An almost secret mission

[Writer]

"Could drive a fist into your face," Tay muttered, knowing that even if she decided to try, her fist would be stopped by Valgo's use of the Force.

 

Settle down, Tay, a voice echoed faintly in Tay's mind. It was not unfamiliar to her, but she never knew when it would come up or what it would say. You don't need to let him annoy you. The annoyance is your choice. Choose differently.

 

Tay took a deep breath and nodded, letting it out slowly. "But I'll not likely do that..."

 

Good, the voice told her. Getting angry at him for something you cannot change will do no good. You learn quickly.

 

((The voice in Tay's head is Riebe, but I'd like it if Valgo and Strider only understand that Tay is being spoken to... not who's speaking. In fact, they probably can't even hear what's being said. And it's because of Riebe that Valgo couldn't make any sense of Tay's thoughts... next time he tries, he'll hear a voice saying, No, no, Valgo. Not this one, you don't. At that point, he may realize that Riebe is responsible for his failure.))

[Black Knight of Keno]

"The force is strong with you, Tay, but it is not because of yourself. You have a guardian angel, it seems" Valgo said as he still had his eyes closed. He took a deep breath in and consulted the force quickly before opening his eyes again. Now that the jedi order was no longer intact, he had become more of a grey jedi than before, even if he and Emukiel were always more grey than the order would've wanted. Valgo waited for a moment before grinning again.

 

"Riebe has grown strong" he said before standing up.

"Excuse me" he said as he retreated into the next room, a smaller room. He cleared some room and then sat on the floor to meditate. He closed his eyes and swiftly fel into deep meditation. He searched far and wide, trying to locate the source where Reibe was contacting Tay from.

 

"You're training her, aren't you?" he said quietly, aside from meditation and smiled.

"Palpatine must sense you, for you use much of your power to keep a connection with Tay. Why cannot I sense you?" he asked, again aloud instead of in his head, meaning the words for himself instead of her

[Writer]

I am training her, Riebe agreed, her voice echoing inside Valgo's head. I have been for a few years now. And despite my aparrent betrayal of the Jedi, Palpatine at least now knows I was never his ally.

 

A fuzzy image of Riebe appeared near Valgo and she turned to face him. "Projection of images through the Force," she explained. "A handy thing to know at times. I can't stay long, or Palpatine will discover my location."

 

There was a short pause before she continued. "Get Strider in here. I need to speak to both of you."

[Black Knight of Keno]

Valgo looked at Riebe's image for a while before nodding. He stood up and walked to the door, opening it. He looked at Strider and nodded.

"Strider, get in here. I want to speak with you" he called out and looked quickly inside the room before looking back at Strider

[Flamehart]

Strider raised his eyebrows. He didn't quite respond well to these kind of orders, except for when he was around Riebe, but something felt different. He sensed something, and decided to let this guide his decision. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, and almost jumped when he saw Riebe's image before him. He was aware of the projection of images using the Force and found it interesting, but never quite fancied it himself. There was something about projecting his image to another person he just wasn't quite fond of, and Riebe probably knew this from her time with him as a Sith Hunter.

 

"Well, this is quite a surprise," he said upon seeing Riebe's image. Strider looked at Valgo, then back at Riebe's image. "So what's going on? What needs to be discussed?" he asked.

[Writer]

"It's about Tay," Riebe answered. "And I need to make it quick."

 

Her image flickered slightly as if to emphasize her point. "I've been monitoring my descendants for several hundred years," she said. "And occasionally, I find that some of them are..." she paused thoughtfully. "Force magnets, if you will. They attract Force sensitives. It's likely why Angak, Tay, and Strider ended up in the same place."

 

She turned to Strider. "You've felt it, haven't you? There's an unexplainable draw coming from Tay. It's attracted you like a fly is attracted to the light."

 

Turning to Valgo, she went on. "And you've felt it too, I'm sure, now that you're close to her."

 

She sighed. "There is another... a distant cousin of Tay who's the same way, but I've left her in good hands. I follow Tay now, shielding her as best I can from the Emperor's sights. I know that, if he finds her or her cousin, he'll use them brutally to bring out of hiding the remaining Jedi. I can't have that."

 

There was a short silence before she continued. "But Valgo, as you said earlier, the Emperor knows of me. He's putting a good deal of energy toward finding me and it won't be long before he manages that." Turning back to the two men, she nodded. "So I need to go deeper into hiding."

 

She began pacing. "I've already secured Jana... she's safe for now. But Tay is another matter. She's too enthralled with the idea of rebelling against the Empire. Without protection, she'll not only give away the location of the Rebels... she'll draw all Jedi out of hiding and to the Emperor."

 

"I need you both to watch over her," she finished. "To hide her magnetism as best you can. Will you do this?"

[Flamehart]

Strider nodded and responded in a firm voice, "Of course I will Riebe, you know I wouldn't refuse a request from you. If it would helpful, I'll try to draw more attention to myself by the Emporer if I must, not when I'm around Tay of course. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. You know I don't like just babysitting, but if that's all you need me to do right now, I'll keep watch on her."

 

Strider thought for a moment, then asked, "If the Emporer is tracking you...wouldn't that mean there's someone already after me or did my fake death stunt actually fool them for some time?"

 

((Edited in to ask a question))

[Black Knight of Keno]

"The emperor can see the future, and so is cunning. However, he is not the most brilliant of men. It'll still take him a while to figure out you're a part of this" Valgo said and turned to the image of Riebe.

 

"I will keep an eye out or Tay, but I must train Emukiel's grandson before my time here is up. I am getting old, Riebe, and I have only the force to rely on" Valgo said and if by being called, Emukiel's figure appeared next to Riebe.

"Riebe, the Emperor is near. He has broken the blockades I made for him and he's scanning for you again. In addition, Vader is near Endor" the ghost said and Valgo looked at the two

[Writer]

"Two years ago, I got in a war of minds with Vader," Riebe answered. "They do not know of your survival yet."

 

She turned to Emukiel. "Thank you, old friend." She turned to the others. "I'll be out of touch for a long while. I can't be here when the Emperor finds me."

 

Her image faded.

 

Keep out of trouble, Tay, her voice said. Everybody heard it. Tay glanced around and frowned. She walked over and knocked on the door.

 

"What's going on in there?" she demanded.

 

I can't stay around, Tay, Riebe's voice said in Tay's mind.

 

"What?" Tay exclaimed, suddenly nervous. "But..."

 

No buts, Riebe interrupted. Trust these people with you. I will not stay away forever.

 

"Wait!" Tay pleaded. But Riebe did not answer. Out of part rage, part fear, and part sadness, Tay subconsciously drew on the Force and her magnetism increased, physically drawing the other Force sensitives toward her. Also under her subconscious show of power, a computer console exploded.

 

Slowly, Tay opened her eyes and in her surprise, her subconscious released its hold on her powers and everything but the exploded console returned to normal.

 

"I get the feeling that's why Riebe was staying so close to me..." Tay murmured quietly. She pounded on the door again. "Guys? I think we'd best be leaving."

 

Cover her, Strider. She's leaking her power freely now that I'm not with her! Mask her power, Strider and Valgo. The Emperor's suspicious of this new power he senses. I'll try to distract him!

 

"I'm getting this feeling," Tay said urgently. "It's not a good one. Can we please leave?"

[Black Knight of Keno]

The door hissed open and Valgo stepped out. The admiral stood up and looked at Valgo.

"The shuttle is docking to Sunshade. We'll be ready to leave the system in three minutes" the admiral reported and valgo nodded before placighis hand on Tay's forehead and closing his eyes. He concentrated and held her immobile with the force as he mumbled words of old to enhance what he was doing to her. He could sence that the magnetism inside her started to fade, even if it was only because he covered her powers well.

 

He opened his eyes and took a breath of exchaustion.

"You must remain calm and remember what Riebe has tought you. I have placed a shieldaround you that should muffle your powers for now, but it is only temporary" he said quietly to Tay and gave a reassuring smile. The weequay then turned t othe admiral.

 

"Admiral, Malachor is no longer safe. Move everything beyond the galaxy boarders. It is the only place the Emperor has no power over and cannot pinpoint us. Also, ready a training room for me. I must train Angak and possibly Tay if she allows it"

[Writer]

Tay nodded slowly, staring at the destroyed console. "I've... never done anything like that before."

[Black Knight of Keno]

"Neither have I" Valgo said, referring to the shield he had made with no kind of a smile on his face. The shuttle shook as it landed on the hangar in the Sunshade and the door hissed open as the ramp lowered. The Admiral was the first to leave to prepare the fleet to hyperspace jump. It would be mere minutes before their jump and the message was sent to every ship, including the shipyards. The announcement of moving exhoed inside the ships and soldiers were running everywhere, making sure nobody uninvited had infiltrated the ships.

[Flamehart]

Strider eyed the destroyed console suspiciously. He only knew of one other who had the power to do such things, and she had passed that knowledge on to him before her time was up. He looked at Valgo, and spoke, "With all due respect, Master Valgo, to make training more efficient for the both of them, how about you train Angak, and if Tay desires some training in control of the Force, I'll help her with that, that way equal time can be spent on both," He suggested. It was evident in his tone to Valgo that he knew how to handle Tay's extraordinary force abilities, and was offering to use his experience so he could focus on Emukiel's descendent.

[Black Knight of Keno]

"And it will make the chance of both staying on the light side greater. Agreed" Valgo said and walked to Angak.

"I shall not train you in the traditional way, Angak, but I will teach you the way of the Potentium. Something the Jedi Order said to be heresy of their beliefs" Valgo said and placed his hand on Ae-Saefar's shoulder with a smile.

 

He looked back at Strider. The sith hunter probably knew well what he was talking about. The best way to get exiled from the Jedi order was to state that you believed in the potentium and that you were a grey jedi. Valgo led the other Weequay out of the shuttle and then followed a soldier left to show them their way into the training room. Another soldier stayed behind to wait for the other two

[Flamehart]

Strider chuckled and looked back at Valgo. He knew very well of what he was talking about, and that was one of the best ways to get exiled in a heartbeat. Strider led Tay to the other soldier, who led them to the training room.

[Writer]

Tay followed Strider without speaking until they reached the training room. When they were alone, she turned to him.

 

"The voice in my head," she said quietly. "The one that's been coaching me, leading and guiding me... it was Riebe, wasn't it?" Without letting him answer, she continued. "And you know her. Tell me something; after being with me for so long, why has she gone so suddenly now?"

 

She stared at him for a long while. "It's clear she trusts you." With a little sigh, she nodded. "And so will I."

[Flamehart]

"Riebe has some important business to attend to, to say the least. I'll explain at another time. You have the right to know, we're just a little pressed for time at the moment. What we need to do is train you to keep your power under control, to keep it suppressed so the Emperor can't find you. I'll also teach you how to use it, you'll find such sensitivity to the Force can be helpful," Strider said.

 

Strider walked around the room, for a moment, continuing to speak, "You say you've never done such a thing before, when you saw the console explode. Rest assured, I know someone who could do similar actions, and at will too. She was a colleague of mine, and she taught me everything before she passed on. First of all though, your energy is strong, but it's unchannelled and unstable." He stopped in front of her, then sat down, legs crossed. "Sit down, and close your eyes. I'm going to teach you first and foremost how to meditate, and through meditation, find a center of calm, then from there, learn how to channel the Force properly," he instructed.

[Writer]

Tay nodded slowly and did as she was told. She stared at him for another moment before closing her eyes as instructed.

 

"My head feels like it's about to explode," she grumbled. "Headache city right there... does it have something to do with my uncontrolled power, do you think?"

[Flamehart]

Strider thought about it for a moment. "It's a possibility, or you just stress easily, both of which can be fixed. Alright, now, with your eyes closed, you see nothing but black, obviously. Now, think of the thing that excites you the most, probably for you would be the exhilerating experience from piloting. Try to picture it and relive it in your head as best you can. After that, think of the most calming thing. Now, when I say calming, I don't mean stress relieving, I mean think about what puts your heart at calm. While doing this, try to find a center of calm within yourself. Let that calm flow throughout your body, to all your limbs. Your headache should ease and you should feel...well...a little different perhaps," Strider lectured.

[Writer]

"Red," Tay murmured. Her eyes opened slightly, but she closed them again. "Not black... red. A little light comes through my lids."

 

As soon as the thought left her lips, she banished it from her mind. The color she saw didn't matter. She was doing something with her mind, not her eyes. Then, she tried to bring to mind some time when she'd truly been enjoying herself. To her surprise, while her piloting gave her a thrill, there was always a part of her concerned about something.

 

Suddenly, a memory flashed past. Tay chased it down, startled. She'd found what she was looking for. The memory was of a time she'd gotten separated from the rest of the fleet. It had been stressful at first, especially since she'd lost communications with them. But then, she had simply been able to relax. It wasn't as if they'd had to flee from battle. In fact, Tay wasn't entirely sure why fighters had been sent out.

 

It was a peaceful time. Just Tay, alone with her thoughts. Nothing to do. She laid in a course for the nearest planet and let autopilot take over. She slept for an hour and, when she awoke, she found herself drifting. For a moment, she panicked. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a strange fighter Tay was unfamiliar with flew over and asked if she needed a little help.

 

"I got left behind," she said. "I think they thought I was lost. My instruments were going a little haywire at the time."

 

"They seem to be working alright now," the stranger said wryly. "But you are out of fuel. We're not far from a planet. I'll tow you to orbit and get you set up for fueling."

 

Before Tay could ask how that was possible, a tow cable was launched from the other ship, attaching firmly to Tay's nose. As they went, they talked. The stranger was pleasant enough, if not a little mysterious. She called herself Tarla and said she'd been flying almost nonstop for two days. Tay remarked that this sounded like what her carrier had been doing.

 

"I've not seen anything like your fighter before," she commented. Tarla laughed.

 

"You wouldn't," she said. "I built this for myself quite a while ago."

 

They talked about Tarla's ship for a while. Then she said, "There. There's the refueling station. Hold on Taynari Tanner. Your fuel awaits you. From here, you can also contact your carrier... get them to come back for you."

 

"Thanks," Tay said. Suddenly, she felt concern. "How'd you know my name? I sure as hell didn't tell you more than Tay."

 

"You're safe, Tay," Tarla said quietly, soothingly. Tay couldn't help but relax. Tarla towed her to the refueling station and set everything up, including payment.

 

"May the Force be with you," Tarla said. Then, she was gone.

 

 

"It's the most relaxed I've ever felt," Tay murmured. Gradually, everything but that peace faded from her mind until she was wholly wrapped up in it. Nothing existed any longer. Not the ship, not Angak, not Valgo, not Strider, not even Tay herself. They were all part of a greater whole.

[Flamehart]

Strider smirked, impressed. "That went better than I thought on the first go. It's a shame I can't do that anymore," he said, almost to himself. He knew that in her state, she might not hear him, so he did the next easiest thing just in case. He concentrated on her mind, and in the back of her mind, as before, she heard a whisper, so as not to disturb her state of peace. "Okay the next thing I want you to do is focus on an objective. I've just now set a datapad on the ground in front of you. Lift it, but not with any limb of your body, just with the Force. Concentrate on the object, once you get a 'hold' of it, you'll know what to do," the voice instructed.

[Writer]

Even the datapad did not exist and yet there it was. Tay found this slightly amusing, but she banished her amusement. As a nonexistent thing, it was not heavy. Unknowingly, she reached out her right hand toward the datapad and it slid up and into her hand. The coolness of it startled her into reality and she stared at it for a moment before placing it back on the floor and closing her eyes again.

 

The second time around, it was easier to find the peace, the connection. There again was the datapad and she concentrated her energy on it. It lifted and moved toward Strider's hand. Just outside of his reach, it halted and headed back toward Tay. Just before reaching her, it lifted higher and touched the ceiling. Then, it drifted back down and hovered at Tay's eye level.

 

"My mind wants to do things with it," she said quietly, opening her eyes and staring at the datapad hovering there. "It took a little extra energy to keep it still. I wanted to give it back to you, then I wanted to take it. Then, I wasn't sure what to do with it. Now, there it is."

 

She reached out and plucked it from the air and handed it to Strider.

 

"You commented that I was quick in finding the connection, the peace," she said. "This happens because of Riebe's continual coaching, does it not?"

[Flamehart]

The Sith Hunter chuckled in response. "Most likely so. As for not knowing what to do with it, the whole idea is to get a focus on doing what you want to do with your abilities. What we want to refrain from, however, is repeating an incident with the console, so the whole idea here is to gain a sense of control over what your abilities are, know your extents and to know your limits," Strider said.

[Writer]

Tay nodded. "Then we ought to continue, yes?"

[Flamehart]

Strider nodded, "Yes, we should." With that, he placed the datapad on the ground in front of her again. "Now, what I want you to do, is imagine an extremely stressful situation, and let the stress get to you. While doing so, try to focus and accomplish a simple task of merely lifting the datapad off the ground with the Force and turning it on. It sounds simple but how you handle the object is different depending on how you deal with the stress," he instructed.