6 ATC 4: A Storm to Remember

For a few seconds the battlemaster simply stayed there holding her dead allie. Her eyes closed, tears dropping onto the sand as her mind swirled with sadness. It was the most emotional she could recall being in sometime, and certainly the first time her padawan had seen her like this. She’d buried too many friends in her life. Kyla’s eyes came open and she carefully placed Elav’s corpse down. Then she picked up both of his lightsabers, folded his hands together on his chest and placed them in his lifeless palms. She would return when calmness came back to Tython and give her old friend a proper funeral.

“We have to go back to the temple. Our day is not done yet. Stay strong San, the Force guides us.” The master Jedi said, slowly bringing herself to her feet as she gave her deceased friend one last glance before her eyes went to the speeder. Kyla wiped her face, her expression still red from the intense sobbing. She then climbed aboard the vehicle, her feet kicked on the ignition and the engine roared to life. There was no time to waste.

San Anin has not moved from her spot, standing there as she looked upon the dead Jedi Knight that served to remind her of her inability to save fellow members of the Order. Slowly she turned back to her master and shuffled over, the turbulent winds dragging her robes all over the place as each heavy footstep brought her closer to her master. Her shoulders seemed to move up and down as the small sounds of crying made through the winds.

“If I- I could have- my fault,” were the words that gave way to low tear driven muttering as she cried. The sight of the dead knight had brought back terrible memories of her dead master, the one before Kyla had taken her under her sterner wing. “Just l-like him,” she sobbed as she got on the vehicle with her current master.

“It wasn’t your fault, San. You did all you could. I’m proud of you, you saved my life,” Kyla stated softly, turning around on the bike to wrap an arm around her saddened padawan. “Those things weren’t natural. We’re lucky that we survived and now we will put an end to this chaos. Elav will never be forgotten, he will receive a proper burial deserving of a true Jedi like he was.”
The battlemaster took one glance at Elav’s corpse, in the state she had left it. He looked peaceful now. She knew his spirit was with other fallen Jedi amongst the Force. The greatest thing that they could do in his memory was to stop whatever was causing the instability on the Jedi homeworld. Kyle ran her hand underneath San’s eyes, wiping the tears from her eyes. As she did this a look on confidence came onto her face, showing that they had to move forward. Times were desperate on Tython,

“I k-know I could h-have saved him! I-I could have- I-I I know- I…” San Anin grew silent as she looked upon her master, slowing her breathing. The Kel Dor didn’t know what to say or even do for that matter, barely out of her initiate trials and having witnessed the deaths of two Jedi. She did not want to see other Jedi die because of her own weakness and inability to fight, but she knew that she merely did not have the heart to fight. This conflict had grown ever since she watched her first master call to be hands of a Sith, and in that conflict, anger and sadness fought for control of her mind.

“We w-will avenge them both,” the Padawan said in a sorrowful voice.

“Vengeance is not the way of the Jedi, my padawan. Revenge consumes you, twists you, clouds your conscience and becomes an utter obsession,” Kyla stated with certainty as she kicked down on the ignition pedal hard, rocketing them out of the Rift and through the mountain range. Her next words tinged with a remembered sadness. “I was once like that, after my capture by the Sith all those years ago. Vengeance is toxic in every way.”

As they sped through the beautiful snow tinged mountain range Kyla’s eyes scanned their surroundings. Another shake of the ground caused a small avalanche to tumble down a distance from them, shaking the foundation of the towering mountains. As the speeder continued towards its destination, they powered across the grassy plains. Her skin crawled as the Force echoed throughout the sweeping fields of green, shimmering in the trees. Nature itself on the world had been shaken by the arrival of the dark side. Every animal she saw was frightened, the roaming herds of grazing Uxibeasts had fear in their eyes as the two Jedi flew by them. It was even more reason for Kyla to stop this chaos and bring peace back to the beautiful world.

“Master Vondin, do you come in?” A male voice echoed inside of her comm device, it was another one of the Jedi masters. She wondered how long they had been trying to contact her.

“I’m here, heading back to the temple with San Anin. We’re both alive.” She replied, holding her comm to her ear as they continued on their path back to the temple.

“We’ve been trying to reach you for a while now, the council feared the worst. The planet is in disarray, we have Jedi still unaccounted for in the chaos. Were you at the Rift?” The voice said, sadness and uncertainty evident in his words.

“Yes we were, along with Elav Chiyoa. Though he was killed in action. We were attacked by these lumbering monstrosities that emerged deep from the canyon, the dark surrounded them. We are going to put a stop to this, we have to.” Kyla replied, pausing briefly as she mentioned Elav’s death. Her expression turning to a frown at her friend’s sacrifice in battle.

“Elav’s death is a hard one to take, he was a noble Jedi knight. I fear he will not be the only that dies if we don’t stop this. But we need you back at the temple. We are deploying Jedi to the desert, we tracked a massive disturbance moving to there. A colossal creature. There are things buried in that desert that could lead to more chaos on Tython. Where the Force flows more uncertainly.”

“A creature? I’m heading there as soon as I can, with my padawan. We are going to stop this.” The battlemaster said assertively as the temple’s front courtyard came into view. She blinked at the mention of an enormous creature, though was unflinched in her determination.

A few Jedi and temple guards stood outside, relaying orders and keep the situation under control. The skies were still a terrifying shade, but the temple was in one piece. Its foundation sturdy and strong, more importantly the Jedi within safe and secure. She slammed the brakes on the speeder, bringing it to a halt near the front steps. Then she hopped off the sleek vehicle, motioning for San to follow. The gathered personnel glanced at them, the driven Jedi master not stopping for any chit chat.

“What are we doing, master?” San Anin asked, moving after her master as she looked at the other Jedi. The sight of the others made her dip her head, not wanting to look at them or be seen by them.

“We’re going to get my ship.” Kyla stated with a glance to her padawan as they both walked through the temple’s front entrance. Jedi were gathered inside the building, seemingly huddling with each other while head counts were made. Accounting for any who hadn’t made it back to the temple.
“Kyla!” A familiar voice called out to her, causing her to slow down in her stride and look in the direction it came from. A male zabrak in the robes of a Jedi master appeared in front of her, a gruff expression on his face. Diagonal blue lines and dots were tattooed on his face, a tradition of his species.

“Master Uakro, I thought it was your voice I heard on the comm link.” Kyla stated, not stopping in her stride as her fellow Jedi master walked alongside her.

“I’m glad that you and San Anin made it back safely. You’re heading back out there already?” Uakro asked, no surprise evident in his words. Kyla was known as a woman of action after all, he was just unsure if it was the best idea to bring along her padawan.

“We are heading to the desert in my ship. We believe whoever crash landed in the Rift and caused the chaos on this world hijacked a transport we took. We were one of the first ones there, along with Jaslyn Dayne. Though we lost contact with her as she managed to stow away on the transport as it flew away.” The battlemaster said, some of the Jedi she passed giving her strange looks at the dried blood splotches on her armor. The trio kept walking through the main hall into the back of the temple.

“So that’s where Jaslyn is. She was unaccounted for. I do not particularly agree with you heading out there, just you and your padawan. We are gathering together teams to send there. Who knows the dangers that could be now unsurfaced. Are you sure this is the best course of action, with your young padawan? Are you ready for what may be out there, San Anin?” Master Uakro asked San as the three of them walked through the hangar bay doors, Kyla’s personal starfighter sitting near the center. Sigils of the Jedi order marked on each wing.

“I.. I- I don’t k-know. B-but, my M-master need-ds me,” San Anin said, not bothering to look at Master Uakro as her self given shame continued to hang over her mind, unable to cast them away despite Kyla’s words. The padawan’s heart and mind was confused, trying to sort through all the different feelings and emotions that surged through her. It was those emotions that were her weakness, spurred by the death of the Jedi Knight and the memory of her former master. The day proved to be one continuous trial for the young girl, a trial that she was most unprepared for.

San Anin let out a sigh and ran a hand over her breathing mask before she continued, “I-I’ll help Master K-Kyla n-no matter w-what happens.”

Uakro replied with a nod, noticing the nervousness and confusion in the padwan’s words. The uncertainty in her reaction obvious. The Jedi master did not believe this girl was ready for such a dangerous mission, even if she was under the tutelage of the renowned battlemaster Kyla Vondin. The zabrak put his arm around Kyla, then lead her to the side, away from San.

“I don’t think San Anin is right for this type of mission. I can sense the emotions stirring within her. I know your strong Kyla, but this is no simple task. Who knows what might happen out there?” Uakro said calmly, his eyes quickly dashing from Kyla to San then back to the battlemaster.

“With all due respect Master Uakro, that is utter nonsense. San is strong in the Force, she has my back in every sense. She’s devout to the light side, she saw the horrors unleashed by the dark side on its arrival to this world. She helped me defeat them, without her I’d have been brutally killed by those monstrosities. I’m totally confident that she will help me stop the darkness thats come to Tython.” Kyla replied assertively, certainty evident in her words.

Even as she walked away from her fellow master Jedi, no time to debate or doubt her chosen padawan. Part of her was clearly displeased with Uakro’s words, but Kyla did not allow herself to voice this displeasure. She raised a hand towards San as she strolled towards her personal starfighter, motioning for her padawan to follow her. The cockpit rose open, revealing the pilot’s seat and a more compact passenger seat tucked behind it. As the battlemaster climbed inside of the Valiant her astromech droid beeped a greeting.

“We’re heading out immediately, San. I need you to be confident, but not cocky. Clear your mind of any vengeance filled thoughts. Let the light flow through you, let it guide us to victory.” Kyla said to San Anin as the battlemaster strapped herself into the pilot seat. It had been some time since she had flown her striker-class starfighter, she missed the comfort being in the pilot’s seat brought her.

“A-as you wish, Master,” San Anin said, giving Uakro a parting glance before getting into the passenger seat. She was small enough to find the compact space a bit comfortable and with a singular released breath, she began to meditate, following her master’s instruction and attempting to clear her mind of all the sorrow and vengeance that she had felt today.

Bryethe Farlance, Orbital Station to Tython

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Main batteries, on.
Standby power, on.
Fuel pumps, go.
Hydraulic systems, go.
Fire suppression systems, go.
Hyperdrive systems, go.
Nava computer, go.
Main engine power, go.
Docking clamps released.

Brye held both hands flat against the console, her eyes closed as she took a deep breath.
"Insane tension from Master Shan, that's a go." she mumbled, her hands moving to the controls of the Starshine as the ship was undocked. The Padawan hadn't prodded for information, such as what her Master was doing at the Orbital Station, and why she had to return to Tython's surface. Whatever Satele's reasons were, Brye was not to be involved; the young Padawan was almost glad to not be a part of the emotions she had sensed from Satele just then.

She would return to Tython and check-in with the medbay. Bandages needed to be removed or replaced, and wounds checked. Bryethe knew, given a short time, she would be fine. But unlike her stubborn Master, Brye did not push herself past her limit when it wasn't necessary. She did not dare try to talk her Master into the same idea, for it always ended in a shoulder shrug and eye rolling.
She would also have to conduct research on lightsaber crystals, for Brye's saber wasn't returned with her after being taken from Dxun. Satele had given her Padawan the single-bladed lightsaber she rarely used, but Brye would make good use of it. She would need to find time to train, to become comfortable and familiar with the hilt, for holding Satele's single blade was almost comparable to the first time Brye had held her own saber.

Arriving at the landing pad of the Jedi Temple, Brye took a few moments to clean up her quarters, as instructed from Satele, and to change into clean robes before leaving the ship and intending to check in at the medbay.

Instead Brye walked into a temple full of Jedi running this way and that, barking orders and organizing teams. Jedi coming from and going to; others being carried on stretchers towards the medical bay. In the midst of it all was a familiar robed Zabrak that seemed to be directing most of the Jedi in the temple. The Padawan couldn't help the small smile that came to her face. Master Uakro was a gruff Jedi, blunt and to the point, and brutally honest when he needed to be. Feeling as if she would be needed somewhere other than the medbay, Brye started towards the Jedi Master, and it wasn't long until he spotted her.

"Padawan Farlance, I'm glad to see you in good health... Where's the Grandmaster?" he asked as Brye stopped in front of him.

"Master Shan is at the Orbital Station. She sent me down to see if I could be of any help." Brye explained, her hands held respectfully behind her back as she stood.

"We're sending teams out to the Desert. There's a massive disturbance and we need as many as we can to make sure Tython does not fall further into chaos. Master Vondin and her Padawan just departed. I'll stick you with one of the teams we have left. If you can, find and touch base with her and see if she requires anymore manpower. Teams will be adjusted depending on where our needs lie. Now go."

He pointed Brye towards one of the remaining teams and the shuttle that would carry them out. The young Jedi didn't hesitate to follow his order. She gave a quick nod in thanks before moving to link up with the team.

With Tython in such chaos, she would rest and recuperate later.

In the absence of Theron, there was only silence. To call it awkward wouldn't be accurate, the pair simply had nothing to say. Nothing to say to each other, or to themselves that might make light or salvage the situation. It had been inevitable, but it hurt all the same for reasons that were both different and alike.

Satele moved first, and Jace allowed her the escape of a few steps of space before following her. Anyone else, well, maybe apart from those Jedi who could sense such things, might not note the change to Satele. It wasn't just from this momentary clash, it was something she'd been carrying this entire time. Theron, if anything, had given her a momentary outlet, a new reason. It was some time before she spoke. Perhaps she was away with her thoughts and hadn't noticed him, or perhaps it had taken her this long to remember his presence wasn't normal anymore.

"Non-Force Sen--"

"Satele, I'm going with you."

"Jace, it's not a matter of-"

"Unless you're going to push me away and bury 'me' under a mountain, I'm going."

He was determined, but not to the point of cornering her, keeping the distance he had maintained throughout their short walk from the meeting chamber. Her eyes narrowed at him for a moment, as if she might really be considering it. He hadn't truly been joking either. She didn't visibly give in, but she turned to carry on walking and he didn't immediately feel a wall of force preventing him from proceeding.

There was a time when the Jedi Order had been fitted with the finest the Republic Civilian and Military industries could provide, but since the growing rift between the Senate and the Order, no doubt fueled by some of his predecessors, those days had passed. The shuttles that ferried individuals down to the surface were, of course, serviceable, but Jace certainly noted that certain military stations had received substantial upgrades in recent years.

Yet more divides to mend

The craft moved easily through the void of space, and Jace used the time to study the view, at least, something that wasn't Satele. He had seen images of Tython, Satele had also described it to him before, even from a vision she once had, before they had even known the place existed. This was not the sight that greeted him. The craft descended towards a world clearly in the throes of trauma. The skies were a swirling mass of storms, some in colours he had rarely seen in weather patterns before. He exhaled steadily, a few moments of apprehension before the adrenaline came rushing in to replace it. He turned to face Satele again and found her eyes on him. Their eyes locked for several long moments, and they saw the same in each other. The thrill. It never went away.

The moment passed and in the next moment, it felt like the entire weight of a world slammed into the small shuttle craft. The pilot, no doubt a skilled Jedi or attache to the order, manoeuvred the craft as best they could, no doubt better than most pilots in the galaxy could, but they could not shield their passengers from the storm. Jace watched the view again, and from what little bearing he could make as they hit the atmosphere and thus the storms, they were thrown about like a ragdoll. Powerful thrusters strained and failed to account for the force of the storm, at one point, they were even moving backwards. The shuttle groaned in such a way that revealed the shielding had failed to entirely account for the storm, it was beginning to physically pull at the craft. Jace knitted his fingers together and looked forwards, studying the far side of the craft. His form tensed and relaxed, tensed and relaxed. A powerful man, in terms of physicality, ability and politics, he did not enjoy such situations where he could not be a part of the solution. Instead, he resorted to his own form of meditation, awaiting the moment he could spring into action in some way or another.

This meditation consisted of assembling his combat armour, loaded into the compartment with him. Each segment was slotted into place over his body, forming the protective shell a piece at a time. The white and orange plate, known the Galaxy over, gradually taking form. It could be done faster, or with aid, but there was a slight ritual to the way he did so, when he had the time, that helped focused the thrill-seeking element of his mind into a useful tool. Once the set was complete, he sat back down, still holding his helmet. Then, he waited.

In the end, the moment didn't come. The craft touched down with a thump that, after the storm, barely registered for those within. The craft's landing doors opened and the interior was immediately assailed with the force of the wind. Jace stood and pressed his helm over his features all in the same motion. He didn't know if the Jedi had some trick against the storm, but he did not, besides, the armour provided some further sense of command. He looked towards Satele, nodding to her.

"Lead on."

Jaslyn Dayne

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Jaslyn stepped into the chamber holding Selene’s hand. Something passed between us there. How odd that someone so beautiful could be so lonely? Jaslyn let go to investigate more. There were those oddly familiar symbols. Walking toward one she touched it and heard that voice again.

“There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.”
“There is no fear; there is power.”
“I am the heart of the Force.”
“I am the revealing fire of light.”
“I am the mystery of darkness...”
“In balance with chaos and harmony, Immortal in the Force."

Turning slowly she saw a man with blue eyes, black hair, fair skin with a light purple Xesh marking on his face. The mark started in the center of his forehead and angled down to just under his eyes in parallel lines that were connected across the middle of his nose. It resembled a rounded triangle with no point on top just a line.

He held no weapon but was wearing deep charcoal colored armor. His coal black hair was about the length to just brush his shoulders. Jaslyn squared her shoulders and stood back from the symbol that she was touching. Which took her closer to the man. He wasn’t threatening her so she was leery but calm. “Who are you? What do you keep repeating? It sounds like the code but it’s not quite right.”

Suddenly there was a redheaded female next to him. Jade green eyes smiled at Jaslyn’s shock. She wasn’t there a moment ago. The woman’s mouth curved into a smile.

“She reminds me of you. And not just the hair color or eye shape. She has your same stubbornness.” He turned to the woman and smirked.

She smacked him lightly, playfully on his arm. “She has your eyes, but you haven’t introduced us to her. Diplomacy was never your forte.”

“She’s still struggling with all the new information that she’s already been told Shea.”

The redheaded woman, who looked suspiciously like Jaslyn except for the color of her eyes, stepped toward Jaslyn. “Jaslyn you are one of our descendants. I am Shea Koda.” She indicated the man. “This is Tau. You are the first one to be most like us. Balanced. Or as balanced as this world would allow you to be. The Code you were hearing is the true Je’daii way. Balance. No one believes this anymore so your way will be hard. I do not envy the path you are on.”

Jaslyn looked around for Selene. “This is an illusion. This…”

“Can’t be true? You don’t really believe that deep down do you? Jaslyn you know what is truth and what is a lie deep down. You know the difference between something that is repeated till someone believes it is true, and the truth spoken once and heard.”

“We will be with you if you have need of us.”

The couple faded into nothingness. Jaslyn was suddenly left in the chamber with Selene. Was that real? Is any of this real? Maybe I hit my head and I’m just dreaming. But Tau was right. Let me just clear my mind.

Jaslyn closed her eyes and began to put the puzzle pieces together. This meditation was different than what she normally did, moving through the forms losing herself in the movements. No this was the “normal” meditation that you expected of a Jedi. Closing her eyes she reached deep and held onto the Force. The utter stillness bothered her. She was one of those people constantly on the move.

The words of the Jedi Code were not the comfort that they normally were.

There is no emotion, there is peace. Flashes of countless times that Jaslyn herself had been told this in the face of emotional situations as well as seeing others be told this. Why? We’re not born that way.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. Knowledge to combat the evils in the universe. There is no passion, there is serenity. Jaslyn remembered how hard it was to curb her own nature. She had seen it firsthand in her Initiate Trials. The dark reflection of herself that had gone down a different path. She’d barely made it through destroying that part of herself. No be honest with yourself. You didn’t destroy her you buried her. In some ways you have succeeded since you haven’t thought about it for years. But you know she waits on the other side of a locked door.

There is no chaos, there is harmony. Chaos exists in nature. Some of the most beautiful flowers are surrounded by sharp thorns. One can’t exist without the other. Don’t we create chaos when we take children from their families?

There is no death, there is the Force. So it sounds like the Order was plucking what most fit their beliefs to justify what they do. Which was so long ago that we could never really know.

Jaslyn shook her head. Her concentration broken by her introspection, which only left her with more questions than answers. She found that the new code, or rather older code, spoken by Shea and Tau resonated with her more. It rang truer and seemed to swell with the Force. Possibly due to where she was. Or maybe because it was the original one. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no fear, there is power. I am the heart of the Force. I am the revealing fire of light.
I am the mystery of darkness. In balance with chaos and harmony, Immortal in the Force.

There were shadows on the floor and whispers coming from the walls. The air smelled recycled and stale, colder than it had any right to be. When Selene looked she saw only light of a thousand different brightnesses and hues. She saw galaxies. She saw stars. She saw shadows, whispering, the air, the cold...her head was heavy like a weight. Or an anchor. When she turned it she saw the warmth in her life.

Jaslyn.

Every instinct said to trust her. The longer she looked at the young Jedi, the more she saw. Instead of a universe of light she saw...shapes, heard sounds instead of an infinity of energy turned to sound. Words and the sentiment behind them. Selene's head tilted, as Je'daii welcomed Jaslyn. Welcomed her home. It felt like a family reunion, but it didn't feel that way to Selene. It felt that way to Jaslyn, and Selene felt it through the Force. Through the very invisible tether that now seemed to bind them.

Sela!

Her head snapped the opposite direction at the sound of her sister's voice. There shadow of the ancient vessel was at once the blinding brightness of a bright hot summer's day. The world around her was less vibrant than any she had ever seen, the blue of the water a pale blue gray, the sky even closer to gray than the water below with it's thunderous waves crashing once, again, and again, and on and on. The expanse of coast appeared endless when she looked one way, and endless again when she turned to look back the other way--the direction that had been Jaslyn just moments before.

Booted feet crunched sand underneath as she made an awkward step, and then another. Something moved across the horizon. Something large, something obscured by distant and grey cloud, but Selene knew it was there. Some vast shape that was moving. It got closer faster than anything had any right to, the sound coming secondary to the sight but it came unmistakable all the same. A sound she knew, a sound as deep as instinct to her ears. And more than her ears. Before she realized it she was no longer alone, a tribe of milk white skinned, tall and slender, humanoids gathering around her.

A handful of them stepped even closer as whispered gossip ignited within the rest of the crowd, a group she felt before she even saw: Force users. The part of the crowd that just didn't hear the sound, that didn't know that the massive moving shape was no threat. It was Tho Yor.

The sand of desert became desert sand, and Selene saw the same pattern again. A different group of Force users from a different species. The sand became snow upon a mountain valley, and a different group of Force users from a different species stepped forward. It happened time and time again, on every kind of planet she could imagine. Everyone was scared but the Force users among them. The Force users stepped forward as the Tho Yor touched down with a gentle softness that should have been impossible for such a large vessel. She saw their faces instantly: not the countless Force users stepping forward from countless groups they had led and lived with before to enter the Tho Yor.

The blue scale serenity on the faces of those who had sent the massive shaped Tho Yors. They spoke a language she didn't know, but the Force was so strong and so balanced that it filled her ears with understanding. Kwa. And then she heard pain, and her body froze in a gasp. The language that came next felt like tiny bolts of lightning striking with each point of emphasis and syllable spoken. This language she had heard before, even if she didn't understand it.

Rakatan.

And the blood flowed. Once more, then again, and it never ended. The balance broken by one side or the other. She saw aliens attack aliens, she saw Force users disagree and fight. She saw steel flashed on Tho Yors as Force using pilgrims were strained to balance in order to survive in the enclosed massive shapes. Tython spoke to her in whispers, bringing her to the places where each Tho Yor rested. Neither cold, nor hot, the Force flowed through every sight that blinked in front of her. Moments became flashes of light that expanded and played in full in her mind.

She saw the death of Balance as blades flashed under the Tython sky. It happened again. And again. And again. And again. An Order died, a new one reborn in it's shadow, marching forward in the flashes of light that time flew past her. It appeared crystalline and gossamer, every dim light stretching in every direction, her own body gone, her own eyes facing every direction, the distance of right before her the same as the distance of the farthest point imaginable. Birth and death weren't points, they were part of it, glowing in creation and destruction equally, swirling, but never growing. Stars were visible through it, cold points of light fixated in a distance that she found just as close and distant at once as every experience she now saw.

Tython. Ossus. Dathomir. Rakata Prime. Ruusan. Genosis. Coruscant. Alderaan. Tatooine. Mustafar. Hoth. Bespin. Endor. Ahch-To. Crait. From names she knew, such as Sunrider and Shan, to names she did not, such as Skywalker and Solo. All the light, all the dark, everything that was, everything that was going to be, all their love, all their hate, all the joy, all the sadness...balanced before her in a way she couldn't see but felt, deep and distantly as the stars that shined as fixed points of cold light encircled all around her. Every time she died she was reborn again, into the same cycle, into the same infinity that lay flattened below and beyond her, time and space points in that cycle. It was all different things and the same thing in the same, depending on where and when she looked, both were strung below her in the same crystalline and gossamer infinity alive with it's own dim light.

Balance.

Selene's head spun and her eyes slammed tightly shut, her body falling to knees as the cold floor of the Tho Yor rushed up to meet her. When I am? her mind thought, her voice asking, "Where am I?" Panic started, as the infinite was snatched away from her as if it were no more than a dream she had been woken from. Her heart beat faster and stronger, harder until her mind felt battered and strained. Find the stars...find the starlight... But when her eyes opened she found only darkness, both her body and mind slipping off into the blackness, her frame falling limp on the floor of the Tho Yor.

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_{(Jaslyn written by Almalthia)}

Jaslyn heard Selene’s voice faint and fluttery like a small bird in hand. Then felt a wave of panic that was cut short as the girl passed out. Jaslyn rushed over and checked Selene. “Selene? We’re on Tython. Selene? The Silent Desert do you remember that?”

She grabbed a canteen that was still half full of water and unscrewed the lid. Jaslyn pulled out a piece of soft cloth and poured water on it. Then she wiped Selene’s forehead with the damp cloth.

Selene’s upper body shot upward fast and hard--had Jaslyn been any closer their heads would have smacked together. And there Selene stayed for another moment until it stretched into another, time lingering for her in ways it didn’t even minutes before. Were they minutes? Not months? Not years?

Selene was deeply sad, having been placed back in her mind and body, limited, contained, disconnected...the Force was her only comfort. And the other emotions, the other feelings, and thoughts...the other person attached to her. To Jaslyn.

Finally her eyes snapped to Jaslyn, and suddenly Selene recalled the world awaiting them outside.

“Let’s go. I know how to get us out, now. They’re waiting for us...they’re all waiting for us.”

Not slamming into the bulkhead of the shuttle was a fun game of push and balance, and cat-quick readjustments of her body. Satele very nearly asked the Jedi pilot if he needed her to take over. She knew better, and so kept her mouth shut, but the temptation was very real. The only thing that made the ride any kind of positive was the fact that she got to see Jace Malcom get tossed around like a ragdoll. Nothing was going to hide the large grin across her face as she watched him retreat and reach out for his combat armor. The moment her eyes found her's across the shuttle, she burst out laughing.

Even the Supreme Commander cracked a smile, shaking his head as he did.

"If we're not in the Jedi Temple, stay close to me Jace--no kidding. Tython's already in turmoil."

With her luck some random lightning strike would kill the Supreme Commander, and then the Jedi and the Republic would have real problems, not just surface level petty bickering between the petty and the Jedi. When the doors opened Jace braced himself, and Satele did the same; though she did so by standing very still and reaching inward. When the wind came it came in a violent burst, and just as quickly died.

Died completely dead.

Satele blinked. She shot a quick glance over at Jace, who was eyeing her a little too deeply for her likeing. "It wasn't me," she snorted, before strolling off the shuttle and spotting the welcoming comittee. Three Jedi, each a Master, the first to step forward a fellow member of the Jedi Council. Her exposed upper arm still had a long, angry red, scar on it from where her rumble through the Dxun jungle. A visible scar that caught the attention of the other Master Jedi, safe and fully robed as they were.

"Grand Master, we believe there is a Sith on the planet."

Satele let her eyes dart between the three of them, her head slowly nodding, "I'm not sure it's a Sith. I felt them on the orbital station, when they were going by. More concerning is how they found Tython at all, and where they got the information to find us. Hopefully our visitor can shed some light on that, but in case they can't, assign a few veteran Shadows to the task of finding the leak. The moment they know anything report it to the Council."

The Master's head nodded, and Satele smiled softly in thanks as the three Masters mummered a quick greeting to the hulking Supreme Commander behind her before one of them added, "Your new Padawan awaits you." Her eyes perked at the information as she turned to Jace, motioning for him to follow again with a short jerk of her head. Long halls crowded with activity and pockets of chatting--gossiping--Jedi were past until a narrow stairway down led the duo in a spiral to a lower level, another corridor and a quick turn to the left--a large room with a tall ceiling. It was closer to the size of a ballroom than an actual standard room, but it wasn't used for dancing.

It was filled with younglings. Half of them looking scared, the other half pretending not to look scared.

"Grand Master!"

They instantly began to crowd the Jedi Grand Master. That the younglings were her very first stop upon returning to Tython wasn't unusual, especially given the circumstances. The young were their most important responsbility as Jedi. Jace would just have to watch as he was left behind, the crowd of younglings entirely encircling Satele Shan. She knew every name, every heart, every soul, every story. As much as Theron was angry, she had watched him and been close as she could every moment she could while he was a youngling in the Order, himself. As much as Theron had needed her, these young children needed her too.

Bright smiling, cheerful tone, and a vibrant energy that ensured every set of youngling eyes were on her so that she could show them it was going to be okay, they needn't be scared. She explained to them the Force storms, and that a Dark Side user had made it to the surface but that the Jedi had been on the person immediately and had already isolated them to a location on Tython far from the Jedi Temple. After listening to a dozen or so younglings tell her ALL about what they'd been dying to tell her about since she'd been gone, Satele smiled to one of the Jedi keeping watch and leading the large group training session before Satele busted in and interrupted.

"Sorry, Yuli."

The Jedi nodded gently, an even gentler chuckle slipping from his tongue, "I wouldn't dream of denying them the honor, Grand Master."

A playful wink to the smartassed Jedi and Satele was ducking out the opposite door, waiting for Jace to catch up, big brown eyes large and bright on him. "Not a word, Supreme Commander. C'mon I need to change and meet my new Padawan. You can hang out with me until the Council meets."

The Silent Desert
Kyla Vondin, San Anin, and Bryethe Farlance

---

---

The starfighter rocketed through the Tython sky, its jets firing flames as Kyla aggressively flew towards the Silent Desert. Below the ship the plains of Tython expanded below them, the chaos caused by the dark sided aligned arrival shaking the planet to its core. The foul looking clouds in the skies exhaled storms across the planet, Force filled lightning slamming into the breathtaking mountains the Jedi duo had passed on their way back to the temple. The Valiant shook fiercely under the battlemaster’s guidance, but remained steady on course.

“Hold on!” Kyla exclaimed as flash of lightning slammed mere feet from the side of the ship. She was no ace pilot but her training in the Force gave her an advantage in chaotic situations like this.

The Valiant twisted and spun as Kyla maneuvered with the controls, clearing them through the mountain range as well as the storms which rage across it. A frown danced its way across Kyla’s face, the sight of such a beautiful world in total anarchy was something which did not sit well with her. The arrival of just one powerful dark sider was enough to trigger such a brutal unbalance. What if the Sith discover the world and send their forces? She stopped herself from delving into those terrifying thoughts. She forced herself to clear her mind and continue pushing them ahead. The desert came into view, a welcome sight.

“San, how are you holding on back there?” Kyla asked her padawan, hopefully the girl hadn’t vomited inside of her breathing mask.

The padawan let out a rather annoyed sound before answering her master in an equally annoyed tone, “I can’t meditate in these conditions!” San Anin let out yet another groan, as she attempted to clear her mind of all the dark thoughts that would creep up due to the turmoil the planet was facing. Yet, it would always bring back the same two memories of dying Jedi, and she fought all she could to repress the memories rather than accept that either of them had happened. It continued to be a problem that clouded her senses and the anger and sadness of not being able to do enough welled within her.

San Anin knew that such feelings needed to be controlled, but it was hard on her young and inexperienced mind.

“This storm is making it too hard!” she complained.

“We’re getting clear of the Force storms. The desert seems much more peaceful,” Kyla stated calmly. “Try to think of the light, San. You are strong in the Force, it's why I brought you along for this dangerous mission. We shall end this chaos soon, and bring peace back to the world.”

The starfight’s flight calmed as they flew over the desert, seemingly endless miles of sand below them. The lack of sound was something which always struck the battlemaster deeply. The ever shifting sands nullified most noise, giving the desert its name as well as an eerie, peaceful feel. As they drifted deeper into the wastes the Force called out to them both, signaling they were drawing nearer.

“Do you hear that San? We are getting close.” Kyla said, her eyes glancing at the vast dunes and shifting sandy emptiness below them. There wasn’t much else either of them could hear as they flew above the soundless desert plains. The sands evident with movement from some enormous creature. Its presence in the darkness unsettling to the battlemaster.

“I do not like that feeling,” San said, looking at the sands they now passed over, the evident movement very much disturbing the padawan. The Kel Dor let out another sigh, as much as she wanted to clear her mind, she felt that she would not have the time to do so properly. Her gaze shifted to master, trying to gauge what she felt though failing to with the lack of concentration evident in her mind.

“It’s bizarre, the silence. We must persevere, the Force is with us. Allow yourself to bask in the light side, let it break through all the chaos of the world and reach you.” Kyla stated softly but clearly, slowing down the Valiant’s mad rush across the planet. Wind kicked up around them, causing the sturdy starfighter to shake but still under the battlemaster’s control.

Where the Force felt the strongest is where she decided to set down her ship, gently with a delicate precision. The thrusters shivered, lowering in intensity as the star fighter descended from the darkened skies. The eeriness of the total silence outside of the vessel hit Kyla hard. She closed her eyes briefly as the landing gear deployed and the Valiant made a safe landing. The only sounds which entered her ears were the gentle hum of the engines and her own breathing. She glanced back towards San Anin, then nodded slowly.

“Stay close San. If you notice anything unusual, tell me immediately.” Kyla said firmly, her eyes flicking back behind them. In the far distance were more Jedi ships closing in on their destination. It was ideal backup, the Order knew the chaos on the planet had to end immediately.

The ride over Tython towards the desert was rough. There were a few instances Brye had thought control to the shuttle had been lost, yet the ship recovered and the team continued on their way.

From a distance the desert seemed calm unlike the rest of Tython. The shuttle moved in to land, many of its passengers observing the shifting sand below. As everything seemed clear and the shuttle began its descent, grains of sand began to fly every which way. Suddenly a burst of wind whipped across the desert, followed by harsher and harsher winds and sand. The shuttle was forced off-balance and its engines began to fail at the sudden change of position. Sand suddenly clogged the shuttle's systems, stalled the engines, and covered the sight shield. Warning alarms sounded, red lights flashed, the last thing Brye heard was, "Brace yourselves!"

The shuttle hit the ground fast, causing sand to fly as it impacted. The ship slid a few yards before finally coming to rest, smoke starting to rise from the wreckage.

Luckily Brye stayed alert through the wreck, for as soon as the shuttle came to a stop many of the Jedi were moving, helping each other to get out. One of the bent shuttle doors was forced open and the team members quickly began to emerge from the wreckage.

Bryethe got out quickly, wiping off blood that emerged from various cuts on her forehead, cheeks, and the bridge of her nose she had just sustained in the crash. Her mind remained clear though, for as soon as she emerged from the wreckage she scanned the area for Master Vondin all the while helping the rest of the team of Jedi out of the wreckage.

Kyla’s eyes went wide as she took notice of the sudden sandstorm. As nearest shuttle disappeared in the terrifying gusts of dirt and rock she popped the cockpit open. Then the battlemaster unbuckled herself and leaped out. Her boots hit the sand and she stood firmly. She had not been to the desert in some time, she forgot how oddly soft the terrain felt. If it weren’t for the ravenous sandstorm dragging the shuttle to the ground she’d have taken time to admire the beauty of the shifting dunes and plains.

“San, come on!” Kyla shouted, then realized her voice could not be heard. No noises could be in the open desert. She tried pointlessly to scream again, her mouth forming words but only silence emerged.

Instead she grasped San by the arm, and gently held her padawan’s hand as the shuttle slammed into the ground. Dirt kicked up as it made contact with the surface, shooting more sand up into the rapid winds. Kyla prayed that no one was killed, as the crash looked gruesome. They always did. Her mind went back to all of the crashes she’d seen during the war. Vessels dragged to the ground in total chaos, many in fiery explosions of smoke and flame. Screams of dying men filling the air. The stench, god, she’d almost forgotten the smell of burnt corpses.

The battlemaster let out a deep breath, blinked, then started towards the crash accompanied by her padawan. Her walk quickly turned into a jog, her feet moving rapidly across the open desert plain. Kyla let out a sigh of relief as she saw several Jedi emerge from the wreckage, some more hurt than others. A certain brown haired girl took her attention, and Kyla quickly realized it was the Grandmaster’s padawan, Bryethe. A confident smile sneaked its way onto her lips.

The desert was eerily silent. Brye watched as her fellow Jedi moved from the wreckage, as the shuttle shifted in the sand and continued to collapse on itself. The Padawan hadn’t visited the desert very much in her lifetime, maybe once she could remember. The lack of sound was something unusual and uncomforting indeed.

It didn’t take long for Brye to spot Kyla, as the Master Jedi had found her way over towards the shuttle, her Padawan San Anin in tow. Bryethe made sure no further help was needed from the wreckage before moving towards Kyla. The Padawan folded her arms respectfully behind her back as she stopped near the Master Jedi, bowing in respect before relaying her message. The Silent Desert didn’t get it’s name on a whim, Brye understood that much at least. So when she approached Kyla she didn’t attempt to speak. She held up one hand to her side, her fingers moving quickly in a manner that translated from hand signals to an unspoken language the Jedi used from time to time.

Master Uakro told me to find you. I arrived at the Temple not long ago and heard of the situation. I’m here to help you if you’d have me.

Kyla raised an eyebrow at the girl’s hand signals, taking a moment to recall them. But once she did she instantly realized what Brye was saying without words. Jedi were ready for any scenario, even one in a noiseless desert. It was the most unsettling part of the planet to Kyla, even worse than deep down in the Rift. Sound was such a natural thing to every living being, removing it caused eerie feelings. The wind whipped around them without a noise, kicking up more sand as the battlemaster moved her hands rapidly, forming a wordless reply.

You’re welcome to join. Be warned it will be extremely dangerous. Stay alongside my padawan, San. I’ll lead the way. Is everyone okay from the shuttle crash?

Also where is Grandmaster Shan, were you with her? Kyla added, curious about the whereabouts of Satele at such a frightening time. If her padawan was back on Tython then Satele had to have been too.

Brye glanced back at the crash when Kyla mentioned it. There had been one or two Jedi seriously injured, to the point of a broken bone or concussion. Luckily most of the small team had made it through the crash with minor injuries. Brye was reminded of the cuts on her face as the wind whipped sand into them, making them sting.

Brye nodded firstly, indicating she understood Kyla's instructions.
A healthy majority of us are alright. Just minor injuries. There are one or two who were not so lucky.

Bryethe paused again as another strong guest whipped sand all around them, the young Padawan shielding her eyes with her free hand as she continued to answer Kyla's questions.

Master Shan stopped at the Orbital Station. She should be at the Temple soon. I could sense that she had some other business to attend to. Brye explained, lastly referring to the tension she had felt through their bond before leaving the Orbital Station.

Better than I expected, it looked worse from my view. The other Jedi are on the way to help the survivors. Grandmaster Shan has her own dealings, I am certain she will return to Tython soon enough. But for now it is up to us to fix this mess. Kyla replied, her fingers turning, hands flickering around as she signaled her reply. Then she motioned with her hand for both padawans to follow her lead.

Ahead of them sat a strange sandstone dome, as the winds of sand swirled around the Jedi trio. As they walked closer to the structure she felt a chill go down her spine. There was still so much on Tython the Order had yet to uncover. The Force hummed around the dome, amplifying the unsettling feeling in her bones. The desert terrain around them continued to shift, echoing the chaos of the rest of the world. Towering tornado like sandstorms screeched silently across the dunes on the horizon. Kyla wrapped her fingers around a hand of both the padawans accompanying her.

Her grip tightened as they drew closer and closer, the sand more akin to snow as the armored Jedi had to drag her feet through it. The silence of the scene only increased the uncomfortableness of the situation, leaving Kyla with a strange and frightening sense of loneliness.  Behind them in the distance the other ships circled above, trying not to get caught in the rippling sandstorms. The only clear section of the desert seeming to be the area around the mysterious dome. Before the three Jedi the entrance sat in their sights, causing Kyla to give a glance of silent confidence at both the padawans beside her.

San Anin glanced back at her Master before looking to her friend, Bryethe, in order to process the events despite the Force working against her mind. She could hardly think properly, and the days events continued to weigh heavily on her mind, though the appearance of her friend and the confidence of her master did ease her mind, even if only a little. With her free hand, the Kel Dor drew the hilt of her lightsaber, keeping it ready in case any more surprises decided to come their way. After all, preparation was key, even when the mind did not sit soundly.

Takryn

---

Grunting, Takryn shifted the crystal in his hands. His entire fate rested on this small red crystal. He’d been at it for weeks now, trying his hardest to change the color. He’d passed the trials before it, his Skill was undeniable, forms a fluid grace born of his talent with the Force. He had trained for months, building his power to shift multiple boulders. His test had been to lift himself. A difficult task that had eluded him for days. He’d succeeded, to Rekka’s amusement. She laughed when he held himself aloft only to fall several dozen meters into the brackish water on Dagobah. He had to do it again as she told him “You have achieved flight, yes. But the important part is to land. You must follow through on your actions, young one.”

His Trial of Courage had him set, alone, to journey across the stars and meet Rekka on the next planet. He would have to remain unnoticed, arriving there in one piece. Well.. It had gone all wrong. First he had spotted several known bounty hunters about the ship. He’d managed to avoid most of them, only to be caught and taken an Inquisitor. Rekka had a Shadow following Takryn, just in case something when wrong. They had rescued him, after a week of searching. He’d passed the Trial of Flesh, which he was not sure if he should be fine with. He’d hoped that it would have been a bit less.. Dramatic.

Either way, he was on a ship heading to Tython, hoping to see one of the Healers there, who could help him recover, as the Inquisitor had left him with a nasty curse. While it didn’t fully do what it intended, he was left with some sort of shadowy taint on his right side, where the athame had sank into him. He rubbed at it absentmindedly, rolling the crystal in his other hand.

“Penny for your thoughts, young one?” A soft voice called. Mirth appeared on her fiace when Takryn flinched slightly. She often loved to sneak up on him. “You appear troubled. Is it your wounds?”

“More of my dignity, Master.” Takryn grunted. “And this test.”

She patted his shoulder. “Give it time. You have been through a very rough week. When we get to Tython I will show you the Temple. It is a beautiful place.”

“I thought you didn’t like the place, Master.” Takryn raises an eyebrow. “Too stuffy, you said.”

“Oh those old Jedi tend to go on and on about something new they found in the Texts.” She chuckled. “I find them all a bit… Stuffy.”

“Admit that you want to see your husband, Master.” Takryn shook his head. “You keep mentioning that you would like an excuse to meet him. What better excuse than to drop me off like a sandbag and run off to see him.”

"If I wanted to, I would have had you fight him for your trial of Flesh. Had him whip some respect into you, boy." Her chuckles are filled with mirth. "Either way, we are arriving." The soft snap of the drop from hyperspace showed them the planet Tython. Taking up the coms she calls in to the Docks. Frowning at something she hears she growls into the com. "This is Master Rekka Jorga, I have an appointment with the Healers here for my Padawan. He has been cursed and needs to be Healed as soon as possible. Now if you have a problem with that, I'll call Satele. You wouldn't want that." A long pause. "Thank you."

"Trouble, Master?"

"Nothing to concern your pretty head. You are here to rest not fight. You have your task. I expect it to be done when I come back within the next two weeks. I have already alerted the Masters there, when you succeed, let them know."

Takryn sighed. "Yes, Master-" A strange feeling passed over him as he looked at the planet. He shook it off. "Just a aftershock from the attack. It's... Clawing into me still. Our biggest concern is that." He points to the sky. "That's a Force storm... Isn't it."

If Rekka could pale, she would do so now. "Strap in. You're the better pilot." She switches places with Takryn. "I'll do my best to hold up a shield." She opened up comms with the planet. "This is Master Rekka Jorga. We're already set to descend planetside."

"We copy Master Jorga. The Planet is currently under Threat Level Three. We have confirmed that a Dark Force User has landed on Tython. If you can descend do so safely and we have a few Sages out helping shuttles land."

"Very well, coming down now." Rekka nodded to Takryn who starts the descent.


It's more than a little rough, as the planet calms down. Rekka nods at it and Takryn just wonders what caused it. "Is that... Common?"

"More than you think." Rekka sighs. "It is highly force sensitive. It exists within the dicotimy of Light and Dark. Two sides of the Force, yet the Jedi settled here. I'm sure the Loremasters can tell you more as you recover here." They land smoothly, Takryn collecting his pack and shifting it on his shoulder. They exit the craft, with a nod to the guards and are escorted to the Infirmary. "This is where I leave you. I will let Satele know we've arrived but I leave in the morning. You have your test to finish, and I hope you learn more about yourself."

"Yes Master Jorga."

Jedi Knight Jex Saranth

”Remember, never rule out the unlikely.” Jex flashed a borderline uncomfortable smile to the Initiates sitting on the floor before him and gave a far too formal bow. ”Thank you for your time.” The Initiates responded with a cacophony of iterations of “Thank You” that fell on deaf ears. The Jedi Knight gave a slightly robotic nod and smile to the Jedi Master who had asked him to give the lecture. As soon as the pleasantries were over, Jex turned on his heels and exited the chamber, walking out into the hallway.

He wasn’t particularly fond of “teaching.” Jex was always more of a fan of learning instead, and he currently had a rather fascinating case that one of the Jedi Masters had tipped him off to. A case that had yet to be formally solved, and was even one that Gareth had taken a crack at near the end of his life. Even in death, Master Selbuk seemed to leave the fun ones for his last student.

So Jex set about his typical process. He found his usual spot in the Archives and began to set up his datapad and other documents, muttering the code to himself. While his master had often given him flak for it time to time, repeating the code was one of the simpler meditations the Jedi had grown accustomed to. Hearing the same words that the Jedi were so obsessed with worked to calm Knight Saranth’s mind. Clearing the mind typically helped him approach a case fresh.

---

The turmoil made the studies difficult. Of course, the Knight was somewhat used to distractions when studying. The sound of his boots stomping against the library’s floor remained a series of constant dull thuds, even if the entire planet of Tython seemed ready to tear itself apart for some time. As far as Jex was concerned, the murder of a Republican envoy to Onderon some ten years prior was the only pressing matter.

No blaster burns, no notable lacerations. Mild bruising around the throat wasn’t deep enough for strangulation, but even that wouldn’t cause brain hemorrhaging in that way. It could be a neuro-

Of course, Jex was always prone to the stray distraction. And while Jex wasn’t usually one to care about a stray set of eyes, the intense and patient staring of one of his fellow Jedi Master standing patiently and waiting derailed Jex’s train of thought. His heart skipped a beat. This could be the moment he had been waiting for. Knight Seranth stopped pacing and turned on his heel, flashing a small grin. ”Yes, Master?”

The response was simple and uplifting. ”Master Shan wishes to speak with you. She’s in her chambers.” With the lightest of a flourish, the Master mimicked Jex’s own heel-spin. The Jedi Knight took a deep breath before lifting the datapad from the table he was working at and carrying it under the crook of his elbow. Perhaps this would be the moment he had waited for.

The Silent Desert

---

Jaslyn heard Selene’s voice faint and fluttery like a small bird in hand. Then felt a wave of panic that was cut short as the girl passed out. Jaslyn rushed over and checked Selene. “Selene? We’re on Tython. Selene? The Silent Desert do you remember that?”

She grabbed a canteen that was still half full of water and unscrewed the lid. Jaslyn pulled out a piece of soft cloth and poured water on it. Then she wiped Selene’s forehead with the damp cloth.

Selene’s upper body shot upward fast and hard--had Jaslyn been any closer their heads would have smacked together. And there Selene stayed for another moment until it stretched into another, time lingering for her in ways it didn’t even minutes before. Were they minutes? Not months? Not years?

Selene was deeply sad, having been placed back in her mind and body, limited, contained, disconnected...the Force was her only comfort. And the other emotions, the other feelings, and thoughts...the other person attached to her. To Jaslyn.

Finally her eyes snapped to Jaslyn, and suddenly Selene recalled the world awaiting them outside.

“Let’s go. I know how to get us out, now. They’re waiting for us...they’re all waiting for us.”

Half of what she saw she could even seem to wrap her mind around, the other half was seared into memory so deep she still felt the heat. Nothing tasted the same, nothing smelled the same, nothing looked the same. It’s as if she had taken a dip to Chaos for a change of perspective; but it hadn’t been Chaos.

Standing was casual and quick, her hand offering out to assist Jaslyn get up. Her eyes were so dark they might as well had been black as ink, the blacks of her eyes flecked silver. Selene’s only thought as the doors of the ancient vessel and refuge began their slow titanic opening. The vibration and sound not close to a problem for Selene to speak to Jaslyn.

”I promise not to get you killed. Try to do what they tell you, and please never go looking into my past. Both were warnings; both were lethal in nature. The robe was tossed off with a shrug and a sigh even as she began walking out. Sunlight glittered off her inner eyes at odd angles in brilliant reflection as her utility belt was dropped, it’s contents had been reduced to personal device she now wiped as she walked out.

There was no weapon. Her hair had been reduced to a loose ponytail that ended halfway down her back, only her dark purple tunic and black pants left besides the dull black shin high boots with heavy black straps.

The heavy desert sun didn’t seem to bother her much as the storms began to spread apart and die, letting in bright rays between cloud. She stopped only feet from the Jedi. She had to wonder if that wasn’t determination she felt, and no actual anger?

Go ahead, Jedi. Take me to your Council.

Kyla’s eyes glanced at the two that had emerged from the sandstone dome, an expression of disappointment etching across her features as she noticed Jaslyn alongside a stranger. The dark eyed woman seemed to shimmer with the Force enough so that it made the battlemaster’s skin shiver. She was saddened to see the ginger haired padawan standing so eagerly beside her, but did not truly believe she was lost to the Order. Kyla hoped with every inch of her fiber that Jaslyn would leave the stranger and stand beside her fellow Jedi, her friends, but no such thing occurred.

It was not the first time she had seen a promising young Jedi abandon the Order so quickly, and it would not be the last. Such a rapid turn likely was one fueled by confusion, desperation and curiosity. Strangely enough this Force addled woman seemed to surrender herself peacefully, though Kyla was watchful of deceit. She did not feel the Force emit off this one like it did with Sith, and she had faced down many Sith in her past. It was a bizarre sensation, one that the battlemaster was unfamiliar with. In the back of her mind she took note of the planet seemingly returning to calmness, slowly but surely. It was all too strange. Nevertheless Kyla took a step towards her, before suddenly stopping as her padawan dashed by her.

San Anin could not help but feel herself grow angered by the sight of Selene, she could feel the darkness within her and it only served to warp the padawan’s conflicted mind to an increasing anger. The same two scenes of dying Jedi looped in her mind, over and over, faster than her mind could process them and understand that she needed to let go. Her hand pulled away from her master and instantly the green blade of her saber ignited as her mind acted on instinct alone. The instinct drove her to leap at Selene, her feet kicking up sand as she lowered her lightsaber to attempt to stab at the dark sided and exact vengeance for her fallen companions.

Jaslyn had followed Selene blinking into the sunlight. Keeping pace with Selene she drew up beside her. She raised an eyebrow at Selene’s easy surrender. But within seconds she could feel the volatile hatred coming off someone and she didn’t hesitate to draw only one of her own sabers flicking it on. Recognizing San she voided her countenance of all emotion and blocked the younger Padawans thrust. Nothing offensive. Just purely defensive. She signed with her free hand and concentrated to project the thought outwards to the others in the area. Stand down San Anin. She has surrendered. Jaslyn was calm, her motions fluid and her eyes on San Anin. Calm mostly due to the fact that she was holding the saber. Internally she pushed down the hurt that drawing on a fellow Padawan caused.

Now was the time to use the skills that Master Merrian was always pushing her towards. Cool heads win battles. Negotiate from a point of strength. Well she could try and see where that got her.

Jaslyn braced to block San again if needed. Hopefully Battlemaster Kyla was able to reel back in control and mitigate the situation before it got worse.

San had been too quick for Brye during her first strike. However the older Padawan was prepared after Jaslyn had blocked San’s attack. She hadn’t the time to think over why Jaslyn was with the Dark Sider that had caused so much chaos and pain, San Anin came first in this instance.

Brye reached out as the two stood face to face. One hand held straight out until she could feel San through use of the Force. The Padawan pulled then, hard enough to move San back towards Brye and Kyla.

She did not want to witness any death today, not after Dxun, and not on Tython. Not a fellow Padawan; but especially not one she regarded as a friend. So when San had been pulled back to Brye, the older Padawan took her friends shoulder with one hand and pulled her back further. San was safely behind Brye and Kyla, the older Padawan looking to her friend with a very stern gaze. They would talk later, now was not the time. Bryethe’s focus turned back to the duo. Jaslyn and the Dark Sider. How did a fellow Padawan get caught up with a Dark Sider to begin with?

Kyla shot daggers at San, confusion evident in her eyes as she looked towards her padawan being held back. It was the second time the girl had given in to her emotions and lashed out. She could sense the conflict brewing inside of San as the outburst had gone on, vengeance seeped off of her. It was a disappointing development on top of a very upsetting day. The battlemaster raised an open left palm towards both the padawans, indicating for them both to stop and stay exactly where they were. The experienced Jedi would seize control of this situation before it spiraled further.

Everyone relax. I’m Jedi Master Kyla Vondin, there are more Jedi on the way. A fight gets none of us anywhere. I accept your surrender, set down your weapons and put your hands behind your head. No harm will come to you, I promise. She signaled to the two across from them, staring down Selene and then Jaslyn. Her expression firm and serious. The battlemaster was not looking for more death, that would solve nothing especially while an offer of surrender had been made already.

The youngest padawan, however, had frozen in place at the touch of her friend and the glare from her master. Almost as if the actions she had taken finally registered in her head, allowing her emotions to control her and force her to act on impulse. Shame immediately registered within her, as she stood there, staring at her master before looking away with embarrassment. San Anin needed to think, but with a being of such darkness have driven the planet to such chaos, to have caused the death of a Jedi Knight in front of her eyes, such reflection was hard to make.

Jaslyn blinked and turned off her saber and straightened up. Master Kyla she has no weapons. Jaslyn put up her saber. Jaslyn looked up at Master Kyla everything falling into place. Master Kyla included her in the statement. Jaslyn’s eyes widened as she looked at Selene then at Master Kyla. Shaking her head more at the situation than anything else and just how right Selene turned out to be.

Slowly she took off her belt that housed her sabers, canteen and communicator along with other odds and ends. Jaslyn laid them down gently between herself and Master Kyla. She trusted that Selene would more than keep her word. She stood up and put her hands behind her head.

Excellent. You will both brought before the council. We are not the Sith, we’re not going to hurt you. Kyla signaled with another firm look as she used the Force to pull Jaslyn’s belt towards her. For a brief moment she clenched it in her hand before turning and handing it to Brye. Kyla took no enjoyment in bringing in rogue Jedi. The mysterious woman with Jaslyn was a different story, she was intrigued to ask her questions and find out exactly why she was her. As well as more importantly how she found Tython, if anyone else knew of it that could put the Order once more in grave danger.

Brye took the belt, almost hesitantly, as Kyla handed it to her. The Padawan looked at it briefly, her other hand squeezing San’s shoulder before it moved to Brye’s side. One hand holding the belt, her other rested next to her saber. It was more of a habit than anything, as Brye watched the scene. Overhead, shuttles of Jedi circled as they watched everyone below.

Giving no signal that help was needed, the shuttles continued to hover, watching the group closely. Brye wasn’t sure what to feel at that moment. The Dark Sider surrendered immediately, why? Did she come to Tython for something, did she surrender because it was acquired, or did she fail her mission?

She knew these two would be brought back to the Temple and questioned. Brye hardly cared what happened to the Dark Sider, that was up to the Council and it was not for her to prod. However, Brye was worried for Jaslyn. The older Padawan felt betrayed; she felt tricked, for why was Jaslyn with this Dark Sider? And what would happen to her fellow padawan?

Kyla’s eyes went to skies above them, a smile slipping onto her face as the world had returned to calmness. Serenity danced across the once more clear skies of Tython, signaling the end of the dark side fueled disturbance. The sandstorms dissipated across the desert, silently fading away as the Jedi shuttles hovered above. She raised her hand up and signaled for them to land. They would load the mysterious Selene aboard them along with Jaslyn, then bring both back to the temple to stand before the council. The battlemaster was delighted such an eventful day did not end with more bloodshed. Elav’s death still stung to think about, as did San’s emotion fueled actions.

The first shuttle landed beside them, the backdoors coming open slowly as a trio of Jedi emerged. Kyla motioned to them, then to Brye so the padawan would also go on that shuttle. The two ‘prisoners’ would be placed on the shi[ and given a dedicated watch to ensure no more trouble from them. They had both thankfully turned themselves over the order without conflict, and would not be harmed. The battlemaster was intrigued to learn of what had occured in the mysterious sandstone temple, as well as deep in the Rift.

As she turned back towards her ship the battlemaster let out a sigh of relief. The crashed shuttle was being attended to by other Jedi, and the situation was being handled properly. The massive wyrm was still on the loose, but the Order would see that issue attended to firmly. Kyla placed a hand on San’s shoulder, then lead her emotionally troubled padawan back to her starfighter. They would have to have a long conversation about the events of today.

Ellicas had just finished his mission. He had been to Glee Anselm to assist in a minor dispute between the Nautolans and the Anselmi. It was rather a complicatd relationship, both of them had evolved naturally on the planet and so both species had an equal share in the resources available on the planet. El suspected that was why he had been chosen to deal with this mission, to learn that there is not always one owner of one resource and that a planet can exist with two natural species relatively peacefully. That, and some missions could be dealt with without the use of ones lightsaber. As a trainee of Satele Shan, El was well versed in lightsaber combat and was often used for either his agile and knowledgeable fighting style or his extraordinary pilot skills. But as the Jedi Grand Master, and his former master, Satele was always looking to educate her Jedi. And Ellicas was always ready to accept her teachings. He also could have been given this mission because he struggled to talk with Nautolans since the incident all those years ago. He struggled to look into the those large practically lidless black eyes that were so common of the species. He was reminded of his old friend and the mental scars that he'd carried away that day would never leave him, despite the mediating he had done (and still does).

He boarded a Republic Transport vehicle with his trusty starfighter Ice Lance stowed safely in the cargo hold of the massive space-faring vessel. The transport made it's way along the Namadii Corridor hyperlane. El took this opportunity and used the journey to Coruscant to have a proper meal. He hadn't had a substantial meal in three days. This was not uncommon, but when he walked passed the cantina in the transport vessel, he decided now was a good time to take on some sustenance. And that's all it was. Nothing fancy, just the basic nourishment. After all, that was what he was accustomed to. He spend the rest of his journey meditating in a quiet area on board the ship.

It wasn't long before the vessel reached it's destination, the thriving planet of Coruscant. Ellicas didn't mind being here, but he often found that it was far too busy and they were more people here than he was used to dealing with. He spared no time in collecting Ice Lance from the transport ship and flew her to the next transport ship so he could get to Tython, report to Grand Master Shan and thank her for the eye opening mission he had been on.

The next transport ship was smaller, but still had room for Ellicas to store his ship. Transport vessels to Coruscant tended to be on the massive side of the scale. Republic ships to Tython were few and far between at the moment. He waited for about two hours while the ship slowly began to fill with a few Republic soldiers being reassigned to the Orbital Station above Tython and a few other Jedi he had not seen before. As he was often one to keep to himself, he nodded politely to his fellow Jedi, exchanging quick pleasantries and then returning to his thoughts. After a couple of minutes, the doors closed and the transport vessel was ready for take-off. Through most of the journey, the Republic soldiers talked amongst them selves and the few Jedi on board discussed previous missions or meditate quietly, the latter being what Ellicas chose to do. It had been a difficult few days for him with the Nautolans and the Anselmi. Nothing to do with the mission, just dealing with Nautolans brought up his old friend Rihm-Nah Toluuk, a Nautolan, and how he died right next to him about nine years ago. He found peace in the fact that Rihm-Nah was now one with the Force and through his death, El was able to become a Jedi Knight. The death of his oldest friend had resulted in him passing the Trial of Flesh. As he meditated, he thought back to that time and remembered thinking that he would rather pass the Trial of Flesh another way rather than lose his oldest friend. Alas, with Rihm-Nah dead, he could do nothing but be reminded of his charming smile and his big black eyes every time a Nautolan talked to him. Those memories were mostly happy, but there was always the final memory that seemed to appear. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, remembering all the good times he had shared with Rihm-Nah and how they had grown up together. Without knowing, he began to smile as he meditated, continuing to meditate for the duration of the journey.

He sensed that they were nearing Tython, the planet giving off it's unique presence through the Force. He opened his eyes and could see that a one or two of the other Jedi had felt it too. But then he reached out through the Force and felt something odd... something about the planet was different. He stood up, eyes closed and tried to reach closer to the planet through the Force. To his surprise, he couldn't reach the surface and he wasn't sure why. They dropped out of hyperspace and the transport ship made it's way to Orbital Station. He approached a few of the Jedi and summoned them into a small group out of earshot from the Republic soldiers.

"Tython feels different. Can anyone get a read on the planet?" he asked somewhat nervously of his peers and elders. Fortunately, there were no Padawans, otherwise he suspected there would be some degree if secrecy at their discretion. The first to answer was a light skinned Zabrak and she said,

"I think it's a Force Storm, I've felt something similar before when approaching Tython. Not at this magnitude and it's not quiet the same." A few of the other Jedi agreed and El nodded with them, satisfied, for now. Careful not to disrupt the other passenger on the ship, he made his way to the cockpit and approached the pilot of the transport.

"Excuse me, pilot," he said with the customary bow as a greeting. The pilot nodded in turn so he continued,

"My ship is in the hold. I'd like to take her out and dock separately, with the permission of the Orbital Station. I have business on the station and then I intend to take my ship to the surface. Please could you make this request for me." El was not overly confident talking to people he didn't know. He also didn't like making requests to Republic soldiers like this. He felt as though they may think he wants special treatment, just because he was a Jedi. Thankfully, the pilot again nodded.

"Of course, Jedi. I'll ask straight away. Wait a moment," he said with a rugged voice. He radioed the Orbital Station and it wasn't long before he got a response. The gruff voiced pilot turned to El and said,
"When we dock, you will be free to unload your ship from the hold. I'll wait here until you radio me from your ship. I'll then open the doors and you'll be free to dock next to us."

"Thank you very much. And thank you for getting us here safely," Ellicas said as he bowed and turned to depart for the hold.

By the time he had got to the hold jumped into Ice Lance and fired her up, he could here the familiar sounds of a ship docking. Due to him hearing this, he assumed the pilot would appreciate not here a radio call from an impatient Jedi looking to get off his ship! He waited, patiently of course, for the docking process to be complete and after a few more moments of waiting, he initiated contact with the pilot.

"Jedi Knight Ellicas here, do you copy? Ready to depart from the hold," was El's message to the pilot. A few moments later, he could hear a voice through his headset.

"I hear you, Jedi. Opening doors and... you're free to leave. Over." The familiar voice of the aging pilot of the transport vessel boomed in his headset.

Ellicas activated the thrusters on Ice Lance just as the doors opened, hovering inside the hold for a few seconds. He turned his ship to that he could easily flight out and did so. He then eased the power lever forward, activating the main engines and the back of the ship, propelling him out of the transport ship and into the vacuum of space. When he was clear of the transport ship, he banked hard to the left and pulled up on the steering mechanism, allowing him to turn at a greater speed and a sharp angle than the smaller thrusters would allow. He made his approach towards one of the docking ports on the Orbital Station above Tython. He pressed a few buttons in his rather crammed cockpit and opened a radio channel to the station.

"This is Jedi Knight Ellicas Phycon, requesting to dock on the Orbital Station. Over," was what he said over the radio. He eased the power lever so that the ship slowed down slightly as it neared the docking station. A rather high pitch woman's voice came through and said,

"Jedi Knight Phycon, we've been expecting you. Please proceed to docking area 2-B." The voice was unfamiliar to El, but it had been a while since he'd been to Tython and the crew on the Orbital Station was rotated fairly regularly. He thought nothing of it and proceeded as instructed.

Once docked, he could tell immediately that something was awry. He could feel something in the Force and then there was something familiar. He could feel a presence, the presence he was looking for. It was faint, like maybe she was here not long ago but wasn't here now. Ellicas purposefully strolled through the corridors of the station, hood down, messing with his hair to make sure it was just right. He headed for the ops center, if she was here, that's where she'd be. As he got closer to the ops center as feint as it was, her presence seemed to grow a minuscule amount with each step. As he stood outside the closed door of the ops center, he could already tell. He waited for a few moments and nothing. His suspicion was confirmed. She had been here, but she wasn't here now.

El opened the door and entered in to what could only be described as a 'busy' room. There were men and women frantically working all over the room. He forced himself to focus, but he couldn't sense the commander either. He moved to the nearest person to him, a young man sat at his desk. He had no hair, but dark brown goatee surrounded his mouth.

"Excuse my, officer. I'm looking for Jedi Grand Master Satele Shan. I believe she was here earlier. Could you tell me where she is now?" he asked, saying the words slightly more hastily than he had intended. The perplexed young man turned to him and said,

"How could you possibly know... oh, a Jedi. You must be Ellicas. We heard you'd be here." He stopped mid-sentence. He was probably wondering how someone would know about Satele being here when she had in fact left not long ago. He must have realized from El's robes that he was a Jedi. And so he continued,

"Yeah, she was here. But she left with the Supreme Commander not long ago. They were going to the surface. There was an incident. It's probably best you make haste to the surface and seek the Grand Master." Despite the officer's outward appearance and tone of his voice, Ellicas could sense fear in the young man in front of him. El's mind was made up instantly. He put a calming hand on the officer's shoulder and did his best to reassure him.

"I will go to the surface. Everything will be fine, the Grand Master is very knowledgeable. I'm sure with the help of the Council, she'll get to the bottom of this. I must go, thank you for the information you've supplied," he said confidently. He removed his hand and spun on his heels, walking briskly back to his ship.

He jumped into Ice Lance and left the Orbital Station immediately, heading for the surface of Tython. With the information he had received from the officer, there were quite a lot of thoughts running through his head. He closed his eyes, pushing the thoughts away and finding peace. A few moments later, he opened his eyes and could see the planet. The clouds and storms around it were unlike anything Ellicas had ever seen before. I hope they're all ok down there he thought to himself as the swirling clouds and flashes of lightning could be seen from his position.

It wasn't easy and there was an extreme amount of turbulence. As El entered the atmosphere, he flicked a switch on the left hand side of his control panel, activating his shield. Strong winds were contesting against him and his aiming of the ship. Bolts of lightning were precariously close to striking Ice Lance. Upon breaking through the clouds of the Force storm, he could see the surface of Tython. He was over a forest with amazing deep pink leaves and what looked as though it was blue bark! Ellicas brought his ship to a halt, hovering high above the surface. He reached out with the Force and could feel the Temple was near, but something else was on the planet, something that shouldn't be. Something he felt wasnot wholly good, as the Jedi were.

Without hesitation, El flew with great haste to the Temple, flying upside down over a vast herd of Uxibeast as he flew over one of the larger expanses of flat ground. He pushed the steering mechanism down, and performed a few spins, levelling out after his moment of fun and extravagance. He could see in the distance the Jedi Temple and the nearby mountain range. He rapidly flew over the forest before the entrance of the Temple, grazing ovre the tops of the trees. He swung his ship into one of the hangars, landing very abruptly, strining the landing gear as he came in 'too hot'.

He had barely landed when he turned off Ice Lance, opening the cockpit roof and jumped out, performing a somersault as he soared through the air. As he landed, he waved a hand towards his ship, using the Force to lower the roof of the cockpit back down. He sprinted as fast as he could through the hangar to the Jedi Temple. As he entered the Temple, out of respect, he walked swiftly through the many corridors, heading for the Jedi Grand Master's personal quarters.

_{collab with Satele, Jace & Jex}

"It's over."

Jace stared at her. He didn't say anything, but there wasn't any doubt to be sensed from the man either. Satele moved from the small desk with a mobile computer glowing in bright electric blue at it's center and some dusty scrolls and oversized leather bound books filling the edges. It wasn't a very large office nook nestled into the private quarters that had been designed for her. There were no windows, it was made to be secure in case. To her left extended the overall space into a bedroom with off branching closet hidden by a thin pearlescent cream colored curtain that hung from tiny brass fittings anchored right into the dim light blue painted walls that arched upwards. A thin silver rail emitted warm yellow light onto the domed ceiling at the top of each wall.

Before her was the small wooden framed sofa that somehow Jace had turned into a chair. Adjacent to it on either side was a chair in the same basic wooden framed, cushioned design. A small table at the center that held her lightsaber. She'd already bathed and groomed, something she had gotten surprisingly fast at over the years. She had on new robes that looked mostly like the same ones she had been wearing before, again no robe and high boots.

Her bright eyes moved past Jace. To the door behind the sofa, the door that opened with a motion of Satele's hand to reveal the Jedi Knight standing behind it. "Come on in, Jex. The man taking up the entire sofa," she began, a heavy emphasis on the word 'entire', "is Supreme Commander of Republic Forces Jace Malcom. I'm pretty sure he's here to take a prisoner off our hands, but the facts on that remain a little blurry."

But that was her initial feeling. Tython needed the Dark Sider off it's surface. It didn't need to heal, or to pretend it didn't happen, it just needed time to come to terms with it's new normal. Deep down Satele had a feeling the storms would be coming and going for some time, though not as extreme, she hoped. "Speaking of that prisoner...Jex you are present, you are trained, and I'm hoping you are ready because I need to know as much as we can off this Dark Sider. I need someone seated across the table controlling the room. Can you do it?"

Jex entered slowly, giving a curt bow to both the Grandmaster and the Supreme Commander before walking further into the room. His steps were slowly paced, almost meditative in nature. As Satele explained the situation Jex’s fingers rose up to stroke his chin. He furrowed his brow, nodding his head slowly to the Jedi Master’s words. When she finished, he stopped and gave a weak smile to the two individuals. ”It is a pleasure to meet you, Supreme Commander Malcolm, even if it is under unpleasant circumstances. And Master Shan, I would be honored to interrogate this… Dark Sider.” His voice faltered for a moment, before the Knight folded his hands behind his back and regained his confidence. ”I take it you don’t believe this individual to be a Sith, but instead some rogue Force Sensitive? But what everyone really wants to know is how anyone outside of the Jedi Order could have found Tython and who all knows how to find us, correct?”

There was precious little smiling left for Satele Shan after today. Her son’s face was etched upon her mind. Her eyes were bright, pretty things, and her unusual connection with the Force had made her nearly ageless for far longer than even she had thought possible...and for all the physical beauty and blessing of the Force she still just simply looked dark of spirit.

“We always knew they’d find out. We don’t know whether she was rogue or not, whether she tied that loose end off herself, or what any of it became or will become in light of any investigation.”

Something was wrong, Satele felt it, knew it. The Force was very clear on their guest: this is a conduit of the Dark Side. And yet there like an inverse of a black hole hidden inside a galaxy of bright light was in their visitor of darkness what Satele could see dim and faint and barely at all but surely she saw it: a dim glowing ball of white energy.

There was still Light in this guest.

Her lips cracked in a little sigh, her mind forced to react and her mind soon following with a little shake of her head to represent doubt, “She isn’t a Sith. I can promise you that. Her darkness is familiar. Whatever her story to darkness, it in some way must go through Tython: it was no accident she came here. And if her past is tied up in this place, it’s no accident she knew the location of it so quickly. Use my name for whatever information there is to find out from our friends. Anyone who can make this happen isn’t a mystery. Someone knows her, someone else is looking for her, something. None of this is an accident, Jex.”

Maybe if the man looked hard enough at her, deep enough into her eyes, he’d see the part her eyes might’ve let escaped what her lips did not: we do not have time for this. The war hadn’t ended. They were still trying to catch up. They just did not have time for this.

Jex returned his hands to his sides, while he raised an eyebrow as the Jedi Master answered his questions. As she finished, his eyes scanned over her. He had a nasty habit of analyzing people’s body language. While he wanted to continue asking questions and pushing things farther, Satele was clearly not in the mood. This matter had to be taxing, given the insane Republic presence that arrived on their doorstep. So the Knight’s questions would have to wait: after all, he had someone to interrogate. With a slight nod, Jex responded with a simple, ”I imagine not, Master Shan. I’ll do my best to get you what answers I can.”

“C’mon then, before we’re late.”

Her head motioned towards the door and her eyes looked at Jace, who was just waiting for the sign like old times. It wasn’t that long of a walk to the hangar, but it wasn’t exactly next door, and every eye on the temple would be on her when she was followed by Jace, let alone a Jedi known for wanting to interrogate.

Looking down one off branching corridor, Satele spotted the person she had sensed: “Ellie! C’mon.” The pilot blinked and pivoted on his booted foot and went following Satele, Jace, and Jex. By the time he caught up with the small group they were entering through double doors that emptied out into a massive space, it’s ceiling so tall shuttles easily came and went, like the shuttle carrying their guest, and all the Jedi who had been involved in it.

Satele eyes hit Kyla first, and Brye only for a second later, before she turned her back to the landing shuttle in order to exchange some quick words with Jace.