The Punishment Due... (TJO/Pub and LS Jedi Only)

[Ket Van-Derveld]

Ket began to pace, circling around Kana slowly, methodically. To those who did not understand, it would seem as if he were springing a very well laid trap, one that went to the farthest lengths for the most simple of reasons. Yet, anyone who could feel him, within the Force, within the Living Force, they could feel his entire motive. This was not as trap, this was not some elaborate scheme. No, this was Ket Van-Derveld finally giving back by showing a Jedi what it was to be a TRUE Jedi. Something the Order seemed to lack in sufficient quantity.

"Sure of myself, you say? No... No, I am sure of only one thing; The Force. I hear it every moment of my existence. And so do you. You heard it's call so long ago. Back when you parents gave you nothing but a passing glance. Back when you thought yourself nothing more than ornamental, a show piece for them, something to elevate their own status, even if just a bit. A cog in the machine..."

He stopped walking, standing in front of her, facing the wall, his back to her. He reached a hand into his coat, and slowly, he revealed a small piece of wood. It was a shard, from what looked like a crate. It had a painted stencil upon it's surface, just a bit of it, not enough to make out a word. But there it was, within his hand, held out so she could see it, but still he did not turn.

"Do you still wonder why you were merely given 'what would do'? Do you still think on that fateful day? Or have you given it up? I know the answer. The real question is do you?"


[member="Kana Truden"]

 

[Kana Truden]

Eyes wide open if only for a second. No, she suppressed those memories long ago, a passing mention would not phase her yet she shot a passing glance at her right leg at the mention of 'what would do'. This entire conversation was taking a turn she had not in her life have predicted and her eyes followed the man in shock as she tried to think of something to say. Struggling to find the words she opened her mouth.

“I-... ” Her eyes lost track and she stared right ahead. Why could she not sense any ill intentions? “You found an old memory, good for you.”

Her past. The whole point of her exile had been to wipe the slate clean. She had made progress, all her time at the academy had been spent trying to get over it. Everything had been fine since last year. Yet here they were with a former sith bringing it up like it was the evening news. She maintained her calm and let her attention shift to the small item in [member="Ket Van-Derveld"]’s hands. Where had he gotten that? She made no effort to point it out. Had he intended to stab her he would have done it by now. At least that's what she suspected.

“I don’t think on it anymore. I’ve come to terms with my past, Mister Van-Derveld.”

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

Ket finally turned his gaze upon her, cold and lifeless pale blue eyes devoid of malice or hatred. No, his was a look of pity, of sad and solemn pain. Old wounds which ached like no other. He had them in countless numbers, he knew of such pains all too well. He set the piece of the wooden crate down at her feet, and then righted himself once more. He smoothed out his shirt, and looked at her with a knowing look of contemplation.

"Lie to me if you must. Lie to all if you feel the need. But to lie to yourself...to know as I know, to feel as I feel...to hold back so much pain and anguish and try to hide it behind painted lips and seductive eyes..."

He took a few steps forward, and came face to face with her. His rugged face, holding the anguish and depression of a thousand men. His eyes, once full of zeal only showing the real turmoil within. His was a soul laid bare, for all to see. And one day soon should she not listen to his words, she would be the same as he.

"You, Kana Truden, are living a fantasy. You try so hard to contain the past, to leave it where it lies, and to move on. Yet it holds you like a chain that cannot be broken. It stretches far now, but it's always been there. And it will always be there. It is the lynch-pin that a Sith less skilled than I will one day yank upon with nary a thought. It will bring to your knees, and that hatred you hold over your life, over your parents, over yourself... It will bring you further into the pit of despair than you ever thought possible. And then, like me, you will find yourself a servant to the Dark Path. It will promise you redemption, crooked promises of power to overcome. Those who are as I once was will promise you everything, and for a time, you will have it. And then they will yank back those shackles harder than you could ever imagine. And when they do, you will find yourself stuck down in the darkness, with no means of escape."

Ket bowed his head a moment, looking down to his feet as his voice softened, and broke just a bit.

"That hatred that you try so hard to bottle up will lead you to despair and doom you to a life not worth living. And the sad part is, you will not realize it until it's too late. Coming to terms with one's past is all well and good. But you have yet to let it go. Only then will that chain be forever broken..."

[member="Kana Truden"], [member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Shule Windspeaker"], [member="Ryan Korr"]

 

[Tydeus of Tion]

Ryan nodded curtly to [member="Kana Truden"] as she took a swift exit. He wondered briefly what she had been about to say, but she would likely tell him later if it was truly important. He found himself alone with [member="Corvus Raaf"]. Stern gray eyes stared the object of Varus Shatterstar's unrequited affection. A pretty, olive skinned face with pouting lips, mischievous eyes and a dark mane of hair. He wondered what lay beneath that shyness of hers, a shyness that was abruptly dispelled by her forward approach.

The redhead snorted. "Hardly."

His gaze looked past her, at the door, and he narrowed his eyes. "I've sent out the appropriate messages. I suppose now we wait for the Republic to put him on trial. The Protectorate also has a file on him. He's a terrorist wanted for mass murder. He might be extradited. I can't say."

Korr gave a heavy sigh through the nose. "All he wants is judgement. That's what he told me. How can I, how can any of us, extend redemption to a man who isn't truly penitent?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Ket Van-Derveld"] [member="Kana Truden"]

Shule coughed gently.

"A little less on 'painted lips and seductive eyes,' Ket."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus held her head in place as she listened to Ryan. She had a habit of nodding when people spoke - which suggested approval - as if she was in a position to agree or disagree with everyone's view. So she simply listened. She wanted to nod, his summary of the situation was precise and succinct.

"I fear too many Jedi will want to have a piece of our prisoner in there. I am minded of the words of Odan-Urr," she could control one habit well enough but two in the same sentence? Impossible. "'Use the Force to satisfy the will of the Force — not to satisfy your own curiosity.' How many more will want to visit him? How far from across the galaxy will Jedi come just to be the one to solve the enigma that sits in that room? For what it's worth, I hope he does repent and can be redeemed. But in my mind that is not for us to say. He is a Galactic Republic prisoner, not a Jedi one. It is for the politicians to decide his fate."

She looked back at the door, her brow furrowing. "I hope I did the right thing there." She shook her head and looked back at Knight Korr. "I must trust in the Force, eh? Now where can I get a decent cup of stim-caf from around here?"

[member="Ryan Korr"]

 

[Kana Truden]

A calm and collected approach to the whole thing was starting to feel impossible. He kept pressing her buttons, every single one. She may have been bottling feelings up for ages but not once had she acted on it. Never had she let her own personal sorrows spill out over anyone except herself. Years in drunk and blissfully ignorant bliss, nights in solitary meditation as she contemplated everything that was wrong with her. Of course she bottled such things up, who cared about her anyway? Who would listen to her in her time of need?

Obviously some people would. She shot a second glance at the door. One of the few people she knew to truy care about her was right there. Her eyes wandered around the bare cell before they set on the prisoner again. Getting a read on him was hard. Maybe he had reformed, maybe he hadn’t.

“You’re going out of your way to rip open doors that should remain closed, [member="Ket Van-Derveld"].” The first sign of frustration kicked in and she clenched her hand into a tight little ball before letting go of the tension. “I am a Jedi Knight. A rank I reached by myself with the help of my friends. I would not have gotten this far if I didn’t know how to put my feelings aside yet here you are trying to destabilize everything I worked for.”

“So tell me, Ket Van-Derveld. Tell me if you can exactly what you’re doing here. Are you here to seek repentance? Do you crave forgiveness for your crimes or are you just here to play with the mind of a one-in-a-million Jedi Knight that stands below-the-average of what is expected of her?

We all face our inner demons every single day. It’s why you are here, isn’t it? No sith would willingly turn themselves in unless something inside of them changed. You’re in a Republic cell because somewhere along the track you grew a conscience. You are on what could quite possibly be your own personal highway to death row yet you're trying your best to lead me astray.

The dark side is hard to resist, you don’t think I know that? I fought with every fibre of my being not to give into the sith poisoning on Zeltros just as I am fighting every urge I have to walk out that door right now. Do you know why I am here, Ket? Because there are other ‘jedi’ out there who would want nothing for you but to cut you down in this very cell and call it a day. But not me. I want to see justice done, I want you to redeem yourself but somehow even I am on the cusp of giving that up.

So tell me right now - if you can - why I shouldn’t be walking out that door.”

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

Yes. Yes, he pressed her buttons. He jabbed them like a hammer hitting a nail full bore. And there was a reason for it. He did not want her to fall. And she was ever so close, no matter what she said to him, to anyone. The pure anger and self-loathing came through clear as a night sky on Tatooine when she clenched that fist, even if for but a moment. But No matter how he thought or felt, a moment was all he needed. He'd seen too much, done too much, been through too much to see things any other way. He took note as she looked to the door to the cell first. She cared for one across it's threshold, more-so than she would admit to. That was a good thing. Friendship was a core value of the Jedi of old. Jedi of now looked at it far too fleetingly.

"You want to know? Are you prepared to know, Kana? Because I can tell you simply, or in great detail. And I know all too well that a simple answer will not suffice for you. You crave knowledge, but the knowledge you seek is not the knowledge you need."

Ket moved even closer now, until he was almost nose to nose with the girl. And he bent his head down and looked to her with lifeless eyes. He could feel her pent up rage and frustration begin to boil over. It reminded him all too much of himself at an even younger age. And as one who'd been on her end of things, he knew full well what was needed in this situation. Brutal, uncompromising honesty.

"The Dark Side is not something you resist, Kana. It's something you fight. And you WILL fight it, every single day of your life. You are not here to see justice done, little girl. You are not here to see that punishment is carried out, to see me pay for my crimes. You are here because you know deep down that I am right. I've watched you since the day you were born. The Force grants powerful visions, Kana, to those who can see them. I have lept across time itself, over 8 centuries I have watched this galaxy. I saw the plague, I watched the rise and fall of empires. And as I lay in my hibernation, I saw visions of those whom I thought the Darkside craved as it's own. And so I watched, and kept note of them all."

Ket took a step back, and pulled his jacket off slowly. As the leather fell tot he floor, his shirt followed suit. The skin beneath was tattooed, of course. But it was scarred and branded as well. Names she knew all too well lay upon his flesh, raised up from the rest. Truden. Raaf. Karr. Eden. Diamonds. Olar. Peradun. Elaris. They were there for her to see now, and he made no motion to hide them.

"As I sat there, as Aseir Inari healed my mind, and I nearly died, there was but one thing that kept me alive. One thought. That these names upon my skin were not those I was to bring into the Darkness' service. These were those whom the FOrce had called to me to protect. To keep safe from the Dark Path. To watch over as a protector. This is why I've come, Kana. Not to seek Redemption. No, I've come to do the Force's bidding. We are ALL servents to the Force, whether we choose to be or not. THIS is why I've done what I've done. You think me here to take you back to the Sith as some sort of triumphant trophy?"

Ket's face, for the first time in many years, contorted into a look of disappointment and disgust.

"I'm here to show you just how close you are to becoming Sith Master Kana Truden. I will not let that happen. Think on this, Kana. I have the power to simply walk out that door, and I could drag you with me, kicking and screaming, and not one of those Knights and Masters could hope to stop me. I was the one who brought forth utter destruction of Telos so long ago. I once commanded the Sith as if they were my own personal plaything. Yet here I am, willing in a jailcell, where my own death may come sooner than we think, trying to show you."

It was then that he closed his eyes. He began to calm himself, to center himself, and he made no attempt to hide it. Not from Kana, nor from Master Raaf or Knight Korr outside. Not from Master Windspeaker who kept himself in the corner, watching. He let forth the peaceful calm of the living Force pour from him. An enigma? Not in the least. All one needed to do was to look deep within him, and they would see he truly was not the same man he once was. No, now he WAS a man, and no longer the Monster he had once been.

"You, Kana Truden, need to understand that coming to terms with your past is not enough. You need to face it head on, with open eyes. You need to look at that past, and forgive not only those who once hurt you, but YOURSELF. And you need to realize that you ARE worthy of your title. Once you understand that you did not become a Jedi, but that the Force CHOSE you to be a Jedi, you will know peace. You will know forgiveness, and then, and ONLY then, will you understand the lesson I am trying to teach you. Your friends helped you, and the Force guided you, but you heeded it's call. Not to escape your past, but to tell your past that it did not DEFINE you. The FORCE defines you. The FORCE shows you the path. Yes, you walk it, but until you let go, Kana, until you look at yourself and say that you are not a product of what shaped you, but a product of what the Force willed you to be..."

Ket whispered this last part, as it was something it took him 800 years to come to understand. "...you will never be whole."




[member="Kana Truden"], [member="Shule Windspeaker"], [member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Kian Karr"], [member="Ryan Korr"], [member="Darius Olar"], [member="Avalore Eden"], [member="Kiskla Grayson"], [member="Meeristali Peradun"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]

 

[Kana Truden]

She wanted to step away as he got closer. Proximity was not her thing, not with strangers. Her eyes closed and her head turned the other way. A look of unease on her face that disappeared as the man backed off. She could breathe again. He removed his shirt and the names of people she knew appeared. Convinced at first that it was a trick she wanted to question it, but as the names Kian Karr, Johnny Diamonds and Avalore Eden grew clearer she began to slowly back further away. Staggering backwards she reached for the chair she had sat upon only a few moments ago.

Except for her own name the names of Raaf, Karr and Diamonds were all familiar to her but the others wasn’t. The others were people whose names she had only heard of one way or the other but she did not know these people. She slumped down into the chair and stared at the man’s back with jittering eyes. Either he had successfully pressed all her buttons or she had finally given up. Her eyes looked for the floor and she took a deep breath as her hand reached up for her forehead. Her elbow found support from her hand and in a final gesture she shakily stroked her eyebrows for comfort.

No words could find her. Her calm was gone and slowly replaced by a feeling of defeat. Defeat that she felt every time her parents talked down to her. The same need to go hide in a remote corner. Her eyes shone up but there were no tears, she had learned to battle those long ago.

"I've tried to let go so many times, yet they've always come back to haunt me one way or the other. The insults and letdowns, the actions and inactions of my family..." She looked at the bare-chested man. "How do I let the bad parts go when they're all I've known?"

[member="Ket Van-Derveld"]​

 

[Tydeus of Tion]

"Yes," Ryan muttered, brows creasing together, "trust the Force."

He glanced toward the door. The third presence was still unknown to him, but he strangely had no feelings of apprehension or worry. There was something relaxing about that presence. He chewed the inside of his cheek. Well, if Corvus wasn't alarmed with the third party then Ryan supposed he could trust her. She had risen up the ranks faster than him, so to speak. Ryan had been off on too many missions and his lack of students made him a poor choice for Master. He understood. The responsibility was a heavy one and something he wasn't sure he was ready for yet.

Smokey eyes and red lips drew his attention back.

"Hmm?" He raised a brow, "Stimcaf. Yes."

Korr started walking toward the rec room. "This way."

Boots clicked against the sterile white floor. He turned into a small room down the hall and poured Corvus a steaming cup of liquid energy.

"Here." He held it out.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

Ket stood quietly, buttoning up the white dress shirt once more over his tattooed, scarred and branded torso. Slowly, he slid the leather coat back over his arms, and he turned to look to Kana as she finally sat there, defeated and dejected. She was a vast wealth of misery and pain, something a real Sith would jump head over heels to have. Yet, he showed no sense of joy, no feelings of happiness nor pleasure. No, all that anyone could feel from this entire room now was immense pain and depression. Ket exuded both in spades, feeling so, so low and worthless at bringing this lone Jedi Knight mentally to her knees. But it was needed, the Force desired such, for the Force had told him long ago, she was to be broken and then built back up as the Force saw fit. The Force was a living, sentient thing, and that alone was lost on so many, be them Sith, Jedi, or anything in-between. The Force was it's own mind, it's own being. It ebbed and flowed like any life in this galaxy, and had been around longer than any sentient life-form, than any race or creed. The Force itself was eternal. It was it's own deity, and it would have as it wished, one way or another.

Moving to Kana as she sat there, on the verge of crying her eyes out, Ket kneeled down, and took her chin within his own hand, lifting her up to look to him, eye to eye.

"Kana, I would gladly give my life without a thought if it meant saving yours. And that is exactly what I am doing. For you, for Corvus, for Darius, and Kian, and Stali, and Johnny, for all of you. The Jedi need those like you. Pure of heart, pure of intent. Those who can truly fight back against the Dark Tide of the Sith that slowly crawls across the stars. You want to know how to let the bad parts go? You've answered it already!"

Ket smiled to her, letting the Force fill him, and in turn, wash over her. Over even Shule, and Corvus and Ryan far from them. A pure, wonderful, all-encompassing feeling of joy and protection. A feeling he himself had not felt in centuries. And for once, far removed from when he could remember it, Ket smiled genuinely.

"All you need to do is accept that your past is just that; the past. You need only look forward to the future. To your friends, to those Jedi who are your true family. And I promise you, Jedi Knight Kana Truden, I shall always be there for you. Even when you look at me as the scum of the galaxy, a former Sith you cannot trust, know that *I* shall always protect you for that is what the Force wills of ME. The Force is our guide, our life-force, our very reason for being. And I shall heed it's word. You shall always be one of the few that I will keep safe. And even if I should be put to death for my past, I shall find a way back, and guide you even then. You will never, ever fall so long as you remember me. For I am within the Force as it is within me. You are strong, Kana. Remember that, and remember it well, for the Force shall guide you and show you all you need to know. The Force has chosen you to be it's eyes, and it's voice. But the Force is all encompassing. There are many it has chosen. But only when those who have been chosen heed that call, can the Force show it's divine light, and extinguish the Darkness that plagues us all. The True Jedi shall overcome, for that is the Will of the Force."

And Ket smiled, placing his hand upon Kana's forehead. He quietly spoke to himself in a language even he did not truly understand. And as he did, the warmth and joy of the Force would fill them both, and it would show her the visions intended for her, and her alone. For she was chosen, and the Force would not forsake her. So it was written in flesh, and so it shall be. But such a moment was personal, and to any who could see it, to any who could feel it, all they would feel was the true warmth and joy of the Living Force. Nothing more, and nothing less.


[member="Kana Truden"], [member="Kian Karr"], [member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Kiskla Grayson"], [member="Avalore Eden"], [member="Shule Windspeaker"]

 

[Avalore Eden]

Far, far across the galaxy, many systems and planets and suns and moons away....

Avalore Eden could be found partaking in the morning ritual of her daily run across the bridge-cities of Cato Neimoidia.

Coming to a partition within the foggy morning chill, the Jedi ran in place while she allowed for other early-bird citizens to pass before going on her way. Feeling a strange sensation, like that of a sneeze building in one's face, she reached up to idly rub at her nose, sniffled, then shook the sensation off for good measure before returning to her jaunt.

Eden, convinced she'd recently developed an allergy to responsibility, couldn't know of whatever cosmic power that be had conjured the strange feeling from half a galaxy away.

Simple. She liked things simple, not divinely complicated. Allergy to responsibility. There's a pill for that, right?

She'd check at the Ossus archives next she visited the Temple. For now - onwards! And maybe a quick stop for some brek.


((Enjoying this thread for a good read, just bopping in to show you I've been watching!))

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus felt the Force. Not since she was learning with Knight [member="Adele Adonai"] had she felt such a strong connection - but this time it was not of her own doing. Someone was choosing to do this. For a micro-second she was alarmed but, as ever, she trusted in the Force. There were no alarm bells either physically or mentally, so she relaxed. It was an odd sensation. At once enjoyable and protective but also a little unsettling due to the current circumstances.

It didn't need a mathematician to calculate who was generating the wave of the Force. She knew Ryan would have felt it too. She raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the drink and...as for that display just there. Proof of something or a wolf pulling the sheep's clothing tighter?" She had placed faith in the prisoner. She'd encouraged Kana to enter the room with him. She'd probably influenced Ryan into let this all happen. The Force was telling her she'd made the right decision - but not for the first time she reflected on the Code - and the thorny subject of attachments.

[member="Ryan Korr"]

 

[Kana Truden]

She remained quiet as their eyes met. Proximity, touching, eye contact. It was not what she wanted yet she couldn’t do anything about it. She didn’t consider herself pure of heart. Perhaps a mess of emotions, but not pure of heart. It was that self-doubt talking again but with the reemergence of old memories there was a resurfacing of old forgotten emotions as well. Ket’s hand dropped from her chin and before she knew any better a warm, fuzzy feeling spread through the air.

His smile though uncomforting at first became ‘bearable’ as the warmth of the force entered the room. Uncertainty faded and slowly found itself replaced by a vague sense of security as the man went on about his ‘lesson’. He seemed adamant in his ways. He wasn’t looking for an excuse or redemption, he wasn’t looking for anything. He was looking after something. The idea that she had some sort of vigilant guardian looking after her was strange. Then he reached for her forehead.

Images flashed by yet they were clear as day. Like memories except something about them was odd. They felt unwritten, like visions. It was Kana on top of a hill overlooking a vast empty nothing with a pair of blurry figures. There was a strange feeling of peace yet when she tried to focus on who the blurry pictures the illusion faded like a cloud to the summer winds.

A new vision appeared and she found herself in front of a new group. The image was blurrier than ever but as she focused she swore she could make out the contours of herself and… Elias? Francis, Illyana, Calista and Aalya. They were all there yet there were no pain or belittling. They were-... Kana was thrown back into reality with a gasp. Had she just seen her family happy with something she had done?

Her eyes darted around the room again as she tried to make sense of it all. She wasn’t happy and she wasn’t sad, she simply felt something but she didn’t know what. Her mouth were hanging open in surprise. Her limbs were locked and she couldn’t move. There was only one thing going through her mind.

‘What was that?’

[member="Ket Van-Derveld"]​

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Kana Truden"] [member="Ket Van-Derveld"]

The Force washed over him, unmistakably Light Side, and he slurped the last of his caf -- still watching, still listening.

 

[Tydeus of Tion]

"Hmm. Lightside."

Ryan Korr heaved another long sigh and massaged the bridge of his nose.

"It's proof of something alright."

Did it make him a bad person that he almost wished Ket hadn't made the jump? Yes. Stars, everything would be so simple if the man was just an unrepentant bastard who wanted judgement. Ryan clenched his teeth. I'm a fool. Redemption, could it be offered to the man? Nobody deserved it. Ryan knew that, but it didn't stop him from resenting the man for his choice. The right choice.

Korr's hand moved to stroke the stubble on his chin. At last he breathed in deeply and let the Force flood in, a river that carried all worldly things away. Ryan released his hold on frustration, anger and resentment, letting them all slip away downstream in that eternal river. There is no emotion. There is peace.

Well, it didn't work every time, but this time Ryan felt the burden fall from his shoulders. He wondered if [member="Ket Van-Derveld"] felt the same, on a larger scale.

Finally, he shrugged and looked [member="Corvus Raaf"] square in the eye.

"Too bad converting isn't a get out of jail free card."

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

He watched Kana as she came to a slow realization after the Force showed her the visions meant for her, and he took a step back, watching her. He could feel her confusion, and yet, he understood it. He looked to her, and in that moment, he spoke to her, lowly, yet, kindly.

"Kana...you have seen that which the Force has planned for you. Nothing more or less. The Force shows us that which it desires. The Force is ALIVE. There is a reason certain Jedi speak of the Living Force. Yet, in this modern age, most JEDI forget that the meaning of the term is literal. The Force has it's own agenda, but it is one of hope, joy, and peace. The Force wants us to bend our knee to it, but it is a merciful master, a mistress of great comfort. That is why the SIth shall forever fail. The seek to bend the Force to their will. They fail to see that the Force has it's own will, and that those of us with the ability to see and hear it know that it's will will lead us to greater things."

Ket took a knee, and looked up to Kana for but a moment. And as they made eye contact, Ket's head bowed, and he spoke words meant for an apprentice to give to their master.

"I am forever you protector, Kana Truden. This is the path laid out for me by the Force. And I shall always be it's servant. Any time you need me, be it for guidance, knowledge, or physical protection, I swear upon all that I am...I shall be there for you. For the Force is my Ally, and a powerful ally it is."

And with that, he looked to Kana, and smiled, is face softening to the point where any who challenged his claim to being a Jedi would find themselves second guessing. He knew he must still pay for all that he'd done, but he'd end his own existence before letting anyone derail the path the Force had shown him. There were so many more who needed his guidance, his protection, the answers only he could give. And until he was done, he would not be deterred. By anyone, or any thing. The Force was his Master, and he would heed that call until he could draw breath no longer.


[member="Hal Terrano"], [member="Avalore Eden"], [member="Kana Truden"], [member="Ryan Korr"], [member="Kian Karr"], [member="Corvus Raaf"], [member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kian Karr]

The news of the surrender of [member="Ket Van-Derveld"] came to Kian first as rumor and gossip. That was often how the intelligence he gathered on a near constant basis often came to him, then he went to work, gathering more intelligence. That was how Kian preferred to operate.....going into a situation only after properly investigating it first and gathering all the information he could. Going in blind was something he had to do on occasion, but it wasn't something he liked to do.

Yet, delve as he might, Kian was not well informed when it came to Ket Van-Derveld. He knew small details here and there....little bits of information. Addiction, homicidal tendencies, and the wake of blood and bodies that he left behind him in his days as a Sith. But Kian believed in redemption. He believed in an individuals ability to change.

However, curiosity was the driving force behind Kian's leaving of Ossus. That and the fact that he hadn't taken Dorin's Hope out in far too long! These were several of the thoughts that went through Kian's mind when the ship left hyperspace and disengaged from the hyperspace ring heading toward the prison frigate.

"This is Jedi Master Kian Karr, requesting permission to dock." Kian said sending his clearance codes.

"Jedi Karr, permission granted." Came the gruff reply of the soldier on the other end of the comm line.

Kian settled into the hangar and made his way further into the ship. He could sense the presence of his friends, [member="Kana Truden"] and [member="Corvus Raaf"] on board, as well as the presences of other Jedi, though their distinct force patterns were not as familiar to him. Kian came first to the room where [member="Ryan Korr"] and Corvus were having a cup of stimcaf.

"Greetings." Kian said bowing his head to the two. "Good work bringing him in Jedi Korr." Kian said smiling broadly beneath his mask.

 

[Hal Terrano]

Hal Terrano could also be found upon Cato Neimoidia partaking in the morning ritual of the bridge-city run.

They didn't run together. Never did. Who wanted idle chit-chat before breakfast? Well, Hal was indifferent on that front but before a proper feeding [member="Avalore Eden"] had the potential to be a real grumpus. Not to mention that bed hair, he had caught her on a few occasions looking like the pride leader of Zaloriss rock-lions.

While they may not have ran together they always passed each other at one point as they ran opposite ways from each other.

A sudden blurch hit him in the gut, causing the blonde man to stop running immediately. There was a combination, a stabbing fear for Avalore with a sense of vertigo in his stomach, like the first and last time he ate a McYoda's meal. Had she fallen off the city? Surely not, Healer Eden may have been a clutz but she didn't completely lack equilibrium.

No. It was vague, foreboding but not the pangs and pain of sudden death.

Lo and behold, there she was, jogging away sans bed hair. A sense of relief filled Terrano as he remained standing, catching his breath in the dewy air.

“Avalore,” he called out to her as she approached, waving her down with a puzzled frown equipped, “how is your stomach? I think last night's nyork chowder is disagreeing with mine."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

At the arrival of another Jedi Corvus gave [member="Ryan Korr"] that look that said, 'told you so.' She smiled to Kian and bowed before responding. "It was exemplary work. In fact we were discussing the merits and demerits of him giving himself up. What he expected and how the Republic might deal with him. Redemption or otherwise, he has crimes to pay for, yes?"

[member="Kian Karr"]