Private Wayfarer’s Shadow

[Braze]

TAGS: Corin Trenor

It had been a small while since Jasper Kai'el was taken from the fray on Ord Providence. Braze hadn't a clue where to begin. He didn't know why Jasper had been taken, nor did he know anyone who might have an idea of by whom. But he had to try. He hoped to find some of Jasper's old acquaintances; the ones he had only ever heard about in passing. Maybe, just maybe, they held even the smallest shred of insight into what had happened.

Braze wanted answers, even when he was afraid there were none to find… But perhaps he could enlist the help of those who had known his master. Maybe they had more reason for concern.

He had never met Corin Trenor , but tracking him down was proving to be good practice for the newly minted Jedi Knight—an opportunity to sharpen his Jedi Shadow skills.

In the wake of the Empire of the Lost's dominion over Lothal and the surrounding territories, the little half-Echani found that resources and jurisdictions once closed to him were now more open.

Following up on rumors of a man who matched Corin's description, Braze had successfully pinned down his last known location within the past day—tracking him to a cantina on Lothal called The Dustback, a weathered establishment nestled in the underbelly of a city that had seen better days, Braze stepped inside, keeping his senses open but his presence muted. The cantina was dimly lit, the air thick with spice-smoke and the low murmur of hushed conversations. It was the kind of place where names were seldom given, and questions were met with wary glances or a blaster under the table.

Braze moved quickly padding along and weaving through the scatter of patrons—rough-cut spacers, mercenaries nursing their drinks, and locals trying to drown their troubles in something stronger than hope. His gaze flickered over the crowd, searching for someone who fit the vague descriptions he'd gathered: an older man, human, with a presence that carried weight even if his name didn't. A man who moved through the shadows with the practiced ease of someone who had spent too long living in them.

Braze's eyes settled on a lone figure near the back. The young 5'4'' , 15 year old waif of aboy approached, careful but confident, and slid into the seat across from him without asking.

​

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DUSTBACK | LOTHAL
TAG: Braze

The cantina was dimly lit, thick with the scent of spice-smoke and the quiet hum of conversations that were never meant to be overheard. A place for ghosts, for men who never wished to be found. Corin fit in just fine.

He sat in the corner booth, half-shadowed by the flickering glow of a faulty overheard light, with his cloak draped over his shoulders like the last remnant of an old life. His face, sharp and weathered, was partially obscured by the high collar of his tunic, but his tainted, piercing eyes saw everything. He wasn't drinking, not truly. He just held onto the cup between his fingers, allowing the warmth to seep into his skin. A lone comfort.

Then, he felt it.

The kid, child, boy - he moved like a Jedi. Light on his feet with his presence carefully muted, albeit not wholly gone. He was young, still learning what it meant to disappear entirely. Too young to know it all, Corin thought. Though Corin had spent too many years in the dark to be fooled by a trick like that. He didn't look up when Braze slid into the seat across from him. Didn't speak at first, just turned the cup slowly in his hands. The kid was younger than he'd expected, and smaller too.

"You're not old enough to be in a place like this," Corin muttered finally, his voice low, rough around the edges like a man who'd spent too many years talking to people who didn't listen.

Finally, Corin looked at him, his eyes catching the dim light. He saw the way the kid studied him, comparing him to whatever scraps of rumour had led him here. Corin Trenor. Jedi once, something in between now.

"I take it you're looking for me."

The silence sat between them. Corin wasn't in a rush to fill it.

Braze carried himself like a Jedi, but there was something else there - something raw, something desperate. Loss. Uncertainty. Corin recognized it because he'd lived it.

"What do you want with me, kid?"

He didn't say it with bitterness. Just fact. He had walked away from the Order, from the weight of their rules and politics, but he hadn't abandoned the fight. He still answered when people needed him. He still carried the lessons of the past, even if they sat heavy on his shoulders.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Corin Trenor

The snowy-haired youth barely reached the floor of the booth seat he had perched himself in, but he didn't seem too worried about being in a place like this, small as he was.

"I want you to help me," he said confidently, knowing exactly what he wanted from this man, though perhaps it was a would-be miracle that would never come to pass.

"I need your help to find my papa… I can't do it on my own... The universe is just too big."

Braze took a brief moment, studying the man as if confirming he was, in fact, the one he had been searching for. Then, he slid a small com-puck across the table. The holo flickered to life, displaying a younger image of Corin from his Padawan days.

"I think you knew him once," Braze added. "I have hopes that… maybe… someone like you might know what happened to Jasper."

Braze took off his matching Pendant to the one Jasper hand and pressed it to see it light up. " I know he's alive... some where... if he wasn't alive this wouldn't glow. " Braze offered. "Can you please help me bring him home. Mr. Trenor ?" ​

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DUSTBACK | LOTHAL
TAG: Braze

Corin's brow knit ever so slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line as his gaze drifted away.

It echoed something familiar - something distant, yet close enough to wound. The beginning of his own misguided path. Wild Space. The depths of his own darkness. The place where Corin had disappeared as a Jedi and re-emerged as something else. Something different. Changed.

To see the Padawan displayed before him in flickering blue light - it was a hollow thing.

So many of their kind had scattered, lost to the ether, their light snuffed out before its time. Some might have called it unfair that Corin lived on in their place. But Jasper… Jasper had been one of the good ones. One of the better ones.

And now he was a father. Braze bore no resemblance to him, though. Must have taken after the mother. Or come about by different means.

Corin exhaled, barely more than a sigh.

"There's countless others more suited to the task," he said, uncertain in a way he seldom allowed himself to be. "Why me?"

Jasper surely had friends. Truer friends than Corin ever was, if at all.

“Tell me what you know so far.”

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Corin Trenor

"Why not you? You're well traveled aren't you? I think that will be useful for this. " Braze offered gently. " Iris Arani is blind and so is Jalen Kai'el and no offense to them but I think having a partner who can see might be a bit easier, Phy should really stay to help take care of Marissa Shoda in her current condition. I don't think Silas Westgard has the kind of experience of knowing the galaxy like you have either. . . And I think me coming across your name wasn't a coincidence. " Braze added lightly.

"A big... strange looking ship appeared in the sky when there was a up rising of sith cultists on Ord Providence. I think the wierd ship took him away. It was like a massive triangle? No more like a pyramid shape. " Braze moved to give him a data pad with news reports and a few blurry photos of the thing.

Even in the dim light the small white haired boy's soft features made out distinct scars on his face, and on his hands as they slid under the lighting of the table revealed head over burns that peaked out from his gloves in certain exposed sections.

Braze wasn't the type to give up on people, he didn't give up on Aliris Tremiru and he wouldn't give up on Jasper Kai'el .

"I'm not sure I know what kind fo ship it was... or whereit could have gone..." He shighed woefully. He looked rathered tiered like some one who'd been trying to find any shred of information for a while now and always turning up blank.

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DUSTBACK | LOTHAL
TAG: Braze

He missed more than he knew. Iris was blind. There was a faint downward turn at the corner of his mouth, a small and bothered breath allowed to escape. He wondered some more of what had become of the rest of them. Of Jand, of Ichika, of Jem, Gabe and all the rest. Had his absence led to these events, to these misfortunes? Had Corin been there, could he have prevented them?

Unlikely, he conceded with the faint shuffling of the cup in his palms.

"I see," Corin answered, a flash of his gaze met the scars that lined Braze as he took the datapad and poured over the information. Perhaps the boy was more than a lost child.

"Is there a Sith cultist presence on Ord Providence, still?" He flicked further down the screen, "I haven't seen this ship before. That said, if we know what aspects of the Force were being concentrated on, we can deduce some leads."

He set the datapad down, "Did Jasper have any particular enemies? People that would seek him out deliberately?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Corin Trenor

"Well... yes. They're interwoven with the clergy, so it's not exactly easy to tell who's who.


Grandpa Dillon Kai'el said it looked a whole lot like the ships that originally brought the Je'daii—the ones who eventually became the Jedi—to Tython. A Tho Yor?" Braze tilted his head slightly.

"Jasper was fighting with Lord Kalrath the last time I saw him... and that worms-for-brains guy. As far as I know, Jackie Rosso says Roten used to work for the guy as a pirate. I've seen and heard a few of his deeds—every single one involved space pirates—so... I guess he was some kind of Sith pirate lord? Some holdout corpse from, like... The Great Scourge of Malachor kind of traitorous bastard.

I don't really know anyone else who'd want to kill my Master. He hasn't told me much about his past in the few years we've known each other... But if anyone can bring Jasper home, it's probably the same guy who made him wear a jacket with sleeves in the cold."

Braze tried to keep some levity in his voice, but the weight of it all still lingered.

"The rest of the order is wrapped up in the war right now with the Sith Order and a few other problems that keep cropping up... I do still have acess to his ship though. "

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DUSTBACK | LOTHAL
TAG: Braze

Ilum. His first instance of leadership, responsible for so many. Just children, then. Battling the SCAR Squadron earned them their share of scars that day. A lossless triumph that ought to be remembered fondly, shared with his fellows and friends alike. It was only another twist of the knife now. His solemn look persisted throughout, regardless.

"A Tho Yor," Corin muttered in remembrance. "Yes, I remember now. The Brotherhood of the Maw once piloted these over Tython."

He turned the datapad back to Braze.

"Lord Kalrath, whoever he is, is presumably responsible. If there's no information on him to glean his whereabouts from, then this Roten is the lead. I have my own networks, beyond what the Alliance can offer - might be able to find him through them, if not your own."

Corin sunk further into his seat, bringing the since turned cold drink to his lips.

"How..." he almost struggled to say, "How did Iris become blinded?"

His own war was out here, occupying him all too much.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Corin Trenor

"I think Kalrath is dead... but Sith don't often stay dead once they reach a certain power threshold," Braze murmured, gathering his thoughts before adding, "Hasn't she always seen... like... colored auras around everything? That's kinda the vibe I got when I met her."

His gaze flickered as he shifted topics, voice light but thoughtful. " Iris Arani is one of the few left from Jasper's group that are still... around. Ya know, I think he's really sad about that... that there aren't many left..." He trailed off, the chirp in his tone not quite enough to mask the weight beneath his words.

Braze didn't catch it at first, but as he ran it through his head a few more times, something clicked. Corin seemed interested in Iris specifically. Maybe there was a certain interest there.

A few blinks from the seemingly innocuous youth, then a coy grin flickered across his features.

"You can visit her, you know…" he offered, tone teasing but not unkind.

His lips quirked, trying to shake off the somber note. "I think you guys don't spend enough time with one another… it's kinda sad," he mused, shaking his head with exaggerated disappointment. "I'm gonna have to drag you all to a yearly get-together or something… Doesn't anyone believe in reunions anymore?"

​

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DUSTBACK | TYTHON
TAG: Braze

Corin's gaze drifted past Braze, searching absently through the shifting figures that filled the Dustback. The haze of spice-smoke curled through the air, blurring the edges of dim-lit faces, their murmured conversations dissolving into background noise. For a moment, a faint flush coloured his cheeks - there, then gone, like a passing ember.

He had once admired Iris' sight. The way she could see beyond words, beyond masks, how the Force painted people in colours that never lied.

His colour had been something hopeful, once.

The thought lingered, heavy and unspoken. He feared a reunion - not because of what he might say, but because of what she would see.

"Maybe," he murmured, though conviction eluded him. His fingers tapped idly against the table, a restless gesture. "Everyone has their own… things. Our class was close, somewhat, until everyone went their separate ways. Like now, the war found itself in the way."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Corin Trenor

"Well, yeah…" Braze murmured, his voice quiet, distant. "But you can always try and reconnect. Some people just get so busy they forget they can, and then they just… don't. But you can always try to reach out." He paused, his expression unreadable, but the weight behind his words was tangible. "Time changes everything, one way or another… Most people can only really keep— and by keep, I mean maintain— two or three truly close friendships." His voice softened even further. "For me, it's… Loomi and Ko Vuto . I don't really know any of my other peers on a deeper level."

He exhaled, the breath heavy, laden with loss and discontent.

There was no one in the entire galaxy he loved so unconditionally as Jasper Kai'el — and now he was missing. The absence gnawed at him, a gaping wound that refused to close. The sorrow swelled, thick and suffocating, squeezing his chest until he could hardly breathe. He hated this feeling, this aching void of uncertainty. Jasper had been the one who saw something in him when no one else did. He was the one who gave him a chance to be more than just a failure, more than just a pest. He made Braze feel like he mattered. That he was worth something to someone.

Braze hadn't even realized how attached he'd become to the blonde. But now, with Jasper lost, somewhere, anywhere, maybe nowhere— it was tearing him apart.

The fear had always been there, lurking in the corners of his mind: the fear of being abandoned, or worse...of disappointing Jasper. But this was different. This wasn't just fear. This was helplessness. And it was maddening.

He rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands, pressing hard as if he could physically push the sorrow back down where it belonged. A quiet sniffle escaped despite himself. He hated this.

"If you care about someone… you should let them know," Braze whispered, his voice hoarse. "Because if you don't… it might be too late."

​

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DUSTBACK | LOTHAL
TAG: Braze

Such a simple truth.

He remembered their faces, burned into his memories. Of them, Corin remember his two to three. He remembered them well, even when in the darkest depths of Wild Space. These monstrous creatures that would seek to devour him whole, only to be devoured in turn. In the face of ultimate defeat, Corin remembered them, as his mettle was tested against another. Even as his saber was destroyed and made anew, Corin remembered them.

It was Dagon's face that he sought, lost to them for so long. It would return Yula's smile and repair their fractured family, to stop Jem from whichever mission he occupied herself with.

Even in those moments, Corin remembered more than his chosen family. He remembered Iris and the promises he broke. Gabe and Jasper, Ichika and Jand, even Kai and Ara. Last two worst troublemakers than himself. But now, as deaths crept upon their number, Corin had long since accepted that he was alone. In a prison of his own making, but for the best all the same.

It was his role. His duty. To wander without them and atone for his absence, for his misdeeds. The Jedi of the Order could receive their accolades, as Corin once did, and he could be thankless on the edge.

"I will," agreed Corin reluctantly, "Once the time is right."

The silence lingered for all of a moment, until Corin blinked the thought aside.

"In any case, that's a different matter for a different time. The first stop is to wherever this Kalrath died, to see if his spirit lingers in the Force. Failing that, the pirate you mentioned could know more."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Corin Trenor

"I'm sure... that when the time comes, your friends will be happy to see you."

Braze shifted, climbing out of the booth with a curt nod. A heavy sigh passed his lips as his shoulders fell, but he glanced up at the man briefly. His fingers fussed absently at the edges of his long sleeves, rolling the fabric between them, a touch of sheepishness crossing his face. His gaze darted away, restless, as if considering his next words carefully.

"I can take you to Ord Providence... but the big bibbles are a bit broken. Lots of folks evacuated when everything went to hell. We can take Lonestar 1..."

He paused, still fidgeting with the fabric at his wrists, then looked back at Corin. "Is there anything you need to do before we depart, Mister Trenor?" he asked gently, voice quieter now, as if weighing the possibility that Corin had unfinished business—loose ends that needed tying before he disappeared off-planet.

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DUSTBACK | LOTHAL
TAG: Braze

"Yeah," said Corin as he rose from his seat.

He watched as the young Jedi fell into anxious behaviours. His eyes wandered, he toyed with his sleeve, and held onto those formalities. The most Corin ever received was 'knight', though he was closer to a master now. Beyond the mentoring.

"What's your name?"

 

[Braze]

Corin Trenor

Braze perked up at the question, if only slightly. "I'm Braze... but my call sign is Azure Phoenix," he chirped, as if proud of the childish, edgy codename he’d presumably given himself. Then, after a beat, he added, "You can call me Braze, though. I like Braze."

His head tilted slightly, expression open but cautious. "What do you want me to call you?" It occurred to him that Corin might not appreciate being addressed as Mister Trenor.

"Please, allow me to accompany you." His words came quick, a little too eager, before he hesitated and corrected himself. "Ah… also, I wanted to thank you for trying to help. I can—" He faltered, then pushed through, trying to sound more sure of himself. "I can, uh… reward you for the effort."

Braze was always a little mousey and awkward around older people, uncharacteristically demure, and deferential as well as polite in a way that didn’t quite match the ironclad facade he wore elsewhere.

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
DUSTBACK | LOTHAL
TAG: Braze

Corin watched him for a moment, eyes unreadable, letting the words settle in the space between them. The kid - Braze, or Azure Phoenix, apparently - was eager, if not a little uncertain. The kind of person who wanted to seem sure of themselves but hadn't quite figured out how to be.

He exhaled through his nose, just short of a sigh. "Corin is fine." No titles, no formalities. He didn't care for them.

The offer to accompany him was met with a slight arch of his brow. That kind of enthusiasm had been rare lately. But then Braze's tone shifted, stumbling through an offer of repayment. A reward? Corin scoffed, just barely, shaking his head. He wouldn't know what to do with one. He never asked for much - just enough credits to make it to the next system, to keep moving. Whatever Braze had to give, it likely meant little to him.

"You don't need to do that," he said amid his exist of the Dustback, voice even. Not dismissive, but firm. A beat passed before he added, quieter, "It's just the right thing to do."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Corin Trenor

Braze stared at the man with a hard-to-read expression for several long, awkward moments, his somber jade-green gaze unblinking. Then, without warning, he suddenly stepped forward and embraced him in a tight hug.

The hug, too, lasted a few long, awkward moments before the smaller figure murmured, "Thank you." And just like that, he released him.

He padded to the door, moving with an unnatural silence despite the slight heels of his combat boots. There, he waited by the front of the cantina, standing still—like a lost puppy awaiting its master's lead. It seemed Braze was fully intent on following Corin around, assisting him with whatever it was he needed to finish before they could depart.

​

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
KOTHAL | LOTHAL
TAG: Braze

Corin stiffened at the unexpected embrace, his body locking up as if bracing for a blow. His arms hovered, uncertain, caught between reflex and restraint. A faint shudder ran through him, subtle but telling. It lingered - too long. His expression twisted into something uneasy, the beginnings of a frown that carried the sharpness of a scowl.

The weight of the room pressed against him. He could feel the eyes at his back, burning, judging. In a cantina full of smugglers and scoundrels, Corin was tolerated at best - feared, perhaps, but never welcome. The people of Lothal had learned an unspoken rule: keep your head down, and Corin would leave you be. As Braze released him, Corin met their stares with a slow, deliberate glare, his marred eyes catching the dim light like embers in the dark.

Without a word, he turned and stepped past Braze, pushing through the cantina's threshold and into the open street. He knew the other would follow.

"Don't do that," Corin muttered, his gaze fixed ahead.

The streets bustled with the hum of life, vendors calling in languages he didn't recognize, the air thick with the scent of oil, dust, and something vaguely sweet. A tangle of voices filled the space around him, an organized chaos that never quite settled.

"I need to collect a holodisc," he continued, voice even, matter-of-fact. "It contains information on pirate activity in the area. Once I have it, I'll pass it off to Solidor to handle the rest."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Corin Trenor

"Don't do what?" Braze asked, trailing after Corin without hesitation. He padded along in the man's wake, seemingly unaware that the affectionate gesture might be seen as softness—something an enemy would undoubtedly seek to exploit.

He nodded lightly, drawing up the dark hood of his cloak. Without thinking, he positioned himself just off Corin's left flank, keeping an arm's length of space between them, close enough to react, almost as if guarding him by instinct.

"Okay." It made sense. That was enough for him. Braze had no reason to trust Corin—none at all—but he did, in that quiet, unspoken way of his. He followed without second-guessing, falling into step as though this were natural, as though they'd walked side by side for longer than a handful of minutes.

He didn't ask questions, didn't pry. Instead, he fell into a quiet, watchful presence, his focus shifting outward. The cantina had been one thing, but out here, in the open, there were more variables, more places for a threat to lurk.

His fingers fussed with the edges of his gloves, tightening them, adjusting the wrist wraps, small, habitual motions that belied the quiet tension winding through him. He kept pace, eyes subtly scanning the crowd, attuned now to the hum of voices and the shifting movements of those around them.

​

 

[Corin Trenor]

CORIN
KOTHAL | LOTHAL
TAG: Braze

Corin moved with purpose, his steps steady as he and Braze turned into a narrow alleyway that cut away from the main thoroughfare. The air grew heavier here, thick with the stench of damp duracrete and decomposing refuse. A shallow puddle stretched across the uneven ground, its stagnant surface broken only by the dim, flickering reflection of an overhead light struggling against the darkness. The walls were lined with old grime, etched with faded graffiti - markings of a city that had long since stopped caring for places like this.

It was quiet. The kind of quiet Corin preferred.

A voice shattered the stillness, its warbled tone processed through a translator.

"Ah, Master Jedi. I thought you had gotten cold feet."

At the far end of the alley, an Ithorian stood partially cloaked in shadow, his large frame shifting slightly as he spoke. It was difficult to tell the age of his kind at a glance, but Corin noted the telltale signs - thick, weathered hide, a slight hunch to his posture, the slow, deliberate way he moved. A survivor. Someone who had spent years threading the fine line between caution and recklessness. His attire was that of a smuggler: layered, worn, and practical. The kind of man who made his credits dealing in the dark, far from the watchful eyes of the law.

"No," Corin said, his tone flat, unreadable. "I had other business to attend to, is all."

Braze, standing beside him, took a step forward, shifting just enough into the dim light for his face to be visible. The Ithorian let out a deep, rolling chuckle.

"Oho, have you taken a student now?"

"No. I haven't." Corin didn't so much as glance at Braze before extending his hand, palm up, expectant. "Now, pass the disc."

The Ithorian swayed slightly, the subtle movement carrying amusement despite the lack of a traditional smirk. "You're not as fun as the others," he mused, tilting his head. "But not without my credits."

Corin didn't respond, just reached into the folds of his poncho, retrieving a credit chit between two fingers. The exchange was quick and wordless, the smuggler holding the chit up to the flickering light, verifying its authenticity before tucking it away. Corin, in turn, slipped the holodisc beneath his poncho, concealing it as naturally as a shadow slipping into the dark.

"A pleasure, Jedi."

Corin only muttered a low, indifferent "Mhm," before pivoting on his heel, already making his way back toward the main streets.

As they emerged from the alley, the chaotic hum of the city wrapped around them once more - the overlapping voices of vendors shouting in a dozen different languages, the distant whir of speeder engines, the rhythmic clatter of footsteps against stone.

"That's it for Lothal." Corin said, not breaking stride. His tone carried finality, but also something else - subtle, quiet anticipation.

Because now, there was only Braze's business left to see through.