A New Lead on an Old Friend

A New Lead on an Old Friend
Date of Scene:	22 April 2025
Location:	Jedha
Synopsis:	Cayde encounters familiar faces on Jedha.
Cast of Characters:	Cayde Alexis, 159, Navi

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Cayde Alexis has posed:
    One evening a few days before the repairs to the ship are completed, Cayde ventures out of the Temple of Kyber and begins to make his way toward a nearby market square. He'd seen a sign outside earlier, about a cafe commonly frequented by people close to his age and it would appear that some kind of meet and greet is happening there tonight.

    ...No, he's never really done anything like this before, but he'd never learn if he never stepped out of his comfort zone, now would he? Although Oona had been happy to see him, there'd been a...heaviness about her. She was trying not to be disappointed, but she was concerned, he could tell.

    As he approaches the venue, he wipes the cold sweat on his hands off on his robes and resists the unmistakable urge to go digging in the minds of those inside before encountering them. Maybe, it'd be a fairly small gathering. Hopefully...

Athena (159) has posed:
The young Padawan might be surprised to see a familiar face there -- Master Trassa Volk. The Kel Dor Sentinel is approaching the venue quickly, his pace hurried and determined.

But what would Volk be doing here? He was surely much older than the other people who were supposed to be at the meet and greet tonight.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Master Volk? What was--well, maybe he had other business at the establishment. After all, he didn't look like he was just headed to a casual hangout.

    Cayde gives a quick, respectful bow toward the Kel Dor as the master approaches, before entering himself. <Master Volk> he greets.

Athena (159) has posed:
The Kel Dor Jedi seems surprised Cayde is here, and perhaps not that pleased that he is. "Cayde? what are you doing here?" he asks, his tone worried.

but before he can respond, he'll see two more familiar faces approaching - Kuv, and his former Kurabu Master, Shasta.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde pauses in the doorway as Volk asks him what he's doing here, turning around and frowning slightly. No, no, he should try to use words. [I...]

    But before he can finish, Kuv and Shasta appear. He hasn't seen either of them in...years. Suddenly, he realizes how much he has missed his older half brother, immediately reaching out to his mind. <Kuv!>

Athena (159) has posed:
<Hey> his half brother greets, coming over to greet him by tousling his hair. <You're so tall now... but you dont look any different, sadly>

Shasta frowns. "You should probably head back to the Temple, Cayde," he says, "unless you have pressing business here."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde pouts slightly at Kuv as his older brother messes up his hair. He smooths it back down indignantly.

    But he nods toward the sign in front of the cafe advertising the event. Yes, he has very pressing business!

Athena (159) has posed:
Shasta brows furrow deeper. "Not that kind," he says, "the kind that the Council sends you on."

He glances over at Volk, who inclines his head gravely.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    But...why? Cayde glances back at the door, then looks at the group again, his heart sinking. He was just trying to be better. Wasn't that what everyone wanted?

    [But why] he signs.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Don't feel bad," Shasta says, "if this event had been on any other day at any other time, we would have encouraged you to go--"

"We have a lead on where Rykard is. He's alive. And might have critical information," Kuv suddenly adds. "On the fates of millions of lives in the far future..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde's eyes widen at the news about his old Master, who had been missing for a long time. He'd always thought Rykard is probably still alive, but could not return for one reason or another.

    Immediately, he starts peering into Kuv's mind, looking for the details on this matter. It must have something to do with why they are here.

Athena (159) has posed:
Shasta sighs audibly, but Volk looks relieved. "It's not -really- a lead," the Master says. "just a rumor worth investigating. And for obvious reasons, you weren't supposed to know yet, Cayde. No reason to get your hopes up, or complicate your relationship with Anne prematurely. We would have updated you when and if we had something more concrete."

He arches a brow at Kuv, who shrugs. "What? He was going to know anyway." Kuv immediately senses Cayde looking into his mind for answers, and says out loud, "There's someone who's supposed to come tonight, who is a family member of someone who is rumored to have seen and spoke with Rykard recently. Cayde might as well come with us."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    But, what critical information could he have...?

    Cayde frowns pensively, Kuv's answer not quite everything he was looking for. But, he nods at Kuv's suggestion. His brother was right, he would've learned the truth anyway. Besides, why would it cause tension with Master Belask? It wouldn't. Shouldn't, anyway...

    Well, it was just a rumor for now.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Fine," Shasta says, looking annoyed. "I hope this isn't too much for you," he says Cayde. "Are you sure you want to do this? The turnout is supposd be around a hundred."

Then he turns to Volk, "Brief us quickly, and then we'll go," Then to Cayde, he says. "Decide quickly," he says, "once Volk is done briefing us, we'll go in, and you'll be expected to be... sociable."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde hesitates slightly. A hundred? That was more than he'd hoped. But--well, he had to start somewhere. And he'd been in rowdier places before. Even if it had been difficult, he'd survived.

    Finally, he nods. Sociable, yes. That was why he was here to begin with, right? And Kuv being here with him helped. [I will...do my best] he signs.

Athena (159) has posed:
"The intel we have surrounds a Twi'lek boy," Volk says, "around Cayde's age, red-skinned with maroon spots on his lekku. He's a bit introverted, or so I hear. His name is Vornu. Vornu Gask. His father is a trader in the Outer Rim who frequents Wild Space, and on occasion, the border of the Unknown Regions." The Kel dor then inclines his head. "May the Force be with you all in finding him."

The two other Jedi bow, and then the three of them head towards the venue. Shasta eyes Cayde a bit suspiciously. "When was the last time you went to a... party?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods, making note of the brief from Volk. When Shasta asks when the last time he'd been a party was, he looks pensive a moment, thinking back as he enters the restaurant. Well, there had been that...welcome dinner? Of sorts, at Kublop. Maybe that counted as a party.

    [Few months ago] he signs. He's not entirely sure but it was something that.

    He begins to scan the room for any Twi'leks matching the description.

Athena (159) has posed:
Shasta seems mildly surprised but glad. "Oh, well that's not too bad. How'd you fare?"

But as they're approaching, Cayde will see there's a massive crowd outside - all people his age, or perhaps even younger, drinking, eating, and all talking very loudly over each other. Vornu was going to difficult to find here... if Cayde didn't get wrapped up trying to just exist without embarrassing himself here first. Kuv smiles and drapes an arm over his shoulder. <Look, don't worry. Just relax, and don't think too hard about what you're going to say next. It'll be fine>

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [...okay] Cayde replies, shifting a bit uncomfortably. He keeps the memories of nearly throwing up again to himself.

    He stares at the crowd. Surely, this had to be...more than a hundred. No, no it probably wasn't. It just seemed like it, that was all. He tries to focus, but a throbbing pain begins in the back of his head. Thankfully, Kuv's presence brings him back to the moment. <...Okay>

Navi has posed:
Standing closer to the entrance of the cafe, Navi wonders just what she's doing here. She's not really familiar with meet-'n-greets, after all, given her lifestyle. Maybe it just seemed like a good idea to get out into town since she's back on Jedha, with Tenoo both literally and emotionally a very distant concern. It's an odd feeling, not having to worry about colony politics, strange old temples, and looming disaster. Odd, but not unwelcome.

And wearing her Brotherhood robe is equally odd after so long wearing more normal civilian clothing. She never thought she'd miss it, and yet here she is, in full cultist lack-of-glory, like she'd never left. Odd.

"If I didn't have friends back on that awful rock, I'd never go near it ever again," she murmurs wearily. "Funny how you can be drowning in stress and never realize how awful you actually feel until you step away from it."

Athena (159) has posed:
Shasta stops walking for a brief second, arching a brow at Cayde. "You know I don't need the Force to know when you lie about things like that," the Kuranu says.

But then they continue towards the venue, and as they do the crowd seems to get larger and more intimidating. Kuv smirks, and tugs on Cayde's robe. He points at Navi. <You could go talk to her. Ask how she is, and if she's seen any red skinned Twi'lek boys around named Vornu. She's pretty, and seems nice> The young Jedi Knight waves at Navi, beckoning for her to come over.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    <But I was there> Cayde reminds him, pouting slightly. That had to count for something right?

    As they come nearer, the noise grows. Cayde tries to keep himself rooted on Kuv's presence, like he always used to do. He follows his brother's gaze over to Navi. <Yes....that's Navi. I know>

Navi has posed:
Noticing a wave toward her out of the corner of her eye, Navi glances that way. The young Jedi waving her over isn't familiar, but he's on the arm of another Jedi...

And then she gets a good look at the familiar face above the Jedi robes, and has to force herself not to roll her eyes as she approaches Cayde and his companion, whoever he is. "Good evening. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to see you at a place like this," she says to Cayde.

She glances at Kuv, nodding. "I'm Navi, a Novice of the Shining Brotherhood. I'm presuming you know Cayde already?"

Athena (159) has posed:
"I know," Shasta says knowingly, "but -should- you have been... perhaps starting smaller would be a good idea..."

"Yeah," Kuv says with a mischievous smile, "Jedi Knight Kuyvar Cassias, but you can just call me Kuv. I'm a close friend of Cayde's," he says. "Nice to meet you Navi. This is my former Master, Noorivar Shasta ." The purple skinned alien nods at Navi politely.

"Believe it or not," Master Shasta says to the young Sephi, "we aren't actually here to just make new friends. We're here on Jedi business, looking for a certain young Twi'lek with red skin and spotted lekku. His name is Vornu," he says. "Have you seen him?"

Navi has posed:
"Nice to meet you both. As for the other thing... I think I saw a young Twi'lek just like that near the back," Navi replies thoughtfully, nodding a greeting to Shasta and Kuv. "At a table by himself in a dark corner. You could almost walk right past it and never see it."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    <But I'm better now> Cayde insists. Especially since the last time Shasta saw him, he had to be!

    [I am practicing] he remarks in sign toward Navi when she admits she wasn't expecting to see him here.

    When she reveals that she has seen Vornu his expression lights up with anticipation. [Show us...] he suggests. [...please]

Athena (159) has posed:
"Right," Shasta says, "I'll believe you when I see it in action..."

Kuv glances in the direction Navi has mentioned. "Well what do you say? Wanna tag along with us to go talk to the kid? I'm sure he'd be more amenable to a casual conversation about the people his father has met on his travels if a pretty Sephi girl was accompanying."

Then, without waiting for Navi's response, starts heading for the back of the venue.

Navi has posed:
"Good luck with the practicing," Navi adds softly to Cayde. "Sure, I can show you..." Whatever else she might've said is lost as Kuv 'invites' her to join them.

This time she actually does roll her eyes. "Are you /sure/ you're a Jedi Knight? 'Cause eye candy seems like it might be rubbing against the Jedi Code in the wrong way," she asks sardonically.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde begins to follow them toward the back where Vornu is hopefully still sitting. It was kind of strange that he'd come here but end up sitting alone the entire time without trying to interact with anyone else. After all that was the point of the event, wasn't it? Anyway, starts looking for the Twi'lek.

    Navi will feel an almost apologetic nudge in her mind. Kuv never did manage to impress very many girls he actually talked to.

Athena (159) has posed:
"No," Kuv responds immediately. "It's not actually. Only attachments." He smirks.

But then Shasta gives Kuv a reproving look, one that says he shouldn't have to tell him to stop this kind of behavior anymore. Kuv then presses ahead, putting several strides of distance between himself and Navi, leaving the Sephi girl alone for the time being.

Indeed, they'll see Vornu in the back, looking both anxious and lonely while sipping a glass of warm lemon tonic water.

Navi has posed:
Navi just rolls her eyes again as Kuv steps further ahead. She gives Cayde a faint but grateful smile for his apology, though. As the four approach the table, she falls back toward the rear of the group. She's not really sure why they're looking for Vornu, and it's probably a good idea not to risk saying anything that might drive the young Twi'lek away.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Oh, that must be him. Spotting the other boy, Cayde follows Kuv over to the lonely table where Vornu is sitting.

    He points at the empty seats. [Sit with you] he offers, smiling warmly.

Athena (159) has posed:
Vornu peers at Cayde curiously, and it's clear he's not all that versed in understanding Basic sign. He blinks. "Uh... okay," he says, looking a bit skittish. "What do you guys want?"

"Just to speak with you briefly about your father," Shasta says, sitting across from the boy and smiling at him in a similar fashion to how Cayde is. "And the people he may have come in contact with."

The young Twi'lek immediately seems on guard when they mention his father. "And what do you wanna... know about those people?" he asks, his gaze shifty. He looks like he might want to make a hasty exit, at any moment...

Navi has posed:
Navi is the last to sit down. She doesn't scoot her chair closer to the table, wanting to be able to get up quickly in case Vornu decides to run away. She hopes he doesn't.

"Hi," she offers gently to the young Twi'lek, along with a casual wave.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde arches a brow at Shasta. Really? That didn't seem to be a very good way to get him to open up about...well, anything. He's tempted to simply enter the other boy's mind, but he'd promised himself he wouldn't do that tonight unless he absolutely had to.

    Having observed that Vornu had difficulty understanding sign language, he takes a napkin from the container on the table and writes his name on it, then shows it to Vornu.

Athena (159) has posed:
Vornu smiles a little when Navi sits down and offers a greeting to him gently. "Hi," he says meekly.

Cayde shouldn't be surprised. Shasta had never been much of a diplomat - Kuv had played that role as padawan, and now it seems he's realized Shasta's shoddy opening is his cue to play persuasive.

"Your father isn't in trouble, nor are you," Kuv says. "We only came to talk to about your father because we believe he might have seen one of our dear Jedi friends who has been missing for a long, long time." He smiles, and Vornu suddenly seems more at ease. "Okay," he says.

He glances at Cayde's name on a napkin, and nods. "Nice to meet you Cayde... who are you looking for that my dad might know?"

Navi has posed:
Missing Jedi? Navi gets more interested at that, leaning forward slightly. In spite of this, she doesn't say anything else for the moment, letting the Jedi handle this. Not least because she knows pretty well nothing about the entire matter.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods and writes "thank you" on the napkin. Then he turns it over and makes a small sketch of his old master as he remembered him the last time he'd seen him...although, it has been years. Perhaps he doesn't look quite the same. But hopefully, there is enough resemblance.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Oh!" Vornu says when Cayde draws a picture of his old master. "Actually my dad did say something about a really old Ikkrukki guy with magical powers, who looked kind of like that. He said that he told him he was going to the only place in the Unknown Regions with a charted hyperspace route - Rakata Prime. Something about learning more about the secrets of how hyperspace works..."

"Rakata?" Shasta muses. "Well, that does make sense. However traveling there alone is... risky."

Navi has posed:
"Rakata Prime? I've heard about it, but not much more than the name," Navi observes softly. "What are the risks of going there?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Secrets of hyperspace? Just what was he up to?

    Cayde tries to remember what it was Rykard had been sent off to do all those years ago that he hadn't ended up returning from.

    Anyway, he turns the napkin around again, to the side that still says "thank you".

Athena (159) has posed:
"Yes," Shasta says, "Rakata is an ancient place that may very well hold many secrets regarding hyperspace. It's risky because going anywhere aside from Ilum in the Unknown Regions is dangerous. There's so little known about that area of space, and what dangers lie there."

Shasta and Kuv then get up, and bow politely. "Thank you, Vornu. You've been of service to both the Order and Republic today," Kuv says. "With your help, we may be able to find our old friend Master Rykard after all." Then then turn around and starting heading out of the venue. <See now, that wasn't so bad> Kuv tells Cayde.

Navi has posed:
Navi waves to Shasta and Kuv as they leave the table. "Nice meeting you both," she calls softly after them. She watches in silence as they leave.

After another moment of silence, she looks at Cayde. "Did you get a bad feeling about this whole situation? 'Cause I sure did."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    <It was not> Cayde agrees, when Kuv points out that this perhaps wasn't as hard as he'd thought. Well, he hadn't expected Kuv to show up, certainly. He absently wonders if Shasta is now convinced of his earlier claim that he's better at this than the last time they'd seen each other.

    But then he looks concerned when Navi seems worried. [It is ok] he signs to her, then pats her on the shoulder.