Within the Mists

[Rugs]

"Good, good. Now focus, as I've told you," Locke said to Jazen, his student over the quiet hum of the hyperspace drive. The two were seated on the floor, facing each other, with a small metal ball suspended in the air between them. It was a training exercise Locke came up with a while ago, one that focused on stressing finesse with telekinesis, rather than brute strength. The object of the exercise was for Jazen to keep the ball suspended halfway in between Locke and himself; if he pulled too hard, the ball would drift off-center toward him, and if he didn't exert enough force on it, it would drift over to Locke. Of course, Locke wasn't just exerting a steady amount of force on the ball; sometimes he pulled hard on it, sometimes his grip on it was quite weak. It was up to Jazen to adjust, and quickly. The exercise was a good one, really, and beneficial for both teacher and student. Locke quite liked it.

"That's it," he said with a nod before increasing the strength of his grasp on the ball and tugging it toward him. "Remember, a calm mind is a good mind. A steady will is a strong will." The young Knight suddenly let his grasp weaken, until he was barely holding the ball with enough strength to keep it aloft. "You must remain calm, as they eye of the proverbial storm that may be raging around you, unmoved and unaffected by whatever may be going on." Locke set the ball to spinning, though it wouldn't really affect anything; he just wanted to see how Jazen would react to that. "You know how chaotic the outside world can be." He paused for a moment before quietly saying "You were at Rhen Var."

He fell silent for a few moments, feeling the currents of the Force that gently flowed between him and his student, and nodding to himself with pleasure. That odd lurching of his stomach suddenly told him that they'd exited hyperspace and he sighed to himself. I guess we're here then. 'bout damn time. Locke didn't mind teaching Jazen, but he was still relatively new to the whole aspect of having an apprentice, and being the mentor, rather than the mentee, was still a bit odd to him. Still, he was getting better with it as time went by.

"Well, I think that means I can take my teacher hat off for the time being," he said as he steadily released his grip on the ball until it fell to nothing. Locke stood to his feet, and took the long coat he'd taken to wearing from its place on the wall before throwing it on. "Your progressing well," he said with a nod and a smile to Jazen as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "Now, let's go see where Gabe is, eh?"

Locke and Jazen, along with Gabriel Alaris, had been sent to the gambling world of Umgul to look into a rash of kidnappings that was swelling up in a town in the planet's northern region. They'd head to Umgul City, the capitol of the mist-covered world, and from there, they'd meet their contact, who would take them out to the town so they could conduct the investigation. It seemed simple enough. Missions like these are never simple, some voice in the back of his mind whispered, though he pushed it away. Really, what could go wrong?

Locke reached out, with the Force and headed in Gabriel's direction once he felt his fellow Knight's signature; not that there were many places on the vessel that Gabe could be, but still, it was a habit. A moment later, Locke walked through the door to exit the small room he and Jazen had been doing their exercise in, and his stone grey eyes fell upon the other Knight. "Looks like we've come out of hyperspace then, eh, Gabe?"

[WWFF]

Meditation; a state of being in between – between unconsciousness and consciousness – where the subconscious remained the only portion which was even vaguely aware of the now. A place wherein one should find the remnants of thoughts long past, and see them for what they truly are and look into yourself as though from outside peeking in. A place where even the smallest sliver of peace should have been present to the young Jedi, but even it had been tainted by the events of recent times.

His ordeal on Rhen Var had left him in a less than adequate condition, both physically and mentally. Not only had the battle with the Dark Jedi, Di’shan, worn him to the bone physically – what with being poisoned, burned by a lightsaber, and kicked around – he also had to combat the constant mental attacks which only provided an even more alarming outcome of him losing momentary control. The poison itself had caused him more pain than he had ever thought physically possible; all that he truly remembered of the pain was his own inability to pass out from the extremity of it.

And now the long term effects had kicked in. For weeks he had been uncomforted by sleep, or any rest of any kind, as his mind was a constant vortex of turmoil and contradictions. The Sith had done his job: Gabriel had begun to question his own power, and much worse, his attunement to the force around himself. If he could lose control as quickly and powerfully as he had, what would stop his from doing it again? Or such were his thoughts.

It was only at the prompting of his old master, and with her council of “you are the keeper of yourself”, that Gabriel had accepted the mission to Umgul. It was a tactic which Xen Tai had used when he was younger to teach him the power of calm; “Be your own keeper, Gabriel. You wouldn’t want to release Reek and endanger the lives of those around you or yourself. The only protection we have for ourselves and those around us, is calm.” The words echoed through Gabriel’s head as though Xen had just stated the fact. If only they could see what he had seen; what the dark one showed him.

Never-the-less; he meditated, and found what brief peace it was that he could in the confines of the force. It was enough to calm his nerves, and allow him to focus himself on the issue at hand. The familiar lurch as the ship exited hyperspace, filled every nerve ending in his form with the brief sensation of falling. A deep sigh emerged from his robed form. He rocked back from his knees and onto the balls of his feet, standing up in one fluid movement.

His stride was long and determined as he strode across the small room and to his dust colored cloak. Again the fluidly moving limbs found their way into sleeves as he draped the cloak over his form. His piercing eyes snapped to the two shiny hilts sitting on a seat across from him; his hand simply opened and the sabers slid slowly through the air toward his open palm. Once in the palm of his wrapped hand, one was transferred to the other hand, and both placed on their latches on the back of either hip on his utility belt.

He ran his hand through is hair, which had recently been restyled due to the near death swipe which had taken his ponytail on Rhen Var. It was an odd feeling, dealing with short hair, one which he had not had to experience for several years. With a shrug he simply took it as another silent reminder of how close he had come to death, and how much further he had to go.

He senses picked up the movement of the other two Jedi onboard, no doubt sensing their arrival as well. He quickly turned and strode from his quarters, pushing the door open and closing it with the force as he strode through and into a common area of the small transport.

"Looks like we've come out of hyperspace then, eh, Gabe?"[/color]

the words hit the young Jedi’s ears as he watched the man walk forward followed by a padawan. Gabriel smiled at the two, his straight white teeth flashing for a moment before he spoke. The brawler posture he was so accustomed to holding causing his imposingly broad form to look even more so within his cloak.

“Indeed, Locke.” His deep voice resonated from his chest as he spoke, his strange piercing eyes snapping to Jazen and back to Locke again. “He looks fit enough." Gabriel said to the other knight before turning his attention back to the padawan. “…and you were at Rhen Var? I sense a strength in you, it’s no wonder you survived… you’ll be a great asset to this mission. ” He drifted off for a moment in thought – mostly about Rhen Var – before flashing a winning smile back at the boy and his master. Though he hadn’t voiced it yet, Gabriel had the distinct twist in his stomach, which seemed to tell him that he was walking into some sort of trap, or at least a difficult situation. Something didn’t ring right, but regardless, they were there to investigate, and investigate they would.

“Shall we see to the landing, then?” Once more the smile flashed over his face.

[Jazen]

His master's words flowed silently and smoothly into Jazen's ears, much like whispers to him at the moment. A small portion of his focus was on what his master was saying; the rest focused on the task at hand. The small ball that hovered in between them. It was a rather simple exercise, designed to help one make small deviations of control in the force. If his master tugged on the ball, Jazen tugged back with the force needed to bring it back to its starting point. The same thing applied if his master reduced his control on the ball, forcing Jazen to increase his control on the ball. The only thing that made it difficult was that his master liked to mix it up, making it hard at first to change his control so suddenly. But as time passed, he eventually managed to get the hang of it, almost to the point of switching unconsciously. Even when his master relinquished his control over the ball to stand, Jazen kept it afloat until it rested softly in the palm of his hand.

As his master headed off to find the other Jedi who had come with them on this mission, Gabe something, Jazen sat paitently, calmly running through the mission in his head. Umgal, the planet they were heading to, had recently had a string of kidnappings, which was apparently strange for the planet. A world of gambling, Umgal was deep within the mid rim, but not that far out of the way. Because of this, the kidnappings could have been done by locals or by people from a different planet. One of the reasons they were sent to investigate. Jazen was just about break his trance when he felt a slim glimmer of something, only to notice it had vanished right after. It had felt similar to what he felt from his master, but was darker, colder. Then again, it could just have been his imagination. After a quick debate in his mind, Jazen shrugged it off, knowing that it was better to focus on the here and now for the moment. Letting your mind wander was dangerous.

Getting to his feet, Jazen stalked up behind his master, meeting the other Jedi's piercing gaze with one of his own. The man was a Jedi Knight, just like Locke, and therefore he commanded the same amount of respect his master got. Ordinarily, Jazen would wait till someone earned that respect before giving it, but with Locke present, he had to show his manners. Good thing the man's name had come back to him once he had actually tried to focus on what it was.

"Hopefully, you'll see how fit I am during the course of this mission, Master Alaris. I look forward to learning from you along with my Master."

[Rugs]

"Haha, indeed he will, Gabe," Locke said in response to his companion's evaluation of Jazen. Jazen responded to Gabriel, and Locke nodded with a light chuckle. "Though I wonder if I'll ever be able to get him to stop calling me 'Master' and just call me 'Locke.' He's still a work in progress, I suppose." Locke took to rolling his sleeves up to the elbow--a newly-developed habit--absentmindedly for a moment before glancing at his two teammates. "Anyway, yes, let's see to getting down to the surface."

Locke, assuming that the others would follow, made his way to the front of the ship, where the cockpit was. The thin metal door slid open with a crisp hiss, and Locke stepped in to see the misty planet hanging in space before them. Most of the world was a pearly white, and the terrain was hidden away in that ocean of fog that covered the world; still, some patches of green peeked through the mists.

Locke's eyes fell to the man that had been hired to pilot the ship for their journey. He was a Twi'lek, seemingly of middle age, with a kind face and a somewhat portly build. He handled the ship like it was an extension of his body, though; Locke couldn't recall ever being on a ride that had been so smooth. "Ah, Jedi," he said turning his head to glance at Locke and the others. "Shall I take us down to the surface?"

"Yes, it looks like the time's upon us," Locke said as he lead casually against one of the walls in the cockpit. "Take us down."

There was a subtle shifting in his stomach as the pilot angled the ship down into the atmosphere, and a few moments later, the only thing they could see through the transparitsteel canopy was the white sea of fog. Locke's thoughts drifted back to the planet they'd be landing on shortly. A home to gambling and the sorts of people that came with it. "It's a wonder I haven't been here before, with the trash that's drawn to places like it," he muttered under his breath. Of course, by trash, he meant criminals, and those who would try to exploit others for their own personal gain. Locke had a very low view of such individuals, hence him being an Investigator. But, that was neither here nor there.

A chill ran down Locke's spine as the ship continued to push down through the mists, and he shivered in spite of himself. Something didn't seem right, but he couldn't say what it was. When he was younger, he'd simply dismissed such feelings, but he'd quickly repudiated of that habit shortly after he became a Knight. "Am I the only one," he said, turning to look at the two other Jedi, "that has a strange feeling about all of this? I don't know what it is, but something feels... off. " Concern was visible in his stone grey eyes for a moment, but it faded away as he shook his head his gaze out the window. "Or maybe I'm just going crazy."

[WWFF]

Gabriel chuckled at the readiness of the young padawan. The boy was quick, and respectful, though if not a bit forced in it; Gabriel sensed a bit of hollowness in the respectful words. He was sure the boy would perform admirably, despite his age. He looked back to Locke again as the man agreed and made a comment about the boy being a work in progress, but at least the boy respected Locke, and that was half the battle with an apprentice. He nodded as Locke made the decision to see to the landing, and watched the other man walk past and moved through the doorway; Gabriel allowed the boy to follow behind, and slid into the cockpit last.

Locke had already been speaking to the pilot; a particularly chunky looking Twi’lek, by Gabriel’s assessment. The man was kind enough though, you could see that in the deep smile lines creasing the outer corner of either eye, and the two telltale lines on either corner of his mouth. And though Gabriel had no idea Locke had felt the same way, he deemed it one of the most pleasant rides he’d even been on.

Locke gave the pilot the go ahead, and the man began making his way to the planet surface; again the initial feeling of falling his Gabriel’s nerves, but quickly receded as the smooth decent took it from him. He watched the pilot expertly navigate toward the planet, and heard Locke mumble something under his breath; though he couldn’t shake the feeling of something being horribly wrong. Something subtle, yet blatantly wrong. As another wave of the strange feeling washed over his body her heard Locke’s voice cut in.

"Am I the only one," Uneasiness and wonder rimming his voice, "that has a strange feeling about all of this? I don't know what it is, but something feels... off."

Gabriel, nodded his agreement, as he looked back out at the mist enveloping the ship. He pointed to an area outside a nearby settlement, far enough away from it that hopefully no one would see them.

‘What a fitting place for something to go wrong…’ He thought slowly turning back to Locke. ‘A place where you can’t see ten feet in front of you.’ He shook his head as he looked back and forth between his companions. “No Locke, I sense it as well.” His deep voice stated clearly as it resonated from his form. “I can’t help but sense some sort of trap, or at very least that someone or something is expecting us. His strange eyes peered back out of the cock pit at the approaching planet.

“We have to keep our guard up. Something is not right on Umgul.” He stated as the ship finally made a soft landing on the surface. Gabriel looked back to the pilot and nodded. “Head back up to orbit. We’ll com you when we find out what’s wrong here.” he calmly looked back the Locke and Jazen and nodded his readiness.

[Jazen]

Jazen grumbled a little when Locke told Gabriel that he was a work in progress. Just because he wouldn't call his Master by his name only. Jazen didn't know where it was from, but something had been drilled into his mind about treating your superiors with respect at all times. Jazen didn't know where that ideal came from, but it was there. He chose to keep his mouth closed this time and calmly followed after his master as he entered the cockpit of their vessel. Upon entering the cockpit, Jazen took the time to examine it, studying it out of curiosity. He didn't even notice the conversation between his master and the pilot, so lost was he in the ship.

The feeling he had earlier, that brief spike of uneasiness, still clawed at him. As his gaze fell upon the never ending mist that clouded the viewport, he could swear someone out there was watching the ship approach, even though seeing more than ten feet in this mess was impossible. Well, impossible for anyone but a Jedi. Reaching out with the Force, Kyle probed the mist, probed for whatever could be lying in wait for them within its white embrace. He could feel Locke, Gabriel and the pilot, clear as day. He pushed them out of the way in his mind. Looked for the presence that was trying to hide itself. Of course, he could just be paranoid, that nothing was out there and the mission would go along without problem. Well, with less problems. Just as Jazen relaxed his stance, he caught it. Just a bit, like before, but he caught it. And apparently the his master and Gabriel had too.

"Am I the only one, that has a strange feeling about all of this? I don't know what it is, but something feels... off. Or maybe I'm just going crazy."

“No Locke, I sense it as well. I can’t help but sense some sort of trap, or at very least that someone or something is expecting us."

Jazen looked at his master and gave him a brief nod, indicating that he too felt what they were feeling. Like a knife dangling above their heads, just poised to fall if they let down their guard for but a moment. As the ship softly and silently landed on the planet, Jazen's hand drifted to his lightsaber, making sure he could access it at a moment's notice. Now he waited patiently for the two knights to take the lead, knowing that whatever awaited them, it was better for them to go first.

[Rugs]

Locke nodded at Gabriel's words. "Aye, something's definitely up down there." He leaned a bit closer to one of the windows, as if that could help his vision penetrate the wall of fog that was swirling around their ship. "I'm sure we can handle whatever it is, though, right? We're all capable fellows." His teeth flashed at the other two in a grin in an attempt to convey some of the confidence that his words held. But, as he settled down back in his place against the wall, he couldn't push away that sense of wariness, and that made him uneasy.

Locke slipped into a light meditative state for the rest of the short trip down to the surface. His mind turned over the details of the mission, and he strained to think of what could possibly be causing the disturbance they were feeling. The kidnappings, perhaps. The details on how many kidnapping had occurred, or how often, were vague in the dossier they'd been given for the mission, but it must have been a fairly substantial amount to call in a team of Jedi. Still, though he could see how that might disrupt things, Locke couldn't bring himself to say that the kidnappings were the source of the disturbance; a part certainly, but part of him feared that something darker was in play on Umgul. They'd just have to wait and see what it was, though.

His stormy grey eyes slid open again as he felt the ship ease down onto the ground, and a glance out of the viewport told him that they'd landed. Gabriel told the pilot to wait for them in orbit, and Locke did a quick check to make sure he had everything. His lightsaber rested in a pocket on the inside of his coat, and his blaster pistol hung from in a holster on his belt; he had a few extra clips for the weapon in a small pouch behind the holster.

"Well, then," he said looking at Jazen and then to Gabriel, "out to the surface we go, eh?" With that, he made his way out off the ship and took his first step onto Umgul's surface. The ground made a wet squelsh and his boot sank into it a bit more than he'd expected it to, which made for a few awkward first steps. The smell of rain hung in the air, though none was falling for the time being. Perhaps we missed it, then. Wouldn't that be lovely?

"We'll have to stay close together," he said to his teammates as he strained to look deeper into the dense mist that surrounded them. Some of the lights of the town they'd landed not too far from were very faintly visible off in the distance, but he could not see anything else. "I'm not sure how I feel about this place, to be honest. Seems like it'd be too easy to get lost. Or ambushed, for that matter." His dark brown hair shook lightly about his head as he shook those thoughts away. "But I guess we'll just have to be careful. Anyway, we've got a contact to meet in Umgul City, which is the place we've just landed outside of. He'll give us a better rundown of the situation and take us out to the town where the kidnappings have been occurring."

He turned around to look at the other two, sticking his hands into his coat pockets. "Shall we get started, then?"

[WWFF]

Gabriel nodded as he watched his companion and together the two began down the ramp to the soggy surface; listening intently to the investigator relay the plan. Gabriel had been kept slightly in the dark as to why they were here and the particulars. Mostly (he figured) because of the turmoil within the ranks of the Jedi, caused by the separation of the Blades and the Order, a controversy which he had chosen the prior path to follow; a choice as important as breathing.

Gabriel’s eyes caught the dull glow of the lights of Umgul City. How an entire planet of mist could maintain such a fair temperature was beyond him, though he could already feel the moisture weighing his cloak down. He had feared such an occurrence, which was why he chose such particularly light tunics to sport on this mission. The cloak itself was thinner than what he was accustomed to though with the moisture beginning to soak into the light fabric, it was feeling right around average.

Sensing the uneasy edge which the whole situation seemed to be placing the three Jedi on; Gabriel shot a look sideways at his companion which he had hoped the padawan didn’t pick up on. With the look he sent a silent message to the knight. ‘Perhaps, my friend, we should place a bit of space between the two of you and myself.’ The idea had entered his head as he realized that the surrounding area was neigh impossible to discern threat from landscape. ‘I’ll cover us to the city, if the term isn’t too cliché.’[/color]

He nodded and began to stroll off several yards from the other two as they all began to walk toward the city. As he passed by Locke he nodded again flashing his strange eyes once more. “When we arrive, you can do the talking.” And with that he disappeared into the mist; keeping his senses tuned to the other two Jedi, as he followed slightly behind them.

[Jazen]

Falling in behind the two Jedi Knights as they exited the ship, Jazen took a moment to really examine their surroundings. The fog that barely allowed them to see from within the ship's viewports seemed even thicker now. Even though his master was only a few feet from him, his outline was already being swallowed by the mist, only through Jazen's connection to him through the Force did he know he was still near. Not much made Jazen uneasy, but this planet, this mist, made him tremble a little. With such a low visibility, almost anything could come out of that mist and they wouldn't know it till it was almost upon them. At least, that's how a normal person would think. For a Jedi, this mist was merely an inconvenience. And in Jazen's case, a perfect test for his abilities.

Casting the Force over the immediate area around him, Jazen expanded his force bubble to reach several meters into the mist around him, using the Force in place of his eyes. He melted his presence into that of his surroundings, becoming one with them. He could feel his master's determination, along with his slight worry. He could feel Gabe as well, but he couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling. Maybe it was because he had a deeper connection with his master that he was able to feel him.

As they traveled in silence towards the city that was slowly appearing from within the mist, Jazen noticed Gabriel moving off from them, vanishing into the grip of the mist around them. His entire frame was swallowed by the mist, hidden from all visual sight. Suspicion rose in Jazen, but he felt nothing out of the ordinary from his master, so he assumed this was something they had planned. Nice to leave him out of the loop. Jazen could still feel him, keeping pace behind them, but at a distance where he couldn't be seen, yet could be there in a moment if trouble arose. Placing him in the back of his thoughts, Jazen matched his master's pace, falling in beside him now. As the lights of Umgul City grew brighter, Jazen once against rested his hand near his saber. Something didn't feel right about this whole mission and this time, he wouldn't be caught off guard. A new scar atop his head, passing from the upper left of his forehead to the upper part of his left eye was a reminder of the last time he had been caught by surprise, back on Rhen Var. Never again.

[Rugs]

Gabriel's deep voice sounded within Locke's head as the trio made their way closer to the city. The guardian was proposing to split off a bit from Locke and Jazen, to provide cover from afar if they needed it. Locke pondered the suggestion for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Right. Sounds like a good plan to me. Stay alert, Gabe. Something about this place is making me uneasy." He watched as Gabe moved off into the fog before he stuck his hands back into his coat pockets and continued along.

As they walked, a tingling in the Force told Locke that Jazen was using the Force to reach out around him. Locke turned his head slightly to look at his student, and grimaced internally at the sight of the scar that marred the young man's face. I thought I'd gotten used to seeing that, he thought as he turned his head back to the front. Jazen's scar was a prize from Rhen Var, the first battle that either of them had fought in in the growing conflict between the Republic and the Sith. Locke regretted that Jazen had to be exposed to such things so early in his life, but Jazen had made the choice to join Locke when the Investigator stood to join the Blades. He'd known the dangers, and still had the courage to face them head on. Locke had never said it, but that in and of itself made him proud to have Jazen as a student. He'll make a good Jedi one day. And, though the things they'd face in the war might be hard, Locke knew they'd only serve to make Jazen stronger.

Locke reached out gently through the Force to Jazen to see how he was faring. He wasn't surprised to sense that the boy was wound tight, ready for any sign of a threat. He suspected, that, were he to lay a hand on Jazen's shoulder, the muscle beneath his hand would be tight from tension, if Jazen was really as tense as he felt through the Force. Locke couldn't blame him. "Take it easy," he said through the Force. "Relax a bit. I know why you're so tense, trust me, but being tense just makes you jumpy, and that can lead to trouble. Right now, more than anything else, we need to be calm. Trust in the Force, and be at ease." Those words were a bit hard to say, since Locke was a bit uneasy himself, but he was physically relaxed, and walked with the same easy stride that he always did. "Be alert, by all means, but don't be so wound up."

The group moved on, and the outline of buildings within Umgul City slowly came into focus. The faint din of voices and the other sound of city life started to wash out at them, seemingly from nowhere, making an already eerie scene a bit eerier. Eventually, they entered into the city, and Locke started to look for the contact that was supposed to take them out to the settlement where the kidnappings were occurring. She was supposed to be young, with blonde hair and a tattoo of some mythical creature on her left cheek. Where could she- oh there she is. That was easy. Locke saw her standing down a side street near the entrance to what looked to be a cantina.

"Found the contact," he said to Gabriel and Jazen. "Jazen and I will go meet with her. Watch our backs, Gabe."

[WWFF]

Gabriel’s stride never changed. It carried him through the misty air with the same slightly overconfident swagger which had carried him around countless other worlds. Each stride just as long as the last, each calculated like a feline, no movement unintentional or mistaken. With each foot fall, he felt the world around him. He could feel the wet landscape squish underfoot, sending vibrations into the air around him which (with the aid of the force) his keen senses picked up allowing him to feel the rock over there, the tree there, and the two bodies moving meters ahead.

He felt their strides, slightly off time with one another, though not noticeable optically; only through the force could he sense to slight rhythmic differences. While he kept a close beat on their distance, he allowed his feelings to reach out elsewhere to ensure his back, as well as theirs, was covered.

Nothing.

For a planet which promised to have so much potential for life, he felt very little around him. The faint echo of civilization ripples through the force, but nothing to mention outside of that. It was interesting, alarming, and most of all disconcerting. The lack of animal (or any other) life caused Gabriel to physically cock his head and reach out further to see if the creatures had merely sensed him first…

Nothing.

He was sure there was life somewhere, though not near him. As the walk carried them closer to the city, his mind began to wander slightly; back to Rhen Var, back to the battle. He’d nearly died. Because he was weak. He had never had to combat mental warfare on the level which he had with Di’Shan Pano. The name twisted through his mind causing him to curl his upper lip in disgust. As the snarling image of himself lashing out with rage flooded into his mind he felt the same shiver run up his spine as he had felt the first time the Twi’lek had showed him. He would become more powerful. The thought set itself in his mind weeks before, as the fresh scar on his side was still healing. If he and Di’Shan ever squared off again, he would be ready, and his mind would be in a state where that Sith scum could never break through.

He began imagining the fight with the Sith if ever they met again. His mind would be a wall, and the power of his own abilities would be at such a level of devastation that the Twi’lek would never see the change coming. The battle began playing itself in Gabriel’s head, as he kept the Sith from touching the ground. Each push of force energy slamming him into a wall, as his saber would swing down mercilessly.

Gabriel realized something as he played the battle in his head. He noticed that even in his mind, the image of Di’Shan was laughing. Laughing at him. As Gabriel attacked and lashed out, the fictional opponent laughed harder. It was then that the sound of Di’Shan’s laugh hit Gabriel’s ears; of course it was in his head, but the sound still resonated. In his mind, Gabriel stopped attacking the Sith and the two squared off, as Di’Shan pointed to a small puddle of frozen ice. Gabriel glanced at the green Twi’lek, and walked to the puddle, peering in to the mirror-like clarity to witness the most frightening thing he had ever seen. Himself.

The image morphed as it had when Di’Shan had changed it on Rhen Var during their battle. Gabriel’s eyes changed from their off coloring to an even more vile orange and red. His features creased with hate, and his bronze skin now pale from the corruption of darkness. He couldn’t tear his eyes away until the image morphed once more to that of his opponent peering back at him through the mirror. With the sound of laughter from the “real” Di’Shan, the image sneered as the words echoed through Gabriel’s mind.

‘You belong to me.’[/color]

With a gasping breath and the unheard sound of a rocks splattering onto the soggy terra, Gabriel snapped back to reality, with the sounds of civilization flooding into his ears. He had become so enveloped in his own world, he hadn’t realized that they were nearing the city; nor had he realized that his sensed had reached out to grab several rocks and lift them as his steady stride padded along. He shook his head as the air began to clear with the sight of buildings and scrapers.

He allowed his grip on Locke and Jazen to lessen, as he could see them now; he refocused his energy on attempting to sense and sort of trap or danger. He watched from the distance as Locke scanned the crowd for their contact, a task which he appeared have completed as his voice echoed through Gabriel’s head. The young man strode off toward an alley way and Gabriel kept his distance and followed to an alley just opposite the one the other Jedi were now in speaking with the contact.

Gabriel could only make out her figurel; it was definitely a woman, her curvaceousness was testimony to that. Based on the vague lighting Gabriel was able to make out most of her outfit, as well as guesstimate her height. He figured she would roughly 5’8”, though her race was a mystery to the young Jedi. She wore what looked like a vest, though it only really covered her chest; which Gabriel noted to be one of her clear assets. An undershirt covered what the vest didn’t though left her midriff bare. She wore feminine looking cargo pants with a utility belt and combat boots. A blaster holstered on her right hip told Gabriel she was accustomed to conflict, or knew how to defend herself, or simply that she wanted the appearance of someone who could defend herself. Whichever the case may be, Gabriel couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t going to be an in and out mission.

His young form leaned in the shadows, concealing himself further with the force and simply waiting for the three to come to some sort of accord as to what the next step would be.

[Jazen]

As they continued through the mist, Locke and Jazen in front with Gabriel following at a safe distance behind, Jazen kept his Force bubble up. He wanted no surprises at all, or at least not yet. If they were going to get ambushed, Jazen would prefer it to happen in the city instead of out here. Then at least he might not accidentally injure an ally because of this mist. But he was overthinking things again. This mission could just be some random thugs taking people off the street and as such, a simple task to solve and handle. Part of him hoped that it was.

Jazen's eyes then turned to his master, who had glanced at him for a moment. Even though his face betrayed nothing, Jazen felt the slight ping of regret he had in the Force. Jazen knew he was looking at his recently acquired scar. Jazen wasn't ashamed of the scar though; it was just another mark reminding him that he should never let his guard down while in battle. Or even when he was just walking about. Such as now. For a moment, Jazen's mind drifted, an image flashing across his eyes of a scene he did not recognize. It was like a dream, yet he felt as if he could touch the image in front of him if he reached and tried. Before he could, he felt Locke's voice in the Force, speaking to him in a calming tone.

"Take it easy. Relax a bit. I know why you're so tense, trust me, but being tense just makes you jumpy, and that can lead to trouble. Right now, more than anything else, we need to be calm. Trust in the Force, and be at ease. Be alert, by all means, but don't be so wound up."

At his words, Jazen relaxed his body a little, noticing now that his entire body had been solidly tensed, as if expecting to be attacked. The muscles were sore now from having been locked for so long. Shrugging his body to try and shake the feeling, Jazen gave his master a small grin. "You too Master. You look like someone who's trying to sleep on a bed of nails. And don't deny it, I can feel it as clear as you can feel how tense I am."

As they entered the city, Jazen eyed their surroundings carefully before noticing his master was approaching someone. A woman,who was only a little shorter than he was. She wore clothes that made his look more like a rouge, a smuggler perhaps. Maybe even a bounty hunter. He didn't doubt a lot of the people in this place were dressed like her, maybe it was the standard clothing. Still, his mind picked the most logical answer and went with just your basic rouge. What type didn't matter for now. He could feel Gabriel a ways back, masking his presence so that even Jazen could barely feel it, waiting on the same thing Jazen was waiting on. Which was for Locke to start up the conversation and the misson.

[Rugs]

"Ha, fair enough, Jazen," Locke said when his own student turned his advice back on him. "I guess I deserved that." He took a deep breath in and rolled his shoulders, letting the tension that worked its way into his neck fade away. Locke chuckled under his breath as he mused, not for the first time, that though he was Jazen's teacher, the white-haired youth would not be the only one to learn things during their time together. And, for the time being, it seemed that it would be best for Locke to heed Jazen's words and follow his own advice. So he eased himself as best he could, and they progressed into the city.

A little while later, Locke was walking toward their contact. As he and Jazen grew nearer, and noted that her form was not at all an unpleasant one. He'd developed a good eye for women during his years as an Investigator (it was hard to go undercover as some goon without having a knack for such things), and looking at her now, he would not at all be surprised if she received a great deal of attention from men. He shook his head with a short laugh a bit as he realized where his thoughts were going. Let's be a good Jedi today, alright Locke?

A piece of his mind went out to her to gently probe her mind, and he was surprised to find that he couldn't feel anything. Maybe she had some skill at hiding her thoughts. Or maybe something else was at play. Locke didn't want to press, though, for fear of ruining the first impression.

She looked up at him with startlingly vibrant green eyes, and nodded to show that she'd seen him. Locke returned her nod, and a few moments later, he and Jazen were standing in front of her. "So you are the Jedi, no," she asked them in a strong voice that had the hint of the accent that we know to be French.

"We are," Locke said with a nod.

"I thought there was going to be three of you. Instead I have one and a half." Those intense green eyes of hers drifted to Jazen and looked him up and down. She laughed to herself as a coy smile turned the edge of her lips up as she lifted a hand to move some of her blonde hair from in front of her face. "Maybe two."

Locke knew he shouldn't have been amused, but he was, and snorted a laugh. "I think she likes you, Jazen." "The other one's here, trust me."

"If you say so," she said as she pushed herself off of the wall and started to head off down the street. Locke glanced stupidly at Jazen for a moment before running off to follow. "Where are you going?"

"To Kriezna." The woman turned to look at the Jedi out of the corner of an eye. "That is where I'm supposed to be taking you, no? To my village. To stop the kidnappings. I will give you details in the speeder, but for now, we move."

"Oh. Right." Locke shook his head and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. This will certainly be interesting. It was then that the thought struck him that it might be wise to inform Gabe they were on the move, though he had a feeling the other knight was already aware. "We're moving Gabe. Heading toward the ride to the village. Looks like she won't be wasting much time."

{Alright, either of you two can feel free to get us to, or even into the speeder and on the way if you wish. It's your thread as much as it is mine }

[WWFF]

(Rugs, just for continuity, i think it would be best if you did the speaking for this NPC. Again for character continuity. )

And indeed Gabriel was aware of the move. He was keeping watchful eye on the scenario, though the words were lost to him, he could sense Jazen’s eagerness, which he assumed was a sign that they would be getting on their way soon. Gabriel’s short ember hair barely shifted with the slight breeze as his keen eyes picked up the slight movements across the street as a lilt in the force surrounding Locke gave the feeling of humor. Gabriel smiled, despite not knowing what had just transpired; such was one of the advantages and disadvantages of the force.

Then with after a few moments, and some exchanged words; the woman pushed off and started further down the alley. Gabriel’s brow furrowed as he felt Locke’s confusion, his muscles tightened as his senses perked, though as Locke’s aura cleared Gabriel relaxed slightly and realized that they were heading out. He opted to stay behind for a couple minutes, to ensure no one would follow, though he decided to keep them with in distance of his senses; maybe a block or so, nothing too far for him to be there at a moment’s notice.

Feeling their presences traveling further from him, and neither seeing nor sensing anyone following the trio, Gabriel shoved off and began to follow, again keeping his distance, following through with his plan of keeping close but not too close, emerging from the alley his companions had been in moments before, only to face a wide street with various establishments of questionable activity. The streets seemed darker due to the mist, though the neon signs on either side could be made out for several blocks in front or behind.

Gabriel felt eyes on him as he walked past an open bar, keeping to the right side of the street and close to the buildings as to avoid the occasional speeders. The eerie feeling passed as he passed the bar and continued down the street feeling his companions moving steadily ahead. While he walked, he felt his mind begin to wander once again, though quickly pulled it back to the present; the last thing they needed was to be distracted.

‘This place feels… wrong… all–’ Gabriel’s thoughts stopped as a chilling wave of ran over him, and a sensation as though he had been dropped ran through his form, then was gone as quickly as it had hit him. Alarmed by it the young Jedi spun about, checking his surrounding, ready to spring at any moment and into action, though there was nothing. The feeling was gone. He shook his head as he let out a breath and cracked his neck. ‘…All wrong…’ his mind finished it’s thought as he allowed his senses to snap back to his colleagues, whom had apparently turned off the street and were stopping. He trotted to catch up as he realized that they were most likely at the speeder, which would mean that he would need to make his presence known to the contact as well as anyone else watching.

The trot to the small ‘hanger’ of sorts, was short and Gabriel covered the block and a half in a little over a minute. As he entered the room Locke was already introducing him to the contact; and Gabriel made a slow bow from his neck. The woman sniffed and muttered something under her breath about all brawn and no brain, or something such rot; Gabriel wasn’t listening, he was far too interested in seeing if Locke had sensed the same thing he had on the street.

‘Did you feel it?’ he inquired telepathically. ‘This isn’t right, Locke. There’s something going on other than kidnapping random people… I sense something off.’ He flashed a glance at Locke and proceeded to obey the accented woman whom was ordering them into the speeder. The fit in the back of the open roof speeder was relatively tight, and when Jazen climbed in next to him the space was drastically cut; though it was to be expected and he flashed a kind smile at the boy.

“Well, then,” He said as he watched Locke climb into the front passenger seat of the speeder. ”Shall we get a move on.” Gabriel’s deep voice was met by a slightly seductive glance from the woman as she stepped into the driver side, nodding her head; Gabriel established that it was most likely simply the way the woman had managed to survive on this foggy rock, and as such he read nothing into it. With a wink at Jazen he felt the speeder lurch forward as they began their trip.

“Tell me?” Gabriel’s voice piped in again. “How many people have been taken?” They pulled from the hanger and began on their path toward the village.

[Jazen]

As Locke approached the woman, Jazen took up a position slightly behind him, but parallel enough that he could keep his eye on the woman contact. As he felt his master extend outwards in the Force in test the woman, Jazen found himself doing the same thing, his brow furrowing when he felt nothing at all from her. Strange, for not many people could block themselves out from the Force even a little, let alone completely. This would merit further investigation and seeing that this woman would most likely be their guide from her on out, Jazen would have plenty of time to try and figure out this puzzle. He caught her eyes when she looked at him, grinning and pushing some of her hair away; a common tactic used my woman to get a man's attention. Jazen lifted an eyebrow in response, then snapped his master a look when he snorted in response. Twisting his head away from her gaze, he focused outward again, looking for danger in the darkness.

He kept at this, even when the woman started heading off, Locke in tow. They were going to take a speeder to Kriezna, the city where all the kidnappings were taking place. As they walked down the streets to their ride, Jazen watched the buildings around them, knowing that the other two would be doing the same....well, at least Gabriel would. Locke was focusing his attention on the woman, whether for his own interests or to try and find out how she gave off nothing into the Force. Jazen watched as several people stumbled about, most of them drunk or shady looking. Of course, that was probably to be expected of a planet where gambling was the national sport. Most of the feelings he picked up from the people were ones of either extreme loss or pure bliss. The losers and the winners in a nutshell. But there was something else; that same nagging feeling he'd felt from the minute they started landing on this nauseating world. Despite the fact that the planet literally oozed negativity, whatever was giving him this feeling was worse than that. It was pure instead of merely tainted.

After making their way past various establishments and down several mist entrenched streets, the group reached a small hangar, a small speeder the only vehicle within. Gabriel suddenly appeared behind Jazen, materializing from the mist as if he'd been the mist itself. He cast Jazen a glance, and Jazen noticed him focusing on his master for a moment. Probably sending his feeling's of this place to him. Jazen kept his own misgiving's to himself, instead hoping into the speeder right after Gabriel did. Jazen noted the look the woman gave to Gabriel, not much unlike the one she'd given him. He shrugged in response to Gabriel's smile, then braced himself as the speeder lurched off into the mist once again. Gabriel opened up the conversation concerning their mission as they started their journey and Jazen was quick to join in.

"Also, how were they taken and where? Did they all occur within a set area or where they spread out over a wide area? And was there anything in common about the people being taken?"

Jazen knew it was a lot of questions at once, but all of them could help determine if this was the work of one person or of a gang. If the people were being taken over a small area, it would most likely be one or two people. But if the kidnappings were wide spread, then the chance that there were multiple perpetrators, such as a gang, were behind it. And the more the people taken had in common, the better chance to find a link between them or something about them that they could use to identify possible targets in the future.

[Rugs]

Locke moved off after their mysterious contact, as did his companions. His eyes occasionally drifted off to look around them, but he kept most of his focus on the back of the woman in front of him. She's an interesting one. His mind wandered back to how he'd not been able to feel anything from her through his earlier probing, though he'd not probed hard for fear of alerting her to what he was up to. Odd, that. I'd expect that from someone who's been trained to block out Force sensitives, but her? The sound of some drunks getting into a fight in a bar caught his attention for a moment before it settled back on the woman. I can't sense anything from her that would point to her being Force sensitive... This is all very strange.

Of course, he couldn't let his apprehension show, at least not to her. "So, do we get to have a name," he asked in an attempt to kick up a bit of idle conversation.

She looked back at him out of the corner of an eye with a sly smirk and turned her head to face forward once more. "I am known by many names to many people. But you," she looked at him again for a moment before carrying on, "you may call me Roua."

"Is that your real name?"

Roua shrugged dismissively. "One name is as good as any other, Jedi."

Locke laughed at that. "You enjoy teasing people, don't you?"

One of Roua's hands absentmindedly went to toy with some of the hair that hung loosely down past her shoulders. "It has its uses. But you ask me my name without giving me yours, Jedi." Her voice became a tad playful for a moment. "That's rather rude in some circles."

Locke grinned as he stuck into the pockets of his coat. "Fair enough. I'm Locke. The young man with me is Jazen. And our mysterious friend... Well, you'll see him shortly, I'm sure." Roua only nodded, and picked up her pace as she moved on toward their destination.

Locke followed on silently and took to looking around the surrounding area a bit more. That feeling of uneasiness settled over him again as they finished the rest of the short journey. But it was different this time, though. It was darker, more sinister. He didn't like it one bit.

They arrived a few short moments later at a small hanger, where their speeder awaited. Now we just wait for Gabe to arrive. And, almost as if on cue, the other Knight appeared. "Ah, there he is. Roua, that's Gabriel. Gabriel, this is Roua." Roua muttered something about Gabe, but Locke's attention was diverted when the other man reached out to his mind to speak. "I felt something, that's for certain. I think there's more to whatever's going on here than we know."

Everyone got into the speeder, and Gabriel got to receive one of Roua's looks, which drew a muffled snicker from Locke. Locke took the front passenger seat, and Gabriel and Jazen took places in the back. The speeder moved forward, out toward the edge of the city and up into the air to take them to Kriezna.

The other two Jedi started asking questions shortly, and Locke chuckled lightly when the sudden barrage was over. "Well I guess they'll handle the question asking."

"So they will," Roua agreed wryly. Silence took her for a few moments as she gathered her thoughts before she spoke up in that lilting accent of hers. "Thirty seven people are missing, as of the last kidnapping. Most of them tend to be young, around my age. Men, women, it doesn't matter." She paused again for a moment and the speeder banked gently to the right as she adjusted their course. "They've all been taken from the town, of course. Kriezna is not a large town. It's more like a village, really. But, all of them have gone missing in the night. We've tried to set town watches up, but nothing works." For the first time, Locke heard fear creep into Roua's voice, and he saw it there in her eyes when he glanced to look at her. "We're all very afraid now. We don't know where they're being taken, or why. Everyone is afraid that they might be the next one to go missing."

The wheels in Locke's mind turned as he leaned back in his seat to think for a moment. So most of the ones that have gone missing are young, with little bias toward men or women. And they go missing in the night. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair and sighed. "Well, that's not a good situation at all, then." He turned in his chair a bit, so that he could look back at Gabriel and Jazen. "What do you guys think?"

[WWFF]

Gabriel listened quietly as Roua related the kidnappings, and the various vague details which she offered. It wasn’t intentionally vague, just simply a lack of knowledge, or so Gabriel believed. He listened to the quiver in her voice as she spoke of her town, of the disappearances. His eyes flashed to meet with Locke’s as he nodded slowly. “Let me think for a moment.” His deep voice sounded over the hum of the speeder, his head still nodded softly as thoughts began to race through his mind, taking each detail into for her account to process.

His brain started at the beginning of her explanation:

“Thirty-seven people are missing.” She hesitated for the briefest of moments before using the word missing. Intentional or non? Was she simply trying protect her own psyche by implying that they were simply displaced and would be found, or was she subconsciously implying that she indeed feared the worst for those taken. The grimness of tone gave the impression of the later, however the certainty and emphasis on the word made it deftly apparent that she was using ‘missing’ intentionally. Did she know more?

There was no gender bias as to who was taken, though age seemed to be a deciding factor, and all were taken at night. Was this some sort of slavery based operation, and if so, who was leading it? Usually slave runners would take a few people here or there, but thirty-seven from the same village – wasn’t really a slaver calling card. Were there other villages who have been too scared to speak up? These questions ran through his mind, though he decided against asking them, and merely catalogued them in case he had to ask them later. All were taken at night, it seemed obvious enough.

It was then that a question which he felt could be of use popped into his brain. “Curious?” He began cocking his head, his deep voice lilting slightly with inquiry. “Aside from age, did the abductees have anything in common? Species, habit, anything?” His eyes scanned the horizon as a feeling of uneasiness quaked over him once more. “Anything about them will help us to better understand the situation, you see.”

Gabriel watched Jazen shift uncomfortably and felt Locke’s body tense slightly, assuring him that they too were feeling as he was. His piercing eyes shifted to the landscape whizzing by as they drew further and further from the city. The mist made it hard to see more that a few meters in any direction, and the fact that the woman was able to find her way in it was amazing at the very least; a fact which made him more uncomfortable.

“Species doesn’t seem to be a factor…” Her lilting accent and powerful feminine voice sounded after a moment or two of thought. “As it stands… Most were human, twenty-two humans have been taken, all terrible gamblers, pathetic really. Twelve Rodian and three Bothan.” She paused as she made a curving right bend in her trajectory. “I will say that all have been reportedly poor gamblers, losing more money than making any. And all seemed to carry a weapon. Though…” She paused and motioned with her head to her own side arm. “…It’s not exactly uncommon around here.”

Gabriel chuckled to himself. ‘Of course not. It’s a planet of gamblers and thugs.’ He left his thought unspoken, though they resonated in his mind… gamblers and thugs… perhaps there was something to that. He could sense anticipation and anxiety growing in the woman’s aura. The anticipation he read as a sign that they were most likely growing close to the village, though it didn’t seem as though they had been traveling as long as he imagined it would take to make it to this village. Perhaps, he was just too lost in thought.

“Not sure, Locke… This feels too complex to be as simple it is sounds.” He didn’t voice his thoughts, though he sent them to his companions. ‘This is wrong. She’s not telling us something. Do you sense it?’His gaze traveled back to the misty landscape as he began to stretch his senses out, and meditating on the force. There was something more to this… and he just hoped they could find out what it was, before it found them.

[Jazen]

As Roua answered their questions one by one, Jazen sat in silence, listening to and taking in each word as they were uttered. With each statement, Jazen broke it down, fit the pieces into the correct area and then tried to resemble the puzzle in his mind in order to work out how the kidnappers thought. Gabriel's additional questions were factored in as well, more information meant a better chance of fully understanding what they were up against. Jazen wasn't as smart as his Master, but he was learning things about investigating from him and he'd make him proud on this mission by putting it to good use.

First off, the number of people leaped out at Jazen. Why would someone need to kidnap thirty-seven people? Unless they were a major group, that number would be harder to feed, harder to hide, harder to control. Unless they had taken them far off planet already or had a way of controlling them effectively. The time in between the kidnappings ruled out shipping them off to another place, for even the most basic place to take slaves was at least a day from this grime hole. And they always took place at night, shortening the timeline. If the kidnappers were anywhere, they were most likely still here on the planet, storing their prey somewhere out of sight and mind.

It didn't surprise him though that most of them were young, nor that they took members of different races. If they were taking them for profit, younger lasted longer and therefore were paid more for. And sometimes people offered higher funds for certain races for reasons only they could know. Adding in the fact that they were low-level gamblers also brought up the possibility that these people owed debts they could not pay and they were being taken by the one they owed. Whoever was taking them was good at it, that much was for certain. They managed it without alerting anyone else and since each of the taken held a weapon, without the kidnapped getting a shot off. Based on this, Jazen suspected a Hutt Lord or a slaver trade was behind it. They were the only options that made logical sense to him.

Jazen hadn't bothered to read the woman when she spoke, having found himself unable to earlier. However, for a brief moment, he sensed anticipation from her. Were they close? Or was she expecting something else that was making her slip her barrier? Jazen shook his head of the thought, knowing that his Master or Gabriel would sense it long before him. As if on cue, Gabriel sent his worries through the Force to Jazen and his master. Following his gaze, Jazen watched the mist around them, keeping the Force wrapped around him for the moment. Letting the elder Jedi handle the lookout, Jazen turned to his master and Roua in the front. Gulping to push down the nervousness he felt, Jazen tapped his Master on the shoulder to get his attention.

"If I may Master, I think I have a conclusion to who might be behind the kidnappings. Based on the amount of people taken, their general young age, their common ground as gamblers, the time in between the kidnappings and the fact that they have been taking place at night consecutively, mixed with the lack of favoritism for gender or race, leads me to believe we are either dealing with someone collecting debts from the gamblers or a slaver looking to make a profit. Its also likely they on still on world, unless they have someone shuttling them off every night while a group of them stays behind to take more prisoner for each shipment. Also, their ability to take armed men and woman, strong men and woman, without alerting anyone at all, even when they are on guard, leads me to believe we are dealing with professionals. Uh, I hope that makes some sense."

[Rugs]

The gears within Locke's mind turned as Gabriel took up the question-asking reigns. Roua continued to answer freely, but the answers she gave didn't make Locke any less uneasy about the whole situation. Thirty seven total missing. All young. No seeming gender bias. Multiple species, though humans make up a large majority... Though, that last thing could just be a result of the demographics of the village. All had a problem with gambling debts. All were capable of fighting in some fashion. An exasperated sigh came from his mouth as he shifted in his seat, running his hand over the somewhat neatly-trimmed stubble that always coated his jaw.

This was the kind of thing Locke loved to do, as an Investigator, though the recent flaring of war and Jazen's training had kept him from doing any of the usual more in-depth jobs he was used to working on. Perhaps this mission would be near enough to what he was used to. It'd be a good learning experience for Jazen, as well. All indications would point to-

"Hrm?" Locke turned his head slightly to look at Jazen, who'd tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. Jazen went on to give the conclusion he'd come to, and Locke smiled in spite of himself. "Yes, it makes sense. I've come to more less the same conclusion. But..." He turned around in his seat again, staring off into the mist and biting lightly on the tip of his thumb as he thought. "Even if these people were all taken for gambling-related reasons, some things don't sit right with me. For instance, why take them all at night? Or do it so secretly? It's not unheard of for gambling debts to be collected normally, or for those that owe to be taken in a normal fashion. But this?" His head shook slowly. "Doesn't seem right. But if it's not that, what could it be? Slavers maybe... I don't think we'll really be able to say until we get on the ground and do some more searching."

"I feel it too, Gabe. Though, if it's from lack of knowledge on her part or something more sinister, I can't say. Still can't get a damn reading from her. It almost feels like she'd dead."

"I hope that you can find your answers there, Jedi," Roua said in that lilting accent. "For the sake of all of us. But for now," the speeder started to shift, first to the left and then downward, "we've arrived."

Locke looked out of the windows, thought at first, all he saw was the mist. But the buildings started to rise out of the mist as they descended, and it wasn't long until a good chunk of Kriezna came into view. It was a small, simple looking village, that couldn't have been home to more than a few hundred people, if that much. As the speeder went down to land, the Force whispered to him, hinting at some coming danger, though it was gone nearly as suddenly as it appeared. The suddenness of it made him look around in confusion for a moment."Did either of you feel that?" The speeder came to rest in a small garage, and Locke's hand brushed subconsciously against the hilt of his lightsaber as he stepped out and stood to his feet.

So they'd arrived. That was good, and from there they could do some more in-depth searching for answers. But at the same time... "I think we should all be on guard. Something is wrong here."

[WWFF]

‘Agreed’

Gabriel didn’t allow the silent conversation to spill onto his features, his face remained stoic as it had been the moment they had slid into the small village. His jaw was locked and set as he scanned the area with is oddly colored eyes. It was a simple village with the clear makings for a real city. Four streets with several alleys jutting off made up the travel routs within the little village. No building stood over two stories above the ground; most were small, obviously dwellings, restaurants, or pubs. Though the ever prevalent mist clouded the streets and his vision, it was considerably less than they experienced on the walk to Umgul city and the ride to this little village.

Gabriel allowed his hands to stray from their folded position within the sleeves of his cloak, and stop just next to either side; ready to summon his sabers to his palms at the slightest sight of a threat. However, he could see nothing of the sort; the streets were virtually empty, and while he didn’t let his confusion and concern read on his face, it seemed Roua had read him anyhow.

“The people here are too afraid to come out at night. Business is dying, you have to understand…” She paused her speech as well as her movement. The four were standing in the center of one of the main roads, that was when Gabriel felt a pulse of nausea flow through his body. Roua was backing off, as the three Jedi stood together each feeling as though they had unknowingly walked directly onto a bull’s eye.

“…we have little choice in this matter. no sooner had the words left her mouth, did the soft tink and large explosion rock Gabriel’s world. A large flash, following by a deafening BANG, and a wave of power which sent all three Jedi sprawling to the street.

Gabriel’s head was spinning. His ears rang as two small streams of blood trickled down his lobes, and his vision spun out of focus. He felt the small dart prick his left shoulder, and his eyes locking with the figure of Roua standing in the midst of various silhouettes, and then… Darkness.

---

---

Gabriel awoke in a small room, his vision flickering to life, still fuzzy . The air was chilled in the deep purple tones room. If it had been other circumstances he probably would have appreciated the softly curving anthropomorphic pillars and walls, complete with capitals with smoky arabesques curling at the top, into dangerous tips. No window could be seen, and the only light seemed to resonate from the walls themselves. The room was a blank as could be, with the sole exception of the three energy emitters which gave vent to restraints holding his legs and arms in place; legs don, and arms outstretched and angled upward.

No guards were present, and no door could be identified; where he was, why he was taken there, was more of a mystery than anything else happening on this planet… was he still on Umgul? The thought hadn’t occurred to him until that moment. Where were Jazen and Locke? Without thinking, Gabriel began reaching out with the force, though to his horror, he could sense nothing past this odd room he was stuck in; nothing past his the walls of his ‘cell’. He was trapped and completely unaware as to where he was being held captive and why. He would simply have to wait, and while he was confused and slightly worried about his own situation, his thoughts turned completely to young Jazen. He simply hoped the boy was safe, and that his two companions were fairing alright in their own situations.

“Light… Give them strength…” His words were muffles under the weight of his own breath, which was heavy due to the nature of his outstretched position. Knowing he would need his strength and his breath, he closed his eyes, and prepared to meditate.