A Destiny Awakens

[Connor Harrison]

While Tionne spoke, Dax did what pilots do best – watch their surroundings; up, down, left and right. He wasn’t comfortable about this with pockets of credit notes and chips, and was probably being set up for a scam where the scar-faced scoundrel would be waiting to take back his winnings and make sure Dax Ragnar didn’t surface on Sullust again.

But he listened, and ensured with the steps that brought his right leg up, he flicked the clip on the thigh holster of his blaster casually with his right hand just in case. It was still hard to believe this place existed under Sullust, but then why not? In times of war, revolts and alliances, desperate times required desperate measures.

”Thank you,” he said, following the ex-Jedi into her place.

It was basic, and did the job, like a good ship you lived in because you had to and had it act as a base. He looked around and saw nothing too dangerous on first analysis, but kept his back to the door as he took a few steps in and closed it behind him with a push of the pad buttons.

”Listen, thank you for saving my life back there, but I don’t want to take up you’re your time. If you point me in the direction I need to go I’ll be on my way. You can take the winnings also, I don’t care for them.”

[member="Tionne Thanewulf"]

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

"Most of the Squadron is offworld, for maintainance." the redhead explained, remembering Bastion telling her they will need those spare parts that were delivered today. Ragnar seemed eager to leave her apartment, the way he idly twitched his fingers speaking volumes of the state of his mind. What was he afraid of? Tionne wouldn't harm a fly, let alone someone who would prove a valuable asset to the Alliance. And there he was, almost trembling like a leaf. She couldn't help but to smile, in the most genuine way she could muster.

"Money is of no interest to me. The Jedi don't take any worldly possesions, including credits fairly won in a game of poker. Keep the funds, you'll need them once your bird flies amidst our flock. Whenever I do need money, I earn it, very much in the same way like you did back in the casino."
Thanewulf unclipped the saber from her belt and left it on the kitchen table. The electrum hilt appeared archaic, as a relic of times long bygone, where the Jedi Order shone brightly as the beacon of hope in the galaxy. She then took off the jacket and tossed it over the couch, once again left in a white, spotless tanktop.

"If you want to join our ranks as a pilot, you'll have to wait at least until tomorrow. Then we'll have a word with Coren Starchaser and your future wingmen. If you do not die from a panic attack until then." she added in slight jest. The door of the fridge were now open, faint light illuminating its interior. Nothing inside but bottles of beer. Tionne drew out two and offered one to Ragnar.

"Look, I have no idea what you've been through... but trust me. There are people in our ranks who were branded, scarred, damaged or otherwise malformed by evil in this galaxy, the Sith, the Hutts, the Techno Union. But we are still alive, and we fight back. Every day may be my last and I accept it."
She stared at him, with reassurance of her honest intentions visible in her gray eyes.
"We take what is given, Dax Ragnar. No more, no less. But a life that is not free is not worth living. Wouldn't you agree?"
She paused for a few moments, only to take a step closer to him, but remained still at a decent distance.
"Isn't this why you are here?"

[member="Dax Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Dax moved forward, her words putting him a little more at ease, and took the beer, cold in his fingers. He listened to her, feeling more comfortable with the way she handled herself and spoke with calmness to her voice. Moving to the table top where her lightsaber hilt was, the pilot picked it up curiously and turned his hand to inspect it.

”There’s no point living if you can’t feel alive.”

He looked over the weapon to the red-head and gave a small chuckle.

”Always wondered what it was like to see a lightsaber – looks good.”

Placing it down gingerly, he took a small sip from the bottle and moved around the table, looking out the blinds over the city below, peering up at the planet crust above them. Such a surreal place, but one that was perfect for an Alliance to use away from the eyes above.

”I can wait until tomorrow, I’d like that. I have no scars as such, no demons. All I’ve known my entire life is family and how to fly; what to do and what not to do, and it seems destiny is taking me on this path so I won’t fight it.”

He took another sip, a longer one, and sucked air in between his teeth. Then he turned to face Tionne.

”I’ll meet this Coren and then get myself going out there, and all going well you’ll have your pilot,” he walked towards her and raised his bottle. ”Ok, Tionne Thanewulf – here’s to the future. May it be a noisy and exhilarating one.”

[member="Tionne Thanewulf"]

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

Bottles clinged together, as they drank in the honor of the Galactic Alliance. Beer was of barely managable taste, but Thanewulf had worse. She drank a large gulp and swallowed it immediatelly, not letting it graze her palate for too long. If nothing else, the beverage was chilled properly, which drastically decreased its bitterness. Making her way around the table, Tionne drew out a chair and spun it, back of chair facing forward. She then slumped into the seat, leaning in to place the beer bottle on the table. A single spotlight reflector illuminated the table in warm, yellowish light. The rest of the room was shrouded in relative darkness, together with a matress laying in the corner, an improvised bed. The Jedi woman never slept much.

"Destiny is what you make of it." she asserted, not wanting to counter him directly. Thanewulf was not a firm believer in the will of the Force, but in outcomes that are a direct consequence of a collection of one's choices. While some of her life paths were extremely peculiar, she never considered her own life being directed according to some grand plan. Such a deterministic view was romantic in a way, she always thought, but also provided encouragment when making tough, life-or-death decisions.

"The choices we make and the consequences of our choices, and the choices of others. You are here because you want to dedicate your time to a cause. But I assure you... our meeting was a pure coincidence." said the Jedi, then wrapped her lips around the tip of the bottle to drink some more.

"You said...family?" the redhead inquired, somewhat intruiged. Family was such a distant concept for her; the memories of her parents faded from her recollections a long time ago, even before she was frozen in carbonite for her millenial hibernation.
"Are you married?" she then asked, in a rather neutral tone. Perhaps this was a too personal question, but Tionne's definition of personal was somewhat stretched. She, unlike most, had no problem in sharing factual truths about her self with anyone.

[member="Dax Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Dax took a longer swig, raising his eyebrows a little out her prophetic outlook. Her question on family made him stop, and he drew his arm across his mouth to take away the droplet of beer.

”Married? No. Never have been. Never had time.”

He walked over to her table and pulled out the second chair and mirrored her posture a few feet opposite her, bottle dangling in his fingers as his arms dangled over the frame.

”I learnt to fly with my Uncle and his friends out of Molavar, and then expanding to the Hydian Way and pretty much most routes that way. Escort ships, smuggling, star-fighters. That was how I got to understand the feel of a fighter under your control. Helped the Republic out for a few years and then found myself feeling I should give more because I never felt I was doing that for a group like the 'pubs.”

Another mouthful and a little shrug followed.

”Heard about this Alliance operating around Sullust and then...here I am now sucking down a beer after winning at poker. Never felt more like a scoundrel in years.”

He smirked and drank again.

”Care to tell me how you got here being a Jedi and all.”

[member="Tionne Thanewulf"]

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

The inevitable question came - what was a fully trained Jedi Knight doing on Sullust, aiding a semi-terrorist organization, with methods arguably as ruthless as that of the Sith? There was no easy answer to such a complex question, so Tionne first took a mouthful of beer, nearly emptying the bottle in the process. She needed to be at least a little intoxicated to tell this story.

"I was born almost a millenium ago, on Coruscant, now in One Sith space." she stated matter-of-factly, as if this was completely normal. The story she would share with Ragnar was remarkable, nothing short of the legends he listened while growing up.
"Served as Jedi Watchman in the Old Jedi Order, when they were a force to be reckoned with in the galaxy. You are probably asking what a Jedi Watchman does."
The redhead paused, her eyes fixed on the bottle, gaze growing somewhat distant as she recollected of a time ancient, times bygone...

"Jedi Watchmen were the eyes and the ears of the Order, of the Republic. We were both spies, arbiters, mediators, but also fighters. Our missions were often covert, included keeping a close eye on dark forces in the galaxy. We had to be jacks-of-all-trade, but masters of none. For instance, I have a doctorate in both quantum physics and xenobiology, speak a dozen different languages. My connections ranged from the Hutt cartel, to the Hapan court. I've impersonated everything from a prostitute, to a princess. An exciting, but a lonesome life."
She offered a genuine smile.

"How did I end up in the future? Well, I was frozen in carbonite by a Sith Lord, who wanted to exchange me for a prisoner we took. But he never made it to the meeting point, and I was left literally floating in space, encapsulated in a block. The Republic Jedi found me...and taaa-daaaa! Here I am, stranded almost a millenium forward into the future." Tionne made it sound like it was a piece of cake, but it wasn't. There were parts of her old life she missed dearly.

"Why did I join the Alliance? My view on how to handle the Sith vastly differs from Jedi Masters there. I never felt like home in the temple, not even back in the day, on Coruscant. Never felt I fit the Jedi "mindset". My master always said I was too individualistic to be subdued to such a strict philosophy. Well, he was wrong. I upheld the tenets of the Jedi Code far better than my colleagues back on Ossuss. As a matter of fact, I could teach it, if they'd let me. Never understood what gives you the right to talk about the Code if you are married, with five kids and sixth on the way." the redhead explained, then realized she was not talking to a Jedi who understood what the Code was, like such a construct mattered in this gorram place.

[member="Dax Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Dax sat and gave her his full attention, swinging the bottle gently in his fingers and took to creating pictures in his head of the imagery she described. He'd never come across Force warriors, the Jedi and Sith. Sure he'd HEARD of them, but all he had faced was mercenaries, Imperial soldiers and Stormtroopers and a few Rebel smugglers and pirates.

This was something else and he was like a kid at Christmas, taking every word she said.

”I've travelled from one side of the galaxy to the other; seen a lot of strange stuff. We heard stories about what happened, with the wars and the Orders - your powers.”

He was certainly in awe of Tionne. Dax was a man raised on folklore and decency, and right now he was staring at a Jedi who had seen things he'd only dreamed about as a child.

[member="Tionne Thanewulf"]

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

The legends nurtured a romantical view of the Jedi, who were often depicted as saviors of the opressed and the protectors of the innocent. On the other hand, folklore kept no record of many false judgments the Order made and the number of threats they oversaw, despite them being right under their very noses. Long periods of peace made Jedi into tree-hugging hippies, with numbers of combat-oriented Jedi Guardiands dwindling. Their inattentiveness cost them the destruction of the Order, and this did not occur only once. On the other side, Jedi only won when odds were against them, when they were on the brink of extinction.

"I keep repeating - there is nothing glamorous in being a Jedi. You are condemned to a life of service, where you assume responsibility all the time. You literally sacrifice every aspect of your private life; you are not entitled to a spouse, family or even friends. The priorities of people who you will never meet are always before your own priorities. It's a curse, rather than a blessing." she said somberly, before raising her gaze to meet his.

"I can't begin to tell you how many times I wanted to wake up in the morning, not being gifted in the Force. I sometimes imagine what my life would be like, with my parents who were scientists. I haven't seen them since I was in my early teens. But they are long gone now. Visited Hapes a while back, hopeful of finding my mother's grave."
His brown eyes radiated warmness, like a cup of melted chocolate one drank before bed. There wasn't an evil bone in him, Tionne could tell.

"As for our powers..." the Jedi woman said, lifting her fingers and twirling them around in mid-air, she used the Force to lift a stray strand of hair from Dax's forehead, gently moving it backwards "....they come in handy."

[member="Dax Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He knew little of the Jedi and Sith except what they stood for, but one never thought about having powers beyond that of mortal man to be a curse. To move mountains with a wave of the hand, or to battle multiple foes with ease, or being able to destroy an enemy outpost when you were on another planet…it was scary that people like that existed.

A chill ran up his spine as he felt a ghostly tickle across his brow. He looked up with his eyes expecting to see something, but instead just the sensation of his hair moving without anyone touching him – except Tionne, with the wave of her hand.

”Powers for doing hair and make-up? Nice. For someone over a thousand years old you don’t look bad, I have to say.”

He brought up a hand and ruffled his fringe a little, that sensation lingering that had to be itched.

”So what do you do in the Alliance, specifically? Do you fight in the frontline or fly or lead others, or what? And you said you wanted a pilot – why?”

Dax placed the empty beer bottle of his on the table and leant his arms on the frame of the chair and rocked it slightly with his feet.

[member="Tionne Thanewulf"]

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

Two bottles were fetched from the fridge, to replace those the duo emptied. Tionne slid one towards Ragnar, then knocked the lid of the bottle she placed before her. That particular explanation called for another beer. Drawing in a deep breath, Thanewulf continued -
"Well, I do everything the Alliance needs, I guess. My skillset is wide enough to cover everything from diplomacy, to combat. Most of the time, however, I sneak around and spy. If I had to point out one thing I am good at...it would be exactly that. And sarcasm too. The Alliance would be such a boring place without me."

Nonetheless, there were things Tionne did not excel at, flying was one of them. During her training at Jedi Temple and despite having spent quite a few hours in the flight simulator, the redhead had a hard time coordinating movement of spacecraft in space, where there was no up and down, no left or right. It confused her, especially when she was supposed to track the whereabouts of enemy units. Lack of orientation in space was typical for females.

"A drunken Ewok flies better than me. I need someone to fly me to the enemy ship, so I can disable the shield. For instance, last time I had a pilot bring me to the outside of command viewport, where I mentally coerced an officer to disable the shield. Then I depressurized the entire command room by tossing my blade into the duraglass of the viewport. Not my proudest moment, but it had to be done." she spoke matter-of-factly, as if her idea was both insane and ingenious.
"I need more people who are willing to pull off such stunts, and do not mind getting killed in the process."

[member="Dax Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Nodding his fresh cold one to hers, Dax took a long mouthful and turned slightly to her as he listened. It sounded just as expected – not one person could do a job alone; an alliance to quell the greater threat indeed.

”Wow,” he said softly, ”do you put that on the recruitment posters? Drink beer with a red-head and take down the enemy by any means necessary. You’d get thousands of new recruits.”

He bushed the flicks of hair back again from his brow.

”Look – we either kill or be killed. That’s it. I’ve had to pull a few dangerous manoeuvres in my time, had to leave people behind when I had no choice to get out of the danger zone. If I hadn’t, I’d be dead or a prisoner somewhere.”

Another swig – this was tasting nice each time. And he knew why; he hadn’t eaten all day.

”I’ll be your pilot if this Coren gets me in. I’ll fly you to where you need to be and get you out. Simple. But don’t complain if I lend a little creativity to me flying. I am a fighter pilot as well, not just a navigator.”

[member="Tionne Thanewulf"]

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

A small frown furrowed Tionne's ginger brow when he spoke about leaving people behind. True Jedi never left people behind; they were trained to silence their self-preservation instinct and save as many people at any cost. People they would never meet, people who will not even know their names. Thanewulf made many difficult decisions during her career, but it never involved leaving anyone behind. Of course, Ragnar was no Jedi with superpowers to aid him, so his lack of salvation agenda was very well understood by the red-haired Jedi. For most inhabitants of the galaxy, death was absolute, with no eternal life through the Force.

"I've never left anyone behind. It's just not something I do." she stated almost sternly and rose from her chair. She didn't feel offended at all, just always a bit surprised when people were a bit selfish. She never enjoyed that luxury.
"On the other hand, there might come a time when you'll need to leave me behind. Under no circumstance are you to return for me, especially if this incurrs risk. Your prime concern will be the life of civilians, then of our non-Force sensitive troops, then other Jedi...and lastly me. Yes, we are partners in battlefield, but you will listen to me when I order you to leave me behind. If you disobey, you will be court-martialed. So don't say I didn't warn you."
Frown then transformed into a smile again. Tionne just had to make some things clear, just in case.

"So, how about dinner? I was about to make stir-fry vegetables with nerf and chilli spice. If you like hot and spicy, that is..." she suggested, opening the fridge with one hand and pulling out strips of nerf and assembled vegetables cut out into long strands, while the other hand opened the cabinet to fetch a heavy metallic wok.

[member="Dax Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

A curious arch formed in his right eyebrow, just a small one, but having just met this Jedi, Tionne, with no word or sign of others or her position, she was now giving him orders and...threats? Dax wasn't special by any means, but he was a Ragnar, and they didn't tolerate being bossed around. As she stood, already busying herself with food which did sound mouthwatering and very tempting, Dax stood.

”Let's get one thing straight partner,” the emphasis on that word evident,”we haven't got anything agreed at all. I'm not even in the Alliance yet, and I certainly haven't got orders, let alone from you, so I'll thank you not to assume I'm going to listen to you for one or take the fact you're my boss.”

He moved around the table to stand behind her - not up close to invade her space, but so at least he was on her level.

”Partners are equals. I'll do my job if you do yours. If you're in trouble and I can help you, I will. Don't give me all this Force users against non-Force user crap. We are still human - nearly - when you strip away those powers. So thanks, but shove your court-marshal up your arse.”

He flashed her a smile as if he was water dissolving sugar in an instant. He nodded his head to the food.

”Glad we're partners because I can't cook - and that looks delicious.”

[member="Tionne Thanewulf"]

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

If nothing, this man had the right attitude. And a spine. Tionne could appreciate such straightforwardness without being insulted. In a way, his language was charming, the way he manhandled her. The redhead smiled back wryly and turned on the stove. Violet flames burst to life, but were soon covered with the bottom of metallic wok. She dabbed a bit of cooking oil inside, just enough to keep the meat from sticking to the pan.

"What I meant to say was... there will be times where you will have to make a choice - the life of others or my life. The needs of many outweight the needs of few. The arithmetic of loss is rather simple. We salvage life, at any cost." she explained, trying to sound as modest as possible. The Jedi woman didn't want to draw a wedge between herself and those inept in the Force, but to warn him there will be sacrifice involved.

"As a matter of fact, I can't wait to die." admitted the redhead, trying to anull the morbidity of her statement with her hallmark smile - "I will reconnect with my parents and my friends in the afterlife, through the Force. I can't even begin to tell you how much I look forward to that. There is very little that keeps me attached to this world, apart from my allegiance to the Alliance. And this is how it should be. I am honored to live a life of service to the universe."

When oil was hot enough she tossed the nerf strips into the wok, together with a handful of spices and a thick, dark brown sauce which had a slight scent of caramel. Meat began sizzling and effervescing before it was stirred by a wooden utensil.
"I'm sorry, it sounds like I have a deathwish. Well... I don't. I just..." she trailed off, trying to find words.
"Comes with the turf. By embracing high probability of death, I assure myself it will not affect my judgement."

She shook her head dismissively, while vigorously stirring and flipping strips of meat in the wok, then let it simmer for a short while.
"But why are we talking about me? Tell me something about yourself. I want to get to know you."

[member="Dax Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

”Well. I take it you give the troops morale before battle? Jesus...”

He smirked and folded his arms, leaning back on the table and let the smells and sights of the food being prepared. It tickled his nose and even the taste-buds and he couldn't help lick the bottom lip gently.

”Maybe you just haven't found the right thing to keep you here. To make life worth living. To keep fighting beyond what is expected of you. Anyway, you want to know about me?”

He exhaled and looked up and over to the window.

”Hmm. I'm rather boring really. I grew up with my uncle on Molavar, I never knew my birth parents but I understand they lived in the Outer Rim but didn't want me to grow up in the dangerous world they inhabited. I don't know. I worked alongside him growing up; tinkering in machines, learning to pilot swoops which progressed to speeders and them small craft and I joined a smuggling ring soon after.”

He moved out the way as Tionne busied herself.

”Smuggling on the right side of the law I guess. Helping planets and people caught in the Jedi Sith war where others couldn't get to. Crossed a few Republic types as I did and had an urge to do something with the skill and trade I grew up with and wanted to try make something of myself. Usual boy with a dream. Flew with the Republic as an escort for a year but heard about the Alliance and they could use the help more than the 'pubs and then, ” Dax opened his arms, ”here I am.”

[member="Tionne Thanewulf"]

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

"The Republic is falling apart." stated the redhead in a very serious tone, whilst keeping eyes on the meat that was slowly simmering to perfection. The scent of spices began to emanate from the wok, slowly diffusing through the air to taunt the senses. Thanewulf cooked rarely, mainly because she didn't have the time and cooking for one was impractical. Her skills in the kitchen were far from that of a chef, but she managed to cook a decent meal most of the time. Her aim was to prepare something simple, nutritious and tasty. She then tossed the vegetables inside and gave the meat one final stirr before putting a transparent duraglass lid on top of the wok. The convection would allow the food the cook slowly, but also preserve all vitamins and minerals.

"A millenium ago, they were facing the exact same problems. They were reactive instead or proactive, defensive instead of offensive. Mind you, Republic does especially well during times of peace. When there is no external threat, the system works like a charm as it is based on good faith and most importantly, faith in democracy. In conflict, however, democracy may not be the most efficient way of decision making. This is the reason why Republic is so fragile to attacks of One Sith. They are an autrocratic war machine. For Force's sake, they took Coruscant, my homeworld. Noone managed that after the Great War some six millenia ago. But the recipe is always the same, since Republic is always slow to respond to a threat. Some things never change." she analyzed, perhaps overly.

"The Alliance is far less democratic then the Republic, but the way things are set up here will feel more natural, especially given the circumstances. With that big mouth of yours, you'll fit right in."
A bottle of emerald wine was put onto the counter next to the stove, together with two glasses. The beverage was a gift, from a diplomat she encountered on a prior mission. The bottle was sealed shut, however, and needed a man to be opened.
"Would you be a dear and pour us some wine?" she pleaded, then lifted the lid to check on the progress of the meal she was preparing, then added -
"Is there something you want to know about me?"

[member="Dax Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Getting into a debate like this got Dax’s blood pumping; he loved a good squabble about what was right and wrong, good and bad. He stayed silent, taking the emerald wine from her. He looked down and peeled away the wrapper, before making short work of the cap.

”Problem is, this isn’t the same playing field it was all those years ago.”

He turned and poured the wine into two glasses Tionne had set out, the liquid sploshing into them and filling both up generously.

”I know for a fact when I’m gone this will still be raging – it always will be. You’ll never find peace in this lifetime or any other. The Jedi and Sith have a symbiotic relationship sadly. One can’t exist without the other, and from within one of those two cells there will always be ones looking to break away for good or bad. And the whole thing starts again. Conflict. We are just players trying to do what we can to make a little difference while we live long enough to see it.”

He screwed the cap and left the bottle on the table and turned back to her, arms folded.

”What do I want to know about you. Hm. Well no offence but you sound like one of those robotic Jedi – I didn’t think they existed. The Force before yourself and all that. Have you no family yourself? Nobody or nothing to make you human? Or is this,” he waved his hand around casually, ”the culmination of a life spent fighting.”

[member="Tionne Thanewulf"]

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

The wine was equisite. Thanewulf set down the glass after almost downing it completely. Her love for fine beverages bordered with alcoholism sometimes, her self-control seriously challenged at times like these. She then briefly inspected the meal, before closing the lid again. Vegetables were half-cooked, but she opted for tenderness this time, not knowing if Dax was a fan of crispy. Leaning on the kitchen counter, Tionne crossed arms at chest in an attempt to explain some basic concepts and common misconeptions.

"Serving your entire life requires focus and dedication. We were often leaders in battle and had to make difficult decisions. It is easier to be rational when you have no strings attached. For this very reason, Force sensitive children are taken from their parents at a very young age, to be trained in the temple. You never let the parental bond form. Later on, relationships of any form are discouraged. Long time ago they were even forbidden. Now, Jedi are allowed to marry, but they usually stop being Jedi in the truest sense of the word when that happens. Their viewpoint changes, becomes less objective. Unfortunately, this is more of a rule than an exception." said the redhead and then hopped onto the counter to sit. Her feet dangled below her in a playful manner.

"As for me... I've never been in position to even make such choices, was never long enough to form any lasting bonds with anyone. Jedi Watchmen travel a lot, from world to world."
What a sorry excuse. The truth was - Tionne was always afraid that any relationships might impair her as a Jedi, afraid it will affect her independent judgement.
"Also, I've never met someone for whom I'd ditch my own identity. He would really have to be worth it."

[member="Dax Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Getting into a debate like this got Dax’s blood pumping; he loved a good squabble about what was right and wrong, good and bad. He stayed silent, taking the emerald wine from her. He looked down and peeled away the wrapper, before making short work of the cap.

”I see, so basically you’re snatched from your parents to serve the Jedi Code and not allowed to live anything other than that until the day you die?”

He ran a hand over his stubble and nodded in playful thought before taking a seat at the table as she hopped on the counter.

”Well I can see the Jedi way sounds a barrel of laughs! Pity I wasn’t born you’re your gift. But, I mean, I understand what you’re saying. You are effectively raised to do one thing – to serve one thing and to fight for one thing. If you get distracted emotionally or whatever, you lose sight of what that “thing” is, and then you end up not knowing what it is you’re fighting for. Yourself, or the Jedi.”

Dax looked to her and drummed his fingers gently on the table, arm resting over the chair dangling down.

”That’s a pretty big commitment isn’t it? Aren’t you scared you’re not being YOU if you’re living just for the Jedi and not for Tionne?”

[member="Tionne Thanewulf"]

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

"What is life without commitment? A drift amongst the stars, nothing else." she retorted poetically and smiled. Thanewulf knew not how to live without some form of obligation to the Jedi Order, the Republic and now the Alliance. The line between personal life and work began to blur a long time ago, or the line was never there to begin with, when it came to Jedi. They were taught to sublime their egos and transcend the limitations imposed by having a defined personality. Tionne's approach was adaptive, optimal. She rarely had definitive opinions on matter at hand, always searching for new information to update her expectations. When facts changed, so did her opinion, as none were set in stone. In that regard, this was the first time someone expressed interest in her personal choices.

"The gift of the Force is divine, and rare. The reason why we were discouraged from...mating is the fact that children of Force sensitives also have these powers. The gene is recessive, but after many iterations, the entire population becomes Force sensitive." she explained, one eye still on the stove. Food would be ready soon, as scents began permeating the air around them.

"For instance, if you and me would have a child, he or she would have a fifty-fifty chance of being Force sensitive. However, if our child has a child with a Force sensitive, they will most definitely have a Force sensitive child with certainty. Once you implant this gene, it never vanishes."

[member="Dax Ragnar"]