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How far is it? What kind of people live there?

She relaxed and opened up her feelings. She wanted to just reach out to whatever she could sense as they sped towards the strange new place.

[ 10-12-2005 05:31 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sarisa Ker ]

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Excitement, adventure. A Jedi craves not these things...

"Khar Delba and K'eel Doba are worlds known by a select few people," Shawn began. "Those that we are looking for--whom were last known to be headed for K'eel Doba--are good friends of mine, among other things. There is alot of history to that side of the story...

...and perhaps you will learn it later. But for now, I must tell you this much. The world we are headed for is inhabited by a magickal race, one that, like any other, has both its good and its bad. You may find the name of the race a deceiving one; while you have heard of it before it has been connected with something the galaxy knows differently than what it truly is. The race of peoples we will be encountering...

...are the Sith."

Shawn said nothing futher, his greeny-blue eyes meeting Sarisa's widening ones as he waited to see just how she would react to the information he had now revealed to her.

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"What do you mean? What kind of race are they? "

Her mind seemed to be going through a whirlwind with this new information. Feeling slightly light headed she continued on.

"How ae they a magical race? They have Force abilities that the Jedi don't know yet? Are they part of the Force or do they get their abilities elsewhere?"

Such a thing could be either devestating or beneficial, but he said they too have good and bad sides. So hopefully it could be more helpful than harmful.

"So do you have any connections with the Sith then, or are the people we are searching for in league with them?"

[ 10-14-2005 11:31 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sarisa Ker ]

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All this curiosity of the unknown...

...but then, this wasn't necessarily the unknown. More like the misunderstood. Which made her reaction to this information rather interesting...

His brows lowered at Sarisa's final question. "It matters not whether the people we are looking for are in league with the Sith or not," he answered. "All that matters is they are quite possibly being held by someone or have fallen to some ill fate. As for the Sith and the root of their abilities...

...again, that is something which matters little at the moment. Your curiosity in this matter is... interesting to me. I find it odd that you--as well as your former companions--were so very skeptical of the Empire while you seem only slightly surprised concerning the Sith race."

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Take a breath Sarisa. Settle down and get through this.

Inhaling a deep breath and holding it for a moment she slowly released it and began regaining her composure.

"As for the Sith race...that is something completely new to me. I've never heard of them before. I like to get some information about things that I may be in contact with. Especially if it's something totally new. I guess you culd say I don't like going into something without having somewhat of an idea or view from which to base my actions. I know the Force is what guides us, but I like having actual knowledge on things if I can."

She checked the insruments and the computer just to make sure everything was going smoothly as they made ther way through the blurry starred environment.

After everything seemed in order her eyes returned to Shawns.

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...and truly know nothing of them just the same. You must base your actions on the situation at hand...

...not on what you think the situation is or should be. Being judgemental is dangerous, particularly for a Jedi since people are already inclined to think we are judgemental to begin with. Go in with an open mind. As for the Sith as a race, I know little of them except that they are red-skinned, have various kinds of horns on their heads, and are otherwise humanoid in appearance. And, like humans and any other race in this universe, they have a wealth of personalities and views on life. You can't judge them based on what you think you may know of them. I know, however, this should be a difficult task for you. You've been raised to believe that anything Sith is evil and bad, and that's not an easy thing to get past."

He paused, his greeny-blue eyes meeting Sarisa's. "Which is why I find your response about the Sith race...

...and your lack of any skepticism regarding them being good in any way, shape or form...

...a bit ahhh... peculiar. After all, if you've read about the darkness of the Empire in holocrons and through other sources, you've certainly done the same rgarding the Sith. A Jedi is mindful of the present, and remains open-minded in the face of paradoxes and conflicting information...

...but that does not mean he or she immediately dismisses what he alraedy knows. Believe me, I've been there myself. As for your feelings regarding the Empire...

...you hate them because of your father's death?"

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

All that only lasts a short time until he asks about why she hates the Empire.

"Yes that's right, but I know I need to rid myself of that feeling less I fall to the dark side. I was very attacthed to my father and he was taken away from me by this 'new' Empire. That is why I came off on the wrong foot with General Ahem."

Softly she sighs and relaxes.

"Master Petrolu I really don't want to fall. I want to be a great Jedi. One who helps the galaxy and universe grow and prosper in peace...

...Speaking of which. I was wondering if anyone has thought of what to do if or when the Vong do enter our space again? How were they stopped and pushed back the last time?"

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...and our division. There is always the possibility of a Vong re-invasion of our galaxy...

...but that doesn't mean that's the source of the Darkness in the Force. Be mindful of the present, and don't assume anything. Ever."

Pausing at that, Shawn's greeny-blue eyes strayed to the navboard. "We should be approaching the blockade in approximately seven standard hours...

...which gives us time to get rested. I suggest you do that, and rely on the fact that you simply can't know all there is to know about what we're about to do and face...

...because there is absolutely no way to do so. I don't even know what's going to happen, or where we might go from here."

Quieting at that, Shawn closed his eyes right where he was, stretching out to the Force for strength and guidance. He sensed he was going to need every bit he could get...

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With that she stood up and bowed respectfully to Shawn as sne made her way to find a bunk to rest and relax upon.
Soo many mistakes already made in his presence. What are you doing? You should know better.

She sat in a meditation posture and slowly closed her eyes and opened her mind. Hopefully to better herself.

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...and was only interrupted from his struggle when the proximity indicator began beeping, warning everyone aboard the infiltrator of iminent reversion in two standard minutes.

He opened the inner-ship comm. "Ms. Ker, we'll be reverting in two minutes. I could use you up here..."

Even as he finished the message, however, Shawn turned his attentions to the navboard. If for some reason Sarisa didn't respond in a timely fashion, he was at least capable of taking the infiltrator back into realspace.

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He fights back the feelings of trepidation that threaten to overtake him. Just another mission, he thinks as the starfield reverts to normal. Instantly his eyes fly to the sensors, one hand on the flight controls, the other on the weapons. Luckily for all involved, there seems to be no hostile activity from any of the orbital craft. Still, the vast array of capital ships further away from the planet is impressive.

Moving his hand away from the gunnery controls he keys the intraship announcement circuit and says, "We're approaching the planet now. Prepare for landing."

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...since this planet is not charted, we can't be exactly sure where the capital city will be. I would surmise that we should be reading densier lifeform readings in the area however, and I might be able to track some of the people we are here to find in the Force..."

He stretched out, collecting all the information in the Force he could, searching for lifeforms he would find familiar...

...and came up empty. Well, at least mostly empty. There was something familiar...

"I sense somethinng familiar down there," Shawn then continued with, "But I can't give you specific coordinates to it. You'll just have to follow me down...

...and trust me on this. I'll try not to bring us too close in, I'm not at all certain we will receive a warm welcome."

He turned to Sarisa then. "I need the controls. I might not be much of a pilot, but the Force is guiding me on this one."

She nodded politely at that, and quickly exchanged seats with him. Taking a moment to orient himself to the controls, Shawn commed Dat and Nefrai once again. "Are you ready?"

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Dat hurries through the ship's shutdown routines, then checks his blaster carbines and force pike for charge, then dons his helmet and verifies that the air purifiers and communications gear are functioning normally. Satisfied, he strides down the corridor to the airlock.

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"I assume you are ready?" He said, looking over Dat in his gear. "Seems a bit overburdening."

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"I need the controls. I might not be much of a pilot, but the Force is guiding me on this one."states Shawn.

She nods and relinquishes the controls and sits in the other chair as he begins piloting them down to the surface.

After both craft land Sarisa makes sure she has her saberes and draws her cloak over them.

"I'm ready when you are Master Petrolu."

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"You aren't a Jedi, and have two lightsabers?" Shawn asked curiously, and nothing more than that. Then, turning on his heel and waiting for the response he knew would eventually come, he hit the release for the hatch, which then slid obligingly open to reveal a semi-mountainous region. Shawn stretched out with his senses, and honing in on the familiarity he was still sensing. Then he descended the ramp as the cloaked figure of Nefrai Kesh and red-cloaked figure of Dat Cyprios did likewise from their own ship. Shawn again cocked a brow, noting that Dat had even added his force-pikes to finish his Imperial Royal Guard uniform.

Shawn glanced back to Sarisa as he finally made it to the bottom of the ramp. "Sarisa, this is Nefrai Kesh and Dat Cyprios," he said, introducing each of the two other members of their party to Sarisa. "Sarisa desires to be a Jedi and believes she could assist us on our mission," he then explained, his greeny-blues wandering from Cyprios's force-pikes to Sarisa's two sabers affixed to her weapons belt.

If these guys think that those things are going to help in any of this, we just might be in trouble, Shawn couldn't help but think as he quieted a moment.

[ 10-17-2005 09:11 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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Exiting the ship Sarisa notices two other figures waiting outside. As Shawn introduces them she bows respectfully. After all if they were companions of Master Petrolu then they must be ok.

She strugles to figure out exactly what sort of being Nefrai is but she tries not to make it too noticiable.

"I'm honored to meet you both."

When the other look out over the landscape she steps closer to Shawn and asks. "MAster Petrolu I do believe that Dat is wearing an old royal guard uniform. Is he some sort of bounty hunter?

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Pausing a moment at that, Shawn then proceeded on with, "And owning a Jedi weapon does not necessarily a Jedi make. I have every confidence that you have Force abilities, and that you have some knowledge of how to use them."

Now he turned, looking directly at her, his look utterly serene. "There's alot more to it than just those things."

Turning back to their other two companions, Shawn finished with, "We should get going. I think it will be another five to six hours before sunset, and I'd like to be as far out of this region as possible before then."

Without any further ado than that, Shawn began making his way down the mountain, following his senses and knowing that the others were closely on his heels.

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He followed Petrolu directly from behind, still warry of his "apprentice", as what Petrolu had said was true in many ways. It also did not escape his notice that there was another jedi, which in effect, might lead Petrolu to share that secret of Kesh's defeat.

A thing he did not relish, even in his new-found "alliances" and status.

[ 10-18-2005 10:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Nefrai Kesh ]

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Looking out from their impromtu landing site she wondered what awaited them. Just how advanced is this race of Sith? Master Petrolu said they had magick but are they primitive or are they advanced like humans in the ways of science, art, communication and space travel?

We shall see.

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...but once again, there was still something strangely familiar, almost like there was a part of someone that he had been sensing for down there somewhere. Shawn wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

But he focused his attention, becoming so absorbed in the task at hand that both time and those around him faded, or rather merely mixed in with everything else he was sensing through the Force as he simply became part of it. This was the way of the Jedi, after all. And with each passing step down the rocky terrain of the mountains, vegetation began to emerge...

...and life became sentient. The amount of time which passed during this journey was unknown to Shawn; but at length the mountain range had disappeared completely, sequed into grass and trees, and then into the edges of a settlement. And that settlement remained as something familiar to Shawn, whether he was in Prinnchatka yet or not.

He knew this place. Pausing only momentarily, he looked back to the others who had followed him. "Just so that no one here is alarmed by it...

...I fully intend to be captured by the Sith."

Quieting a moment at that, Shawn looked heavenward, surveying the setting sun. He pulled his hood over his head, and shielded his eyes with his hand. "Sunset may hide us as we travel though the city, but I wouldn't count on that keeping us away from keenly watching eyes and ears. We may be captured, we may be welcomed...

...it all depends on what has gone on here since my last time in this place. However, initially...

...capture is likely," he reiterated. "I don't believe stealth is wise for us just yet...

...and I think we need to stick together. If something should divide us, then stealth is the next step. But until then...

...we should move on."

Without any further word than that, Shawn began moving once more, his hands folded in the sleeves of robes. On the outskirts of a city already, Shawn knew it would only be a matter of time.

[ 10-20-2005 09:37 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

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Until one of them erred.

"S'slan!" his fellow Sith burst, whirling on the offender whose clumsy foot was even now in the process of lifting from the dried stick it had inadvertantly broken. He sighed then and, as their cover had been broken, emboldened himself to step out from cover to warily approach the jedi.

Falling silent at that, Shawn cocked his head slightly and waited, maintaining a relaxed stance as he did so.

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The young Sith's brow creased a moment as if he was puzzling upon something. Propping his staff in the ground in front of him he leaned against it, both hands holding it at a level next to his face, his cheek resting in turn against his fingers.

He brightened then.