Ask Feet of Clay

[Byron Alduun]

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127 ABY // BURNIN KONN​

Burnin Konn had been plagued by the syndicates for decades, particularly due to the illegal mining operations surrounding the planet’s precious minerals. Locals had been forced into both slave trade and harsh mining environments in order to keep local crime bosses satisfied. The planet’s society had become as callous as its environment, uninhabitable, cold to the touch.

They had been ordered to intercept and disrupt a mining racket that had only recently cropped up on the Order’s radar. Electrum had been a myth on the planet for years, a well-kept secret between locals who wished to keep some of their planet’s natural beauty intact.

Though when a vein of electrum had been discovered in a small mine, it wasn’t long before the Syndicates had begun their assault. They had locked down a strategic bunker built with the purpose of defending their mining slaves as they plucked the jewels from their rocky beds.

“Finally,” the boy says, sitting in a cockpit barely fit for two. “Another day of travel and I would have been going kriffing insane.” His untampered face had been tattooed with a cocky immaturity, shaped in the smug grin plastered across it.

“You can stay in the ship if you want,” he called across to the ship’s pilot, who had inadvertently been focused on keeping them on course for the floating rock. “I think I could handle this on my own. I mean, you heard Master Har – I am one of the most promising duelists they had ever seen.” At this point, it was as if he were a child, bragging about a new toy. In reality, he was impressive for his age. The lesson was that if he were to perfect his craft, his potential was endless.

“I mean it seems pretty simple. Kill the criminals, free the slaves.”

@TWD26​

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[Oren Zapan]

The thought of returning to a mining operation filled Oren with a wide range of mixed emotions, on one hand it would be a way to bury the past, but at the same time, all his memories of his early childhood would come back to him. Slave mining in general was intense backbreaking work, that often left its slaves broken and discarded. The young Jedi knight had been one of the lucky ones, he escaped the life and he found his home in the Jedi.

He loved it, it brought him a sense of joy and comfort, he had often spent most of his time alone, but his Master had forced him as of late to become more active, something that Oren outright almost denied. He had been assigned a student to mentor, though it seemed that the Council knew little of what they were getting the two of them into.

Byron was the complete opposite of Oren, where Oren was calm and collected his young student was brash and explosive. Oren humble, while Byron was often cocky. The boys skills were strong with a blade and it wouldn't be long before he passed him. But, his attitude and over simplification of things would lead him to more pain than he could ever imagine. Too cocky, and too arrogant for the Jedi. The young Knight thought to himself.

"And one of the lousiest readers," Oren would say with a grunt as he exited the ship, "We're not going to kill anyone, unless they leave us no choice." He would get down to peer towards the boy with his own eyes, "Am I clear?"

tag: @Turtleneck

 

[Byron Alduun]

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His master’s harsh words were not an uncommon occurrence, so he brushed it off with a roll of the eyes. He thought it strange that he was under the control of another who had no control of themselves to begin with. Just as Byron was rash, impatient, so was Oren. They were two sides of the same coin. Different, but similar. Oh, so similar.

“Yes, master,” he replied haphazardly. There was an attempt at least to be something of the mould that Oren was trying to craft. If the Knight wasn’t happy with that, then perhaps Byron didn’t know him after all. “They are pirates though, and we are Jedi. I can’t just keep deflecting blaster bolts for the entire day.” He raised his palms immediately in defense. “I’m just saying.”

They were to land in a safezone a couple of miles out, where a rebellion cell had formed. There, they would retrieve two junk speeders from the rebels and lead an advance to the bunker. It was a hell of a mission, and one that would certainly test both of them. Although at this point, failure had been imminent for years. It was only going to take another warning until both of them were expelled.

“Remind me to remind you to get an upgrade for this sooner rather than later,” he said, hands gesturing to the interior of the ship. A hyperdrive upgrade and they would have been here days earlier.

For now, he sat in the passenger area, eagerly awaiting their imminent arrival to the Anoat system.

@TWD26​

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[Oren Zapan]

There was something about this young child that irked the living force out of the young Knight. He held no concern for tradition or honor, all he cared about was adventure and excitement, it was never enough to simply contemplate the realities of life and the force itself. Why the Council thought the two of them were the ideal fit was beyond his comprehension. He's nothing like me...at all.

He couldn't shake the thought of it from his mind, he was supposed to the one in charge here, but he was acting no different than the student. "Who ever said it had to resort to violence...you're the one who activates your stupid lightsaber anytime someone raises their voice," he would roll his eyes, "Remember the time on Haruun Kal and where that got us? I'd prefer not to be stuck in another cell with you."

It would only take another failure or outburst between the both of them and they would be thrown out of the Jedi all together, they had nothing left to fall back on and even if Oren hated it, they'd have to work together. Oren would slowly descend the ship towards the safezone, "This ship is older than you, and it's going to be here far longer if you keep blabbing like your the grand master." He would shoot the boy a glance as their ship came down onto the landing pad.

tag: @Turtleneck

 

[Byron Alduun]

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“Haruun Kal would never have happened if you had some urgency, master,” he said, rising out of his seat like some undead corpse ascending out of its grave.

“Had we acted with urgency, we wouldn’t have ended up in that mess.” A quick pat down of his robes and a brief look-over at his master, who he suspected would probably be giving him that nasty nasty stare of his.

Though he wanted to speak (and understand, he really did), the matter didn’t ask for it. Honestly, he wanted to prove himself. Not to his master or even to himself, but to the Order. That he was worth their time, that he was worth something. Anything.

So he bit his tongue, for now.

He tied a rag over his mouth, before looking back over his shoulder as the ramp began its descent to the ground. “It’s real dusty out there,” he said, eyes locked onto whatever waited for them on the landing zone.

@TWD26​

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