Open Event Little "Treasures"

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".... be with.... dying.... I hope.... last wish.... my treasures...."


Krownest. Was. Too. Cold.

Nara shivered in her thick coat as she trudged through the snow, heading deeper into the forest. A better idea would have been to stay on the ship and send out a scout droid or something... but her droid wasn't exactly designed for snow. Or rain. Or direct sunlight, really. So here she was, forced to trudge her way into the tangled forests as her datapad searched for the signal.

It'd appeared on a Jedi-specific channel. It was strong enough to get a couple of sectors out, so that suggested there was some kind of transmitter there. Jedi boasting about treasure was strange, though. Nara'd certainly heard enough rumours about 'treasure' that it peaked her interest, though Jedi treasure was more likely to be books and knowledge rather than gold and jewels.

Everyone's going a little bit insane about this treasure stuff. It was the same every Boonta's Eve on Nar Shaddaa. Always some Hutt's lost gold, or the vault of some long lost raider gang, just hidden somewhere dangerous. Falree Siz was convinced that he'd found it that year and we only ever found his head...

Nara shivered as her datapad pinged with a result. Somewhere deeper in the forest, but the signal was getting stronger. The message repeated, the words a little louder but the interference was still there. Even stranger. Could be something there that was messing with the transmission at the source, or just someone who was really poor at cobbling together a range booster.

So, what are these treasures? Obviously, something this person wanted the Jedi to have. And just who was it? Former knight? Lost padawan? Sneaky master leading a double-life? Nara didn't recognise the voice... but they could have been before her time. Or just someone who wasn't at the temple much. She picked up the pace a little. It wasn't like the transmission was hard to pick up and she might already be too late.

I'm sure some of you can guess exactly what 'treasures' will be found.

Hopefully this can be a little light-hearted, but the gist is that this garbled transmission is being broadcast across a couple of sectors, talking about someone's 'treasures.' The transmission originates somewhere in a densely forested region of Krownest.

I'm hoping we can keep this thread somewhat light-hearted!
 

Nykoria Tallis

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"A few days here, and they'll be mistaking us for Pantorans!" Indignation was clear in Kori's voice, even though it was mostly the Zeltron an attempt to lift the spirits with a joke. Nara was a little ahead, but she could probably hear it as well. Is it even worth it? The person who recorded the message must've kicked the... I mean, returned to the Force. Still, someone's dying wish, and on a Jedi channel no less, was too much to ignore. So the Jedi Master had to zip up her coat, put on a warm hat, pull a hood over it, and trudge through the snow of Krownest in Nara's wake.

Nara was actually the other reason why Kori was here. One of the Zeltron's closest friends in the entire Jedi Order. And what better way to spend Boonta Eve than with a close friend? Admittedly, Nykoria would've preferred sharing a drink and having a Boonta feast at her family apartment on Coruscant... But this cold snow-covered forest had to do. This time is about strengthening the bonds you have, and what's better to bond over than a challenge? It was little consolation, and it definitely didn't warm Kori up like a pair of gloves she was wearing.

"Are we getting any closer?" the Zeltron addressed Nara, who was much more tech-savvy than her. "I'm looking forward to setting up camp and lighting a fire." As a precaution, Kori's backpack contained anything the Jedi might need to survive a few days in the wilderness: food, supplies, even a karking weather-proof tent! Nykoria hoped that she wouldn't need to use it. But if her tenure as a Jedi had taught her anything, it's that it was better to come prepared.

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Izel Thral

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"A few days here and they'll be finding a frozen statue!" Izel managed to reply to Kori's joke. The Vratix was covered head to toe in heavy robes, only her eyes and a pair of antennae popping out of the top of the mass of cloth indicating who she was. She waddled along behind the other two women barely able to move with so much clothing on. However uncomfortable her humanoid friends were, the climate of Krownest was practically deadly deadly to an insectoid like her.

"We better find some ancient relic of tremendous value here..." She chittered out through the shivers. "The first lightsaber or... Some tome with the complete history of the Order or something. If not I'm going to be... Well I'll do something..." It was so cold she couldn't even articulate her complaints properly. In all honesty she'd probably just cry.

I don't even celebrate Boonta's Eve... She thought to herself miserably. Well, any excuse to spend time with friends right? A strong, frigid gust of wind blew through the forest, sending the Vratix into another fit of shivering. No of course not! What was she thinking? Friendship wasn't worth this! She just hoped they could find whatever they were looking for soon and get off this damnable world.

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Nara smirked at the comments of the others. Who better to accompany her on a quest to find treasure than her two best friends in the Order? Though perhaps she would've been a better friend to Izel if they'd found someone else to bring to a world that was all freezing snow and cold forests. But that'd mean Izel might miss out on some interesting 'treasures' and that wouldn't do.

"Shouldn't be too much further!"
Nara called out over the wind, drawing her coat tighter around herself. "We'll find whatever's there and we'll make camp. Hopefully eat something too." Nara was hoping for some kind of structure, or cave, or anything that'd block off the elements for a little bit. Her pack rattled with some self-heating rations she'd brought along. The mere thought of them made her stomach rumble.

"Y'know, I usually spend Boonta's Eve trying to get drunk," she told the others as the datapad pinged louder, getting very close. Nara kept quiet as she climbed slowly up a snow-covered verge, looking out over a clearing. As she knelt at the top, her knees deep in snow, she peered out and saw something right there.

It looked like a pre-fab. One of those cookie-cutter, simply-built little buildings you'd find on colonies or new settlements. The kinds that were mass-produced and flown out by the thousands. A squat, wide building flecked with cold frost, though warm light bathed out from within. Atop the structure was a reinforced mast, which was clearly giving out the signal. Somewhere at the back of the building, dark smoke curled out. Judging by the coldness of the environment, Nara guessed that it was some exhaust from something, maybe a generator. Not likely to be a raging fire.

"I think we found our source," Nara said to the others, showing the datapad screen. "I was not expecting a... house?"


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Nykoria Tallis

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Of the entire group, Izel had the funniest look. Sure, the shivering Nara was looking more and more like a Zeltron, and the Zeltron herself was shifting towards the darker, and even Pantoran end of the spectrum... But the walking assortment of fur coats with eyes and antennae definitely took the first prize. Having spent years working with the two women, the Zeltron Jedi Master couldn't but share in their highs... and lows. This time, it manifested in the desire for a hot fire and a warm meal.

"How about any Force technique against the cold?" Kori said teasingly, referring to the Vratix Knight who seemed to have studied more Force techniques than an average Jedi Master. "A way to keep the clothes warmer, or a floating fire would hit right home." If Izel were to do something, it might make sense to do something useful.

Nara's remark about getting drunk called for another uncalled for quip from the Zeltron: "Then we're clearly doing it wrong this year." Poor lass didn't have a second liver, so she didn't know what it was like to be trying to get drunk... while everyone else was sapped or sleeping already.

It didn't take long for the Jedi to find... A house? Kriff that tent I've been dragging along! Admittedly, the Zeltron wasn't expecting a house either. On the bright side, the prefab house promised warmth, shelter, and maybe a place to get some food. "Well, if this is the place then..." she walked up to the door and knocked on it, turning her head briefly to her friends. "Let's see what the fuss was about."

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"There are a few techniques one of my old masters taught me," Izel replied earnestly to Kori's teasing. "For keeping the body warm. Of course, I want to conserve my energy in case it's needed for something more important... You know... Since someone tries to kill us every time we go exploring?" It was meant to be a joke, but one undeniably based in fact. Going to new planets to find exciting things always seemed to draw the wrong kind of excitement. Last time it had been some homicidal Sith in a Zeffo temple. Who knew what it would be this time.

Izel was just surprised as the others when they crested the hill to find a house. And a house that seemed occupied at that. Why hadn't she sensed anything? Regardless, her thoughts were interrupted by Kori nonchalantly approaching the house and knocking on the door. The Vratix hesitantly followed behind, gripping her pike tightly and shooting Nara a nervous glance. She had a bad feeling about this. After all, who would want to live all alone in the middle of nowhere like this?

"Hopefully not the violent kind of fuss..." She muttered uncertainly under her breath. If it was, they had just lost any chance of getting the drop on any possible hostile beings.

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Not only was Nara not expecting a house... she was also hoping to be a little bit more subtle than knocking on the door. She winced as Kori just waltzed on up there and knocked, like it was no big deal. What if someone opened the door and pointed a blaster in her face? Or well, in slightly more-threatening things, a red saber? She shot Izel a look back, sharing the nerves. Her hand moved to her belt, just hovering over her saber hilt. Just in case.

There'd been a little bit of noise in the house as they'd approached, but at the knock it died down suddenly. The air was heavy with silence. Nara looked between her two friends as they waited. Frowning. She stepped even closer to the wall, hoping to slip closer to a window and see something. Her boots carefully pressed into the snow, crunching a little as she slid closer. As she did, she could hear the faintest murmurs. Talking. Rapid, quiet and scared talking.

".... don't open it.... don't know... he said not to.... anyone...."

"..... what if.... people.... help.... stay here?"

"... help... food... forever!"

Nara listened in as close as she could, then looked over her shoulder to the others.

"Uh... they sound pretty young. And pretty scared," Nara said, as quiet as she could. Stepping towards Kori and the door, she wondered what she could say. Thinking about where the transmission had been sent and what might help these kids, she ran over ideas in her head.

Screw it.

She knocked on the door again, a little bit louder this time. "Hey! We heard something on one of our radio channels? We're Jedi Knights... well Knights and a Master," Nara explained, feeling stupid. Like they cared about their ranks. "Hello?"

There was a short silence, followed by a shrill voice.

"Go away! We don't believe you!"



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Nykoria Tallis

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Nara and Izel both seemed to be on the edge. The Vratix was vocal about her suspicions, but even the silent Nara gave telltale signs of disapproval. Nykoria did find it rather curious. So far, nothing ticked off her senses... Except for the kriffing cold, of course. Were they expecting a Sith? The place sure didn't feel like it would attract any. Then again, the "Ontotho trio" had a habit of running into trouble, so Nykoria couldn't blame her friends for being twitchy. But still, barging into someone's house or circling around it to investigate was just wrong. If the inhabitants were ordinary people, they'd take the trio outside for a bunch of creeps.

Therefore, knocking and being polite was the way to go. A wide smirk appeared on the Zeltron's ice-glazed face as she learned that the people inside were rather young; possibly kids, and scared ones at that. Kori tilted her head, looking at Izel: "Violent kind of fuss, huh?" The cheery thought that rang in her head could be easily picked up by her fellow Knights. But wait, Nara corrected herself, reminding Nykoria of her rank. It still felt weird to outrank the two friends. For all Kori knew, she still felt like among peers.

The shrill-voiced kid was clearly a piece of work. Smart enough not to trust strangers, and with some sass to boot. But still a kid nonetheless. Something moved inside the Zeltron, as she realized just how to gain the inhabitants' trust. "Look, we've got lightsabers to prove it," her voice as calm and soothing as the frost allowed her to be. "Just look through the window and see." She gestured to Izel, asking for a demonstration, trying to sound sincere: "If we meant something ill, would we be freezing here and asking you to let us in, while having sabers?" It was Nykoria's best shot at being let in.

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Izel Thral

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Izel tilted her head curiously at Nara's report of supposed children inside. Well that certainly wasn't what she was expecting. Honestly she didn't know what to expect. She had thought the isolated cabin might have been some kind of smuggler's den, but perhaps it was just some frontier family that wanted to get away from civilization. Looking back towards Kori as she sent her a teasing thought the Vratix just shrugged. Better to be prepared right?

But the shrill shout coming from inside the house in response to Nara's attempts to start a conversation seemed to confirm what she had said. They definitely sounded like children. Although... They could also just be very small aliens, but the size of the house made that less likely in her opinion. But then Kori's offer to show them their lightsabers just made the Vratix sigh.

"Why does everyone think showing off a weapon is the right way to make friendly introductions?" She mused aloud. But she got Kori's reasoning, or at least she thought she did. Children were more prone to think a lightsaber was 'cool' then to recognize it as a dangerous weapon. It might get them inside and out of this horrible cold. Stepping in front of the window but keeping at a fair enough distance so that they wouldn't think she was trying to break in, Izel held her pike out to her side and ignited it's radiant green blade, slowly moving the saber over her head in a sweeping motion to show off for those inside. Hopefully they wouldn't shoot at her.

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There was silence inside as the little voices considered what they'd all just said. Nara, too, wondering if offering to brandish their dangerous weaponry might be a little bit on the wrong side of convincing, but she had to admit it might work. After all, when she was a kid, what would she have thought about a lightsaber? That it was super cool and where could I get one of my own, and that was before I was a Jedi or anything.

There was a gasp as Izel's green saber shimmered through the window. Little patters of feet behind the door, followed by a couple of beeps. The door swung open, letting the head bleed out towards the assembled Jedi. Three figures. Three small figures. Nara's eyes narrowed in the light, trying to make out their features.

One small Twi'lek boy, a Pantoran girl with short, spiky hair and a shocked looking Mon Calamari girl. All staring at the green plasma blade that shimmered in the cold air. Their eyes flicked all over, from the lightsaber pike to Izel. From Izel to Kori. From Kori to Nara.

"That's. So. Cool," the Pantoran girl announced, staring up at the pike again with barely concealed awe. The Mon Calamari girl looked at them all oddly, turning a little more suspicious.

"You all don't look like Jedi, where's your robes?" she asked them. Nara raised her eyebrow, about to scoff at a small kid.

"Little bit too cold for robes," she said, though she wasn't one for robes anyway. "Look can we..."

"His one was green." The boy spoke quietly, still staring at Izel. "He had a green lightsaber. He looked after us until... until..."he said before the words died in his throat. Nara looked between them all and sighed.

"Please can we come in? It's a lot warmer in there and we could all do with some heat," Nara suggested, pointing inside. The kids shared a look before the Mon Calamari girl nodded, moving aside to let the Jedi in. Nara stepped in first, rubbing her hands together as the heat hit her face.


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Nykoria Tallis

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Again, Nara and Izel had reservations at first, and Kori just couldn't quite understand why. The saber was their ticket in; and when said in a friendly tone, the Zeltron's resoning was sound and simple. The story went that even the old Ben Kenobi had started a not-so-young Luke Skywalker on the Jedi path by showing him a weapon of a Jedi Knight. The younger the kid, the more effect it would have. Of course, some of those kids grew into cynical and suspicious Sector Rangers afterwards, but that was an entirely different matter.

Either way, the fact that it was Izel and a her unusual weapon made the scene even more unusual. Nykoria watched curiously as the kids gathered to see a giant insectoid and her pike. This time Nara was handling the strange remarks and awkward questions for a change. To her credit, the Knight fared well enough, and even got the Jedi the permission to enter.

Nykoria followed Nara inside shortly afterwards, waiting on Izel to come in and close the door. Finally, the Zeltron could drop the stretched smile that had been forced on her face by the cold outside. Her heavy backpack followed onto the floor as well. "Karkin' finally," Kori almost said it outloud, but had stopped herself at the last moment. Amidst all the awe and residual suspicion, there was something else. Sadness. A mind-numbing sadness at the mention of a man with a green lightsaber.

"We only heard pieces of your message," the Zeltron admitted. "Could you show my friend here where it was sent from?" The Zeltron gestured to Nara as the most tech-savvy of the trio: "After that, we'll see about some dinner," Kori looked at her Vratix companion, about to ask her something, but then something occurred to her, and she turned to the kids.: "We forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Kori, and this is Nara and Izel." The Jedi Master nodded towards her friends in turn.

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Well, they were just children after all. That was a relief, although it was still unusual to see children of three separate species living together. Perhaps they were adopted. She supposed it didn't matter all that much. They were harmless, and the Vratix found their reactions to the lightsaber rather cute. They reminded her somewhat of some of her younger siblings. After the Twi'lek took particular notice to her green blade, and mentioned another Jedi rather somberly, she extinguished the weapon. This must have been their caretaker they were talking about. Whatever could have happened to him? It certainly didn't sound good.

Ironically the Vratix found herself a bit panicked when Nara and Kori started convincing the children to let them inside, feeling a reflexive urge to remind the younglings they shouldn't be so trusting of strangers. Sure they didn't mean the kids any harm but that didn't mean everyone would feel that way. If anything out here in the midle of nowhere they were far more likely to encounter the malicious type of travelers. But the damage was already done, and they had been invited inside.

Izel tentatively stepped in the house, though her reservations quickly melted away with the cold. With a sigh of relief she began unwrapping the various scarves and pulling down her hood to reveal her face, taking a breath of fresh air after being freed from her discomfort. "Hello..." She offered a friendly wave to the children as Kori introduced her. After a bit of an awkward pause she continued. "Your home is very nice. Does anyone else live here?" She could tell something was off, so she wanted to try and broach the subject of their parents or guardians gently.

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Nara shivered a little, letting the warmth sink into herself. She didn't take her coat off or anything, yet. She felt her cheeks and nose redden, no doubt giving her a very rosy, slightly embarrassed look. That was only partly due to the children around them.

At the mention of tech, the Mon Calamari girl piped up quickly. Looking up at the Jedi, giving them all a judgemental look. "Your Nara doesn't look very good with technology. She looks like a stick." There was a pouty brattiness that leaked from every word, enough to make Nara glare.

Is this what I sounded like as a kid? I deserved to get punched.

"I'm not good with technology, I'm amazing with it,"Nara scoffed in reply, before realising she was in a clout contest with a preteen. "Just... show me, please," she asked, as the girl rolled her sizeable eyes and lead her towards the back, opening a door. Stepping inside, Nara took note of the jury-rigged transmitter, attached to a small datapad that was looping a message. The thing wasn't particularly powerful, judging by the power set-up. No wonder it'd kept cutting out.

The Pantoran girl decided to introduce them all to the other two. "Well, I'm Finla, that's Riz," she said, pointing to the boy, "and the other one is Jhes." She raised her eyebrows at the mention of Jhes, clearly sharing an opinion about her Mon Calamari friend. "We had a... well... we had someone looking after us but..."

"But he di... passed on," Riz said, his voice sounding a little hollow. Finla looked down and just nodded, silently.

"He wasn't well when he found us. Said he'd find somewhere to keep us safe, then get us help," Finla explained to Kori and Izel. "We... he's still..." she said, her words starting to descend into a stutter as she looked back over her shoulder. Besides the door Nara and Jhes had just entered, there was another.

"We wrapped him up like he wanted," Riz told them, "we didn't touch his light-thing."


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Nykoria Tallis

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Nara's reaction to the Mon Calamari was so funny that Kori's lips curled up... Only for a moment, since the hollow feeling never went away. Riz only put it into words. "I'll take a look," she sighed, steadying herself for what was to come. A thought rang across her mind, directed at Nara and Izel: "Any info on who that Jedi might be could help."

Outloud though, Nykoria addressed the children quietly, subtle warmth and consolation in her tone: "I'm sure you did everything you could. We'll take care of the rest." With that, the Zeltron stepped towards the door to open it. Izel though... Nykoria wasn't sure if it was better to have her come with, or look after the kids in the meantime. The younglings had been through a lot, they probably were hungry, and asking them to accompany Kori to the dead Jedi was probably a wrong thing to do.

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Izel just looked to Kori and nodded subtly at the received message. After she departed the Vratix crouched down in front of the younglings to try and get more on their level, as well as keep their attention on her. "I'm very sorry to hear that." She said softly. "It sounds like he was very close to you." She paused as she looked between the two aliens.

"You'll pull through though." She put on a more encouraging voice. "You both look tough as nails. I've met a lot of strong people, I know it when I see it. And I bet your friend told you as much." She tried to lighten the mood. She figured just who these kids were and what their relationship to the dead Jedi was would be revealed soon enough. And in her experience the easiest way to get a kid in a better mood was to talk them up.

"I'm sure he could tell how talented you all were." She started, and tried to put on a mystical air as she waved a hand in front of them. "We can sense it. Do you think you could show me something like that?" She tried to sound innocently curious enough. And in a way she was. To her it was most likely this Jedi had been out searching for prospective students, although why he would choose to settle here instead of bringing them back to Ajan Kloss still perplexed her.

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The door that Kori opened lead into a small room. There was little inside but a bed, one that wouldn't have looked out of place in a refugee camp or medical tent. There, lying on top, was a body. At least, one could assume it was a body. It'd been wrapped up loosely in grey cloth, with a plain, silvery lightsaber hilt laying on top. The ventilation had been opened up, giving everything a frosty tinge.

* * *​

Riz didn't react much to Izel's talk. He kept staring down at the floor, clearly upset. Finla nodded though, pushing through the sorrow. "Yeah. Yeah we're tough. We're all tough. That's why we... that's why he found us. Because we're tough and we can be trained. That's what he said. Watch." Finla nodded over to the table at the side, where a small, empty ration packet lay. She held out her hand and the packet twitched. It shuddered a little, before flying into her palm.

"See? We can all do it. But I'm the best, even if Jhes says she is. I did it using my Forz. That's what he called it. Our forz."

* * *​

"What are you doin'?"

"Looking for something..."

"Like what?"

"Something important."

"Aren't you gonna tell me what?"

"... no."

Nara bit her lip as she looked through the datapad, flicking through the rudimentary security with ease. Jedi were never much good at device protection, who'da thought? But it wasn't easy with a tiny, Mon Calamari gnat needling her every three seconds.

"I thought you were good with technology. You said you was amazing," Jhes complained, arms folded. "Now you're just wrecking the transmitter thing."

"Kid?" Nara said, leaning down with a smile as she stared her right in her huge eyes. "Please, please, just sh-... just let me work."

Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up

She didn't wait for an answer, stepping out into the main part of the cabin as she found the important data.

"So... we've got a Knight Dayla here, says he hasn't been back on Ajan Kloss for... wow, years. Been busy in the Outer Rim, helping people, busting slaver rings. Jeez, a lot of them, turns out." She wasn't looking anywhere in particular, just reading aloud. "Last entry says he was badly injured in his last trip, rescuing some Force Sensitive children from... oh. Ick." Nara's face scrunched up as she read the last part. "From something that's not appropriate for kids. Or me."


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Nykoria Tallis

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Nykoria had a lump in her throat as she approached the body. "They let in the cold from the outside. Smart." The kids themselves might not have guessed to do that by themselves. Yet the Zeltron didn't want to use her innate ability to confirm her suspicion. That the dying Jedi himself had instructed the kids what to do to his body. Even imagining it made Kori uncomfortable, and living through it would surely put her on the verge of tears.

She steeled herself, trying to block the visions off, as she rested her gloveless purple palm on the deceased Knight's lightsaber. "What was that Councillor Sada-Nau Tin used to say? May you find peace in death?" For the time being, she removed the hand from the hilt and left the room, closing the door behind her. She hated the idea of going back into the cold, but it was required for what she was about to do. Hopefully, Izel would keep the children distracted while Kori would put on the gloves and leave the house.

Her work outside would take a while; an hour or two at least. Knight Dayla's body hadn't returned to the Force, so it was up to the Zeltron Master to get firewood for the pyre. An old tradition Kori had heard about, but never before had she needed to do something like that. Letting Nara or Izel do that just seemed wrong. "Can't escape it, I guess."

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Izel kept Riz in the corner of her eye, showing concern for the young Twi'lek, but she also made sure to watch Finla's little trick. "Most impressive!" She praised the Pantoran with a light chitter. "You definitely have it. And so young too!" She made a show of looking around suspiciously and then leaning in a bit as if to tell a secret. "I couldn't do that until I was much older. You three must be very strong in the Force." She made sure to pronounce the word more clearly for Finla's benefit. Then she turned her attention to the gloomy Twi'lek.

"Of course... you can do much more then that." She said as she reached out and used a finger to lift Riz's chin so they were looking eye to eye. "If you like, I can show you another trick. This one is quite special, I think you'd like it." She would then offer and hand to the youngling. If he chose to take it, she would reach out with the Force and probe gently at his mind, finding one of his happier memories and bringing it to the forefront of his mind to try and cheer him up a bit. "Life is full of sad moments little one." She told him tenderly. "But you decide how that effects you."

She then looked up as Nara emerged and gave them the full story, or at least the full-er story. The Vratix was able to piece together the rest herself. "He sounds like a great man." She replied as she looked back towards the younglings. "You were fortunate to have known such a noble person."

@Charndley @Catbert
 

Juniper

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Independent
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Independent Force User

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Charndley
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Finla smirked with pride, hands on her hips. As if she'd always known that she was more advanced, grinning at Izel. Considering that fifteen minutes ago, she'd thought she was some sort of smuggler or slaver, she'd obviously made an impression. Even Riz was impressed. He did take Izel's hand, his eyes going wide as the Vratix gently pulled one of his more positive memories to his attention. The smile grew on his small face, lighting it up and giving him a warmth to match the heaters.

"Wow..." he said quietly, staring right into Izel's eyes with barely-contained delight.

"We're so totally strong in the Force, even he said we were,"
Jhes confidently answered as she stood by Finla, folding her arms cockily. Finla rolled her eyes in response.

"She said I'm strong, not you," Finla replied, her look full of jealous venom.

"Well, she meant all of us obviously. You aren't special," Jhes fired back, glaring.

"More special than you, all you do is whine."

"You're just jealous-"

"Of what? Your face is jealous..."

"That doesn't make sense!"

"YOU DON'T MAKE SENSE!"

Riz pouted a little as he looked up at Izel. "They're always like this."

* * *​

Nara watched Izel with the kids, smiling. She seemed to have a natural ability with them both. Finla and Riz seemed entranced by her friend, eagerly sharing their Force sensitivity and showing off a little. Leaving them to it, Nara leaned towards the other door and took a peek inside. Instantly blasted with a face full of freezing cold air, she stared at the wrapped up shape on the bed.

That'd be where they left him then.

Staring at it, she felt oddly... concerned. It wasn't the first body she'd seen, oh no. Not by a long shot. She'd been plenty before she was a Jedi and... well, plenty since. A lot more caused by her own hand. Knight Dayla seemed like a good Jedi. One that worked hard. As good a Jedi as they came, considering he'd given his life to get kids out of an awful situation. And for all his hard work, all his effort?

Sliced up, cut up, dragged off by the kids he saved and desperately hoping they'd be found by the right people. Is this how he expected to go out? I doubt this is what he wanted. But... they say a Jedi's life is sacrifice.

No doubt that Knight Dayla would be proud to have given his life for something so noble. She'd like to think she'd be the same. Maybe.

With that, she closed the door properly, shivering at her own thoughts. Hearing the argument that brewed, Nara wanted little part of it. Otherwise, she'd end up tying the children to a chair, which wouldn't be the best beginning to their lives in the Order. Instead, she dropped her bag in the corner and fished out the stove she'd brought. It wasn't anything special, just a heating element cobbled together with some battery packs. She set it up on the table and fished the ration packs from her things.

"I'm thinking we might need to stay. For the night, at least. Weather's too bad to risk going out this late. For them and... well, you too, Izel," Nara explained, "and the snowstorm's dampening comms, which explains the garbled message. Not gonna get a message out to the Order until we're off-world, I think. Not with that equipment in there, anyway." All the while, she was opening packets, placing them onto the heater, rubbing her hands as it worked it's magic. Slowly, the cabin filled with the smell of 'delicious', 'incredible', piping-hot survival rations.



@Catbert @Reyn
 

Nykoria Tallis

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Jedi Order
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Jedi Master

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Catbert
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While Nara and Izel remained inside, Kori continued to toil on the pyre. A somewhat unusual thing for her to do. She hailed from a city-planet, and building up fires—and survival in the wilderness in general—were as far from her field as it could get. Of course, the years on Ajan Kloss had somewhat alleviated that, but the Zeltron still found it hard to figure out which branches to pick. Not that there were too many available to begin with.

Besides, slicing up random trees with lightsaber felt wrong. They were alive after all, so Nykoria took extra time to let her senses determine whether or not a tree was alive. Once she'd found a dead one, the routine would be to cut it down with the lightsaber, slash it into multiple blocks, and levitate them towards the clearing in front of the house.

It was a long and tiring job. But being left to herself allowed Nykoria to try and clear her mind. It was a sad, somewhat tiring duty, but it had to be done. The pyre was building up, but not early as fast as it would take Nara and Izel to prepare food and tend to the children.

@Reyn, @Charndley
 
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