Padawan Lost

[out_of_order]

WHO: Cal Kestis, BD-1 and you! OTA
WHERE: Temba and beyond..?
WHAT: Lost padawan trying to get his bearings by keeping busy.
WHEN: Start of Feb. Event
WARNINGS: Jedi: Fallen Order spoilers? (If you'd rather I keep it vague, let me know in comment)
OTHER: I dunno if anything will come up, but just an obligatory head's up, please see Cal's permissions, particularly regarding his psychometry skill.


"The obstacles in your path define the path. What stands in the way becomes the way."

His master's words echoed in his mind, but Cal wouldn't let his thoughts delve any deeper than that, shaking his head as though to physically disperse them. Ever since he'd woken up in this strange, empty place, he'd felt just as lost as he had five years ago, back when things just suddenly changed.

And now he was back at square one again, without a lightsaber, without a direction. Well maybe not necessarily lacking in direction. He was still puzzling over the information overload. Where did one even begin with something like that? How did you find a path when you weren't even sure exactly what the obstacle was?

The electronic hoot in his ear had the padawan turn his head to glance at the little droid perched behind him, his head peering over his shoulder. Even Cal had to smile at that. At least he wasn't alone this time. Thank the Force for small favors.

"...so what do you think, BeeDee?" he asked as they wandered. For now it seemed prudent to follow what passed for streets, and every now and then the little droid would scan things here and there to compile into a map. BD-1 offered beeps of concern, and Cal really couldn't fault him. "Yeah... Not sure I like this either. Something doesn't feel right."

Flickers of movement, visions? Echoes? The would-be Jedi wasn't quite sure what he was seeing, or what he thought he'd seen. BD-1 didn't seem to register anything unusual at all, although in the distance, something however did draw the exploration droid's attention. Were those...ships entering the atmosphere?

The two exchanged a look, and without further encouragement, Cal started in the direction of what he assumed was a landing pad.

((OOC: Interactions don't have to happen directly after ships land, I just wanted to establish a set-up for the kid. So if you're about because you'd rather not tackle the storm or whatnot, cool! Cal will be heading out to investigate stormnanigans as well, but I'll wait to get to that bridge before crossing it.))

Comments

[out_of_order]

"Doesn't seem like titles and ranks have much place here anyway, and if we're not only galaxies away from home, even less." Cal shrugged, but he seemed more at ease now.

"So what's next? I saw some ships coming in- does that mean we're able to go off world?" Not that he had any idea where he'd want to go, and with the matter of time becoming a surprise factor as well, even if they turned out to be somewhere within the known systems, there was no telling how familiar they'd be.

"How much has been done so far?"

[kallig]

"A Sith is a Sith no matter where he is... Though there are certainly Sith more concerned about their precious titles than I."

Some Sith would kill for a single insult. Altair was a tad more balanced than that. At least so far as missing titles went. There was some disrespect even he couldn't ignore. Though he doubted the Jedi would ever stoop to the level his fellow Sith at home would.

"There are ships, yes, though our dear hosts control whether we come or go- very concerned with us doing things at their pace rather than our own, I suppose."

Altair still wasn't sure whether they were malicious or incompetent or a mix of both.

"And very little, I'm afraid. The coming storm is the most dangerous thing that's happened so far, and I imagine many of our fellow captives are headed that-a-way. I was headed to the hospital- the Agrii will have their heroes, for sure, but I'll play the healer here. However lousy I'll be at it."

Sith weren't exactly known for their desire to heal.

[out_of_order]

If Altair insisted on being called Darth Nox then Cal would oblige him, but he'd mainly wanted to give the other another option than to keep being called Jedi.

He frowned just a little as it was revealed that even the available ships were limited for whatever purposes their mysterious hosts needed of them. "I guess giving an obvious chance of escape would be kind of counter-productive to them," he sighed, maybe just a touch overdramatically. Well, it wasn't like he expected things to be easy.

"A storm?" The immediate skies seemed clear, although he had noticed the possibility of something further along the horizon. Brows lift, and Cal couldn't help but look amused at Altair's admission. "That's the spirit," he said dryly before giving a shake of his head. "Well, better than no healers at all, right?"

[kallig]

"They are rather insisted on keeping us in a glass jar and shaking it every so often to keep things interesting, yes."

That made them sound malicious more than anything else, he supposed, his tone drier than a desert. But for all their insistence on them being their heroes, the gifts, any plea for help, Altair couldn't exactly buy that they were the innocent victims of disaster they liked to show themselves as.

Surely there had to be creatures in this world that could have been their savior. Instead they had chosen unwilling champions. Plucked them away from their lives, their friends, and their families. Though he had many here he cared for, he still worried for his home. And wished that he could at least know if his Empire still survived.

"And I intend to do my best. But Sith make poor healers- I'm sure you can imagine why."

[out_of_order]

The analogy did sound unpleasant but sadly not too distant from what Cal was beginning to think of things. For all that the Agrii were asking of them, like Altair, he couldn't really see how any of how they'd handled things was okay.

"...how is anyone even able to bring people here without their knowing, anyway. And from different times aside from worlds?"

That was the other concern, that such a people had the ability to do something like that at all. The fact that they didn't seem to care about whatever their 'heroes' were invested in at the time was especially troubling.

"But you're choosing to handle things at the hospital. Are things that shorthanded?"

[kallig]

"Who knows. In all my time researching rituals, I've never come across anything like what the Agrii do. Technology superior to our own, perhaps?"

Not something he often pondered, as the answers likely wasn't to be found anywhere on the planet. Agrii civilization had to have been grand, at some point, but now only ruins remained. Ruins and data points, though all those did was give them information on certain subjects.

"I personally find it strange that they need us in the first place. I was on Makeb when the planet ceased to be able to support the lives of the people there and I believe they all fled to the Republic to find new homes on other planets. Likewise the ancient Sith once abandoned their home on Korriban to seek another place to call their own. Many civilizations must have done the same, too. Strange that the Agrii seem unable to do so."

He didn't think they particularly needed this planet to survive, or even thrive.

"Unfortunately, yes. Healing is not something I'd choose but I..."

He paused, his guard on his emotions dropping as he thought. Sadness, terror, and icy, sinking feeling.

"Never mind. A healer is currently more useful than a fighter. That's enough for me."

[out_of_order]

"Possible." If disturbing. But he'd come upon some amazing devices built by the ancient Zeffonians that he'd never seen nor heard of anywhere else before. "The galaxy's a big place."

He looked at Altair again, nodding as he conceded the point. Usually if a place was beyond saving or just too dangerous, then a people moved on. "Maybe there's something they need here," he suggested. "Where do they even stay now?"

The shift in emotion from the other almost startled him, and Cal flicked a glance back from where he'd been letting his gaze drift towards the sky. He hesitated to ask, not feeling it his right to, knowing that he wouldn't feel comfortable answering questions himself, at least, not to someone he'd just met.

"...I think that makes sense," he said, given what little they knew of what to expect from the storm.

[kallig]

"It is. And to think a short while ago, it seemed so small to me."

Not that short of a while ago, but still. The galaxy was truly bigger than he ever could have expected. This too. Another lesson in how many mysteries there were, though this lesson had been an unwelcome one for most of them.

"And that is a good question. One that I assume will remain unanswered for some time."

He tried to ignore his own shift in emotion, even if the memories that flooded his mind made him feel as though he was drowning. Nothing he'd discuss with a stranger.

"It does. I should move on to make myself useful- you are, of course, welcome to contact me whenever you should feel like it. And should you get injured, too."

[out_of_order]

Back home the Empire was still meaning to bring as much of the galaxy under its fist, and while it was disheartening seeing Imperials show up in places that shouldn't have, Cal was glad that even on the planets they did have a presence on, they were still fighting to keep it. There were still people out there who wouldn't stand for it. That was enough of a hope.

Unsurprised by the lack of answers regarding the Agrii themselves, Cal looked at BD-1 before shrugging a bit once more. Hopefully the Agrii would learn that they needed to be a little more open with their victims.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I'm holding you up." This storm thing wasn't going to wait for anyone, and although he rather hoped no one would be needing medical expertise, it was wiser to be prepared. The padawan dipped his head in a nod at Altair then.

"Thanks. I'll do that. Guess I should figure out what to do too, then."

[kallig]

"No need to apologize. You only just arrived, after all, it's understandable that you would have questions. And besides, if someone's managed to get themselves hurt already, I'm going to have to question their survival skills."

He gave a slight bow, a hand to his chest- perfectly polite. It was a habit he'd picked up after being dragged off to Korriban to become Sith.

"If you're going into the storm, be careful. Keep your wits about yourself, and an eye on your fellows. But I don't think I need to say too much about that to a Jedi."

Protecting people was a Jedi's duty, after all, from what he understood.

That said, he began moving again, RE-1 following closely after him.

[out_of_order]

"Seems like something to check out if that's a major reason for why we're here, anyway," Cal replied, although even he had some reserves about it. But there seemed little else he knew to do, and at least even without a lightsaber, he could still help others out.

That was enough for him for now. It was something to put his feet towards.

He gave the Sith a salute, having long shed the decorum and mannerisms expected of a Jedi when the only identity he'd ever known had become a surefire way to get himself killed. After watching Altair and RE-1 head off presumably for the hospital, Cal continued on towards where he'd seen the ships come in.