Path to Order

Nykoria Tallis

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Age: 16 -///- Location: CoCo Town, Coruscant


The wind blew into Kori's face relentlessly, making her long indigo hair soar freely behind her. The world around her was a blur of lights, people, and their feelings flying by: mostly surprise, occasionally distress or outright fear for their lives, and at times even anger. The young Zeltron felt like she was flying; as if carried by the storm. No, she was the storm—going wherever she pleased, almost as fast as the wind that was making her squint. Despite that minor inconvenience, Kori's smile was as wide as it could be. She'd shout with joy if it weren't for the wind. Even then, her shout would probably be muffled by the thundering hum of the skycars darting by.

Kori only had to do one thing: hold on to the handlebars of her newly-borrowed swoop bike as it was dashing through Coruscant traffic. The speed and freedom, coupled with the swoop's fine control gave Kori the feeling of power. Coupled with the emotions of the living skyway around her, it was almost... intoxicating. Nothing could compare to it, even the party that she had just been at...

Police sirens make Kori snap out of it. Got to do something. The vehicle swerves towards the construction site. The foot is about to tear off the brake pedal. The blur is long-gone, but the speed is still high. A nasty metallic screech—the swoop scrapes a girder. Hands let go of the handlebars. The Zeltron really flies now, towards a not-so-soft landing, with quite a few bruises. Kori rolls with the fall. The swoop dashes forward, uncontrolled. The police car appears from behind the corner and follows the swoop. Kori gets on her fours and stares at the police car disappearing into the distance.

She then hears the loud sound of crash and twisted metal in the distance. The sound resonates throughout the neighborhood with another pulse of emotions in nearby buildings. Kori feels a trickle running down her lip. She tastes it. Blood. The rebellious Zeltron stands up, holding her hand to the stomach. Quick, run, before somebody notices you. Kori turns around and starts limping in the opposite direction from the crash site. Turning her head over the shoulders, she casts one last glance at the commotion she had just caused, and quietly utters one of the many curses that she had picked up recently: "Kriff..." If her parents find out, she'll be in a lot of poodoo.
 

Nykoria Tallis

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Jedi Order
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Jedi Master

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Age: 16 -///- Location: Apartment block 42-C-1231, Coruscant


"Ever considered asking me first?!" Kori was on the verge of yelling; her voice echoed through the corridor. She stood in the doorway, with an angry grimace, staring down the older Zeltron. Even though the teen was a head shorter and had to look up to do that, she didn't relent. "Yes, just like you considered asking me or your mother before running off to Deelan's party," the man returned the stare, his voice raised as well, but calmer and more confident. "Or when you took and crashed Deelan's swoop afterwards. I see I couldn't instill discipline in you, but the specialized boarding school surely will. Me and the headmaster go way back, and I trust..."

Kori was too angry to pay attention to that lecture, looking past the man. Deep down, a part of her realised that her father was right. But that only made the girl more bitter. There and then, at that very moment, all the injustice in the world had a face—it was that of a middle-aged Zeltron, with wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, and a greying goatee. "... your shuttle leaves tomorrow morning. I suggest you be on it..." Her dad's voice emanated authority and determination. The indignant Kori hit the switch, shutting the automatic door in front of the man, not even letting him finish. Surprisingly, her father didn't insist on continuing the conversation. He simply... left?

Now that she was alone, the rebellious teenager turned to take one last look at her room. She let out a loud grunt of anger through her clenched teeth. Kori needed to vent, to do something. Her cheeks redder than ever before, the girl rushed towards the wall with posters, tearing them down. Then the stuff from her desk ended up on the floor with one swift motion, as if the wind swept it clean off. The wardrobe was up next...

If circumstances were different, she would've taken the news much better. At one point, she had looked forward to training to become a law enforcer... Maybe even to leaving home. But not like that: so abruptly, and with the choice being made for her.

If Kori were to leave home for good, she wouldn't need to clean up the mess. Might as well leave one last furious memento in her wake. For now, she didn't even pay attention to the bag that her father had brought for her to gather her belongings...
 

Nykoria Tallis

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Age: 17 -///- Location: Gym, Free Worlds Law Enforcement Academy, Coruscant


Kori's muscles were aching from the plethora of exercises she had already been through. Shooting, track and field, hand-to-hand, some more shooting... That had been a kriffing long day. Sweat trickled down the Zeltron's neck, and sometimes dripped from her chin on the floor. But the most sweaty body part right now were the gloved palms. However, there and then, the girl didn't look forward to the day's end—the thrill of the game she was in outweighed everything. They have gone overtime, and wrong action could spell defeat.

"Kori, catch!" a moment before the Zeltron heard the command, she had already turned to face the incoming electified ball soaring in the air. Confident in her partner's throwing ability and their team chemistry—to the point that Kori would say they played as one—she reached out for the ball. As expected, it landed right into her hands, leaving an intricate parabolic trail in its wake. One of the two remaining opponents—a green-skinned Rodian—looked at it in awe for a moment.

The Zeltron, however, wasn't surprised and mentally praised her partner a great throw. With a grin of evil satisfaction, Kori hurled the electrified ball at the distracted Rodian. His hands landed on the ball a moment too late, and it had touched his chest. Stunned, the Rodian collapsed on the floor. A whistle sounded a moment afterwards, signaling the victory of "Team Red".

Kori jumped up with the cheerful shout, running towards her last standing teammate to celebrate their hard-earned victory. It had to be Shiri—a Lethan red-skinned Twi'lek, just a tad bit shorter than Kori. Roommates at the academy since day one, the Zeltron couldn't wish for a better friend and teammate. At times, it felt like they could understand each other without words. And nobody else could pull off a shockball pass like Shiri had just done.

Naturally, the Twi'lek shared Kori's exhilaration and ran towards her as well. They hugged each other, jumping in joy... Before Kori realized how rude it must've been to the last standing opponent. Giving each other one last pat on the back, the girls stopped their hug turned towards the human who was coming to them. "Gosh, it's Liam!" the Twi'lek whispered excitedly in Kori's ear while the opponent was still far enough.

"Great play!" Liam, the captain of the opposing team genuinely commended the girls, turning his gaze from Kori to Shiri. "That's some nice throwing there. We'll need to step up our game if we want to win the cup." That compliment made the Twi'lek cast her eyes down, lost for words. The Zeltron chuckled, sensing more than what was said: "Thanks, Liam..." Kori shrugged and spread her arms in a gesture that could signify "This turned our way today, but might've turned the other way tomorrow."

Then, as if remembering something, Kori added, with some hesitation: "Uhhh, we're going to Uscru along with a few other cadets next week, to celebrate... a few things. Care to join us?" The Twi'lek couldn't but cast a surprised glance at Kori, but Liam responded without giving too much thought: "Sure, why not? I'll be in touch then," with that, he stepped back, giving the girls a smile and a wink before turning around to rejoin his team members, most of whom were still recovering from the shockball's stun effects.

"See? Told you it'd be a piece of cake if we don't swoon," Kori said quietly to her Twi'lek teammate with a chuckle. It didn't take a Zeltron to feel Shiri's awe and gratitude for inviting a "poster boy" of the most successful shockball team—and secretly, a long-time crush—to a party just like that.
 
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Nykoria Tallis

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Age: 18 -///- Location: Outlander Club, Uscru District, Coruscant


Kori felt like she was afloat with all the joy, cheering and music around her. She was literally dancing in her seat, a glass of enticing yellow liquid with a straw in front of her. "Cheers, Kori! To your coming of age!" one of her classmates raised his glass, and others followed suit. With a faint smile, Kori lifted her own glass.

It was almost perfect, except that Shiri, her best friend, hadn't arrived yet. Too busy with her forensics home assignment, the Twi'lek had promised to show up a bit later. Kori wished she could help her roommate with it; but the Zeltron had managed to do her own only because... Well, she didn't know how to put it. Seeing the history of the item as she touched it? Definitely not something you'd be telling to people, let alone show it off...

"Kori, are you going to say anything?" Liam interjected and reminded Kori where she was. With a wide smile making way onto her face, Kori raised her glass: "Yes! To living and having fun!" the young Zeltron chuckled, as she heard and felt the crowd cheering her up. Sitting down, she sipped the sweet liquid through the straw, looking at the bight lights and dancing people around her. Then and there, nobody could experience that place and the moods of its audience like Kori could.



Same place; some time later...


The gorgeous young Zeltron rocking to the music quickly became the center of attention for a small circle of fellow cadets and onlookers. Her hands up and hips swinging, Kori closed her eyes and let the music guide her. She could only see the shades of the club's lights coming through her eyelids, but that was even better. The Zeltron didn't need eyes there and then—that way the music and emotions were only amplified.

Kori had had as many drinks as anyone else in her company—if not more. But thanks to her second liver, she could take a lot more alcohol than an average human. She had only approached the verge of being tipsy, making the experience just a little bit more fun and... surreal. That's why Kori decided to go with the flow when someone grew bold enough, approached her from behind and put hands on her waist, dancing with her. Somehow, the Zeltron knew who it was.

Her hands locked together behind the neck of the man behind her. A small part of her realized how wrong it was, but the other part didn't care, intoxicated by the alcohol, hot breath on her neck, and all the emotions surging in the club. Dozens of minutes at the dance floor felt like a moment. "You want to disappear from here?" she asked quietly, with a grin. "Sure," the whisper replied. At that very moment, Kori felt a tingle of regret and disappointment inside her, but it literally drowned in the sea of other emotions surrounding her. Shiri had skipped out on the chance herself. If she truly were interested in Liam, she would've found the time, forensics assignment or not.

The new couple headed for the exit, cuddled together. Meanwhile, a beautiful red Twi'lek stared at them from an upper level in empty, painful sorrow and disbelief. After scrounging her best black dress, applying the best makeup she could, Shiri had rushed to the Outlander. Once there, she sought the high ground to find her best friend in the crowd. And she was just in time to see what she saw. A tear smudged the makeup on the Twi'lek's cheek...
 
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Nykoria Tallis

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This chapter isn't told from Kori's perspective. She is a week past her 19th birthday at this time.

Location: Commandant's Office, Free Worlds Law Enforcement Academy, Coruscant


I stand in front of a large desk of wroshyr wood. The Commandant—a short but muscular balding human in dark-blue uniform of a Coruscant Police Force officer—is standing by the window to the right of me. I cast a glance through the window, at the academy's courtyard and training grounds below. Some cadets are exercising, others are walking around the area. It sure is a perfect place to oversee much of what's going on at the academy.

"First off, thank you for coming on such short notice," the Commandant's voice is coarse, authoritative, yet sincere. "As for your question... Yes, I am certain. I wouldn't have called you otherwise. You know, I've seen a lot of people in my age. Fast ones. Strong ones. Great leaders. But Cadet Tallis..." the man rubbed the bridge of his nose, deep in thought. "Well, she isn't perfect, but she stands out."

The Commandant gestures at the free seat for guests by his table, while taking his own. "I'll start from the beginning. She demonstrated extraordinary reflexes at her entry tests. Her physical shape was top-notch. I attributed that to her pre-Academy training at first. I know her father, you see, and he is a good officer. I know he trained Nykoria hard."

I nod, listening to the man and not interrupting him. The Commandant continues: "My first suspicions appeared when I saw her contending for the Academy's Shockball Cup. Go to any game Cadet Tallis was in, you'd be in for a sight. The ball would take uncanny trajectories, and teamwork would always be top-notch. Of course, we checked the shockball gear afterwards, but found no evidence of foul play..." the Commandant took a sip from his glass of water, and clears his throat. He then pushes another filled glass to me. I nod.

"At that time, I suspected Cadet Shiri'vrei. But it didn't add up. That Twi'lek is a gifted student, with much potential. But her entry results weren't nearly as impressive as Nykoria's. Then, about 2 weeks ago, Cadet Tallis had that... Seizure, vision, I'm sure you have a better way to name it. Right during classes. She hasn't been the same ever since."

The Commandant sighs, distracted by a beeping intercom. The old man pushes a button and replies: "I'm busy right now. Give me 15 minutes." He then turns to me again: "I'd hate to lose Cadet Tallis, but it's for her own good. You see, ever since the incident, other cadets started avoiding or chastising her. She's lost all her friends and gained a lot of worried or resentful people spreading rumors behind her back. And Tallis is a Zeltron, so she feels all those negative emotions.

I look at the Commandant, because I sense that there's something more he wishes to say. My senses prove correct: "I got report from our psychologist. It's detrimental for Cadet Tallis and her psychological health to stay at the Academy right now. And I've seen what people with your kind of abilities can do. If Cadet Tallis is indeed who we think she is, then she is a ticking bomb right now..."
 
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Nykoria Tallis

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Jedi Master

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Catbert
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Betrayed
(season finale)​


Age: 19 -///- Location: Hallway, Free Worlds Law Enforcement Academy, Coruscant

It's Kori. They'll take her to the Outer Rim soon. Watch that weirdo. She's looking at me. Stay away, witch!

Walking through the hallway felt like going through water—every step required considerable effort. The place, so familiar after almost 3 years at the academy, felt foreign now. The sounds were muffled; people were saying something, but words just wouldn't turn into sentences. And worst of all, the silent people still cast sideways glances at Kori. As her body trudged through the crowd, her mind did the same, but though the new-found suspicion and prejudice of those around her.

It has been like this ever since Kori lost it in public. Seeing the knife of a serial killer during class thrust her in a trance-like state, where she had experienced the most gruesome moments associated with the weapon. Kori had similar situations before, but they usually happened when she was alone and focused on the item she was studying. And much less vivid. But that time, the Zeltron yelled as if she were one of the victims... It took falling from the chair and hitting the floor to scare away the unwanted vision.

Things hadn't been the same since then. Many people turned away from Kori—some out of fear or prejudice, and others just for company's sake. With fewer friends, the emotions that generally surrounded Kori slowly drifted from support, respect, and admiration to suspicion, disdain, and indifference at best. It didn't take words for the Zeltron to feel the change—emotional shift was enough to make her time at the academy a living hell. Even Liam has been distant since the incident.

Reaching for her own locker, the Zeltron accidentally touched the neignbouring one. Shiri's. They hadn't talked for about a year now, as the Twi'lek never got over... Liam?! Kori closed her eyes as she touched the locker, hearing echoes of a not so distant past: I... need to tell Kori about us... somehow. Don't bother. She'll be gone in a few days. They already sent for her.

"THE KRIFF, LIAM!" Angry and betrayed, Zeltron didn't care that everyone in the hallway heard her yell....


3 minutes later

The world and the people around Kori didn't exist. All the negative emotions surrounding her were gone too. The Zeltron raced towards her destination, disregarding everything in her way. Somehow, Kori just knew where to go. There was nothing and nobody in the universe but her, Shiri, and Liam. And pain, endless and boiling inside Kori, eclipsing everything else.

There they were, standing and talking to each other—much closer to each other than acquaintances and even friends do. Indigo hair waving behind her, Kori rushed at the two. Her fists and teeth were clenched; skin was burning red; a mad look in her eyes didn't bode well for anyone in her way.

"YOU TWO-FACED SCHUTTA!" as Kori approached the pair rapidly, something made her throw up her arm and open her palm. The red-skinned Twi'lek turned to her former friend. But before Shiri could open her mouth, she flew backwards and fell on her face, as if she had been gut-punched by an angry Wookie. Kori made a few uncertain steps forward. She had not expected this outcome; seeing Shiri knocked out brought the Zeltron back to the world around her... at least for a moment.

Kori was standing in the courtyard, outside the main building. A pained grin and tears of anger made the Zeltron's normally-beautiful face a scary sight. The scene had attracted multiple onlookers from the cadets, but nobody dared approach the "angry witch". Even Liam stepped back, staring at his former girlfriend cautiously as he kneeled to check up on the assaulted Twi'lek.

In that moment, Kori could once again feel the fear and resentment of people around her. But this time, instead of trying to shield herself from these emotions, the Zeltron... reveled in them. She had the power to punish her unfaithful lover, traitorous friend, and anyone who'd stand in her way. Kori's eyes glinted, as she'd continue with a mad angry grin: "I'm going to tear off your lekku and sho..."

The Zeltron couldn't finish her threat. Kori didn't even understand what happened next. She only heard a soft step right behind her, and half-noticed a wave of someone's hand by the side of her head. Then the Zeltron's eyelids fell shut; the last thing she felt was slumping onto the ground. Then everything went dark...
 
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