Away From Home

[Nora Grazioso]

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

"/How long has she been doing that?/"

"/Three hours, 29 minutes and 45...46...47...seconds in counting.../"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Nora laid on her back in the cell, one foot at a time slamming against the sealed durasteel door. Her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed with each stomp, reminding her captures that she was still very much present in the tiny room, now cell, to hold her as the ship made their way towards the Hutt territories.

Bang! Bang! "Ahhhrrghhhh!"

The young Jedi yelled as she rolled her ankle against the door she sat up, inhaling quickly, and pulled back her fist as if she were to punch the door, but recalled it would be just as much or more painful than the throb in her ankle now. Nora rolled forward and pressed her forehead against the door.

"When I get out of here, you're..." Nora suddenly lost her insult, "you're...you're going to be so sorry!"

There were bellows of laughter.

Nora lifted her head and let it fall against the door; turning around, she slid back down, returning to her back to keep up the slamming. The throb returned to her ankle and Nora closed her eyes, focusing on the pain, finding it differred greatly from the pain she had felt almost a year ago, the last she had seen her Master. She found it funny to describe it to herself as not as painful as what she had felt in her heart and chest. Just even thinking about it, brought a slight discomfort to the girl.

She inhaled the stale air slowly, counting quietly in her head as she held her breath, and then releasing it. The girl let herself be, her thoughts cleared as she could more easily think of a proper escape.

"You may not see it, but it will come..."

Her Master's words rung in her head and the girl lost her focus, feelings of anger stirring in her chest as it lead her thoughts to other things that were of a bother. Nora huffed and rolled to her side, bringing her knees to her chest, holding herself close and whispering words of encouragement to herself.

There was a sudden shake to the ship as the hyperdrive engines stopped, the ship creaked and there were loud cries of surprise and annoyance in the hall. Nora pressed her ear against the door to listen, catching something about fuel and empty and some wild explicatives she would note to herself to use later.

They were landing...

She wished she knew where they were, the windowless cell other than cramped, was not gracious in granting her additional information that would prove to be useful. The girl, however, knew the idiots were gracious in ways they would later regret. She could feel one on the ship, but the others had left. Closing her eyes, she rested her palm over the control panel, the energies of the Force flowed through her body as she drew upon its power to give her the satisfying click of the lock releasing her from her unjustified prison.

Quietly, she looked around for any eyes before grabbing her belongs and hit the release on the dock, lowering the ramp. Which, to Nora's luck invited the one capture to come investigate.

He yelled out in surprise and shock and pulled his blaster as the Jedi girl jumped off the side of the ramp and ran into the crowds of the space port.

"Where the kriff am I?"

@Liam Valros

 

[Liam Valros]

The astromech droid let out a string of annoyed beeps for the third time in a minute. Liam had long learned to ignore the droid he called "A7" but even the patience of a Jedi has its limits. "I know I am pacing, A7." Liam responded. The droid finally receiving a response, quickly let out another series of beeps. "No A7. I don't need a drink. Isn't there something you can go check? The engines, perhaps?" He said nodding his head towards the door of the cockpit on the freighter he had been leant by the Order.

Liam had been assigned to investigate the disappearance of a young Jedi Knight a year ago after her former Master had slain the girl's mother. Liam had grown up with the fallen Jedi and he had been upset to hear of her killing. The only source of information they had to go off of was the word of the girl's Master. While it was not his place to question a Jedi Master, Liam got a bad feeling about the man. All of this led the Jedi Knight to become quite obsessed with finding the girl, even after had been told to move on by the Jedi Council.

He had chased multiple leads over the last year, but they had received an extremely credible tip that a group of pirate bounty hunters had captured the young Jedi and we're making their way to Nar Shaddaa to turn the Jedi in. When A7 had been able to intercept the group sending a picture of the captured Jedi, Liam had rushed to make it to the Outer Rim in time. Technically, he hadn't received permission to be out here, or for the ship for that matter but some things were better to have to worry about later.

Not wanting to raise too much suspicion, Liam had sent the Bounty Hunters an inquiry, not about that girl, but about purchasing her lightsaber. He posed as a rare artefact dealer and they had quickly taken the bait and arranged the meeting at small space station just inside the borders of Hutt controlled Space.

Once arriving at the crowded station, Liam dressed as a well-off merchant and made his way to the bar near the landing bays like they had arranged. Moments later, a small band of armed individuals came into the bar. Their leader approached Liam and they began bargaining for the blade.

A few moments in, a panicked voice came over the captain's comm device "She...She's escaped" yelled the frightened voice. At one the group was off running back towards their ship.

Pleased that she apparently still had fight left in her, he also cursed under his breath.
He had to find her before she slipped off the station and back into the shadows.

@Nora Grazioso

 

[Nora Grazioso]

The girl wrapped the cowl around her shoulders and head, looking around and listening to see if she could pick up the languages around her. Spacers of many sorts crowded the metallic streets that were illuminated by the dimming streetlights and the neon signs that pulled in all sorts of unruly folks. Not to mention the smell was putrid, as if someone decided to bottle the smell of an unwashed Hutt skin fold.

She gripped her staff tightly, she needed to lay low for a while as she fell into her hunting instincts, though now, she was the one being hunted and if she guessed correctly, she wasn't too far from territory that would be highly unfriendly to Force sensitives. Now that she was out of the cell, she felt calmer, and almost wondered if she wasn't a bit claustrophobic, though regardless she sensed peace within herself and her mind cleared as she kept up with the foot traffic in the streets. Her staff clinked against the ground as she tried to find safe haven quickly.

There was a small push from the Force, directing her attention back the path on which she just came; the girl glanced behind her and felt something poke into her back.

"/Hello sweetheart./" commented the pirate, "/You should know better than to runaway like that, it gets everyone worried./" he said pressing the blaster barrel into the small of her back even harder before grabbing her arm. Nora gritted her teeth, she had underestimated these guys.

"/I applaud your determination and skill,/" the girl hissed as she was directed towards an ally, "/But you don't possibly-/" Nora stopped as she felt a prick at the base of her neck, and her world begun to spin, "/Ohhh...no....you......./" Nora felt overwhelmed by the strength of the tranquilizer, the pirate letting her stumble around, waiting for the effects to kick in, "/you.....you......are going to........./"

Nora swiped at the man who now split into three, "Kriff...." she said as the pirate begun laughing at the Jedi's struggle. The Force begun to swell in Nora as she raised her palm, pointing at the pirate, "Shhhttttaaap lauping..." she said letting the Force's energies pulse off her palm and into the pirate.

@Liam Valros

 

[Liam Valros]

He waited several seconds for the group to leave before exiting the Cantina into the crowded street. He wasn't sure how if or how he could even find his fellow Jedi, but he closed his eyes and reached out with the Force. It only took seconds for some a rather rough looking individual to bump into the Jedi Knight, a blur of profanities exiting the creature's mouth. Liam moved on away from the would-be fight and towards the small spaceport.

Even as he expanded his senses to search for the girl, it was extremely difficult to place his finger on anything that would be useful. It was like standing in a crowded room and listening for a whisper from a person that didn't want to be heard. He pressed forward, this would be his best and possibly last chance at locating Nora.

He spent the next few moments searching the hangar bays. With each passing second, it grew more and more unlikely that he would find her. Then he felt it. A surge in the Force that indicated someone was harnessing it nearby. He took off down the hallway, dodging between walking individuals. He shed the outer robe on his disguise, leaving hospital Jedi armour exposed.

He then saw the young Jedi woman stagger and swing wildly at the group of pirates as they surrounded her. This was a fairly lawless station, but the area had cleared out pretty quickly, no one wanting to draw the ire of the pirates.

"Release that woman." Liam quietly commanded. The pirates spun seeing the man they had planned on swindling earlier. A few laughed before they spotted the Jedi insignia on his armour. Theor look of Glee faded into one of determination. One Jedi would score them a fortune in Hutt Territory but two Jedi would be the largest payout they would ever receive.

A man that had not been apart of the main group rushed Liam from behind a crate off to the Jedi's right. With his senses extended, Liam easily reacted quickly enough to dodge the man's reckless attack. In the same motion, he drew his lightsaber and sheered the man's arm off, sending him screaming to the floor.

The room fell into chaos.

@Nora Grazioso

 

[Nora Grazioso]

Nora blinked a couple times, realizing her push completely missed and instead the storage crates behind the pirate became the victims instead. Her hearing was starting to fall in and out and the world felt like it was moving faster than her. The girl leaned against the wall of the building, her staff pointed out to keep her distance, but she knew she was a sitting mynock.

Someone else had joined them. "More?" she questioned shaking her head, trying to focus as someone cried out for the pirates to release her. Nora felt an overwhelming sensation to giggle, she had a big drunk grin on her face as the pirates took to Liam, no longer taking the girl as a threat as they set their focus on apprehending the other knight.

"Ohhhh man...." Nora swayed, watching one fall to the ground with their detached limb, "So dang-herous!" cheer Nora, clearly being as unhelpful as she could be. She took a step forward, looking to move out of the way, but ended up collapsing on the ground, only to start laughing at her own clumsiness. "Go Jedi, we're such scum..." laughed the young Nora.

The pirate that had lead her into the ally growled at the addition and pulled out his vibroblade, he saw Nora start to get up and backhand the girl to keep her down. He leaped at Liam, his weapon swinging across the Jedi's chest looking to gain the advantage as the others attacked him at once.

@Liam Valros

 

[Liam Valros]

It was obvious that Nora had been drugged in some sort of way, but the group swarmed Liam before he could put much thought into the giggling Jedi Knight.

A blaster shot rang out, Liam instinctively deflected the shot into one of the attackers fellow pirates. Things slowed down as the pirates weighed their options, beginning to surround the Jedi. The alleyway was quiet except for the slurred muttering and laughter of Nora.

After a short standoff, one of the pirates leapt for Liam, swinging a vibroblade. Liam jumped back, the blade scoring his armour sending sparks into the air.

Liam spun low as he moved backwards striking the pirate behind him. He deflected the vibroblade strike from another pirate before sending another one flying backwards with the Force. It was finally enough to break their will to fight.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" One of the pirates yelled before running the opposite way down the alleyway. The rest soon joined him and Liam and Nora were left alone in the alleyway. The older Jedi Knight moved to Nora and kneeled down. "My name is Liam Valros. We need to go before the station security shows up. Can you walk?" He asked looking around the alley, checking for any more danger.

@Nora Grazioso

 

[Nora Grazioso]

Nora laid on her back for quite some time as she listened to the grunts and yells down the ally. She turned her head slightly, her vision still multiplying the world around her. A throb begun to grow on the side of her cheek, Did someone hit me? Her mind tried to pull some rational thought but it was much easier to just laugh and so the young Jedi Knight did.

The girl rolled over and pushed herself up on all fours, feeling a moment of confusion on how to stand. Was it her right foot first or her left? Or did she need to put her arms out and then step...things were quite difficult, standing was quite difficult. She heard yelling from the pirates and decided she would try standing in a minute, she needed to rest. Sitting down, Nora let out a huff.

Feeling a touch, her body wanted to react, and it definitely took a moment for her to understand what the man was saying. "Lee-om Va-row?" her face scrunched in confusion as she tried to process the name; the man continued to speak to her, something about walking and Nora turned her head to him with a sarcastic grin, "Yee-ahhh, I can walk, I got two legs." though it didn't occur to her he wanted her to do that right now, "If more people show up, just scare them. With. Your swipey sword thing. Bzz Bzzz" she said demonstrating awkwardly how to hold a lightsaber hilt.

She let Liam help her up, using her staff to additionally prop herself up. "Where to?" she asked him, looking up and down the alley and then looked at Liam, "Are you a Jedi?" she asked with a bout of laughter, "Those guys aren't Jedi." she giggled pointing to the station security.

@Liam Valros

 

[Liam Valros]

"Close enough" he said, smirking as she repeated his name. She was in no hurry, Liam glanced down the alleyway again as she spoke. "If only our problems were fixed so easily." He said before slipping an arm under hers. "Come on. Let's go." He said helping the Jedi Knight to her feet. Once standing, she was able to keep her self mostly upright with her staff.

"This way. My ship isn't far." He said as they both headed out of the alleyway. "A-7." He said as he lifted his comm device to his mouth. "Start the ship. We may need to get out of here in a hurry." He said being cut off by the overexcited beeps of the astromech droid. "I..I don't have time to explain" he said as the beeping continued cutting him off again. "A-7 just start the ship" he finished before cutting off the communication.

He hadn't noticed that Nora had stopped moving down the street and had turned around. She gestured toward the squad of security forces headed their way. "No. No, they are not." He said stepping in front of Nora as he reached out with the Force. A cart filled with boxes began to teeter before it fell blocking most of the roadway. Several people yelled as they moved out of the way. Between the people, I'm the street and the road blockage, it would buy them a few seconds.

"Come on." He urged again, nodding towards the other side of the spaceport. He started out at a jog, making sure Nora could keep up if she started to fall behind he would have to pick her up and keep running. Even as they turned to start moving, he could hear the security forces yelling for them to stop as the made their way through the debris. Out here in the middle of nowhere, the station was security was likely as dirty as the pirates were, but he still couldn't risk a fight with them.

@Nora Grazioso

 

[Nora Grazioso]

As Liam knocked over a cart, Nora's attention turned to a food stand, picking up a stick of meat while everyone was distracted as they watched the other Jedi cause a ruckus on the street. She felt the seasoned tenderloin burn her tongue when she tried to take bite and frowned, turning to see the mess in the street as spacers who were not paying attention started to fall over one another. "You think insurance covers all that?" she asked quirking an eyebrow.

He said something to her, but everything was taking a moment to register. Though, Nora felt a nudge, one that told her it was time to get moving. Her body protested as she kept up with the other Knight, gripping the staff in one hand and her free snack in the other. Luckily they moved with the street traffic, however, it wasn't to say that security had the advantage of air surveillance.

Nora heard a yell behind her and felt a moment of clarity. The Jedi slowed, her double vision focused as the energies of the Force swelled as she dropped her staff, extending her palm and released.

The girl gasped and stumbled backwards as a pulse rippled through the crowd from her finger tips. The wave created a domino effect, knocking over spacers and eventually occupying security with angry pedestrians tangled in their arms and those of others. Nora blinked, and grinned letting out a quiet "Woahhhh..." as she summon her staff and clumsily caught up with Liam while running into a dozen corners along the way.

"Lee-pom! You'd see that?!" she cried out catching up as they reached his ship. The girl took a bite of her beef snack.

@Liam Valros

 

[Liam Valros]

"Oh. That's not good" he spoke to himself as he looked over his shoulder and saw the chaos his fellow Jedi had caused with the wild Force wave she had thrown. He motioned for her to keep going as she took a bite out of a piece of meat on a stick. "Where do you get...." He said cutting himself off with a groan. "Nevermind" he said as they entered the bay his ship was stored.

The engines were on and the landing ramp was deployed. As they covered the last fifty feet, shots began to fly across the open space towards them as the security forces cleared the crowd.

Liam spun, igniting his blade once more and deflecting several shots they came near enough. He continued to slowly back his way towards the ship until he felt the metal ramp below his feet. He reached over hitting the button that retracted the landing ramp. As the ramp finished closing, one last blaster bolt entered the ship and struck the wall inches from Liam's head. "For Force sakes" he muttered, the wall still smouldering from the shot.

"Get us out of here, A-7" he spoke the droid who had already taken off. He clipped the lightsaber to his belt as they stepped into the freighters common area. "Thanks to your.." he paused slightly "..quick thinking. We were able to avoid injuring any of the guards." He said giving a tired smile.

"I am sure you have questions, as do I, but they can wait until you get some rest. There are guest quarters at the end of that hallway" he pointing down a short hallway which had several small bedrooms for crew members. "I will be upfront with A-7 of you need anything." He said giving a slight bow to the Jedi Knight before making his way to the front of the ship.

@Nora Grazioso

 

[Nora Grazioso]

It was a solid 12 hours before Nora woke up.

Half her body was numb in random limbs and the other half throbbed as though someone had taken a 2x4 to her in her sleep. Her mouth had never been so dry and her senses felt like they were all over the place. It took a moment to realize where she was. She didn't recognize it as the pirate ship she was trapped in and a rush of fright washed through the girl as she leaped from her cot, only to fall flat on her face, her balance uncoordinated.

Groaning the girl rolled over onto her back, the blanket tangled and wrapped around her legs. She laid there for a moment, trying to recall where she was, but nothing was coming to her. Nora tried again to get up, kicking off the blanket and rolling onto all fours to push herself to stand. Smoothing out her clothes, she felt something cold, lumpy and sticky. Pulling it off her clothes, she held up the stick of meat with confusion and disgust.

"What the?"

Nora dropped it on the ground and exited into the hall and into the hull of the ship; she concluded where ever she was, they did not perceive her as a threat with a decent ship bed and unlocked door. Reaching out with her feelings, trying to recoordinate her senses as she cautiously approached the cockpit. There were beeps of a droid and definitely another organic being; though when she was close enough, she could easily tell by his insignia, it was another Jedi.

"Uh, h-hello?" she wasn't sure how to address him or even the situation at all, "Who are you?" she asked, sitting down in the empty seat near the droid, "Where are we..." she rubbed her head with her palm, shutting her eyes tightly. The streaming hyperspace stars were giving her slight motion sickness, "I feel like someone smacked me in the head a hundred dozen times." she said rubbing her face.

@Liam Valros

 

[Liam Valros]

"The engine sounds fine." the Jedi Knight replied to the droid as they moved through hyperspace. The droid's reply scrolled across the display. "Then go check it if you're so concerned" he said dismissively to the droid's attempt to get them to stop at a planet with a sizeable droid parts market that was not too far off of their current path towards the inner core. Sadly, these type of conversations accounted for a vast majority of Liam's free time while travelling. He often wondered why he had kept the droid, but never seemed to be able to find the motivation to replace him. Perhaps the droid treaded to close to a material attachment. Just as his mind was going down that all too familiar path, he heard Nora behind him.

Liam turned, making sure to keep his hand's visible, not wanting to startle the possibly still drugged Jedi. Making eye contact, he could see that she was thinking more clearly, if not still somewhat hazy by the drugs she had been exposed to. "Hello There." he said warmly, relaxing somewhat. "We were briefly introduced earlier, but I am afraid you were a bit...out of it." he said as she sat down. "My name is Liam Valros. We are currently...Well, currently we are in the middle of nowhere but we are moving towards the Core Worlds at the moment." he said glancing down at the nav computer. "I am not sure what you remember but you were drugged by a group of pirates who were trying to smuggle you into Hutt Space, presumably to sell you to Hutts. The grogginess will pass in time." he said pausing.

"I don't mind saying, I didn't think I would find you. I was sent by the Jedi Council when your former Master reported you missing." he said as he was cut off by A-7. Liam didn't even bother reading what the droid was trying to say. "I would be interested in hearing your story if or when you ever want to tell it." he said "...But First" he said looking down at the meat stain on her clothing "Can I offer you any food or drink? I know tranquillizing drugs can do a number on one's body." he said standing up straightening the armour he still wore.

 

[Nora Grazioso]

"Liam?" she whispered his name as he reintroduced herself, he had assumed she didn't remember much of what happened earlier and the girl had to agree, and it would explain why she was so groggy. That would be the last time she ever tried to find a cheap transport off Corellia instead paying public fares. She could remember still being in the storage room of the ship, but anything afterwards, it was all a blur, any details would be left to her imagination.

The droid interjected and Nora quirked an eyebrow and smirked, "I think I like this droid." she smiled and the A-7 responded with what only could be interpreted as smugness and flattery.

She looked back at Liam as he inquired for her story of what happened between her and her Master. She felt herself tense, she didn't want to think about it or talk about it. The girl opened her mouth to snap at him, but held her tongue as he offered her something to eat or drink. As Liam got up, Nora followed, "A drink of water would be good." she replied, adverting her gaze as she contemplated on her choices.

It was something that definitely had been sitting on her chest for a while and someone was willing to listen...or at least she assumed he would, but his demeanor was genuine, she didn't sense any malicious intent with why he was curious to know what had happened. She took a seat atop of storage crate in the hull of the ship.

"I needed time to think, the idea of Jedi Masters telling me what I needed to choose or a lecture about the code and tenants was not something I wished to hear at the moment." she said picking at her nails while she spoke. Nora paused and gave a small smirk, "Though to hear you didn't think you'd be able to find me, that's good, it means I'm getting better."

 

[Liam Valros]

Liam didn't need the Force to till the woman was uncomfortable and could hear the tension in her response. As he made his way, he chuckled at her sarcastic comment. "If getting caught was you getting better..." he said warmly, the joke obvious in his voice. He entered the small kitchen/common area of the ship. He filled two glasses with water and pulled two Jedi rations from where they were stored.

Liam gestured at the table, game of holo-chess running from when he and A7 were playing earlier. Liam was clearly losing this one, with a wave of his hand the game vanished, sending the droid into a tiny rage. a slur of beeps sounded as the droid backed up and sped forward several feet, ramming Liam's leg. Liam had long since learned how to protect himself from such attacks, so was able to absorb the blow without any significant pain. "Forgive him." he said looking at Nora before glancing down at A7 "He is a sore loser." Liam said smiling. The droid, having his fill of the Jedi, went back out to the hallway, the angry beeping heard fading as he moved elsewhere in the ship.

"Now then." Liam said gesturing towards the empty table before placing the glasses down. "I know most don't care for the rations but I grew used to them during my time on the battlefield and now its just habit." he said as he slid Nora the plain brown pouch.

They sat in silence for several seconds before Liam spoke up, sensing that Nora was quite ready to talk. "I know it has been some time, but I am sorry for the loss of your Mother. Me and Her grew up together. Even after she left the Jedi, she was still one of the kindest people I knew." he said trailing off, remembering the woman. Back then, even in the height of the war, It was hard not to view the Exiled Jedis as brothers and sisters who had just lost their way. With the final bloody battles of the war that changed, they were no longer just separated by differences in opinion, the blood spilled had created a chasm too wide.

 

[Nora Grazioso]

She watched as the droid had its temper tantrum and scurried off elsewhere on the ship. She watched him set down the glasses on the table and the brown pouch. Rations, she hated them.

Nora leaned over and grabbed the glass, taking a small drink, but realizing she was more thirsty than she had thought, she gulped the rest. Liam spoke after a small silence, expressing sympathies. She was shocked he knew her mother and felt herself perk up some.

"I had questions and I was denied those answers from her." frowned Nora, "But, she was also so angry at me..." she trailed off, the memories of her return home replaying in her head. "I didn't want her to be angry at me, I never knew her really, Master Harari never talked about her, he warned of attachments, but I knew something pained him anytime I brought it up. Eventually, I stopped asking and now I'm back to asking questions again and its paining me instead."

The young Jedi fell silent and shook her head in thought, "She had to be a good person, I believe you. She was a Jedi once, she could have been a Jedi again if she had the chance."

 

[Liam Valros]

Liam remained quiet as she spoke, a solemn look on his bearded face. All Jedi had unanswerable questions that they struggled with. This particular situation especially heartbreaking. For many Jedi, they never knew their parents, never had to know that attachment the Galaxy has given each one of us in the form of family. Many view never having that as a curse, but in reality, it made their lives easier.

He leaned forward as she finished speaking "Many of the Exiled earned their place as outcasts, twisting the Force and everything good to suit their perverse wants, but there were those that didn't deserve it, those like your mother. So afraid of the Darkside we were, that we pushed away many who could have been saved" he said looking down at the table.

"Perhaps she could have been saved...perhaps not. Regardless, the feelings of self-doubt and guilt that you are experiencing will consume you." He said voice quiet.

 

[Nora Grazioso]

"Yes, yes, consume, which leads to suffering, which leads me down a spiral to the darkside." Nora raised her eyebrows, feeling a bit defiant, she didn't want to hear the Jedi teachings, though in all reality, she wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to hear. All she could do was shrug.

"I've never used to hold doubt, I was pretty confident in what I needed to do." She glanced down at her hands before looking back at Liam. "My Master sparked these doubts, I've always did my best, to prove to him that I could be a Jedi and I had a moment where I knew there was another option." The Jedi paused and sighed, scratching her head, feeling a moment of self-actualization about the situation. Though it wasn't a moment of pride it was one of embarrassment and self disappointment.

"It definitely was selfish, I had a curiosity that I wished to satisfy instead of rooting out the darkness. He told me I was not worthy of Knight, and he was right, if she would have lived and escaped or broken me, it wouldn't fix anything, we'd be a step further away from helping the Order regain its footing." She slid off the crate and helped herself to the tap, getting another glass of water. Before speaking again, she took another couple large gulps and filled up her glass. Nora chose not to sit back on the crate, but in the chair at the chess table.

"Mistakes get people killed. I can't let that happen again." she said and then shut her eyes and let her forehead fall onto the table, letting out a long defeated sigh, "Now listen to me...now I'm attaching myself to the idea of perfectionism...ughhh..." she groaned, "I'm the worst Jedi there is, I can't even forgo attachment and I can't even keep my title as Knight!"

 

[Liam Valros]

He saw her tense slightly as he spoke, he knew that feeling, he had felt those feelings of defiance when being told the same dogma for the 100th time. It was easy to quote Jedi principles at anyone experiencing issues, but Liam had never been one for lecturing. He waited until she looked up and raised an eyebrow in defiance before he added "I mean it will consume your life. Rob you of true meaning and purpose" he paused before finishing with a hint of his own defiance "but the council would like your version better. Keep that up and you will be a Master in no time."

He listened as she pieced together her own puzzle, quite possibly putting into words the thoughts and feeling she had felt over the last year. "A good teacher will make you doubt yourself sometimes, will let your mistakes, and help correct the messes we get into because of those mistakes." He waited as she stood up and poured herself more water. He could see the color returning to her face as the last of the drugs wore off.

He let her vent out her frustration, remain quiet for several seconds after she finished before. "You will make mistakes like we all make mistakes. Those mistakes will be paid for by us and those around us. That's life. It's the same for Jedi and Exile alike. Force user or non-User. Trust in your self and trust in the Force to do whats right when you can and you will do better than most."

"So what's next? I am not dragging you back to the Order if you don't want to go. I haven't even reported back to the Council that I found you. Name a place and I'll make sure you get there." He said pausing as he made eye contact "or you could return home to our imperfect Order and continue to eat these Force-forsaken rations, but maybe do some good...maybe make the Order better."

A small click broke the silence between the two "but you don't have to decide right this second, there is plenty of time for you to get beat at holo-chess before you make any life-altering decisions.

" Your move."

 

[Nora Grazioso]

He back-peddled some, rephrasing his words to sound less mantra-y. She left her head rest on the table, keeping her eyes closed as spoke on the purpose of mistakes.

"Trust in myself and the Force..." she repeated quietly, as he continued on, inquiring her plan.

She peaked up, quirking an eyebrow. There was a click from the table and the holo figures came to life and Nora sat up fully. She smirked when he suggested choice and the option to play.

The droid, A-7, had made a mad rush back to the hull when its audio sensors heard the game click on. Nora's smirk grew to a large grin as the droid starting having a fit, for what Nora only could pick out that Liam was playing a game with her and not finishing the one with it.

"I don't want to go to Jedha, being stuck on a rock and not doing anything is a waste of time." Nora told Liam, double tapping on the board for her pawn to move, "Your droid is very vocal, where'd you find such sassy programming."

The droid didn't like her remark and turned its attention to her.

"Where can I get something like that." she said nodding at the droid, ignoring its ranting.

 

[Liam Valros]

Liam longed for a time where he was stuck on a rock with nothing to do. "Your Master kept you far too sequestered away from the rest of the Order. There are too many things that need to be accomplished, and sitting around wasting time is not one of them." he said tapping the board moving his own piece across the board.

The older Jedi Knight largely ignored the droid as he sat beside the table, still letting on various beeps of protest. That is until Nora made a comment about the droid being "Sassy" the droid spun on her, one of its various tools ejecting from its body. The droid delivered a light shock in the middle thigh of Nora, letting out a chuckling sound.

The droid's message scrawled across the display on the table that he knew just the place to acquire such a droid. Before he unplugged from the table and began leaving the room once more. Halfway out, the droid spun and rushed back to table, plugging back into the jack there. A second later, the holographic pieces on the game board flew everywhere before dispersing. The droid took off again, letting out a series of self-satisfied noises down the hallway.

"Still impressed?" Liam asked as he finished his water. He was about to pick back up his conversation about the Jedi when the ship lurched, indicating it had dropped out of hyperspace. "That little..." Liam cut himself off as he jumped up and made his way back down to the cockpit.

He entered just in time to see the bright green planet looming closer and closer. "I thought I said we weren't stopping" the Jedi spoke to the droid. The droid responded, "She said she wanted a droid, I was just trying to help." Liam sighed, knowing that the droid must have altered their course an hour ago when he had made his way to the kitchen and was just using that as an excuse.

"Fine." the Jedi relented. "but you aren't back on this ship in an hour, you're being left." he said, ignoring the droid's cheering.