Private Children of the Wastes

[Choli Vyn]

Jared Starchaser was a confidant man that much Choli could tell. Amusement dawned in Choli's eyes as they melted into a dark emerald green, her lips twisting in mirth.

"What other things are you good at then, Jared Starchaser?" She asked him, tending to one of the skewers propping up the Gorg beside the crackling fire.

"Oh, these?" she gestured with a gloved hand to the three Gorg carcasses. " They are Gorg. " How does one explain them? Her brows furrowed as she tried to describe them, "They live in burrows, where they can find as much moisture as possible. They are very tasty. You'll see them grilled or stuffed in leaves in food stalls by the market. I do not have anything to season them with, but they taste good just the same."

She gave a cant of her head in understanding, "I know they do not look the most appetizing, but I promise you, they are good. Almost like grilled Nuna."

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Confidence was not always an unfounded trait. Being humble about it was one thing. However, Jared knew where his skills were and to put them below others would be a disservice. He had a varied skill set and was more than happy to use those skills. When questioned he looked up to meet Choli's gaze.

"Me? Just good at being lost. And keeping my head and wits about be. Everything else stems from that." And truthfully that was why he was a damned good marksman and pilot. Beyond that his interpersonal skills were a bit abysmal.

"Gorg, huh?" He took another bite and considered. "I did hear from one wanderer that with enough of a season salt pack anything can taste good. He had a thing for making… I guess you'd call it a burrito out of anything he killed and cooked. Not a bad skill."

A few bites and a moment of consideration resulted in a nod. "It's not bad at all. Better than a good chuck of food I've had in a survival diet."

Maybe about half as good.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Choli grinned, glad that Jared Starchaser didn't mind the grilled Gorg. Setting up cross-legged by the fire, the former Rogue Pilot made herself comfortable.

"Glad you like it," she told him, grabbing her own skewer of the crispy grilled meat to enjoy. Arr-four rolled over to a stop to settle beside her. The flames would flicker and crackle, providing a comfortable ambiance and warmth as the cold of the desert approached. Choli studied the Mirialan a bit, before asking, "So, where are you from? Somewhere out in the Outer Rim?"

She was curious if he had any family or was, just as he said, had a tendency to get lost and wander about.

"Or more from the Core Worlds?"

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Part of the joy and challenge from being a Fringer, or Rimmer depending, was the people. Getting to know them. Or not. Unlike his sister who opted to fly solo and go her own way, coming in to make a rescue but getting out and away again, Jared opted for the approach his father, and his Witch instructor preferred, get to know people. Everyone has a tale. And most can and would help you out down the line.

Of course that coming from Brooke Waters was a whole different game of shock ball.

The fire did keep it all warm. Was a good feeling. Jared was used to being starside and in the cold, luck of his Mirialan physiology, but the half human part didn’t mind the heat. Plus a decent little camp before a fight? Never a bad thing.

The challenges were that he wasn’t always outward on what he was good at, it didn’t make him the best conversationalist all the time. “Me? Originally, Corellia. Family still has a place there, but we’ve been all over. I grew up on Csillia…” And as he said before, made his way intot he Outer Rim Coalition for a bit.

“Kind of got spoiled by the Core Worlds, when I moved out here. Kind of haven’t gone back that way since the Alliance fell.” The Sullust one, not the new one, clearly.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Corellia? A good friend of mine is from there," Choli admitted, thinking of the blonde Warden, Chloe Blake. Her and Jannik were the ones who spent the longest period of time with the Tatooine native. Had it not been for Chloe, Choli wasn't sure where she'd be now.

"Csilla... " A pause, then her eyes grew wide, switching to a hazel green hue of curiosity. She wasn't sure whether to mention it, but after a second, she asked anyway. "I hope your family is okay. I heard what happened to Csilla." How it had been destroyed. To hear the Brotherhood decimate an entire world was surreal.


Jared Starchaser

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Lots of people were from Corellia, so it couldn’t and shouldn’t be as much of a surprise as it was to Jared just then. His eyes went wide for a second. The odds of any one person knowing his family was… well, it depended on the decades. “Its a good world to be from.” He gave a slow nod, as if he was selling the world to Choli.

“My family is good. Served a commander who worked with the CDEF.” He pronounced this Sea-Deaf. “And ended up leaving well before the… destruction. But many of the families I trained with, they remained. Its… The galaxy has some people with too much power and not enough desire to help others.” Part of why he was on this path.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

"I am glad they are well, but saddened for those you have lost that trained with you," Choli replied, sincere condolences in her expression and tone. At Jared Starchaser 's commentary regarding there not being enough desire to help people, the young woman gave a nod.

"But at least, seeing those who step in to help may inspire others to do the same. The Corellian friend I trained under always said that Ihn Corellisi nyeve min bhiq suman ehin nyiad; A Corellian never turns his back on someone in need. Seeing such a phrase be lived instead of merely spoken has deeply affected me." Choli admitted, thinking back to how she had joined the Alliance because of that.

"The choices I made with that in mind have both opened doors and severely challenged me," the girl's expression darkened thinking back about the month of time when she had no idea what the First Order did to her during captivity; it still bothered her and made her wonder if they had done something to make her some sleeper cell without even realizing it. It was one of her greatest fears.

"However, I have to believe that there is a reason for it, and perhaps, much like Chloe, I too shall help inspire someone else to do what needs to be done."

 

[Jared Starchaser]

It was always one of those things that kept Jared working. He had so many companions in the past, warriors and pilots alike who were not on the main path of life anymore. They were in the netherworld, and fighting the eternal battles there. At least, that was what some believed. Jared hoped for a more green, a more utopian afterlife.

One where he could rest, where the foes he defeated were in their own justice.

“Its the one lesson I believe the Jedi should be known for. Helping others when you can, and to the best of your ability, is important.” Giving hope to the galaxy. He knew his father wanted that for the galaxy, but when he was in the Alliance? It became something else. Something other. “And we don’t. A lesson my father instilled on me too. Its why as much as Jared wanted to not be in the limelight, he was still out helping, trying to be the hero.

He nodded, when Choli spoke. “People like us, wanderers who are out to help others? We do inspire. I’ve seen it, I’ve been there. Been a part of it. There was one small village out on the Sorgan that I was helping with local wild life. Taught them how to fight it, and how to corral it. At least one of their teens had gotten out to helping the other locals.”

It was why he always did this.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Choli thoughtfully chewed on her gorg stick, mulling at what Jared Starchaser said, only to add, "But there are so many different Jedi philosophies. I have read on five alone, such as the Jee'di, the Jedi Order, the Silver Jedi, the New Jedi Order, and I believe the Jedi Academy." she ticked them off fingers of one hand. The pilot decided to be forthright regarding a part of her past.

"That is not even including those whose philosophies span outside the Order. I spent some time with the Jedi Order before, and... it.. was interesting. My master then decided it was best to conduct my training outside of the Order, and we instead traveled up and down the Hydian way. We would help anyone along the way, but is that considered to be a Jedi or just being a good person doing what is right?"

At this point, it was less about the meal and more about the conversation should Jared like to continue. Choli was willing, but she knew she was on borrowed time with the Mirialan in his assistance with the hunt.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

The Starchasers were an old Jedi family. Someone he was related to were around during the time of the Nihil, according to the family Holocron. The fact that there are so many groups of the Jedi were meant there was the large range of opinions and approaches. Jared's father was of an action oriented Jedi.

The way he was raised was by action. But always a focus on doing what was right. The One Sith stole that from his father.

Jared was almost never in a hurry.

"What Order? Any temple or more… what's the term, Bokkan Jedi?" He took another bite of the gory and looked over Choli. "I feel that's not quite Jedi specific. I've heard tale of Wardens of the Sky. Part of what influenced my path of wandering saber hand." The Mirialan grinned.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Tusken Raiders raised Choli; for the young woman, the concept of deception and lies was such a foreign concept to her. So, needless to say, the pilot's Sabaacc face was terrible. As soon as Jared Starchaser mentioned the Wardens of the Sky, her olive face lit up, and the corners of her lips curled upwards with a knowing.

"So the myths of the Wardens of the Sky influenced you?" for many, Wardens of the Sky were as much of a spacer tale as the flesh-eating Reavers. Yet there was always some truth to the legend, and Choli knew that Wardens managed to survive the purge and several generations' worth of hunting down by doing what they did best: blend in. That's what Chloe Blake taught her. One of the very reasons that after the fall of the Galactic Alliance she served under, she spent most of her time traveling from Force Master with a different Force philosophy, encouraged by Chloe and her many contacts with these hermit fringe traditions to determine what she wanted to do. To become.

It was also a major part of why Choli had introduced Trextan Voidstalker to Chloe. After everything that happened, Trex still wasn't sure what to do. The Corellian blonde woman was the only person Choli knew who could offer some assistance. If anything, Chloe had a lifetime of connections outside of the traditional means that could allow the former Sith Knight to figure out what he wanted from life. Spending time together had been some of the fondest memories the former Rogue pilot had.

"To wander the hyperlanes and help those you can?" her dark brow gave an arch, curious. "What influenced you about them?" her eyes seemed to flicker the flames of the fire, very intrigued to hear someone else's take on it.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

If she had that sort of sense about her, when it came to others, she may very well notice that to Jared, the Wardens were not just a myth. They were real, and he was the product of one, and sibling to another. His father was, of course, a bit more public, without fully saying the words, but his sister was much more private about it. Flitting about the galaxy in her ship, helping those who needed it.

“You could say that.” He nodded. “Someone who can go from here to there, not pull in too much attention, and still manage to come out the hero by the end?” A smile on the Mirialan’s face. “It helps to do what I do, by also not seeming like its what I do, if you understand? Hunting for some monsters bothering a settlement is one thing, but if I am protecting people from others?”

It was better to be able to hide.

“I am a fair pilot, I’ll admit, but there are so few out there that help larger groups, on the ground. I will help in the sky but, being the person I am, many of my gifts require a bit more… room to run?” A dry laugh, but a true one. The Force and him were not so subtle.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Choli picked and chewed at her gorg on a stick, giving a nod, a half smile carving her olive face. It was rare for her these days. Most of the past few years had revolved around her being out somewhere in the black, forest moon, or wayward ice desert with an erratic hermit Force user friend Chloe made years back. But Choli understood the reasonings why. It was a way for the young pilot to figure out where exactly she wanted to be, what to do. To give the former Rogue pilot as many avenues available to be certain she knew what path along the Hydian she wanted to take.

There was a pause, and then Choli questioned, "Does that not seem like a lonely existence, though?" at least, that is what Choli understood when she thought of Chloe Blake. A Wardens life was often a lonely one. Choli wasn't sure if she was keen on that. As a part of a tribe, when wandering with Chloe, or when she was with Rogue, she had always been a part of a unit.

"It is good to help out others when needed -- but it is a big galaxy. Do you not want a mate? Children of your own?" an odd question perhaps, but for one who grew up with traditional values with the Sand People, each one was expected to follow a specific role. How would a family tie into the life of a Warden? Choli has yet to meet someone who has successfully managed that.

Jared Starchaser

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Spending time with others in the galaxy was what it was all about to be sentient, wasn’t it? Upbringing in an adjacent Chiss life was always challenging. He didn’t want to be the person to show a xenophobic side, or an unwelcoming side. Besides, being the type to learn from everyone? Meant it paid to be nice to everyone. Or at least as well as one could.

“It can be. But if you fill it with adventures?” Jared offered a weak smile on that. He knew that his life was a bit of a lonely one. He came, did what he was hired or tasked to do, and he left. Jared had a bit of a challenge with the idea of people.

The idea of family really.

“I mean, it wouldn’t be bad. Probably didn’t have the best story to tell. Father and mother loved each other, but dad got himself in bad with some Sith… And a carbonite nap for what… 20 years? Mom died pretty early on, result of that Sith encounter. Left me and my sister a bit orphaned. I don’t want to run that risk.” A half-hearted shrug.


Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

It was clear that Jared Starchaser had an outlook that understood that a Warden's life would be lonely, but he was okay with that. It would be a life full of adventures, meeting new people, new worlds, and perhaps new discoveries, much like the personal philosophy Chloe Blake had in regard to traveling the hyperplanes.

Hearing his story regarding his family, how he and his sister ended up orphans, and how he didn't want to run that risk of happening with his own potential family made sense. When she thought of the stories regarding Trextan and his father, Asmus and his whiskey girl, Chloe and Jorus. Did this mean that there wasn't a possibility to reasonably have a family without putting them at risk as well in this life?

"That makes sense," Choli murmured, finishing up her meal. "Ultimately, we are not privy to what befalls us. We can only react accordingly with what skills or abilities we have at the time."

With a nod, she smiled, "Well, once you are done, we can rest and then we can see if we can go find those tracks."

 

[Jared Starchaser]

The way his past worked, he always knew that there was a problem with some connections. Sometimes people needed to be alone, and well, with him? It was a long time since he really had a connection. Nevermind a team mate to work with. But being here with Choli? That could help temper some of those issues. He just preferred working things out on his own.

What Jared wanted was a connection, but he was afraid of it. And being part Jensaarai, and part Witch? It meant he had the ability to join a small clan, a small group, but he kept them at a distance. He was one to learn and then take those lessons and help others.

“Always game to find the tracks.” He took another bite and smiled. “Need to set an alarm, or have the droids watch for sun up?”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

"No need for an alarm. I shall wake accordingly." Choli was an early riser. She would want to rise just before dawn to maximize their light while the temperature was still cool. As an insectoid, the Sand Demon also did not prefer to be out and about in the heat of the day, preferring to linger on the shades of the cliffside caverns, gullies, and ravines of Beggar's Canyon.

"Okay, let me look at your injury," Choli cleaned up her mess, tossing any leftover bits for the fire to char. Turning to her satchel, she searched for a med-kit and any traditional herbs she had to use.

"Do you prefer for the wound to be healed quickly within a few hours with the chance of visions and experiencing more pain, or do you prefer bacta patches and for it to heal over the next few days with less pain?" She had a vial of a dried bit of cavern-green moss that worked very well as a healing agent. The only issue is that it severely heightened the sensitivity of one's body, which could enhance any pain the person may have. However, the trade-off was fast healing even faster than bacta, kolto or any other known healing agent, healing in mere hours to the days or weeks others provide.

Jared Starchaser

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Jared was typically good about rising when the time needed him. Truth be told, his sleep cycle was not based on anything aside from the knowledge that sometimes he needed to wake up early, or late, to catch the prey he was hired to find. If he was working on his own sleep, if he was on the rare occasion of vacation? He’d be a mid-morning. In time for a brunch, but not the one to be up for first light. A trick he should really master, he supposed. “Roger that.” Definitely a former military type.

As for his wound? It wasn’t something he was too concerned with having another take a look at. But he wasn’t from here, and hardly ever dealt with desert worlds, his father and the Witch clan opting for more coastal worlds, but his mother’s world being cold. Desert and hot? Who knew what bred here.

“Maybe lets skip the visions. Got me hurt on the back and upper arm.” He indicated, as he looked at Choli. He was definitely not one who was used to having a teammate and had the bacta patches ready to go on his swoop. “How long til we find the demon you are after?” That was something to consider. “Should I be at full before then?”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Bacta patches it is," Choli confirmed, moving over to sit in front of Jared Starchaser , ready to assist in tending to his wound if he allowed. If not, she'd leave him to it while discussing their next steps.

"Sand demons are formidable beasts," the young woman began, settling into a comfortable, cross-legged position in front of Jared. "The Sand People hunt them as part of their coming-of-age ritual, believing that sand demons consume the life essences of their victims to grow stronger with each kill."

"They are the only creatures that willingly hunt Krayt Dragons, sitting atop the food chain," she continued, her tone serious. "Traveling beneath the sand like swimming, they can dig through rock and sand with their talons, bursting from the ground to ambush their prey. Tracking them, you might find the tunnels and caves they leave behind."

"I've been here before, so I know there should be at least one nearby. Tracking it should not be hard... but fighting it, well, that's another story -- and I must do it alone," she added, revealing the catch. She needed Jared's help to get to the sand demon, but she had to be the one to hunt and defeat it for it to count.

"The trouble comes if there are any other beasts stirred by the fight that I may need help with."

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Bacta was always a good go to. Kolto was too slow, but bacta, even the patches were going to help him along here. Removing his shirt, and not realizing the extent of the wounds. The dry blood caked to his body and a pain in his shoulder that wasn’t there before. He sat to allow Choli to do what she could for him. Listening to her, he nodded.

“I know a few different groups with their coming of age requirements. Most of the time its building, lightsaber, cortosis armor… Something to protect themselves, or be used as a tool. Though I’ve heard of hunting trips. I think the Witches of Dathomir do something similar.” Since he was learning part of their ways, it helped.

“Gaining the life essence? Are they in the Force?” That was a bit of a real trick even for a sentient. This was about to become a bit harder than he suspected. And they hunted Krayts? “So they dig through rock, and you’re hunting it with… what are you using to protect yourself?” He could only hope it was a Star Destroyer.

“You have to do it alone? What can I do? Is there any way I can assist you on this?”

Choli Vyn