All that glitters

[...From Forging Fate]

The orientation training with Jaeden would have to be cut short, as Cree's comlink went off. He had just allowed Jaeden some time to practice on his own. He motioned for him to continue as he answered the Com-link somewhat aside, that he wouldn't break Jaeden's attention.

My apologies, Master Creemor, but there is a mission your expertise has been requested on. I am aware you currently have a padawan in your stead, it's your discression as to whether or not he can come. I am sending the details of the mission to your holopad.

Thank you Master Xecuus, let the Council know I will be bringing Jaeden with me.

Good good, you will be pleased to know that we have already packed for you, as we knew of your... fondness of missions. Jaeden's things will be packed by the time you get here as well. Oh, and sorry for the short notice, but your ship will be ready to depart in one hour.

Cree cracked a big smile on his Ongreean face. Master Xecuus knew Cree all too well, as he'd been sending Cree on missions since he got the job, and knew he rarely, if ever turned one down. They had developed a good friendship through this and Cree's gregarious nature.

That's quite alright, Master Xecuus, we shall be there.

After a half hour of closing shop on their training, getting ready and moving through the winding halls to the Temple hangar. They stopped by the cafeteria to grab somethings to eat, munching and talking on the way to the hangar. It was to the sound of ruckas and hubub that they arrived to the hangar, spotting their ship and Master Mon'vuuem, the Republic captain waving to them when she spotted them. With that, Cree began to walk over to the ship, ready for whatever this mission entailed.

Jaeden was so excited he could barely stand it. His first mission…he had only been a padawan for a little under half a day and already he had a mission!! As they walked to the hangar bay, he was forced to pinch himself just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He’d never even heard of a situation where a youngling was chosen and then sent on a mission the same day and while he knew full well that he would be doing little more than observing and trying to aid his Master where he could, the boy was so excited by this that he was practically vibrating in place. They had stopped off at their rooms to grab their small overnight bags and while Cree was getting his, Jaeden slipped a little something extra in his robes. Even now he could feel the small chiksit curled in a tight ball against his side, nestled between his skin and the soft fabric of his inner tunic. The creature’s whiskers tickled something fierce every time it dreamt of something interesting but the boy had become used to the feeling after having his almost constant companion for over a year.

Jaeden had found Phim under his bed one night after a particularly hard day. He’d spent most of the morning picking food out of his hair after one of the bigger boys had used the Force to yank on his boot during breakfast. He’d fallen face first into his tray. The day hadn’t gotten much better from there and Jaeden had been covered in bruises by the time he had headed to bed. He’d heard a squeak right before falling asleep and found Phim curled up and half unconscious in a corner near his headboard. Chiksits were not uncommon to the Temple, they often were caught in gentle traps set out by the care takers who deposited the tiny hordes back outside the walls. Phim had managed to escape but from the look of it, he’d lost his hive. Jaeden had curled up with the tiny creature for the night, two lonely souls, and he’d expected it would be dead by morning but Phim had surprised him with a swift recovery and a definite bond. Now the diminutive friend could not be parted for long without pining for Jaeden’s company.

Younglings weren’t allowed pets though so Jaeden hoped his Master wouldn’t notice. He knew he’d have to confess to Phim’s attachment at some point but he wasn’t sure what reaction Cree would have to it and he couldn’t risk doing anything that would cost him his apprenticeship.

As soon as they stepped into the hangar, Jaeden’s eyes were everywhere. He loved the bustle of the Temple docking bays and the dull shine of the ships. As he tagged along behind Cree, he noticed the ship they must obviously be taking and then his eyes fell on the other Jedi Master waiting there. He knew she was another Council member but Jaeden had never actually been in the presence of a Kaminoan before. As they came toward the ship, he found he had to crane his neck to look up at the other Jedi. His eyes were wide as he took in her seven foot frame.

Mon’vuuem turned as the pair approached and smiled pleasantly at Cree and Jaeden, offering them the customary bow. “Master Creemor. Are you ready for the trip?” Her luminous eyes turned to the smaller presence by his side. “I see you have taken on a padawan. Are you sure you wish to bring him so soon after accepting him? He may not have had time to adjust yet.” There was no accusation in her voice though Jaeden had to admit he didn’t like the question even being brought up. What if she convinced his Master to leave him behind? Mon’vuuem had no such thoughts though. Her main concern was whether the child could handle going on a mission so soon. She turned and began to climb the ramp into the ship, guessing full well that Cree wasn’t going to change his mind on the matter.

Jaeden wanted very much to dislike her straight away for bringing up any doubts as to his ability to handle a mission but he found there was something strangely calming about her and his fears were laid to rest when she turned to head up the ramp. He had to admit he liked the way the bells on her headdress jingled and the foreign and liquid way in which she walked.

Ah, adventure. The feel of it always filled Cree with a rush of emotion. It was never about adventure for the sake of adventure, as it had once been. No. By now, these missions had taken on a whole new light. They stood for something more than they once had, and soon, he would instill these beliefs into his own padawan, maybe even give him the taste for it that he once had. Upon concluding his thought, he met with Master Mon'vuuem.

Master Creemor. Are you ready for the trip? I see you have taken on a padawan. Are you sure you wish to bring him so soon after accepting him? He may not have had time to adjust yet.

Cree smiled in response.

Ah, that is nonsense, it's never too soon or young to start! Besides, it shall be a good learning lesson for the boy.

That didn't mean he wouldn't be cautious or wary for the boy, as things could always go wrong in a mission, but it was foolish to think along those lines, as anything could always go wrong. You have to get your feet wet before you can swim, after all. Perhaps he would elaborate on this with Master Mon'vuuem, they had a long trip after all, and it would be nice to let her know of his reasoning.

Why don't you introduce yourself to Master Mon'vuuem, Jaeden, and then hurry along, the sooner we leave the sooner we get there.

Cree didn't say it in an impateint way, more so in a jovial conversational manner. He waited for the two to complete their exchange and motioned his padawan follow him on board. There was breifing and preparations to be done. This looked to be an interesting mission and it wouldn't do to be unprepared for such a thing.

Cree’s words shamed Jaeden a little though they weren’t meant to. The boy realized a bit too late that he’d forgotten his manners when standing in the presence of another High Council member and he rushed up the ramp after his Master. Mon’vuuem had paused at the top of the entrance to wait for her companions and she turned those calm and impassive eyes down to look at the young padawan that had just come to a halt in front of her. Jaeden went into a deep and respectful bow. “I’m sorry, Master Mon’vuuem. My name is Jaeden Dresden.”

Mon’vuuem’s small mouth turned up in a smile and she patted the boy affectionately on the shoulder.

“It’s alright, Padawan Jaeden. I expect that with this being your very first mission, you must be terribly excited.” Mon’vuuem was old enough and wise enough to know that the boy probably hadn’t much cared for her questions to Cree but the fact that he hadn’t vocalized his unhappiness was a positive sign. At least the youngling had control over his emotions to that degree.

“Oh yes, Master,” Jaeden said with great enthusiasm, “and I promise not to get in the way.”

Mon’vuuem chuckled and winked at Cree before turning and heading into the deeper sections of the ship. "I think you chose well, Master Cree."

The engines below them thrummed to life, setting off a light vibration through the soles of their boots and the Jedi settled into the main recreation area. The trip wouldn’t take too long once they’d gone into hyperspace, as little as three days if travel went un-interrupted, as the ship made its way from the Core Worlds out to the Mid-Rim. That would give enough time for the three Jedi to go over the information provided to them by the Council. Mon’vuuem pulled out several holo-pads and activated each one, setting them out on one of the low round tables in the room. Her legs were forced to fold awkwardly to the side when she sat down as the chairs weren’t made for Kaminoans but she registered no complaints. Mon’vuuem had gotten used to such minor discomforts in her years of traveling. Few worlds housed beings as tall or thin as her own.

One of the three holo-pads was a 3-D representation of Rodia. A small red light blinked along one side and when Mon’vuuem tapped this, the image zoomed in to reveal the landscape of a large city tucked beneath protective bubble domes. The second holo-pad pulled up a long sheet of information which pertained to their mission and the third holo-pad produced the image of a pompous looking Rodian in ornate robes. Jaeden frowned at the last image. The man must be part of their mission but he wasn’t sure yet who it was. He figured the Masters would explain what in the world was going on in due time so he contented himself with settling into a chair and staring at the map of Rodia.

“Master Cree,” Mon’vuuem started, gesturing to the image of the Rodian, “This is the Prime Minister of Rodia. He’ll be meeting us at the docking station at Equator City.” She tapped the holo-pad again and brought up a separate image, this one of another Rodian but one that made the Prime Minister look far more likable. His long snout was turned down into a condescending sneer and he held himself in a way that said he was not a being to be crossed lightly. Jaeden thought he looked shifty and untrustworthy.

“This is Theekar Mak. He heads the company Thedor Arms, a well known and well off weapons manufacturing company. The Republic gets many of the weapons used for the Army from this factory so we must move with caution. It is believed that Theekar, who took over the company as CEO five years ago, may be influencing the Prime Minister to leave the Republic. I think it would be best, Master Cree, for you and Jaeden to go speak with Theekar while I talk to the Prime Minister. Perhaps you can find some evidence of what motives Mak would have in wanting to separate from the Republic.”

They were steadily on their way. They were now meeting in the central briefing room of the ship, planning their strategy and what course of action they might take in light of the evidence presented to them. Master Mon’vuuem presented a few holo-pads on the low table they had all gathered on. One contained displayed the image of Rodia, another contained a long list of details concerning the Prime Minister they would be meeting with, Cree took a long glance at this, grabbing at as much information as possible, and another contained the image of the Prime Minister of Rodia. He listened while Master Mon’vuuem explained each in turn, and he inspected each of the datapad’s information in turn. She then moved on to the CEO of Thedor Arms.

This is Theekar Mak. He heads the company Thedor Arms, a well known and well off weapons manufacturing company. The Republic gets many of the weapons used for the Army from this factory so we must move with caution. It is believed that Theekar, who took over the company as CEO five years ago, may be influencing the Prime Minister to leave the Republic. I think it would be best, Master Cree, for you and Jaeden to go speak with Theekar while I talk to the Prime Minister. Perhaps you can find some evidence of what motives Mak would have in wanting to separate from the Republic.

Taking a moment to let the information sink in, Cree responded.

Yes, I would agree, that seems the best course of action, as this Theekar seems to me to be a very tricky character. His zealousness in separating from the Republic is yet to be determined, and may not take kindly to those mending those ties. Your skillset would do well with our uncertain Prime Minister, while mine will compliment Theekar well, as I believe I have the capacity to interpret any underlying motives he may store if I am given enough time. Either route could be potentially dangerous, so I find the situation to be safest no matter who goes where. I say this in regards to my Padawan. I agree. We would need to meet back here at the ship, however, to bring together what information we’ve found, make an assessment and act upon it. That is, of course, if things go through well the first time, though it may be folly to believe they will.

Cree chuckled at this, and gave a wink to Jaeden on this last statement. Hopefully things would go over well. Hopefully.

Jaeden watched the entire proceeding with wide eyes though he didn’t really understand all of what was going on yet. If Rodia wanted to leave so bad, why not LET them? Wasn’t the Republic about freedom anyway? He kept his questions and uncertainty to himself though. If the Jedi thought it was important to be here, then that was good enough, he supposed. Master Cree and Master Mon’vuuem were smart enough to know if the Jedi shouldn’t be involved so he would have to trust their judgment. Jaeden peered at the holo-pad closest to him. Theekar’s dour expression stared back at him without blinking and the boy frowned. Right away, he was pretty sure he didn’t like this Theekar person. The Rodian looked…shifty. If what Master Mon’vuuem said was right, then this guy wanted to leave the Republic and was influencing the Prime Minister himself. He wasn’t sure what they would find when they got to Thedor Arms but Jaeden was certain almost from the start that Theekar was someone he wasn’t going to trust.

Mon’vuuem nodded to Cree once it had been decided on their best course of action and she cast a sidelong glance at Jaeden when Cree mentioned the potential danger involved and the young padawan didn’t miss the statement either. He looked from one Master to the other and tried to look as brave as any Jedi Knight. “Don’t worry Master, I’ll stick close and I’ll do what you say. I won’t be in the way, I promise.” Mon’vuuem couldn’t help the smile that rose to her lips. The boy was eager for a chance to prove himself, that much she could feel through the Force, but she could also tell that he was loyal already to Cree and was being honest when he said he would follow orders.

“Let us hope that it will be of no matter, regardless,” The Kaminoan Jedi said softly, “With all hope, we will find things are not as the senator had feared. As you say, Master Cree, we will meet back at the ship once we know more.”

The rest of the journey proceeded quickly for Jaeden. He spent time each day with his Master, meditating and reviewing the notes in the pad Mon’vuuem had brought with her. He memorized the names of the important parties involved and tried to remember as much as he could about the history of Rodia itself. What time he didn’t spend training with Cree was spent instead working on his Force Blinding technique. He’d managed to get the ball of light to about the size of his Master’s fist now but it still wasn’t enough to actually blind anyone. Still, progress was being made and that was what counted. Mon’vuuem, for her part, watched the interaction between Cree and Jaeden with amusement and a sense of happy peacefulness. Cree was a lively Jedi regardless and his playful nature seemed to rub off on the youngling. Jaeden was an eager student and Mon’vuuem was sure that Cree would temper the boy’s enthusiasm in time with a sense of self confidence she feared the boy lacked at the moment.

When the transport finally arrived in the space around Rodia, Jaeden watched eagerly from the cockpit. He stood behind the captain’s chair and paid careful attention as she walked through the landing procedures. Rodia shone up at them through the viewport and Jaeden found himself peering down at the luminescent green orb in an attempt to pick out the city where they were to land. Finally, as the ship rounded the gradual curve of the planet, he spotted a section of land that was not green like the rest but instead was a large dull brown circle. Equator City. The Rodians had begun to destroy the forest around the outskirts of the city as they sought to advance their own technology, using the forest for its natural resources and polluting the waters around the city itself. As the ship descended, Mon’vuuem entered the cockpit.

“We’ll be landing in another few moments,” the captain said over her shoulder. The ship began its dive for the surface, pulling through the atmosphere and heading in for the brown section below. A city soon came into sight, gleaming beneath a large protective bubble. The city itself sat in the midst of a massive waterway which gleamed in the light of the afternoon sun. The buildings were heavy thick structures for the most part, made of duracrete and stone and they towered over the walkways and roads leading to and fro like ancient sentinels. Here and there, newer construction showed the same designs were now being plied with imported steel and shining glass though the older structures still outnumbered them greatly.

The ship entered the bubble smoothly even though Jaeden had worried for a moment that it would pop or would be too solid to move through. The shield, however, had been just an energy field designed to keep out the inhospitable environment outside. The ship arched gracefully through the air along its pre-determined course, passing several other ships as it went, until at last a thick broad landing platform came into view. The local Rodian security forces were barking commands over the captain’s headset, directing her where to go and where to land, and Jaeden could just make out a small troop of Rodians already waiting on the platform for the Jedi’s arrival.

The ship settled down with a whoosh-hiss and the engines whined as the power was cut to them. Mon’vuuem turned and strode out, heading for the landing ramp which would soon be extending. She hooked her fingers into the hood of her voluminous robe and pulled it up to conceal her face. Due to her long neck, the hood itself was massive in size and Jaeden couldn’t help but stare as she swept past him. He followed suit, pulling up his own hood and trying to hide is excitement. They were finally on a new planet, in another world that he had never seen before. This was his first ever mission and the boy glanced up at Master Cree. He wondered if his own Master had been this nervous and excited on HIS first mission. What would they find? Who would they meet? Would there be a fight? Would this go smoothly? A million questions raced through Jaeden’s mind but he willed them to be still and tucked his hands into the sleeves of his robe.

The ramp fell away in front of the Jedi and the bright light of a sunny afternoon poured in. The sounds of a busy port mingled with the noises of strange creatures in the distance and Mon’vuuem could feel the strength of the Force in this place. The planet was covered in living beings of varied sorts and the forests themselves rang with the power of life. The Jedi Master focused her thoughts and feelings on the energy in their direct vicinity. She could sense the tension of the Rodian guards who no doubt weren’t sure what to expect of the Jedi but there was something else…something deeper that she couldn’t quite put her finger on and it set her on edge. Something felt…wrong. Mon’vuuem kept her eyes peeled in all directions, suddenly aware now and looking for signs of danger. She began the slow decent down the ramp and caught sight of a stately looking Rodian across the tarmac who appeared to be waiting for them.

Jaeden lingered by his Master’s side but his eyes couldn’t seem to take in everything around him fast enough. The bubble overhead shimmered in the light and as his eyes darted from figure to figure, he entirely missed the sense of wrongness that Mon’vuuem had picked up. Instead, his mind was already moving from one Rodian to the next as he watched a set of workers move cargo onto a heavy loader. The shipment was obviously an export of some sort and he wondered what was in the thick wooden boxes being loaded onto the back of the ship.

{Kinda bleh x.x}

Nieraan looked out at the landing pad from his position several stories up on an adjacent building. The grizzled Echani frowned, as he often did. He was dressed as he often did, in a well fitting black shirt with grey fatigues stuffed into his black boots. The one eye that wasn't covered by an eyepatch was silver, as those the Echani posses tend to be, and his silver hair was trimmed short. A scar ran vertically down beneath and out from under his eyepatch; a gift from the first Jedi Master he'd killed, a few years ago.

Here he was, working on Rodia. He hated Rodia. More than that, he hated Rodians. But, things had fallen in to place so that this was the place he would be working for a little while, and as long as he was getting his pay, he'd deal with it. His good eye glinted with malice as he looked out at the Jedi who'd just arrived. So Theekar had been right in his suspicions. The businessman believed the Jedi would stick there noses in where they didn't belong--as they had a habit of doing--so, Theekar had hired him and Rakyn Berrem, another Dark Jedi, to ward them off when they came. But, it'd taken a bit longer than expected for the Jedi to come, so in the time since, they'd become Theekar's enforcers and bodyguards, which could be dirty work at times. But Nieraan had done worse.

"Rakyn, where are you," he asked into his comm. Nieraan had been careful to keep his presence in the Force masked with Force Concealment, and he hoped his partner had been smart enough to do the same. "The Jedi have arrived. What's say you give them a proper welcoming?" His voice came as close as it ever did (or would) to having a note of eagerness in it, but even so, it has hard and gritty. But Rakyn would probably pick up the difference, as the two had known each other for a while. "We've got some men down in the courtyard who are waiting for the order to move. We might be able to end this before it even gets started... Just don't do anything stupid for once, alright?"

Rakyn Berrem gleefully focused his tiny electrobinoculars on the figure of Nieraan from his precarious perch on the edge of the railing. He was exactly eight stories up, on another towering building nearby the landing field, directly parallel to the one his Echani “partner” was in. Why Theekar had hired that irritatingly dull Dark Jedi was beyond him. He had even refused to take pleasure in helping with the disposal of beings Theekar did not like.

The Bimm's light brown fur and floppy ears were both covered by his dark black cloak, perfectly fitted to his small frame. Black eyes matching his cloak in shade sparkled with mischief as they peered through the optical lenses of the device held in his three-fingered hands. Then the comlink attached to his belt jumped to life with the sound of Nieraan's raspy, annoying voice, the equivalent of sandpaper to Rakyn's hearing. He had lamented for a very long period of time over the galaxy's use of basic. Bimmini sounded so much nicer. Swapping the squawking comlink on his belt for the electrobinoculars, Rakyn lifted the device up to his elongated ear, also tilting his head to regard the mercenary flanking him. The Rodian, although a full foot and a half taller than the Bimm, fidgeted nervously under the Dark Jedi’s sharply calculating gaze.

Rakyn loved working with these people.

"Y'ello Nieraan, I see you, so why can’t you find me? And yay, Jedi! Can I see? …Oh right.” If the Bimm had been looking at the Rodian behind him, he would’ve noted the exasperated look the being was wearing. But as it were, Rakyn was a little too occupied peering over the edge of the railing at the Jedi descending the landing ramp to note facial expressions. Not to mention that this particular forty-four year old Bimm had, for all intensive purposes, an Arkanian viewpoint on other sentient life forms. Along with a sense of maturity that was about as stunted as a tree trying to grow in salt water.

“May I remind you that I don’t do stupid things, Nieraan.” The Bimm intoned over the com-link before suddenly sending out tendrils of the force to tug the blaster rifle out of the mercenary’s grip. As the weapon levitated towards him, Rakyn spared the Jedi walking primly along the landing bay a sideways glance and on a sudden whim, tossed his com-link out into open air to free both hands for the incoming rifle. Chaos was his favorite medium, his reason for existing, the reason he was in fact, a Dark Jedi at all. It wasn’t just the icing on the cake; it was the whole cake, fashioned by a baker who wasn’t afraid to step outside the box of common sense. Chaos was a culinary disaster, and yet a masterpiece of sugar, all at the same time. Rakyn was that baker; he had killed for the position. And chaos was lacking at the moment; it was his job to create it.

That is why, without a second thought, the Bimm pointed the blaster rifle in the general direction of the Jedi below, and then started to pelt the landing field with erratic but lethal blaster fire. Rakyn’s adrenaline spiked as he listened to the red bolts burning their way through the air, and he grinned happily as he saw figures scattering for cover. When the battery of the blaster burned out approximately 8 seconds after the start of Rakyn’s frenzied shooting, the Bimm spun on his heel to face the Rodian mercenary again, who had been fidgeting while waiting for his gun back, unsure of what he should be doing.

“Tell the other hired help to move in.” Rakyn ordered immediately, bouncing up and down on his toes with anxiety as he peered over the edge of the balcony's smooth railing.

“I don’t have a com-link, you took mine away to use earlier.” The Rodian retorted in basic.

“Yes, I remember that now... What can you do to help me?” Rakyn’s face creased in thought for the first time that day, and his eyebrows furrowed. Histhe Rodian’s com-link, was now smashed in fragments on the pavement far below. Insanity had its price, not that Rakyn would ever personally think he was insane.

“Wait. I’ve got it.” Not so subtle claws of the force were again summoned with an outstretched hand, and this time, their target was the unfortunate mercenary. With a dismissive gesture, Rakyn flung the Rodian off of the balcony and towards the landing field with excessive force. The Bimm cheshired underneath the cowl of his hood before skipping back inside the towering building. Hopefully Nieraan had seen all that.

“’Stupid’ indeed.” Rakyn huffed indignantly before stalking off to find someone with a working com-link.


OoC// Welp, it's finally up. As to the deranged character, that's who my imagination spit out. Any issues with details, just poke me, I'm trying to get back in a posting mood.

Master Creemor-Lek felt prepared for this mission. True, there was a particular sense about this one, something that felt... not right, he could sense Jaeden's uneasiness well enough, and had an inkling of Mon'vueem's as well, as carefully guarded as she kept it. He himself kept his feelings under wraps, making sure that he exuded calm for his padawan to catch and lean of if need be, this being his first mission, after all. He maintained this aura as he stepped out of the ship and took his first look around.

The port bustled with activity, nothing truly out of the ordinary going on, he noticed after a quick scan, and spotted the two well-clad Rodians, who appeared to be of official duty. They must be there to meet them, thought Cree. He began to make his way toward them, Jaeden following suit, but before they got halfway across, Cree's senses kicked in, and bid him to turn to his left, prepared to defend. He pivoted quickly on his heel and threw up a quick, but sound semi-bubble of protection, deflecting the first of multiple lasers raining down upon them. As he used the Force to withdraw his lightsaber, he noticed with his other eye as a man descended rapidly from the building the laser fire was coming from, and blocked incoming fire with his lightsaber, using his other eye and senses to repel in a Soresu stance, and shoved Jaeden behind him.

It seems we are unwelcome, Master Mon'vueem

He did not check for the other Council Member's well-being, knowing full well through both the Force and the fact that she could handle herself that she was fine. When the raining of fire ceased, he turned to her and asked her a stated, keeping Jaeden in mind:

I'm sure there's nothing we can't handle. he added some whimsy to his voice.

Though we should inquire about it from our hosts as soon as the chance arises, you sense this too, don't you?[/i] whispered to her after a quicks stride back towards the Rodians, getting himself out of earshot of Jaeden. This was turning out to be as shady as they'd assumed, something he had hoped very much so would not be the case...

((I am SOOOOO sorry if this post is craptastical but I’m dead tired. Bear with me.))

Jaeden was too busy watching all the sights and sounds around him to take in the sudden warning that rippled through the Force only moments before blaster fire erupted all around them. He barely had time to register what was going on until after his Master had already thrown up a defensive shield of Force energy. One moment he had been simply following behind his Master and then next he heard the sharp snap hiss of a lightsaber and the tinny electric sound of blaster fire. His own lightsaber was in his hand right away, snapping to life as he struck up a defensive stance, his eyes frantically searching for the source of the fire. It wasn’t hard to find as it was all coming from one direction, a building high above them and to one side of the landing platform. Jaeden watched wide eyed as a man fell screaming to his death from the building’s roof, wincing at the sharp crunch when the body impacted.

In all his years at the Temple, Jaeden had never seen someone actually die before. He had, of course, heard plenty of tales of Jedi who had fallen bravely in battle and every youngling pretended to cut down their foes while practicing saber, but those were imaginary enemies and the knights were simply honored as being one with the Force. To see the death with his own eyes was something entirely different but it was over in an instant and in the next moment, Master Cree had pushed him protectively behind him. Jaeden turned and placed his own back against Cree’s, facing outward and keeping his lightsaber at the ready in case any other attacks came from another direction. He firmly pushed the image of the falling Rodian from his mind and concentrated on just focusing on his surroundings. He wasn’t going to help his Master if he couldn’t keep his mind where it needed to be.

Cree’s presence behind him was formidable and comforting. Between Master Mon’vuuem and Master Cree, the situation was more than well in hand and Jaeden tried to find his calm through the playful bond he shared with his Master. Cree’s whimsical comment helped bolster the boy. “I’ve only been a padawan for less than a week and I’m already being shot at,” he said brightly, “I must be doing something right.” He suppressed a giggle and waited patiently until the firing ended, his heartbeat thrumming in his chest. He’d wanted excitement and he’d certainly gotten it already. As soon as Master Cree was on the move again, Jaeden was right behind him, pointedly avoiding looking at the mess that had formerly been a Rodian and was now spreading across the pavement.

Mon’vuuem had caught the same Force warning that Cree had and she too spun to her left, her saber suddenly in her hand and blazing verdant green in the afternoon sun. The blaster fire aimed at them was random and seemed to have little real purpose. She was able to deflect it easily enough and knew Cree was doing the same. Whoever was firing on them wasn’t overly concerned on whether they were actually hit. That thought bothered Mon’vuuem more than the halfhearted assassination attempt. It probably meant that their enemy wasn’t done with them yet. A warning perhaps?

It seems we are unwelcome, Master Mon'vueem

Mon’vuuem smiled and nodded. “Mmm…apparently. I do hope our accommodations at the Prime Minister’s house are a tad more hospitable,” she said without breaking stride. She easily swept aside the incoming fire until it ceased altogether but a vague warning pressed at the back of her head and Mon’vuuem turned slowly to peer up at the buildings on the other side of the street. She caught no movement and could see nothing out of the ordinary. The dock workers had dived for cover and were slowly emerging now that it was over and the two Rodian guards were waiting with their blaster rifles raised and ready but no other movement was had. Cree and Jaeden’s playful words reached the other Jedi and she cast them both dubious looks. “He’s already taking after you,” she said cheerfully, shaking her head and gesturing at Jaeden who simply beamed at what he felt was an obvious compliment.

Mon’vuuem turned and resumed her long slow strides toward their waiting guard. There was nothing more they could do until their enemy was ready to reveal themselves. She felt more than saw the presence of Cree as he pulled up beside her.

Though we should inquire about it from our hosts as soon as the chance arises, you sense this too, don't you?

“I agree,” she whispered back, “and I feel that we should ask about our unfortunate Rodian friend back there. His identity may hold clues to our true enemy here.” Mon’vuuem paused on that note and turned toward the fallen body, gesturing to Cree to carry on without her. She made her way to the body and knelt next to what had once been a ribcage. The impact had been harder than a man his size should have incurred from simply falling. This person seemed to have been slammed into the ground with considerable force. Another Force user perhaps? She stood back up and looked around to discover that his communicator was also laying nearby, shattered on the pavement. Someone had tossed it over before they’d thrown him. She shook her head. She could never quite understand why evil beings insisted on killing one another with such frivolity; it was practically a pastime for them.

In short order she made her way back to the area where Cree and Jaeden were standing. Her eyes met the boy’s for a moment and she frowned ever so slightly. Another youngling that would, she feared, lose some of that simple innocence on this mission like so many young padawans before him. He was in the real world now, not the sheltered halls of the Temple and life here would come as a shock to him in many ways. She was glad Cree, with his bright personality and kind demeanor, was the boy’s teacher. The Rodian guards were already rattling off their immense apologies for the outburst and assuring Cree as best they could that the mercenary wasn’t anyone they knew. Their insistence only made Mon’vuuem’s suspicions rise and she ghosted their emotions through the Force. All she could sense was that they were confused at the attack but were hiding something. Indeed, Cree was right. Their host would know a lot more about this than he might even be willing to say.

The guards led them to a waiting transport and from there, swept them off through the crowded streets to stop before a tall and imposing compound. Ornate gates stood closed against intruders and they swung wide at the signal from the guard as the transport bearing the Jedi approached. Beyond them was a massive home, it’s many thin spires stretching skyward in the typical fashion of the Rodians who seemed to enjoy building up instead of out. Each tower of the stately home was capped in a roof covered in blue-green tiles that shone in the sun and the door was carved with an ornate monogram. It hissed open as they approached and a silver droid met them at the threshold. “Master Jedi. A pleasure to meet you. I am T5-M8. You may call me ‘Emate’ if you like. Please follow me. I will take you to your quarters where you may rest until dinner. The Prime Minister is looking forward to meeting you.” The effeminate droid turned and scuttled across a large foyer to the huge set of steps at the other end. A table sat in the middle of the cavernous space with a vase of imported flowers on it. Jaeden had to resist the urge to whistle. It was certainly impressive.

The Jedi’s rooms were located on the third floor and once they were safely inside, the droid wandered away on its own. Jaeden and Cree had one room across the hall from Mon’vuuem. The Jedi Master waited until the droid left before making her way to Cree’s room and tapping politely on his door. They had much to discuss about this strange attack on them and the droid had stated she would be back to escort them to dinner in only a half hour. Then, the Jedi might be able to ask some very important questions of their host.

All Nieraan could do was sigh and shake his head.

Rakyn would do something like that.

Blaster bolts filled the air, and Nieraan watched as the crowd below scattered in every direction to try to escape the hail of fire. Some didn't make it. Not that that was his problem. He just wished that the little furry creature had aimed before firing like a man crazed, rather than just pointing and spraying. But Rakyn would do as he would; it was almost impossible to make him do exactly what one wanted, and Nieraan wasn't really surprised by his actions anymore. But still.

Oh well. At least he'd let them see how many Jedi there were. Three, from the looks of it: a Kaminoan, what looked to be a Human boy, and... an Onree. Wonderful. He hated Ongree almost as much as he hated Rodians. Honestly, with their weird upside down faces and hideous looking mouths... Nieraan scowled at the thought of that. At least he'd get to kill one.

He glanced up to see a body falling from the building opposite the one he was in. Rakyn's building. A quick look through some binoculars told him all he needed to know. The being was had been a Rodian. Rakyn had had a Rodian mercenary up in the building with him. Nieraan was willing to bet he didn't have one up there anymore. He shook his head again. For some reason, that didn't surprise him either.

Rakyn would do something like that.

"Fade out everyone," he said to the hired hands that were still awaiting an order from their positions, "we'll strike later." The Jedi were alert now, and it'd be better to catch them off-guard. It didn't matter though. The statement had been made to the Jedi: they weren't welcome here, sticking their noses in where they didn't belong. There'd be more chances to make passes at them in the near future, anyway. For now, he and Rakyn had to get back to Prime Minister's compound, where the next phase of things would be unfolding. They had work to do in preparing their next attacks on the Jedi. He just hoped Rakyn wouldn't (literally) bring everything down onto their heads.

--------------------------------

A little while and one short meeting with the Prime Minister later and Nieraan was strolling through a hallway in he compound. He had a part to play not. Splendid. He hated playing parts. Especially the one he would be playing as things unfolded. But it was the only one that really suit his appearance and demeanor.

He'd be a security officer.

And one assigned to personally "oversee" the "safety" of the Jedi "guests." But really, it would be rather odd to see a servant that sounded, looked, and acted as grizzled and constantly irritated as Nieraan did, so he could see the point behind the Prime Minister's decision. He just didn't like it. But whatever. He'd survive. Though as he walked to meet the Jedi, he found himself wondering what Rakyn was up to. Something devious, surely. Something chaotic. That seemed to be what the little malevolent thing lived for. Nieraan would more than likely soon find out.

But for now he had to go speak with the Jedi. Make them feel welcome and all that garbage. As well as trying to get a feel for them and how they worked together--information that could be useful later. "There they are," he grumbled to himself as he spotted them. His lightsabers were hidden away, as was his presence in the Force, and his true emotions were masked behind walls of mental static that would be nigh-impossible to break through. He really just wanted to get this part done, to be honest.

"Welcome, welcome," he said to the group of Jedi as he approached them. "My name is Rahvin. I am one of the head security officers here, and I have been assigned to oversee your security." His voice was the same neutral gritty tone it always was, though at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to strangle one of them. Starting with that Ongree and his damned upside-down face. But that would have to wait. "We have heard of the attack at the spaceport and we would like to offer our sincerest apologies." He looked each of them in the eye as he talked, and nodded to them all in turn. "Now, you know my name, but I cannot say that I've had the pleasure of learning yours..."

Oh, but it rankled! If he had to do this for long he might just go Rakyn's route of doing things instead....

A little chaos would certainly be better than scraping and bowing before these Jedi.

((OOC: It may be long, but don't let it fool you this was bleh... ))

Cree couldn’t suppress his chuckle at his padawan when he remarked about getting shot at. He was in no position to criticize, however, as he himself was just like that when he was younger. The thrill of the adventure and the flow of excitement was always enough to get him going. He would, however, have to discuss this with Jaeden afterwards, so that he would know just when was the right time to advocate these things, and when it was best to avoid them. It would be another of a series of talks like those he’d received from the Council in his own early years, and on occasion from his late Master. There was a fine line, for these things, and though it was a simple witty remark, it resonated as a past vice deep within Cree. He would have to tread carefully with Jaeden. His attention was diverted from this, however, when Master Mon’vuuem spoke:

He’s already taking after you

Ah, that’s a good thing, he said with a wink.

Cree found that his expressions had constantly been cheery and happy, constant winking and chuckles mingled with bouts of seriousness in dealing with the task at hand. It was after he laughed and responded that he began to think about this. Perhaps, he thought, that it was because he knew that Jaeden needed this, and though the boy would, in fact, need to be boosted and given confidence, it would not do to be soft, either. Again, another fine line to watch for. He would have to get his mind back on the situation at hand, though, thoughts of how to handle his padawan would come in due time.

When Master Mon’vuuem returned from checking on the fallen Rodian, they boarded the transport and sped off for the compound that would be their place of residence for the next few days. Cree investigated their ambassadors through the Force during the ride, catching the sense that they truly were befuddled with the attack, yet still had their suspicions and assumptions as to what they were doing there, but these feelings were clouded: they were hiding something. When they reached the compound, they were approached by a silver droid.

“Master Jedi. A pleasure to meet you. I am T5-M8. You may call me ‘Emate’ if you like. Please follow me. I will take you to your quarters where you may rest until dinner. The Prime Minister is looking forward to meeting you.”

Cree nodded and followed him to their quarters, taking them to the third floor and to their residencies. His and Jaeden’s room was across the hall from Master Mon’vuuem’s, which was fine, but they certainly needed to talk. As he began to unpack his things, a knock came to the door. Knowing who it was through the Force, and the fact that they would definitely be needing to talk in the near future, he welcomed the fact that she had decided to this soon. Then the thought struck him that it wasn’t really that soon, as much had already happened in the short amount of time they had been here. He walked across the well-decorated room to the door and answered it, intending to step out, that they may discuss things that did not need to be heard by Jaeden at this point, and only after these things were discussed would they include him.

One moment, Jaeden

He said, as he opened the door and stepped out. Before they could speak, however, they were approached by a man who appeared Echani, by the looks of his hair and eyes. He stepped back, in a full body gesture that he was welcoming this man to speak with them.

Welcome, welcome, my name is Rahvin. I am one of the head security officers here, and I have been assigned to oversee your security.

Immediately Cree felt something out of place with the man. This could mean a number of things, and it was certainly not past him to be a completely harmless or otherwise good man, but still the sense was there. He could feel nothing malevolent about him at all, yet nothing benevolent. The man was completely… neutral, blank, plain. It was that cloudiness about the man that Cree detected through his ability in Empathy that put him slightly in the throes of caution, though he made sure not to reveal this, not even to Master Mon’vuuem, though he would when they had the chance to speak privately.

Now, you know my name, but I cannot say that I've had the pleasure of learning yours...

Still keeping an expression of welcome and kindness as he listened to Rahvin, letting off not even a blip of a clue that he was uncertain of him, Cree responded in the kind voice a Jedi Councilman would be expected to.

Nice to meet you Rahvin, my name is Jedi Master Creemor-Lek, and this…

Cree gestured toward Master Mon’vuuem, giving her the chance to speak for herself.

((Sorry it took me so long to post. Been a busy week. ))

Jaeden wandered around the room he would be sharing with his master, his eyes flicking over everything. The grounds weren’t anything as awe inspiring as the Jedi Temple with its soaring vaulted ceilings and its massive walkways sweeping in and out of the sunlight but it wasn’t anything to sneer at either. The room boasted two fairly well sized beds and Jaeden made his way to one, tossing down his knapsack before plopping down onto it and bouncing a bit on the mattress. At least he’d be sleeping comfortably anyway. His Master was already unpacking a few things from his bag when there was a soft rap at the door. Jaeden’s head came up and he hopped off the bed, ready to go open it but Cree beat him there. He could feel the calming presence of Master Mon’vuuem drift through the closed door. She wasn’t very hard to find in the Force as her signature was as strong as his own Master’s. Where Cree’s was strong and vibrant though, Mon’vuuem’s was smooth and Jaeden was sure if he was ever asked to meditate around her for very long he’d have a very hard time not falling asleep.

He was a little disappointed when both Masters stepped outside to confer without him but he pushed the feeling aside. It wasn’t because they didn’t trust him he told himself, it was just that they had…Master…stuff to talk about. He was certain that the Council had a lot on its plate at the moment so there was probably something the they needed to discuss that didn’t have anything to do with the mission they were on. Jaeden’s self doubt niggled at the back of his mind though, unconvinced by his own reasoning. Why wasn’t he being included already? He didn’t want his master to think that he wasn’t capable or that he was going to mess things up. No, Jaeden slammed down on the self doubt, Master Cree brought me with him. If he doubted me, I wouldn’t be here at all. Even Master Mon’vuuem asked him if he should and he said yes…he can’t have changed his mind already. He knew he wouldn’t find out what they were talking about until Cree was ready though. Padawans were not supposed to push their masters for information. It was the discretion of the master to dole out knowledge as they saw fit for the benefit of both and protocol kept Jaeden from prying. He would just have to be patient. How many times had he heard THAT particular lesson at the Temple?

He sighed and looked out of the big bay window in their room. Rodia had fallen into night, the city little more than a series of bright sparkling lights in the darkness. The manor was settled right in the middle of the city proper but a section of land had been parceled off for it and below the window he looked out of, Jaeden could make out what appeared to be a strange garden of sorts. There were a few short bushes that hemmed it in and small stakes rose up from the dirt with winding vines clinging to them. Jaeden huffed against the window and watched his breath fog it. As he doodled a stick figure lightsaber duel in the condensation, he hoped the masters wouldn’t take TOO long with their conversation.

________________________________________________

Mon’vuuem waited patiently in the hallway outside Cree’s door. She could feel the boy’s interest and Cree’s calm as his presence drew closer to the door itself. Her attentions were gathered however on something else that was heading their way. The Force lay around her, still and silent, save for one small trickle of something not quite right that had caught her interest. To her right, she felt the Force waver and then seemingly disappear for a moment. Her large eyes turned down the hall in that direction even as Cree stepped out to meet her and she didn’t need to pry to feel the shift in his own signature that said he felt it too. The anomaly was coming from the security officer that was walking toward them. The Force had its own sort of gravitational pull as far as Mon’vuuem was concerned. It was a part of all things and as such, all things had a signature of their own that affected the Force around them. This man was affecting the Force but his signature was missing, like a planet one cannot see but yet whose gravity still affected the stars around it. His Force presence was hidden. It was wrapped in a cloth of mediocrity that was pulled from the world around him to cloak his own.

That simple fact raised an alarm in the Kaminoan’s mind. One does not hide their Force signature for no reason unless they specifically didn’t want to be seen. That meant one of two things to Mon’vuuem. Either this man was hiding some dark association with the Force that he didn’t want them sensing, or he was trying to hide the fact that he was Force sensitive at all. The latter was certainly possible if the Prime Minister had sent him to spy on the Jedi. It wouldn’t be the first time such an occurrence had happened to Mon’vuuem. She’d seen it before; some high official finds a Force sensitive and hires them to scan those who come into their home. It was the next best thing to bugging someone’s room she supposed. Still, the Force pulled at her incessantly that something was more off here than just some employee trying to keep his role as official spy secret from them. She had learned over the years to trust that warning call implicitly and as Cree was introducing himself, she locked her keen eyes onto the man. Her mind pushed gently against the Force guiding it to skitter over the newcomer as she searched for some imperfection in his armor that would let her see who he really was.

As Cree gestured to her, Mon’vuuem offered a languid bow and blinked solemnly at Rahvin. “I am Jedi Master Mon’vuuem,” she stated simply even as her mind continued to scan the man. It seemed that every where she pushed his shields were pulled tighter and she could well guess that he was not only aware of what she was doing but was strong enough in the Force to be trying his best to keep her out. She knew she could force the issue, press him with the considerable ability at her disposal but brute force was never her style and she contented herself with the knowledge that all would be revealed in due time. She was content for now to be patient and simply wait for the Force to lead them where it needed them. “We thank you for your concern. Please let the Prime Minister know that we are grateful for the accommodations and are looking forward to dining with him. I am sure that we will be more than safe around you.” The last sentence was cryptic and purposefully left open to interpretation. It could easily be read as either a statement that she felt he would help defend them or that she was certain without question that he could do them no harm. Mon’vuuem didn’t want to offend if the man wasn’t an enemy but if his intentions were less than honorable, she wanted to make sure he was aware that she and Cree would not make easy targets.

Oh, the urge to reach out and just strangle one of the Jedi was almost overwhelming! Especially that Ongree! Seriously! That nasty-looking orange skin, those strange eyes, and that mouth! The ugliness was almost endearing. Almost. But he kept his face respectful and nodded at the right times as the Jedi Master spoke... Cree, was it? The name didn't ring a bell. It wouldn't matter once all was said and done though, because after Nieraan ripped his head off, he'd put it back on the right way. Then maybe he could switch his name around. Eerc? It wouldn't be any worse than his face was.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Lek," he said with a slight bow of his head. "I would like to officially welcome you to Rodia, then. Enjoy your stay."

Then his attention turned to the other Jedi, the one with the stupidly long neck was just begging to be snapped and absurdly large eyes set in that freakish head. A Kaminoan. Not as bad as an Ongree, but still... Would it be so hard for one of them to be normal looking?! No, no, Nieraan. Remember, you're a secur- Oh. Well that had been strange. What was th- There it was again! A white-hot spark of rage erupted within him for a moment and was almost instantly suppressed as realization dawned on him. One of them was trying to get into his mind! He couldn't place his finger on which, not without pushing back, and that would blow his cover faster than Rakyn suddenly appearing and doing something crazy.

For the time being, he had to push such thoughts aside if he was going to maintain the barriers around his mind, and focused on the tall Jedi Master. Mon'vuuem, she'd said her name was. Nieraan, was about to thank her and turn to leave when she continued speaking. He almost rolled his eyes in annoyance at her thanks, but the last thing she said got his attention. Perhaps it was just his mood--he was almost always mad at something, after all--but there seemed to be a bit of sarcasm to Mon'vuuem's statement that they'd be "more than safe" around him. Or, maybe she'd meant it in earnest, and Nieraan had twisted it himself. But no matter. The dead was already done, and the interpretation had been made.

He bowed his head to Mon'vuuem as he had to Cree before looking up at her. "You honor me with your word, Master Jedi," he said, and as he started his next sentence, he couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth tilt up in the faintest hint of a smirk. "Your security is of the utmost import, and we shall do all that we can to ensure it." He cleared his throat, and looked at both of the Masters before continuing. "Now, if there's nothing else, I shall be on my way. You'll be able to reach me at any time if I'm needed; just let any of the workers here now, and they will come and get me." With that, he turned on his heel and strode off in the direction he'd come in, eager to be away from the Jedi and to let his shield down. He needed to find Rakyn. They had plotting to do.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Lek, I would like to officially welcome you to Rodia, then. Enjoy your stay."

Cree bowed to the man, noting his thanks in a wordless fashion. He still wasn't sure how to place the man, and as such, would not know how to respond to him just yet. He would keep on the neutral side, just to inspect this neutral being, one who hides himself right in front of two very sensitive Masters of the Council. Trust would have to be earned quite efficiently with this one. He listened as Master Mon'vuuem spoke, and to Rahvin as he replied in turn.

"You honor me with your word, Master Jedi, Your security is of the utmost import, and we shall do all that we can to ensure it. "

Rahvin cleared his throat.

"Now, if there's nothing else, I shall be on my way. You'll be able to reach me at any time if I'm needed; just let any of the workers here now, and they will come and get me."

Again Creemor nodded wordlessly as Rahvin walked off and out of sight. He had taken note of the nonverbal actions Rahvin had committed. The smirk after titling them with "Master Jedi". The throat clearing after having mentioned their security. He had experience enough with empathy and people to catch these signs when they were revealed. There was certainly something malevolent about the man. The magnitude of threat the man possessed or whether or not it was simply distaste for the Jedi, or even racism, he couldn't be sure. Either way, it would be best to watch their step quite closely when around "Head of Security Rahvin..." Wait, he hadn't even given a last name. Certainly the Echani would have a last name? Maybe he was reading too much into it. Regardless, nothing could be withheld from suspicion. Cree turned to Master Mon'vuuem, facetiously asking:

Master Mon'vuuem, tell me that you have some form of theory that does not end with this trip ending in a most unpleasant way?