Snowbund's Story

Kinara blinked as the Nexu kitten tried to tackle her. Holding up a hand, she held the kitten away with the force as if she were picking up a regular kitten with her hand and holding it at arms length. It seemed that since their last meeting, Kinara's strength with wielding the force to grab things had only increased still, to the point where she was hardly even trying at this point.

She shook her head to Snowbund. "No, a temporary one won't do. I hand-built the hilt from nothing; it won't feel right unless the crystal is truly mine as well. She gently pet Nexi the Nexu kitten and then set the little bugger down while crossing one leg over her knee.

Turning her head to Cynthiana she smiled. "Oh, thank you!~" She smiled. "I suppose that if we can find another small cruiser you won't have to live in that old, slow Venator." She smiled. "Unless the Obsidian Eagle is still around, in which case, you can have that." Undoubtedly it'd survived the Clone Wars and fall of the Empire, that thing was so difficult to kill that it'd take precisely fifteen fully trained, armed, and armored squads of Arc Troopers to take her out; and they'd have to do so all at the exact same time. She knew because she ran the simulations whilst helping design the ship. Everything didn't fit the blueprints at all. In fact, the blueprints were just there for ceremony.

Everywhere on the interior where something should be, was something else that wasn't important to the function of the ship. Everything was tucked away behind the thickest blast doors one could find, and the ship was shielded by what was at the time some extremely experimental tech.

Finally giving up on searching for her sabers, Snowbund smiled as Cynthiana seemed to her hammered from one shot of the really strong drink, it wasnt that perfect boga noga that her ancestor had hunted for, but hey, it did the job. She smiled again when Nexi tried to tackle Kinara, the Nexu kitten was about the size of a Terran dog. Maybe a bit larger, a st berneard or the like. Its long forked tail whipped about as the Nexu kitten purred in Kinaras arms. Snowbund called in Kraethese to the Nexu, the thing bounded over to Snowbund and pounced her, Nexi knocked the Kraethian off her feet onto the sofa, purring and meowing happliy.

Cynthiana shook her head, already a slight slur to her voice as she said "Nahh, I like my Venator, besides, its got a lifetime warrenty through KDY and my family. At least until my uncle kicks the blackhole." It was wrong yes, for a Jedi to think such a way, yet for Cynthiana, being in possession of such a deadly artefact, yeah, she thought in different ways, yet Yoda let her pursue such thinkings. To look at the Force in a different light so to speak. "I just need to remember where I left it" Cynthiana mused, sometimes she took a shuttle or fighter, and then kleft the Venator out in space somewhere.

She nodded at mention of the Eagle. "Yes, its still in one piece, but last I knew it was taken and hidden at Byss or some such, cant even find its homing beacon either." her tone said it all, the forlone sound, Plapatine had played them all, took the best stuff and hid it away so well it was next to impossible to find it. She dared not mention ilum and the deaths that happened there

Kinara thought for a bit as she leaned back. "Hmm...If I remember correctly, the Eagle could hold at least....four Tartan Patrol Cruisers in her hangers. If we could find the Eagle, we could find Cruisers. But then...what's to stop me from taking back the Eagle?" She smirked, her fingers forming a pyramidal stance as she then laughed a bit darkly.

"With the Obsidian Eagle I could take over an entire star system if I wanted!" She laughed again before clearing her throat.

"Who am I kidding? That thing's so old that it probably can't even make it to hyperspace anymore. It'll need a new set of hyperdrives, new drive cores, new engines....damn near new everything, really. If anything they're using her as an orbital space-station or something of the sort.

"Snow~!" she barked happily. "Shall we go see if the Obsidian Eagle is still in the Byss System? I wouldn't worry about its tracking beacon...it was only meant to work with Old Republic Scanners. I may or may not have one....." She yawned. "But it'd be in my bag." She shrugged.

She'd no clue where her bag was, or if she even still had the scanner. She'd probably sold it on the black market for quick cash so she could get to Terra. Wouldn't be the first time she'd sold something of value to survive. Likely wouldn't be the last.

Snow of course was under Nexi, the kitten was in a word, big. yet Kinara held the Nexu kitten which was no small feet, sure Snowbund was a massive Snowleopard kraethian herself, but still, Nexu were even rideable, now if only Nexi would wear the sithspitting saddle! "Nexi, nexi, stopit sweetie, Nexi, no not the hair, not the Nexi no stop let me breathe! HOLY SITH NEXI STAY OUTTA MY DRINKS!" Nexi pretty much gassed Snow as Cynthiana smirked

"Four Tartans ? Seriously ? Arent they something like three hundred meters long or the like ? If the Eagle is that big, man I want one, but I am happy with my Venator..... the Sithspit am I sitting on...." Cynthiana picked up a device unlike anything she had seen before, it showed a map of the galaxy. "Uh..... Kinara, what am I looking at ?"

When Kinara spoke to her Snow had to sober up a bit, "I think so, I know by heart where Tython is, according to some places there was a binary system we called Bith or Byss or Abyss or some such, Nexi get off me sweetie.... no no Nexi no, leggo my belt... what do you mean you're tangled in it.... oh sithshit...." Sadly Snowbund had Nexi's tail tangled in her belt.

And Nexi was strong for a kitten

"Hmm...give or take a Tartan, yea. About four. Then couple that with the three Venators we had as escorts and you got yourself one hell of a Republic fleet." Kinara said in response to Cynthiana's astonishment. She tilted her head at the device. "Oh...hey...my scanner. So I didn't sell it....must've sold something else."

She shrugged again before standing and swiftly snatching it from Cynthiana's hands. She flicked the switch and.....nothing. Clearing her throat she tried again. And again. And again. Then she flung it against the wall, picked it back up with the force and ......Nothing. "I swear to the force I need to get a new one..well...newer one...." she slammed her forehead into it and finally....

Bzzzt!

Success! It turned on and there was a single dot on the screen. Flipping a knob, it zoomed out to show the system. Nothing recent...it zoomed again. and again. And yet again. One more zoom and.... "Oh.....That's why I don't recognize the system."

She sighed and paced back and forth, tossing the scanner on the chair she'd sat on. The system that the dot, representing the Obsidian Eagle was in? Kamino.

Cynthiana stared as Kinara struggled to activate the scanner, finally smacking her forehead against it did the thing start up, She snickered. "I used to have to do that to my lightsaber when I was a youngling." She said, every week or so her saber just wouldn't start up, once she knocked herself completely senseless and somehow managed to pass the class at the same time when the thing wouldn't turn on.

While seated on the bed Cynthiana stared at the system, Kamino, Sithspit she hated that planet, so much water, why couldn't they make the Clones on Tatoonie or other such system, Ziost maybe ? Cynthiana wondered, man she hated Kamino. But, as luck would have itr, the Eagle was in one piece, and kept in 'dry dock' which meant that it was kept out of sight of everything while underwater. "This'll be like Manaan, fun as heck" She mused thoughtfully

Snowbund finally got Nexi untangled and the massive kitten took off back towards her pen chriping and meowing happily as Snowbund was in a mostly one piece heap on the floor. Snowbund saw the holo and smirked, "So....." Already a plan began forming in her mind, "Whose up for a Kamino Raid ?"

At the words Kamino raid, Cynthiana shattered her glass with a sudden spark of Force Lighting.

Whoops

Kinara blinked at the spark of lightning from Cynthiana. "Pull a stunt like that on Kamino and you'll kill everything within twenty meters...." She said rather calmly. She shook her head. "Not until I have my second saber crystal. Any naturally occurring one will do; I can mediate on it on our way to Kamino." She said calmly.

She walked back over to her chair and picked up the scanner. By the Force it was old...it felt as if it would fall apart in her hands. She sighed, and then smiled. After getting herself a cruiser and painting it for herself, she'd sell the scanner. Then she could afford to refurnish the Tartan. She was already thinking of names for it.

Either way she sighed. "I suggest we get some sleep while we head to Illum or some such. I'll let you decide, Snow. I'mma take a nap." she said calmly. With that she rotated the chair, found the recline button, and put her feet up on a neighboring chair whilst leaning back, closing her eyes.

The thing about Kinara is that when she said nap, she really meant Meditate. Its how her connection to the force was so strong. How she was able to lift incredibly sized objects with ease that even Master Yoda would have struggled with with his centuries of experience. Whilst she meditated, her belongings began to float about the room. Her bag, her saber hilts, her boots, etc.

"Good idea, I'll stay on this beeeeeeeeeyeeeeaaaahhhhh..... Whoa....." Cynthiana said falling back onto the medical bed, going to roll over face down when she found herself staying at the ceiling light fixture suddeenly within arms reach. The sithspit ? She looked about as Snowbund had agreed and left to go to her own room, leaving Cynthiana with Kinara. But not before she programmed a destination. Zakuul had crystal caves

Seeing herself well off the floor with other items, Kinaras boots, kinaras bag, sabers, a few crystals from the nearby still open drawrers, Nexi the Nexu Kitten was batting at stuff floating past her. Including Cynthiana and the medical bed she was on as it floated close to the ceiling. It was not that Cynthiana did not like Nexu as a whole, far from it, they were one of the favorites that Cynthiana adored of the wildlife of the Galaxy as a whole. At least until she met that Zakuulian Rancor. in which case she ended yup force lighting the thing so hard it never woke back up

Snowbund went first to the bridge, then to her own room to sleep. She heard all sorts of weird noises, and knew it was mostly Kinara's fault. Snowbund had learned that the hard way. Within a moment the course was plotted and the CR90 jumped into hyperspace.

The lurch of the ship as it went into Hyperspace was hardly felt by anything floating whilst Kinara meditated. However her facial expression changed, after some time. It became more....focused. Her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pursed. She was seeing something. The Force was granting her a vision. Of what time she didn't yet know, but it was a vision all the same.

She couldn't begin to describe the feelings portrayed yet, but knew one thing: Cynthiana was the key to it all. She mulled it over; letting the vision come again and again, each time more clearer than the last, but only opening more questions. Still she continued. She let the vision decloud itself, become clear and serene, in a sense, so that she could see every aspect. Cynthiana and her Force Lightning were still the focus of it.

It wouldn't be until maybe half an hour before they'd come out of hyperspace that Everything in the room Kinara was in would stop floating, and fall to the ground. This meant one of two things. She'd opened her eyes and stopped meditating, or she'd actually fallen asleep. For anyone who knew her well enough; one prayed that it was the latter option; because the former always involved her unyielding curiosity.

Unfortunately for Cynthiana; it was the former. By the time she came to clearly after being unceremoniously dropped, she'd notice Kinara sitting up, and staring right at her; her green eyes glowing with a piercing gaze.

Unfortunately, Cynthiana was knocked out when she hit the ground, and the scanner tracker thing slammed dead into her forehead, which was shortly followed by the bed, her feet sticking out. Sadly since she did not know Kinara that well she had no idea and only sinply hoped her friend had fallen asleep. Out of worry alone she felt around, pushing the matress off her she felt about, for a moment all Kinara could see was her hand trying to find something until it found the black bag that Cynthiana always had on her.

With a pained groan Cynthiana pulled herself back onto the bed, for the moment not seeing Kinara sitting up and staring at her. "Ah, solid ground, perfect, wonderful, ahhh...." A moment passed when a eye snapped open and Cynthiana saw Kinara staring at her. here it comes Cynthiana thought. Sitting up on the bed she took out the sith holocron, it wasnt activated or unlocked, but it reeked of darkness. "You remember that mission on Moorja ? When we first met and Master Androth died saving us ?"

Kinara didn't move the entire time; she only watched her friend. She didn't even blink. The woman was like a Tigress fixated on prey; unwavering, uncaring. "I understand well enough how you got the power......I want to know if can trust you to use it properly." She said, her expression deadpan.

She stood; her eyes still on Cynthiana's face. "I want to know if, with such a dark power under your belt, you're not going to lash out and kill someone who doesn't deserve it." She walked over while speaking, and then knelt her eyes meeting Cynthiana's from only a foot away; unblinking, and seemingly all-seeing.

"I want to know how many people you even thought about hurting with that power."

For a long moment Cynthiana said nothing, she matched her friends stare, and out of the blue she said simply, "Seven. All of them imperials. All of them..... all of them dead." With her hand she activated the holocron and brought up some images of seven different Sith Lords, including the Sith Emperor and Darth Zannah. "Ever since I first activated this holocron on Moorja, and drew that Sith to me, to us, Androths killer. I have had nightmares constantly of these seven. Harming you, Snowy, Master Yoda, My mother, my brother. me. Though Master Yofda helped me, I learned to control my anger, I masterd it yes, But. it does not lure me anymore."

The images faded and the holocron shut down, locked up so to speak. "I can use the Lighting, but it does not lure me to darkness, or drive me crazy, At this moment the only person I'd use it on, if I ever got the chance, is this guy." She withdrew a holorecorder and activated it, it showed a young man, half is face was a droid armor, and his left arm also droid armor. "According to legend, three thousand years ago doing the zenith of the Republic this man and his twin brother attacked the Sith Empire, and Galactic Republic at once, When the battles were over, he had disappeared."

She sighed, "During the battle of Kamino, my squad and I stumbled upon a tomb on an island on one of Kaminos moons, it was filled with carbonite statues and cases, In a stasis chamber on that island. He was within, locked away in time. If anyone I would use this power on, its him, and him only. The other seven are long gone, slain by him already. He is the only one left, I do not know his name."

She smiled faintly "When those droids first attacked us in the sewers, You had zoned out, To defend you and Snowbund I used that power, I shorted one droid and fought another, the third just watched, then briefly fought me and fled. The only time I use the lightning is to defend myeself and others, or destroy items marked. Those droids tracked us that far because of a tracking device one planted, on me. I fried it with force lightning. But when I first learned the ability, I asked Master Windu to help me learn to properly harness and use it. Here" Cynthiana dug through her bag and withdrew a holorecorder, "This contains everything Master Windu and I did, I recorded all of it for future use. I promise you, you can trust me."

She then gave a curious look to her friend, "After everything I have said, do you still want to go to Kamino, to try and get the Eagle back ? Because if you truly do, I am with you."

Kinara seemed satisfied with Cynthiana's answer, and her expression softened tremendously, even smiling softly. "Well then; let's get to Kamino..." she smiled. She stood straight and stretched out her back, a few pops ringing out. She stretched out and grunted. "If we can steal the whole Eagle we'll be able to do what we damn well please within reason; and use the Tartans for whatever we want too." she smiled.

She ran plans in her head; the whole Obsidian Eagle.....That'd be great..... She smirked. "I'm takin' the whole damn thing.....and the Tartans...." She smirked and giggled excitedly.

She then cleared her throat and smiled. "Well....I'll be meditating in another room...lemme know when we reach Kamino."

It was two seconds later when Snowbund called out "Kamino! Everyone awake ?" The Kraethian stepped from the bridge of her CR90 and into the commons deck one level up that held all the bedrooms and conference rooms. Even after the Purge years before Snowbund had stuck with her normal clothing, the Jedi Robes were too... how did one say it ? Trouble magnetic ? No that wasn't right, but it somehow did the job. The less one were the traditional Jedi Robes, the less change they had of getting caught, or worse, killed by the Empire.

But that was then this was now, and Snowbund still had her same outfit she wore with Kinara all those years ago. In fact as she adjudsted for the tenth time in as many minutes the collar of the top she wore, as she stepped into view she spotted Kinara. It was odd, Kinara was a wonderful friend and a good Padawan. But she remembered something briefly about the outfit. Kinara had briefly complained, then saw the outfit the Kraethian wore, and then it was all blown to heck and back.

Yet Yoda said nothing, and nobody else in the order seemed to care whatsoever. So it seemed fitting for Snowbund to wear such clothing as a Jedi, heck, as hammered as she was recently it was a small wonder she even WAS a Jedi still to begin with.

Cynthiana sat nearby, her eyes closed as she was trying to meditate.

Well, her eyes were closed until Snowbund announced their arrival at Kamino. Her eyes snapped open, oh Holy Sith this wasn't going to be good was it ? But all worries were chucked clean out the airlock when Cynthiana saw Snowbundf step into view. "And I thought the Jedi Robes were itchy, you take it to an entirely higher level, Sunrider" Snowbund snickered at the thought, Cynthiana rarely went anywhere in a Jedi Robe, hell she always wore the black number.

Somehow Snowbund was relishing and wondering what Kinara's reaction would be if Cynthiana was that surprised to see that much fur to begin with

Kinara paused as she heard Snowbund's entrance and announcement that they arrived at Kamino. "Oh....alrighty then." She yawned and stretched out. Her own Jedi Robes that she wore currently were filthy, evident by the old stains on them. She looked to Snowbund as she entered and a small blush came back to her cheeks. "I forgot you still had those...." she said. To be fair, she would have noticed earlier, but she was extremely sleep deprived.

She turned and brought her bag over to her with her Force Grip, smiling and patting Snowbund. "I'm going to freshen up. Sleeping for...what, three days? straight with no shower or anything sucks...." she cleared her throat and disappeared into a random bedroom that looked like it hadn't been used.

Once there she laid out her fresh set of clothes, which included Old Republic Jedi Battle Armor she managed to find while adventurin on her own, a fresh hooded robe, and usual robes and undergarments she'd need. After she that she did what she needed to do, stripping down, showing, drying, etc. Then got dressed again after making sure she was completely dry and her hair was brushed.

She was putting on the hooded robe when she came back out from the room she'd showered in to look for Cynthiana and Snowbund, lightsaber hilt on her belt at her hip, and the shoto guard hilt in a slot on the back of her belt. The Robe covered most of her body, but underneath it, the faded green Jedi Armor still held true and strong, despite its needing of a new finish.

"Yep, almost choked a lot too recently" One more adjudstment went the collar before Snowbund just up and gave up. The Kraethian was about to mention the spare stateroom with a refresher she was welcome to use when Kinara was actually headed to th exact one Snowbund was going to point out. Well that worked out better then expected for sure!

Cynthiana smirked, "And here I thought you got rid of those"

Snowbund smirked again, "nope, Yoda never said a word and Master Windu and I never really spoke to each other to begin with. Plus I blend in very well in this get up thank you very much, not even the empires agents knew I was a Jedi until the last possible second when they were dead!" Snowbund then looked to her friend "What has you riled up so much now, Cynthiana ?"

A troubled sigh and Cynthiana stood up. "It is a long story, but it concerns the past, and present. It is too much to tell in one sitting. Just, be ready for anything."

When Kinara returned Snowbund smiled "You look good in that armor, reminds me of something I saw in one of the holocrons on Coruscant. I think I still have it. Somewhere" It was a datacron Yoda had given her, about her ancestors. that holocron contained everything from Deiyi Sunrider, the reason behind the entire Prophecy of the Force and the Chosen One, all the way to a event three thousand years before known as The Zakuul Incursion.

Kinara smiled. "Thanks, Master. I always did find this armor....comforting." she smiled. She tilted her head however at the mention of the holocrons. "Oh? I'd love to see it one day, I should think." She smiled, shifting her hip to one side as she adjusted the robe to cover more of her body. The armor also came with a helmet that had a visor on it, which currently she had between her hand and hip.

"Did I ever tell you how I found this armor?" She asked. She figured she might as well say now before they headed out. "During my travels, I allowed myself to be sold into Slavery out of sheer curiosity. Crazy, right? Yea I know. Anyway, the guy that owned me showed me off as a trophy, often dressing me up in this armor. Well, jokes on him because when I left, I took it, and the rest of my stuff." She explained, laughing at it.

"Though in hindsight it wasn't that odd that he'd have it...his crime empire was in an abandoned temple....I made sure he paid though." She added. She then blinked. "I don't think he ever got to the archives.....the holocrons might still be there." She smiled.

"What do you say; after we get the Obsidian Eagle, we take her to the planet and do a little raid? Maybe we'll find some crystals." She smirked. She was really in the mood for some mischief. Stealing a Valiant Class Republic Cruiser, then raiding an ancient Jedi Temple that had been inhabited by criminals? Fun for days! Quite literally!

Vipteri smiled as Smudgie spoke of how he had no money, well, she knew a way to get him some, perhaps she could be of help. So she spoke her mind simply saying "I think I can help with that" If his Matriarch wanted dataslates, even some datapads, whatever needed actually, she could help him get them for no cost or even any debt to her, being a Princess had its perks

The door opened and a jedi walked in, well, the feline critter on two legs had a pair of lightsabers on her belt, and was dress more like a dancing girl with a long dark green and light green skirt, the slate grey fur covered her skin of what was seen, and her face bore strange feline markings, Long black hair framed her face. The woman had need of a strong as possible drink

The week was strange to be sure for this woman, She needed a drink, a strong one. Snowbund had something she never thought a Jedi could have. A family. First her own aunt Awinita Oduress a Jedi Master, and mother of her own master at the temple, Odianark Oduress, who was her cousin! And the Cathar she had grown up with in the temple as a child was her own twin brother And all this time she thought she was an only child

It didnt matter, she learned as well that she had two younger sisters, also training to be jedi coupled with the loss of Master Din...

In short, Snowbund needed a drink. A strong one

Drakus wandered into the all-too-familiar Gambit's establishment with the hopes of getting a drink that he rarely indulged in since having children. The pair, adorable as they might have been, were a handful that would be left in the hands of his brother for the time being. Maybe having a pair of children around would help straighten Alrion out. He pushed such worrisome thoughts from his mind and turned to the room at hand.

He nodded towards Vipteri in acknowledgment as he passed along his way to the bar, and ordered himself a rum. It had been some time since he had enjoyed the strangeness of the bar and hoped he could rekindle some of that old spirit.

Adroit creatures when noticing the needs of Matriarchs Smudgie's hyperfocused brain noticed snowbund's eye on the bar from the blurry small eyes on the back of its head. It nodded jarringly up and down at Vipteri, "You can get smudgie a datapad? Smudgie woulD LoVe TO LEARN TO TYPE! It takes so long to write down all the things I learn. I get a drink for another Matriarch, BEBACKSOON!"

There was a loud thunk from the floor and smudgie was off as a less than figurative blur around and through legs. There was some rattling of glasses from the kitchen as smudgie gathered a few things. It knew where the pumpkin was and where the tools were to mash it. Then it had to flash-cook some pumpkin and butter. It came out with a handled glass in all four hands full of hot brown liquid. It shot over to Snowbund up to its hind legs and pressed the hot pumpkin buttered rum into her hand. Then it darted through legs to Drakus to do the same.

It nearly shouted at both as amped as its machine-gun voice was, "WELCOMETOGAMBITSHAVEAGOODTIMEBARISOVERTHEREBYE!"

Somehow it hadn't spilled a drop on the way over for either of them. If one could pay attention to the the blurry-skinned bug quick and instinctual hand movements angled the cup for its direction of movement. It shot over to Vipteri's table then plunked down the last two glasses which barely sloshed.

Smudgie made an effort to calm down as it smashed another bite of pumpkin in its mandibles. The effort took a moment as it spoke, "IKNOWWHERETO GET THE Pumpkin! So I made hot LIQOURDRINK! I don't know many yet. I watches the bartender!"