“We are handling the other ship as well, civilian,” the sergeant almost spat the word, as if he held civilians in just slightly higher regard than poodoo. “Now, one more time,” the trooper’s voice had lost any pretense of affability and the energy that curled around him shifted to a darker, angrier hue, “please return to the passenger berths immediately.”

Though he bristled at the soldier’s attitude and obvious disdain for civilians, Caise calmly folded his hands within the voluminous sleeves of his robe and resisted the initial urge to challenge the man any farther. “Very well, sergeant,” he acquiesced, smiling in spite of himself when he added; “Carry on, then.”

It was a pointless barb, of course, and likely would have earned him a rebuke from Master Trask along with the review of endless holocrons regarding protocol and customs throughout the galaxy - Words may be soft and wine may be sweet, Trask might have told him in typically cryptic fashion, Both may hide poison; it is the source that is important. Meditate upon this... - but Caise felt a bit of satisfaction for turning the trooper’s dismissal back on him. “I do hope that the poor pilot is the worst of the casualties,” he added as he finally complied with the TDF soldier’s orders and started, once again, for the passenger berths.

“Forgive me if I have misinterpreted, master,” he muttered under his breath as he strode away from the sergeant, “but words are sometimes easier to turn than the Force; you’ve said so yourself.”

Moments later, Caise found himself standing outside the forward door of the passenger berth once more. The portal had no sooner whooshed open when a contingent of soldiers and the bound detainees they escorted whisked passed him - in fact, had he not sensed them coming and stepped to the side when he did, the miraluka padawan was almost sure that the TDF troopers wouldn’t have had a second thought about trampling some blind civilian and marching their prisoners across him. His jaw tightened at having to let the imperious demeanor of the soldiers go unchallenged but, from what he was able to decipher, an altercation with the TDF was not the will of the Force. Something stirred in the Force, of that he was certain, but the culmination of it was not to be found here…

“Gangway, civvy! Prisoner escort comin’ through,” grumbled the soldier bringing up the rear of the column, nudging the Jedi another step back as he muscled his way through the doorway, “What are ya, blind?”

“Yes,” Caise smirked, falling into step behind the man who had just shoved past him, “What’s your excuse?”

Not waiting for or expecting a response, the young Jedi veered off and found a seat on an as yet unoccupied bench. He drew in a long, slow breath, dispelling the feelings of aggression as he gathered the Force about him and then sent his senses out among the growing crowd of sentients in the compartment. There was definitely something amiss in this whole situation and he had begun to believe that this mission that Trask had sent him on was about much more than simply meeting with the Alderaanian’s colleague or exploring Taanab’s mines for a suitable adegan crystal - Open your mind and heed well the turning of the Force - Caise recalled hearing that bit of advice from more than one Jedi throughout his years at the temple - In time and with focused attention, it will reveal all things. 
It wasn’t long before Dime appeared and took up a seat next to him. The twi’lek, perhaps realizing that Caise was enrapt in his contemplation of the assemblage of passengers, crew, and soldiers, didn’t utter a word. Instead, he entertained himself by coaxing a song from the slitherhorn he carried. The tune was familiar, though Caise couldn’t quite place it, and he found the music quite conducive to his contemplation of the currently unfolding events. Dime’s song had served to quell some of the anxiety that Lt Tord’s speech had sparked amongst the passengers and with those ripples in the Force diminished a bit, Caise found it much easier to focus on those that had truly drawn his attention…

His sightless eyes were drawn to the far side of the room where the Kul Kura’s crew sat, their hands secured in military-grade restraints and flanked by a pair of TDF troops. Combined, the energies of the detained crew were a turbulent mixture that seemed to run the gamut of emotion; everything from fear and anger to nervousness and confusion was represented in the colors that whorled across that bench and, he thought, he may have also sensed some relief and perhaps even happiness from some. When Caise began to mentally separate the tangle of it all, though, he found that two of the crew glowed slightly brighter in his sight than the others. One of these he had seen on the bridge not long ago… Not the pilot… he was at the sensor station. The other he could not recall having seen before but, as the young human was situated beside others of the crew that Caise had come to associate with the engineering crew, he imagined that this dark-haired youth was of similar vocation. Each in turn, he studied them intently and tried to reconcile their contrast to the others in their company. While he found it difficult to discern the reason why, he sensed that both of these men had a part to play in the events that were starting to unfold.

As his senses finally abandoned their active study of Mercury and Ziv, Caise was almost surprised to find that one of the TDF grunts that Tord had left to monitor the room also stood out amongst the rest. Those with physical sight would have perceived him as having red hair and being solidly built, with a stern demeanor, and a confident, capable air about him; a career soldier whose job was his life. In Caise’s sight, though, the tightly woven matrix of energies that indicated the soldier’s place in the Galaxy, revealed him to be much more than his counterparts… much more than what his physical appearance might lead the sighted to believe…

“There’s something different about that one,” Caise murmured to Dime as he drew back his cowl and brushed his long, silver padawan’s braid away from his neck. After a long moment, as the twi’lek brought the tune he was playing to a warbling crescendo, Caise turned his gaze in Dime’s direction and noticed that he too shone more vividly in his sight than any of the rest aboard the Kul Kura. “Prepare yourself, Kol Nuro,” he advised softly, “this is just beginning.”

He offered a cryptic smile, then sat back in his seat, folded his hands in his lap, and allowed himself to meditate upon what was to come, sending an unspoken thanks to Master Trask for the “people watching” lessons.

((OOC: Might have taken some wee-minor liberties here… edits as appropriate/if necessary. Caise will be meditating on the will of the force and “continuing his surveillance” of the room.))

A studied read of the TDF sergeant’s emotions revealed that the man was none too pleased at having been questioned by a civilian but, otherwise, nothing in the energies that swirled about the man indicated that he was doing anything more than his job. "On charges of illegal spice distribution," the sergeant grumbled, "Now I repeat, return to the passenger berth."

Caise arched a curious brow at the mention of spice but, satisfied with the soldier’s answer, offered a curt nod and turned to pace the length of the corridor back to the passenger berth. Had this incident occurred close to the Core Worlds, or at least closer to the borders of the Republic, Caise, perhaps, would not have thought to question soldiers boarding a transport vessel - minor skirmishes and the detention of starships had become common place there in recent times with the upheaval in the Senate and the resultant partisanship of “loyalists” and “separatists” - but out here, this close to the Outer Rim, those lines were not as clearly defined and, quite possibly, were even obscured all the more by the workings of regional powers. The myriad layers of politics confused the young miraluka, though, and even as he strode for the passenger compartment, he wondered if he had made the proper decision in abandoning the bridge crew to the whims of the obviously aggressive troopers. His pace slowed as he searched the archives of his memory for some guidance on the matter from Trask (or any number of the other Jedi who had had a hand in his training since he was a youngling) - this mission was a test, he knew, as it was the first Caise had undertaken without his master but, for a moment, he found himself wishing that the Alderaanian Jedi were with him so that these decisions could be made by a wiser, more adept mind.

Before the TDF sergeant could turn to join his squad on the bridge, Caise’s progress back toward the passenger compartment halted completely and, without turning to face the soldier, asked; “And what of the other ship, sergeant? I was led to believe that a pirate vessel had been pursuing us; have you detained that vessel, as well?”

((OOC: Yes, Caise is going back to the passenger berth… He’s been more or less reassured that he’ll still be making planetfall on Tanaab, so there’s no “interference with his mission”, he just suddenly happened to wonder about the other ship… Perhaps not the wisest idea to provoke an already agitated trooper, but the padawan’s still not keen on “appropriate interaction.” ))

As the miraluka strode down the corridor he could feel the ambient tension aboard the Kul Kura rising. The crew’s anxiety had increased steadily since Caise had first sensed it minutes ago but, as he drew nearer to the bridge, he noticed that the minor frustrations of the passengers had also evolved into something more comparable to the feelings emanating from the ship-hands.

Something else has changed, he observed, pausing for a moment and turning to regard the passageway behind him. A ripple in the Force seemed to indicate that there were suddenly more people on the transport than there had been… We’ve been boarded... He turned on his heel, his hand hovering close to his lightsaber in case the need to draw the weapon (or quickly adjust the hem of his cloak to conceal it) presented itself, and continued toward the bridge Caise. The doorway to the Kul Kura’s command room practically glowed in his sight as he approached, as if a great deal of emotion stirred the Force in the room beyond and the energies sought escape through the portal. The corridor behind him, too, suddenly brightened and, an instant later, a squad of what appeared to be soldiers rushed past him.

“You there! Return to the passenger berth. This vessel has been lawfully seized by the TDF, and will be taken to Tanaab for processing.”

Caise turned his sightless eyes in the direction of the squad leader only after completing a quiet appraisal of the remainder of his team. The man’s voice was authoritative and stern but not overly aggressive and his demeanor was professional; all outward indications pointed to the fact that this soldier and his squad were simply doing their jobs as ordered. Before meeting Master Trask, this would have been enough for the padawan to have either immediately complied with the order or offered his assistance, the elder Jedi had taught him, though, not to always trust in what may appear to be done in the name of the law.

“Law and justice are not the same thing, Caise,” Trask had once told him, “When law is invoked as an excuse to show power it is almost a certainty that an injustice is being done. Law, my young padawan, is often corrupted and used as a means to quickly gain power…”

The hydraulic squelch of the opening bridge door drew his attention and, though his blind gaze never left the TDF sergeant, he saw the pilot curled on the floor holding both hands to his face as well as the soldier standing over the injured Duro.

“…and when the power of law is used to do harm rather than to prevent it, then law is no longer law and justice must be done. Do you understand?”

“Seized,” the miraluka repeated, offering a slow nod and showing no signs of going anywhere just yet, “on what charges?”

((OOC: Empathy (+3)check on the sarge, please… Caise is trying to get a feel for whether this is a “truly legit” boarding or if there might be something else going on behind the scenes… If it turns out that nothing “suspicious” comes of the check, Caise will return to the passenger berth, otherwise, well… we’ll see. ))

• Jedi Robes
  
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“My name is Kol Nuro and I am a wandering musician coming to this world to learn of it’s exotic dances, should anyone ask.”

He had heard the twi’lek introduce himself by that very pseudonym to a number of others aboard the transport, of course, and had surmised some time ago that Dime was traveling incognito for one reason or another. It hadn’t occurred to Caise to question the twi’lek’s motives, though; many sentients in the galaxy traveled under assumed names for one reason or another, whether it was a matter of personal safety (hiding from a Hutt one may have offended, for example) or other, more political subversion. It was none of Caise’s concern as to why Dime had assumed this alter ego, really. He had sensed no malice from the twi’lek … in fact, he had rather enjoyed the man’s company during their few, short conversations… and there had been nothing in any rippling of the Force to indicate that the miraluka padawan should interfere with the deception.

Caise nodded in reply to Dime’s whispered request in regards to his identity. “Of course,” he replied, offering a faint smile and subtle bow, “should anyone ask. The Force be with you, Kol Nuro.” Caise disappeared through the doorway, then, and strode purposefully but cautiously towards the Kul Kura’s bridge.

As he enveloped himself in his cloak and sent his senses spiraling out, one hand brushed across the cool, metal grip of the lightsaber that hung from his belt and he sensed the vibration of the adegan crystal contained within the weapon. This saber wasn’t his own, of course - it had been given to him by Master Trask when the Jedi took Caise on as his Padawan - and, though it was substantially less powerful than the lightsabers carried by the Jedi who had crafted their own, it still proved to be a reliable weapon and he was proud to carry it. Caise did look forward to the day when he would be able to craft his own, however, and, as he understood it, Tanaab had a smattering of mines where he might just be able to locate a crystal to be used for that very thing…

…assuming there is time, of course, the padawan reminded himself, and that visiting one or more of these mines does not take me outside the scope of my mission. 

((OOC: Caise, of course, is heading for the bridge to offer any assistance that may be needed - he’ll be paying close attention to any fluctuations in the Force (at least as closely as he can considering his level.))

Disquiet.

Tension.

Fear.

All of these things assailed the young padawan’s perceptions as he sat in the passenger berth of the Kul Kura. The emotions seemed to ripple from a greater majority of the sentients on board the Tanaab-bound transport but flowed the strongest from the crew. Amongst the passengers, it seemed, annoyance, aggravation, and uncertainty were more predominant than anything else - at least until the transport was rocked by what Caise imagined must have been a shot from one of the pursuing pirate vessel’s blaster cannon. A wave of anxious fear crashed over a number of the passengers at that point, as well and, for a moment, Caise felt himself unbalanced by the sudden emotional spike in the Force.

There is no emotion, he reminded himself as he drew in a long, slow breath, attempting to refocus his thoughts. There is only peace. 

“For a Jedi, this is true,” Master Trask’s voice whispered in his mind, “but do not fail to realize that, for others, emotion is very real and very powerful, my young padawan. You would do well not to translate the Code as literally as you have been…”

 
Though Trask’s words were but a snippet of his own memory, recalled from a much earlier conversation with his master, Caise knew that the wisdom imparted to him then was meant to be carried forward, meditated upon, and applied every day and in every situation. Caise’s shortcomings in the realm of social graces and diplomacy had very nearly caused the Council to deny Master Trask from taking the young miraluka as his padawan and, as such, a majority of the missions that Caise had accompanied his master on had served as exercises on those very subjects.

“…especially when it comes to dealing with and understanding others.”

Caise nodded a silent affirmation and drew in another slow breath to dispel the wish that Trask was here at his side rather than halfway across the galaxy. This was Caise’s first mission without the elder Jedi, after all, and if Trask had been with him and guiding his every step, it would have meant that his own steps on the path to becoming a Jedi were still far from even approaching that goal. “Perhaps Trask foresaw this,” Caise mused, “and my meeting with the Master’s colleague on Tanaab is not the true test…”

 
A faint smile curled one corner of the miraluka’s mouth as he calmly rose from his seat; “Diplomacy with pirates, Master? Interesting.”

He inclined his head to the twi’lek, whom he had come to know as Dime, and rose calmly from his seat. “Excuse me, my friend,” he intoned, stepping gracefully around Dime, “I think that…”

A slight tremor of what Caise recognized as shock or surprise rippled through the Force at that moment, and caused the padawan to pause and re-evaluate what his senses and training had told him thus far. Tentatively, he reached out with his mind once more and sampled the ebb and flow of the Force. “I think,” he continued softly as he drew the deep cowl of his cloak over his head, “that perhaps it is something more than pirates that will be delaying our arrival.”

With that, Caise Jhorap strode for the portal that led from the passenger berths to the central corridor of the transport. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was he had sensed, but there was a subtle shift in the energies that emanated from the crew and, as a Jedi, he would be remiss if he did not, at least, seek out the captain of the Kul Kara and offer whatever assistance he could.