Hoth: Blood and Ice

The problem with being in transit in space was the lack of ability to go anywhere. Sometimes it felt like being in stasis in the void, waiting to awaken once the vortex of hyperspace gave way to the stars again.

Kat was certain she had checked out the observation deck before, a couple of times already to be honest, but she had finished another round of just walking around the ship as she returned there.

Tucking her hands into the wide sleeves of her jedi robes, she looked out the windows in thought. Already she missed the feeling of fresh air and soft earth beneath her feet, with the smell of grass... and where they were going there wasn't exactly going to be any grass.

"It looks so bleak out there doesn't it, Kat?" Zayne had been pacing around the ship for a few hours now. He was in his House of Rist noble outfit. It felt weird wearing it again, even if he's only left Alderaan 9 months ago.

"Mm," she agreed first, nodding gently, before turning her head to look at Zayne. "I miss the stars, when in hyperspace, and I miss the feeling of a planet. On a planet, you feel the life there... the flow of the Force. Out here, it all seems so... distant, perhaps?" Kat wasn't quite sure how to put that feeling into words, because it wasn't that she couldn't feel the Force in hyperspace. She could still feel the presence of life aboard the vessel, the song of each person's resonance in the Force. But outside the ship, there was the vastness of space, far away from the fountains of life and light that planets were.

"It's good to see you again, friend. Together again, to help people. How have you been, Zayne?"

"Well, I'm happy to see a friendly face again." He said while giving her a pleasant smile. "Yes, it was a nice change to be to planet for so far as I did. Being a Shadow is draining..." He frowned slightly. "I've been keeping busy with tracking darkside relics and such again. It is a lonely mission, but I do enjoy it. And, how are you doing, Katarzyna?"

A shadow of concern touched her forehead. "I'm doing fine, Zayne. Keeping busy with everything... and, trying to understand this disturbance in the Force. Somehow, I feel there will be answers on Hoth." No, she was certain of it.

"Is it your hunt for relics of the Dark side that brings you to Hoth? It is pretty far out in the Outer Rim."

All most positive he'd told her about what he really does as a Jedi. "Yes, the Council of First Knowledge said there may be a Sith holocron, but may be another relic. Something of great importance."

He looked back to see if anyone was listening. It was a habit he'd learned well before joining the Jedi Order. "I know there are things going on on Hoth, like the White Maw too. Maybe it's all connecting. Maybe I will get to do some arbitration again." He said with a smirk at the last comment.

"Really?" that did sound troubling, but it was good that a group of Jedi were already heading out. "I certainly hope the pirates are not connected to anything like that, but... know that you need only ask and I will help in the matter of uncovering this artefact. Such items rarely remain alone for long periods of time, as they tend to draw attention to themselves."

Kat sighed slightly, her gaze drifting back to the observation-windows. "The Force called me here as well. The late grand-master, she... appeared before me, telling me that I must go to Hoth."

"Yes, if I do find any relics, I will ask for your assistance. I trust you, and Omandri is very trustworthy as well. But I do not trust all the Jedi coming to Hoth. Some are worth asking, though." He knows she worrying about him, but it's the life the Force chose for him. And, he was a son of the House of Rist, along with the Force abilities.

"So, do you think it was a force-ghost or the will of the Force? It may not make any difference in the grand scheme of things, I suppose. " He looked out the windows at the lines of hyper-space.

"Why not both?" she asked with a light chuckle. It was hard to tell with Force ghosts sometimes, as they were so in tune with the Force often.

At his mention of not trusting all the other Jedi though, Kat only gave a nod. She didn't like to voice it, but there were those she did not respect or care much for, as they did not seem to hold that for her either. Not to mention the mess she had to clean up afterwards on Alderaan... the well-earned respect the Jedi had so easily tarnished.

"You're right though, whether it was Grand Master Resmi's will, or the will of the force, it doesn't make much difference in the grand scheme of things. She was a wise person when she was alive, and her counsel and words were always worth heeding. It may have something to do with these disturbances in the Force that has been growing as of late."

"Ha. Well, yes. You got me there. I guess I should have ask who you wanting it to be... The Grand Master or a spirit using her appearance to you as a person you trusted. But, you are here, and the Force has guided you here." He stared at the hyper-space wall with the different shapes that went by.

Zayne looked back Kat for a moment. "I know you don't wish to talk badly of Jedi. So, I don't going to push you to do that." He looked back at the shapes and variation in color. "But, as a Shadow, you have to trust your instincts and what the Force is telling you. And, I just don't play nice sometimes." He thought, 'Nor the stomach to...'

As she often did, Kat did not speak hastily, and seemed to consider the words before speaking. "My personal opinions is my own. I don't think it benefits anyone to share what could cause distrust or discord in this mission." And she had no intention of seeking out the company of those who would cause it either.

"Have you dealt with pirates before, Zayne?" she asked, willing to change the subject somewhat.

"Oh, I have dealt with pirates before, few times. But, it was awhile ago dealing with them diplomatically..." He trailed off a minute. "But, do have confidence in my training as an Arbiter. I know about the reputation of the White Maw, and some snippets of the briefing file. What about you?" He turns himself toward Kat, with his arm holding himself on the rail.

"Pirates, yes. The White Maw specifically, no," she replied. "There's no lack of pirates in the Outer Rim. Master Syo and I dealt with our fair share... sometimes with diplomacy, sometimes with lightsabers, though I suppose with their kind negotiations are usually short and aggressive."

Kat regarded him with interest. "What have you heard about them, the White Maw?"

"They are bizzerkers living on an ice planet. Ritual sacrifices and other things that are likely half-truths at best." He waved his other hand in the air as sign of not believing some of the stuff. "It's the type of thing you hear about when someone colonizes a a new planet and the natives are not hospitable or language barriers..."

"Sacrifices of sentients and cannibalism, right?" she said, chuckling dryly. Lots of pirates spread rumors like that about themselves, or their victims did, but a lot of the time it was nothing more than just talk. Most of them didn't divulge in such horrid practices.

The Sith on the other hand...

"Let's hope that peaceful negotiations will be enough. Seeing the might of the Republic in front of them might be enough to make them stand down without needless confrontations."

"Indeed, it's likely a lot of hyperbole. But, there can still be a kettle of truth. So, I guess we will find out soon enough." He's not looking for a fight, but Zayne was in duels and battles many times, and he was still standing. Diplomacy is what they both would prefer though. He's not great with the opening talks, but Zayne is a great negotiator.

"I'm just here for the relic, but I will help you and the Republic as well. I'm curious what the Sith are up to with the convergence? Nothing good, I'm sure..."

"No doubt the Sith must have felt this disturbance in the Force too..." she said almost in a murmur, some concern tinged in her voice as she did not relish the idea of what it could mean to them. From what she heard of the Sith these days, they seemed even more unhinged than before. The Sith that her fellow padawan of Master Syo had described had not sounded at all like the current state of the Empire today.

"... The Force has a way of drawing persons of power and means to where they need to be. We should be wary. And also not exclude the possibility that the Sith might have given some backing to the pirates... it wouldn't be the first time."

"Hum, maybe. But, the Sith Empire is not necessarily tolerance of others that cannot fall in line. And, White Maw might not want to fall in line. Either way, it will be something that we are going to have to deal with." He put his hand on the rail, and stared at the amorphous blobs off the window.

"I have a huge knowledge base of the Sith, but pirate gangs can be as different as can be. I will have to read up on the White Maw more later." He gave her a smile.

"There might be some on this vessel that knows more than just the hearsay," Kat offered kindly. "I hear there might also be some people living on this planet as well that aren't pirates, so we might be able to learn more from them. About the pirates, or about the relic you're seeking."

"Yes, you are a wise person, and Jedi. I hadn't thought about that. I wouldn't be surprised if are aren't science stations and mining industry even. Those are the only things I would think are feasible on this frozen rock." He raised a hand and drop it back the rail. "I'm not sure why, but there are the military bases as well."

She bowed her head a little at the praise. "Thank you. I try my best..." sometimes that was enough.

"I think there are old bases from previous conflicts, and as you said, science outposts. You never know when someone wants to do geothermal readings on an ice-planet," Kat chuckled a bit at that idea, though she knew there was valuable data to be gathered from such.

"It may not have an ice planet else." He said more in thought. "It might have been a tropical paradise once." He gave another hand wave of he said it. "But, that's just speculation. We will have to need to find evidence for the Council and senate."

"Hm," her lips quirked somewhat, somewhere between a smile and a frown. An expression many teachers had. "Possibly but that must've been many millions of years ago if so... it's a planet pretty far out in its solar system, so even if it's orbiting a blue-white star, the distance is still significant. If I were to guess, the fact that the star of the system is a blue-white star, is the reason why the planet has any life at all - settled or native." Kat assumed there was some thermal activity below the icy layers of the surface as well, to make it somewhat survivable, so there were probably oceans, or frozen oceans.

Now she wished she was going to Hoth to learn more about the planet, rather than on a mission. But, the mission had to come first.

Kat gave a rueful smile to Zayne. "Sorry, I don't mean to bore you with textbook stuff."

He smiled at that comment. "Oh nonsense. It's good to bounce ideas off you, as half baked as mine may be. And I'm enjoying seeing you again. It's not that different from the books I read to keep up on law of different planets as an Arbiter. It's difficult verbiage and laws that don't have loopholes. That's all."

"The things we must be aware of to best serve the Force and the people of the galaxy," she agreed with a nod. Law texts were perhaps the dullest, but also incredibly important, as it was vital for Jedi to also respect the local customs as much as possible.

"It's good to see you too again, Zayne. We've both been very busy since the failed coup five years ago... so I'm glad we get to work together once again. And when we're done here, you'd be most welcome to visit the Paladins on Alderaan with me - it's a work in the making, but bringing light and harmony to more in the galaxy... it's good work."