Star Wars: Rise of the Sith [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

Tython was a gorgeous planet of two moons and one sun. It may as well have been the center of the universe, now. From Tython was the Jedi Order, where it had started and where, many now believed, it would end.


“Knight Altair!”


Most, of course, did not believe it would end. It was to last forever, the way this old, old planet had. It was rich in life, and so, rich in the Force. The life even grew in the Jedi Temple, where two Jedi now stood.


One was a man with a confident swagger and an easy smile that carried to his green eyes. He shook his head, letting his black hair brush by his ear with each movement. ‘Too long.’ Came the thought, unbidden, as he felt that rustling. His attire matched his hair, with a black tunic, slacks, and boots, underneath a beige robe. “What are you doing here? We’re supposed to be at the docks.”


The woman he addressed stood with her back to him, and could have been his polar opposite. Her hair cascaded in waves of red to the small of her back, and no smile was on her face. She was staring up at the face of an old Jedi Master carved in stone, her purple eyes reverent, her hands clasped in front of her, every nail painted a different color. The attire she wore was not standard, but a dress of translucent silks covered her, the colors of a sun rise.


“I came to seek guidance, Knight Proteus,” came her answer, before she dropped her eyes and turned to him, a smile growing on her lips, “Where is the little one?”


“At the starship, of course. You’re late, and I came to get you. Now, are we going to Nox or aren’t we?”


“Mm, Master Ergas really needs two knights for this?”


“Apparently.”


His answer caused the woman to put a hand on her hip and to cant her head. She waited. He shook his head again and smiled, “I am sure that I could handle it alone, but with the padawan along we must take additional precautions.”


“Uh huh, sure,” and the woman walked towards him and put an arm around his shoulders as she started to walk to the exit of the temple. It dragged him down none; she was only a couple of inches shorter than his height of 5'11". “Admit it: you can’t do it without me, Manx.” She made the gesture for the Jedi Mind Trick, but Manx felt no force behind her words. He knew she was just playing, and so he played along.


“I can’t do it without you Dawn,” he repeated, as if under the Jedi Mind Trick. Her smile became impish then, and he rolled his eyes. “We’ll be back in half an hour, then you can go back to your lover.”


The statement caused a peel of laughter to escape the woman, and Manx just kept a grin on his face all the while they walked. “Hardly, love,” she said, “You know you’re the only one for me.”


“Am I? Then why do I feel so jealous?” They played at this, all the time. They were Jedi; lovers was a ridiculous idea for them. The Code forbade it.


“Because even you feel insecure around him. Why else take his name?”


Manx grinned, “You did, too.” It made them siblings in the Force, at least in his mind.


It was one of the many things that bonded them, their reverence for Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi who recognized the Chosen One. Not that many liked to talk of Anakin Skywalker in that way, but those two did. They were also from the same group of Younglings, though Dawn came from Naboo, and Manx came from Coruscant. Both, on their day of initiation to becoming padawans, took the name ‘Jinn’. So she was Dawn Jinn Altair, and he was Manx Jinn Proteus.


The docks was not a far walk from the temple, but the two still arrived with their arms around each other. Ergas gave them such a disgusted look. “I trust she was not difficult to find?” Ergas had no love for Dawn, for her loud clothing and questions, for her ‘abuse’ of the Force as he termed some of her play.


“She was communing with Qui-Gon,” Manx confirmed, “As I suspected. We’ll be on our way now, and back with the child.”


The Cerean man just wrinkled his nose, which had the effect of wrinkling his forehead, making him look quite severe. His gray eyes hardened. “Do take care,” he advised. “I will be waiting for you three near the academy.”


“Of course, Master Ergas. We will take extreme care.” Manx did all the talking, and then disentangled himself from Dawn before walking to the ramp of their ship, expecting his padawan was already safely inside. Dawn followed right after him, a skip in her step, as if she’d scored some victory.


Manx didn’t even want to ask. Her rivalry with the Cerean was one of the many reasons she hadn't been entrusted with a padawan of her own, despite her skill with the Force.

 

[Allcure]

Lyra sat patiently at the communications console, holding her new lightsaber in her hands. Up until a week ago she had only been permitted to use a training lightsaber provided to her by the order, now she had her own, constructed by her own hand of course. The cylindrical casing of the weapon was a dull grey, sleek with intricate patterns carved into the metal. Lyra had always had an artistic side and decided that since the weapon would become her entire life, it was an aspect of her character that the saber should express. The handle itself was slightly curved to fit more ergonomically into her hand. The blade emitter was thinner than most. The weapon as a whole was reminiscent of the fallen Jedi Count Dooku's, from which Lyra took inspiration upon reading of his great skills as a duellist during her studies. Whilst her masters had been sceptical at first she was satisfied with the final product and they with her ability with the weapon.


Fiddling with the various components that made up the weapon, Lyra noted the day marked a week since she had constructed her weapon, and more importantly been assigned to Master Proteus. She had yet to truly form an opinion on the jedi, of course she was in awe at his proficiency and skill he had portrayed in the few moment he had had spare to teach her, though as a person Lyra felt she still had much more to learn of the man. Today too marked her first official meeting of Master Altair, though from the amount that Master Proteus talked about her Lyra felt like she knew her at least a little bit already.


Biting her lip Lyra glanced at a vacant screen on the console, her reflection greeting her gaze. The girl possessed thick tumbling jet black hair which she currently had tied up in two high pigtails which sat atop her head. When worn down, the dark locks easily reached the small of her back.. She had a large side bang that often obscured her left eye though had been pinned in place in order to retain a more professional look. Lyra simultaneously loved, and hated her hair which was often more hassle than it was worth. She possesses a pair of large, deep green eyes, framed in thick dark lashes. Her skin is smooth and relatively pale in colour, a product of her heritage as a daughter of the snowy planet, Ando Prime. She wore a baggy beige tunic, reaching down to the tops of her thighs, held against her body by a thick brown belt. A pair of tight white leggings covered her bottom half completed by a pair of knee high, brown leather boots. The ability to purchase her own clothes after leaving the Jedi Temple was a blessing in itself. A traditional brown, Jedi's robe hung on the back of her chair.


She already felt nervous, she had done for the entire week so far but now she was facing her first official meeting alongside her new Master, the retrieval of a youngling. She was conflicted by the idea. She knew it was right, necessary for the continued glory of the Jedi Order but for some reason she couldn't shake off a sense of unease. It was an emotion she met with often when contemplating her teachings though as with all the times prior she swept it aside, clearing her mind. Emotions were a tricky subject for Jedi, best avoided all together. Lyra shivered unconsciously, awaiting her new Master.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Well, aren’t you the nervous one.”


Manx shot Dawn a testy look as she spoke first, when the two Jedi Knights walked into the ship and Lyra came into sight of both. “Were you not?”


“You would have to ask my Master,” Dawn was giving nothing away, and she swept ahead of him as if the padawan were hers to greet and teach, rather than the other way around. He let her; there would be no stopping her. With a wave of his hand, he lifted the door of the ship to seal them into it. “Why, you do look quite like Manx, don’t you?”


The same dark hair, the same gorgeous green eyes. “Do you come from Coruscant, too, little one?”


“She does not,” Manx answered, and then moved to be nearer. He crossed his arm over the back of his padawan’s seat, “Padawan Un-Haku, this is Knight Dawn Jinn Altair,” though she knew that already, he still had to perform the formalities, “Dawn, this is my padawan, Lyra Un-Haku.”


“Really?” She feigned surprise, as if she hadn’t just been so interested in the young one because she was a padawan. A hand flew to her chest to cover her beating heart, “Oh, Knight Proteus, are you sure you’re ready for such a responsibility? I mean, you’re so young, so…handsome…a young Jedi girl such as this might—” he reached to slap the back of her head as he moved to take his seat in the pilot’s chair, but she ducked it with laughter.


“Don’t learn from her. There’s a reason she does not have a padawan learner.” As he said it, he took his seat and started to fiddle with the controls in front of him to turn the ship on and get them moving.


Dawn took no offense, but offered her hand to the young woman, “Hello there, I promise I’m not as bad an influence as he may have told you. He turned out fine, after all,” debatable, perhaps, but most Jedi seemed to think that Manx had turned out perfectly fine under the tutelage of his Master. “What has you so nervous?” Her eyes sought the answer in Lyra’s own green ones.


She could not read minds—well, she could get surface thoughts and ideas, but she could not truly invade minds the way the Sith were known to do, but goodness knew she tried. Even then, she tried to probe beyond the surface anxieties to see what laid beyond those eyes.


Reckless, indeed. Always, always, reckless.

 

[Allcure]

Lyra jumped at the sound of Dawn's question, not expecting the two jedi to creep up on her so soundlessly. Then again it was probably something they trained for. Still, Lyra fumbled with her lightsaber, catching it before it could clatter to the ground. Her pale face erupted in a brilliant scarlet as blood rushed to her cheeks and she looked downward at her feet, initially avoiding Dawn's piercing gaze. The woman possessed something of an intimidating presence. Quickly holstering her weapon on her belt, Lyra spun to face the two jedi, hoping her embarrassment wasn't too obvious. She looked wide eyed up at the two Jedi as Manx completed the formal introductions. She looked Dawn over as her master talked, somewhat overwhelmed by the woman's vibrant attire and equally vibrant personality. It was fascinating, most jedi at the temple were calm, reserved folk with a few exceptions of course but nothing quite as deviant as the figure in front of her.


Lyra remained silent during the introductions bowing her head as she was introduced and allowing her master to answer Dawn's questions. The similarity between her and Master Proteus had been something that had escaped her notice until Dawn pointed it out. Indeed they retained many of the same features, though of course differences could be seen between them. Her thoughts were interrupted by Dawn's comment on Manx's good looks. Again another aspect that had alluded her, she put her lack of observance down to her nerves and made a mental not to pay more attention to her surroundings. Though once Dawn pointed it out, Lyra couldn't help but notice that her master was indeed relatively attractive, a thought she quickly dismissed returning her attention to the conversation at hand.


Unsure of whether or not her master was being serious in his comments to avoid following Dawn's example, Lyra smiled meekly assuming it was a joke. She released a short laugh before taking Dawn's hand and speaking for the first time. "It is a pleasure to meet you Knight Altair, as for my nerves... I really couldn't say this whole situation is quite new to me." Lyra answered, returning Dawn's piercing gaze, fighting against the instinct to look away. She felt a murmur in the force as the eye contact continued followed by a sense of unease prompting her to finally break away, turning to face her master. Brushing off the sensation she bit her lip before expressing her concerns. "Master I was wondering, are we expecting resistance on this mission?" She asked innocently. The question came to mind to her earlier that day when she realised that Dawn would be accompanying them. Three jedi... Well two and a half jedi seemed a bit overkill to her. Though the idea of opposition was far from unappealing to the young padawan, she had yet to have a chance to stretch her wings on the field of battle and wished to do much more than just look at her lightsaber.

 

[Lucyfer]

Emotions had a way of touching the Force and making it ripple, each life altering the Force around the individual. Most ripples were hardly noticeable, and so the Force remained unperturbed as a whole, but near a person the fluctuations of the individual could be noticed.


Dawn was pleased to see how her words disturbed the Force around the young woman. ‘Much training lies ahead of you, I see.’ She could not hide her smile, as the Force between them pulled at the other’s thoughts and brought them forward.


Yes, Manx was handsome, wasn’t he?


And all of this was quite new. Lyra was an honest soul, it seemed, and Dawn was appreciative of that. Manx didn’t need someone as deviant as her to try and train.


When the eye contact broke, so did the flow of thoughts, and Dawn let go of Lyra’s hand, “Don’t worry, young one. All will be well,” she consoled, before she took her own seat behind Manx and Lyra. It was Lyra who needed to learn, after all, and that meant how to pilot. Dawn would not interfere, though she imagined this was more of an observational mission than anything. Not much would be expected of Lyra.


Her question was a good one, though.


Manx did not lie, “Yes, we are,” he informed her as the ship finally started to move, and to rise, from the docking bay. “The individuals have already been approached by the Jedi Order to release the infant to us, to no avail. The last ones sent were fired upon.”


“And they fled,” Dawn noted.


Manx nodded, “They were quite young and not prepared for violence, but they escaped in good condition,” Manx said as the light of the city faded. “It should not escalate to violence with two Jedi Knights, however…we are prepared if it does.” He had his own saber, he had seen Lyra brought hers along, and Dawn was rarely without her own lightsaber. Though, hopefully, the Force would be enough to disarm and dissuade.


“Have you ever been to Nox before?” Manx changed the subject. He was not certain how much traveling the padawans got, so he was not sure how prepared Lyra was to go onto this planet. It was famed for its manufacturing plants, and also, its pollution. That’s how the infant was noticed, though…the Force around her created life in the desolate world.

 

[Allcure]

Lyra took solace in Dawn's words, smiling as the older woman moved to her seat. Lyra was rapidly forming a positive opinion on the jedi knight, admiring her confidence. She found herself trying to imagine Dawn in her shoes and came to a swift conclusion. Even as a padawan Dawn probably exuded confidence, an obvious improvement on Lyra's timid nature. One thing was for sure, just because Master Proteus was her teacher in the matters of the jedi, doesn't mean Lyra should ignore the example Dawn set with her personality. Confidence wasn't against the jedi code, as long as it was moderated. Lyra decided she would watch both of the jedi closely and learn what she could.


Lyra turned to face the controls of the ship, making small adjustments in preparation for take off. She had been taught the basics of piloting as part of her earlier training though she had yet to fly a ship of this size so was grateful she only acted as co-pilot. The actions required little attention and Lyra nonchalantly aided in the ship's take off, taking note of her master's words as the craft floated into the air. She was both excited and nervous by the news that the family had initially fought back against the jedi. It meant there was potential for Lyra to show her proficiency in combat and hopefully impress her new master. But it also meant there was potential for Lyra to get injured or even die. The thought was daunting to say the least. Lyra had excelled in her lightsaber classes though she new her nerves could get the better of her, all it took was a simple mistake blocking blaster fire to find herself in a sticky situation. Manx's assurance that it was unlikely to come to blows did little to balm Lyra's nerves on the matter. 'I'm sure the first group of Jedi thought the same.' She thought to herself, reminding herself to remain on guard. Lyra struggled to understand why anyone would want to stop their child becoming a jedi, it was for the good of the galaxy that the jedi performed their role. Keeping their child from the order was selfish. Though again Lyra was met by a sense of unease, a feeling that something was wrong with the situation, a tugging at her moral compass. Once again she swiftly brushed it aside.


"Me? Been to Nox?" Lyra responded after briefly pausing at the question. "I have never even been off of Typhon yet, with the exception of my time before I was chosen to join the order." Lyra had no memory of her home planet though had studied it thoroughly in the jedi archives. Fascinated by the world she had little connection to. No, the entire idea of visiting different worlds was intoxicating to the young girl, something she had dreamed about for as long as she could remember.

 

[Lucyfer]

Manx left opportunities for Lyra to contribute to the ship’s flight, careful not to do everything though it was his instinct to do so. Lyra would have to learn, and many learned by doing. He was not yet sure which method worked best for Lyra. He had learned through observation, carefully watching and listening to everything around him.


‘This is always a journey.’ One of learning and growth for both Master and Padawan. There was always something the new Jedi could teach the old.


“Never?” Manx found himself echoing when Lyra informed him she had not left. He clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. “Not only are they keeping younglings longer, they’re letting you do less,” his dissatisfaction was evident.


Lyra was older than either he or Dawn had been on becoming padawans. Both around the age of 16, had graduated to padawan. Nowadays, the norm was closer to 20, which made things strange. Manx was not far in age from Lyra, after all, yet already he had so much more experience.


“Nox is a heavily polluted planet,” Dawn said, deciding to educate a bit since Manx seemed distracted by his frustration. “It has been a planet of industry for centuries. Millennia. Little grows there, life is only made possible through imports, ever since the domes of the manufacturing plants let the pollution leak into the atmosphere.”


“The people there don’t…understand the Force,” Manx said, “we believe that is why they are resistant. They cannot see the Force, every day, as we do. They do not feel it nor understand it.” Though the Jedi had a presence everywhere, it was still difficult for people on planets such as Nox to understand how important the Force was, and how dangerous it could become if a Force sensitive was not properly trained.


Manx then looked away from the space before them, “Why don’t you put us into hyperdrive? I have the coordinates already set.”

 

[Allcure]

Lyra flicked several switches, first lifting up the landing gear, initiating the engines and raising the shields, it never paid to be too careful. She was glad to be in the pilot's seat again. "Not once, the closest I've ever been to leaving Typhon was fighter pilot training in the upper atmosphere" Lyra answered her master, somewhat distracted by the stunning view of the ground disappearing beneath them as they first left the planet's surface, then atmosphere behind. Flight classes were always one of the favourite parts of Lyra's training. It was one of the rare moments Lyra wasn't stuck within the temple walls, free from the strict control of her jedi masters. She had to remind herself that she was now truly free, or at least freer than before. Master Proteus appeared much more lenient than jedi she had encountered before but she was far from making any lasting judgements of her new master.


As they rose steadily, Lyra listened intently to what Dawn had to say about their destination. A sadness swelled in her heart as she imagined a planet void of life. Whilst she had been condemned to live on Typhon it was hardly a harsh sentence. The planet overflowed with vibrant life, surrounded by all manners of flora and fauna. With life came the force, surrounding it all, an ideal place for a jedi temple. Her sadness was only amplified by the concept of a life void of the force. She couldn't imagine living without it's influence. This is why she needed further training, she reminded herself. They could teach her all they wanted on Typhon but it was no substitute for experience.


Lyra was torn from he thoughts by the scene unfolding outside the cockpit window. The pale blue of the sky was slowly giving way to the vast blackness of space, littered with the twinkling of countless stars. Lyra stared wide eyed at the spectacle in front of her, giddy with excitement of finally being free of the planet beneath her. She was so entranced by the view of the stars before her she barely heard Manx's words, taking a few extra moments to order the words in her head. "Uh, me? I mean... Of course master!" Lyra stuttered reaching for the lever which had been strictly off limits during her training. A smile spread across her face as she pulled the lever down with a satisfying thud and the very stars around her seemed to blur.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lyra’s emotions were so easy to read. It was clear the young padawan would need lessons in keeping them calm, or else keeping them close to heart. It would be bad if someone with ill intentions could read her emotions as easily as she displayed them, and knew how to get under her skin, to the irrational heart.


Yet, her emotions moved fluidly, rapidly, from sorrow towards excitement, and the reason was evident in the stimuli presented to her. Space laid before them, and it was gorgeous. Dawn almost pitied the fact they had to be on their way so soon, but she did want this mission to be over with, quick. ‘It shouldn’t even need us.’ But, of course, this was an exception.


She and Manx shared a look as the girl eagerly went about setting them up for the hyperdrive, and then Manx looked back to her. “We’ll go slow through space another day,” he promised her, “and I’ll take you to Coruscant one day.”


Coruscant was a gorgeous planet in its own right, even if a lot of its beauty was manufactured in the tall building and neon lights, as well as the shows that were put on. It would be a new beauty for the padawan to experience and cherish, and he hoped one day, she would find beauty in all things. See the Force in all things, even in planets like Nox.


Dawn leaned back in her seat and shut her eyes. Manx did not leave pulling out of hyperdrive to her, but did so just as soon as the ‘ding’ happened. “Always listen for that,” he told her, “even on a ship in autopilot, it is good to do this manually, lest you overshoot or there is a flaw,” and so with a push of the lever, he brought the ship out of hyperdrive before the gray planet, with its clouded atmosphere.


“Dawn, do you mind?”


Dawn opened her eyes, “Not at all,” and she rose, “I suspect we’re doing this by hologram?”


“Yes, that would be best.”


They’d see that Dawn didn’t look a Jedi, and there was no need to identify themselves as such when they first entered. It was deceit, and he knew it, but he wanted to spare as many as possible and he did not know how far the support this family had went.


Dawn rose and gave a nod to Lyra, “We’ll be landing soon. Follow all of his instructions, now,” she smiled, and walked off.


If this were by radio, she could have remained, but hologram communications were done in another room.


When she left, Manx flicked a switch. It would carry Dawn’s voice to the cockpit, so they knew what she was saying.


~***~


Dawn came to sit in the holobooth and smirked a bit as she saw the light there illuminate to let her know Manx was spying. She heard the flickering as the radio connected to their ship.


“This is Nox Security, please state your name and purpose, Starship.”


Dawn pressed a button, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to communicate via hologram. I have a holobooth here, and I am speaking from it now.”


“Roger. We’ll have that connected in a moment.”


Dawn let the smirk fade then. Best if it wasn’t seen—not that it would matter. There was one more advantage here. When she could see them, she could use the Force to persuade them to her wishes.

 

[Allcure]

Lyra nodded somewhat embarrassed by her excitement after seeing how nonchalant her master and Dawn were by the whole ordeal. Though despite the embarrassment, she still retained a muted smirk on her lips. She was doing it, Typhon was being left behind her and her future ay a head of her, one she was rapidly speeding towards. She was surprised to find an under layer of sadness amongst her swirling emotions. Although she was glad to be free of Typhon it was all she's ever known, her home. Lyra consoled herself with the knowledge that she would inevitably return, focusing instead ahead of them as they barrelled through hyperspace.


Lyra nodded eagerly as her master mentioned a visit to Coruscant. The planet had played a big part in Lyra's studies being the capital of almost every major galactic power in the last century. She had read tales and even poetry of it's beauty and had always dreamed of visiting the planet with it's spiralling peaks and towers. Lyra kept her eye on the datascreens in front of her, checking their progress and preparing to take them out of hyperspace. Though half a second before she could make the necessary adjustments a ding sounded throughout the cockpit and Master Proteus beat her to it. He then proceeded to lecture her on the subject as if she had no idea of what to do. Lyra waited for him to look away before rolling her eyes, of course they had taught her how to exit hyperspace, though secretly she was a little glad Manx had taken control, she didn't have complete faith in her own abilities yet and would hate to end her first mission smeared across a hillside.


Lyra witnessed the back and forth between Manx and Dawn confused as to it's purpose. She listened to Dawn's parting words, somewhat puzzled. "Relax, following Master Proteus' instructions is pretty much my job description" She jested, slumping in her chair and watching the swirling planet beneath them. Lyra listened to Dawn over the comms, again confused to her intentions, this time deciding to voice her opinions. "Master, do we really need clearance to land? I mean we're jedi, even if some of the people of Nox dislike us their government infrastructure must approve of the order?"

 

[Lucyfer]

“It is always advisable to get clearance to land, even on planets like Tython. Nox is a planet that has high security in its landing docks, in part because a lot of trade goes through here to keep the people alive. They must import much of their food and water,” Manx spoke in a bored tone, since there was nothing exciting about it, “So all traders have to announce what they are carrying, so the planet can keep ample tabs on what they need. All travelers must state their purpose if they are not bringing goods,” he lifted one shoulder in a shrug, as the conversation of Dawn and security continued.


“Even if it were not so strict, it is in your best interests to always seek clearance. One who enters a dock without warning is viewed as hiding something,” he shot a glance her way, “and you would not want to appear suspicious, would you?” and then he chuckled, “Or to start shooting at your ship because they do not know you are Jedi.”


The Jedi should have nothing to hide. This was not always true in practice, but they always sought to be as honest as they could. Some things, however, came before honesty. Like peace.


~***~


It did not take long before the hologram of the security officer was before Dawn, “Good day,” Dawn inclined her head in respect, “My name is Dawn Jinn Altair, I am a Knight of the Jedi Order, with Knight Manx Jinn Proteus, and his padawan, Lyra,” her surname, and her initiation name, slipped Dawn’s mind.


“What is your business here, Jedi? We do not have any problems that require a knight, let alone two.”


“I assure you, we are not here to cause any problems. We are here only to take a Force-sensitive child to the Temple on Tython.”


“Oh, not this shit again,” the security officer muttered.


His expression gave away his intentions, and Dawn acted before he could deny, “You will let us land on Nox, won’t you?” The gesture itself would be unseen on the projection, but the Force moved under her whim. The ‘won’t you’ was also added to mask the persuasive art she was using, making it seem a question when her statement had been laced with an order.


The man straightened. He did not repeat it back, word for word—no, Dawn had learned the arts of subtlety to be on par with her idol, Qui-Gon. He could make people agree with him without having them echo back his own words. “Yes, you may enter. The docking bay will open its doors for you.”


“Thank you.” With that, Dawn turned off the projection, and rose to return to the cockpit.

 

[Allcure]

Lyra listened to her Master's words, feeling stupid for asking once her queries were explained. Manx's bored tone only worked to amplify the emotion. What he said made perfect sense though LYra did wonder if it made more sense to undergo this mission somewhat more covertly. If they were expecting resistance, perhaps a smarter idea would be to arrive unannounced. Though Lyra had to remind herself that planets were big places and it was pretty unlikely whatever security officer that was trying to interrogate, unsuccessfully, Lyra added in her head, would even know who they were after let alone warn them. Still Lyra couldn't shake off the uncomfortable feeling that accompanied their head on approach. She felt a little better when her master's tone lifted to a more light-hearted one, joining him with a nervous chuckle. "Regardless master, I've got a bad feeling about this."


Lyra continued to listen as Dawn's conversation came to a close. "Was that really necessary?" Lyra asked, referring to Dawn's use of jedi mind tricks. She had always been uncomfortable with the idea of invading someone else's mind, even for the purposes of good.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Was that really necessary?’


Story of Dawn’s life. “Dawn does not use the Force when necessary,” he said it louder, because he heard Dawn approaching. The woman arched an eyebrow, and Manx just smiled, though his attention went back to steering the ship into the docking bay. “My padawan is as impressed with your reckless use of the Force as Master Ergas.”


Dawn’s response was simple: “He was going to deny us. Others would have heard that denial. Getting in would be difficult after that, even if he consented.”


The universe knew what Jedi were capable of, and Dawn slid easily into her seat. Not all could recognize when it was used, but if the officer disagreed first, and then suddenly agreed, the suspicion would be there. “This, Lyra, is why I say do not mimic her.”


“This is why I’m here,” Dawn spoke hotly, but her emotions didn’t so much as ripple the Force. “I am abnormal. They don’t like your kind, Mr. Tradition, that’s why we’re having trouble.”


Manx kept the smile on his lips; it didn’t falter at all. There were layers here his padawan was not ready to face, rules of the Order she would pick up on in time, and philosophies that he was not sure she was ready to grapple with, yet.


There was a reason Dawn was here, yes. A reason she was a Knight, and a reason she would never be a Master—yet, perhaps, posthumously, in the way Qui-Gon Jinn was. The genius, or the lack of it, was yet to be seen.


They were allowed into the docking bay without trouble, and Manx parked the ship.

 

[Allcure]

Lyra smirked at the back and forth between the two jedi knights. The two of them seemed to have a close relationship and Lyra felt a sense of belonging alongside the two jedi she couldn't quite explain. She had been around jedi all her life yet none had seemed quite as relaxed and care free around one another as Manx and Dawn did. She felt welcome among their ranks and not for the first time thanked her luck that she had been assigned to Master Proteus and not some other Master with a love for protocol. She had had a few friends at the temple, fellow younglings, the librarian was always kind to her yet she had always felt distant to them somehow. Now she felt at home. She looked over at her Master out of the corner of her eye, catching sight of his smile which somehow widened her own and for whatever reason made her slightly light headed.Yeah, she was going to enjoy this whole padawan thing.


Lyra's attention transferred to the scene in front of her as they flew through the thick pollution that blanketed the planet. She had considered Dawn's justification for using mind tricks and whilst she was still uncomfortable with the idea she saw it's usefulness. Lyra remained cautious though, regardless of Dawn's senior rank Master Proteus still criticised her actions, and warned against idolising the older woman. Though at this point, Lyra couldn't help herself.


Lyra aided with the landing and let out an audible sigh as the ship touched down, rising to her feet before hesitating to don the traditional jedi cloak that hung on the back of her chair. "Are we just going to walk up to them and ask? Or do you have a plan Master?" She asked directing the question at Manx. She had no doubt in Dawn's capabilities, though saw Manx as the more organised of the two.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Dawn?” Manx turned it over to her.


She did the gesture, but there was no push behind it as she said, “We are going to walk up to them and ask for the infant.”


He smirked, “We are going to walk up to them and ask for the infant,” he repeated, and had to dodge a slap to the top of his head, which he wasn’t fully successful at. Her hand hit the top of his arm as he ducked under it, and then Dawn wheeled on her heel and started towards the exit of the ship. Manx rose, stretched, “I am hoping that is all that we will need. When they see our lightsabers, they will not be inclined to fight.”


That was the reason Knights were sent. Knights meant business. A Knight to a “peaceful” negotiation meant that the treaty needed to be signed, or else. It was a universal promise that not going along with the idea of peace, would spell a foul end, “Our only other option is to take the infant by force, for we are not going to simply steal it in the dead of night.”


No, that was…dishonest.


He could hear the ramp lowering, “Here,” he took a metal box from his pocket and offered it to Lyra. “That is our map, we will need it to locate the infant. It should show the way from this dock, to their home. I hope it is in walking distance….”


He was pretty sure it was, though. If not, well…Dawn would just persuade someone to lend them a speeder.