Collan and Niil: Assignment Ossus

[GM Craig]

Zenia accepts your gift, but stands there a moment. Her eyes seem to drink you in, as if she were committing this moment to memory.

"<For whatever gifts we have been given, I am richer for having known you, Niil Spaar. I said I would walk this path for as long as it led, and if that path ends here, I accept the will of the Force, and will look back on our time together fondly. May the Force light your path."

[Niil Spaar]

Niil smiled.  "<And may the Force continue to light yours, Zenia.  You've certainly brightened mine.>"

[Collan]

Collan cupped Taia's face in his hands and kissed her.

<I'm sorry that I must go, Taia. I don't want to leave but my duty takes me back.>

He then put his arms around her warmth.

<I will carry you with me wherever I go. And should the Force will it, I will return to our home.>

[GM Craig]

Quick good byes are made, and in short order you are hiking down the path from the village to where your pilot is waiting.

Navara looks... different, somehow. He is still obviously impatient and abrasive, but he seems to be a little more tolerant.

"I've had enough of this place. Let's get out of here."

You say your final good-byes to your escorts, Sibarra and Sláine. As the sun dips below the horizon, you board the shuttle. Moments later, you are lifting off, leaving Ossus, your tribe, and your new families, behind.

The flight back, with the tip from Slaine, makes for a relatively calm flight. You are still convinced you are all going to die several times a minute, but on the way in it was dozens of times a minute, so it was a marked improvement.

Navara is quiet on the way back, but demands quiet from you as well. The two of you are lost in thoughts and memories anyway, so it is a quiet and introspective ride back to base.

You arrive back at the asteroid base, and Master Kota is there to greet you. He looks stern as you step off the shuttle, standing there silently looking at the two of you. Without taking his eyes off you he says, "Nevara, grab some food and shut eye. I'll want to speak with you in a few hours."

Nevara grunts, shoulders his duffel, and walks away, leaving you alone in the docking bay with Master Kota.

[Actions?]

[Niil Spaar]

Niil stood at attention, and waited until Navara was well out of ear-shot. leaving him and Collan alone with General Kota. 

Glancing around again to make sure that no one else was around. Niil spoke up.  "Mission accomplished, sir.  And . . . we have additional intel."

[Collan]

Collan simply nodded at Niil's comment. Though...he wondered what Nevara would have to say. The brusque, even downright rude, pilot was enough to make sure that Collan wanted to learn how to fly just so to not have to put up with that. Of course, Trax was just as bad...and to an extent, Collan liked Trax...even if the bounty hunter was a little...you know...brusque himself.

Maybe he and Niil should buy Nevara a round a drinks.

He said so, "And we owe Nevara a round of drinks for getting in and out of there too. I've never seen flying like that."

[Niil Spaar]

Niil didn't reply, but flicked a brief sidelong glance at Collan's suggestion that they buy a round of drinks for Navara.  A ghost of a smile momentarily played across his face.  If Navara does drink, it sure as hell wouldn't be with us. Or likely anyone else for that matter, he thought. 

Still, Collan reflected Niil's thoughts about the Zabrak's piloting skills.  Regardless of that sour bugger's attitude, he's got my respect for how he handles a ship.

[GM Craig]

General Kota merely raises an eyebrow and stands there, arms crossed, his dead eyes looking back and forth between you, with an impatient expression on his face.

[Niil Spaar]

Niil's impassive expression shifted to one of confusion as General Kota merely stood there with his arms crossed.  Does he . . .  "Ah!  Sorry, sir, I assumed that you wished the briefing in private quarters." 

He brought out a recording device from an inner tunic pocket, taking care not to expose his Adegan crystal, and held it in his hand.  "Collan and I recorded extensive reports on our mission and findings, sir, if you'd like to peruse them in private.  Also, we were given notes and journals created by one of the archaeological team, a Jedi named Luíseach Oban, by her own daughter, Sláine.  Her findings are also included.  Sláine had come to Ossus to carry on her mother's legacy."

"The archaeological team was given a secret mission to find the the Great Archive - and, in particular, the Noeticon of Healing - but their mission was betrayed and they were attacked by Separatist troops before they could find the Noeticon.  From what Sláine told us, her mother was the only one that survived the attack, and went into hiding.  That's how she survived Sixty-Six.  She suspected that they were betrayed by a traitor, since apparently only the highest levels of the Jedi order and the Republic government knew of the mission."  He frowned and added, "I suppose it's possible that the betrayal was orchestrated by Palpatine himself, but that's just conjecture on my part."

Niil paused, then lowered his voice to a near whisper.  "Sir . . . we found the Noeticon of Healing.  And possibly the location of other Jedi lore-houses in the galaxy.  We . . . also suspect that there might be an outsider on Ossus that's strong in the Dark Side, and that he or she's corrupted at least one of the Ysanna tribes.  One of Ysanna matriarchs told us that all of the Ysanna tribes lived in peace for thousands of years. Most arguments were over territory or hunting grounds, but apparently their communal nature made these rare and non-violent.  About seven years ago one of the tribes started attacking neighboring tribes for no apparent reason.  They've wiped out or absorbed four other tribes already.  The hostile tribe now controls the territory north of the Vault of Secrets. The other Ysanna have banded together so there's a stalemate of sorts, but the hostile tribe still conduct raids for food."

[GM Craig]

That seems to break his composure. He looks shocked.

"Luíseach survived?" He turns and takes a couple of paces away before stopping turning back to Niil. "And she had a daughter?" He turns fully toward Niil. "Where is she? You didn't..." He sighs, and puts a hand to his face and shakes her head. "You left her there..."

He lowers his hand, looking displeased. "And the Noeticon? Don't tell me you left that behind as well?"

[Collan]

Collan piped in at that point, “With respect, sir. It wasn’t our decision. Slaine wanted to stay. And she may be the most qualified to study the Noeticon.”

He continued, “There is something else though. I was led to a report on a holocron about a mission during the the time before the Great Sith War. It mentioned a possible Sith repository in the Bruanii sector. Sir...Karvis is in Bruanii and the Imperial presence there is completely out of proportion to its value and the level of resistance it had given.”

[GM Craig]

He waves off Collan's comments about the Bruanii sector, disregarding them.

"Yes she wanted to stay. But did you try to convince her to come with you? And what about the noeticon? Do you have any idea how valuable that would be to our efforts against the Empire? The greatest collection of healing lore in the history of the galaxy and you left it behind!"

[Collan]

“Yes. We did. And yes, we know. Again sir, Slaine probably is the most qualified to study the Noeticon having learned some Jedi Healing Arts from her mother.”

“ The Ysanna assiduously guard the Library. Moreover, the natural fluctuations in the Force surrounding Ossus will likely provide Slaine with the opportunity to safely learn more.”

[Collan]

[Collan wants to get a sense if Kota is dancing around not directly wanting his blindness cured]

[Niil Spaar]

Niil nodded at Collan's words and replied calmly,  "We were accepted into the Ysanna tribe that Sláine is living with, sir, but only after passing a dangerous trial to prove our honesty and sincerity.  If we tried to take that Noeticon from the archive, that trust would've been shattered and the Ysanna would have killed us for such a gross act of betrayal.  We can at least return to Ossus and a tribe friendly to us.  Perhaps they might even be willing to meet and speak with a guest of ours . . .?"