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[fieldbox="Kana Acula — Jedi Guardian, #396, dashed, 10, Trebuchet MS"]
Kana scowled when her whiskey was suddenly taken away from her. Biting back a protest, she nodded, knowing through the slight haze that Ishua was right. She needed to be alert for the funeral, no matter how much she just wanted to stay there. Anything to distract her from the turmoil going on underneath the surface. With a slight huff, she got to her feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness that attempted to slow her down. Ishua's words echoed in her mind as she went, gnawing away at the careful stubbornness she usually relied on. The Jedi were lucky at that moment; her already-inebriated mind had not processed what Kuno had said about the Sith. She instead thought about much more useless things as she retrieved the pellets and changed into her charcoal colored formal robes.
I'm a general, not the general. She knew full well what he had meant by that, and it had taken all her self-control not to dispute him right there. He was more than a general; he was her friend. And someone she had grown to rely on in the past months. They'd been working together for almost a year now, and it had quickly become the longest assignment she'd received. And, if recent events were any indication, she doubted she would be reassigned anytime soon. Kana didn't particularly want to be reassigned anyways, though she wasn't entirely sure why. She'd made friends before; why was Ishua any different? Even Kuno, whom she normally wouldn't trust an inch because of his background, had proven himself to gain her respect. It was a strange feeling, one that she couldn't well identify even to herself.
Kana stopped in her tracks and her thoughts, surprised to see a Council member in her path. She had almost reached the funeral pyres, where the Council and most of the other Jedi had already gathered. "Are you Kana Acula, Jedi Knight on the Sojourn?" She nodded, wondering why a member of the Council would be addressing her. His expression was grim, wrinkles creased as another Jedi--likely his apprentice--produced what appeared to be a cylinder wrapped in cloth. Fear gripped her forcefully, her mouth becoming dry as she took it in hand. Her mind detached itself then, her eyes seeing but not really comprehending as she unwrapped the cloth. Inside was a lightsaber, one that she knew very well. She looked up, focusing instantly on the funeral pyre closest to her. She'd been drawn to it already. Without even realizing, she'd been going towards her master's corpse.
She thanked the Jedi Master, but his next words fell on dull ears. As the sun disappeared below the horizon, the light of her own mind seemed to dim. She thought back, her hands trembling. During the battle, she had felt such a harsh disturbance, like she'd been ripped in half. Before, she thought it had been Ishua. Part of it had been. But now, she knew. She knew that it had been her own master as well. Kana walked slowly, gripping the saber tightly as she stopped a short distance from Ven Shiti's pyre. There he lay, solemn and peaceful. His peppered beard was as unkept as ever, but his skin was far paler than it should have been. It was then that she dropped to one knee, unable to stay on her own damn feet.
Failure. You failed. You were too weak, and now he's dead. Despair crushed her, but her expression remained carefully guarded. As the funeral commenced, she watched in internal agony as his body went up in flames. Failure. Weak. Over and over. Master Shiti, the man who had cared for her as one of his own, was dead. She remembered the warmth of his voice, the dry wit of his humor. The way he had taught her with a gentle but firm hand. She'd never see any of that again. What was more, she now had no one to turn to for guidance. She was alone. But wasn't she always? In the end, everyone she loved ended up dead. This was no different.
As grief weighed upon her shoulders, anger simmered beneath the surface. Anger turned to rage turned to hate. She would find the Sith. She would kill them. Every last one.[/fieldbox]Interactions: n/a
Mentions: Ishua Ken, Kuno Delrah
I'm a general, not the general. She knew full well what he had meant by that, and it had taken all her self-control not to dispute him right there. He was more than a general; he was her friend. And someone she had grown to rely on in the past months. They'd been working together for almost a year now, and it had quickly become the longest assignment she'd received. And, if recent events were any indication, she doubted she would be reassigned anytime soon. Kana didn't particularly want to be reassigned anyways, though she wasn't entirely sure why. She'd made friends before; why was Ishua any different? Even Kuno, whom she normally wouldn't trust an inch because of his background, had proven himself to gain her respect. It was a strange feeling, one that she couldn't well identify even to herself.
"You're one of the caretakers here?" Kana asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she was given a simple nod. The man sitting across from her was Ishua Ken, more well-known as "The Grey Jedi." He had a thinly veiled expression of amusement, as if he found it hilarious that she'd been sent to make sure everything at the Jedi enclave was in working order. That was the usual assignment, and she did not expect to stay more than two months. Normally, the caretakers--or whoever was in charge--would take her quite seriously, as if they were under some kind of official review. This Jedi, however, hardly gave the reaction she'd come to expect.
And it was pissing her off.
"Well, I can already tell I have my work cut out for me," she jibed, watching carefully for his reaction. Another smirk, with an even more bemused expression. Her lips thinned as she tried to dispel her own irritation. What was so damn funny about this? The Jedi enclave, while certainly not in the worst condition, was lacking the discipline that she had hoped to see. The whole atmosphere of the place was far too relaxed, and she was sure this damn Jedi was the main source of it. Or at least he did nothing about it. Getting to her feet, Kana made several notes in her data pad, her eyes wandering to the outdated astromech tittering along next to Ken. "Why don't you invest in a newer model? It'd be much more efficient. No use in being attached to an astromech." She had said it harmlessly, but the Jedi quickly seemed to take offense.
"Why in hell would I do that?" He stood up suddenly, his amusement having turned into annoyance. Despite herself, Kana took a step back, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two. Even the droid cried out indignantly. She held her hands up in surrender then, figuring it wasn't a worthwhile battle. The Grey Jedi shrugged it off quickly, though it was clear he no longer found this very entertaining. She smirked, feeling as if she had triumphed a bit. Perhaps now he would take this all more seriously and make it that much easier for her to finish quickly.
She'd never been more wrong.
And it was pissing her off.
"Well, I can already tell I have my work cut out for me," she jibed, watching carefully for his reaction. Another smirk, with an even more bemused expression. Her lips thinned as she tried to dispel her own irritation. What was so damn funny about this? The Jedi enclave, while certainly not in the worst condition, was lacking the discipline that she had hoped to see. The whole atmosphere of the place was far too relaxed, and she was sure this damn Jedi was the main source of it. Or at least he did nothing about it. Getting to her feet, Kana made several notes in her data pad, her eyes wandering to the outdated astromech tittering along next to Ken. "Why don't you invest in a newer model? It'd be much more efficient. No use in being attached to an astromech." She had said it harmlessly, but the Jedi quickly seemed to take offense.
"Why in hell would I do that?" He stood up suddenly, his amusement having turned into annoyance. Despite herself, Kana took a step back, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two. Even the droid cried out indignantly. She held her hands up in surrender then, figuring it wasn't a worthwhile battle. The Grey Jedi shrugged it off quickly, though it was clear he no longer found this very entertaining. She smirked, feeling as if she had triumphed a bit. Perhaps now he would take this all more seriously and make it that much easier for her to finish quickly.
She'd never been more wrong.
Kana stopped in her tracks and her thoughts, surprised to see a Council member in her path. She had almost reached the funeral pyres, where the Council and most of the other Jedi had already gathered. "Are you Kana Acula, Jedi Knight on the Sojourn?" She nodded, wondering why a member of the Council would be addressing her. His expression was grim, wrinkles creased as another Jedi--likely his apprentice--produced what appeared to be a cylinder wrapped in cloth. Fear gripped her forcefully, her mouth becoming dry as she took it in hand. Her mind detached itself then, her eyes seeing but not really comprehending as she unwrapped the cloth. Inside was a lightsaber, one that she knew very well. She looked up, focusing instantly on the funeral pyre closest to her. She'd been drawn to it already. Without even realizing, she'd been going towards her master's corpse.
She thanked the Jedi Master, but his next words fell on dull ears. As the sun disappeared below the horizon, the light of her own mind seemed to dim. She thought back, her hands trembling. During the battle, she had felt such a harsh disturbance, like she'd been ripped in half. Before, she thought it had been Ishua. Part of it had been. But now, she knew. She knew that it had been her own master as well. Kana walked slowly, gripping the saber tightly as she stopped a short distance from Ven Shiti's pyre. There he lay, solemn and peaceful. His peppered beard was as unkept as ever, but his skin was far paler than it should have been. It was then that she dropped to one knee, unable to stay on her own damn feet.
Failure. You failed. You were too weak, and now he's dead. Despair crushed her, but her expression remained carefully guarded. As the funeral commenced, she watched in internal agony as his body went up in flames. Failure. Weak. Over and over. Master Shiti, the man who had cared for her as one of his own, was dead. She remembered the warmth of his voice, the dry wit of his humor. The way he had taught her with a gentle but firm hand. She'd never see any of that again. What was more, she now had no one to turn to for guidance. She was alone. But wasn't she always? In the end, everyone she loved ended up dead. This was no different.
As grief weighed upon her shoulders, anger simmered beneath the surface. Anger turned to rage turned to hate. She would find the Sith. She would kill them. Every last one.[/fieldbox]Interactions: n/a
Mentions: Ishua Ken, Kuno Delrah