Open Aftermath

[Vaen Kesselle]

Vaen leaned up against the wall holding her side. The fight was over and now she had to deal with the consequences. She coughed up a bit of blood, and a sharp pain continued to sting in her side. Vaen started to feel her side with her hand "two or three?" she was counting how many ribs she broke from her fall. Her right shoulder was also dislocated.

She started to limp her way out of the alleyway, her hand still on the wall. She could hear chants out in the distance "NO MORE SITH! NO MORE JEDI!" She paused while listening "Dammit. Can't leave this way or like this." Vaen turned around and started to move the other way to leave the alley. She stumbled by the dumpster she had fallen on top of earlier, the pain in her side stinging badly. "Cmon Vaen you gotta drag yourself out of this" she muttered.

She slowly made her way back to her feet and limped her way down, taking a right at the end of the alleyway. "Hotel is too crowded, can't get back to my room that way." It started to rain down as well, "Perfect. Thanks, force."

@Illogical Martyr

 

[VaroSut Delakaraad]

"Coruscant"

This singular word has been a plague upon the mind of young Varosut. Haunting his dreams, echoing repeatedly as if from a great distance. It was the very reason why Varosut had decided to secure passage to the planet. He was hoping that travelling to the world would ease his mind, clear his thoughts of that stabbing, pounding sensation each time the word slammed into his thoughts.

Ever since he was young, strange things had happened around him, to him. Now this. It's no wonder that he was on this Jedi goose chase, searching for answers. Using only a single word told to him by his tribes Shaman when the two last spoke as a guide. "JEDI". Varosut intended to find these cultists of rumor, and ask them questions that no one else had yet to give him a clear answer to.


The Iridonian native was on his way to get a room at a nearby hotel for the night, when he happened to spot a woman whom appeared to be injured. Not far from him, inside the confines of a narrow alley. She seemed to be struggling to walk, and Varosut's instincts took ahold. He was protective by nature, especially towards women, due to the love and care his mother had shown him. The opposite of which he was given from his father.

Instead of continuing towards the hotel, he instantly turned into the alley upon spying the hurt woman. Just as he did so, it began to rain. Perhaps not realizing it, he seemed to be standing in the way of her destination. He slowly approached, knowing all too well the dangers of approaching one as injured as she too hastily. Once he was only a few feet away, he spoke up. "Are you alright?" Varosut questioned. His voice was young, yet masculine. It rumbled from his chest and escaped his mouth like the roar of a Krayt Dragon. "Who did this to you?" he asked in a concerned manner. Before she could answer, his head began to swivel. Searching above and below for whoever might have attacked the woman before him. But he saw no one, so his eyes returned to her, his expression worrisome as he awaited her reply.


@Allevia

 

[Vaen Kesselle]

Vaen noticed a random man turning the corner "Great, one of those protestors.." she thought. She gripped her lightsaber hilt tightly, ready to scare the stranger off. However, her grip would loosen hearing the man's words. She got a better view of the stranger, a man with horns on his head. An Iridonian.

"The oblivious type huh?" Vaen thought it was strange how people ask "Are you alright" when they see a person who is clearly not alright. She let out a hoarse cough before taking a few more steps "Bar around the corner at the next block. Help me get there."

@Illogical Martyr

 

[VaroSut Delakaraad]

Varosut simply nodded when she stated for him to help her reach the bar. Without missing a beat, he swept her off of her feet and began rounding the corner without a single word. He could tell that she was exaughsted, while being wounded on top of that. He preferred if she didn't get harmed any more than she has been already.

His single minded focus came into play as he rushed her to her destination like a walking, breathing taxi.

As the rain dropped onto them from the polluted skies above, Varosut finally stopped in front of the nearby bar. He had ran the entire way with her in his arms and he didn't even seem to break a sweat. Finally, he spoke. "We seem to have arrived" the Iridonian stated simply before gently lowering the young woman back onto her battered feet.

"I trust you know someone here who can give you aid? Because otherwise this is a place to drink and forget, not receive medical attention."

He eyed her inquisitively with his arms crossed, his leather jacket becoming soaked in the current wet climate.

@Allevia

 

[Vaen Kesselle]

Vaen got onto her own feet and looked towards the stranger. "Thanks" she said with a smile. Which was soon followed by her stomping onto his toes as hard as possible "but did I tell you to pick me up? You don't pick up an injured person like that moron."

"Now stop acting smart with me and come on" she said walking into the bar. "Because otherwise this is a place to drink. Smart-ass" she thought.

Vaen entered the bar and proceeded to walk over to a booth, looking towards the bartender's direction "Carbon Freeze for me." She stumbled her way into the booth seat, and gestured for the stranger to sit across. "I'll be fine, I just gotta..." grabbing her right arm with her left hand, Vaen popped her shoulder back into place. A large crack could be heard followed by Vaen scrunching her face from the pain. She'd slowly let her right arm down and then move it around a bit. "There we go."

Her attention was now back to the stranger, "Thanks I guess." She'd place her left hand on her chest then continued "Vaen Kesselle. You?"

@Illogical Martyr

 

[VaroSut Delakaraad]

Varosut's inquisitive expression was quickly replaced by that of pain, as he was reprimanded by the mysterious woman. For a moment he held his foot trying to comfort his sore bones from her vicious toe stomping she had delivered him a moment ago, but he soon forgot about the pain as he realized that she had left him behind after commanding him to follow her inside.


" Well, I seem to to be a magnet for anything BUT the mundane.. " he sighed to himself as he hurried along to catch up with her. When he finally reached her, she had already taken a seat and ordered a drink. As she gestured for him to sit across from her, Varosut quickly seated himself. " I don't mean to sound like I'm nagging or anything... But shouldn't you be seeking medical atten- " He was cut off by her suddenly popping her shoulder back into it's socket, the popping sound ringing out loud enough to make him cringe. "Well, I'm actually starting to think you didn't need my help at all." He thought outloud to himself after witnessing her apparent toughness. "So why did you want me to accompany you into this drinking den then? Clearly it wasn't to help you seek medical aid." Admittedly, Varosut's curiosity was now piqued. Not only had he seemed to stumble upon someone who appeared to be an injured woman in need of help, but she also seemed to be quite capable of handling herself. Quite frankly, she was the first even remotely interesting encounter that he has had since recently leaving his homeworld for the first time. But it's possible that he could just be too young and inexperienced with life away from Iridonia for him to be able to read individuals the way he could on his homeplanet.

One thing was for certain, this planet caused more of a stir within him. It was as if there was an invisible heavy wind, swirling all around him and the other residents of Coruscant that most those around him could not perceive. He had experienced similar personal phenomena back home, but it was more so amplified on Coruscant. He still cannot put his finger onto why yet. But he was certainly called here by some unknown force, perhaps he was meant to bump into the woman the way that he had. The circumstances just seem too coincidental.

"Vaen Kesselle, You?" Her words snapped him back from his internal ramblings, and he softly responded in kind. "Varosut-Delekaraad." The crowd around him was a new concept to him, and he seemed to be becoming a little nervous and jittery.

@Allevia

 

[Vaen Kesselle]

Vaen blinked her eyes a few times after hearing the stranger's name. "Yeah I'm just gonna say Var." A girl wearing a rather provocative outfit would come by and place Vaen's drink on the table, and then moved on. Vaen took the drink and took a sip.

"I mostly told you to help me since you were already in my way. Then you were just standing there in the rain looking like a helpless child so I told you to come along with me." She reached for her drink to take another sip before her head snapped back up to look at Var "but don't expect me to pay for your drinks!"

She leaned back, drink in hand, and her other hand holding the right side of her body. "You from Iridonia?" Var had a somewhat straight-forward or blank-slate type of personality. He didn't have the 'pazazz' that a lot of Coruscant natives had, especially their attitude.

@Illogical Martyr

 

[VaroSut Delakaraad]

Varosut eyed his surroundings, and shifted in his seat nervously. "Var is not my name, but as you wish." he responded curtly in reference to the shorter version she had used. "I am not a helpless child. I am from a very harsher planet than this, birthed to a tribe of killers." it sounded more like he was trying to raise his own spirits and convince himself of his words but his tone didn't appear to hold much weight behind them.


"I am from Iridonia, yes. This is my first time away from home." he genuinely seemed out of his element. "I am on a search for Jedi. I have questions I need answers to."

His expression as usual was neutral, as was his tone. He was an extremely serious man, with a no nonsense approach to most situations. Probably inherited from his fathers teachings. But it was clear that it was an important subject for him. "By the way, you seem so casual at this time. Why do you not seem worried about the injuries you've sustained?" He was still worried about whether or not she was alright, than anything else. She had yet to explain what had happened to her and he has taken note of this.

@Allevia

 

[Vaen Kesselle]

"Jedi ehh?" Well Coruscant was a good place to start when looking for Jedi. Vaen had been to Iridonia once, albeit the Capital City Malidris. "Harsher planet than Coruscant?"

Vaen would wiggle her right arm around when Var asked about the injury. It still felt a little sore, there were probably some minor fractures. Most of the pain came from her ribs. "In my line of work you learn what's fatal and what's not." She paused and took another sip of her drink, setting it down and leaning forward, both elbows on the table to rest her head on her hands. "So was that the question you came all this way to ask, or you got more?"

@Illogical Martyr

 

[Drastus Drahr]

Drastus had landed on the planet some time after the holo broadcast, clad in his "beskar", wielding his beskad and blaster. He started at the hotel then branched outwards, only luckily finding a trail by a dumpster. Proceeding onward, he would search his surroundings, the visor focusing on a bar. "Well.. if I'm stuck on Corucsant, that's where I'm going.." Despite his desire to hunt Nima, he wanted to locate the Jedi first.

Entering the bar, many of the patrons near the door were quick to look, and even quicker to look away. His boots would carry him deeper into the bar, visor scanning the whole room. There was a sigh of relief when he saw a familiar face, possibly the Jedi. And even luckier for her, most of the other patrons were far too blitzed to even recognize her from the holo. He crossed over to the bar and flagged down the bartender. "Woman in the booth.. How long she been here?"

"Uhh.. Not really good with faces, Stranger, I can do drinks. Know what hers was?" he asked as he spit into a mug and then proceeded to wipe it down with a rag.

"Not a chance." Drast would say. "Thanks anyways."

"Well, she hasn't been here nearly as long as Ernie, but she was definitely here before Ted." The tender would say matter-of-factly.

"Right." Drast said before tapping the bar. "Three fingers of Corellian whiskey with two cubes of ice." there was a grunt of acknowledgement before the glass was set down before the younger Jedi. Taking the glass, Drast would set down a stack of creds with the other hand, before crossing the bar.

His gait would find him trailing to the corner booth with Vaen and Var. Grabbing a chair with the free hand, he'd lift and carry it over before setting it down and seating himself at their table. "Good afternoon." he'd say, his voice modulated by the t-visored helm.

@Allevia @Illogical Martyr

 

[VaroSut Delakaraad]

Varosut pondered upon her last question for a moment before speaking out in a hushed tone. "Jedi... I need to find one. There are questions I have that I feel only a Jedi could answer." He then sat back in the booth, allowing himself to straighten out. His height became more visibly apparent when he wasn't hunching over constantly. " If you have any idea where I could find a Jed- " he whispered before being cut off by the unexpected appearance of a new visitor who calmly took a seat at their table.

Var eyed the man cautiously. Stopping his questions all together with the other man's arrival. "Friend of yours?" He asked Vaen, eyeing her from the corner of his eye as his head remained trained in the direction of this new stranger.

Var took a mental note of the T-visored helmet. "A Mandalorian perhaps? I've only ever heard stories of their kind... " the Iridonian thought to himself.

@Allevia @Rhogar

 

[Vaen Kesselle]

"Was I not straight forward enough?" Vaen gave Varosut a blank stare for a moment, and it clicked "Oh yeah small tribe and never travelled" She thought her question would give Var an obvious hint, but apparently not.

Vaen could only let out a sigh and facepalm as Var leaned in talking about finding a Jedi. "Oh great force you couldn't get a young rich hot man to help me instead.." She turned as a stranger approached the table. "I said rich and hot not cheap Mando armor.."

She turned her head back towards Var "No not a friend of mine," Vaen then turned her head back to the stranger "seems familiar though." She grabbed her drink and took another sip, then placed the cup down slowly. As she placed it down, Vaen would let her presence in the force blow out of her body, as if she was holding in all that energy. She had sensed a minor presence in the force within the stranger, but she wanted to make sure. For force users, it was almost like a wave of heat was radiating off of Vaen. For the normal civilians in the bar, they would simply feel a sudden itch on their nose.

@Illogical Martyr @Rhogar

 

[Drastus Drahr]

"Friend enough." was his reply and he could feel her presence soothing out to meet him, which he would do the same in kind, allowing her to know that he was a friend, that he was there to help. His visor would shift to crowds over by the bar, some of them less-than-savory.

Sliding the glass over to the Jedi, he leaned with it, talking lowly so only she'd hear. "There's a bounty out on your kind. I have a ship and a way off this world. If we stall too long, we may need to give it a show." there would be a subtle nod back in the direction of the bar. "If they think you're a Jedi this could get ugly." Leaning back in his chair, he looked to Var, speaking louder this time. "Sorry, couldn't see you from where I was or else I would have brought you something too."

@Allevia @Illogical Martyr

 

[VaroSut Delakaraad]

Varosut watched the two with curiosity. His right hairless brow arching in interest at the mention of Jedi. As he put the pieces of the puzzle together, a realization came over him. As the apparent Mandalorian spoke to Vaen as if she was a Jedi on the run, Var had no choice but to interrupt.

"Ne'johaa mando!" he abruptly commanded the Mandalorian in Mando'a. Perhaps not a wise decision considering the rumors about Mandalorians ripping people to shreds in response to light disrespect, but Var would not have his personal mission delayed a moment longer.

Swiveling his head to rest his eyes on Vaen, he leaned forward onto the table they sat. His expression as rock solid as a Geonosian boulder. " You're a Jedi? " He simply questioned. Holding up a hand to the Mandalorian in an attempt to insure that he does not speak and interrupt, as Var wanted the answer to come from the woman herself. "If you are, I need your help."

He felt a little naïve for having not noticed sooner, but as he finished asking his question he suddenly sensed an immense amount of warmth emanating from Vaen. It was soothing, calming. Peaceful. In fact the aura she seemed to be radiating was so relaxing that he was forced to loosen his stressed and weary bones for the first time since his departure from his homeworld.

Sitting back in the booth, he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. Without her having to vocally answer a single word he had uttered, he had been given his answer by the seemingly invisible power that she was able to put off around her.

"Ah..." He muttered to himself as his gaze seemed to glaze and withdraw from reality

"How ironic that I would find that which I seek by mere coincidence." he muttered to himself in thought.

He did not let it be known that he had felt a strange essence from within Vaen, but his sudden and abrupt reaction to it probably told the other two everything they needed to know, he was aware of what she was, and if that wasn't enough he also felt a shimmer of an essence similar in nature to Vaen's within the Mandalorian.

He had never felt anything like this from another being in his life, but the fact that he was able to sense these things at all told him that his suspicions about himself must be true.

His emotions were a mixture of shock and excitement. Not knowing what else to say at that particular moment, he shut his trap and instead decided to listen to what these two interesting individuals would discuss. Perhaps their words to one another would answer any further questions, or worse raise new ones.

He hoped his air headedness at having not realized what Vaen was sooner would be forgiven, he also hoped the Mandalorian did not take offense to being interrupted. Varosut was just so fired up, he had been searching for a Jedi and now that he's found one he didn't even know where to begin, what to ask. He felt at a loss for words, he had only ever heard of the Jedi from his tribes shaman and ever since he's been on this hunt he has wondered how his first meeting with a jedi might play out.

Taking a quick glance around the bar, and at the two strange and yet interesting characters before him. He thought to himself, "I didn't expect it to go like this, not in the slightest."

@Allevia @Rhogar

 

[Vaen Kesselle]

Vaen pushed the glass over to Var. She didn't take drinks from strangers, especially men. She was also not big on alcoholic drinks. The force presence of the man was definitely weaker than hers, but it's affiliation was somewhat confusing. "Why would a Jedi be wearing armor like this? He doesn't have a saber either." Her skepticism of the man peaked when he uttered the words "your kind", which implied he was not a Jedi. "The holonet broadcast already played, all of the people here would already know I'm a Jedi once I walked in. No way this guy is trying to collect my bounty by convincing me to get on his ship."

Before she could respond, she was caught off guard by Var shouting something in Mando'a. "How would he even know that?" she thought. Vaen felt that there was a bit of secrecy going on, and she didn't like being held out of things.

She would simply nod her head yes to Var's question. His stone facial expression wanted to make her burst out laughing, but she knew that her side would hurt again if she laughed. "Damn I wish master taught me how to use the force to heal, but could he even do that?" Before asking what Var needed, Vaen turned her head toward the stranger. "Kinda rude to leave your helmet on buddy, and you don't look like one of those old Death Watch fellows."

@Rhogar @Illogical Martyr

 

[Drastus Drahr]

As Var started to speak Mando'a, Drast's gaze would move to him. "Don't speak my language." Var was extremely lucky that Drast's dad wasn't present at this moment. Aruetii speaking their language was just about open season. Had he truly lived in the Culture, he would probably find it the same way. The visor would shift back to the bar. The only good thing about choosing a bar was that it would take drunk patrons a bit to catch on to anything. And from where he was, he could see images of the Space Port and what appeared to be an arrest happening there.

The visor shifted back to Vaen and Var "Death Watch has been gone for a very long time.. Their successors, are still fairly active. And then some Clans just don't remove helms around non-Mandalorians." No wonder Jedi were always getting caught or in trouble, they didn't know how to avoid suspicion. "It's also rude to give a gift to someone else in some cultures, so we'll call it even, yeah? Now tell your friend here to quiet down. He starts getting excited about what you are and then it will get ugly here."

He'd notice the discomfort from her side. "I got stims for the pain. I'd offer them, but you might just slide em over to him." he'd lean forward once more, his voice low enough for only her to hear. "I can get you to Yavin.. Him too, but only if he stays glued to your hip until he checks out." The only people that knew the Jedi were regrouping on Yavin, were other Jedi, or those they really trusted.

Rising from his seat, he'd remove two small vials and set them down in front of Vaen. "Stims for the pain. So you have the option. Window for a safe departure is closing fast."

@Allevia @Illogical Martyr

 

[VaroSut Delakaraad]

Varosut's head simply swiveled from Vaen to the Mandalorian as the man spoke in a serious tone to her. He honestly had no idea what he was getting dragged into here, he just wanted to find a jedi and figure some things out but now there's talk of them all going to Yavin?

Var was starting to feel a bit rushed in terms of how fast things were moving and how much information he was suddenly absorbing. On his homeworld his knowledge of other cultures and planets came entirely from his tribes shaman, what that shaman failed to mention was the unpredictability of the universe, something that var in his young age had not accounted for.

"Find a jedi I said... It'll answer any questions I have about myself, I said... " the teen mentally despaired.

Beginning to become flustered, his face blushed a deep red from apparent anxiety and this caused him to snatch up the drink that vaen had slid to him. He downed the entire glass in one swallow before setting it back down on the table.

He still did not speak, he felt it was not his place and it didn't help that he had already possibly gotten on the Mandalorian's bad side.

"How was I supposed to know using their language was bad? My shaman's the one who taught me the bits that I know... I thought it would be useful to communicate with him and instead he seemed awfully defensive about the use of his native tongue." Young Varosut is beginning to realize that his mouth could get him into trouble in the future if he doesn't learn how to put a lid on it. But such is usually the case with young men like himself. It doesn't help that the native Tribal Iridonians are known to be naturally aggressive and obnoxious, but in his defense he seemed to turn out alright all things considered.

Sighing out, his uncomfortableness was all but clear. But what choice did he have but to listen and play along? He NEEDED to find a jedi, and he found one. As far as he was concerned. Where she goes, he goes. At least for the time being.

@Allevia @Rhogar

 

[Vaen Kesselle]

Vaen didn't like the stranger's attitude, but she could tell he was a Jedi. "You're definitely not a master. Knight maybe. Only our kind talk in the same tone as you. Must have had a strict master." Vaen got up and stretched and gestured Var to stand up as well. "Too bad your master taught you his bad habits as well." Vaen recalled why she always attempted to take on solo missions rather than working with her colleagues.

She'd step out of the booth, leaving the stims on the table, and head out of the bar. "Cmon Iridonian. I can answer your questions on my ship." Part of Vaen revealing her presence in the force was to check and see if there was any danger in the bar, to which she didn't sense anything. The armored man was probably one of those paranoid padawans she heard at that party before. Either that or they were a cocky random force user who just happened to bump into her. "Didn't even know armor like that was even allowed." Vaen then stepped out of the building, standing underneath the awning of the entrance to avoid the rain. She would wait for Var to step outside as well.

@Drastus Drahr
@Illogical Martyr

 

[Drastus Drahr]

"Yeah, she was strict." Drast would say. She had to be with a Padawan like him. "Don't speak ill of her again... please." In a different time, it would have been a fight, any ill word about Master Zurast. And through the Force, she could feel the loss as he spoke of his late Master. But he had come here trying to evac a Jedi, who was probably still reeling from the pride smack of losing to two teenagers on holo. And at the end of the day, they were still on the same team.

"If by bad habits, you mean situational preparedness, sure." He'd muse with a light laugh. He would scoop up the stims on the table and head for the door with her, cursing at how off-the-right foot they had gotten. The helm was great for many things, however, it did no favors with his early attempts at sarcasm.

Outside the door, the riot was in full swing now. At one end of the street, CSF were struggling to contain the situation and the other looters were everywhere. Drast cursed internally. "Look. I'm trying to help. We've had Jedi get killed on other planets due to these riots." he unclipped his cloak and offered it to her, trying hard to control the tone that came through the modulated speakers of the helmet. "At least cover yourself up so they don't recognize you. It's no longer just you, it's him too." He had hoped she would see the reason in those last words. "I came to the system, just to make sure you got off of it. Took the time to look over your record, Master Kesselle. Solo operator. Name's Drastus."

@Illogical Martyr @Allevia

 

[VaroSut Delakaraad]

Varosut instantly raised as she did and began to follow her out, but his ears were still trained on the words of Drastus. "What is even going on... " Varosut muttered in confusion. As Drastus followed the two out of the bar still trying to convince them to leave with him, The Iridonian noticed the rioting. On his homeworld he had been trained in hand to hand combat by his tribal elders so he wasn't worried about being attacked, but they also instilled in him deep roots of anxiety and paranoia. Their teachings were to distrust outsiders, to shun outside teachings. This caused Var over the span of his young life to develop an isolationist and anti social point of view. If he could help it he would like to stay away from large crowds, especially the kind of crowds like this one. These riots were too close for his comfort, and if they came any closer he would feel obligated to defend himself.

He would prefer not to stick around much longer, he might get into trouble with his hot temper if those in the streets causing problems came within his proximity. His nervousness pushed him to speak finally, the rain still pouring and cascading down over his stern and expressionless face.

"Vaen, I have decided to go where you go, because I feel you can help me." he then turned to Drastus. "And you, I don't know you at all, barely know her. But if you really want to help." He'd pause and turn back to Vaen. "Then maybe the THREE of us can work together to come to an agreement." He was forced to pause, his train of thought distracted by the sound of an explosion sounding off what seemed to be just a few blocks away.

"Choose, Vaen's ship or Drastus's. Where are we going, and please decide quickly."

His head turned to look back over his shoulder, his eyes tracking the angry mob while his ears trained on the shouting. "Otherwise..." He muttered. " We might get swept into something we don't need to be swept into. "He then looked back to Drastus.

"But either way I'm going wherever she chooses. No hard feelings. It's not that I am refusing your help, It's just she was the first jedi I've discovered on my travels in search of one. To me that's a sign."

His eyes flittered between them, awaiting someone to make a decision.

@Allevia @Rhogar