Ask Naboo Paths Crossed

[Lilith Vye]

...​

The downpour on Naboo was greater than it had ever been since she arrived. With all the green here, she should've realized the amount of rain needed to maintain it.

Lilith sat in a restaurant, one far out from the main city in a little town. She was wearing a gray cloak, the hood pulled over her head and gray half-mask that covered the upper part of her face. The mask had no details, it was simply gray. The restaurant was under shelter, but open at the front so she could hear and stare at the thunderous rain drops as they hit the ground over and over and over again. Her mind was far off into somewhere else though, back to the rain on Endor. Back where she'd been broken. The events, the darkness swelling in her, all of it was eating away at her mind.

Within the grasp of her hand was a warm drink, though it was quickly cooling and she hadn't had a single sip of it. Her mind was too clouded, too conflicted to really regard it besides the last bit of warmth she was drawing from it. But with the crack of a branch being stepped on, she was brought back from her stupor. She spotted a handful of men, one she'd been informed about and was waiting for.

They walked up to a light fixture and the one man she was focused on leaned against it, and just as she suspected a woman—a noble—walked out of a building close by. The woman had just finished a meeting and was on her way to a taxi, to make her way back to the city. Just as she was passing the men, one went to jump her, and Lilith sprang to action.

Lilith was not shy about bringing out her lightsaber. It sprang to her hand and ignited in a burst of blue light. The blue blade went flying, stabbing through the back of the man at the light fixture before returning to Lilith's hands. There were three more attackers left, but the woman being attacked had time to run while the three living brutes tried to process what exactly had happened.

 

[Oren Zapan]

Rain, many associated it with gloom, melancholy and sadness. In some aspects there was a truth to that, everything was grey and dark, and it often forced on inside. Yet, there was always more to a story than a simple black and white. Rain helped to maintain life and nurture growth. Water could help clear the toxins from one's body. Oren didn't hate the rain, but he certainly hated being wet.

He wasn't sure why he was on Naboo, maybe it was a subtle calling from the force. Things had been different now and the chaos had already begun to set in all around the galaxy. There was so much chaos, yet nature continued on with life. To think the light dies with us is vanity..to think that if we destroy these darksiders then all the darkness is gone for good is one in the same...We need to find balance, but maybe there isn't balance when the darkness exists..

He knew it was inevitable that he would eventually meet one of these fabled enigmas, to see his opposite in flesh, he often wondered how he would react, but he would never know until he finally got that chance and it seemed that this meeting of fate was bound to collide today.

Oren was walking along a path, soaked in the rain, it seemed everyone in the city had taken refuge within the warmth of homes and shops. Twenty meters away, Oren would see three men approaching a light fixture that was posted in the center of the street. He saw what appeared to be a noblewoman coming from one building and a small woman in grey from a shop. He was close to paying it no mind when he heard the familiar his and snap of a lightsaber activate.

His brown eyes would shift, catching the girl in grey as she plunged a blade through one of the men. Oren hadn't caught why, but he could feel the panic through the force, the noblewoman ran and the remaining thugs looked towards the girl. is this one of those individuals...

His teeth clenched as he jogged towards the scene, both his hands reaching out from his poncho to push the men with the force as they approached the girl. They would fly back a few feet, falling onto the wet street with a hard thud. It would hurt, but it would save them from a much worse fate. His hand would snap at the force drawing his lightsaber. "What's going on here?" He'd ask as he stopped 5 meters from the girl, his lightsaber firmly ready in his hands. "Why did you kill him?"

tag: @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

It was only seconds after her blade returned to her that the other men went flying. She could sense the Force behind it, and then a strange man appeared but with a lightsaber in his hand. He demanded to know what was going on, why she'd killed. She felt the Force with him but he didn't...he didn't feel the same as her master. Was this another Jedi? The first she met only left her angry and disappointed, but she kept her cool this time.

"He was going to kill that woman," she answered, the tone of her voice cold, almost distant; eerily so after essentially saving the woman. Her head turned slightly after as she sensed something, and her hand extended in reaction.

But her hand was not aimed at the Jedi.

One of the men that had been pushed was shakily drawing a blaster and aiming it at the Jedi. Lilith's fingers squeezed together in a fist, and the man in question cried out in agony. His hand clutching the blaster—the bones, the muscles within—began to twist and crunch inward in a disgusting way. His cries echoed through the streets and yet Lilith did not flinch. No, not after what she'd experienced.

Because she had crushed his hand inward, he ended up firing still but it missed the Jedi. The whole ordeal took only seconds, and Lilith's attentions returned to the Jedi after, assuming she did not get interrupted or did not need to defend herself from an attack instead.

"More men will go after her," she said after, still in that cold, distant tone. But it was then that a subtle smile tugged at her cheeks, and she added, "Is it not a Jedi's duty to protect?" with hint of amusement in her tone, smothering the layers and layers of emotion beneath.

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

The air around the scene was cold and felt of death, any emotion that she had, it was hidden behind her eerie expression. If the light felt like stability then the dark was very much its counterpart, the feeling was chaotic and almost vomit inducing. He knew most Jedi within the Order, and he had no collection of what she was. The saber, the half mask, and the coldness within the force--could she be working with that masked man?

His hand would grip his saber, almost igniting it when he saw her hand move out, the force around them reacting, but it wasn't for him; Instead she saved his life, leaving him only slightly more confused. "I see," he'd say in a serious tone, his eyes shifting towards the men, a soft smile forming on his often stoic face.

"If what you say is true, then like you said, it's my duty to serve and protect as many people as possible." He would respond as his eyes shifted towards the squealing man on the ground. He would quickly move towards the thug, his hand gently resting against his wound. His nerves were strung out, but Oren did his best to center himself, and slowly a small trail of steam would begin to omit from his hand as he slowly healed his wound. He would bring up his robotic hand, waving it gently in his face, "You want to leave this place, and take your friends with you."

The man's eyes would widen slightly, turning towards the other two who were out cold on the ground, "I want to leave this place..and take them with me." He'd stammer as he peered down towards his semi-healed arm. "Uh..."

Oren's eyes would narrow, "Go.."

He would turn back towards the girl, his head tilting slightly, "Well..lead the way," He would respond as he stood up, skeptical of the situation, but something in the force called out to him, maybe there was a reason he was brought here. "My name is Oren Zapan, Jedi Knight."

tag: @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

Lilith said nothing, did nothing but coldly watch the Jedi walk to the man and heal him. The feeling through the Force as he did was nothing she'd experienced before. It was something she wouldn't soon forget, but as he knelled and healed the man... it mimicked a scene on Endor. The reminder was not welcome.

Either way, the Jedi remained calm, even while he clearly did not trust her. He even offered to help, freely giving his name and status as a Jedi Knight. Lilith was known by so many names by now; it was hard to keep track, but she had long thought on the next one. The weather, the name she'd given her ship, the way she felt, the meaning behind the word. It seemed to give way to this moment, "You may call me the Rain," she answered, that hint of life in her long gone.

Lilith walked to the Jedi, letting her saber go out before stopping inches away from him. She simply stared up at him at first. To most, the starkness between their sizes would be jarring. She was a quarter his size, but he felt smaller to her. It was not confidence, despite the fact she had gained much through the Dark Side. There was comfort in it. Comfort in the possibly that he may hit his mark should he ignite his blade on her, or she would hit hers. That rolling sense of relief that would wash over her would be welcome, no matter the outcome.

She turned after and walked towards where the noblewoman had went. "A man named Nando Moor wants her dead, if only to inflict pain on her husband," she said plainly. Lilith stopped in front of a large door that lead into what seemed like a large estate, but only needed to push it softly for it to open. Inside an alarm was already sounding, and there was blaster fire and yelling. They were obviously entering a battle ground.

It was not long until they met their first bout of opposition, three thugs dressed in heavy armor. The young girl again said nothing, and with the same cold indifference she reached out with the Force, mimicking her master and twisting her hands. It would look like she was turning something, but if uninterrupted, one of the thugs heads would turn around grotesquely, snapping his neck and instantly killing him.

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

Rain..it washes everything away, but it allows life to start anew. His brown eyes peered towards the girl's own cold depths. Her blade inches away from his gut. He couldn't tell what hid behind the blank stare, her emotions were well hidden, but they seeped like cracks through the force. Oren could not tell if the girl wished to kill him at that moment or if she was planning for something else entirely--a ticking time bomb, he thought to himself as he watched the girl turn and head towards where the noblewoman had fled.

"Killing her to hurt a rival?" His eyes narrowed, "Seems rather senseless doesn't it?" He would pose the question to the girl, hoping to get her to think as they slowly approached the estate. Oren wasn't dumb, that woman had fled this way and yet the girl continued to follow along the path.

"And who do you work for?" His eyes would peer sharply towards the girl as she pressed her hands against the door. "Something tells me you care little about the politics of Naboo...perhaps you're on orders from a certain...Jedi.." His words were pointed and struck like a dagger. He didn't aim to hurt the girl, but possibly poke a hole in the shell that she hid herself in--only then could he find something to work for. Remember Vader and Kylo..no one is truly gone.

The girl would bust through the door, his hand snapping his purple blade alive as three guards looked to meet them, his eyes shifted, watching as the girl reached out in the force, snapping a man's throat. The air felt cold and he could imagine the toll it took on her psyche and body. He would push the dark thoughts away and would quickly pull his blade up in a defensive stance, blocking a blaster bolt and sending it straight into the ceiling above them.

He would step into the grand entrance, slowly inching forward, his blade shifting left and right, up and down as the men opened fire. He breathed softly as he let the force guide him. The thug's eyes would widen as he reached them within arms distance of each other. His hand would reach out in the force, pulling the two men into each other, and cracking their helmeted head against each other--knocking them out cold.

He would shift back towards the girl, his blade humming slightly, though he kept it pointed down and away from the girl, "Tell me the truth...I can't let you kill these people..and I can't let you kill yourself." His words were stern and stoic. He knew what the council had demanded, but this girl needed someone, "Let me help you.."

tag: @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

She didn't react at all when he mentioned the senselessness of the situation. Something like this was normal, nothing to someone who grew up on the streets of Nar Shaddaa. But he kept going, just like her last experience with a Jedi, though that one left much quicker. All that Jedi was interested in was preaching his point of view to a hopeless, broken girl before moving onto whatever else was more important to him.

Orders from a Jedi?, she thought. She had posed as one with her master before, which was entirely by mistake but panned out. Perhaps he was talking about that, or some other Jedi. It didn't matter which to her really. If the camera's around picked up audio he had still said Jedi. She answered with a simple yet ironically accurate answer, "Yes, I am his apprentice."

The fight went without a hitch, but Oren turned to her after. Lilith frowned at his words, breaking the stone cold expression she carried before. "You say can't a lot," she hissed, but continued, "There is only one way you can help me."

Lilith took her unignited saber hilt from her belt and walked up to the Jedi fearlessly. As she did she turned the hilt around so it pointed to her stomach. If ignited, it would go through her. Without a single word she grabbed his free hand and placed it on her hilt. While she was still holding the hilt firmly with her right hand, he would be able to thumb the trigger unless he had backed away.

But it felt... strange to be so close to another person like this. How long had it been? That elusive comfort was back, and so if he did not back away or attack, Lilith would lean against him instead. Her body that felt so cold all the time against the warmth of his. Her left hand—the one that had grabbed his—would leave shortly after, to move up to his face and cradle the side of it, as if to tell him it was okay to do it.

She weakened the shield around her mind, so he could feel the depths of her sorrow and see blurred, faceless flashes of the memories that plagued her. When she was tortured on Endor, when she suffered abuses on the streets of Nar Shaddaa, when she saw her first love discussing selling her to a slaver. The deep rooted anger and pain and sadness and sense of worthlessness from betrayal after betrayal after betrayal. The overwhelming amount of emotions would make her a beacon in the Force, and mixed within that beacon the claws of the Dark Side.

"You can end it all, save me and everyone that will ever get in my path," she added, cracks in her cold voice slipping through as two warm streams of tears kissed the sides of her cheeks.

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

Can't..she did have a point there. The Jedi of old were sworn to restricting one's emotions, denying themselves to the truths of life, and when Master Skywalker needed their guidance through his own emotions they feared and failed him. Darkness always existed and Jedi for centuries had always fell, but Vader and Kylo returned. Each and every single one of them struggled, with their own darkness, their own inner fears--it was part of being human.

To say the darkside didn't linger or tempt a Jedi daily would be a lie, Oren knew it was there, but he denied it. A Jedi would say can't because they understood the implications of their actions, the ripples they caused through the force, good or bad. They were all connected through the force, one ripple could send the galaxy into a spiral or into light.

He froze as he felt her approach, placing the blade out in front of her stomach, he could feel her pale hands wrapping around the burned flesh of his left hand, sliding the hilt and his thumb over the button. His brown eyes would watch then turn towards the girl. She was right, he could kill her here, kill her now and possibly save trillions, save Nara, Byron, Lyra, Ritz, Nash, Maxims, Bri, and everyone he had come to love and cherish. She was the masked man's apprentice, he could take her to the Shadows and get every single bit of information out of her. If he was a weaker man, he may have did so.

His teeth clenched as he pressed the button, his own saber deactivating, he would toss it to the side, letting it roll against the ground and would do the same with her own. He didn't back away as she leaned into him. The emotions through the force were strong and he could feel her opening up to him, revealing a sliver to the Jedi.

There was so much pain, torment, anger, destruction, and fear, but what lingered was the constant betrayal in her life. As the tears poured gently down her cheeks. A gentle hush would escape his lips as he slowly wrapped his hands around her, if she didn't pull away, she would find herself in an embrace, his mechanical hand gently wrapped against the back of her head, allowing her to rest against his chest.

He would allow his own memories play out through the force towards her. Visions of the spice mines, and a young boy locked away in a slave collar. His parents being sold away, and his master freeing him. A boy locked away in a library, studying and afraid of interaction. A young and reckless knight and a dying master that he refused to visit, a boy who looked to him as a father and he failed.

He would let those painful emotions linger, before revealing a young padawan, similar to Lilith, Oren and herself training and laughing through the force. Young students coming to him, smiling faces and the boy that he failed was now a man and the two of them had reconciled. Oren had been through so much, had fallen and taken his lumps, yet was a beacon of light. "Emotion, yet peace."

He would say with a gentle voice, his burnt hand gently patting against her back, "A Jedi doesn't worry about the future, he worries about the present, and those he can save in front of him." A gentle smile would form on his face as he looked down towards the girl, "I'm sorry, your life, the things you've had to endure, no one should ever have to face these things alone."
tag: @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

She froze as he threw his lightsaber to the side, and allowed him to throw hers away too despite the feeling that struck her as he did. It rolled away a decent distance just as his had. His warm embrace was not lost on her, and she did not struggle against it, but her sorrow only increased two fold. For the second time, someone refused to kill her and end her misery. The haunting feeling that this may never end filled her.

Yet she stayed in his embrace, her right hand clutching at his chest, left still on his face, venting the tenseness in her body. As his memories played through her mind, Lilith's body began to rap against his. She allowed herself to vent it all, to show weakness and weep clearly as she cried. She saw something in his memories she did not have. She saw something she thought she'd never have.

And then he spoke, "A Jedi doesn't worry about the future", one of the things that separated their beliefs. All the emotion came out at once. Pain, sadness, hopelessness, anger, jealously, worthlessness vented through a twisted burst of Force lightning. It came suddenly from her left hand, which was on his face. If he had no saving grace in that moment, it would hit him point blank, ripping through the right side of his face and into his right eye, wracking through his body and sending him flying back from the force of it.

But she wouldn't continue with the attack, and reached out to bring her lightsaber—and only her lightsaber—back to her hand. It ignited instantly in a blue flash and snap-hiss. If her attack actually landed on it's mark, he'd likely need a second to recover from the shock of it, but she'd wait. "Pick it up... PICK UP YOUR LIGHTSABER AND FIGHT ME!" she screamed.

The concept behind her actions were simple. She hurt him. He hurt her back. "You're short sighted... you foolish, stupid man. I told you there was only one way. I am beyond hope." And how could she hope for help from him? Someone who worked so shortsightedly, when the Sith worked for the better of the galaxy. Purge everything in this hellhole of a galaxy. Make way for a better future.

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

It seemed to be the calm before the storm, the girl was a cracker full of emotions. Within a split of a second he could feel the swell of negative emotions burst from inside of her and out of her fingertips that rested against his face, the electrical sensation surged and danced across his face scorching and destroying the skin across the right side of his face. He could feel his eyesight slightly grey out, and wasting no time he would call out to the force pushing the girl back with his left hand.

Her lightening would extend still striking his face, but the power wasn't quite enough to send him back. His right hand would call out bringing the blade back to him, his hand pressing against the button to reveal a snap and a hiss, and slowly a purple hue filled the room. The knight would bring his blade in a defensive formation as he placed one foot slightly forward of the other.

"I've already won," he would respond as his face sagged slightly, his breathing somewhat heavy, "Strike me down now and I will become far stronger than you or your master." His teeth would clench as he focused his breathing. Maybe in a different life, things could have been different, maybe that could have been him. He could sense the commotion from the outside world, yet he did little to attack or strike at the girl.

tag: @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

His push sent her back somewhat, but it was not as focused as it could have been because he was being wracked with lightning. So she slid to a stop and watched as he put himself in a defensive form with his lightsaber, instead of attacking her.

He muttered off something about striking him down and her frown did not falter in that moment. Was that what he thought she wanted? She spat back, "Your death would be meaningless to me." If he lived or died, she did not care nor did she ever plan to go out of her way to kill him, otherwise she would've already tried.

But she heard a group of footsteps and turned slightly to see guards heading their way. She could sense their sorrow, which meant their lady—the noblewoman—had died while the pair were playing out this scene in the hallway. Were they hugging as the woman was shot to death? Perhaps they'd find out in the footage from the cameras. The woman's death could potentially upset her master, but it framed the Jedi in a negative light.

Lilith decided there was no point in killing the guards, despite the coldness she had displayed before. She remembered her masters warning about not indulging in the Dark Side, but, of course, she still wanted what she wanted out of the Jedi.

With her goal still in mind, she screamed at him in a frustrated way for not attacking her before turning to leave the building. She wanted out before the guards got close enough to fire their blasters. She expected the Jedi to follow, or attack or both. Whatever the outcome, she was ready to react accordingly.

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

The situation had gone from bad to worse, he could feel the pain through the force, something had happened. Was she playing me like a damn Hallikset. The whole ordeal had left him conflicted on it all, were those emotions genuine or was this all a mask held by the darkside, fooling him to give in and strike her down.

Truth be told he should have stepped in sooner, though he wondered if he could have saved the noblewoman. He watched as she made for the door that lead back out into the court yard. He would quickly follow, his hands firmly gripped on his blade. "You're not leaving here, we're both responsible for this."

He would hold his saber in a defensive stance with his right hand, the blade was angled upright and covered the front of his body. His left hand would reach out in front of him, attempting to pull the girl back towards him with the force. If it was successful, she would be pulled maybe five or six meters away from him. "Stand trial for your crimes, let me help you..." But, he had a feeling the girl was unlikely to co-operate, his facial wounds and the dead thugs were enough to reveal that. I'm sorry.

tag: @Dread

 

[Lilith Vye]

As he started to pull at her she turned on her heels with it and used her own Force to push him with all her might. With him already suffering a significant wound—that happened only moments ago—and being focused on his pull, she assumed her counter would land successfully and in full force. If it did it'd send him flying back towards the guards, if not into one of them. That would most certainly cause some trouble for him, but she doubted he'd kill the guards in response.

She knew if the guards caught up to her, she'd kill every last one of them... and the more she killed, the more she'd dip into the Dark Side. She couldn't break her promise to her master and indulge to the point that she lost control. Already now she felt herself dangerously on the edge, a hair's breadth from it. It was likely from breaking down and attacking the Jedi.

If her counter hit true and he was flying back, she'd turn again and get out of the building. They weren't far from the door. The rain would kiss her body once more and she'd be down the streets quickly, and as soon as possible after to her ship.

/exit

@TWD26

 

[Oren Zapan]

Oren's head swayed slightly, as his vision blurred, the damage he had taken only moments prior had been enough to make him lose his focus as he attempted to pull her towards him. His lone eye widened as she turned on her heels to face him, her own hands reaching out to command a burst through the force that was directed towards him--breaking his pull. He would fly back off of his feet, as his saber rolled off into the grass.

His body would collide into a series of guards, and his vision went in and out, his breathing heavy. He watched as she began to sprint towards the entrance that she had come from. He'd raise his hand in an attempt to call upon the force again, but she was too far gone and he was in no condition to keep fighting. A few of the guards would stand up, pinning Oren before he could move. His body was too weak, to really combat it. Well...kriff.

tag: @Dread

 

[Trys Aran]

Trys had been on Naboo after she had discussed with Duke about getting him in touch with the task force here. She had made a mental note to come back here to simply have some down time. The mountains and forests were something she never saw in Coruscant, and certainly not Nar Shaddaa. Trys had been on break for a moment before calls came in about an altercation near a restaurant. Shots had been fired, and there had been talks about a saber. While violence was commonplace in Hutt space, something like this on Naboo was strange.

She rushed to the scene at once, flashing her badge to get past anyone in her way. The urgency of the situation went up as new reports came in of a noblewoman being murdered. Trys was completely drenched in the rain, and she had her blaster drawn to apprehend the suspects. She had been told about two, but only one was subdued.

Within moments, she rushed up to the guards that had one of the perps pinned. Trys had her blaster drawn and pointed down at him, kicking him to roll him onto his back and see his face. He was freshly wounded, but the rest of his markings matched a description of another case she had been following.

“I’m going to take him back to HQ,” She declared as she fired the stun blaster. At this range and with his other injuries, it’d be enough to knock him out completely. When he woke up next, he would be on Coruscant. Before she left, Trys turned to the other guards, "Get me every intel you have on the second culprit. I want all video footage sent to me at once."

/Thread