Private Another Day, Another Would-Be Jedi [Zaiya Ceti]

[Balun Vale]

The Jedi Temple, Coruscant.
Zaiya Ceti

After a year's absence from Coruscant, Balun Vale felt a stirring urge to reconnect with some of his former companions. Falentra , having ascended to the rank of Padawan under the guidance of a personal Master, seemed unlikely to be found on this particular day. Yet, there remained a plethora of familiar faces from his upbringing within the Jedi Order—individuals who clung steadfastly to the Jedi Path as if it were the sole trajectory of their existence. While Balun harboured a distinct aversion to blind adherence to authority, his affection for the friendships forged within the Temple endured.

Within the familiar corridors of the Jedi Temple, the bustling throng of visitors, guests, and Jedi personnel created a symphony of movement and activity. Balun traversed the hallowed halls with fluid grace, his robes billowing with each purposeful step. He took care to shroud his features beneath the hood, a subtle attempt to evade recognition by former tutors. Though he exuded an air of confidence and familiarity, he avoided lingering too long in any one location, wary of drawing attention to his prolonged absence.

Despite his yearning to reconnect, Balun found himself disheartened by the anticipated response from those who deemed themselves his superiors. Their disapproval of his risk-taking endeavours beyond the confines of the Temple, undertaken in pursuit of a deeper understanding of life in the galaxy, left him disillusioned. It was this lack of encouragement that dissuaded him from seeking out the adults he had once looked up to.

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Unfortunately for Balun Vale , being inconspicuous was not something one did anywhere near a Lovalla.

The Force works in mysterious ways, or so Zaiya read in one of the holobooks Braze had let her borrow from his early years in general Force Studies. Or maybe that was a saying? Either way, the Force is odd and weird, everywhere all at once, and sometimes, it just likes to tug at a few of those intangible strings and knock people together.

In this case, one Zaiya is currently precariously carrying a container filled with electronic materials and the aural buffer prototype she'd been working on to fine-tune for Aris Noble . Now, she just needed to test it to make sure it worked and fine-tune anything else she needed.

In her excitement, however, as she weaved her way through the crowd in the Jedi Temple hallway, the Lovalla teen unfortunately ended up turning round one of the pillars just as Balum walked in front of her.

The scene comedic. The end results potentially embarrassing. Either way, the former Jedi Padwan would find himself potentially entangled by a short, half glowing girl. The patterns over her skin shifted to a pale yellow and grey ombre in startled surprise, one very loud, "GAH!" yelping out to turn a few heads in their direction.

Spoiler: Gear

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[Balun Vale]

He hadn't anticipated her presence until it was too late, their collision abrupt and graceless, sending both youths sprawling onto the corridor floor in an unceremonious heap. Balun's backside met the hard surface with an audible thud, a jolt of pain shooting through his tailbone and up his spine, enough to startle him though not to pose any serious danger. As he gathered his bearings, his gaze snapped towards the person he had inadvertently collided with, any inclination to cast blame swiftly replaced by a wave of embarrassment and a rush of apologies.

"Grist! I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, scrambling to regain his composure along with the scattered equipment that had tumbled from Zaiya Ceti 's grasp. Determined to rectify the mess they had created, he busied himself with tidying up the debris. Nearby Jedi, their passing marked by hushed murmurs acknowledging the disturbance, elicited a fleeting temptation in Balun to shoot them a disgruntled glance, yet he refrained, wary of speaking out of turn.

"Are you okay?" he inquired, extending a hand to assist her to her feet amidst the tangle of gadgets and mechanical contraptions strewn about. In the midst of their awkward encounter, the specific function of the technology eluded his immediate comprehension. Had he encountered Zaiya before? Perhaps within the confines of the Temple, though certainty eluded him, her features bore a hint of familiarity yet remained tantalizingly distant, inviting the possibility of mistaken identity.

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

As Balun Vale landed with a thud on his tailbone, Zaiya found herself tumbling headlong, a chaotic whirlwind of limbs and awkward angles. The grandeur of the Jedi Temple couldn't disguise the harshness of its floors, especially to elbows and knees, or in Zaiya's case, her shoulder and hip.

"Ow!!" Pain surged through her, and Zaiya's usually rosy-golden skin took on a temporary silver hue, her intricate patterns shimmering with a blinding white hue overlayed with copper flecks in protest.

Amidst her self-directed scolding, embarrassment washed over her as she met the gaze of the teenage Human boy she had collided with. Large, wide, iridescent blue eyes met cerulean orbs, but for a moment. Just as he began to stammer an apology, she beat him to it.

"Oh, my stars, I'm terribly sorry!" Zaiya exclaimed, her skin glowing with a vibrant coral hue of mortification. Amidst the chaos, her attention snapped to the spilled electronics and testing scanners, as well as the proto-- "Oh no! Where is it?"

Panic would flare in a bright racing of pale yellow and silver bioluminescence over the young teenager's patterns on her skin. It would be a startling and bemusing sight for anyone to see.

For there she was, Zaiya on all fours now, quite literally a glowing beacon of anxiety amidst the scattered equipment, frantically searching for the meticulously crafted prototype aural buffer that had been scattered in the collision. It didn't matter that the other teen had asked if she was okay, this was far more important!

"Where did it go?!!"

 

[Balun Vale]

Amidst the aftermath of their hallway collision, Balun Vale found himself oddly reassured by Zaiya Ceti 's frantic search for her lost electronic device. Her evident concern for the gadget hinted at her well-being, dispelling any immediate fears of injury from their unexpected encounter.

Yet, the commotion they stirred was far from over. Zaiya's hurried quest to locate her missing possession underscored its significance, though Balun remained in the dark about its true importance to her.

"Um, could it be in here somewhere?" Balun inquired, holding a jumble of mechanical components that might as well have been alien artifacts to him. Despite his adeptness with terminals, comlinks, and datapads, the intricacies of engineering eluded him entirely.

Meanwhile, the steady flow of Temple traffic continued unabated, a bustling stream of guests, seasoned Jedi, and revered Knights and Masters. Balun's unease mounted with each passing figure, a nagging worry that someone might recognize him as a former member of the Order, a mere year removed from their ranks.

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Thankfully, Balun Vale was right. There, in his hands, were the two curved Aural Dampeners she had been painstakingly crafting for weeks. Zaiya's relief was palpable as she met Balun's gaze, his oceanic blue eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity, tinged with a hint of caution. But Zaiya was too relieved to notice. With a joyful exhale, she couldn't help but express her gratitude, "Oh, thank the stars, you found them!"

Her skin seemed to glow with a pearly luminescence, the patterns on her face shifting into vibrant teals with golden edges in her elation. She scrambled forward from her position, rising until she was on her knees to meet him, not caring at the sight she made as she reached out carefully to take them from Balun.

"Oh, I thought I lost them... that would have been terrible," Zaiya admitted. Her emotions caused her skin to shift from teal to dove grey flecked with pale yellow before returning to its happy teal hue. She flashed Balun a wide, beaming smile filled with gratitude.

"Thank you so much," she said emphatically once more, only to pause. Her iridescent blue eyes went wide in growing embarrassment, a mortified afterthought that it had been her own fault for crashing into him. Her skin began to flush, and the teals over the decorative markings on her delicate face immediately began to darken into a bright coral hue in abashed awareness.

"Oh... I'm... I'm sorry, I should have been paying attention. That was my fault."

Spoiler: Gear

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[Balun Vale]

Balun puzzled over the commotion surrounding the aurel dampeners, finding little clarity beyond their peculiar fit behind the ear. Nonetheless, he took solace in being able to offer some relief to Zaiya Ceti. "Don't worry about it", he remarked with a nonchalant shrug, his demeanour betraying no concern for her predicament. "The Temple's huge, filled with heaps of people; it'd be more surprising if we didn't run into each other, honestly." Attempting to assuage her worries, he flashed an encouraging smile.

The kaleidoscope of hues that danced across Zaiya's skin with each passing emotion was a breathtaking spectacle. Far from unsettling, it underscored her inherent nature, a distinctive trait of her species. It bestowed upon her a sense of individuality that stood in stark contrast to Balun's own unremarkable presence. In comparison, he seemed easily overlooked by the masses. Reflecting, he recalled encountering her before, amidst gatherings with his fellow Padawan, a memory from his days before he had left the Order.

"I've seen you around before, right?" he began, his memory failing to summon her name but readily recognizing her visage. "I haven't been around much in the last year or so, but you definitely look familiar. My name's Balun," he offered with a warm grin, extending a hand in introduction.

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

The rosy golden luminance returned to Zaiya's face, and a friendly expression shone in her opal blue eyes and approachable smile.

"Hah, you are not wrong. I've gotten lost here more than a few times, too," Zaiya admitted, carefully placing the aural dampener inserts into the soft foam cushion she had them in before their tussle. Then, she made sure to collect the rest of the items back into her case.

"Hmm?" Glancing back up, Zaiya gave a quick hum in query before giving an abashed expression.

"Likely so." The Lovalla teen admitted, having spent more and more overnights and visits the past few months. "I know, I stand out," she added wryly, prompting the lively dancing of a light cerulean hue in an iridescent shimmer over the patterns over her eyebrows, cheeks, and neck in wry amusement. Her unique appearance, a blend of vibrant colors, was a testament to her jovial nature.

However, she hadn't been around for the past year. Interest immediately shone in her eyes. Perhaps he had seen another Lovalla??

"Oh, I haven't been here for a year, but my name is Zaiya," she replied to Balun Vale , brightening in avid curiosity, bright citrine colors replacing the pale blues over her patterns.

"Did they look like me? The person you saw before? " she came to her feet, gesturing to her face, "I mean.. like, glow. Did they change colors and glow, too?"

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[Balun Vale]

"I've been away from the Temple myself. I'm only here to check up on some old friends, but I'm no longer an actual Jedi", Balun confessed, his voice carrying a weight of nostalgia and detachment. "So yeah, the last time I was here would have been around the same time as you. I grew up here, but I decided it wasn't for me" His words flowed with a serene honesty, the essence of a journey undertaken and conclusions reached.

Zaiya Ceti found in him a listener devoid of the austere judgment often associated with the venerable Masters. Their exchange was camaraderie, an ease born of mutual understanding.

"We haven't spoken to each other before, but I've definitely seen you or someone who could pass for your twin,", Balun remarked with a gentle chuckle. "Your change of colours is pretty hard to miss. I don't know anyone else who can do that" His introduction followed swiftly as if prompted by a polite impulse. "Oh, sorry! I'm Balun Vale." The gesture was not one of formality, but rather a genuine desire to bridge the gap of unfamiliarity.

"So what's all the tech for?"

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Bright citrine hues of avid curiousity flared over Zaiya’s facial markings at hearing that Balun Vale was no longer a Jedi. Everyone she had spoken to in her quest to determine if she should join the Jedi Order had felt as if it was their home; it might not be perfect but they wanted to be here.

Why would someone leave?

Zaiya wanted to ask but even she knew that would be rude off the bat. Instead she offered a warm friendly smile to the other teen,” it’s nice to meet you Balun!”

Glancing down at the case of electronics she gave a brief flush before returning her attention to Balun. “Oh I made a prototype set of aural dampeners for my friend Aris. He has super sensitive hearing so I wanted to make sure super loud noises or concussive forces didn’t deafen his ears again.”

“I just need to test them out with any fancy powers.” Thus why she brought them here. She just had to find someone to help her with that.

Spoiler: Gear

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[Balun Vale]

"You know Aris Noble ?" Balun inquired shortly after Zaiya mentioned the name. Aris, a figure from Balun's past, hovered on the periphery of his acquaintance circle. Despite sharing classes and lectures during his 15-year tenure within the New Jedi Order, their relationship never blossomed beyond passing exchanges, occasional greetings, and obligatory interactions. Aris remained an enigmatic presence in Balun's life, neither a close friend nor an adversary. Yet, within the currents of fate, the tides of their association were destined to shift, though Balun remained oblivious to this impending transformation.

"You seem good with technology," Balun observed, noting Zaiya's apparent proficiency. His own ventures into technological engineering remained confined to the rudimentary lessons provided by the Order; Constructing lightsabers, maintaining comlinks, and servicing datapads. "Aris is lucky to have a friend like you," Balun praised Zaiya with a warm smile.

"Need a hand with any of this?" he offered, extending assistance in light of their recent mishap, his sense of responsibility compelling him to rectify their shared blunder.

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

“Wait, you knew Aris too?!”

Balun Vale would see that Zaiya visibly brightened even more at the mention of Aris Noble and the assumption that Balun also knew him. Her skin illuminated in a soft kaleidoscopic display of vibrant teals edged with a golden glow.

“Yeah! He’s my friend. Well first friend. Best friend?” She began confidently then turned thoughtful quizzingly, the teals of joy muting into a citrine amber ombré in curious contemplation.

“How does one know when one becomes more than a friend?” What was the best friend qualifier? She’ll have to ask Aris.

Nonetheless, her reverie faded when Balun complimented her by saying Aris was lucky to have her as a friend. Zaiya flushed in pleasure, the markings over her face shifting from the amber to a pretty coral and teal hue in abashed delight.

“Think so?” Zaiya hoped so. She didn’t want Aris to regret being her friend.

With a beaming smile, the Lovalla teen nodded empathically at his offer for assistance.

“That would be great! Do you know if there is a place around here where I can test these to see how well they work against Force powers or similar loud noises?”

Spoiler: Gear

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[Balun Vale]

"Yeah, we used to share classes together, and then after I had left the Order, we ran into each other again..."

Balun opted not to disclose the specific location of their recent rendezvous, yet he found solace in the burgeoning familiarity between himself and Aris Noble . Their recent shared venture had transcended the realm of mere acquaintanceship, deepening their connection in ways that words couldn't fully capture.

Amidst the ebb and flow of Jedi activity within the bustling corridors of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the pulsating heart of the entire Galaxy, it became evident to Balun that both he and Zaiya Ceti moved within similar social orbits. The constant flux of Jedi coming and going created a tapestry of interconnected lives, weaving together a network of relationships that stretched far beyond the confines of the Temple's walls.

"We could probably use the dojo in the training wing, or the combat arena if it's free. Otherwise, one of my favourite spots here is the artificial atrium; it's a massive simulated garden. The plants are all real but the heating is made to simulate the sunlight and there's a stream that runs through there"

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Balun Vale

Oh that's nice to hear she met one of Aris's former classmates! Maybe I can ask Balun more about what he liked about the Order and why he left afterward?

Something to consider.

At the suggestion of a dojo, Zaiya beamed, giving a bounce on her feet as she nodded emphatically, "Oh, that would be great! A dojo would be better, as I don't want others to accidentally be harmed while I'm testing this." However, the mention of an artificial atrium intrigued her.

"Well... is the atrium closed off so others won't be there or is it open?"

Spoiler: Gear

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