Catching Up, Slowing Down

[Ghorua the Shark]

Minna nodded, not bothering to hide her pride. She was proud of herself, of all she had learned, and had no qualms with showing it off. Her father smiled, watching Minna take in Lady Kay's praise.

Ghorua didn't know much about Minna before he adopted her, only what she told him, and what he could read off of her. From what he could tell, Minna had always been a determined, hard-headed kid, but hadn't liked the orphanage much. Whenever she talked about it, she seemed bored, or sad. Ghorua guessed she hadn't felt special, just another kid in the system, and learning all these new things made her feel special.

Maybe that was why she was so determined to learn everything.

"I don't know..." the little girl said, thinking hard. "Flying the Jawsome is fun. Shooting is fun. But my favorite training is when we do games!"

"Battle simulations," Ghorua explained, offering a knowing look to Kay. He'd gotten them through an underground contact. They assured him they helped hone a new recruit's quick-thinking and strategic skills.

"Games," she told Kay, digging into her own burger. "Dad lets me win sometimes. He thinks I don't know, but I do."

Ghorua looked on in shock as Minna snickered. Then, collecting himself, he smiled sheepishly. "Minna, how would you feel about Kay leading your training session today?"

Minna was rendered awestruck as she looked at the Lady, mouth agape. "Really?"

Her silent joy was all Ghorua needed of her answer.

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow. She wasn't quite sure of what games Minna was talking about. That is until [member="Ghorua the Shark"] chimed in. Battle simulations. Of course it had to be those. More than likely there were some children's games too; like hide-and-seek, tag, Stormtroopers and Rebels.

Another bite was taken of her burger while she watched the exchange between the two. It was fun to watch. She adored the two of them, as much as they liked her.

Yet just as Ghorua's suggestion had caught Minna off guard, so too did it catch Kay off guard as well. She swallowed her bite and drank some water, her mind running through various little skills that she could try to teach Minna that wouldn't be boring. It had been some time since she had taught anyone, but that didn't mean that she was incapable.

"Sure, we could do that. How about after we eat though, alright?" As soon as Kay spoke her last word, she waited to see if Minna would choose to scarf down her food, or be able to contain herself.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"Fine."

Minna took a large bite of her food, invigorated by the idea of training with Kay. Ghorua knew she looked up to the Queen, and the idea of them training together was interesting. Ghorua was sure he could learn a lot about both of them from this experience.

Ghorua could sense the slight unease from the Lady, and smiled encouragingly. She would be fine. Minna was a quick learner, and thought the world of Kay. Whatever she had to teach, Minna would accept.

"Not too fast, Minnow." Ghorua dug into his salad, amused. "You'll spoil your appetite."

"'Patience', 'not too fast', later'. Adults are slow." Minna laughed to herself, slowing down her consumption. She was brimming with energy, as always. It could be exhausting. Most of the time, it was appreciated. Ghorua had never had that kind of energy as a child.

He could only wonder if Kay's child would have the same energy.

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked. Surely Minna didn't tgink that they'd start training right then and there? Or drop their food on their plates and leave to train? That was silly. She ate another bite of her burger, halfway through the thing now. Minna gave her little commentary on the slowness of adults while she chewed. After swallowing, Kay piped up; "WellI hateto learn on an empty stomach. It takes my focus away. I'd rather be full."

She looked to [member="Ghorua the Shark"] while he poked at his salad. Everyone had their different tastes of food, and she could think of the best desserts for the Herglic. One of these days she'll present him with one, such as abasket of what looks like flowers, but instead were carved pieces of fruits. Yes. That'd be a great treat for him.

Her attention turned back to Minna, her voice hushed. "Once we get back to the cabin, we can go over a couple of things. But we have to keep it secret. You've gotta have a few tricks up your sleeve, afterall. You can't show potential enemies all of your card, otherwise you'll lose the upper hand."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua finished his salad in four bites. Even with their largest size, it wasn't very much of a meal for the Shark, who had to consume quite a lot to survive. It was enough for him to be content, however, but not for too long.

It was easy to forget what Ghorua had turned into, what genetic modifications he had. The extreme strength and reflexes were lifesavers, but they came with costs just as prevalent. The Blood Frenzy was the most noticeably dangerous, to both him and those he cared for, but a lesser known one was the just how much food took to feed Ghorua. There were seldom times he wasn't hungry.

And for a vegetarian such as the Shark, it could be difficult to find cheap food. That, combined with a growing girl, meant Ghorua would be taking jobs for a long time.

Kay seemed to know exactly what to say to the Commenori orphan. Minna seemed to like the idea of a secret between them. She grinned, showing all of her perfect teeth, and her excitement seemed to grow, until it was practically bursting out of her. "I would like that." She pounced on her burger again, with renewed vigor, until it was completely dismantled.

Ghorua laughed, noticing that Kay was the only one with food left. "Well, Minna, I suppose not all adults are slow. Just Kay." Minna joined in on the fun, their good-natured chuckles unsurprisingly similar.

Ghorua turned his head as another patrol of troops ushered by the window, and he quickly turned his head away. His expression didn't change, but nonetheless, his nervousness would become clear again. Minna and Kay had distracted him for a few beautiful minutes.

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay laughed as Minna scarfed down her burger so quickly. If she wasn't careful, she'd get the hiccups. [member="Ghorua the Shark"] had also finished his food, leaving her all on her own. She smirked as Ghorua commented on her being slow. "Some people just enjoy their food more than others."

So without further ado, Kay upped her pace of eating, noticing the troopers walk by the window. She hated to see him on the edge so much. But she knew full well what that was like. Now though, she didn't really have to worry about it so much.

Finally she finished her burger. Well enough to make her full anyways. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and then drank her water to wash it down. Signalling the server, Kay paid for their meal and then got to her feet. "Shall we head back? It'll be nice to go back to the quiet of the cabin again."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"Yes, let's." Ghorua sent a thankful glance the Lady's way, standing and escorting Minna up and out of Triple B's. They waited for Kay to pay, before escaping to the comfort of the airspeeder.

- - -​

​

Once they landed back within the Forest, Minna ran to check on her egg. He wasn't sure, but Ghorua thought he could hear the disappointed sigh of a child that didn't yet have a cool pet. He honestly didn't know what to think of Minna's egg. It was an experiment of sorts, to see just how strong Minna was in the Force, while teaching her skills like responsibility. In a way, it was another training exercise.

Ghorua was sure Minna would have it no other way. She was competitive. Pushing herself with tasks, challenges, and puzzles was her favorite thing to do.

Ghorua walked around to the front of his house, leaning against the side, talking to Kay. "You don't have to train her, you know." His voice was steady, assuring, almost fatherly. "She'll pout, of course, but if I tell her you won't train her until you're ready, she'll wait."

Ghorua wasn't a Jedi, but he could sense Kay's discomfort from the lilt of her words. He didn't want to force her into a corner, pun intended. If Kay didn't think she could train the child prodigy, she wouldn't have to.

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay watched as Mina tore off to check on her egg. The sigh that she gave off was clearly heard. But surely Minna would want to be there for the hatching anyways.

She followed [member="Ghorua the Shark"] as he headed to the house, stopping as he did. A brow was raised as he remarked on her reluctance in training. What he was guessing wasn't quite the truth. So Kay needed to clarify. "It's not that at all, Ghorua. I'd be happy to teach her. I just don't really speak of it in public. And it's been a while since I've taught anyone. It's such a big secret, you know?" Letting the public know about it could ruin her. The potential backlash from other governments that have little trust over Force Users in power was huge. "Veiere would love the idea though. He wants me to practice more and to be more accepting of it so that he wouldn't have to worry about me so much." Yet a part of her was also afraid that using it could draw more trouble to her. Just as Ghorua was afraid of his blood frenzy, she was afraid of using the Force.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua raised an eyebrow as Kay confided in him, the gesture somehow managing to be sardonic and comforting. Ghorua understood being scared of one's self, perhaps better than anyone Kay knew. Veiere certainly had his inner demons, but the Jedi taught to push those feelings away, or deal with them, and once they were dealt with, they were gone.

Ghorua had to live with his demons day in and day out, without a hint of reprieve. Kay had to hide her Force powers, in constant vigilance against attack. Their situations were surprisingly similar, and both had played it's game for many years.

"I'm sure he'd like that." The Shark nodded, looking over the Human's head, as he saw Minna storm around the house, disappearing to the other side. His smile twitched, and his eyes scanned the trees. A bit of a wind had picked up.

"The day before I met Minna, you and I went out to the Twin Canyons. To train, you said." Ghorua remembered Kay saying her memories of the Shark were fuzzy, but their encounter wasn't one easy to forget. "You had me slip into my Frenzy, and chase you around for a while. Overall, a failure," he said, with a bit of a chuckle.

"But it did teach me something. Fear of yourself isn't bad. But pushing your fear out of sight is bad. That's when it sneaks up on you, attacks you when you least expect it."

Ghorua planted a hand on Kay's shoulder, shaking her ever so lightly. "Fear is healthy. Not doing anything about it, isn't."

With that, the Shark turned on his heel, and made his way into the house, whistling a jaunty tune to himself.

It was training time.

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay looked to [member="Ghorua the Shark"] as he mentioned that day in the Twin Canyons. Her memories had been restored, so she remembered it well enough. It was in the old arena, with broken columns and stairwells. Only the fog machines got him to stop. "I remember...." Her words were quiet, almost as whisper as he continued.

When did he get to be so wise? Imparting wisdom of the kind that Veiere would, moreso the type gained from his own personal experiences. Kay placed her hand on his as his hand rested on her shoulder, looking up to him and giving him a small nod. Although that could be a result of him shaking her a bit. "Thanks...." That was about all that she could get out before he had chuckled and left.

Now it was time to find Minna. Kay strolled around the outside of the house. The little girl had gone off around there somewhere. "Minna? Hey where'd you go? Are you ready for your first lesson?" More than likely she was still upset about her egg not hatching yet. But getting to train should help boost up her mood.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Kay walked around the house, to where she saw Minna disappear to, but she wouldn't see the little girl. What she would see was a path, and hear a constant stream of stun blasts.

It was a winding, trampled thing. Where the trees, majestic and proud, blocked it's passage, the path simply twisted, fluid as a river. Heavy footfalls indented the ground around it, having obviously been used continuously by a larger being. Blue light danced along the high boughs of trees, accompanied by the faint zzaps of stun fire.

- - -​

​

Kay would find Minna training.

The smallest Balin stood in the center of a clearing, blaster pistol in hand, pointed at a cluster of First Order Stormtrooper helmets. THe little girl had changed into her training clothes. She wore heavy black leathers, with bandoliers and holsters galore. A thick protective helmet encircled her face, and her long hair was tied into tight braids behind her head.

She divided her shots between the four helmets set up, hitting her mark every third time. She made subtle exclamations of anger when she missed, uttering a small kark every once in a while. Her dad would scold her for saying those kind of words, but he wasn't around. Minna was alone.

Or so she thought.

Zzap! Miss.

"Chit..."

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay followed the sounds of blaster fire, walking along the well used path. As she had expected, she found [member="Minna Balin"] in the center of a small clearing, firing away at some stormtrooper helmets. Where she had gotten those, she could only guess. It wasn't as though the troopers had just misplaced them

She watched her for a while, seeing that her aim wasn't bad for one of her age, yet her growing frustration with herself was making it worse. Kay smirked at the language being used, not quite the way that a young girl should speak.

"Minna, why so frustrated? Are you just feeling impatient about your egg? You shouldn't lash out so much. It doesn't help. Calm yourself and your aim will improve." The best snipers in the Galaxy were the calmest of people. They knew full well that they had to focus on their targets and not give in to their emotions.

 

[Minna Balin]

Minna was so focused on the task ahead of her, Kay's arrival caught her completely off-guard.

The little girl spun around, taking a knee and aiming, just like her Dad taught her, examining the new 'threat' before she took appropriate action. It was a smooth transition, one apparently heavily practiced, the concerned lines on her dark face only growing with the realization of who she was pointing her weapon at.

"Whoops!" Minna dropped the pistol to the forest floor, embarrassment leaking off of her in waves. "Sorry, Kay."

Minna blushed heavily as the Queen spoke, averting her gaze to the floor. She knew she had been caught doing something wrong. She frowned, pulling her helmet off.

"No, it's not because of Cath. Well, it is. Kinda." The little girl struggled to find her words, swimming through a mental vocabulary to form a sentence for the Lady. "I just... Don't like missing. Or being wrong."

Minna picked up her training blaster, swiping off a few crumbs of dirt from the barrel before stuffing it into a side holster on her bandolier. She had to make sure it was spotless, no dents. "I knew my egg would hatch! But then it didn't. And when I shoot, I know I can hit the target. But I don't. Dad says good accor..." Minna struggled with the word, eventually finding the right one, "accuracy, will come eventually."

The little Commenori native walked up to Kay, timid.

"And when Dad says 'eventually', he means a long time."

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay didn't glare at [member="Minna Balin"] or anything when she dropped down and aimed her blaster towards her. Instead she merely gave a little smile, liking her instincts. [member="Ghorua the Shark"] was teaching her well.

She listened to her speak, nodding a little in understanding to what had gotten her so worked up. Kay knelt down, sitting back on her ankles so that she was moreso on Minna's level. She patted the ground next to her. "When Cath is ready to hatch, Cath will do so. You don't want to rush it. I know that you're eager and excited. But you know? I'm glad that Cath hasn't hatched just yet. It means that you didn't miss it happening, but also that we get to spend some time together."

She tilted her head to the side a bit as she looked to the blaster while Minna cleaned it. "You're Dad is right. It does take time. But you are a really quick learner. Why, I think that you can already hit your targets much better than me. Do you think that you could show me how?" Sometimes the best way to get someone to learn patience is to get them to teach the teacher. A bit of reverse psychology, but it works.

 

[Minna Balin]

"Really? You want me to train you?" Minna laughed, swiping a strand of hair to the side, pulling another of her training blasters from a holster on her back. Offering up the handle to Kay, Minna stepped a pace away, hefting her own pistol.

It felt weird for her, giving lessons to an adult. Wasn't Kay supposed to train her? Still, she only smiled, wondering what the Queen had in mind.

"Well, first you gotta turn off the safety." She turned her own on and off again, to make a point. This had been the first thing her dad had taught her, and she didn't think she needed to go into such detail with it as he did. "Once you do that, most blasters have stun setting, and normal. These ones..."

~~~​

YEARS EARILER​

​

"... are modified for stun only." Ghorua kneeled next to a younger Minna, holding the tiny blaster in his enormous hand. Minna held her own, clutching it loosely. Something was bothering her father, she could tell (she could always tell), but he was doing a good job of hiding it.

"Okay..." Minna ran her hand along the barrel, feeling the contours. She looked up to her father, looking for meaning in his eyes. "What's wrong? You feel... sad?"

She saw Ghorua smile slightly, still hiding whatever he was feeling. He looked like he was about to say something. Then he hesitated. "Kay is back."

Minna felt a swelling of happiness in her soul, quickly diminished by the longing and anger she felt stir in her father. "What?"

"We can't go see her. She's... sick." Ghorua hid his mind well, so well, that Minna had trouble spying into it like she always did. His secrecy, his rage... it scared her.

"What?"

~~~​

​

"... are modified... for stun only."

Minna's eyes glazed over for but a moment, her demeanor changing slightly, before returning to her peppy self. "You keep one hand supporting the blaster like this, but not too straight, because then the kickback can mess up your arm. Then, you put your other hand on this side, and you keep it steady." The child demonstrated the actions, glancing to Kay to make sure she was keeping up.

"Then, you look at the target. You decide where to shoot, but you shouldn't think too hard. Then it messes up your aim." Ghorua had reminded her of that rule many times, and it showed in her inflection.

"Then... breathe." Minna took a deep, ponderous breath in.

The stun blast fired from her pistol, striking a helmet square on the forehead.

"Then shoot."

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded and smiled as [member="Minna Balin"] agreed to teach her about shooting. Of course she knew the basics, but there was hardly a time that she used it, much to Veiere's dismay. Not since her days of freeing slaves from the Hutt Cartel. Still, even back then her aim wasn't perfect.

"Stun I know. I've never fired anything but a stun bolt at someone." And it was true. For the longest time she had never killed. That is until she was held in captivity. But since her release and return to the Light, she had never raised a hand to anyone.

Minna had paused slightly, as though she was recalling a memory. Kay recognized how that felt, for it had happened to her often enough. But the moment didn't last long, and Minna went straight back to teaching.

Kay followed her move, taking to the idea of using both hands to steady the blaster instead of just holding it with one. She squinted with one eye, following her line of sight along the barrel to the helmet that she was targeting. Even with using both hands, her aim wasn't as steady as she liked. The tip of the barrel still seemed to be moving too much. She took in a deep breath and closed her eye before squeezing the trigger.

 

[Minna Balin]

Minna stepped back, watching Kay's hands with interest. She was holding the blaster correctly, if a little too tightly, Minna surmised. She noted the slight sway of the blaster, and watched mutedly as Kay fired.

The bolt scattered across the side of a helmet, making the white faceplate spin around the post it was erected upon. Minna grinned, nudging the Queen's shoulder. "Good shot! You've got shaky hands, though. Not sure how to fix that."

Minna stuffed a power pack into her pistol, and took her own stance. She went through a mental checklist, making sure to relax her arms, shoulders, and legs, and leaning her body forward slightly. She pulled up into a near-perfect shooting stance, and took a few shots. Half of them missed. Minna could barely contain her swearing.

If her father cussed secretly, why couldn't she?

"So..." She blasted a helmet across the nose, and grinned. "When was the last time you shot a blaster?"

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay had to laugh as the stunbolt caused the helmet to spin around. It was a very funny sight. [member="Minna Balin"] seemed equally amused, however she didn't quite laugh as much.

She watched as the girl took hershots, half of them missing. It had made Minna angry, which gave Kay a bit of concern. That was something that had to be addressed a little later on.

"The last time? By the Force I can't remember. It's been a while. When the Senate Hall was attacked, I did. However I missed on purpose. I used it as a distraction against a foe while another took care of him for me. I have a lot of people shielding me and fighting for me. So...I don't really get to raise a weapon. Most of the time I just use my words. But Veiere wants me to use the Force more to protect myself so that he doesn't have to worry. I probably worry a lot of people. Including your Dad." Kay knew that she did, and it made her feel guilty for it too. If only trouble didn't find her so easily....

 

[Minna Balin]

Minna watched Kay with interest, reattaching her helmet, adjusting her hair to fit in the leather safety equipment. She couldn't bring herself to cut her hair just yet. It would be easier in the hunt, for sure, but it was a part of her. Something the little girl wasn't ready to give up just yet.

Pistol holstered, Minna watched Kay's face with a childlike interest as she spoke, absorbing every word. Once the Queen finished speaking, Minna cocked her head to the side as she tried to understand the Lady. "But... if you get in trouble all the time, you should learn to fight. Words don't always work. That's why Dad's teaching me. He knows I'll get in trouble one day. Well, that, and I like it." To make a point, Minna fastdrew her blaster, and shot the upper portion of a helmet. Minna popped a new power pack into the weapon, and blew the barrel to make a point, not caring that there was no smoke to blow.

"Of course Dad worries. He worries about a lot of things. You, his bounties, all the battles, the First Order, some lady named Irajah, his medical condition, me..." Minna puffed out her chest proudly. She knew her father far better than he realized. Then, with finality: "He's a worrier."

"You should learn to fight, like me! So I agree with Dad, and... Veiere? Is that King Arenais?"

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay watched as [member="Minna Balin"] gave her another display of her shooting skills. She was right of course. She needed to learn to fight. But just as Ghorua was afraid of his blood frenzy, Kay was worried that she'd just attract more trouble than normal. If her enemies knew that she could fight, that she could use the Force, then they'd take extra precautions or increase their forces when they came to give a devastating blow.

"I don't mean to make him worry, and yes Veiere is the King. Yet as this pregnency progresses, I won't be able to fight much. That's where your skills in being a sharp shooter come in handy." Kay smiled at her. Now it was time to turn the tables a little. "But first you'll need to control yourself a little better and not get so frustrated. You'll find that you'll accomplish more that way."

She sat herself down on the ground and patted the ground beside her. "Sit here with me and take your helmet off. We're going to add a little something....special to your skills." Kay gave her a little wink, if anything to entice Minna more into wanting her curiosity to be sated. This wasn't going to be some meditation lesson afterall. It was going to be something more.