A Hawk Walks into a Temple

[Vitha Na'iv]

"We'll take about two or three days to get the ship restocked." the Trandoshan hissed out to the assembled crew. "No getting into any fights, we are on a Jedi world and they don't know we have been operating around here. Now you all know your jobs. Vitha, you are on your own but I expect to see you before we leave."

Nodding quickly the orange bird finished tying the leg pouch onto her leg. "If you say so." Turning she reached out with a hand and opened the cargo ramp. Light and fresh air came thundering into the normally dark lit ship that started to smell more and more like lizard every day it was closed. It was hard working with what she considered to be a prey species.

Blinking in the glare and with a slight breeze ruffling her feathers the Avogwi stretched her wings to soak in the sunlight and made her way down the ramp. Looking about at the small, open air docking space they'd be renting for the next four days she couldn't help but notice the lack of workers and droids. Must have been a special agreement the captain made with whoever did the dock assignments. Still this wasn't her place to question.

Vitha launched herself into the air, powerful wing beats almost thumped down as the air below was forced downwards with enough force to lift the predatory bird into the skies. Powering out of the hanger relieved to finally get a chance to stretch her wings she began marking her way towards what looked to be a temple.

The wind was channeled down the streets between the buildings and the Avogwi was buffeted by it. Adjusting her wings and gliding to allow them to carry her higher and save energy she made fairly good time towards the temple. In only a few minutes she was circling high above it slowly losing altitude. Even with her limited ability to sense the force she picked up very quickly on the power radiating throughout the place. It wasn't what she was used to sensing and seemed far more, she thought for a second for the correct words, well light then what she detected among the Trandoshans, slaves, and other less then legal types she worked with.

Shaking her head the Avogwi folded its wings and dove. Air streaming past her face as the heavy bird rapidly picked up speed. Slowly her tail feathers pushed down against the wind and she began to pull up. Taking aim at a clear spot that seemed to be roughly in front of the main entrance she flared, body rotating on an axis as her wings shot out catching up the energy she'd gain in the dive and using it to rapidly slow and come down for a landing.

 

[Sheila]

Voss was a wonderful place, there was so much you could do and so much to see with all of the jedi who were around them. As Sheila moved in the air and allowed the force energies to flow out of herself she breathed out a small burst of golden light that looked like dust. People were always arriving and instead of having dozens of jedi sometimes you just needed to have a small jedi there who could do what they did best. A small jedi like herself who came down seeing new arrivals on the planet. The force guiding her as she saw another flying around and darted quickly with her outfit of synth mesh dress that allowed the force and the smallest things they have been working on. The small rotating lightsaber she could carry as well.

 

[Vitha Na'iv]

Looking around the orange hawk looked around. Various Jedi seemed to be going about their tasks and while a few gave curious looks most seemed busy. Not wanting to draw even more attention to himself Vitha began making his way towards the main entrance to the temple itself. Having only used the force when he was extremely angry, seemed to sense danger a moment before it happened, and having a rough idea of where someone was without having seen them. Looking for someone who seemed in charge the bird kept walking.

 

[Sheila]

Sheila moved and she could see the strange one as she was in the rafters of the temple, seeing all of it and prepared to go around. A smirk on her face when she was looking to have some interest and some attention on it. Showing off for some of the other padawan standing there with her small amount of equipment motoning for other jedi to come around and join them. here but there were only so many As-Aki who flew around. Lyth meran was one she knew liked to flly around but he mandalroian was not always around.

 

[Audren Sykes]

Part of being a Master was added responsibilities. For better or worse. It meant he had to stand outside and take responsibility for a group of children learning how to use the Force, unfortunately. But fortunately, he didn't have to teach them. No, this sort of class was relegated to an apprentice. Probably because all the Masters would fall to the Dark Side trying to get the kids to stop fidgeting and pay attention. No, they'd let the apprentice learn while teaching.

Since the Sephi didn't have to pay as close of attention to the class, he could pay more attention to the surroundings. Given the obstacle course, training remotes, and Force-enhanced dodgeball games all going on, he was actually encouraged to do so. That also meant, however, that he noticed the large avian in the sky. This world was no stranger to wildlife, but he had yet to see one of such size and coloration. And most certainly hadn't seen one that decided to dive at the front of the Temple, where there was no hunting to be had.

The class finished, to the apprentice's visible relief, and the children were ushered off to their next task. This freed up Audren to go find out what was going on with the avian. He hadn't seen it rise back up, which meant it either had landed or was flying away below the level of the roof. Both possible, both unlikely. Much to his surprise, he found the orange bird-like being walking around. It was impossible to read the expression, but he could sense curiosity in the other being's presence. It was clearly sentient, clearly Force-sensitive, and clearly untrained. The Master moved to intercept the avian and addressed it.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

The tone of voice was not accusatory or angry, but neither was it the cheerful welcome one would expect from a professional greeter. He wasn't one. In fact, this might have been one of the very few times he'd actually greeted someone near the entrance. Not including attackers, of course.

[member="Vitha Sat-thuron"] | [member=Sheila]

 

[Sheila]

[member="Vitha Sat-thuron"] [member="Audren Sykes"]

Sheila paused as she was standing there watching the large bird and someone came joining him. The long flowing blonde hair could only mean one thing..... Grandmater Heavenshield was here personally.... THen she saw how thin and much smaller he was. It was another master competing with the grandmaster for most beautiful hair ever.... Well she supposed there was no real problem with that. She was moving around with her mind on a couple more things. Fluttering around as she was curious what the large bird might say or do. They could do anything and this new one could be fun or interesting to see as she stood on the shoulders of another jedi and spoke. "Do we know if it can speak?"

 

[Vitha Na'iv]

[member="Sheila"] [member="Audren Sykes"]

The Avogwi had wandered a little bit further into the temple. She wasn't exactly sure what to do now. Having not thought very far ahead Vitha wasn't sure what to do now. Of course this changed a few moments later. Turning at the sound of someone speaking the Avogwi regarded the human. At least she thought it was a human, near impossible to tell these species apart sometimes and she usually didn't particularly care. Most of the time she regarded other sentients as prey or as a potential asset. Clacking her beak the Avogwi nodded and began to reply, "Yes I was told the Jedi could help me increase my abilities. Would you mind showing me to your leader?"

 

[Audren Sykes]

It was true, the Jedi certainly could help the being increase abilities. Newcomers had a tendency to mean Force abilities, with good reason. While the Jedi Order had some of the most agile thinkers in the galaxy and it was very much out of the ordinary to see a Jedi not physically fit, those kinds of training or services could be found outside the Order. They came with a price, but so did everything worthwhile.

"Which abilities do you speak of?"

The Sephi completely ignored the request to be shown to the leader. Grandmaster Thurion was very busy, and even a Padawan or Knight could help at this stage. And though he knew what skills the avian was likely looking to grow, he wanted the creature to spell it out. He wanted to know if the requester actually knew what it was requesting. Gone was the time when the Jedi - those of any persuasion - could afford to teach those who would be their enemies. They had enough of them as it stood.

[member="Vitha Sat-thuron"] | [member=Sheila]

 

[Vitha Na'iv]

"Not sure, all I really know is I only seem to be able to use them when I'm furious and then it was instinctual like riding air currents. Otherwise I can't seem to access them." she replied and started preening her right wing. It was true enough, aside from more extreme circumstances she never really used the force. More then that it she didn't exactly know what the force was to begin with. Coming from a world at the edge of the galaxy and having mostly worked with slavers Vitha hadn't run into any other force sensitives that she knew of. "I was hoping you can teach me to access these powers more easily. One of the times I had been able to access the force I shattered the bones of a wookie and exploded it's head against a Trandoshan's ship." she added not meaning for the Trandoshan part to slip out.

[member="Audren Sykes"] [member="Sheila"]

 

[Sheila]

[member="Audren Sykes"] [member="Vitha Sat-thuron"]

Sheila was listening and could feel the force there as she moved crossing her legs with the small lightsaber there that was set up. "Hmm." She said it while the one padawan was sitting there and looking at her out the side of his eyes. He pulled out one fo the small packs of food and offered her a piece when she gave a nod fo her head. "Yummy thank you." Chewing it as the new arrival was speaking and a talking bird was so strange... said the four inch flying gnat... but she at least had a moutful of candy.

 

[Audren Sykes]

"I was hoping you can teach me to access these powers more easily. One of the times I had been able to access the Force I shattered the bones of a Wookiee and exploded its head against a Trandoshan's ship."

Audren had originally been nodding slightly, it was common for enhanced emotions to trigger the manifestation of Force abilities. It wasn't required, and even if the emotion was there it didn't have to be a strongly negative emotion like rage. But it happened sometimes. When he heard that part though, his demeanor chilled visibly. He didn't reach for the lightsaber displayed at his right hip; he wouldn't need it.

The Sephi hadn't had what most would consider a normal childhood, but he'd been given standard schooling. In the years since he'd left that planet, he'd learned a lot more. He knew about the rivalry between Trandoshans and Wookiees, the atrocities frequently visited on the furred beings. Even without the bit about the Force, he would have been on his guard. The details about shattering the bones of a Wookiee and exploding its head against a Trandoshan's ship, those were the kicker. That was Darkness, and possibly slavery to boot.

"I see. Is that sort of thing what you would want to be taught?"

[member="Vitha Sat-thuron"] | [member=Sheila]

 

[Vitha Na'iv]

Vitha started to nod then stopped, while it had been deeply satisfying to take revenge on the wookie for killing three of her crew mates she wasn't used to using rage as a weapon. She was a hunter which meant calculating the best attack angle then coming down in a sudden swoop sinking her talons into whatever she caught. It was quick, calculated, instinctual, and required a clear head to notice any sudden movements a Nuwit might make to avoid becoming a meal. Emotions rarely came into it except for the pleasure of a hard catch or the satisfaction of realising the lizard hadn't noticed her. However both of those only came when the kill was already assured.

"I'm unsure, hard to properly enrage me. I had heard you are able to teach me to sense other sentients. That could be quite useful for hunting and defending territory."

 

[Audren Sykes]

For another long moment, the Sephi was silent. He wasn't waiting for the rest of the answer, though he didn't consider what had been offered a full answer. Instead he was evaluating the other being. To declare it difficult to read was an understatement: outside of combat, he tended to have more difficulty reading intent than most other Jedi. That was with humanoids...turn the other being into an avianoid and things just got trickier. Body language was different, expressions were different, Force presence was different. What would have been difficult came close to impossible.

"Sensing others is indeed possible. This tends to be a fairly basic skill for many. Tell me though, what would you want to learn, and what would you use that for?"

[member="Vitha Sat-thuron"] | [member=Sheila]

 

[Vitha Na'iv]

"Primarily for what I said." Vitha replied then paused for a moment. She'd quickly grown used to dealing with other species and not trying to prey on them. This had been especially hard with Trandoshians but it was possible they had a hard time reading her body language. Beaks she supposed wouldn't exactly express much for those with only flesh on their faces. "Altor 14 doesn't have any force users so I'm not familiar with their powers."

[member="Audren Sykes"] [member="Sheila"]