A long way from home

[ToKola Bakari]

What happened?

Everything around him had gone dark, throwing him into a void that threatened to take away his very existence.

Only moments ago Monokna had been sitting in a shuttle, waiting to exit hyperspace. So why couldn't he remember anything? Had he simply fallen asleep? No, he was far too coherent to merely be asleep.

The boy had no memories of inducing a meditative trance. What the hell was going on?

Monokna felt himself wading, drifting from the darkness around him, there was nothing. Only the Force.



The darkness that shrouded Monokna quickly became shallow, as if only a curtain over his true vision. The true curtain was his eyelids which had fallen over his sight. Perhaps the boy had taken a nap after all?

Drip....drip....drip....

Monokna parted his eyes, his blurred vision coming to full focus as he looked at the scene before him. Though he still sat inside of the shuttle that had ferried him from his home planet things were far from right. The cockpit had been transformed into a horrific wreckage. Much of the interior had been compacted towards the front side of the ship. The Cockpit itself seemed to be elevated off of the ground, hinting they were somehow planted on the rear end of the ship. His eyes grew wide as he drank in the scene around him, shock coursing through his body as realization finally dawned on him.

Drip....Drip....Drip....

"The shuttle crashed...One of the engine's overheated...and exploded." He forced the memories to the surface of his mind. He turned his head sharply to the pilot's seat, calling out to the man who had agreed to take him from his home planet. "Captain!" As he turned his eyes came into contact with a gruesome sight. The Captain of the ship had become submerged in a chasm of the wreckage, the majority of his side caving in on him when the shuttle crashed into the ground. Monokna let out a sigh of exasperation as his hands began to search his own body, checking for injury. He pressed a hand into the left side of his ribcage, only to have a sharp pain shoot through the area.

He glanced down, though his site was cut short as he felt a stinging pain flow into his eye. He hissed, running a hand over his head to feel the source of the liquid that had dripped into his eyes. He pulled away a hand coated in the crimson liquid that flowed freely from his scalp. Monokna returned his attention to his body, finally finding himself free of grievous injury he unhooked the safety harness that kept him secured to the seat...and saved his life.

Drip...Drip...Drip...Drip....Drip...

What was that infernal dripping?! It was the same sound that pulled him from his stupor only moments ago. Forcing himself on his feet he was forced to prop himself against the chair, unable to maintain his balance in the elevated cockpit. When he turned back to the source of that maddening dripping sound he drew his lips into a thin line. One of the ship's fuel lines had broken off and been forced into the cockpit. His eyes trailed to the broken navigational computer that was right under the pipe, covered in fuel at it's base.

The screen to the computer had been shattered and every few moments a tiny spree of sparks would erupt from the panel. "No..."

Monokna turned from the ticking time bomb at the edge of the cockpit, pushing himself off of the seat, bracing himself against the ship's main console. Monokna swung his legs into his seat's headrest, looking up to the view port which had shattered to make a good escape route.

Without wasting time he leaped up, the pain in his ribs seizing him as his hands came into contact with the view port's sill. As he struggled to pull himself from the destroyed cockpit he felt the pain in his ribs grow to unimaginable lengths, nearly forcing his failure.

With one last heave, Monokna pulled himself out and onto the cockpit's outer frame. Albeit briefly he took in his surroundings, his eyes finding his salvation in a nearby tree. Monokna jumped from the ship onto the tree's trunk, hoping to escape the explosion he knew was to come. He felt his rib's impact the trunk and had to clench back tears. "This is a me-" Monokna found himself flung from the tree as the much anticipated explosion finally erupted, shrapnel from the small carrier landing in his shoulder as he impacted against the hard surface below him. This time, he was unconscious, his senses dulled as he passed out.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Felucia was a largely unsettled terrestrial jungle planet in the Felucia system of the Thanium Worlds in the Outer Rim Territories.

Sorel had visited this general location a few times now. In part to visit new locations and also to identify large settlements where the Silver might look to extend the hand of friendship. Allies were never a bad thing and there was often a significant amount of mutual benefit in such arrangements. Resources in exchange for technology or medicines were always a popular trade.

So she headed to the junction of the Perlemian Trade Route and Shaltin Tunnels. Her knowledge of the world was limited to what the database told her. The world featured a hot and humid atmosphere and significant water resources beneath a surface irradiated by ultraviolet light of the star Felix. What was of most interest to her was that the native plant, fungal, and animal life evolved to dominate the environment in a deep symbiotic relationship, causing significant Force energy to permeate the ecosystem.

As she approached the planet, she noticed that, as the sun shone, the environment glittered like multi-coloured glass. It was, quite simply, beautiful.

She set her scanners for large population masses and orbited the planet and was surprised to immediately get a ping, but checking the reading noted it was not her scanners that had prompted the notification, but a distress signal. A ship’s automated systems noted it was crash-landing before it stopped transmitting. Allowing her astrodroid to calculate the ship’s trajectory and therefore most likely landing spot, she set her ship to follow it down to the surface.

[member="Monokna Attauwei"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Am I really dead this time? Monokna mused as consciousness finally began to return to him. His eyes parted for the second time this day as his senses worked to rekindle what was left of his shocked psyche. This time, however, he did not find himself surrounded by the metal wreckage of a cockpit, or even the cold jungle floor the explosion had thrown him into. No, Monokna opened his eyes to see himself enveloped by walls. Not the type of walls conducive to a modern society but walls none the less. Large leaves tethered together with all manner of sticks and vines were used to form the base of the small hovel he sat in.

I guess I'm not dead. He remarked to himself before taking notice to the strain that had come over his wrists. Upon closer inspection he noticed that the leaves surrounding him were not the only things bound to the frame of the hut. The center of the hut was supported by a large wooden post that advanced to the peak of the structure. Rope bound his wrists around this post, securing him to the hut and making sure there was little to no chance of escape.

Maybe I spoke too soon... The young warrior observed before pushing himself to his feet. As he rose he felt the hot pain shoot into his ribs once again, causing a slight wince to escape him. He glanced down to see that his clothing, all but his undergarments, had been removed to expose most of his bare skin. His body was covered in tribal tattoos from his ankles all the way to his neck, yet that was not the most noticing thing on his exposed body. Riddling his body were small make-shift patches that seemed to be placed over wounds were shrapnel had come in contact with him during the explosion.

"Someone's been tending to my wounds." Monokna muttered upon observing the small leaves that were covered in a type of ointment to aid his healing process.

For the life of him he could not realize why someone would have helped him, but that did not matter right now. All that mattered now was escaping.

His eyes scanned the room, hoping to find his garments that held his vibroknife on his belt. Nothing. Of course they would not have left him with a weapon. However, Monokna was far from unarmed even without the aid of his weapon. He turned towards the post with a less than enthusiastic expression as an idea slowly began to form in his mind. Taking notice that the ropes that bound him were old and weathered Monokna placed his right foot on the post in front of him. Holding it there for a moment he pressed into his abdomen, testing for the pain that would come from such exertion. Finding it bearable his left leg now came off the ground as well, finding a position right beside it's twin. Again he tested the pain that would come from using his legs in such a manner, Monokna winced once again finding that the left side of his rib cage was very disagreeable.

Ignoring the pain he slowly tiptoed up the post until his legs were fully outstretched toward's the post's spire. Using his arms to support him Monokna quietly thanked the force that he was a rather scrawny individual, had he weighed too much more his arms would have likely snapped under the pressure. Allowing himself a reprieving pause he glanced down to the ground beneath him. His plan was to use his entire body weight and gravity to force the bonds to sever against the raw edges of the post, however if it did not work and the rope did not break he could very easily dislocate both of his arms.

He slowly began to shimmy his bound hands up the post while closing his eyes, once he got to the point where he felt himself beginning to slip he kicked off the post, rotating back.

.......SNAP! The bonds were severed just in time for Monokna's knees to come into contact with the ground below him. A victorious chuckle was offered before he glanced around the room, curious as to if his escape may have caught the ears of his captors, whoever they may be.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]


((OOC: Tribal tattoo example. Basically they look like these but full bodied.))

 

[Sorel Crieff]

The homing beacon had cut out long before the ship hit the planet. Given pilots were tenacious, the last known point of contact was just a useful starting point for Sorel and her astrodroid that was doing the mathematics on likely trajectories and glide patterns to determine where the ship was most likely to have gone down.

The positive was that pilots tend to stick to straight lines. His efforts would have been to keep the ship coming in as slow as possible and when the impact was inevitable, then to seek a soft landing. So the straight line they had plotted was a good one to start with and all Sorel had to do was scan to the left and the right to see if she could see a likely landing spot.

Hours later she found it, or rather Kaytoo did – his shrill alert made Sorel jump, so intense was her concentration. “Good work Kaytoo,” she said, patting his dome. “Now to set down close to it.”

Twenty minutes later she’d reviewed the wreckage and found no survivors. She was about to call in her finding when she felt the Force niggling at her consciousness. Something was off, she was sure of it, so she rechecked the ship and spotted the anomaly. One of the seats showed signs that the passenger was injured – but unlike the others, there was no sign of the person. She tutted out loud by way of scolding herself and set about looking for a trail to follow. Someone this injured could not get far.

Except the signs showed that he probably made it to the exit before an explosion threw him out into the surrounding flora.

And after an hour’s search, her deduction was proven to be correct. Some blood and flattened leaves showed where he landed. And multiple footprints showed where he had subsequently been carried. These were not heavy footprints of tourists but no doubt locals, soft on their feet. But as a Jedi, she was trained to observe and she could see enough to know that the people leaving the areas were carrying a heavy weight. No doubt the survivior.

So she followed the trail as best she could. Once or twice she lost the prints and had to double back before following the right path. But she made progress. It was slow and sure…but it was progress.

[member="Monokna Attauwei"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Pain still flared in Monokna's rib cage as he pressed himself against the interior of the hut he had been imprisoned in. An attempt to listen to the sounds that may travel through the barrier between him and the outside world. Silence. Either it was quiet outside or the leaves were stacked too thick for him to catch a wandering sound. Regardless he knew he could not stay inside of this hut any longer.

The boy crept toward's the hut's entrance, each footstep impacting the ground as softly as possible. Monokna's people were trained to be warriors who mastered fighting in the shadow's and using secrecy, so in some ways he would be in his own element. Once he finally reached the entrance he slipped two of his fingers around the leather hide that covered the entrance, parting it as slowly as he could manage.

Any hope of escape was quickly pulled from his mind when his eyes took in the scene before him.

A crowded jungle had given way to a thriving village. Monokna counted at least twenty hut's, similar to his own in design but colossal in comparison. They were scattered around his view for nearly a half a mile, causing him to wonder if it would be the same case behind his own hut, where his vision could not reach. But it was not the small primitive city that took the young man's attention, it was the inhabitants that moved through out it. Even more primitive than Monokna's people they stood living extensions of the world around them. Monokna's eyes scanned over the creature's who at first he mistook for walking trees. Each one was nearly two meters in height and seemed to be a mixture of a fungal and a living creature. Their blue skin shifted eerily as they stalked around their village.

Most were adorned in simple loin cloth's though there were a few of the scattered Felucians who had on a primitive setting of robes. Were it not for the current situation Monokna would have very much enjoyed to interact with these beings, finding a sense of similitude to their culture.

Monokna was torn from his thoughts as he felt a large hand engulf his throat, ripping him from his hiding place inside his hut. Struggling to find air Monokna felt his body shift through the air as he was thrown out of the hut and into the open. Pain once again seized him as he felt his body slam into the ground. "I'm really....getting tired...of that." He coughed before pushing himself to a knee.

Where the Felucians surrounding him had once been distracted by their day to day duties they now all turned, gazing at him silently. Quite the crowd the young warrior had gathered in only a fraction of a second. His eyes flitted around quickly, trying to find even the most marginal chance of escape. In time he realized there was no escape. Disarmed and wounded he was no match for the armed warriors who surrounded him. Crude spears and bludgeoning sticks may have been all that armed them, but it was enough in his current condition.

One of the natives stepped forward, catching Monokna's eye faster than any other. This was one of the few he noticed who wore something with a semblance to armor. Crude wood and formed stone covered the Felucian as he made his way to Monokna.

Standing to his feet he quickly turned to the Felucian he guessed was the chieftain, curious where this was going. Rather than attempt violence Monokna formed a fist with his right hand, beating it on his chest three times. Each time he let a shallow grunt escape his lips. After using the primitive greeting he would bow deep at the waist, showing humility and deference.

The chieftain paused in his advance, the staff that was held in his hand quickly found itself planted into the ground as the chieftain began to go into a series of thundering barking and the occasional screech. The language was far more primitive than Monokna's own but the movements presented by the village's leader were all too familiar. Anger.

Monokna listened to the wails until finally it was his turn to speak once again. He knew there would be no communication via his lips so he decided to let his body do the talking. They're warriors...perhaps they'll respect another warrior? Monokna mused as he widened his stance. The boy briefly rolled his shoulders before letting his hands slap his thighs, creating a rather loud smacking sound. Monokna slowly advanced while clenching his hands into fists, pulling them towards his shoulders as he did. He continually flexed his biceps as he advanced until finally he began to slap his shoulders in unison, chanting as he did. "Kin na sun no hum bai na!" In conclusion the warrior slammed both of his hands on his thigh before slowly bending at the waist into another humbling bow.

The display brought on some manner of debate to the Felucians surrounding him. Many began to participate in a very similar war dance that showed they recognized Monokna as a warrior. Others simply brandished their weapons, violently barking towards the boy as he awaited the chieftain's response. He knew one thing for sure, even if he was accepted as a warrior, this may not end well.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel walked through the jungle. On the face of it, she should not be concerned. Someone had survived the ship’s crash-landing and someone else had rescued them. But she could not shake the niggle at the back of her mind that the Force was providing. It was not a direct warning – and she had no clue as to what the Force was actually telling her, other than something wasn’t quite right.

She had a proverbial bad feeling about this.

Using her Force Sight, she scanned the near distance and found nothing of note, save a few creatures and plenty of foliage. So she kept up her relentless progress, checking regularly that she was going in the right direction.

She was lucky to be wearing the bracelet her Master had once given her. It ensured she remained at a constant temperature amongst other things – and so she was able to travel in her usual Jedi robes without feeling the heat and humidity that a typical traveller might.

As she walked, she considered what she knew of the local sentients. The Felucians, she understood, were tall and bipedal. Reports typically referred to them as strange, mysterious or unusual. She was aware that their skin colouring doubled as a camouflage, so she regularly checked her surroundings with the Force – as she knew she could not trust her eyes.

But their nature was what concerned her most. There was information on the database that some clans had fallen to the dark-side. Their natural affinity to the Force was largely unchecked and so they were less governed by a philosophy than their natural instincts.

What if this clan was one such group?

She quickened her pace and hoped that whoever she was tracking was still alive.

[member="Monokna Attauwei"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Violence. The language that most, if not all, creature's in the galaxy spoke so fluently.

Monokna watched as the Chieftain was given a spear from one of the warrior's to his side,. The spear had come from the Chieftain's own hands, a garbled bark erupting from him as he parted with the weapon. Staring down at the weapon Monokna understood his situation that much more. He must fight to survive, a stern aspect he had long since grown accustomed to. He was never one to back down from a fight, but in his condition he worried for his chances of success. Never the less Monokna bent down to retrieve the weapon, glancing over it searchingly as he tested it in his hand's.

The blade had been formed from stone, carved into a jagged blade with a deadly aura to it. The weapon's base was a staff shaved down from a larger branch by the looks of it. All and all it was actually a rather impressive weapon, blue glyphs could be seen on each side of the weapon. Monokna took notice that the glyphs came to life as the spear came into his hands. This caused the man to arch a brow at the weapon before his eyes fell on the chief. "I sense....The Force?" He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the ethereal void that made up the living force. As he dipped into it he could feel the Felucians shifting in the force around him. A smile came to his face as understanding finally came to him. "You are one with the Force....almost a physical representation of how the force works. But I sense........violence, struggle."

His eyes shot open as he looked to the Felucians surrounding him. The two opposing sides of the Force were in a constant struggle here. The Dark facing the Light in an never ending tug of war, fighting not only for dominion over the planet, but the Felucians themselves. Monokna exhaled, no longer able to focus on the Force was it shifted around him. His attention became pure once more when the Chieftain stepped back into the crowd that surrounded him. "Who is my opponent?" He questioned, tightening his grip on his new weapon.

In response to his question one of the Felucians stepped forward, raising it's own war spear above it's head, barking viciously towards Monokna.

The Felucian was a bright teal, in many ways it was a beautiful creature. However, there was no time to admire it's physical nature for it was not Monokna's enemy. It stood nearly a feet taller than Monokna yet it's movements were far more enthusiastic than those that surrounded him. Perhaps a novice? Seeking to prove his skill by challenging an outsider. Perhaps he would be an easy opponent? Oh how Monokna wished he was so lucky.

Giving him no semblance of a warning the Felucian charged, his spear leading into a life-ending jab if it were to connect. However the creature had left far too much anticipation for the attack, rendering it useless. Monokna centered himself over his base, bending ever so slightly at the waist as he parted his arms to the side. The boy waited until the last moment and as the spear came forward he side-stepped the attack, quickly shifting to the right as the blade passed him. A novice! Monokna mused as he twisted his body to the left, bringing his right foot up to connect with the creature's face. The Felucian was caught off guard by the attack and the impact forced his body into a twist, creating a bit of distance between the two.

However, the attack had been painful for Monokna nearly as much as it had been for the Felucian who fought him. He figured he would practically be used to the searing pain of his split ribs seeing as how he had dealt with it so much already, he was wrong. This time he was sent to his knee's, dropping his weapon as both of his hands fled to the source of the pain. "Agh!" He cried out, forcing his eyes closed for a fraction of a second. That second had been far too long in the sped up realm of combat. The Felucian warrior had planted his hands into the ground to stop himself from toppling over, the movement had ventured into a somersault that returned him to a solid stance. He quickly flourished his spear before strafing forward, bringing his rather large foot forward in an upper-cutting kick to the face.

The attack landed on Monokna's chin, a rather loud crack echoing out as he fell back onto his backside. This time Monokna was not allowed the luxury of reacting to pain, adrenaline pumped through his body begging for him to react, less his life come to a fleeting end.

He rolled to his side, a wisp of air flowing over the back of his neck as he completed his movement and came onto his hands and knees. The corner of his eyes showed a rather frightening image, the spear his enemy handled jammed into the dirt where his head had laid a fraction of a second ago. Yet still there was no time for such thoughts. Monokna rolled back the way he came, this time allowing his left foot to fly wildly through the air, hoping to catch the jaw of his enemy. His eyes fell to the Felucian a second before his foot made contact. He knew the warrior would attempt to retrieve his weapon before pressing his assault, that would be his mistake.

The attack had the desired effect and discombobulated the warrior enough that Monokna saw his window. As the Felucian reeled in pain he glanced over to his spear that laid behind the Felucian. He quickly rose to a knee as a small tactic formed in the man's mind. The Felucian, now beginning to recover, gave him no time to contemplate the movement he knew would bring him much pain. Rather than try his luck Monokna leaped forward, bracing his hands against the ground as he rolled onto the bridge of his shoulders and over his back. As he curled his legs into his abdomen tears welled in his eyes, the pain crossing his ribcage nearly overtaking him and compromising the combat roll. He landed on his rear end, his left hand falling directly over his spear as he did. Monokna quickly planted both of his feet on to the ground while turning his torso to face his enemy. Taking the spear into his hands he shifted onto his knee's and pushed himself to a kneeling position, charging his spear forward as he did.

The Felucian had regained his own weapon and was in mid-turn, same as Monokna, yet he trailed in a time length that even a second would envy.

The screams and roars of the crowd around them had been deafening up until this point. The cheers and yells had come to a deadly mute as the onlookers watched the conclusion of the duel.

The Felucian's spear was held above his head, prepared to spear through Monokna. Yet, the warrior himself was as still as a board, even the shimmering skin that doubled as an active camouflage for the people seemed calm and still.

Monokna stood beneath him, in a solid kneel as his spear was clasped tightly in between his hands. The tip of the weapon brushed over his enemy's neck tendrils, yet it was obvious the warrior remained unharmed for Monokna had stayed his blades only centimeters from enemy.

Silence continued to devour the area as the crowd watched what was to happen next. Monokna himself pondered the answer to that question. He saw this warrior as a formidable enemy and though he was one who had the internal struggle of the Dark Side, there was little evil inside of him. He peered up at the creature and it's dark blue eyes, wondering if it's mind was in the same place as his. Slowly and with care not to alert his enemy Monokna began to slowly shake his head. "Don't....do....it." The words floated over to the Felucians ears and he seemed to understand their meaning. He slowly opened his hand, allowing his spear to fall uselessly to the ground.

Monokna slowly pulled back from the creature, planting the butt of his staff into the ground as he bowed towards the Felucian. Muttering a few barks in his native language the warrior mimicked the gesture, bringing the conflict to an end.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel pressed on, her pace picking up without her even knowing. For some reason, the correct route was now easier to follow. There were no obvious signs to follow, no blood trail or trampled undergrowth to guide her. But she instinctively knew the right way to go. On a planet that was some sort of Force nexus, it seemed her senses were in some way overloaded – but by an odd contrast, her focus was entirely clear.

Suddenly she was aware she wasn’t just tracking, she was jogging and she slowed back down to a brisk walk. With pace came a lack of awareness of her surroundings and she did not want to be surprised by anything.

Finally, she became conscious of some sort of spike in the Force ahead. She slowed her speed again and her awareness picked up what she presumed was a large number of Force sensitives ahead. Given the locals connection to the Force, this was – she further presumed – an indication she was about to encounter some sort of village.

As she moved forwards, her suspicions were proven to be correct and she saw a large number of tents ahead. They were large structures and the number suggested it was a sizeable number of locals she would encounter.

If they were friendly or not, she was keen to find out – and more importantly what had happened to the crash survivor that they found.

[member="Monokna Attauwei"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

The silence that had taken hold of the surrounding crowd had long since died, now it was replaced with a roaring cheer.

The encirclement of Felucians had started a thunderous mixture of barking and screeches. Monokna's eyes fell on them as they pumped their weapon's into the sky, beating their chest's rhythmically as they continued their battle chant. Though Monokna was relieved to see the Felucians had taken to good spirits he could not help but notice that one of the beings did not cheer, nor did he raise his weapon, nor did he move.

The chieftain stood solid, dark eyes peering down at Monokna as he glared at the young warrior through the foliage of tendrils that was his face. To be defeated was a great smack in the chief's face, and his displeasure showed more than anything.

Stalking forward, the chief made his way over to Monokna's opponent who remained bowed at the waist, honoring the victor. As the chieftain moved the roars slowly came to an eerie silence. All seemed to be as curious as to the Chieftain's next action, especially Monokna. He watched as the smaller Felucian turned towards his leader, but only to have a massive fist collide against his face. The blow was loud and caused whatever was left of the commotion that had overtaken the Felucians to cease. Monokna gritted his teeth together, his hand clenching around his war spear.

He's already beat! Monokna brooded before stepping forward. "That's enough, he fought as a warrior!" He shouted, commanding the attention of the crowd that gathered around them. Curiously as Monokna approached the Chieftain none of the Felucians moved to support him, they seemed lost in confusion. Even Monokna could sense the internal struggle going on inside of them. The Chief had gone too far, he was punishing one of their own without due cause, but they would not act on these emotions. The Chieftain was the strongest here, and that meant his word was law.

Slowly turning to face Monokna the large Felucian made no attempt to give the boy warning before his foot flew from the ground, slamming into Monokna's bare rib cage. Though he attempted to block the attack he was far too injured and far too winded to put forth any more resistance. The blow forced him to his knees, dropping the war spear as he doubled over in pain. Blood trickled from the edge of Monokna's lips, no doubt suffering from some manner of internal bleeding that had been caused from his split ribs.

Monokna, no longer able to defend himself slowly began to black out, losing focus of the world around him. But even through his clouded vision he could see the Felucian, who he had just been locked in combat with, move to fill the space between Monokna and the Chieftain.

Is he...defending me? The boy mused, slamming his right hand into the ground below him as he struggled to support his torso. One thing was for sure, if the Chieftain was not stopped soon both Monokna and the Felucian who stood by him would soon be dead.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

The village was at one moment eerily quiet and the next a loud roar went up. Clearly something was happening. Aware she had to balance stealth and speed, Sorel followed the sound of the cheering and worked her way through the tents.

Her sabers were still attached to her belt and her cloak was flapping as she crouched low and crept forward with purpose.

Sorel noted the cheers ended abruptly and she wondered what this meant – for these things rarely boded well. A gradual reduction in noise was a natural end to a celebration. A sudden one normally pointed to a significant act.

Then she heard a lone voice. It was indistinct at the distance she clearly was from it, but it sounded like someone speaking Basic. The crash survivor perhaps?

Throwing caution to the wind, Sorel picked up her pace again until she happened upon a clearing. Except it was not currently empty as what must have passed for a village square was full of Felucian’s and they all had their backs to her.

Using the Force, Sorel was able to see through the crowd. Through Force Sight she could see all of the locals ahead of her and someone with an altogether different aura. It was light and given she could sense he was injured, she suspected he was the survivor she had been tracking.

With no other plan in mind, Sorel began to elbow her way through the crowd. They were so intent on seeing what was ahead of them that they paid her no attention. And soon she burst through the throng and saw the open space ahead of her – circled by Felucians. And ahead of her were three figures. Two were injured and a man with tattoos was lying on the floor. The two Felucians appeared to be squaring off against each other.

Realising this was not likely to end well, Sorel bowed to the two standing Felucians and simply introduced herself. “Greetings. I am Jedi Master Sorel Crieff. I am here to escort the survivor of the ship crash to medical facilities to tend his wounds. I commend you on finding him and keeping him well tended, and I can take matters from here.”

Her voice was low and calm, yet carried across the assembled Felucians. And then she stood there, impassively, waiting for a response.

[member="Monokna Attauwei"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

There were few things Monokna expected to happen next, but when a Jedi Master emerged from the crowd of Felucians the warrior's eyes were fixed on her. With a serene grace following her immediately Monokna could sense the Force flowing through her in a way he had only seen with the Jedi on his own home world. "A Jedi..." Monokna muttered, his eyes sharpened in disbelief. However, the Felucians were not in a matching awe. The Chief's attention was turned from his insubordinate clansmen and his eyes now fell to the Jedi intruder.

A series of low barks escaped the creature before he continuously clenched his fists in anger. Though the Felucian Chief was angered by the Jedi's interruption of their event he would not dare cross a Jedi Master. With a loud bark the chief gestured towards Monokna before turning away from the crowd, making his way into a nearby hut. The crowd surrounding Monokna and the newcomer slowly parted, creating a path for the two to leave the village.

Exhaling softly Monokna forced himself to his feet, only to hear a loud slap. His eyes came up to see the Felucians had thrown his simply-made clothes out in front of him. A pair of leather pants and a rather uncomfortable looking cloth shirt were all the man had in the world. As the Felucians began to disperse Monokna glanced over to the Jedi Master. She's younger than I expected of a Jedi Master. He mused before turning to face her, finally.

The boy bowed his head in deference, remaining silent for a moment as he paid his respects. "It has been a long time since I had the pleasure of speaking with a Jedi." Monokna's mind turned to bitter thoughts, the last person he saw that was a Jedi Master was his own father, the High Chieftain of his people. It had been years since he had a chance to even see his father, let alone speak to him.

Finally recovering from his bow Monokna's hand went to his ribcage, his eyes still red from the tears that were produced because of the pain. "I am in your debt, Master Jedi." Slowly, and with a great deal of pain Monokna fell to his knees, planting his hands on the ground as he bowed before the woman once again. "Please, train me!" The boy's words were quick and to the point. He hoped that he had found the Jedi Master that was destined to train him.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

What would happen next, Sorel had no idea. But she was prepared for any eventuality – even death – if it meant the possibility of saving an innocent.

And the one that was clearly the leader did not appear positively disposed to Sorel – but she knew from her training that dogs that barked tended to be cowards. The ones that didn’t bark? They were the ones to be wary of.

So she took the chieftain’s posturing in her stride and remained impassive. It was not an act, she was genuinely unafraid and not in the least intimidated.

A final gesture and the chief left them be. Clearly his histrionics were designed to save some face with his clan – and Sorel would not deny him that. So she waited until the area cleared a little and an obvious path was created by the locals stepping back and forming a natural walkway.

Sorel waited for the young man to put on the clothes he was given and then she bowed to him in return, showing the relationship was not one of deference but of equality.

“We can discuss how you’ve been treated once we’re clear of the village. My ship is near where yours crashed. And it’s intriguing that you’ve met a Jedi before, given you are clearly Force-sensitive.”

“And the first thing to learn about Jedi is that nobody is ever in our debt.” She put a hand on his ribs and through channelling the Force, her hand glowed before wispy tendrils moved from her fingers to his torso. It would be a field medic repair. Bones would be knitted and the pain would be numbed. “I can take a proper look back at my ship.”

No sooner had she uttered the words than the young man fell at her feet. Tutting, she took him under one elbow and raised him back to his feet. “I’d be honoured to be your Master, but on one condition. You will have to stop deferring to me. We are and always will be equals. Now if you can manage that, then you can be my Padawan.”

[member="Monokna Attauwei"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Monokna let out a sigh of relief as the Jedi Master tended to his injuries. His hand came over his rib cage, pressing into his flesh tenderly as he tested the healing that had just been done. He could still feel the pain but it had been numbed down a considerable amount. She spoke of taking him to her ship and the man could only give a silent nod in return.

He felt [member="Sorel Crieff"] attempt to pull him to his feet and he did not fight it, rising as her words came over him. "If that's what you want." He replied, rolling his aching shoulders before hearing another low bark erupt from behind him. Monokna's brow rose before he turned to the source of the barking. He turned to see the Felucian he faced in combat, standing behind him with his own war spear held in hand. Monokna narrowed his eyes, glancing up at the tribesman curiously.

"We're done fighting...Your Chieftain has already decided." Monokna stated, only to be cut off when the Felucian planted the war spear into the ground in front of Monokna. He began a series of low warbles and barks that ended in him bowing deep at the waist. "You are a great warrior as well." The young warrior replied before returning the bow. The Felucian took his own weapon into his hand, slinging it over his shoulder before simply staring at Monokna through his large tendril covered face.

He turned towards the Jedi Master, gesturing towards her before exhaling once again. "I follow you, Master."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel wondered why one of the Felucian’s approached them but given the young man was at ease, she presumed they had some history and it wasn’t necessarily bad. So she was guarded but outwardly calm as ever.

“I guess he wanted to say good-bye,” Sorel said as she once again picked up the pace – the sooner they got out of there, the less time the chieftain had to amend his decision to let them go. “And you must have made quite an impression.”

“Anyhow, it’s a fair wander back to my ship, which gives us plenty of time to talk. So, we can take turns in asking a question and given I’m still talking, I’ll go first.” Her voice was light and it was clear she was not taking herself seriously at this point.

“So an obvious and hopefully easy question. Tell me about you. As much or as little as you think I should know. Where you’re from, your knowledge of the Force and the Jedi. That sort of stuff.”

As she was talking, she fished into her utility belt and pulled out a small canteen of water and a couple of rations bars. “Oh, and you should have these.”

[member="Monokna Attauwei"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Monokna kept pace with his new master, as they walked his eyes scanned over the woman. He arched a brow at her, finding her appearance almost...too simple. Among his people the Jedi were seen as gods among men, so to see one that was so humble and kind was also an interesting aspect.

The Jedi on Monokna's homeworld were strict and could at times leave much to be desired. While they were Jedi it was very obvious that the enclave on Monokna's homeworld held warrior's first.

When [member="Sorel Crieff"] spoke of asking each other questions the young warrior arched a brow at her words. He was not the most social of person and dearly hoped that it would not cause him to be awkward around her.

"I don't really know what you would want me to tell you, Master. My name is Monokna Attauwei. I have lived for seventeen great moons." The man stated, running a hand over his mohawk before rolling his neck around once again.

"I am a warrior of the Sandali, we are trained to use the Force from a very young age." Monokna stopped following the woman, tensing his hand as he spoke. "Sandali warriors have a strong connection to the Force. That is why we are sent into the galaxy to learn the ways of the Jedi." Holding his hand out to a nearby stone Monokna closed his eyes, drawing on the Force to lift the rock from the planet's surface. Slow and steadily the rock levitated off the ground until it found it's way into his hand. "However, it is forbidden for a Sandali Jedi to train another in the ways of the Force before he has gone through his pilgrimage. At least it is on our home planet."

Monokna took the gifted rations from Sorel with a respectful bow of his head. "Thank you Master." Immediately he opened the first ration bar, taking a healthy bite, the pinching of his stomach reminding him it had been quite a while since he last ate.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel kept up a pace and was pleased Monokna was able to keep up, despite his injuries. She didn’t want to risk his health, but nor did she want to stay near to the village for a moment longer. Who knew what the elder was thinking and if he would send any of his kin after them.

Sorel listened to the young man and wondered what she had heard of the Sandali, but decided she was unfamiliar with his people and would have to rectify this gap in her knowledge. She was pleased he had received training but was a little wary on what form that might have taken. Habits were hard to break, so she hoped all the ones he had were good ones.

Once he had finished speaking, she noted his control of the Force was accomplished. “You have learned well my Padawan. And if I may be so bold, I would like to ask another question. In particular, I would like to learn of the pilgrimage you talk of. We have Jedi trials to reach Knighthood and I am wondering if there are any similarities.”

[member="Monokna Attauwei"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

As the questions came Monokna answered as needed. The Sandali did not necessarily believe in lies or half truths and he felt no need to withhold information from his new Master. Though he was not the most social person he still spoke with the best of his ability. Her praise was well received and the Sandali warrior merely bowed his head in acceptance. "Thank you, Master."

When the topic of conversation transitioned from knowledge of the Force to the Sandali warrior's pilgrimage Monokna paused in his step, coming to a halt as a hand fell to his ribcage. Pain was once again beginning to seize him, however it was not the pain of his injured body it was actually the pain of his body repairing itself at an advanced rate, which came with it's own set of pain. The warrior ran a hand through his hair before clearing his throat a bit. "The Sandali are warriors." He started, continuing their march as he spoke to [member="Sorel Crieff"].

"Everything about our people is centered around the ways of the warrior. To understand our pilgrimage you have to learn about the Warrior process itself." The boy said with a rather proud tone.

"From birth all Sandali are trained in the ways of war and The Force. All of our people are touched with the Force and able to tap into it's powers." He continued, gesturing to himself for emphasis.

"When a warrior reaches the age of ten they are tested for the first time. If they pass the test they go on to join the Warriors, if they fail they are sent to join other sects of the kingdom. Whether it be the Healers, farmers, hunters, builders, or so on. If a warrior prevails in his trials they become a warrior of the Kingdom, and they will be forever honored so long as they fight for the Light side of the Force. After reaching ten a warrior will go through life and combat, those with the most advanced skills in both the force and combat are given the title, Askari." The warrior pointed to a tattoo marked on his chest, it was a circle filled with barbs that centered over the boy's heart.

"Most warriors are not given the title Askari until they are at least twenty years of age. I am one of the exceptions. I became an Askari by the age of fifteen." He stated with another iota of pride.

Disregarding his own bragging the boy continued once again. "Askari are the only ones allowed to learn the ways of the Jedi. All others are restricted to the way of the warrior or serving the Force in another way, our shamans. When an Askari decides he wishes to become a Jedi he is sent out into the galaxy, banished from the kingdom until his task is completed. These tasks are as such, find a master, learn the ways of the Jedi, forge your lightsaber, and learn the ways of the galaxy and how it shifts with the Force. Once a Sandali has done this he may return to the homeworld and serve the Jedi there, helping to train the next generation of Askari."

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel listened to Monokna. She was not familiar with his race or warrior’s creed – and so she was keen to learn what made him the person he was, and how that would fit into the life of a Jedi.

“Jedi are not warriors; we are peace-keepers. Of course, we all have a different definition for even the most common of terms – but there is a fundamental variance.”

“A warrior typically sees himself as complete when he is fighting. For a Jedi, to fight is an admission that we have failed. Fighting is a last resort, not a way of life. Jedi are trained to use a saber from an early age – but also taught to avoid using it unless there is no other option.”

“I am not suggesting your ways are wrong or that you cannot become a Jedi, but we need to be sure the Code of the Jedi is something you are sure you wish to pursue. I cannot deny your bravery or your skills but you have to be committed to avoiding bloodshed as a first resort – and to walk away from a fight when the circumstances dictate. As I say, the life of a Jedi is not for everyone. We can discuss this as we travel.”

[member="Monokna Attauwei"]

 

[ToKola Bakari]

Monokna took in [member="Sorel Crieff"] words and tried his best to understand them. The Jedi of his homeworld were Guardians of peace and justice but seldom shied away from a fight. They viewed combat with honor not disdain, though perhaps there was still much the young prince had to learn, even of his own people. "Of course, Master." He stated in response, his mind still buzzied by the information she passed to him.

"As the Mkuu of my people I was taught to be open to combat, yet be wary of taking life, for all life is sacred." He said, still following the Jedi Master.

Monokna's step faltered as he felt something, almost reaching out to him in the Force. Though he was too ignorant in the ways of the nether to determine the meaning of the surge he was wary of that. Though in the end he decided against telling his new master, dismissing it as a mere distraction.

"Where are we going Master? When we leave here I mean." He asked, his curiosity beginning to pique.

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel smiled as Monokna spoke. “I suspect our ways are closer than the language suggests. I believe the term warrior means different things to different cultures. And there are some Jedi that live for combat – I won’t pretend they don’t exist. But not me, not if I follow the Code as it is written.”

“But nor do I shy away from combat. Never. I will defend the weak with my life and will take a life if it is necessary. That is my ethos and I suspect you have a similar outlook.”

“Now…as to where we might go? That depends on you as much as me. We can go to Voss, which is where one of our largest Jedi Temples is, where you can learn from a variety of teachers. Or we can go to any planet you wish. Learning does not have to be in an academy after all.”

[member="Monokna Attauwei"]