Beyond Shadows

[Taheera Sollo]

Yavin Four

The friendly Nautolan quartermaster, Kali, left a bagged lunch for the clone. The healer had not been shy upon arrival and peppered the poor woman about the surrounding area and the best trails to explore. Knowing Taheera's routine, especially the longer hikes on the weekends, she made sure the padawan wouldn't forget to eat in the woods.

The smell of fresh pine tingled the inside of her nose as she trudged up a small hill, well away from the clatter of the Academy. There was a patch of brumble briar berries on top next to a sunlit boulder. Scrambling up the boulder, she finally stopped and un-shouldered the pack carrying Kali's prized lunch. Settling down, she prepared to enter the realm beyond shadows, something she did at least once a week.

But today, she had higher hopes of connecting with the Zeltron. News about Prakith had come in with the rumors of a rogue, sith chiss. Pushing thoughts of his possible death aside, she settled into the world beyond shadows as a warm breeze from the forest brushed against her skin.

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

On the run

"But master, meditation at this point would be unwise."

"Calm down Stitches. We're in hyperspace. Chances are we won't run into trouble."

"But what if we're ambushed by an interdictor?"

"You'll wake me up and chances are we'll be fethed anyways with the amount of preparation that requires."

"And you are content with that?"

"Content isn't the word I would use to describe it. But I understand my possible impact on unlikely situations."

"How did I get stuck with the Sith with the least sense of self-preservation?"

"Rather expensively as it happened." Jaxton quipped to his sassy medical droid before it stared at him a moment and then left. Though the face of the droid had little expression to it Jaxton knew it was trying to give him some sort of look, make a scowl or raise an eyebrow or something more human than it really was. He supposed it was the thought that counted. Alone at last Jaxton concentrated on something simple. yet deceptively esoteric. Counting from one to seven he visualizes the mathematical quantities in their complete essence. Once he hit the number 'seven' he found he was in another place, a foreign planet in what seemed like another dimension. To his surprise, as well as delight, he found that today he was not alone in the land beyond shadows. Jaxton turned to his guest with a smile.

"Hey there Taheera."

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

Of course time had no meaning in this world. The voice she was wondering if she'd ever hear again met her ears. She spun around. Her face lit up when her eyes locked onto his form.

"Jaxton!"

And suddenly, she felt shy, timid. But the worry was still very much on her features.

"I heard about Prakith. Are you...is everything? Are you okay?"

Frustration flickered across her brow as she realized the help she could offer communicating in a place like this was limited.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

As [member="Taheera Sollo"] whirled around to see him he heard her words, and saw the quick conversions of her face. Relief, joy, apprehension, worry. She was worried about him. Part of that made him feel worried. He couldn't always guarantee his safety, or hers. On the other hand though? It brought an odd satisfaction, a happiness to know that somebody was trying to keep track of him.

"I'm fine. It was tough, but I got through it." Jaxton said as he stepped a little closer to the healer. "In no small part thanks to you." He thanked the healer, his voice growing a little quieter as he spoke. Jaxton looked at her a moment then smiled.

"So you seem to know what I've been up to since we last saw each other. What have you been up too?"

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

She quickly closed the distance between them and stood before the Zeltron. Looking up at his face, she gave him a critical look. "It was tough but you're fine? Please, Jaxton. I'm not some wet behind the ears padawan fresh off a recruitment shuttle. What're you not telling me?"

Arms crossed and her gaze didn't waver as myrtle-ellipses stared into his eyes as if she could see past all the walls he intentionally or unintentionally put up.

"And I've been busy," she said vaguely. "Training by some unconventional means."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Jaxton shrugged a bit. "Didn't figure you wanted me to bore you with the details. Fought against a few Sith Lords with the help of a Jedi and his friend. A lady hunter trying to escape the Sith, far as I can tell. Didn't have too much trouble with mine. Woulda killed him if he was human, but the Sith turned him into . . . something else. Randial is compromised, but I don't think I am just yet." Jaxton finished, keeping his eyes locked on her critical and piercing gaze, the sepia shading of her eyes meeting his own.

"I'll have a surprise or two ready for them when they do figure it out though." The zeltron said with a smile. "And for what it's worth, unconventional training is my favorite. Once taught a girl to use the Force by playing tag with her. Sweet little girl."

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

His answer seemed to satisfy her. Chestnut-brows rose up in curiosity. "Tag, huh? Sounds like a lot of fun." She smiled warmly, the rigidness in her posture slowly unwinding. "I joined up with the Underground. Some guy named Jorus Merrill leads it, I think. I flew an x-wing for the first time with two other guys named Flint Michigan and Khaleel Malvern. Khaleel also offered an open training session on Nar Shadda. We jumped off buildings. I'm pretty sure it was an all female class. No, wait," one finger rose in thought as her eyes squinted.

"There was one guy." She laughed and shrugged.

Face turned business again. "So what are you doing now? Do you need help?"

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Jorus Merrill . . . He'd heard that name a few times, met the man once or twice. The rest were names he didn't know, Underground, Flint, Khaleel. His face remained unchanged as she talked about jumping off buildings, him being a bit more surprised at the almost-all female class. This "Khaleel" character sounded a bit of a scoundrel. For a moment Jaxton wondered if he was jealous, then it hit him. He was, just a little. He hoped the healer didn't see it, though he wasn't sure exactly why.

"For now I am excited to be meditating and not hiding in the nexu's den." Jaxton said with a smile as he took a seat on the soft grass below them, offering a hand and a spot beside him as he hit the ground.

"Out there though? Trying to get out of Sith Space. Stitches is a bit worried somebody'll catch up to us while his 'bodyguard' is sleeping, but I'm not worried long as we're in hyperspace. Been making a new lightsaber, and . . . " he paused for a moment. "Thinking I might give the Jedi another try when I get into safer spacelanes."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

She saw a look briefly pass over the zeltron's face but couldn't figure out what it was. It was more in her nature to offer help rather than accept it. Perhaps it was a pride thing. So, she hesitated when he offered his hand but she took it regardless and settled down next to him.

"I know you're in good hands with Stitches," she smiled. "And the jedi? I know that's a big step for you," the side of her arm brushed against his as she shifted in her position on the ground. "Are you thinking about the Republic or something else?"

It was hard to say where her own ties were. On paper she was with the Republic. But she seemed to be spending more and more time at the Academy and with the Underground. She tipped her head back, getting the feeling of warm sun on her face.

"Is it weird how real this place can feel?"

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Jaxton shrugged. "I don't know. Who's is it to say who's a Jedi and who's not? What's a more Jedi way than another? Certainly not me. I think I'll try to help out with both, and just see where I fit in more. Or better yet, where I can help more." Comfort was a funny thing, keeping people out of action sometimes, or drawing them too it. Dangerous if one didn't have an eye on it.

Taheera leaned back a moment, her hair falling back and letting the sun get a clear shot at her face. She asked if was strange how real Beyond Shadow was, and Jaxton frowned a bit.

"Spend too long here and you'll wonder if this isn't what's real, and where we come from isn't fake." He halfway admitted. What if only the Force was real? It was a thought that had been on his brain for a while, and one he hoped not to entertain.

"So what do you think I should do? Or where do you think I should go?"

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

Head tilted to the side as she studied him quietly. "I fear whatever you choose, it'll be boring compared to where you just were." The corners of her lips curved upward - just slightly. "I've been spending a lot more time with the Academy. They're loosely tied with the Republic, although, I'm not so sure the Republic would admit that. The Republic," voice trailed off and she frowned, deeply. She chose her words carefully. "I don't want to say anything that I'll regret saying."

She paused and let her eyes wander beyond their sitting area for a moment before returning to Jaxton's face. "What are you looking for exactly? You said you liked non-traditional training. The Academy might be the place for you. And I'm not just saying that because I spend a lot of time there!" She rushed the second part, feeling the creep of color enter her cheeks.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Jaxton laughed. "I'm sure I could deal with a little less excitement in my life right about now." He said with a smile as spoke, only slightly turning downwards as she mentioned she didn't want to regret what she said. He'd been there with the Republic before. Not sure on what all was going on, what he agreed with. Ultimately he left, but he wasn't sure he could recommend that. More than just him coming 'back' in one fashion or another he was also pretty well established and sure of himself when he left. Taheera from he understood was still learning the ropes. And leaving places while doing it without knowing what you're doing? Could be dangerous stuff.

"What am I looking for?" He said with no small smile on his face as he noticed her take a slightly more zeltron-shade than normal. "I don't know. I'm not really looking to come in and climb the ranks or make a Jedi Order I can call my own. I want to help teach those who want to learn, Defend those who need it. Find Jedi I'm proud to be with, rather than apologizing for." He said then paused for a moment, before letting out a laugh.


"Guess I'm asking for an awful lot aren't I?"

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

A bubble of laughter left her throat. "No, not at all," she deadpanned. "You might as well add a cup of soup to that order, too." She grinned. Fingers came up to brush a few wayward strands of chestnut hair away from cascading in front of her eyes.

"So, what do you think you're gonna do? Try out a few different places? Master Shule is a good contact. I've never met him personally but I've heard good things about him and his Socratic-teaching methods. I'm sure he or one of the other instructors at the Academy could help get you plugged in and get you more detailed-information."

She shrugged a little helplessly. "You just gotta promise you make it out of sith space to try it out." Her smile saddened a little.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Shule hunh? I'll have to look the guy up." Jaxton said, though the name sounded familiar. He'd sworn he'd heard it before, but he couldn't quite remember where. Wait, wasn't that Je'gan's Darth name before he joined the Jedi? Mighta been. Probably wasn't the same Shule then. As Jaxton mused and thought about Jedi he'd known and allies he'd lost Taheera would let a shrug that was more than a little saddening. Her tone echoed concern, her words asked for his safety, stability. A slight moment passed as Jaxton found that his hand had moved, finding and wrapping around hers.

"I'll make it out." He said with a gentle squeeze and a soft smile. "Promise."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

She looked down at his fingers as they entwined with her own. It was funny how a simple touch could stir many complicated things within her chest: Was it wrong to feel these things about someone she had just met; Was she really certain about her feelings; Did he feel the same way; Was he just being nice; Should she be placed in an institution for even considering something beyond friendship with someone who had...?

The scar on her stomach had almost faded completely from Stitches' and her own healing ability. But it was still there - a good reminder for what she had yet to face. A good reminder that if she had faced a real sith, she would've had more than just a fading mark on her abdomen.

She rubbed her thumb gently across the back of his palm before her eyes finally drifted up to meet his.

"I know," she said quietly. "I know you'll make it out." She leaned her shoulder against his. Jaxton was one of those people where she could rest and feel comfortable in mutual silence, as if she had known him longer than Kashyyyk. She spoke after a little while, although in this world who knew how long that actually was?

"Don't worry, I won't drool on you. Although that probably doesn't matter here?" She turned her head to smile up at him. "But I should probably let you get back to Stitches before she blows a circuit."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

For a while the two Jedi just sat there, Taheera contemplating the underlying meanings of Jaxton's touch, Jaxton contemplating the underlying meanings of Taheera's contemplation. Never before had Jaxton felt so blind. In a way Beyond Shadows was a freeing experience, feeling that the environment was the sheer manifestation of the Force, but it was also a place that the Force didn't heed one's commands as it did outside. Here Jaxton wasn't a zeltron, or a jedi, just another fish in a vast ocean. He couldn't sense the rumbles of Taheera's emotions, only able to judge her from the eyes looking at their joined hands. Then the soft movement of her thumb as it glided across his hand.

Jaxton was a man who was just smart enough to know how little he really knew. He couldn't tell a person what was the best way to learn the Force or the 'proper' way to follow the Jedi code. He couldn't tell which galaxy, his own or the one Beyond Shadows, was more or less true than the other. But right now? Between their locked fingers and her grazing thumb? He could tell that something there was real.

She spoke quietly next, to which Jaxton smiled. "Good." He said as she showed a bit of trust in him. More than he could give himself truth be told, but if she could have faith in him? Then he could too. In a moment, or perhaps a millennium, he felt a weight rub against his shoulder. It didn't take a glance to realize the healer had begun to lean on him. Even in this strange place the weight felt natural, less a burden and more a gift. Jaxton would stay silent as his body bobbed slowly up and down to the rhythm of his breath, a soft smile stuck almost stupidly on his face. In time Taheera would turn her head up to look at his, her lips have that same curve to them that his did.

"I get to see Stitches everyday. She can wait a few more minutes." Jaxton said, despite his inability to track time. He probably should have gone, but he couldn't. Not so soon. He'd been stuck impersonating Sith, fighting battles he believed in, fighting battles he didn't believe in, and running from Sith too long not to value the seconds or centuries he was spending in peace right now.

"Can you afford spare a few more minutes with a kind-of Jedi on the run? Or does the padawan have to leave to get to class?" Jaxton asked, smile broadening.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

"Hey now," her smile widened as she pulled off his arm. "This padawan is a strong, independent woman who chooses which classes to go to." Truth was, the Academy wasn't that strict. They weren't lax in their training regiments, either. Flexible was probably the right word.

She found herself leaning back against his arm as she gazed at the surrounding landscape. So familiar and foreign at the same time. "Now that we have a few more minutes, why don't we play truth or dare?"

Myrtle-ellipses sparkled up at him. It was hard to tell if she was joking or being serious.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Jaxton laughed a bit at the healer's suggestion, before settling on giving her a skeptical look.

"Truth or Dare?" Jaxton asked, as if the concept were foreign too him. "I mean . . . Okay." Jaxton said, before straightening a bit. As if tackling some overly important issue or dignitary.

"Dare." He still couldn't tell if she was serious or not, but he wasn't afraid of playing a little game with her. Have a little fun and maybe learn something about the clone along the way.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

Her grin widened. "Glad you're not too stuffy to try this out because for a second...I wasn't sure. Okay....dare. Hmmm." Eyes squinted in thought, fingertips drummed on top of her knee. Shifting in her seat so her shoulders were more squared-off with the Zeltron, she rose her fist.

"I've got it! I dare you, Master Jedi, to do something right now, that you've never done before."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Right now?" Jaxton said with a bit of a smirk. "Man, you're really putting me in the spot on here." Jaxton said, and pulled up to stand, examining his surroundings. Though the reality around them was questionable it didn't feel so. The smell of the grass, the caress of the wind, the sight of the trees. It all felt so real.

"Hmmm. Something I"ve never done before." Jaxton mused audibly as he moseyed around the field for what perhaps a few seconds, or perhaps nearly a week, strung out by some Force-God puppet-master to the dismay of other puppeteers. Whatever the amount of time it took Jaxton found himself a swarm of small plants that were something akin to a dandelion. Picking a few here and there he carried them with meticulous care as he walked back to Taheera, sitting back by her side as he began to curl the stems of the flowers together, with noticeable lack of speed and a gaggle of clumsiness.

"I have never made a tiara out of flowers before." Jaxton said and began to raise a bit towards Taheera. "And I've never worn one either." He said and pulled it back, laying it on his own head rather than hers.