Adventures on Dagobah

[Darth Ren Malgus]

Location: Dagobah
Current Mood: Frustration
Intended training: Survival skills side training Patience, Alter Environment

Serena was once again pulling her boot from the deep dark muck of the swamp, the sucking noise made could indicate two things, she was winning the battle of the swamp, or she was getting ready to lose her boot. She had one leg on a log, and the other in the swamp. She looked around for Connor, where had he gotten to?

When she had suggested to [member="Connor Harrison"] a field trip to some place historical this was not exactly what she had in mind. This was historical yes in many ways the hovel of a home that Master Yoda lived in was here, the dry path through the swamp where Master Luke Skywalker did his training was here, and YES the force nexus was here to. But. So was the swamp, she did not mind the bugs, the wildlife, sweating, getting wet most of it she could handle without problem.

Serena often enjoyed water, water you swam in, washed in, and often drank, but this water, this was..rank. Add in that the mud continually tried to suck her in as if consuming her, now that was frustration.

Her life sense in the force was off the scale there was so much life here that everywhere she looked it jumped out at her waving it's arms saying LOOK AT ME. The thought made her laugh. She adjusted her pack, where was this camp site he knew about again. She pulled her boot out covered in the slimy mud. She shook her head, shaking her leg to get rid of the mud she looked ahead to see where he was at.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor held onto a thick, moist vine on a grassy knoll surrounded by swampland, a large playing field of swamps, rocks and marshland to navigate. The mist was ever present, and the air was thick as it clung to his flesh. Thankfully discarding his new greatcoat in his fighter, which was extremely difficult to have navigated down on one of the many newly erected landing pads, he stood in his training vest and combat trousers, lightsaber at his side and speckled with mud up his right leg and arm.

”I can’t hear you Serena – which means you’re stuck in the mud or you’ve been taken by the bugs.”

He looked through the mist where he had just come from, swinging back and forth gently on the vine while he waited. When he said he’d accompany Serena, now a Knight, he didn’t expect it to be to Dagobah of all places routed in galactic history.

There had to be somewhere nicer, right?

[member="Wren"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Connor Harrison"]​

​

Serena was sitting there on a log perhaps in some bygone age she would have taken on the look of a wood elf or nymph but currently she was fodder for the swamp bugs. She looked around thinking this could be worse it could be Hoth. Cold. Wild Wampa.

Instead she was here in her boots, leggings that slipped easily inside, and her tank top. The one she wore when she was working outside digging up samples, or brushing off fossils. She sat quiet she could hear the bugs as they moved from leaf to leaf, the flow of the force swerved and pooled everywhere on Dagobah. she smiled, ok it wasn't Spira with sandy beaches but if everything were where would the challenge be.

As she focused on her surroundings the voice of one filtered through the misty haze, she smiled looking at the gnarltree it was appropriately named she leaned forward looking at where the roots deepened into the bog of Dagobah. She got up and began to move from rock to exposed rock she looked like a ballerina hopping from one foot to the other. She could see out to the large expanse of the swamp the water so still it looked like glass. The only movement was the bugs skating across the surface.

"Better the bugs than a dragonsnake, though I wouldn't mind seeing one" Her voice carried to where Connor seemed to be dangling. Then she saw something she couldn't wait to see what happen.

She moved a bit faster until she got to Master S and his spot, she grabbed a vine, hand over hand she climbed the vine until she was near him, "Connor look over there" Serena pointed off to their left, "look down do you see it" What Serena saw was a lahdia plant and lumbering up towards it was a spotlight sloth. She just watched she switched to telepathy to prevent them from frightening it.

The sloth is the only creature that can open the berries on the plant, I've never seen one before..have you?

 

[Connor Harrison]

Swinging back and forward on his heels as he held the vine, Connor watched down below as Serena traversed the marshland and made her way up to where he stood. It was clear to the Master that Serena had clearly progressed from Padawan to Knight – she seemed stronger, physically and mentally, and was embracing her role more within the Order.

He looked where she looked, following her lead. This planet was one huge ball of swampy fauna to him, and it was humid and nasty. He was only here to help Serena, and so really felt out of his comfort zone.

Crouching down looking out towards the large sloth, a magnificent creature, Connor smiled at the excitement Serena had, where he pretty much couldn’t care less.

I’ve never seen one either. I’ve only been here once before, and didn’t take notice of the residents.

It was an awesome sight, but it was just more natural life on the planet that was nothing too special.

[member="Wren"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

Serena was completely fascinated by it she could sense a bit of detachment from Connor she looked over at him putting her hand to his shoulder she shoved him slightly and smiled. She communicating telepathically.

Don't look so eh Connor. Come on really look at what's around us. Life. The force. she shook her head slightly.

Voss with its jungles and wonders of beauty teems with life and connections, just like Dagobah. Master Yoda came here because it was so full of life that one more among them would draw little attention. The force that is here she inched closer to him, The force swells and breaths here, can't you feel it. It's like the planet has its own soul its own pattern of breathing.

No she was not a fan of bugs, or rank water. But there things here that could only be seen here, could only be felt here.

She smiled again as she watched the sloth open the berries it was second nature to the creature even if it noticed them, it took no notice, it felt no threat. Within a brief moment it was done and the sloth was moving away. Serena sighed.

"Life we can only take it in moments Connor, we can only see the wonder in that moment until the next one is on us." The life here on Dagobah did not pressure her empathy the only person she felt was Connor, but then she had always felt him no matter where he was at. She just knew that in time the reason for that would become clear.

"I can use my very vivid imagination and see Master Yoda tasking his student Luke through the marshes, over the rocks, pushing him to feel what we feel right now. That deep connection to the force, the one that resonates within us." Serena was happy bugs and bog included. Mud up to her knees, and the training ahead, the things she hoped to see while they were here and Master S sharing it with her.

She bumped her shoulder against Connor's and laughed. She wouldn't push him in.......yet. She stared down at the ground the solid ground beneath their boots. Then the sound reached out to them, then there was that shimmer, that nudge of something close by. "Listen. Do you hear that sound?" Serena peered around them, it was hard to pick up a single life with so much already looking at them.

A flash of color, "ohhh did you see that?" She didn't look at Connor as her eyes tracked the color as it moved.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

With a playful roll of the eyes, Connor smiled and leant in, watching the sloth.

”When you asked me to come here, I thought there was something worthwhile to do than just watch bugs! Saying that, this is a fascinating place and so full of history. Nice to see it’s not been eradicated or changed by any other life forms.”

He stood up and moved across the plateau, the murky mist below not making it very easy to see where they were in relation to the next swamp or mud monster. Hands tight on the vine, he leant forward to get a feel for the area.

Serena called out and he turned, and his eyes danced around looking for something – anything – but saw nothing.

”What? What is it?”

[member="Wren"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

"Oh Connor sometimes I wonder how you made Master, you need to focus more be in tune to the surroundings instead of fussing about the bugs..now really watch off to our left"

Serena had read about these things and she had tried to find one to look at but these were some of the smartest creatures to be found on Dagobah and she could feel its curiosity as it studied them trying to decide whether to continue to play with their minds or go closer.

Serena narrowed her gaze there she pointed with her fingers see the long tail hanging there we are being watched she smiled waiting to see if it would come closer, and then as if it had taken a cue from her it moved towards them, landing on a thick branch it's long talons curled around the branch securing itself the feathers stood out most of all. The shades of red and purple seemed so odd on this creature that now stared at them waiting..

Its a Jubba Bird Connor do you know how rare it is for one to come this close. Serena counted herself fortunate to see such a site the jubba bird looked at Serena, rustling its feathers it sang a few low notes. Serena sighed with fascination. The force gives us such wonders Connor isn't that beautiful?

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Connor Harrison"] seemed to be lost in thought so she slipped away and went towards the creature. This creature was so unique it was force sensitive and extremely intelligent. She knew also that they did not like to be around people, or anything that was not the natural part of their environment. She kept her mind open hoping that in some way the jubba bird would reach out to her.

She walked slowly not wanting to scare it, which was irrelevant it would fly off if it felt like it she didn't need to scare it. She decided to try and talk to it. Hello I'm Serena. The jubba bird peered from behind it's perch to look at who would dare break the peace it was enjoying.

It's eyes rested upon Serena, she stopped right where she stood when it looked at her. She felt, stuck. She half smiled but didn't move.

It seemed like moments but it had been at least ten minutes the bird made a noise and then began hopping from one tree to another, looking back at her. Serena went to follow and found her boot stuck, "Really?" She looked down then back at the bird, oh what a smart alec it was.

She wiggled around until she got loose and then she began to follow the bird.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor leant on his elbows and smiled behind his hand, resting his head on it and watching the intrepid explorer become more fascinated with the nature of the swamp world. Glancing upwards into the dank mist that swallowed up the trees, it wasn’t long before he noticed Serena was gone.

”Serena, those things bite…be careful.”

He simply watched her move to the bird, interacting with it in a way that symbolised someone in touch with nature itself. As she got her boot stuck, he tittered gently.

”Watch your footing,” he called down after her.

Standing up, he walked to the edge of the small incline they were on and he held onto a vine to balance himself as he watched. He felt like an observer of a someone in their natural surroundings.

[member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Connor Harrison"]​

​

[SIZE=12pt]She followed until she heard the familiar voice form above.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She looked up at him well he had finally come out of his day dreaming phase, “It might but at least I’m living a life of learning, and experience. I think some of the Jedi have forgotten what that is.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Serena looked at the jubba bird as it began bobbing its head up and down, as it walked side to side. She couldn’t help but laugh a bit but it felt like this was more than a show that somehow it wanted something, maybe.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She made sure her feet were firmly planted, “Look at it Connor really, think about this ok…here is this beautifully made creature. Feathers that were formed perfectly for flight, a connection to the force so that it might know a higher power, and its here on a planet where everything was formed to work together”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She smiled again as the old Serena was emerging once more, “it’s a balance everything living here gives Dagobah its balance. its history” She smiled again as she turned to look at the jubba bird, it was now staring at her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She held out her hand palm up, “let’s be friends” her blue eyes stayed on the bird she tried to find the force connection to help her communicate, she knew animal speak but she didn’t want to frighten it now that she was so close.[/SIZE]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[SIZE=12pt]Serena’s ability to do animal speak needed work she knew that and she hoped that by trying to friend this jubba bird that it would get better.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]But jubba birds are worse than cats, they only mix when they want, they only observe when they want. At least a cat comes over for a pet a jubba bird would leave something on your shoulder that well..wasn’t a gift.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She didn’t know what to do about the other thing happening around her, to many times she had tried to bridge a gap but it’s not happening and she didn’t know why.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]So she’d just try to keep doing the things that made her feel connected to the galaxy and hoped that one day it would all fall into place.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She could feel the force here more here than on Voss and this place just seemed to want to help anyone who needed it. Serena at times needed it.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The jubba bird looked at her, it was not a pretty bird like a canary or a peacock with its elegance it was a product of its environment having to evolve to survive. The force helped it to survive.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]It looked steadily at her, and then turned and flew off.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Well that went well.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]All the time that she had been standing there the waters around her bubbled and churned as if something were waiting, something were circling. Surely Serena did not forget about the hazards of Dagobah.[/SIZE]