Off they go.

Running, jumping, high-speed brush clearing with lightsaber.

After another eight hours, Occlus stops again. "How likely is it that we will face resistance at the tree?"

"Not very, Thorn won't be expecting me and didn't want me very badly, but it's where he'd have someone wait if he did."

"How much farther?"

"Another few hours at this pace."

"Then after this, we need not stop again." Down she sits.

Resting.

And then more running.

By the time they reach the tree Promise is very tired. There's no one around, so in addition to taking a branch she goes inside and comes out with some books. "Okay, now we go that way till you need to rest again and I make you a gate."

"I can impart some energy to you, if you require it."

"It wouldn't hurt, I usually sleep more often than this."

"Stand still." She sketches a rune in the air with her fingertips, leaving a glowing trail. She concentrates and the rune glows brighter, then condenses and rushes at Promise's forehead. She'll feel more alert, and her muscles less sore.

"Thanks."

Thataway.

It's another couple hours before Occlus stops.

Promise finds a spot for a gate. "I need a geographical description of where you want to go. More mountains and rivers than trees and rocks, more trees and rocks than people and buildings."

"Inconveniently, the place I want to go is a city."

"What's it like under or near the city?"

"It's been there for millennia. Most of the buildings are at least several centuries old. But it's in the highlands, backed into a mountain range. There are two rivers, dividing it almost into even thirds, one pools into a lake at the southwestern edge."

"I can work with that."

And she places a gate and tosses a pebble through - "Instant."

She sticks her head though, and pulls out her commlink. "Lieutenant, I need a pickup at the location of this comm. Level 2, remote piloted." And then she drops it.

"The system of vassalage offends me and I would enjoy tearing it down very much. Are you willing to help?"

"Uh. How are you going to do that?"

"It seems like the sort of system that would lend itself to concentrated communities being built up. I would find them, identify the key players, and compel them to stop or separate them."

"The word you're looking for is 'court'. If you separate them the separated parties are liable to fall into or form new courts."

"Then I'll kill them."

"You can't."