Private Braving the Cave

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC (Recurring)

​

Vayla would be remiss to not offer her apprentice a chuckle at his comment. “I never said ya did.”
Talking improperly, she would call it (‘ya’ instead of ‘you’), was something she did in the moment.
The daughter of a father and a mother, with sisters and brothers, a family of farmers on Pantora.
However, her master had long since taught his student to speak less like fauna, more like flora.

Thoughts could trail off in an instant, and they did. There was little else to do but talk and think.
The young man, a teen, had hair like a scruffy-looking nerfherder but Shan Pavond did not stink.
“Wish that I did,” the Knight replied to the next comment about her knowing best. Oh, Vay, if only.
“Here is my secret.” Lips smile beside the Padawan while they walked, talked, palm open, gesturing.

“I know nothing, Padawan. I am like snow.” It glittered in her grip as it melted. “A new beginning.”
In danger of daydreaming, Vay knew, but she continued speaking. “A frozen foundation of spring.”
Slipping in serenity amid dangerous territory. “The southbound breeze creeping through the trees.”
As the thickets sing a lullaby. She sighed. “Sorry. Do ignore me. I’m rambling. I hold no power, see?”

The snow in her palm was gone. Only droplets of water remained. “I am but an empty vessel.”
I never know what’s best. I am dread. Her head turned to the distance. The forest cast a spell.
“My knowledge comes from the Force.” These woods were stirring, or was it her imagination?
“Without it, I would be powerless, purposeless, aimless, like a forest without trees… Uncertain.”

Too deep for the young gentleman, maybe. Maybe that is why I have no Padawan of mine own.
“And you?” Vayla gave Shan her eyes while pacing beside him, as if trying to peer into his mind.
“What made you become a Padawan, Shan Pavond? Did you find the Force or did it find you?”
It wasn’t a trick question. This seemed like a good time to get to know him. Alone beside truth.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan's face seemed to scrunch up into a frown for a moment at something Vayla had said. It reminded him of his father, and he was not someone he wanted to be thinking of right now. He couldn't afford to let the thoughts of home distract him. Those were thoughts he was explicitly trying to avoid right now. It's why he was looking forward to this mission and so he had to return his focus to the mission, listening to Vayla as she spoke, the Padawan keeping a frown on his face but it was less of a scowl and more of a frown in thought, as he rubbed his chin, staring off into the distance.

"A frozen foundation, is still a foundation. Everything needs a solid base to be built from." He shrugged his shoulders at that, frowning at the term that Vayla used of her being an empty vessel. No-one was an empty vessel in his eyes. They all had some form of power, even if they don't have the Force. He shook his head at that statement, still staring off into space. Dozens of thoughts were going through his mind as he tried to figure out what kind of response to give Vayla. He knew partly what Vayla meant about it all. Though he would disagree with it as he glanced over towards the Pantoran, raising an eyebrow at her as he figured out th e words he wanted to say to her.

"The Force does not define who we are. Without the Force, I would still be Shan Pavond. You would still be Vayla Mirana. A Forest without trees is still, at the simplest of terms, a forest. Like how at the simplest of terms, even without the Force, we are still ourselves. Our memories, our experiences, our bonds. Whilst they are enhanced by the Force, they would still be there without it." He cleared his throat after speaking, taking in a deep breath after having spoke for what felt like quite a while. He was going to have to keep talking however to answer her question on why he became a Padawan as the Mirialan rubbed his chin in thought once again.

"It is not...the Force that necessarily lead to me becoming a Padawan. Ever since I was young on Nar Shaddaa, I've always wanted to help people. I did help people. I went out onto the streets to help people who needed food, or water or medical aid...It didn't always end up well for me." Shan rubbed his shoulder in thought at that. Even if it had been years since he had any serious injuries, it was still a memorable sensation he could think of. The Mirialan shook his head, returning back to his story. "The moment my Force Sensitivity was known to me and my parents...My mother almost immediately suggested I go join the Jedi Order. So I could go and learn how to help more people. And I agreed with the idea, so I set off to Coruscant to go and join." He shrugged afterwards, finishing his story for now as he returned his focus to their surroundings.

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC (Recurring)

​

There was no mistake about that frown on Shan’s face. However, Vayla could only smile back, glad to see that the young man was thinking. He wasn’t shy about replying either. Rather than interject, she let him continue speaking, finishing with his story.

“Your mother sounds like someone to take after.” She clearly helped instill values into her son from an early age, hoping to see her seed become something in this crazy galaxy. That was a mother who Vayla could relate to, in her own way. “There are few nobler reasons for joining the Jedi than to help those in need, to put it simply. I am glad that you came into the Order. Into this forest, furthermore.”

Watching the trees, Vay remembered her own mother and father for a moment, then her master, but brushed the latter away with the stroke of a blade.

“The Force does not define who we are, you are right,” the Knight replied to his earlier words with a sigh as if to lament her method of teaching and thinking out loud. Both could get the better of her. Words are hard. “But it teaches us who we need to be... I was Vayla Mirana from Pantora before I found the Force or it found me. If I am cut off from it, I will certainly still be me. However, I never knew who I truly was until after becoming a Jedi.”

That was her own truth—if with a hidden lie. That was one beauty of being Jedi; they all had different reasons for becoming one, strengths and weaknesses, unique histories, but shared their light before their feet. And the shadow in the night.

“The Force is my guide. It gives me peace of mind, shows me where to go, is my best strength, and is the framework of that frozen foundation. I am only an empty vessel in this ocean until I am filled and, fortunately, the Force feeds me plenty to eat day and night, breakfast and dinner.” She winked.

It would hopefully be more cheesy than creepy given her eyes, irises that burned an electric blue, shown as ocular prosthetics with intention instead of being disguised with a more natural hue.

That droplet of snow in Vayla’s hand had melted, but snow was falling from the sky all around them, limitless. The sky was once the limit on this planet, until the stars had opened for the vessels, and now two Jedi stood on its mountain. Surrounded by infinite possibilities…searching for the long lost ruins of an ancient civilization…ready to protect one another from predators…

There was more to a forest than its trees, truly, but like these towering sentries around them, that is what a Jedi needed to be. Especially based on what Vay could hear in the near distance.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

"She's the reason I have my face tattoos. Tradition and culture was important to her." It felt strange to Shan to think of his mother in the past tense. The Mirialan shook his head at that. He'd see his mother again soon, he had already made the decision in his mind to go back to Nar Shaddaa to see his family but he had to stay focused on the adventure at hand, through the cold and the snow. The sight of snow was still something that caught the Mirialan off guard. The cold breeze, the trees around them. It made it harder for him to listen in to their surroundings, or focus on his eyes, which caused him to frown in thought.

He raised an eyebrow however, as the Jedi Knight said the Force taught them who they needed to be, as he cupped his chin with his index finger and his thumb. He didn't necessarily agree with that thought process but it did make sense at the same time why someone would think that. Shan had always known who he was, even without the Force. He was a protector, a healer. Perhaps not a warrior. But he shook his head, deciding that wasn't an important thought for now. What was important was following Vayla's lead.

The wink was understandably, ever so slightly creepy to the Mirialan, who just blinked in response but he had seen worse. He just turned his attention towards the trees, keeping a hand on his saber just in case he needed to use it. Making sure to keep his hand against the wooden part of his handle, making sure not to hold the metal in the cold. He didn't want to get his hand stuck to it at the end of the day, nor did he want the discomfort of holding cold metal whilst the snow whisked all around them. Honestly part of him didn't want to use his lightsaber at all, but there was more than likely a chance that they were going to need to use it as defense, or at least to ward off some kind of wildlife.

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

​

Vayla had winked at Shan and the man blinked back at her. She knew her gesture was cringey but she had hoped to break the ice with her eyes to at least illicit some amusement from the student. Yet, Shan Pavond was not her apprentice. On that note, though everybody was different, she wasn’t trying to confuse him but offer her own perspective of where her greater insight ultimately came from in her experience. Cosmic, Living, and lots of committing.

Vayla too grew up wanting to help others around the galaxy, before the Force, yet it opened more doors and paved the way. She was bound to it. She gained knowledge from books, took lessons from her betters, but to know what’s best? She followed the Jedi Code, their creed helping to teach what a Force-user should be, a compass, but the very light that the Jedi served was this Knight's true strength, her map.

Then again, in retrospect maybe Vayla should have simply nodded her head instead when Shan had said she knew what was best. A mere comment that I turned into a deeper topic. Doing great, Vay! Her response should have been ‘trust in the Force’ or some such nonsense.

Her thoughts in a conversation could often get the better of her. Words were hard, a nagging reminder that she was still a loner of a farmer at heart, her social skills far apart. Even with noble intentions, not every Knight was ready to be a guide. Hopefully just offering Shan more exploring would suffice and do his master justice.

She moved on from all that thinking.
Then came the sound of some beast.
Came from further away in the trees.
It was clearly a high-pitched scream.

It could be a monkey or a mountain lion.
It could yet be something not yet visited.
Vayla searched those trees to spy within.
She could see nothing from this distance.

"Sense." The Knight instructed the pair of them.
To once again open their minds to their surroundings.
Remembering that the wildlife is known to be dangerous.
Whatever it is, they had to be ready, as a saber may yet swing.

“North.” Vayla was sure of that direction as she heard the wind.
“East.” She squinted into the distance, peering through the trees.
More than one for certain. Moving fast. Potentially, then, an enemy.
Then again, may be curious creatures, eager to meet both her and him.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

It wasn't necessarily cringey to Shan. His mind was just occupied with other thoughts. It was hard for him to focus on specific things with so many different thoughts rushing through his mind about different topics. He just had to breathe, relax and focus on one topic at a time. He was in the field. So focus on what was important. Their surroundings. The weather. What he could sense around him. There was no need for him to worry about his family, or to think of the Sith or Mandalorian threat. Focus in the moment with Vayla as opposed to focusing on the future.

Shan had to try and live in the moment. Be mindful of the Living Force as opposed to the Cosmic. It wasn't important for him to focus on too many issues. He had his own Code that he leaned towards. Whilst he was mindful of the Jedi Code, Shan refused to accept the concept that people could not have their own code. That they could not make their own way through the Galaxy, because Shan was doing exactly that. His code relied around forgiveness and defence of the innocent and weak. Following emotions was one of the key things he did, though he never tried to rely on his anger. It was better for more positive concepts. His love for people, his desire to protect.

He tried to open his attention towards their surroundings again, letting himself focus on the rippling of the Force around them. He could feel something coming in their direction as he kept his hand on his saber. The Padawan was prepared to defend himself if this was some kind of threat to himself or Vayla...Though it ended up seemingly being neither. The threat didn't seem to be anything too large to them, and the closer and closer it got to them, the more Shan actually seemed to relax. He couldn't see it until he saw a small trail in the snow of something with rather large ears running around...It must have been some kind of fox!

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

​

Focus in the moment. Vayla breathed in. Clear your mind. She breathed out. Whatever was coming toward them might be trying to surround them. From different directions, unknown entities were coming, yet the closer they came the closer the Jedi’s connection became toward one another.

Their senses were integrated, at least to the extent that they both sensed that their guests were evidently not a threat. Amid the flakes of frost that drifted downward, screening her vision, Vayla glimpsed that powdery white being kicked upward and carried into the wind.

Something was weaving within the trees; difficult to see with the naked eye. Though Vayla’s own two glowed not too unnaturally, she saw through the Force what was scurrying toward her. “There must be a dozen of them.”

Her gaze shifted every which way. Finally, against the glittering backdrop, creatures no less white were emerging. Yes, at best, they were foxes, albeit with twin tails as furry as the snow was thick. Vayla couldn’t help but grin.

One of these wintry beasts came closest, head tilted, steadily pacing both Jedi’s way, paw prints trailing along through the snow, tails shifting. Others began to follow, close and slow, but not menacingly so. They appeared more curious than dangerous.

“I think it likes you, Pad.” The lead fox seemed to take an interest in the young man as it came to stand a safe distance in front him. “Maybe you have one of those faces.” Vay fought off the thought to wink and settled for smiling at Shan.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan wasn't too worried once the creatures were getting closer and closer. A small smile spreading across his face as the creatures got closer and closer, before he actually crouched down in the snow, to try and look smaller to the lead fox. He didn't want to seem aggressive to it, he just enjoyed the idea of being near animals. It was something that he wasn't entirely used to from Nar Shaddaa. Animals and plants weren't a common sight to him, so this was something nice to see.

"I suppose I do have one of those faces, huh? Of course cute things like me." The Padawan carefully held his hand out towards the fox, getting ready to pet it. This was already worth the arrival to the planet. Just having some animals to meet. It was already being a good boost for the Padawan's morale which he needed right now. A lot of frustration had built up for him, and this was a good way for him to just let himself relax. In the cold and with the animals that were surrounding them!

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC (Recurring)

​

Shan Pavond. The Padawan’s name rang in Vayla’s brain as she watched on and observed.
The young man was more a mystery to her than his master, for sure, from whom to learn.
It was a fallacy to believe only the teacher taught the student. The Knight’s gaze lingered.
Watching as Shan took to a knee, so to speak, his crouch bringing him down to beasts.

The Pantoran’s thoughts weren’t so aimless. Here the teenager was braving this forest.
Approached by an animal of the wild (dangerous land, lest one forgets), Shan stooped.
Of course. There was an affinity to his spirit reminiscent of his words; his earlier truth.
He just wants to help. Vayla’s thoughts were silent, while winter’s wind was a chorus.

She couldn’t help but sense the boy’s glee toward these foxes that had come along.
Both Jedi had quite rightfully expected predators to leap out at them given the world.
I almost forgot the light beside the dark… “Wait…” She paused. “Something is…wrong.”
The Knight looked left, looked right. “These foxes…” Sly lips. “...Are ignoring this girl.”

As if they listened, one approached her just then, putting its paws right on Vay’s knees.
“Hello, my friend!” Her turn to achieve peace, she stroked that feathery skull with glee.
The ‘fox’ might clearly behave differently, but that itself was the mystery of the galaxy.
There was so much more to explore, to discover, that Vayla wanted to touch, to see.

The fox got off of Vayla just then.
Shan’s also moved and stepped.
The pack began to move along.
Yet the leader just then paused.

It looked back.
“...Um…Shan..?”
Vayla raised her hand, felt melting snow.
“I may be wrong... I think it wants us to follow.”

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Even if it was a dangerous world, Shan was never going to imagine ever fighting an animal such as these unless they fought first. He just scratched the foxes carefully, trying to make sure they were comfortable with his presence. He wasn't going to force his presence on them if they didn't want him here. It was all about being in balance with nature. It was interesting to see the animals of a different planet, and how they had adapted to their environment. The foxes were clearly fluffy and warm to deal with the cold of the snow, and their fur was letting them blend in with their surroundings which was obviously a form of protection.

Eventually the pack of foxes was getting ready to leave, causing Shan to pout ever so slightly in disappointment. He was actually having fun with the little animals and hadn't expected that. Though Vayla ended up speaking up, causing Shan to snap out of his thoughts, as he listened to the Jedi Knight and then looked back at the Fox Leader that did actually seem to be waiting for the pair of them. He hadn't actually expected that, though he just shrugged his shoulders and pushed himself back up to his feet, brushing off the dust and dirt from his shirt.

"I suppose we should go and follow him then? Make sure that nothing bad is happening."

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

​

Foxes. On a number of worlds their bestiary was known to scream. Both of the Jedi heard it earlier.
Maybe to attract mates, mark their territory, warn off competitors—or something not yet learned.
That was the purpose of this experiment, in a way; to brave the environment, whatever it offered.
Two Jedi, a Knight and a Padawan, side by side. They faced danger yet they also faced wonder.

“I suppose so,” Vay hesitated, gazing into the space between Miralan, Pantoran and those foxes.
Worst comes to worst, they could turn away, but at least their guides shared in their same path.
Was that a coincidence? The Force did not decide one’s fate outright but the light was honest.
“Let’s go, Pad,” Vayla smiled. The foxes ran and the Jedi went after them, going hand in hand.

Not literally, naturally, but they moved as a unit. It wasn’t a sprint but a jog in order to keep up.
“See that?” Vayla gestured left and right. The pack was tight in the center but thin at the flank.
“Scouts.” The Knight surmised. “Keeping an eye out for those predators we’ve heard about.”
The Jedi had not encountered any yet. Maybe these foxes would be guides and then some.

She spotted a fox go off to her right, likely to spy for threats that might enter that direction.
A Jedi’s sense was one thing but these creatures had clearly adapted to their environment.
Vayla felt confident the Padawan had caught onto the same thing, and he seemed taken in.
Good. A quest need not be cursed with dangers. She wanted him to enjoy these moments.

In the distance, the Pantoran spotted the trees begin to open up, spreading out like the snow.
Which continued to fall, less heavy, drifting droplets that catered the adventurers ever onward.
Forward. Vayla beckoned. The forest listened. Snow danced in the light; a ballet of white roses.
Remembering moments on Pantora, Orto Plutonia, as a clearing opened. She moved toward it.

Shan Pavond