Kalja arrived in an open field near one of the flowing rivers of the Masara continent. A large table had been set up and loaded with all kinds of food and utensils. Around it she could spot several familiar faces: her aunt Elena was chatting with her other aunt and uncle, Morwenna and Reave. Her mother was sharing a joke with Grandma Falanis, her brother, James, was having a practice duel with Uncle Sysen, and a little further away Uncle James was having an argument with Grandpa Damascus.
Kalja felt a smile grow on her face as she just stood where she was and took it all in. Everybody had managed to make it! It had been such a long time since both sides of the family had been able to clear their schedules to meet up all at once.
She hadn’t seen Uncle James in forever! His responsibility as Regent of the Empire usually meant he was too busy to make it to Tython. And, of course, irascible Grandpa Damascus never seemed happy with the way Uncle James ran things. Kalja watched as her father walked over to Uncle James and offered a handshake in greeting, but Uncle James took the handshake and pulled him in close for a hug.
Kalja wiped a tear of happiness from her eye. Her father didn’t get to see his side of the family too often. They were usually unavailable. She was glad they could finally catch up. She then had to suppress a chuckle as her father joined in with the argument against Grandpa Damascus. The Ardins always found something to disagree about.
She walked over to the table and couldn’t help feeling that they were still missing some people. Wasn’t there another group of people her mother considered to be practically family too? Kalja frowned as she tried to recall the name... the Carmel-Eclairs? No, that wasn't right... the Karma-Despairs? No... No... What was it!?
“Kalja, come over here and give your grandma a hug!”
And like that her train of thought was broken as Kalja looked over at the inspiration for her middle name, Grandma Falanis. She smiled at the older woman and was quick to respond. As usual, her grandmother was stronger than she looked and squeezed back before letting her go.
“That’s more like it!” her grandmother declared. “I heard you’re doing my name proud; one less Darksider group to terrorize the galaxy.”
At the mention of Darksiders, Kalja’s eyes flicked back to Grandpa Damascus for some reason. An odd thought occurred to her. “Hey, if Uncle James is here, then shouldn’t there be some Imperial guards on hand to watch over him in case someone attacks?”
Grandpa Tulsar laughed at the question. “I’ll try not to take that personally, Kalja. Who would be foolish enough to attack our family? We’re some of the most powerful people in the galaxy.”
Kalja scratched her head as she thought about it. “I guess that makes sense...”
Her mother came up behind her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Enough nonsense, Kalja. Why don’t you get changed? We’re all going to head to the beach in a little bit to enjoy the water.”
Kalja turned to look at her mother in confusion. “The beach? Since when did any of the rivers here have a decent beach? Also, where would I even change? Back at the temple?”
Her mother shook her head in amusement. “You always have such an active imagination. I altered one of the riverbanks so it would have a sandy beach, remember? Also, you can change in the cabin right over there.”
Kalja looked over to where her mother was pointing and saw a large modern cabin set close to the edge of the woods. A purposefully rustic fence had been erected around the borders of the lawn and a garden of flowers was blooming at the gate entrance.
“Oh yeah... how did I forget about that?” Kalja wondered aloud. Something didn’t seem quite right with what her mother was saying, but Kalja Sairu was always accomplishing the impossible. Making a beach and building a cabin were paltry deeds compared to some of her other exploits.
“You’ve just been away for a while,” her mother reminded her. “It’s okay to relax now. You’re safe here. No one can harm us when we’re all together.”
Kalja nodded and released a deep breath before walking to the cabin. Of course everything was okay! Why was she being so negative and questioning everything? Today was special! She should enjoy it!
By the time Kalja entered her room in the cabin, she was smirking to herself over how silly she was being. Her mom was right! Nobody was stupid enough to mess with the Leidias family! Who would even dare to try?
She walked over and pulled her swimsuit out of her dresser drawer and laid it on the bed before she started disrobing. As she did so, Kalja caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and suddenly stopped. Something seemed off. She slowly examined her reflection as she tried to figure out what was wrong. Everything looked okay... but she could still feel something yelling at her from the edges of her mind. Something about her body she was ashamed of... Something she always covered up... What was it?
In a subconscious motion, Kalja rubbed at a spot between her right shoulder and chest. As she did so, she had a sudden flash of a memory: a dark figure, a sharp pain, an overwhelming sense of despair! Her memory threatened to fog over again, but almost as a defensive action her mind flashed back to the same memory: blood everywhere, a sword, a vendetta...
Suddenly the serene nature of the day was shattered as Kalja fully remembered what was missing: her scar! The scar Raii Meriaz had given her when she had impaled her with one of her swords! Kalja screamed in anguish as the pain and the horror of that day flooded back all at once. As she did so, she could feel her mind clearing away the lies she had been accepting.
Half the people at the picnic outside were dead, killed before she had even been born! In fact, most of them had been murdered. The only one who had really deserved it had been Damascus.
She wasn’t here to have a picnic! She was here to rescue Cadence!
“About time you realized what was going on,” a voice said from her mirror.
Kalja did a double-take as she looked back at her reflection. “Who said that?”
The mirror suddenly cracked and shattered, spilling glass onto the floor and revealing a dark void beyond. From within the void, a cloaked figure stepped outside of the confines of the mirror and into her room. Once she was fully inside, the mirror reformed itself.
Kalja struggled to redress herself as she backed away from the cloaked figure. “Who are you?”
“Who do you think I am, you fool!?” The figure asked before she drew back her cloak to reveal the raven-haired woman that inhabited Kalja’s nightmares: Raii Meriaz.
Kalja kept backing up until she hit a wall. “What are you doing here? How is it even possible?”
Raii walked up to her purposefully. “The trauma I inflicted on you left a great scar on your mind... one not so easily covered up by a mental construct. You’ll always remember the day I almost killed you.” She leaned in close to Kalja’s face. “Malichor’s pathetic trap won’t save you from me.”
Kalja felt herself trembling and struggled to control herself. “You’re not even real, just a manifestation of my fears.”
“So what?” the other woman proclaimed with a smile. “I’m real enough and if you want to escape this mental prison and save your Padawan, you’ll do exactly what I say.”
Kalja worked to center herself and regain some semblance of Jedi calm. “Why would you help me?”
Raii backed up and hissed in annoyance. “I already told you. Your fate belongs to me. I can’t very well kill you out there if you remain stuck in here.”
“Why not? I’d be defenseless. It’d be easy.”
“That’s not how I do things.”
Kalja nodded. “I guess that’s true, or at least that’s what I believe about you.”
Raii sat down on Kalja’s bed and crossed her legs casually. “Are you done being clever?”
Kalja walked up Raii, feeling a bit more confident about herself. “So what do I need to do to get out of here?”
The other woman smiled at her. “You’ve already figured it out, but allow me to say it to you directly: the construct’s strength depends on how happy you are inside of it. If you take away that happiness, the illusion won’t be able to sustain itself. So, to escape this construct you’ll need to do the most traumatic thing you can: kill everyone here.”
Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Moderator: VagueDurin
Master of the Ninja Post
Posts: 8909
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:51 pm
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:51 pm
Location: A galaxy far, far, away...
Master of the Ninja Post
Posts: 8909
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:51 pm
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:51 pm
Location: A galaxy far, far, away...
Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Kalja regarded the representation of Raii in silence for a moment. “You’re insane,” she finally said to her. “I don’t know if that means I’m insane too, but I’m not going to kill my family... well, maybe Damascus, but there’s no way I’m going out there and killing anyone else.”
Raii sighed in disappointment. “Are you saying that because you believe it or because you believe it’s what your mother would say?”
“N-no,” Kalja sputtered indignantly. “There’s always another way. I just need to think of a better solution.”
Raii smiled as she stood back up and stepped in closer to Kalja. “The more time you waste in here, the longer Cadence remains trapped in her own gilded cage. Maybe you really don’t have what it takes to follow in your mother’s footsteps.”
“Shut up.”
“Do you know how much your mother had already accomplished by the time she was your age?” Raii’s smile turned cruel. “Of course you do. You’re not even close to matching her. And now you’re failing your student on your very first mission. Pathetic.”
“Shut up!”
Raii continued talking. “Shall I get more specific? Your mother was once in a situation very much like this one, when she saved your father from his own mental prison. Of course, she had to negotiate a historic peace treaty between the Empire and the Jedi Order first just to be allowed access to save him. Truly a legend in her own time.”
Kalja glared at Raii. “I’m not my mother. I’ve made peace with that. Now stop talking about her.”
“You sure do think about her a lot for someone that’s made peace with their inferiority complex,” Raii taunted her. “When you lie to me, all you’re doing is lying to yourself.”
“This conversation is over!” Kalja declared as she walked past Raii towards the door to exit the room. “Go back to the darkness where you belong.”
“So you’re running away again?” Raii called after her. “What a concept for you. All you do is run. How many problems have you run from now?”
Kalja paused midway in opening the door to leave. “I’m trying to be better,” she replied quietly with a slump of her shoulders. “I’m not running from what happened to Cadence.”
“Running is the whole reason she’s in this situation at all,” Raii reminded Kalja. “If you had just stayed with your Padawan instead of running to the next battle, Malichor never would have gotten his hands on her in the first place.”
“That’s enough!” Kalja shouted as she slammed the door closed again and turned to face Raii. “If I must be trapped in my own mind, then I for damn sure won’t stay trapped in it with you!” With a deft motion of her hand, she grabbed her lightsaber and activated it. “You’ve been a stain on my psyche ever since we met and I’m tired of being afraid of you. That ends now!”
Raii’s double swords were in her hands almost instantly. “This should be interesting. Every memory you have of me is how much better I am than you are. How do you expect to beat me?”
Kalja’s response was to charge forward and attack. “I’ll show you!”
Raii met the charge easily and countered by continuing to block Kalja’s lightsaber with one sword while attacking with the other. Kalja was forced to step backwards to avoid the sword and nearly stumbled backwards over the bed in the room. Trying to fight in the confines of the bedroom wasn’t going to do her any favors.
Kalja tried to use Ataru to launch herself off from a wall to give extra speed to her next attack, but Raii saw it coming and stepped to the side before kicking Kalja in the gut and sending her flying into the dresser drawer. Kalja felt the air escape her lungs at the shock of the impact before the dresser fell on top of her.
“This is sad,” Raii declared. “You should be attacking your family. Not me. I’ll even help you kill them!”
Kalja groaned as she pushed the dresser off of herself and stood back up. She felt pain in her body and blood in her mouth. She didn’t know how that worked if everything was a mental projection, but there was no point in trying to figure it out now.
“I told you I’m not going to do that,” she replied gruffly before assuming another combat pose with her lightsaber. “I’m not running from you any more!”
Raii shrugged. “Your funeral. Literally. If you die in here, you die out there too.”
Kalja took a deep breath to steady herself and charged forward again. Raii blocked it easily and countered with a jab meant to go right through Kalja’s heart. It was exactly the move Kalja had been waiting for. She dodged just enough for the sword to impale her in the same spot the real Raii had stabbed her in during their actual confrontation.
The feel of the sword recreating the near-fatal wound caused Kalja to flash back to every nightmare she’d ever had about her ill-fated duel with the raven-haired assassin. She felt her body shaking at the trauma as she fell to her knees and coughed up blood.
Raii placed her foot on Kalja’s shoulder and kicked her backwards to retrieve her sword from Kalja’s body. “Happy now?”
Before Kalja could respond, the walls in the room started cracking as the ground trembled beneath them. A storm began to rage outside as heavy whirlwinds and lightning began destroying the idyllic picnic setting.
Kalja looked at her own personal illusory horror and started laughing. “More than you know. I couldn’t have done it without you. I needed trauma to break the construct, right? Having you throw all my failings in my face and then nearly killing me seems to have done the trick.”
“You planned this from the start,” Raii realized. “Once you knew trauma was the key, you used me to tear yourself down mentally and physically. You never planned on beating me.”
Kalja struggled back up to her feet as the construct continued to destroy itself around them. “I still don’t know how ‘physically’ works in this realm, but essentially yes. Remind me to thank the real you when we have our rematch one day. I’m not sure I could have done this without her.”
Raii resheathed her swords and chuckled a bit with chagrin. “She probably won’t appreciate it like I do. Now go save that apprentice of yours.”
Kalja nodded back an affirmative as the construct finally expired in a giant flash of light. The force of it sent her tumbling through a black void. Kalja worked to slow her uncontrolled flight and counter the roll until she was simply floating upright – or at least she assumed she was upright. There was no frame of reference to tell her otherwise.
Even though the construct was gone, Kalja still felt the pain of the injuries she had suffered while inside of it. She dabbed experimentally at the sword wound Raii had given her and found blood on her fingers when she pulled back her hand. Kalja tried to will the wound closed with limited success. It still hurt when she touched it, but at least it seemed to have stopped bleeding.
With no clue of where to go next, Kalja shouted out into the void: “Master Arilyn!? Can you hear me? Can you show me where to find Cadence?”
Kalja heard her words echo around her and crossed her fingers for a response...
Raii sighed in disappointment. “Are you saying that because you believe it or because you believe it’s what your mother would say?”
“N-no,” Kalja sputtered indignantly. “There’s always another way. I just need to think of a better solution.”
Raii smiled as she stood back up and stepped in closer to Kalja. “The more time you waste in here, the longer Cadence remains trapped in her own gilded cage. Maybe you really don’t have what it takes to follow in your mother’s footsteps.”
“Shut up.”
“Do you know how much your mother had already accomplished by the time she was your age?” Raii’s smile turned cruel. “Of course you do. You’re not even close to matching her. And now you’re failing your student on your very first mission. Pathetic.”
“Shut up!”
Raii continued talking. “Shall I get more specific? Your mother was once in a situation very much like this one, when she saved your father from his own mental prison. Of course, she had to negotiate a historic peace treaty between the Empire and the Jedi Order first just to be allowed access to save him. Truly a legend in her own time.”
Kalja glared at Raii. “I’m not my mother. I’ve made peace with that. Now stop talking about her.”
“You sure do think about her a lot for someone that’s made peace with their inferiority complex,” Raii taunted her. “When you lie to me, all you’re doing is lying to yourself.”
“This conversation is over!” Kalja declared as she walked past Raii towards the door to exit the room. “Go back to the darkness where you belong.”
“So you’re running away again?” Raii called after her. “What a concept for you. All you do is run. How many problems have you run from now?”
Kalja paused midway in opening the door to leave. “I’m trying to be better,” she replied quietly with a slump of her shoulders. “I’m not running from what happened to Cadence.”
“Running is the whole reason she’s in this situation at all,” Raii reminded Kalja. “If you had just stayed with your Padawan instead of running to the next battle, Malichor never would have gotten his hands on her in the first place.”
“That’s enough!” Kalja shouted as she slammed the door closed again and turned to face Raii. “If I must be trapped in my own mind, then I for damn sure won’t stay trapped in it with you!” With a deft motion of her hand, she grabbed her lightsaber and activated it. “You’ve been a stain on my psyche ever since we met and I’m tired of being afraid of you. That ends now!”
Raii’s double swords were in her hands almost instantly. “This should be interesting. Every memory you have of me is how much better I am than you are. How do you expect to beat me?”
Kalja’s response was to charge forward and attack. “I’ll show you!”
Raii met the charge easily and countered by continuing to block Kalja’s lightsaber with one sword while attacking with the other. Kalja was forced to step backwards to avoid the sword and nearly stumbled backwards over the bed in the room. Trying to fight in the confines of the bedroom wasn’t going to do her any favors.
Kalja tried to use Ataru to launch herself off from a wall to give extra speed to her next attack, but Raii saw it coming and stepped to the side before kicking Kalja in the gut and sending her flying into the dresser drawer. Kalja felt the air escape her lungs at the shock of the impact before the dresser fell on top of her.
“This is sad,” Raii declared. “You should be attacking your family. Not me. I’ll even help you kill them!”
Kalja groaned as she pushed the dresser off of herself and stood back up. She felt pain in her body and blood in her mouth. She didn’t know how that worked if everything was a mental projection, but there was no point in trying to figure it out now.
“I told you I’m not going to do that,” she replied gruffly before assuming another combat pose with her lightsaber. “I’m not running from you any more!”
Raii shrugged. “Your funeral. Literally. If you die in here, you die out there too.”
Kalja took a deep breath to steady herself and charged forward again. Raii blocked it easily and countered with a jab meant to go right through Kalja’s heart. It was exactly the move Kalja had been waiting for. She dodged just enough for the sword to impale her in the same spot the real Raii had stabbed her in during their actual confrontation.
The feel of the sword recreating the near-fatal wound caused Kalja to flash back to every nightmare she’d ever had about her ill-fated duel with the raven-haired assassin. She felt her body shaking at the trauma as she fell to her knees and coughed up blood.
Raii placed her foot on Kalja’s shoulder and kicked her backwards to retrieve her sword from Kalja’s body. “Happy now?”
Before Kalja could respond, the walls in the room started cracking as the ground trembled beneath them. A storm began to rage outside as heavy whirlwinds and lightning began destroying the idyllic picnic setting.
Kalja looked at her own personal illusory horror and started laughing. “More than you know. I couldn’t have done it without you. I needed trauma to break the construct, right? Having you throw all my failings in my face and then nearly killing me seems to have done the trick.”
“You planned this from the start,” Raii realized. “Once you knew trauma was the key, you used me to tear yourself down mentally and physically. You never planned on beating me.”
Kalja struggled back up to her feet as the construct continued to destroy itself around them. “I still don’t know how ‘physically’ works in this realm, but essentially yes. Remind me to thank the real you when we have our rematch one day. I’m not sure I could have done this without her.”
Raii resheathed her swords and chuckled a bit with chagrin. “She probably won’t appreciate it like I do. Now go save that apprentice of yours.”
Kalja nodded back an affirmative as the construct finally expired in a giant flash of light. The force of it sent her tumbling through a black void. Kalja worked to slow her uncontrolled flight and counter the roll until she was simply floating upright – or at least she assumed she was upright. There was no frame of reference to tell her otherwise.
Even though the construct was gone, Kalja still felt the pain of the injuries she had suffered while inside of it. She dabbed experimentally at the sword wound Raii had given her and found blood on her fingers when she pulled back her hand. Kalja tried to will the wound closed with limited success. It still hurt when she touched it, but at least it seemed to have stopped bleeding.
With no clue of where to go next, Kalja shouted out into the void: “Master Arilyn!? Can you hear me? Can you show me where to find Cadence?”
Kalja heard her words echo around her and crossed her fingers for a response...
Master of the Ninja Post
Posts: 8909
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Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:51 pm
Location: A galaxy far, far, away...
Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
What felt like several minutes passed by without a response. Kalja could only guess at the duration. She had no idea how time worked in the mental realm either. One thing seemed clear though: something had happened to her connection to Arilyn and Kalja was on her own.
Kalja crossed her legs in a meditative pose as she pondered what to do next. Everywhere she looked was a black void. There didn’t seem to be any points of interest anywhere.
She grumbled to herself in frustration. How was anybody supposed to find anything in this place? Other than being instructed by her father in how to shield her mind, Kalja didn’t really know anything about mental powers. There were so many other Jedi better qualified to do this kind of rescue, but of course she had to leap headfirst into rescuing Cadence herself.
The smart thing to do would have been to bring Cadence back to the Tython Temple instead of having Master Arilyn make a house call... as it were.
Kalja shook her head as she admonished herself. No, no, no! Earning the right to be called a Jedi Knight and being able to take on missions... it required the ability to adapt to any situation, to learn new skills, and to be self-sufficient whenever possible. If she couldn’t do that, then how could she expect Cadence to do the same?
She sighed as she ruminated on her problem further. How was she going to find Cadence? It was the mental realm... what if she tried visualizing where Cadence was? Maybe that would at least give her a clue or some kind of guidance of where to go next...
Before Malichor’s trap, Master Arilyn had brought her to an area that looked very much like the Tython landscape that Kalja knew so well. Also, that mental manifestation of Cassiel had mentioned that Cadence was at her home. Hopefully it was the same house she was used to in real life. It was a place to start anyway...
Kalja closed her eyes and tried concentrating on the familiar surroundings of the Sinclair house. The garden. The apple orchard. The paint scheme. The quiet suburban neighborhood it was a part of. The greater area of New Joy. The road that connected the town to the temple... She could it all very clearly in her head.
Kalja opened her eyes to discover that the black void had vanished. She was apparently on Tython again, however this time she wasn’t at the temple. She was standing at the block of houses adjacent to the Sinclair house. Everything actually seemed much more vivid than the images Kalja had been thinking about. In fact, it looked even more real than the trap she had been caught in.
“I really hope that means these are Cadi’s thoughts and not mine,” Kalja mumbled to herself before taking a look at her reflection in the window of a nearby house. She looked like a mess. She quickly tried to will her appearance to look cleaner.
A little to Kalja’s astonishment, her appearance did change. The dirt and blood stains on her robes vanished, her hair went from messy to combed and styled, and the bruises on her face and skin disappeared. It still hurt to move though, which potentially meant her injuries from fighting Raii had manifested on her real body and she was still feeling it because her real body felt it.
Or maybe there was another reason for it? There was still a lot about the mental realm that Kalja didn’t understand.
Whatever the cause, Kalja was glad for it. The pain would keep her centered in case her memories threatened to get fuzzy again. She couldn’t afford to let Cadence’s trap snare her as well.
Without really knowing what to expect, Kalja steeled herself and walked towards the Sinclair house. She briefly thought about mentally applying some kind of disguise since there was no telling if being recognized would make things easier or harder to free Cadence, but ultimately decided that she would cross that bridge when she came to it.
Kalja tried to suppress her anxiousness as she rang the doorbell to the place. Just what was she going to see in there?
Kalja crossed her legs in a meditative pose as she pondered what to do next. Everywhere she looked was a black void. There didn’t seem to be any points of interest anywhere.
She grumbled to herself in frustration. How was anybody supposed to find anything in this place? Other than being instructed by her father in how to shield her mind, Kalja didn’t really know anything about mental powers. There were so many other Jedi better qualified to do this kind of rescue, but of course she had to leap headfirst into rescuing Cadence herself.
The smart thing to do would have been to bring Cadence back to the Tython Temple instead of having Master Arilyn make a house call... as it were.
Kalja shook her head as she admonished herself. No, no, no! Earning the right to be called a Jedi Knight and being able to take on missions... it required the ability to adapt to any situation, to learn new skills, and to be self-sufficient whenever possible. If she couldn’t do that, then how could she expect Cadence to do the same?
She sighed as she ruminated on her problem further. How was she going to find Cadence? It was the mental realm... what if she tried visualizing where Cadence was? Maybe that would at least give her a clue or some kind of guidance of where to go next...
Before Malichor’s trap, Master Arilyn had brought her to an area that looked very much like the Tython landscape that Kalja knew so well. Also, that mental manifestation of Cassiel had mentioned that Cadence was at her home. Hopefully it was the same house she was used to in real life. It was a place to start anyway...
Kalja closed her eyes and tried concentrating on the familiar surroundings of the Sinclair house. The garden. The apple orchard. The paint scheme. The quiet suburban neighborhood it was a part of. The greater area of New Joy. The road that connected the town to the temple... She could it all very clearly in her head.
Kalja opened her eyes to discover that the black void had vanished. She was apparently on Tython again, however this time she wasn’t at the temple. She was standing at the block of houses adjacent to the Sinclair house. Everything actually seemed much more vivid than the images Kalja had been thinking about. In fact, it looked even more real than the trap she had been caught in.
“I really hope that means these are Cadi’s thoughts and not mine,” Kalja mumbled to herself before taking a look at her reflection in the window of a nearby house. She looked like a mess. She quickly tried to will her appearance to look cleaner.
A little to Kalja’s astonishment, her appearance did change. The dirt and blood stains on her robes vanished, her hair went from messy to combed and styled, and the bruises on her face and skin disappeared. It still hurt to move though, which potentially meant her injuries from fighting Raii had manifested on her real body and she was still feeling it because her real body felt it.
Or maybe there was another reason for it? There was still a lot about the mental realm that Kalja didn’t understand.
Whatever the cause, Kalja was glad for it. The pain would keep her centered in case her memories threatened to get fuzzy again. She couldn’t afford to let Cadence’s trap snare her as well.
Without really knowing what to expect, Kalja steeled herself and walked towards the Sinclair house. She briefly thought about mentally applying some kind of disguise since there was no telling if being recognized would make things easier or harder to free Cadence, but ultimately decided that she would cross that bridge when she came to it.
Kalja tried to suppress her anxiousness as she rang the doorbell to the place. Just what was she going to see in there?
Pryngles
Posts: 17430
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth
Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
At first, nothing happened. Kalja waited a second before knocking again, this time she heard voices inside. After a moment the door slid open, revealing Cadence who, upon seeing Kalja, immediately closed the door again. Stunned, Kalja reached up to knock again, her hand hovering over the door. Then she pressed the door release, caught off guard when it slid open without resistance. She stepped inside, pausing in the living room.
Caitlyn, Akain and Toshiro looked up at her in surprise. "Kalja..." Caitlyn said, her eyes trailing toward the back door. "Cadi said it was the wrong house."
Kalja's heart skipped a beat. Had something happened in this reality to tear them apart? Was Cadi's idyllic existence one where they weren't friends? "I came here to talk to her. Do you know where she went?"
Caitlyn gestured toward the back. "Out to the garden. She took her guitar."
"Thank you."
Kalja followed her directions, heading out into the backyard. Outside, the faint, melancholic sound of music hung in the air. She followed it to its source, finding Cadence perched on a rock under a large oak tree by the pond. As she approached, the music faded. The girl stopped strumming the guitar, setting her hand on the strings.
"I take it my vacation's over?"
***
It took a moment for Kalja to respond, as if her comment caught her off guard. "What?"
Cadence breathed heavily, finally turning to look at her. "Come on, Kalja, I'm not stupid. I know this isn't real. I just..."
She fell silent, staring at the ground under Kalja's feet. Just a little longer would've been nice...
"Cadi, your mother's worried."
"I know," she said, standing. She set the guitar aside, reaching a hand toward Kalja. "Let's go."
Caitlyn, Akain and Toshiro looked up at her in surprise. "Kalja..." Caitlyn said, her eyes trailing toward the back door. "Cadi said it was the wrong house."
Kalja's heart skipped a beat. Had something happened in this reality to tear them apart? Was Cadi's idyllic existence one where they weren't friends? "I came here to talk to her. Do you know where she went?"
Caitlyn gestured toward the back. "Out to the garden. She took her guitar."
"Thank you."
Kalja followed her directions, heading out into the backyard. Outside, the faint, melancholic sound of music hung in the air. She followed it to its source, finding Cadence perched on a rock under a large oak tree by the pond. As she approached, the music faded. The girl stopped strumming the guitar, setting her hand on the strings.
"I take it my vacation's over?"
***
It took a moment for Kalja to respond, as if her comment caught her off guard. "What?"
Cadence breathed heavily, finally turning to look at her. "Come on, Kalja, I'm not stupid. I know this isn't real. I just..."
She fell silent, staring at the ground under Kalja's feet. Just a little longer would've been nice...
"Cadi, your mother's worried."
"I know," she said, standing. She set the guitar aside, reaching a hand toward Kalja. "Let's go."
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Kalja grabbed Cadence's hand automatically before she realized she had done it. She was still a little dumbfounded at how easy this was. It seemed like Cadence was in front of her, but how could she be sure this wasn't another one of Malichor's tricks?
"I'm... uh, kinda at a loss for words here," she admitted. "What makes you think it's going to be that simple to leave? I got trapped in one of these mental constructs when I came to rescue you. Finding a way out of it wasn't easy."
"I'm... uh, kinda at a loss for words here," she admitted. "What makes you think it's going to be that simple to leave? I got trapped in one of these mental constructs when I came to rescue you. Finding a way out of it wasn't easy."
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Cadence gave her a look, her expression sour. Was Kalja really going to make her explain it? She sighed. "Kalja, come on." She gestured at the house. "Dad's home all the time, Mom retired from the Jedi, even Toshiro is back and training at the temple so I don't--" she stopped herself, gritting her teeth. She almost said something she didn't intend to. "Anyway, point is I knew it wasn't real. Because... how could it be?"
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
"I want to believe you figured it all out on your own, Cadi, I really do, but I was hanging out with dead relatives I've never met before in my own construct and everything got fuzzy whenever my memories tried to tell me that was wrong," Kalja said to her. "I only broke free after... Well, let's say I got a real nasty wake-up call."
Kalja looked at her Apprentice as an idea came to her. She didn't like it, but Cadence's reaction to it would hopefully settle the matter on if this was really her or not. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you weren't fooled though. You've always been a prodigy."
Kalja looked at her Apprentice as an idea came to her. She didn't like it, but Cadence's reaction to it would hopefully settle the matter on if this was really her or not. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you weren't fooled though. You've always been a prodigy."
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
"And now you just sound like Cassian," she snapped.
What she didn't want to say was that there were two ways to get trapped in Malichor's construct. One was believing the lie as Kalja apparently did. The other was choosing it. But Cadence preferred to keep that admission to herself. Being able to step away from her life as a Jedi and just be an ordinary teenager with a happy home life was nice, but she had responsibilities. Someone needed to shoulder the Karna-Sinclair legacy and if Toshiro wasn't willing to, well that just left her.
She glanced down at her hand where Kalja was still grasping it. Her face still flushed red with anger she muttered, "Are we going, or not?"
What she didn't want to say was that there were two ways to get trapped in Malichor's construct. One was believing the lie as Kalja apparently did. The other was choosing it. But Cadence preferred to keep that admission to herself. Being able to step away from her life as a Jedi and just be an ordinary teenager with a happy home life was nice, but she had responsibilities. Someone needed to shoulder the Karna-Sinclair legacy and if Toshiro wasn't willing to, well that just left her.
She glanced down at her hand where Kalja was still grasping it. Her face still flushed red with anger she muttered, "Are we going, or not?"
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Kalja let out a little sigh of relief as Cadence reacted negatively to being called a prodigy. "Well, that's one issue solved at least."
"Cut me a little slack, will ya?" Kalja said to her with a grin. "This is my first time seriously dealing with all this mental realm stuff. I'll have you know that I lost my guide almost as soon as I came to get you out of here." She stopped as something occurred to her. "Actually... should we leave so soon? We might want to do a little housekeeping first."
Cadence gave her a look. She was clearly anxious to go now that Kalja had found her. "What are you talking about?"
"It's just that something in your head trapped us in constructs. Something also cut me off from Master Arilyn and has been preventing me from reestablishing contact with her. I don't think you would do that, so that means you probably have an uninvited guest somewhere in here," Kalja explained to her. "I remember a story about your mom having to deal with something like this. Sivter implanted a mental clone of himself that he used to take control of her. What if Malichor did something similar?"
"Cut me a little slack, will ya?" Kalja said to her with a grin. "This is my first time seriously dealing with all this mental realm stuff. I'll have you know that I lost my guide almost as soon as I came to get you out of here." She stopped as something occurred to her. "Actually... should we leave so soon? We might want to do a little housekeeping first."
Cadence gave her a look. She was clearly anxious to go now that Kalja had found her. "What are you talking about?"
"It's just that something in your head trapped us in constructs. Something also cut me off from Master Arilyn and has been preventing me from reestablishing contact with her. I don't think you would do that, so that means you probably have an uninvited guest somewhere in here," Kalja explained to her. "I remember a story about your mom having to deal with something like this. Sivter implanted a mental clone of himself that he used to take control of her. What if Malichor did something similar?"
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
A mental clone? Inside her? She'd heard the story from Uncle Sis about the time her mother was temporarily mind controlled by Sivter. Did that mean the Sith who tried to take her could control her? That thought sent a shiver down her spine. The idea she might be used to attack her friends made her stomach churn.
"I... I don't know," she said finally. "How can I tell?"
"I... I don't know," she said finally. "How can I tell?"
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
“I also don’t know,” Kalja admitted. Upon seeing Cadence’s dejected expression, she added: “But I have a theory!”
Cadence looked at her hopefully. “Whatever it is, let’s try it!”
With her free hand, Kalja rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Okay, as I understand it, mental clones are not a quick and easy thing to do, and I didn’t give your kidnapper much time to mess with you before they had to retreat. Hopefully that means that if there is something in your head, it’s incomplete. Maybe it can only do a few things.”
“Makes sense so far.”
Kalja nodded as she looked at her. “Defeating it probably won’t be too hard now that we’re on to its tricks, but we need to find it first. That’s where you come in, Cadi. You’re going to need to search your own mind and try to find anything that doesn’t seem like it belongs. Then use the control you have over your mind to bring us to it.”
“I don’t know if I can do that...” Cadence said to her doubtfully.
Kalja placed her hands on Cadence’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “If anyone can do this, it’s you. I have total faith that you can pull this off. You know your mind better than anyone else and you have a keen eye for detail. Remember the sand sculpture you made of the Jedi Temple? It was like looking at a holo-model! You’ll know if something is off, just trust in your abilities.”
Cadence looked at her hopefully. “Whatever it is, let’s try it!”
With her free hand, Kalja rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Okay, as I understand it, mental clones are not a quick and easy thing to do, and I didn’t give your kidnapper much time to mess with you before they had to retreat. Hopefully that means that if there is something in your head, it’s incomplete. Maybe it can only do a few things.”
“Makes sense so far.”
Kalja nodded as she looked at her. “Defeating it probably won’t be too hard now that we’re on to its tricks, but we need to find it first. That’s where you come in, Cadi. You’re going to need to search your own mind and try to find anything that doesn’t seem like it belongs. Then use the control you have over your mind to bring us to it.”
“I don’t know if I can do that...” Cadence said to her doubtfully.
Kalja placed her hands on Cadence’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “If anyone can do this, it’s you. I have total faith that you can pull this off. You know your mind better than anyone else and you have a keen eye for detail. Remember the sand sculpture you made of the Jedi Temple? It was like looking at a holo-model! You’ll know if something is off, just trust in your abilities.”
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Cadence hated meditation, she was never good at sitting in one place not thinking or doing anything. Problem was thinking and doing nothing was what she needed to do right now. With a loud grown she sat cross-legged on the ground, her eyes closed. But rather than focus on her breathing she turned her attention inward, searching for anything that felt out of place. It wasn't easy, her mind kept wandering to various song lyrics she was working on and random thoughts that plagued her through the day. Mostly, she just found it hard to focus on one thing for any length of--
There! A cold spot. That must be it. "I think I found it."
"Okay, now bring us to it."
"How?"
"Picture it in your mind and then picture us there."
Was it really so simple? Cadence scrunched her face as she tried picturing herself and Kalja near the cold spot. After a couple of minutes it seemed like nothing had changed. This is a waste of time. "I don't think it's work--"
"Clever child," a voice said from behind her.
Cadence immediately jumped to her feet, startled.
Malichor took a step toward her. "I've been watching you, and unfortunately your Master is correct. My thought form is incomplete. However, incomplete as I am I still think I'm a match for you two," he said, drawing his lightsaber and igniting the red blade...
There! A cold spot. That must be it. "I think I found it."
"Okay, now bring us to it."
"How?"
"Picture it in your mind and then picture us there."
Was it really so simple? Cadence scrunched her face as she tried picturing herself and Kalja near the cold spot. After a couple of minutes it seemed like nothing had changed. This is a waste of time. "I don't think it's work--"
"Clever child," a voice said from behind her.
Cadence immediately jumped to her feet, startled.
Malichor took a step toward her. "I've been watching you, and unfortunately your Master is correct. My thought form is incomplete. However, incomplete as I am I still think I'm a match for you two," he said, drawing his lightsaber and igniting the red blade...
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Kalja automatically placed herself between Cadence and Malichor without a second thought. A lightsaber appeared in her hand, its blue blade shining bright in the darkness. “I never get tired of Darksiders being wrong. Get a clue, you spook! We’ve defeated your illusions and sussed out your hiding place. You’re on borrowed time!”
Malichor made a sigh of disgust and waved a dismissive hand at Kalja. Suddenly her lightsaber vanished from her hands. She barely had time to register her surprise before the mental clone lunged forward and slashed at her with his own lightsaber.
However, Kalja’s reflexes were already in motion. Her father had drilled years of anti-Jedi martial arts into her and her training with Faye had only heightened her response time. Kalja quickly dodged the oncoming attack and turned to deliver a sharp blow to Malichor’s chest, but before she could make contact he disappeared in a puff of smoke and reassembled a safe distance away.
“Neat trick,” she grumbled.
Malichor grinned. “You have no chance of beating me here, foolish Jedi.”
Kalja walked back towards Cadence, but kept her eyes on Malichor the entire time. “You might be right about that,” she conceded. “I don’t have the training for this kind of confrontation.”
She then placed a hand on Cadence’s shoulder. “Cadi is another story. This is her mind, not yours. I know she’ll find a way to expel you.”
Malichor made a sigh of disgust and waved a dismissive hand at Kalja. Suddenly her lightsaber vanished from her hands. She barely had time to register her surprise before the mental clone lunged forward and slashed at her with his own lightsaber.
However, Kalja’s reflexes were already in motion. Her father had drilled years of anti-Jedi martial arts into her and her training with Faye had only heightened her response time. Kalja quickly dodged the oncoming attack and turned to deliver a sharp blow to Malichor’s chest, but before she could make contact he disappeared in a puff of smoke and reassembled a safe distance away.
“Neat trick,” she grumbled.
Malichor grinned. “You have no chance of beating me here, foolish Jedi.”
Kalja walked back towards Cadence, but kept her eyes on Malichor the entire time. “You might be right about that,” she conceded. “I don’t have the training for this kind of confrontation.”
She then placed a hand on Cadence’s shoulder. “Cadi is another story. This is her mind, not yours. I know she’ll find a way to expel you.”
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Cadence blinked, her gaze shifting between them. When Kalja jumped in front of her to fight Malichor she felt relieved, but then that hope was dashed the moment Malichor made her lightsaber disappear. Now Kalja was telling her only she could save herself? How the frell was she supposed to do that?
"I... I don't..." she stuttered, taking a step back as her mind raced for a solution.
"Cadi, the construct is inside your head, take control of it," Kalja told her.
"How?"
"Lucid dreaming, you need to convince yourself none of this is real."
"I know this isn't real, I told you."
"Yet you still believe you have no control. Cadi, the power Malichor's shade has over you is only what you allow it. Be confident. The way you feel when you're singing and it's just you and the open air."
The way I feel when I'm... right, like it's that easy. "Fine," she said, closing her eyes.
It was stupid to close her eyes in a dream, logically speaking her eyes were already closed, but certain habits were hard to break. Humming to herself she tried to find that safe haven she often retreated to whenever she needed to forget her reality for a moment. The same haven that helped her through the karaoke bar and her unexpected performance at Rowan's retirement party. Her far away refuge in the woods where she could truly be alone.
At first nothing happened, but as the volume of her humming grew something began to materialize in Kalja's hand. A lightsaber. The shade of Malichor stared wide-eyed in horror as the heir to the Kalja name turned to face him with renewed vigor, her lightsaber held at low ready.
"Hate to say I told you so, but..." Kalja said, right before she lunged into action...
"I... I don't..." she stuttered, taking a step back as her mind raced for a solution.
"Cadi, the construct is inside your head, take control of it," Kalja told her.
"How?"
"Lucid dreaming, you need to convince yourself none of this is real."
"I know this isn't real, I told you."
"Yet you still believe you have no control. Cadi, the power Malichor's shade has over you is only what you allow it. Be confident. The way you feel when you're singing and it's just you and the open air."
The way I feel when I'm... right, like it's that easy. "Fine," she said, closing her eyes.
It was stupid to close her eyes in a dream, logically speaking her eyes were already closed, but certain habits were hard to break. Humming to herself she tried to find that safe haven she often retreated to whenever she needed to forget her reality for a moment. The same haven that helped her through the karaoke bar and her unexpected performance at Rowan's retirement party. Her far away refuge in the woods where she could truly be alone.
At first nothing happened, but as the volume of her humming grew something began to materialize in Kalja's hand. A lightsaber. The shade of Malichor stared wide-eyed in horror as the heir to the Kalja name turned to face him with renewed vigor, her lightsaber held at low ready.
"Hate to say I told you so, but..." Kalja said, right before she lunged into action...
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
As Cadence started humming, Kalja didn’t just feel revitalized, she felt even more powerful. It took her a moment to realize that her apprentice was sharing her power through the Battle Meditation. That wasn’t something that was supposed to happen with Battle Meditation. The user didn’t share their power, they instead used it to influence others.
Kalja wasn’t sure if this was what Cadence had been doing while singing in the real world or if the sharing of power was something special to the mental plane, but now was not the time to analyze the situation.
Now was the time for pest control.
With access to Cadence’s power, Kalja had control over the mental landscape inside the girl’s head. Even better, unlike Malichor, who was stealing the power, Cadence was giving her power to Kalja freely. It meant she had a greater reservoir to work with than the shade.
Malichor knew it too. It sensed Kalja closing enclosing the area in a bubble to prevent it from trying to escape.
“Let’s discuss this,” he said quietly. “You’ve beaten me. I’m helpless. If you kill me now, that’ll be an act of aggression. You’ll come closer to the Dark Side.”
Kalja smirked as she approached. “You really are half-baked, aren’t you? Putting aside the question of if you’re really a living thing or not, killing in itself is not evil. Just the intent. Even a Jedi will kill a disease to save the host. And that’s what you are to me: a disease - a corruption afflicting an innocent girl.”
Malichor raised his hands in supplication. “There’s a flaw in your logic. A disease can’t surrender. A disease can’t-”
Before Malichor could finish his plea, Kalja rushed forward and cut him in half with the lightsaber that had reincorporated in her hand. Both halves fell to the ground before dissolving away. Wary of another trick, Kalja spread her senses wide, but she couldn’t sense any trace of the mental clone left.
Having her senses enhanced by Cadence’s power reassured Kalja that she wasn’t missing anything. There was a clarity of detail that Kalja had never experienced before. She briefly wondered if this was how her mother sensed the world around her before she reluctantly moved next to Cadence and gave her a pat on the shoulder.
“The deed is done, Cadi. You can stop now.”
Cadence stopped her singing and opened her eyes. “That was quick!”
“Nightmares are only scary when you run from them,” Kalja replied with a grin. “I’m sure the real thing won’t be as easy to take down, but that’s a problem for another day. What do you say we finally get back to the real world?”
Cadence smiled back. “Sounds good.”
The next thing Kalja knew, she was opening her eyes and was back in Cadence’s room. Arilyn was instantly at her side examining her. “You made it back!” she exclaimed happily. “I’ve been trying to reach you ever since I got cut off.”
Kalja winced as she propped herself up from the bed she was on. Her body felt sore all over. “We can talk about what happened later, Master. Just tell me Cadence is okay.”
Kalja wasn’t sure if this was what Cadence had been doing while singing in the real world or if the sharing of power was something special to the mental plane, but now was not the time to analyze the situation.
Now was the time for pest control.
With access to Cadence’s power, Kalja had control over the mental landscape inside the girl’s head. Even better, unlike Malichor, who was stealing the power, Cadence was giving her power to Kalja freely. It meant she had a greater reservoir to work with than the shade.
Malichor knew it too. It sensed Kalja closing enclosing the area in a bubble to prevent it from trying to escape.
“Let’s discuss this,” he said quietly. “You’ve beaten me. I’m helpless. If you kill me now, that’ll be an act of aggression. You’ll come closer to the Dark Side.”
Kalja smirked as she approached. “You really are half-baked, aren’t you? Putting aside the question of if you’re really a living thing or not, killing in itself is not evil. Just the intent. Even a Jedi will kill a disease to save the host. And that’s what you are to me: a disease - a corruption afflicting an innocent girl.”
Malichor raised his hands in supplication. “There’s a flaw in your logic. A disease can’t surrender. A disease can’t-”
Before Malichor could finish his plea, Kalja rushed forward and cut him in half with the lightsaber that had reincorporated in her hand. Both halves fell to the ground before dissolving away. Wary of another trick, Kalja spread her senses wide, but she couldn’t sense any trace of the mental clone left.
Having her senses enhanced by Cadence’s power reassured Kalja that she wasn’t missing anything. There was a clarity of detail that Kalja had never experienced before. She briefly wondered if this was how her mother sensed the world around her before she reluctantly moved next to Cadence and gave her a pat on the shoulder.
“The deed is done, Cadi. You can stop now.”
Cadence stopped her singing and opened her eyes. “That was quick!”
“Nightmares are only scary when you run from them,” Kalja replied with a grin. “I’m sure the real thing won’t be as easy to take down, but that’s a problem for another day. What do you say we finally get back to the real world?”
Cadence smiled back. “Sounds good.”
The next thing Kalja knew, she was opening her eyes and was back in Cadence’s room. Arilyn was instantly at her side examining her. “You made it back!” she exclaimed happily. “I’ve been trying to reach you ever since I got cut off.”
Kalja winced as she propped herself up from the bed she was on. Her body felt sore all over. “We can talk about what happened later, Master. Just tell me Cadence is okay.”
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Arilyn glanced at the empty bed beside them, drawing Kalja's attention to it. "She made it back before you, then announced to everyone present she was starving."
That made Kalja smile and Arilyn returned the smile, but only for a moment. Her face grew deadly serious, and an icy chill washed over the younger woman. "Master? What is it?"
"Kalja, that was two days ago. You've been lost in—well, somewhere for all that time."
Kalja's face turned pale. "Two days? Why? How? I was in Cadence's head, wasn't I?"
"The mental realm is difficult to explain, even I don't understand everything about it. I can't say for sure where you've been or why it took so long."
That made Kalja smile and Arilyn returned the smile, but only for a moment. Her face grew deadly serious, and an icy chill washed over the younger woman. "Master? What is it?"
"Kalja, that was two days ago. You've been lost in—well, somewhere for all that time."
Kalja's face turned pale. "Two days? Why? How? I was in Cadence's head, wasn't I?"
"The mental realm is difficult to explain, even I don't understand everything about it. I can't say for sure where you've been or why it took so long."
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
At the mention of food, Kalja felt her own stomach rumble. She grimaced as she processed the news that Arilyn told her. “I think it’s official now, I hate the mental realm,” she declared before getting out of the bed. As soon as she put some weight on her feet, she felt herself wobble.
Arilyn was quick to steady her. “Careful. Whatever happened in there put a tremendous strain on your body. It’s fortunate that you made it out of there when you did. Can you tell me what you experienced? Cadence didn’t give me many details before she rushed off.”
Kalja stepped back and tested her ability to stand on her own. She felt weak, but it was doable. It reminded her of the aftermath of some of the more grueling training sessions she had endured under her father. Master Faye’s were a close second.
She then crossed her arms and tried to think back on the whole experience. “Where do I even begin...”
In short order, Kalja gave Arilyn a brief rundown of the false reality she had been trapped in, her fight with the mental projection of Raii Meriaz to escape it, and the confrontation and elimination of the Malichor mental clone.
It was hard for Kalja to read Arilyn’s expression after she was done, but she got the distinct impression that it had been more than the Sylarian had been expecting.
“That explains a lot,” she replied. “Without any prior experience dealing with the mental realm, you were quite fortunate to make it back as soon as you did.”
Kalja nodded. “I almost hesitate to ask, but what would you have done if we had remained trapped? Surely a half-baked mental clone couldn’t have kept you out forever.”
“There are more... intrusive... methods to enter the mental realm, but they also have a higher degree of risk of damaging the minds of the patient and the healer,” Arilyn said to her. “I wasn’t quite ready to resort to that yet, but I was considering it. The other idea would have been to fly you both back to Tython and let a Jedi with more experience with this type of thing try to bring you back.”
“In other words... my mother.”
“She would be one of the first options, yes.”
“Blaster bolt dodged on that one then,” Kalja replied with a little relief. Having to be saved by her mother would have been embarrassing enough, but to also have her rooting around in her thoughts and memories would have been even worse.
Putting the idea out of her mind, Kalja stretched and almost welcomed the pain of her muscles shouting back at her. It was a welcome distraction. “Well, I’m starving! Cadi had the right idea. Before I do anything else, I need a decent meal to get my strength back!”
Kalja then headed out the door to try and find where her apprentice had gone...
Arilyn was quick to steady her. “Careful. Whatever happened in there put a tremendous strain on your body. It’s fortunate that you made it out of there when you did. Can you tell me what you experienced? Cadence didn’t give me many details before she rushed off.”
Kalja stepped back and tested her ability to stand on her own. She felt weak, but it was doable. It reminded her of the aftermath of some of the more grueling training sessions she had endured under her father. Master Faye’s were a close second.
She then crossed her arms and tried to think back on the whole experience. “Where do I even begin...”
In short order, Kalja gave Arilyn a brief rundown of the false reality she had been trapped in, her fight with the mental projection of Raii Meriaz to escape it, and the confrontation and elimination of the Malichor mental clone.
It was hard for Kalja to read Arilyn’s expression after she was done, but she got the distinct impression that it had been more than the Sylarian had been expecting.
“That explains a lot,” she replied. “Without any prior experience dealing with the mental realm, you were quite fortunate to make it back as soon as you did.”
Kalja nodded. “I almost hesitate to ask, but what would you have done if we had remained trapped? Surely a half-baked mental clone couldn’t have kept you out forever.”
“There are more... intrusive... methods to enter the mental realm, but they also have a higher degree of risk of damaging the minds of the patient and the healer,” Arilyn said to her. “I wasn’t quite ready to resort to that yet, but I was considering it. The other idea would have been to fly you both back to Tython and let a Jedi with more experience with this type of thing try to bring you back.”
“In other words... my mother.”
“She would be one of the first options, yes.”
“Blaster bolt dodged on that one then,” Kalja replied with a little relief. Having to be saved by her mother would have been embarrassing enough, but to also have her rooting around in her thoughts and memories would have been even worse.
Putting the idea out of her mind, Kalja stretched and almost welcomed the pain of her muscles shouting back at her. It was a welcome distraction. “Well, I’m starving! Cadi had the right idea. Before I do anything else, I need a decent meal to get my strength back!”
Kalja then headed out the door to try and find where her apprentice had gone...
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Kalja was so focused on finding Cadence that it took her a moment to realize that they were back at the Halomek estate. She looked back at Arilyn with a silent question about the situation.
The white-haired healer smiled back as she guessed what was on Kalja's mind. “After I was blocked from being able to help you both in the mental realm, we moved you out of the med center and back onto the estate. Since conventional medicine wasn't going to be of any use, Master Ward insisted on bringing you here where it was more secure.”
Kalja smiled back at the explanation. Her master tended to be stoic when interacting with people outside of her family, but she was very protective of those she cared about. It was nice to see that side of her every so often.
As Kalja made her way to the stairs that led downstairs towards the kitchen, she spied Rowen and Mavelyn in a conversation on the lower level.
“C'mon, Uncle Rowen! Let me fix her up! I can make her like brand new!”
“I happen to like Mursa just the way she is,” Rowen replied. “Not everything needs to sparkle. All the little imperfections give her character. She doesn't need to be improved.”
Mav let out a groan of exasperation. “But it would be such a fun challenge! Rebuilding a vintage Y-wing like that, with how much history it has... I would do such a good job!”
Rowen turned to face his niece. “Your skills aren't in question. They just aren't needed. Mursa is retired, just like me. I want to keep her just like I remember.” He placed a hand on Mav's shoulder comfortingly. “I'll tell you what though, if you want to get your hands on a vintage Y-wing that badly, I know some people at Koensayr who could help you out.”
She sighed. “I guess... It wouldn't be as exciting as working on your fighter though.”
Rowen chuckled. “Mav, I can only hope that one day one when you're older, someone from the next generation will get it in their head that they need to completely rebuild the Blackbird without you.”
“I'd be okay with that...”
Rowen gave her a pat on the shoulder before walking away. “I suppose time will tell.”
“Speaking of ships...” Kalja spoke up as she started down the stairs. “How is the Windfall doing?”
Mav turned to look at her, her disappointment quickly changing to glee. “Kalja! Good to see you on your feet again!” She took a moment to clasp her hands together with excitement. “You. Are. Going. To. Love It! Thanks to Sasha’s help, it’s all rebuilt and running better than ever! I daresay it’s running better than it did when it came fresh off the factory lines!”
Kalja arched an eyebrow as she walked up to her. “That good?”
“I’ll show it off later,” Mav promised. “Right now, I’m guessing you want to see Cadi. She’s in the dining room and putting Talvier to work. What happened to you two in the mental realm?”
“Um... a lot...” Kalja said as she thought back on it. “Ugh, and I need to make a report about it for Tython. Let’s change the subject: How is Cassian doing?”
Mav smirked at the question. “Aside from some bumps and bruises, he’s as healthy as ever. He’s actually been doing his best to pretend he wasn’t that worried about Cadi. Just play along with it.”
Kalja did her best to suppress a chuckle. “Well, watching that develop is going to be interesting.”
Mav suddenly gave her a hug. “I think things would have turned out a lot worse if you hadn’t been here. Make sure you put that in your report too.” She then broke the hug and started walking off in the direction Rowen had been going. “You can quote me!”
There was no doubt about it. Mavelyn was her father’s daughter. Kalja shook her head in amusement before entering the dining room. There she found Cadence attacking a plate of braised Bruallki.
“Heya, kid,” Kalja greeted her. “I’d ask how you’re doing, but I think the answer is obvious.”
She looked over at Talvier. “I’ll have what she’s having, but let’s do it traditional style.”
The Ortolan nodded. “One braised Bruallki with Menkooro whiskey coming up!”
Kalja took a seat next to Cadence. “So, what did you think of your first mission?”
The white-haired healer smiled back as she guessed what was on Kalja's mind. “After I was blocked from being able to help you both in the mental realm, we moved you out of the med center and back onto the estate. Since conventional medicine wasn't going to be of any use, Master Ward insisted on bringing you here where it was more secure.”
Kalja smiled back at the explanation. Her master tended to be stoic when interacting with people outside of her family, but she was very protective of those she cared about. It was nice to see that side of her every so often.
As Kalja made her way to the stairs that led downstairs towards the kitchen, she spied Rowen and Mavelyn in a conversation on the lower level.
“C'mon, Uncle Rowen! Let me fix her up! I can make her like brand new!”
“I happen to like Mursa just the way she is,” Rowen replied. “Not everything needs to sparkle. All the little imperfections give her character. She doesn't need to be improved.”
Mav let out a groan of exasperation. “But it would be such a fun challenge! Rebuilding a vintage Y-wing like that, with how much history it has... I would do such a good job!”
Rowen turned to face his niece. “Your skills aren't in question. They just aren't needed. Mursa is retired, just like me. I want to keep her just like I remember.” He placed a hand on Mav's shoulder comfortingly. “I'll tell you what though, if you want to get your hands on a vintage Y-wing that badly, I know some people at Koensayr who could help you out.”
She sighed. “I guess... It wouldn't be as exciting as working on your fighter though.”
Rowen chuckled. “Mav, I can only hope that one day one when you're older, someone from the next generation will get it in their head that they need to completely rebuild the Blackbird without you.”
“I'd be okay with that...”
Rowen gave her a pat on the shoulder before walking away. “I suppose time will tell.”
“Speaking of ships...” Kalja spoke up as she started down the stairs. “How is the Windfall doing?”
Mav turned to look at her, her disappointment quickly changing to glee. “Kalja! Good to see you on your feet again!” She took a moment to clasp her hands together with excitement. “You. Are. Going. To. Love It! Thanks to Sasha’s help, it’s all rebuilt and running better than ever! I daresay it’s running better than it did when it came fresh off the factory lines!”
Kalja arched an eyebrow as she walked up to her. “That good?”
“I’ll show it off later,” Mav promised. “Right now, I’m guessing you want to see Cadi. She’s in the dining room and putting Talvier to work. What happened to you two in the mental realm?”
“Um... a lot...” Kalja said as she thought back on it. “Ugh, and I need to make a report about it for Tython. Let’s change the subject: How is Cassian doing?”
Mav smirked at the question. “Aside from some bumps and bruises, he’s as healthy as ever. He’s actually been doing his best to pretend he wasn’t that worried about Cadi. Just play along with it.”
Kalja did her best to suppress a chuckle. “Well, watching that develop is going to be interesting.”
Mav suddenly gave her a hug. “I think things would have turned out a lot worse if you hadn’t been here. Make sure you put that in your report too.” She then broke the hug and started walking off in the direction Rowen had been going. “You can quote me!”
There was no doubt about it. Mavelyn was her father’s daughter. Kalja shook her head in amusement before entering the dining room. There she found Cadence attacking a plate of braised Bruallki.
“Heya, kid,” Kalja greeted her. “I’d ask how you’re doing, but I think the answer is obvious.”
She looked over at Talvier. “I’ll have what she’s having, but let’s do it traditional style.”
The Ortolan nodded. “One braised Bruallki with Menkooro whiskey coming up!”
Kalja took a seat next to Cadence. “So, what did you think of your first mission?”
Pryngles
Posts: 17430
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
Cadence had just finished her meal when Kalja sat down. Turns out three days without proper food had given her quite the appetite, then another two days of worry as Kalja had yet to wake up. Arilyn had said it was harder to find your way back from the mental realm without a guide, she was impressed Cadence had made it back so quick. Then for the next two days everyone was wrought with worry afraid Kalja had been lost for good--until today. Cadence was distracted by the meal and her own thoughts, too busy to notice the other woman come in--not that she would, anyway. Her ability to sense the presence of others was rather... lacking.
"Did?" Cadence repeated, looking at her with narrowed eyes. "But it's not over, right?"
"What do you mean? We attended the party and now the party is over."
"But those guys are still out there, aren't we responsible for finding them?"
"Did?" Cadence repeated, looking at her with narrowed eyes. "But it's not over, right?"
"What do you mean? We attended the party and now the party is over."
"But those guys are still out there, aren't we responsible for finding them?"
Master of the Ninja Post
Posts: 8909
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:51 pm
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:51 pm
Location: A galaxy far, far, away...
Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
"If you know where to start looking, I'm all ears," Kalja teased her.
Cadence gave her a look that clearly showed she wasn't a fan of the joke.
Kalja smirked anyway. "Thanks to my report, the Jedi and our allies are aware of what happened. Finding the people responsible for attacking the party will probably be assigned to Jedi that specialize in tracking as well as the intelligence divisions for the Empire and the Republic."
"I suppose that makes sense..." Cadence replied, looking slightly embarrassed.
Talvier gently set down the plate of food Kalja had ordered in front of her. She began to immediately consume it.
"Don't get me wrong," Kalja managed to utter after swallowing a large mouthful of meat. "I want to find them too, but even if we did... you're not ready to face someone like the real Malichor again. You need more training."
Cadence gave her a look that clearly showed she wasn't a fan of the joke.
Kalja smirked anyway. "Thanks to my report, the Jedi and our allies are aware of what happened. Finding the people responsible for attacking the party will probably be assigned to Jedi that specialize in tracking as well as the intelligence divisions for the Empire and the Republic."
"I suppose that makes sense..." Cadence replied, looking slightly embarrassed.
Talvier gently set down the plate of food Kalja had ordered in front of her. She began to immediately consume it.
"Don't get me wrong," Kalja managed to utter after swallowing a large mouthful of meat. "I want to find them too, but even if we did... you're not ready to face someone like the real Malichor again. You need more training."
Pryngles
Posts: 17430
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
"More training sounds like a great idea," Faye said as she entered the room. She stepped up behind cadence, rested a hand on the back of her chair and turned to Kalja. "I'm sorry if this seems too forward of me, but I called Elena. In my defense you were in a coma and we had no idea when you were waking up. Either way, given the circumstances I thought it prudent we put your apprentice through one of your grandfather's accelerated training regimens."
"Accelerated training..." Cadence glanced from her to Kalja. She did not like the sound of that. "Wait, do I get a vote at all?"
"Sure, but it won't change the results," Kalja replied with a shrug. "I think it's a good idea too. I know you don't like combat, but you at least need to learn how to defend yourself. That Malichor creep tried to kidnap you for a reason. He tried it once, he'll try it again."
Cadence still didn't look happy, so Kalja decided to elaborate a little more.
"Grandpa Tulsar's accelerated training methods are still being taught because they're very effective. I think both of your parents actually went through this kind of training with the man himself." She gave Cadence a reassuring smile. "I know you can do it too. I'll be supporting you every step of the way."
"Hooray. Can't wait..." She looked between her and Faye. "Can I be excused now?"
Kalja nodded and Cadence hopped off her stool, leaving the room.
***
Faye watched her for a moment before turning to Kalja. "From everything you've told me about her, I was expecting her to be more... motivated."
"Motivated, sure. Enthusiastic..."
"That self-doubt she gets from her father? I don't see much of her mother's... temperament in her."
Kalja finished off her meal and sat back in her chair, feeling a little better now that she wasn't starving anymore. "Regardless if it's her parents or Cadi herself who is at fault for her current low estimation of herself, I'm determined to show her that she's better than she thinks she is. The trick, as I'm starting to learn, is finding the best way to go about it. There is a part of herself that wants to be better, but I think the only reason it's survived this long is because of the Sinclair nature for stubbornness."
She took a thoughtful drink of water. "The only way to beat Cadi's self-doubt is to play to her strengths. I'm hoping she'll actually like training in Soresu. It seems like a form that will fit her well. I'm even planning on taking the training along with her, as a refresher, if for no other reason than to show Cadence that her Master isn't good at everything." Kalja's expression turned to one of distaste. "By the Force, I'm really not looking forward to it. I just don't have the patience for Soresu and I don't expect Aunt Elena is going to cut me any slack."
Faye raised an eyebrow. "Would you let her?"
"Accelerated training..." Cadence glanced from her to Kalja. She did not like the sound of that. "Wait, do I get a vote at all?"
"Sure, but it won't change the results," Kalja replied with a shrug. "I think it's a good idea too. I know you don't like combat, but you at least need to learn how to defend yourself. That Malichor creep tried to kidnap you for a reason. He tried it once, he'll try it again."
Cadence still didn't look happy, so Kalja decided to elaborate a little more.
"Grandpa Tulsar's accelerated training methods are still being taught because they're very effective. I think both of your parents actually went through this kind of training with the man himself." She gave Cadence a reassuring smile. "I know you can do it too. I'll be supporting you every step of the way."
"Hooray. Can't wait..." She looked between her and Faye. "Can I be excused now?"
Kalja nodded and Cadence hopped off her stool, leaving the room.
***
Faye watched her for a moment before turning to Kalja. "From everything you've told me about her, I was expecting her to be more... motivated."
"Motivated, sure. Enthusiastic..."
"That self-doubt she gets from her father? I don't see much of her mother's... temperament in her."
Kalja finished off her meal and sat back in her chair, feeling a little better now that she wasn't starving anymore. "Regardless if it's her parents or Cadi herself who is at fault for her current low estimation of herself, I'm determined to show her that she's better than she thinks she is. The trick, as I'm starting to learn, is finding the best way to go about it. There is a part of herself that wants to be better, but I think the only reason it's survived this long is because of the Sinclair nature for stubbornness."
She took a thoughtful drink of water. "The only way to beat Cadi's self-doubt is to play to her strengths. I'm hoping she'll actually like training in Soresu. It seems like a form that will fit her well. I'm even planning on taking the training along with her, as a refresher, if for no other reason than to show Cadence that her Master isn't good at everything." Kalja's expression turned to one of distaste. "By the Force, I'm really not looking forward to it. I just don't have the patience for Soresu and I don't expect Aunt Elena is going to cut me any slack."
Faye raised an eyebrow. "Would you let her?"
Master of the Ninja Post
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Re: Exodus Legacy: Unusual Business
“I might be tempted...” Kalja joked with a bit of a grin.
Before either woman could say anything else, Sigarr walked into the room. He was dressed in a business suit, but instead of his usual black jacket and red REC lapel pins, it was almost the reverse with a red jacket and black REC pins. He was still smoothing out the fabric before he struck a pose in front of Faye.
“Well?” he asked. “What do you think?”
Faye walked up and gave him a kiss. “Very festive.”
Kalja raised an eyebrow. “It’s certainly eye-catching. What’s the occasion?”
Sigarr grinned. “It’s for the company Life Day party. With RECSec still compromised, I had to make some other arrangements for security, but I wasn’t about to cancel this event. The employees look forward to it all year and I’m not about to be intimidated by acts of terrorism.”
Kalja barely heard most of what Sigarr said after his first sentence as she stood up in alarm. “It’s Life Day already!?”
“Not for another week,” Sigarr corrected her. “Don’t worry, I spoke with your mom about it. You and Cadence will be spending the holiday with us. You still need to recover and Cadence’s family are actually all away from Tython at the moment. It’ll be nice. Not only are Rowen, Sara, and mom still here, but Elena will also be with us.” Sigarr was positively beaming as he hooked a loving arm around Faye’s waist. “This will be the largest Life Day gathering we’ve had at this house in quite a few years.”
Before either woman could say anything else, Sigarr walked into the room. He was dressed in a business suit, but instead of his usual black jacket and red REC lapel pins, it was almost the reverse with a red jacket and black REC pins. He was still smoothing out the fabric before he struck a pose in front of Faye.
“Well?” he asked. “What do you think?”
Faye walked up and gave him a kiss. “Very festive.”
Kalja raised an eyebrow. “It’s certainly eye-catching. What’s the occasion?”
Sigarr grinned. “It’s for the company Life Day party. With RECSec still compromised, I had to make some other arrangements for security, but I wasn’t about to cancel this event. The employees look forward to it all year and I’m not about to be intimidated by acts of terrorism.”
Kalja barely heard most of what Sigarr said after his first sentence as she stood up in alarm. “It’s Life Day already!?”
“Not for another week,” Sigarr corrected her. “Don’t worry, I spoke with your mom about it. You and Cadence will be spending the holiday with us. You still need to recover and Cadence’s family are actually all away from Tython at the moment. It’ll be nice. Not only are Rowen, Sara, and mom still here, but Elena will also be with us.” Sigarr was positively beaming as he hooked a loving arm around Faye’s waist. “This will be the largest Life Day gathering we’ve had at this house in quite a few years.”
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