The Sealing's the Limit

[Arda Breaux]

There was a peace that Dantooine brought to Arda; despite all the world had endured, it seemed to always feel whole. The Jedi was uncertain of the reasons for that, though the Force was strong here, and she was certainly far from the fight, the reasons she felt as she did when she was here was explainable. Arda wondered if others felt as such, other Jedi, but for those who couldn't feel the Force, like Gil, she wondered if this place bored them to death. It was a world based on agriculture, no major cities, maybe a dusty port to properly land a ship, but the wilderness was vast, the air was clean, there was a silence that was more comforting than disturbing.

Arda smirked to her own thoughts, her eyes had lost themselves in the stars of the black matte sky, she wondered if the stars she saw here were the same as the ones she saw on Corellia or even her homeworld. It would seem if it were the case then perhaps everyone in the galaxy was more connected than they believed to be or that she was really as much as a giant nerd as Gil described her to be. Her focus returned back to the journal, both books open in front of her, the blank one in her lap while the other laid on the ground. She had been pouring herself into the lecture; first she found it odd it was not hidden in a holocron, but this Jedi seemed to be one of the last ones before they were wiped out five centuries prior. There was more of a chance of survival if it weren't such an obvious artifact.

Her fingers ran over the blank pages again, what the trick described was something so delicate, like turning gears in the Force on a level that many couldn't even comprehend, even as a Jedi Master this task was difficult. Arda let out a sigh and let herself fall back into the grass, staring up into the starry sky and reached out, her finger tips stretching as though she were trying to physically touch and move the stars about.

@Raydo

 

[Gillian Rel]

He wasn't sure what had prompted him to come along with Arda when she said she was heading to some world out in the middle of nowhere. Actually, he did know. He was running away from his problems on Nar Shaddaa. He had tried to return, tried to pick up the pieces he had been left after Cait had torn everything apart but it was too hard. He had fulfilled the promise he had made to himself that he would go back and make sure the Lusty Lekku didn't fall into the hands of the Hutts. He had freed all the slaves the business owned. They didn't need him anymore, and he couldn't stand to set foot in the place. Everything reminded him of the ways things had been before.

So when Arda had mentioned it, he offered to come along. He was glad to see the woman again, she was the closest thing he had to a friend before his time on Nar Shaddaa. He didn't carry the weight of a Nar Shaddaa Crime Boss with her. He wasn't sure what the future held for him, he wasn't sure he had it in him to rebuild again. So for now, he let himself be dragged along on a mystery that was far above his comprehension of the Galaxy. He wouldn't dare mention it to Arda, but the whole thing made he feel like he was a character is some ancient holo-book.

He sighed and closed the panel on the outside of his ship. They had taken some damage when they came out of hyperspace and he had set about some repairs, leaving Arda to her books for the time being. He wiped his hands on a rag before pushing the hair from his face and walking out from underneath the ship towards the woman laying in the grass.

"They definitely don't get views like this on Corellia or Nar Shaddaa." he said approaching as she reached up towards the sky. He lowed himself slowly down onto the grass, grimacing slightly from the pain. As he settled so did the pain. He allowed himself to look up the stars. They were breathtaking. The Galaxy seemed the be there right in front of them. It made Gil feel small.

"You figure out your magic book yet?" he asked a moment later.

 

[Arda Breaux]

She heard Gil approach, taking a seat next to her as he also admired the stars; the Jedi couldn't disagree, the lights of the cities blocked out the stars, but here, one could see galaxies in a single night. She could feel his pain subside as he settled, inquiring if she had figured out her magic book; the dark haired woman grinned, "Some of it...this book though is more complicated." she held up the blank book, but then frowned, realizing how stupid that sounded given there was nothing to read inside the book.

"It's locked and I have to figure out how to unlock it, and then it will be revealed." she told him sitting up, "We're taught the Force is limitless in what it can do, and well, we can use its magic-lack of a better word-to create locks." Arda glanced at Gil, making sure he was still following, "Though it turns out they can get fairly complicated, but some things are invincible, like there is a temple on Lothal that is sealed and no bomb can open it." The other book floated to her hand as she flipped through the pages, showing him a sketch of the temple spires of Lothal. "But, this locked journal must hold something they didn't want anymore to find." Arda sighed and closed the books, deciding perhaps a small break would refresh her mind.

"So, you've yet to fill me in on what you've been up to since Corellia, and you can't tell me nothing much, I can see you have injured yourself, your face gives it away rather quickly." Arda quirked an eyebrow, a genuine sense of curiosity as to what he was doing on Nar Shaddaa and how he knew the brothel so well was eating at her, "[C'mon, I'm sure its more exciting than my journey in becoming a nerd." Arda winked.

@Raydo

 

[Gillian Rel]

He listened as she explained powers that were far beyond what he had seen before. It wasn't that it bored him because it didn't but it was like her describing colors he had never seen before, could never see. He nodded periodically, looking out into the darkness of the Dantoiine night.

One thing he definitely understood was locks. He had been breaking locks his whole life, and a good rule of thumb was, the harder the lock was to break - the better to contents inside were. If that rule held true here, something great likely was contained in those blank pages. There was something thrilling about breaking a magical lock to discover secrets, even if it likely resulted in no benefit to him.

She closed the books and set them aside before looking his way. He knew she would finally break free from the books long enough to bring up his own past. He felt conflicted about telling her. Sure, he could have lied, he was pretty good. He could lie to Cait and she had magic too, but he found himself not wanting to lie. It was like carrying around a weight that he was desperate to drop. He let out a deep breath.

I ended up on the streets on Nar Shaddaa the same stupid, broke kid you knew on Corellia. I almost died, I should have died but I got by the skin of my teeth. Then, things changed. I got lucky a couple of times...well...a lot of times." he said shifting uncomfortably. "I became pretty good at being the bad guy, even if I liked to think I was some sort of hero." he said letting out a chuckle before looking back to Arda. I am just like everyone else on that planet, trash." he said pulling his knees up and resting his hands on them.

I got this chasing after a girl, my..partner. She said she was leaving to go the Sith. I didn't really know what that meant, but I tried to stop her and well..." he continued speaking as he placed a hand on his stomach. "It didn't end well for me. The doctors didn't think I would walk again, but I was always just a little too stubborn for my own good." he said letting out another sigh.

"After that, I lost everything. Well, almost everything. I somehow ended up the owner of a...uhhhh...Club?" he said fumbling the last words. Shame wasn't something he normally felt, but this whole thing was bizarre.

"Pretty kriffed up, huh?" he said looking away from her.

 

[Arda Breaux]

Arda leaned back on her hands, as he started his story, in honesty, she wasn't expecting much excitement or adventure, he was a very cautious person on Corellia and for him to take risks seemed quite unlikely - until he told his story. She listened with interest, eventually turning to face him while he spoke, especially after he mentioned a girl, though this one in particular was a Sith. It wasn't as surprising as it sounded, the Empire and its servants were everywhere, but knowing how they viewed many across the galaxy, and her experiences with the Imperials and their xenophobia, there was a part of the Jedi that wondered if he wasn't used in this entire scheme. Regardless, it did not end well for him and it explained the slight limp and winces of pain; it was miraculous he had survived.

Though when he finished, looking to validate how kriffed up it seemed, a coy grin crept across the Jedi's face as she shook her head in slight disbelief he had actually accomplished and loss quite a bit in the past five years. Then she laughed, "Gil, you have knack for getting in messes with bad girls, first Roz, now this Sith chick, their style might be hazardous to your health." her smile faded and she shook her head, "That's really kriffed up, but you survived, you're good at doing that." she gave him a small grin before looking back up at the stars.

"If you stick around a good girl, then I can maybe see if our healer can help with your recovery. Its pretty neat, using magic to help, regardless of how nerdy it seems."

@Raydo

 

[Gillian Rel]

He let out a laugh thinking about Roz. "At least this one was better looking than Roz." he said pulling out a flask from a jacket pocket and tilting it back. He did a fair amount of self-medicating these days. "I never did have enough sense to just die." he commented as she continued talking. He raised an eyebrow at the mention of their healer and what they may be able to do for him. He would offer it to the Jedi woman before taking another drink.

"Yeah...maybe. I am not sure I am ready for another encounter with magic." he said with a shrug. He had seen what the Force was, had seen it change Cait. Was it the same for Arda? He still had nightmares about the visions the Sith woman had shown him, and that was just a glimpse of the Force actually was. He didn't trust it at all, even if Arda seemed more stable than Cait had ever been, maybe she was just better at hiding it.

Never the sharing type, he was eager to change to topic away from himself. "So what's so special about this place? What's out here that's going to help you with those? he said pointing towards the books lying in the grass.

 

[Arda Breaux]

Arda grinned wide as he recalled Roz, but her smile faded as his sarcastic humor continued, she knew he was deflecting, he feared something, but as he spoke of the magic she was able to do and this ex-girlfriend of his, it was clear he feared the Force. The Jedi frowned, her eyes narrowed in thought as she tried to dissect what his thoughts were doing and how he was trying to process everything. Arda took a drink from the flask and returned it to Gil, wiping the corner of her mouth with her thumb before turning her attention back to the books as he inquired about Dantooine.

"This place is probably the most peaceful in the galaxy right now." she said pulling her knees to her chin and turned a page in the blank book, "I can't be bothered here, or at least I like to think that." the girl glanced back to the stars and turned to Gil, "It won't really help in revealing the book, but, it helps me." Arda picked up the book and held it open in one palm, while the other hoovered just above the blank pages, palm facing down, her fingers relaxed as she sat a bit straighter. The Jedi inhaled, centering herself as she concentrated; a lock made of magic, she certainly could not see it, but she could feel it as she turned her finger slightly, feeling the overlapping weaves of the Force come undone. If Gil watched closely, he would see gold, geometric lines glow slightly before disappearing on the pages, marking an outline of what did exist on the pages.

The Jedi furrowed her brow and pursed her lips together, keeping her focus while her finger tips seemed to move invisible pieces until; she peeked open an eye, seeing the glint of light from the book. Though it would be enough to give a spring of excitement and hope and as consequence, lose focus, as the pages fell blank again.

@Raydo

 

[Gillian Rel]

He was glad when she let the subject pass. He listened as she spoke, insects singing their songs in the distance. "We had to come a long way for peace and quiet." he said. The Galaxy was a messed up place, and he had lived his life in the worst of it. He wasn't really sure why he had even come, she didn't need his help, and unless you count farm animals, there wasn't any danger here for what Gil could tell. Still, this felt right for whatever reason.

The night grew quiet as Arda returned to her work, Gil leaning back against a rock, looked up at the stars as she studied the blank pages. His eyes closed for a moment, starting to doze off before he opened them again. He saw light through his eyelids, assuming the Jedi had lit some type of lantern. He sleepily opened his eyes and saw the book faintly glowing, shapes forming and pulsing across the page. He had never seen anything like this. He wiped at his eyes and sat up straight.

The pages faded, darkness falling again as Arda opened her eyes and looked down at the book. "Well that was certainly something..." he said looking at the Jedi Master. "Could you tell what was on it?" he asked curiously.

 

[Arda Breaux]

Arda took in deep breaths to calm her pounding chest, there was a rush of excitement and yet who would have ever guessed getting something to unlock itself would take so much exertion. Gil must have seen something as she gave him a quick grin, returning back to the pages; she knew she could do this. The Jedi took in a calming inhale and closed her eyes, and although physically she could only see the darkness, there was something more than what she could see, she could feel it also, decades, if not centuries of knowledge, intertwined and connected with her. The Force flowed through her, showing her a pattern familiar to the stars in Dantooine's night sky and they glowed with direction, guiding her focus from one point to the next.

She warmth and light of the Force radiated from her, a beacon of hope and everything to Arda felt right. The book glowed to her touch, her fingers subtly moving in a pattern as though suggesting she was physically moving something, however, whatever it looked liked to the layman's eyes, it was on the verge of surreal. The book glowed brightly, forcing any onlooker to turn their heads in order to not be fully blinded by the light it gave off, and within a few moments, the glow dimmed, and the once blank book now was fully of symbols and words that may have not been seen by any force users in the last five centuries.

Arda opened her eyes and looked down at the book without saying a word at first, mesmerized by the ability she just had accomplished.

"I...I....did it!' she exclaimed as the journal flew into the air, for a moment forgetting about its importance, but just as quickly as she threw it, she caught it with the Force, pulling it back to herself and embraced Gil tightly, "But I have no clue what any of it means..." she said under her breath.

@Raydo

 

[Gillian Rel]

Gil leaned forward, squinting his eyes in the darkness trying to see anything he could. He had almost had himself convinced he felt...something. He found himself wanting to at least. Be connected to this magic somehow, but there was nothing.

He frowned down at the book until he noticed Arda glancing up at him before turning back to her work. He continued to watch on as she closed her eyes again. The page seems to ripple ever so slightly. In the darkness, it would be easy to mistake it as just the wind but something was obviously happening. She reached down the touch the book, and it began to glow slightly, pulsing underneath her touch as she traced an unseen pattern there.

A second later, light burst from the book. Gil shielded his eyes and shut his eyes as tight as possible. The light still burned, uncomfortable heat flowing over him. The light was likely seen for miles around, not that there was anyone to see it except for some grazing animals.

The light dimmed, leaving Gil sightless for a moment, patterns shifting in his sight. He blinked his eyes trying to regain some semblance of vision. Arda broke the silence, causing the blind Gil to jump. The next thing he knew she threw himself against him. He let out a laugh, caught up in the excitement of the moment. He embraced her back as he continued to laugh before finally releasing her. "I guess you are just going to have to read to find out," he said with a shrug.

"What if it turned out to be nothing but ancient Jedi algae recipes, or whatever it is you folk eat," he said teasing.

 

[Arda Breaux]

When he released her, she felt something warm drip over her lip and slowly she begun to feel her body give in to the fatigue of having to perform such a feat. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and smirked to Gil's response about her having to read more, even going as far as to suggesting it was probably some Jedi's old cook book. Arda made sure her finger tips were not blood stained from wiping her nose and closed the journal, knowing she had to rest now, "If it turns out to be the trendiest Jedi meals, I'm sealing it back up and sending it to the Emperor." the Jedi smiled, "I'll even make sure he knows you were included on the gift."

Arda leaned back, resting against the cool grass as she closed her eyes, listening to the chirps of insects and the rustling from the breeze that passed through the grasses and trees. There were no hums of ship engines, or overhead comms calling for her back to the Council chambers to discuss urgent mission reports, the silence, the peace was welcoming, and yet unsettling; not because she didn't like it, but more so she had not felt it in ages.

"We should do this more often." she told him sleepily, "I like not having to go through sewers, getting chased by grumpy grandmas, or getting shot at." Arda grinned, "But, next time we avoid old men getting off, agreed?"

@Raydo

 

[Gillian Rel]

"Uhhh.." he sounded seeing the small of amount of blood run down her face. "Is that normal?" he asked somewhat worried. In his experience, bleeding never meant anything good but maybe that was just about of their weird magic. He took one of the towels he had brought while he was working on the outside of the ship and handed it to her. It hadn't been needed earlier and was clean.

"That's just what I need," he said with a chuckle. "You can keep your Imperial troubles to yourself, I'll just have to carry on in my obscurity," he said drinking another drink from the flask.

"I'm always around if the life of a Jedi becomes too boring for you," he commented back with a shrug. "I am sure I could find some work for you," he said leaning forward a bit. "The old men don't tend to react as positively to me when I show up." he joked.

"You remember that stupid droid that followed us around for days before we left?" he asked remembering their time on Corellia. It seemed like someone else's life. He had built an entirely different life after that, and it had all crumbled again. "I am sure he would be saying something like "Nose Bleed. Chance of catastrophic brain injury....34.7% - seek immediate medical assistance." he said adopting a robotic tone.

He laughed as he let himself fall backward in the grass. "I miss that damn droid..." he finally said.

 

[Arda Breaux]

She folded the towel gently in her lap that he had given her to use to wipe her nose, it was something that normally didn't happen, but she would just need to be more cautious next time, not to over-exert. She had remembered one of her first lessons were about the limits of the body and she grew quiet as she recalled the good things that Master Blackwood had taught her; unresolved questions as to why she had left the girl behind still stuck, but they were not as pressing as some of the other matters she was concerned for. Arda looked back at the journal as Gil gave suggestions for her to do if she ever decided a different path and brought up the droid that had joined them in their first. He was an odd one and she knew exactly what Gil was talking about, "I'm glad he wasn't with us at the brothel, he would have told us everything we could contract while we stayed in there."

She smiled and yawned, "I could live without him, I'm fairly certain he killed his masters in the past, he would seem the kind to do so." she told Gil with a raised eyebrow.

The girl fell quiet for a moment, turning the pages of the journal gently before looking over to Gil, "Don't be afraid to ever call me for help, you helped me get this, and now I truly owe you." Arda smiled before rest her head on her arm, sleep would come quickly, and in many months, she slept exceptionally well.

/END THREAD

@Raydo