Private Children of the Wastes

[Choli Vyn]

Jared Starchaser

Oh, right, Choli mused, a look of consternation appearing over Choli's face as soon as Jared took his shirt off and bared his chest. Heat immediately flooded her cheeks, embarrassed at the sight of lean muscles and toned arms. In Tuskan culture, no one but your blood mate was supposed to see you without clothing, so being privy to the green expanse of Jared's chest was mortifying for the former Rogue pilot.

Telling herself that this was strictly due to a need for medical attention, the young woman did her best to fix her focus on the wounds that needed cleaning and bacta patches and avoid looking anywhere else.

"I am not sure if they are able to use the Force -- umm, perhaps there is some sort of truth to it? Stories are like that, much like the Wardens of the Sky," Choli replied, grabbing some disinfectant wipes and starting to clean up the largest of the wounds by his shoulder. There was a lot of caked dried blood.

"Bringing down the Sand Demon alone yes -- but I have also heard that it may summon other smaller creatures in defense. I will need assistance with those. "

"What are the Witches of Dathomir?" that was a term she had not heard of yet.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Jared was more than happy to use all of his skills to help her with this task. Hoping that the healing was going to be quick, he did notice there was something wrong with the way she approached him. Well, maybe not wrong, just different. As a Mirialan he wasn’t so shy about bodies and their movement. He was fit, and had to work with others at all times.

He couldn’t sense it too much in the Force, but there was the way she was handling the medical treatment. Maybe she was just not used to helping in this way.

“They’re in the Force… If they’re not like The Vong… maybe they are going to be armed with more skills than we can prepare for…” But with his skills? He’d be more than happy to use the Force if it came to it. He wasn’t exactly hiding.

“Witches? Just another group who uses the Force. Its less about the journey in the galaxy, that the Jedi seemed to have. Witches use it internally, to protect their own world. And its goals in the galaxy, supposedly.” He took a second as he watched her. Seeing if maybe any of it struck a cord with her.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

"The Sand Demons are part of the Force. One can sense them. They have life -- or as the ancestors say, the lives and memories of warriors past," Choli explained, carefully tending to Jared Starchaser 's wounds. She disinfected them and then carefully began to put on the bacta synthflesh patches as she listened to his explanation on what the Witches of Dathomir were.

"So just another way to use the Force?" she asked, going over what Chloe had explained to her before. In the meditation vault Chloe created on the Aurora Hawk, there were dozens of datacrons of various Force philosophies as well as a few holocrons she maintained and provided the freedom for others to use who were interested and connected through the old Jedi Academy library system. A brief memory about witches came to mind, but she couldn't quite pin her head to what made them special.

No wait...

"Spells. They use spells and incantations or songs to use the Force correct?" now it was coming back to her. Talking about this at least allowed her to not focus that a well-toned verdant muscled man was sitting in front of her letting her tend to his wounds. Now older and a little more aware, it made her cognizant of all the differences between men and woman that were often hidden away in the robes of the Sandpeople.

"I think I read about them now that you explained them a bit more... Chloe has a few datacrons about different Force philosophies."

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Everything was part of the Force if you looked close enough. Jared hadn’t dealt with the Nameless, and rarely a Vong. They were not in the Force, or they were monsters of the Force. If the Sand Demons were part of the Force? They’d be fine. He was a hunter, he could fight things using his skills, and he was a Starchaser. That should quell most who knew of the Alliance of Sullust. “Then they can be a read in the Force. That can give me an advantage to keep you protected…” He wasn’t supposed to jump into the fight, but he could still assist…

“And yes, my father had a saying he heard long ago that the Force is a river, and there are many cups with which to drink… Jedi, Sith, Witch…” He grinned. “The spells are part of the Force, they’re the method they use to bend it. While Jedi focus on their minds and bodies, the Witches call from somewhere else…”

“Have you practiced with many Force traditions?”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

“And yes, my father had a saying he heard long ago that the Force is a river, and there are many cups with which to drink… Jedi, Sith, Witch…”

It was so curious to hear but, at the same time, familiar. Choli couldn't help but smile, her slanted eyes taking a dark green hue in amusement. Chloe Blake often said similar things. Thinking about the Corellian only made her miss the blonde again - at least until Jared Starchaser drew her from her reverie with his question regarding her previous experience with other Force Traditions.

Choli chuckled, smoothing down the bacta plaster before moving on to the next. "You could say that." she began to explain, focusing on the task at hand. It wouldn't take long to finish the rest.

"My mentor is of the opinion I should learn form as many hermitted masters of different philosophies as I can. Her go-to method of making sure I stick to learning them is dropping me off on obscure locations with a survival pack, coordinates, and a name, then returning months later expecting me to still be alive and have learned something." Unorthodox, but it worked. Chloe was leaving her with people she knew and trusted. "Most recently, she left me on the wilds of Karvoss II. I then spent a grueling three months with the Matukai."

Finishing up with the bandages, Choli began to clean up, "I learned the basic concepts of using the Force to augment and strengthen my body if needed. So while I'll never master it to the degree a Matukai elder would, I know at least the concept of the power and how to apply it."

Looking up at Jared curiously as she offered back his shirt, she asked, "What about you? Have you practiced with many Force traditions?"

 

[Jared Starchaser]

The Force had so many paths that Jared was just the one to follow and to listen. He tried to adapt one or two to his needs, but the ones that had less dogma and more usage? Those were the ones that worked best. Being a Jedi, that gave him a good background, and a good understanding of where he wanted to stand in the light and darkness. Sometimes he had to be a bit of a shadow.

Witches? Witches just were, they were alive and did what was needed to see their life take the turns they wanted for it.

Grinning as she responded, he felt that maybe he was finding someone who understood the Force in a way that he did. A tool, and not a dogma and religion. The Jedi gave him enough of that. The Jensaarai training bent it a bit out of shape. But being a Hunter and Witch student, it made him more powerful, more temperamental at the same time. “Survival pack? Sounds like my aunt. Back when my father was … away.” Or in carbonite, as it were.

“Learning the tricks of trades helps. But sometimes they fill it with more beliefs than needed. … The Matukai, huh? Aren’t they ones who can help develop the Force in others?” As she finished up the bandages, he looked her over for a second. More to meet than the eye than he thought.

“Just a few. One of the big ones, a handful of the smaller ones."

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Humor shone in Choli's eyes, casting them into a dark green hue. "Well... I have plenty of traditions already that I stick to that I am juggling to come to terms with. So, I do not need any more than what I need to get by. " Choli replied, thinking back regarding how she was doing this to find her place in the galaxy and who she was to become after.

"Thankfully, the old timers my mentor sends me off to study under are not of the mind of trying to convert me to their ways as much as giving me some perspective regarding what is out there. Different cultures cultivate practices due to their environment and needs. With how much I travel the space lanes now... a little bit of this and that can help in the most confounding of situations."

Choli took to cleaning up, putting away the med-kit. Glancing up, her slanted eyes settled on the Mirialan anew. "Aye, they can. With training and continued practice, their ways are able to develop the ability for others to use the Force. It was one of the reasons I went there. My Force potential is not the strongest, but Chloe wanted to see if it could be improved." And it had allowed the former Rogue Squadron leader to delve deeper into a connection with the Force.

"It helped. Not by much, but improved my abilities." satisfied everything was put away, Choli cast a friendly smile at Jared, "That feel better now?"


Jared Starchaser

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Working with other people was always a crapshoot. Everyone was different, and Jared supposed that was what made it both a reward and a challenge. He always supposed they were more challenging than rewarding. Choli though, she was alright. The Mirialan Force User was smiling besides himself. And she was another one of those folks who had her toes in a few different pools… Brooke was wearing off on him with aquatic similes, just like him.

"Its the biggest challenge, I've understood. Some traditions, Jedi, Sith, they're so ingrained into the world. Some of the others, Jensaarai, Witches, other hedge traditions, they tend to be more flexible. Letting people come and go. I know my father had met a Fallanassi once upon a time. They said that being a Jedi was like being a spice biter. Focused on the Force explicitly. Granted there are some who are worse than others in that direction." He offered a slacked grin. "My mother made mention of the Mirialan traditions, and I lived among the Chiss, learned about their Sky Walkers too…" More hedge traditions.

"It sounds like this Chloe is looking out for the best for you. Not trying to drag you into some war. I've seen that happen. But giving someone a new tool to their belt, especially if they use it for the right purposes."

Looking at Choli as she put the medkit away he nodded. "Yeah. Feeling loads better." He ran his shoulder around, making sure to get any kinks out. But the man was feeling better."

He was ready.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Aye, well, I was already drug into a war. Necessity and too few hands made it so." Choli admitted, reflecting on all that had passed the past few years.

"I paid my dues to the Alliance as a Rogue pilot," she said, her voice tinged with a wry twist as she continued to tidy up. "Although, with all the shot downs, perhaps we came out even in that. I'm just grateful that Trextan I managed to survive..."

Her words trailed off as she thought back to what Trextan Voidstalker had endured during the war: Coruscant, the loss of his mother and stepfather, the trials of the Sith Academy, and the manipulation he faced to fuel his anger, the battle on Kaeshanna, and everything that followed. He had been adrift, searching for a path that diverged from the Sith or the Jedi.

It was one of the reasons Choli had made the agonizing decision to step aside and let Trextan find his own way. She didn't want to hold him back or influence his choices any further. He had already been subject to so much manipulation and control. It was essential for him to chart his course independently, without her presence clouding his judgment.

Breaking up with him had been the most challenging decision Choli had ever made, and understandably, Trextan hadn't taken it well. It made her wonder if he ever wanted to see her again. If he'd moved on. All her updates on Trextan came from Chloe or if she stopped by and saw Kellan on Tatooine. The looks they gave her let her know they wouldn't pry but were hesitant to go onto the subject beyond casual conversation.

"So yeah, Chloe is trying to give me options, and I'm glad about it. I know not many have the options I did to get me here." Choli added, glancing back at Jared Starchaser .

"Alright, let's rest up, and in an hour or so, we can start tracking the Sand Demon."

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

oops

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Jared was more than curious about Choli. He was honestly wondering if the pair would be joining each other for more adventures around the galaxy after this little spat out there. He wasn’t looking for anything to tie anyone down. He was a child of the Alliance before, then a young adult in the Coalition. “I mean, working for the Alliance, at any stretch was always a hard time. My father worked in that Jedi Order, a lot of wars, a lot of campaigns. I learned my saber handling and even had some flight time there…”

Not all was a bad time. Jared had learned to be an adult from one woman he met during the Jedi Order time, before he made his way out to the Outer Rim, and that was where home was. The Dawn Chaser never more than three jumps for him to make, and Kattada was a fixed point in the galaxy.

“Best kind of teacher, that Chloe.” He nodded. Brooke was doing the same with him. He had his own past, but beyond that he had his teachings from the past.

And now? Now he had a Sand Demon to chase down.

“Just stir me when you’re ready.” Jared took a few steps away. Hopper’s lights started to flash, a bit of sentry mode as Jared fell into a meditative seat.

 

[Choli Vyn]

"I will have to ask you more about that later on. We might have even served together one way or another," Choli added, a faint smile curving over her lips. As she packed away her gear, Choli nodded, "That she is. Depending on how this goes, I may be able to introduce you once she comes to pick me up."

"She is my ride until I can get my own settled. Just a few more salvaging jobs, and then maybe I might have her fit enough to turn on without the engine sputtering," Choli joked, finding humor in the situation. She managed to barter a few jobs for the wreck of a ship she saw as a diamond in the rough. She figured she could do the same with a larger vessel if she could get the Verre off the ground and not have it fall apart with all the Squib ingenuity she picked up. Something a little on the ugly side but dependable. Suited for the lifestyle of a warden and being out in space for longer periods.

If Choli was going to go the route of a Warden, she had to make sure she had a ship that would suit those needs and then some.

As Jared Starchaser took to a meditative stance and Arr-Four settled into security mode, Choli took to cleaning up the rest of their camp. She spent far too long in the desert to leave any traces of their presence. Once done, she settled in. Taking out her datatablet, she wrote down a few notes in her journal. After a few minutes, she put that away and then did her own rest in sleep meditation.

It wasn't long before Choli opened her eyes a couple of hours later. Rejuvenated and rested. She was ready. Getting to her feet, she gave a few stretches. Once done, she went over to Jared. With a gentle brush of her hand she tapped his shoulder.

"It is time," She murmured.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

He didn’t consider that they could have served together. That would be interesting indeed, if the pair that found themselves thrust together by chance in the desert to end all deserts. His mother was from a desert, but it was much cooler than this. Corellia and Csillia, the other two worlds he called home were both cooler than this. But Kattada, where he found respite lately? Not so bad.

And meeting Chloe would be a treat. He believed he heard her name in passing, or thought he did. A Warden, like his sister? And father? They had to have traveled the same circle.

“I have the fighter, and my father has access to a fair few ships, I know he could lease one out until you could pay?” Granted it’d be made by Starchaser Enterprises, not exactly Silk, or something like Incom, but not bad all the same.

His mind wandered when he was in a meditation. To his trainings, to past battles in a starfighter, to even the history of sparring and spell work. Hopefully some of it would prove useful in the fight ahead. As she stirred him, the Force Wanderer smiled and stood up.

“Where to? Do you need any help cleaning up?”

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Choli gave a ghost of a smile at the offer, her hazel eyes shifting to a green of mild amusement. With a shake of her dark head, she replied, "No, I got the majority done. Thank you for the offer, Jared,"

Arr-four rolled over to her side and gave a series of beeps and then a hoot. The Epicanthix arched a brow but then gave a nod. Turning back to Jared Starchaser she said, " Arr-four said he and Hopper can stay back and keep the area secure. Sand Demons are particularly sensitive to movements, and the less we have out there distracting one, the better."

Also, it meant that at least Arr-Four and Hopper wouldn't be targets of a sharp claw.

"We have a full moon. So pros, we have enough light for me to track the Sand Demon. Con, they even more active at night than during the heat of the day. However, this would be the best time to search for their recent movements. But if this fight ends up going into the tunnels, we will need as much light as we can to see. "

"How comfortable do you feel fighting with a headlamp? Or are you able to see well in the dark?"

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Better late to offer than never at all. The Hunter was more than happy to help, but they did need the time to gather their thoughts and make it so they were on the same page. And more importantly, ready for whats ahead. This was her territory, and what may be a good clean up and hiding of their location for him may not actually be what her people knew to do instinctively. Last thing he’d want is to make a mess of her world.

Looking to Choli and the droids, he nodded. “Just you and me then. That works. Hop, just keep a track on the bike, yeah?” Jared’s lazy lilt crept into the voice as he spoke. “And I’m sure the Sand Demon would go for the small metal bits.” A dry laugh as he looked at the two droids.

Looking up to the sky, the moon was full. “Show me what we’re looking for and I can help keep an eye on it. But yeah, good to know where we’re going…” Looking to her, he tipped his head to the side. “And when you mean more active, like in hunting and prowling?” Were they going to be running into it, looking for them?

“I’ve got a headlamp sure, and the Force… A few ideas are coming to mind. Not to mention, this…” He moved his hand to the scarred and chipped hilt of his lightsaber.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

With that set, Choli gave a nod, only to give a faint smirk at the mention of Jared Starchaser saying that at the very least he had his lightsaber. Choli had yet to build one of her own, as Chloe let her borrow hers. There were a few thoughts in mind on what would serve her best. A shoto, with a smaller blade length like Chloe? Or would a dagger of some form do the trick? Half of her time was spent in space while the other half was spent out in the wilds.

Maybe a modified version of a gaderffii stick with a smaller shoto blade at the end. That actually hit Choli with a pause. Yes, tradition blended with her new life as a Warden. Perhaps one that could disconnect in the middle and allow the use of both ends?

Items to ponder.

Taking a small holoarray from her bag, she pressed a button and displayed a small blue hologram of the Sand Demon.

"This is what the Sand Demon looks like once out of its tunnel. It will move swiftly under the sand, but if we can get it towards bedrock, it should force it out, and that is how we can deal with it before it starts tunneling through it. Careful of its powerful jaws and sharp talon legs. It is very much like a Jeco. It may summon other creatures to help defend itself, but hopefully, we can incapacitate it before that happens."

"Unless you have anymore questions, I will show you what we are looking for," With only her light satchel on her back now, her QQ-83N Sidearm, vibroknife, and the shoto lightsaber, it was enough for what they would need.

Putting away the holo array and securing it, Choli would wait for any questions before heading out.

 

[Jared Starchaser]

The secrets of kyber were well kept. Jedi knew them, but so did a few other groups. Or they knew enough about them. He ran into a Fallanassi who knew about purifying a bled crystal, and the Jensaarai knew of the secrets, from both Jedi and Sith heritage. Building a saber was a big step for all Force users. And even among other fringe groups, he felt that it was the most complicated use of the Force.

Jared her more weapons than that, he had his kyber cannon, a pistol built off of a kyber energy signature. Extra ammo when he needed it. But nothing out of the ordinary.

Even Witches had use for kyber, at times. Rare but it did happen.

Looking to Choli as she turned on the holoprojector, he nodded. A sand demon was much more ferocious than he was expecting. Maybe he figured a smaller krayt, but with a name like Demon? He wasn’t sure where his mind was. Normally he wasn’t in the clouds like this. He left that to his sister.

“If it summons others, those are my priority, I reckon? Figure you need to take the demon down your own self, but that doesn’t mean fight everything that pops up, yeah?” He was going through his gear. Part of the cortosis light armor he had, his saber, his kyber cannon, and his scout trooper goggles.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

Jared Starchaser

Choli gave a curt nod in the affirmative, "Exactly. Take on the extra. The goal for me would be to bring down the Sand Demon itself, but if we get swarmed, I won't be able to focus on that."

Honestly, the former Rogue pilot was starting to wonder if this was perhaps a sign through the Force and from the ancestors that were allowing her to finally go through her rite with all the assistance that she needed while ensuring she completed the main objective. After this, she would give thanks and tribute for such a blessing.

"You can fight off anything else, but whatever happens... leave the Sand Demon to me." She had to be the one for this to count. Regardless if she was hurt. Would Jared Starchaser be able to do that?

"Can you promise me that?"

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Extras. He could do that. Jared was more than skilled enough to take on a variety of tasks. And if part of it was to help Choli accomplish her task? Her Rite? He could and would do that. The woman before him seemed perfectly capable in her own right. And Jared could keep it so she could do her job. "I'll keep their attention." There was a smile here, one people would associate with is father when a conflict with the Sith was imminent.

Could he promise he wouldn't interven? That was the million credit question. "If you fall here… what then? I won't fight the Demon with you but if it becomes too much what am I to do?"

Simple but a needed answer.

Choli Vyn

 

[Choli Vyn]

"Then let the desert take me as it should have done seven years ago," Choli replied to Jared Starchaser with a deadpan expression. She was serious.

"My clan left me to die as a sacrifice to the desert, yet the ancestors so deemed that I would survive. By their blessing and their mercy, I did not. If I fall here, then it is my time."

Choli meant it.