Star Wars: Rise [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

Although Nox and Tython circled the same sun, they could not have been more different. The beautiful climate, the water, flowering life, and scenery on Tython could stop breaths in awe.


The dead and gray world and domed cities stopped breaths in horror.


It was that sight which the two Jedi Knights, nigh inseparable since they were young, witnessed upon approaching the Boneyard. Yet, their breaths did not stop. The younger of the pair, Manx Kenobi, merely kept his ship on the path as Dawn Jinn answered the hail.


“This is Boneyard Hangar, state your name and reason for approach.”


“Knight Jinn of the Jedi Order, with Knight Kenobi. We are here on business.”


“We were not informed of any Jedi arrivals.”


“No, you weren’t,” Dawn agreed. “If you would like, I can parrot off our ship’s name and you can run it through your systems. You’ll find its owner to be Manx Kenobi,” because they always took Manx’s ship. He was the better pilot. He had the better ship.


That, and Dawn’s ship wasn’t exactly equipped for these sorts of missions. Hers was a stealth ship, inspired by the Carrion Spike of old—a treasure of Eriadu’s history, and so, she had to have something like it.


“Provide the details.”


Dawn glanced to Manx, the threat of rolling her eyes present in the brief exchange. His gaze didn’t meet hers, though, so she simply continued, “Delta-9, serial code DTA-9733, or more commonly called Capital.” The name Manx had given his precious ship. It was a nice ship, wedge-shaped and silvery-blue, always shined like a mirror. It cut through space easily and quickly.


Their trip here had been shorter than half an hour.


A few seconds ticked by, until, “Welcome to Nox, Knights Jinn and Kenobi. The hangar is opening. Please enter.”


The domed world was shut off, and so entrance had to be granted in this way. It wasn’t as easy as worlds like Naboo to just sneak into a hangar without explaining anything.


Manx guided the Capital into the hangar, and let his ship be motioned into an open area by a brave man in orange. As soon as the ship was docked, Dawn rose from her seat, a multiplicity of colored silks swirling with her movement. Her dress was one of thin layers, each one building on the other to make it look like she wore the night sky. Her hair was loose, save for the single padawan’s braid.


Her companion was much more plain, in a brown robe and an off-white tunic. His dark hair wouldn't even draw attention, though his attire would, no matter how plain. His look was known throughout the galaxy as one thing, and one thing only--Jedi. He looked every bit a Jedi as he followed her out of the ship, no words exchanged.


They were greeted almost immediately by an official-looking red-skinned human, with glowing violet eyes. “Knights,” she greeted them, shaking out her dark hair a bit before fixing her eyes on Manx, assuming him the lead just by attire alone. “Nox is at your disposal. How may we assist you?”


“We need no assistance.”


There was no hand gesture, but Manx heard the inflection of Dawn’s tone and saw those glowing eyes dim under it. “Understood,” the official did not repeat the words, either, but turned away from them.



Dawn waited a beat, “You have the directions, right?”


“Yes,” he took out a datapad from within the folds of his robes and brought it up, a map projecting from the pad, and quickly pinpointing their location. His face was illuminated by the green glow, and it made his green eyes seem almost inhuman. He took the lead then, following the silent directions of the map to bring them deeper into the city.


They got a few looks—Dawn for her audacious display of wealth in her attire, and Manx for looking like a Jedi. One would certainly wonder what a pair like that had to do here, and gossip began almost immediately, many thinking it must be something to do with the factories, some great scandal that the Jedi were investigating. And the woman, of course, had to be a senator, a politician, a merchant—someone affected by the scandal.


They never noticed the lightsaber under the folds of silk.


Speeders zipped by the further they got into the city, but neither paused to consider getting a lift. They ignored the hustle and bustle, people moving around them rather than forcing the pair to step around.


Soon enough, they were before a high-rising building, “Here,” he said, putting away the datapad. He walked to the device at the door and quickly put in the room number, hoping someone would be there to answer, and pretending he didn't notice how his companion rolled her blue eyes. He hoped this wouldn’t have to be difficult, as the room where the child was said to live, was called.

 

[Iskander]

The warm glow of the sun fell from the large window across Dessa’s face, while she was trying very hard not to fall asleep. The data pad that lay on her lap slowly started slipping from her hand when she, with a start, regained enough consciousness to catch it before it hit the ground. She brought it back up to her face and squinted at the lettering.


In one of those moments of silence that seemed to be so rare these days, she had seized the opportunity to take care of a few administrative chores she had taken on, now that she was at home and away from the Gale Industries shipyards for several weeks. The reason for this, by the name of Merel, was sound asleep in the next room. Her infant daughter was two weeks old now and Dessa loved her dearly, but other people needed sleep too, for crying out loud.


As silently as she could manage, Dessa stood up from where she had been sitting and stretched her back as she looked out the window at the streets below. The silence of when Merel was asleep was relative, for the hum of speeder traffic was a constant drone in this part of Boneyard, but it had become unnoticed background noise a long time ago. The same went for the view from where she was standing – the arid surface of Nox beyond the dome of the city had never evoked the same sense of disgust in Dessa Gale as it did in most off-worlders. Not that she could argue much, so she instead prided herself on what they did on Nox. She herself was a part of the production of some of the best spaceships in the sector, for one.


After a minute of staring blearily at the people walking and zipping by far below, she turned around, put the data pad on the table, and tiptoed towards the kitchen. She’d been dozing off repeatedly for a long time, she could really go for a–


When she was level with the door to Merel’s room, she heard a soft gurgle come from inside. Freezing before sagging her head somewhat dramatically, Dessa redirected her course to the door and cracked it open slightly. Another coo from the cot.


Dessa slipped through the door and leaned over the cot. Any frustration she had felt before melted away instantly at the sight of her daughter’s wide eyes staring back up at her from under her tiny, still hornless brow.


“Hey now,” she said softly while she carefully reached down and picked up the baby. A wide smile crept across her face when Merel reached a small hand towards her cheek. “Let’s take it easy, alright?” she said as she walked back into the living room, rocking her daughter gently.


Over by the window they stood together in a perfect moment of stillness in the sunlight, before Dessa lost all hope again. There was nothing that could have set her off, Dessa was certain, but from one moment to the next Merel was wailing like her life depended on it.


“Of course,” she muttered. “It would be too much to ask, wouldn’t it.” Grateful for the fact that sarcasm was lost on her baby, but momentarily at a loss for what to do, she attempted some more rocking and hopefully added in some bouncing. It didn’t help much.


To make things worse, mere seconds later a melodic beeping sound indicated the presence of someone at the front door of the building. For a long moment Dessa simply glared at the glowing panel on the other side of the room. Then she stalked across, tapped the pad to open the door, and without bothering to glance at the screen that showed who was calling, said “come in!”

 

[Lucyfer]

There was the sound of crying when Manx reached for the door and opened it, not letting a second slide by. There was a woman calling, and he took the initiative, even as he felt the flux in the Force around him.


“Qui-Gon Jinn was good at manipulating what Kenobi called ‘pathetic’ life forms.”


He remembered Dawn had teased that, when they had once been back-to-back and cornered by vicious creatures they couldn’t exactly talk with. He’d never used the Force in such a way himself, he wasn’t sure how, though Dawn had offered to teach him. He did often wonder where she picked up these skills.


All she’d ever said was ‘experimenting’. Guesswork, built from reading. If so, he supposed it was impressive, but it was rather hard to believe. Then again, he was more mechanically minded than she was. In the box, as opposed to out of it.


He still wasn’t sure if it would work on a lifeform like this, though, young and malleable as it was. Yet, he was hoping so. The crying was hurting his ears.


“Ma’am?” He spoke as he reached the opened door, and peered into it. The woman within was a zabrak, as he was told to find. Not a dathomirian, either, thankfully.



He did not want to try convincing one of those darksiders to give a child over to the light. That’d be like pulling teeth, “Are you Dessa Gale?” He would wait just a beat, before continuing, “I am Jedi Knight Manx Kenobi, and I am here with Knight Dawn Jinn. May we come in to speak with you, about your daughter?”


Dawn almost wanted to slap Manx upside the head for adding ‘about your daughter’—but Manx was an idiot who believed this was going to go smoothly. They were sent here, because it was not expected to go smoothly. Dawn could read between the lines. Knights weren’t sent to get children. Yet Manx looked so hopeful, peering at the woman with such an open and earnest expression, his green eyes alight with all the prospects the infant had. It never once crossed his mind that someone would be opposed to letting the Jedi take in their child. Who would be? It was all Manx had ever wanted out of life--nevermind that it was also, all he ever knew.

 

[Iskander]

“Yes, I’m Dessa Gale,” Dessa blinked at the two humans that stood before her, not sure what to expect. As soon as the man said the words ‘Jedi Knight’, her eyebrows shot up and it was all she could do to not simply stand there and stare. Why in the universe would a pair of Jedi suddenly show up on her doorstep? The part ‘about your daughter’ registered only vaguely at the back of her mind, between the appearance of the Knights and the child crying in her ear. To avoid looking like a gaping idiot she quickly stepped aside to let the humans through. “Please, come in.” Again trying to shush Merel, she closed the door behind them.


Even though she had never met a Jedi in person, the human man looked exactly like what she imagined one to look like, from the robes to the lightsaber on his belt. The woman, on the other hand, seemed to have just stepped out of a senate meeting, or possibly a palace somewhere. In both cases, Dessa was wondering if she was being respectful enough as she offered to two a seat.


“I’m sorry about this,” she said with Merel in one arm and giving her guests an apologetic look while the infant continued her serenade. “I do hope no one asked for two Jedi to come see about all the noise,” she joked awkwardly. They had said they were here about Merel, hadn’t they? What would they want with this particular child on this particular planet? She couldn’t say. Not knowing made her curious, but because of the subject she was starting to feel protective and slightly uncomfortable as well.


Trying to remember her manners, she smiled at the humans. “Can I offer you anything to drink?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Fortunately, the mother was distracted, and Dawn was relieved that no panic came to the surface. No door slammed in their faces. They were allowed entrance, and Dawn frowned a bit as it seemed her attempt to put a calming aura into the Force was not affecting the infant. Even so, she didn’t quite relent. The only way to get better at calming sentients was to keep practicing. It was funny how manipulating the mind was taught to Jedi, but these subtle things were not. Everyone knew of the ‘Jedi mind trick’.


“Thank you for your hospitality,” Manx said, his smile holding a minor wince as he had to step closer to mother and infant. “But we are—”


‘Perhaps it knows.’ Dawn considered, “Water would be lovely,” Dawn interrupted him as drinks were offered. Alcohol was now forbidden to Jedi—one had to keep their focus. Dawn wouldn’t refuse a drink, though. It had been a long trip and this planet was uncomfortable. “No one asked us to come about the noise, either. What is her name?”


She’d be stripped of her name. At times, Dawn wondered what her name had been—it led to so many hypothesis, half just to annoy others and make them paranoid.


Manx took a seat. He folded his hands neatly in his lap and waited, expectantly, for the mother to make herself comfortable as well. Dawn would remain standing until she had a glass, if only so she could meet Dessa half-way to take the glass, and give them all more time to get comfortable for the conversation that was about to ensue.

 

[Iskander]

The slight falter in the man’s smile made Dessa feel a little more sympathetic. She nodded at the woman – Dawn – and stepped into the kitchen where she hastily tried to fill a glass of water with her one free hand. Miraculously, Merel seemed to stop trying to scream her head off, although she was still far from calm.


Back in the main room Dessa handed the glass to Dawn. The baby’s cries further devolved into a loud cooing and Dessa breathed an inward sigh of relief. Now she could muster a more sincere smile and she waited for the Knight to sit, after which she took a seat of her own.


“Her name is Merel,” she answered Dawn’s question. She glanced from Dawn to Manx and wondered if she should ask, or if they would volunteer why they were here. There was a rising sense of careful suspicion, she could feel, because she could not fathom a reason for a pair of Jedi to innocently inquire after a child, especially one this young. Dessa was used to being able to figure things out, and not knowing what was going on was not a feeling she enjoyed. But they were Jedi, what ill intent could they possibly have?


Feeling slightly guilty about thinking this way, she found herself idly wondering if Jedi could read minds. No use waiting for an explanation, she decided.


“If you don’t mind my being so direct, why do you want to talk about my daughter?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Dawn accepted the glass with a smile, “Thank you,” and she took her seat, bringing the water to her lips and letting the life of it rejuvenate her on this dead world.


It was how the child, Merel, had been so easily recognized here. Even non-Force sensitives must have felt something so much more virile and potent about the child. It was almost a shame there seemed no plants around, or much of anything, to let the child’s nature truly be visible in the world around it.


Sitting there, both Dawn and Manx could feel the potential of the calming child.


And so Dawn never let her focus shift from manipulating that vital energy that was around them, letting the waves of the Force flow in a way that would inspire calm.


Manx looked refreshed by the pointed demeanor. He was not one to mince words, after all. “We are here because your child is Force sensitive,” Manx said, just as blunt, and just as honest. “The Jedi would like to bring her into the Order, to train her and raise her, so that her talent is well-developed and trained.”


He was still so earnest as he said it, that it was almost endearing. Dawn did not add her two cents. She just sipped her water.

 

[Iskander]

Dessa sat back and frowned at Manx’s words. “Force sensitive?” she repeated uncertainly. “How do you know that?” Even though she did not have any knowledge about the mysterious Force the Jedi spoke of beyond the superficial, she had to admit she had felt like her daughter was special before, somehow. That said, she had figured that was just how all parents thought about their child.


She was about to ask and you sensed this from two planets away? before the skeptical question died in her throat. There was no trace of anything but the utmost sincerity on the man’s face as he asked Dessa to… what? Give up her newborn child to complete strangers, to raise her – Dessa didn’t like how he used the word so lightly – instead of her own mother?


In her stunned silence she realized that Merel had become absolutely quiet. She looked down at the infant to see that she, in turn, was looking at Dawn with wide eyes. The way the stranger had Merel’s undivided attention made her bristle at their request even more.


She did her best to keep her tone level and hide the indignation in her voice. “You mean to ask me if I am willing to hand over my child for you to take her away to Tython?” Unconsciously, she held Merel a little tighter.

 

[Lucyfer]

Manx was about to jump into an explanation of how the Force could be felt, but the words caught in his throat as Dessa asked instead if he and Dawn were really there to ask her to let them take her child. Though it was masked under the façade of calm, Manx could hear the indignation.


Dawn could feel it in the flux of the Force, but she was the one to flatly say, “Yes.”


Manx at least had sense enough to try and soften it, “Your daughter has a gift. She recognizes it, even now. She can feel the ebb and flow of the Force around her,” it was quite clear in the way she pinpointed who was responsible for her mood. “She will not learn how to use this gift here.”


‘Even if this world could use it more.’ Dawn didn’t say that.


Manx’s hands were open, flat upon his lap, “She will be well taken care of. We were,” though as he said it, he saw Dawn roll her eyes and had to bite down a retort at the unspoken criticism Dawn had towards the system. Of course she’d never agreed with this part. Of course she chased after her own past restlessly.


So why did they send her? ‘To show even a Jedi has some options.’ He remembered.


Manx just continued, “She’ll be brought up with a group of peers. She’ll have many friends, and she’ll be guided under a personal mentor, as well, when she’s old enough. Then, she’ll have the opportunity to pick her path, after learning all that the Jedi Order has to offer…but she won’t have this opportunity later in life.”


After Anakin, no Jedi were taken in after 3 years of age.

 

[Iskander]

At the back of her mind Dessa felt like she should at least consider, but right now she could not care less about a ‘gift’. Or why these people thought they had any business asking this of her.


On top of that, Dawn’s reaction to Manx’s argument did nothing to further her trust. “She will have plenty of friends here,” Dessa shot back. “And now that you have been so kind to inform me, I will make sure to tell her about her gift when she grows up.” Of course it would be nowhere near the same as what the Jedi Order had to offer, Dessa knew this. To give them no time to make a comeback with a perfectly logical argument, no doubt in the same calm way the man had been speaking this entire time, she made up her mind and asked the one question she still wanted an answer to.


“I’m curious: how were you able to find us? How did you know about my daughter?” A few moments ago anger had been rising in her stomach, but thankfully it had not made it to the surface. She was left with frustration and annoyance, which she tried to keep in control long enough to wait for an answer, tell them no, and, as politely as possible, usher them through the door. She was sure they could find other children to take away from their families. They didn't have to waste each other's time anymore and Dessa had work to get back to.

 

[Lucyfer]

Manx was about to answer the query, but Dawn moved. It was a subtle move, a lean forward and a meeting of Dessa’s eyes, “The Force, Dessa,” she told her, as an answer to her question, “Even now I can feel it from your child. We are not only on Tython. The Jedi move, and when we notice something like this, we examine it.”


Dawn’s gaze didn’t waver, though she was not using any powers on Dessa. No, she was only taking in the zabrak, and letting those emotions flow, “Your daughter may have plenty of friends, unless she cannot control her gift. Then she’s liable to destroy them. The Force is a gift and a curse, and emotions are what turn it to curse. But, I’m sure you’ve heard of the Sith.”


Manx bit his cheek. He didn’t like the way Dawn mentioned that – he didn’t want to suggest how easy it was for an untrained Force-sensitive to fall victim to their emotions and start to use the Force for evil. They wouldn’t become a Sith, no, but they might become someone the Jedi had to execute down the line.


It was…always unfortunate when one was overlooked, missed, or denied, and ended up using that gift for evil, intentionally or otherwise. “Would you prefer that path for your child, Dessa?”

 

[Iskander]

Dessa was silent for a moment, a little intimidated by Dawn’s intent gaze. Everything the woman was saying made her even more so, especially the mention of the Sith. In no way did she know a lot about them, but what she did know was bad, and Dawn’s tone when she said it provided enough context. How something as simple as emotions could lead anyone down that path, though, Dessa couldn’t imagine. Maybe that was her mistake, though at this point she was not in the mood to let these Jedi tell her what to think. She wanted badly to keep asking questions, to find a flaw their logic, which she had a feeling was there. But she also realized that she had lost the initiative in the conversation, and was determined to get it back.


“I hope you realize what you’re asking of me,” she said, anger lending an edge to her voice. “You show up at my door, out of nowhere, and try to convince me that emotions are going ruin my daughter’s life – something everyone has, even you Jedi,” she added hotly, as she couldn’t resist pointing it out, “and ask me to just hand you my child?” At this point she was making no attempt to hide her feelings, addressing both Jedi. “Even if I felt so inclined, I wouldn’t give her to you while her father is ten systems away.”


She stood from her chair, causing a startled look from Merel. “Nevertheless, thank you for informing me,” she said sincerely, but she knew she probably did not sound it. “I wouldn't want to waste your time any further.” She glanced meaningfully at the door.

 

[Lucyfer]

Dawn and Manx would never deny that they had emotions. The difference was, both were well-trained in how to manage them, a training few others were able to get outside the Jedi Temple. For normal aliens, it was not something to worry about. Their emotions might get out of hand, but the Force wouldn’t react with it. Not in the way it did for the Force-Sensitive.


They were not properly dismissed, but the dismissal was there all the same.


The Jedi rose.


Manx said, “We hope that you will keep our conversation in mind, should anything change,” should a tantrum from the child break pipes. Should anything go wrong.


He intended to leave it at that, but Dawn didn’t. Orders were orders. True, the parent was supposed to give the child willingly, but most Jedi considered things gotten from the ‘mind trick’ to be willingly enough.


“I don’t understand the difficulty of the decision,” Dawn allowed herself to confess, for how could she? She was not a mother and never would be. “But you should still let the child come with us,” it was that sentence that was laced with the power of the Jedi Mind Trick. If it worked, Dawn knew she wouldn’t have all that long to escape before the mother realized what she had done.


But that wasn’t the problem.

 

[Iskander]

When the Jedi stood up to leave, Dessa felt almost relieved. She hadn’t been sure if they would have left it at that, but she gratefully nodded at Manx’s final advice and started to move towards the door. Before she could take a step, Dawn caught her gaze and something in it made her stop. She was ready to scoff away Dawn’s difficulty with understanding her decision, when the human spoke again.


All the frustration that had built up over the course of the conversation was still there, but had lost steam now that it had been vented. The uncertainty from before rose up again. It hadn’t sounded so bad… they had had a point. Maybe she was being selfish, not being rational and considering the best option…


It seemed to Dessa that she was watching herself from far away, not quite able to understand what was being said or able to control her body. She slowly felt her fingers lax from holding Merel, and over the distance heard herself speak seemingly without any intervention of her brain.


“I will… let –” in a short moment of mental rebellion she frowned and tried to think through the pounding in her ears. It was no use. “ – the child come with you,” she said, suddenly convinced that this had been the best course of action all along. She shifted her grip on her baby and she was only just short of offering the child to the two Jedi, but they would meet no resistance if they took it out of her hands.

 

[Lucyfer]

It worked.


Unfortunately for the mother, it seemed she didn’t share much of her child’s ability with the Force. No real, natural, resistance. That had been Dawn’s concern, but it was not the case. “Thank you,” she said as she reached forward and took the child from the mother’s arms.


Her turn was swift, immediate, and her steps just as quick, Manx making sure to follow rather than lead, should the mother snap out of her trance too soon.


Dawn heard him whisper, “What was that?”


And her response was simple: “We took the child, with the mother’s agreement,” as if it had just been following protocol. She could feel the irritation from Manx as they exited the apartments, but ignored it. Now was not the time for such an argument, and there’d be no argument until the child was delivered. Only then would he venture to argue, and she’d direct him right to his Master.


If there was one thing Dawn was certain of, it was that his Master would agree with these methods – loathed as he’d be to admit it.


So she let Manx stew, in silence, as she quick-walked back towards the ship with the Force-sensitive child in her arms.  

 

[Iskander]

For a few seconds, Dessa stood blinking glazed-over eyes at the Jedi, and then at the door through which they had left. Soon she felt her mind return to her control, but it took another moment until it dawned on her what had just happened. Then, slowly becoming horribly aware of what she had done, she remained standing stock still in the middle of the room, her breath starting to quicken.


Her mind flooded with panicked thoughts –they took her, they took my baby–what did I do–she’s gone–I’m never going to see her again–the Jedi–they took her, she’s gone. She’s GONE.


Feeling like she was going to be sick, and agonizingly slow to her racing mind, she jolted into motion and ran for the door. A panicked jab at the controls of the door sent a pang of pain through her fingers, which brought on tears that had nothing to do with the physical sensation. The door seemed to take minutes to open, a few terrifying moments after which Dessa burst through the opening and toward the elevator doors. It took no more than three seconds to arrive and just twice that to reach the ground floor, but by that time tears were streaming down her face and her breathing bordered on hyperventilation. The instant she could push through the doors she ran towards the apartment building’s main door and hurtled through it, onto the street.


The downtown Boneyard street was as packed as ever, and the people on the crowded road and up in the skylanes blurred together to Dessa’s eyes as they darted from left to right to up and back down again. There was no sign of the Jedi. Breathing heavily she squeezed her eyes shut. “This can’t be happening,” she whispered. When she opened her eyes again, she saw nothing but vague moving shapes through her tears. “This can’t be happening,” she repeated with a sob.


From her left she heard someone approach her and felt a hand reach to her shoulder. Instinctively she jerked away from the touch. “Ma’am, are you alright?” Dessa turned, blinking furiously, to see a human man looking at her with a worried expression. This only would have made her feel worse, if that had been possible. She grabbed onto his arm and started sobbing into her hand. “The-the Jedi,” she managed to choke out, “they took-they took her.” She looked pleadingly at the man, who she knew could do nothing to help her. “They took my daughter.”