, a familiar bond uniting both just as many others on Aurum. Ar'ekk wondered what were her intentions to approach him randomly out of everyone around them.

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

Jade felt him sitting next to her. She winced, nearly crying out as the conflicting force energies twisted painfully in her. She placed a hand on her heart, which was beating rapidly.

Sound and smell tunneled into a tunnel "vision" effect, her force sight swirled dangerously.

 

[Alan]

He felt his anger swell up- coming to a white hot burning rage, threatening to burn away years of control when she spoke. He ran a hand through his hair, thinking carefully over the woman's words. They were like venom to his veins, more dangerous than the Sith poisons. More secrets. More deception. More truths to be found of his wife.

"You know absolutely nothing. What do you mean she is Asha's? Where can I find her?"

Tracyn rolled his fingers, and unfurled his fists. His anger was beginning to get the better of him.

[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk grimaced at the sudden reaction performed by the blind woman who seemed in deep agony. He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to give this person some relief but feeling the strong emotions building up.

"Don't be afraid." he said in a soft tone to [member="Jade The Rogue"]. The easier it would get to go through this strange episode, he was there to support her despite being complete strangers.


The Force worked in mysterious ways. What could this be?

 

[Northwood Galaxy]

"Conflicting force energies.... Suspeptable to force sickness......". Jade could barely focus.


(I will write a thing on force sickness, once I find the right words to explain.)

 

[Lief]

Interesting.

It seemed as though the Je'daii were garnering a lot of interest from offworlders, this made the second one to appear within the last couple of minutes, since she and Jyn had finished their discussions. With a slight nod of her head she gestured toward the white humanitarian tent within which medics were tending to the sick and injured.

"You can find their Speaker inside that tent, her name is Jyn Sol. As far as I can tell she's the closest thing they have to a leader."

Kära stepped aside for a moment, so that he could pass if he wished to, turning her gaze over the boy. He bore markings she hadn't seen in quite some time, not since the true Empire still stirred within the Galaxy.

"What is a member of the Imperium doing seeking out Je'daii? Or perhaps you're from the fallen Fel Empire..." It was hard to keep up with things these days, but the lad looked to be an Imperial Knight all the same. The world she had once governed, Bastion, had been a central hub for them at one point, after the Sith Empire fell into ruin.

A shame.

[member="Caesar Valen"]

 

[Lief]

"Keep your supplies" she said, as a young child was gently led toward her station and lifted onto the makeshift gurney, "Who knows when you might need them on a world like this, friend."

She smiled to the little boy who was staring with wide eyes, he wasn't a Togorian which made her believe that the Levian settlers must have begun to arrive. No doubt he had been born after the glassing of this world; reports had likened Levia to a primitive state, who knew if he had ever seen technology before.

"Hello there, little one," she began, as she brought a stethoscope-like contraption from the side table and settled the relevant parts to her ears, "This may be a little cold, but it won't hurt." She brought the cool metal end to his chest, beneath his shirt, and listened to his heart beat and his breathing in unison. A slight rattle could be felt within his chest with each breath he took, though Jyn did a good job of keeping her dismay from her expression. She looked instead to the mother, at least who she pegged to be the mother given that she had brought him in.

"It's nothing serious, similar to what many have been experiencing. I'll give him a small shot, and then pass you some medication for him to take. Once daily, until you run out."

The woman gave a slight nod of her head, and when Jyn began to administer the injection she noticed that [member='Ar'ekk'] had become preoccupied talking to a strange woman. Jyn vaguely remembered her from the day they landed, though she had taken off before any of the Je'daii could properly talk to her. Hopefully her friend could get to the bottom of the situation.

 

[Caesar Valen]

"I'm no Sith I can tell you that. I'm from Bastion when it was ruled by the Fel Imperium, and yourself. I only seek to complete the training I never really started. That's why I'm here." Caesar said answering the queen's question.

He made his way towards the tent that Queen Heathfire indicated was the location of the Je'daii's leader. A knot formed in his stomach as he came to terms that he had made it. He crossed the galaxy, and outran a dozen dangers to finally come face to face with the Je'daii. Although an apolitical group, Caesar sought training in their philosophy of the Force, the closest link to the Imperial Knights' training regimen. The most important criterion the Je'daii fulfilled was that of balance.

The young man approached the tent, and lifted the flap of canvas exposing a young woman besides a young boy. Clearly she was nursing him back to health, physically and mentally by comforting him. Caesar reached out, searching for the right words.

With an internal sigh he finally said, "Hello."

[member="Kära Hearthfire"]

 

[Lief]

Just as she was finishing up she heard the tent flap open and felt a delicate gust of wind tug at her pulled back hair. She gave the young boy another smile before lifting him back down from the table and handing his mother the relevant medication.

"Remember, just once daily. Anymore and you'll aggravate the sickness."

Mother and son wandered back the way they had initially come, and Jyn turned to watch them leave. A voice broke through the tent, and she looked to its owner with mild curiosity.

"You're not sick" she said, having become accustomed to the sight and smell of the diseases which ran rampant through this broken nation. Understanding hit her as she properly looked him over, noting the armour which was all too familiar to her. Flashbacks from her earlier years in the Imperium, at Tirdarius' side. Belkedan, and Moira. So much had changed since then.

She gestured to one of the waiting medics who was stood to one side, offering them her station, before swiftly cleaning her hands with some sanitizer.

"What can I help you with, friend?" she asked as she stepped toward him, her place immediately being taken over. There was no time for an empty station with so many men and women seeking aid.

[member="Caesar Valen"]