Private Dealing with a sickness

[Shan Pavond]

It had been a few months since Shan had actually helped the people on Coruscant. Part of that had been because of his capture, but there was also the part that Shan didn't feel ready to go back to helping people. It had taken him some time to come to terms with what had happened. And even whilst he might not be fully over it, he knew that helping people was what was going to come naturally to him. Protecting people and saving them was what he wanted to do so that's what he had done. Heading out to the streets of coruscant with his bag of supplies, alongside his weapons to make sure he'd have the means to defend himself if he had to whilst he was out there. He wasn't as innocent about the safety of coruscant anymore. He was ready to protect himself if it came down to it...

Either way, as he explored the streets, treating those who needed it, and handing out food and water to those less fortunate, the Mirialan started to hear rumours about some kind of...vigilante dealing with the local criminals. There wasn't much information about it, but it seemed to be someone who was well skilled...If that was the case, Shan felt like he'd have to find out what was going on. If it was some kind of hitman, or assassin, then he'd have to try and nip it in the bud. Well, of course maybe he should be getting a knight or master to deal with this...but Shan was wanting to redeem himself. Even though he didn't really have to redeem himself for anything, that didn't mean it's how he felt.

With the information he had gotten from the people he had aided, Shan headed down to the lower levels of Coruscant, trying to see if he could find out who exactly was hunting the criminals. Hm...Hunting...Was this potentially some kind of task the person was given? No. No. That didn't matter. What did matter was stopping them. Non-violently, preferably. He might have been ab it of a hypocrite about this of course. If it had been slavers who had been getting killed, maybe he would have let it slide. But he wanted to try and deal with this situation before it became a bigger problem. A vigilante couldn't be fully trusted in his eyes. But how was he going to find them...Hm...Eh. Might as well go with the most obvious way right?

"...Hello?! Assassin person?! Are you here?!" The Mirialan literally yelled out in the middle of the street, glancing around to see who reacted to him. It was a dumb plan. But Shan never said he was good at making plans now, did he?

Elise Ahana-Gwyneira

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Equipment
Armor	N/A.
Melee Weapons	Copad'kal, "Ambition", personal Mandalorian Kal.
	Kada'yr, Mandalorian Kal.
Pistols	DXN-57 Breachlight blaster pistol.
	Blitz.

Shan Pavond

Crime fighting was quickly becoming an addiction. The hard blooded adrenaline of fighting, and the feeling of doing something good for others. It worked wonders for a soul as confused and conflicted as Elise Vizsla. The Enclave detector has been spending so much time in the Underworld, snuffing out mobsters, muggers, kidnappers, and other low lives. She knew that Mandalorian armor was being seen with increasing hostility in the Galactic Alliance, so she walked the streets in civilian clothes. She felt ashamed, treating her heritage as something to hide. And yet, away from her beskar'gam, she felt free from the mess that was the war between her people and this planet.

Her Mandalorian vambraces were hidden under her coat's sleeves as she trudged down a street. Her kals and two pistols were hidden under a shawl wrapped around her waist, which was further hidden by the Novanian Shaman medallion chains coiled around her waistline. A gas mask was strapped to her chest, and her boots thudded against the ground as she walked along with the rattling of her baggy outfit and equipment.

A hood hung over her head, and her messy blonde hair covered her face. She walked through the crowded streets, heart heavy with woe, as she followed her strong Force Empathy. She could feel… a calling. Someone was looking for her? Bizarre. Wafts of earnest innocence were in the Force's waves from him, but she sensed something else as well. Another life form, and this one was far more malevolent.

A thief?

Her footsteps were hastened as she veered through the crowd, entering a far less populated area. And there, she saw a hooded figure in an alleyway, eyeing a young boy from the shadows. She sensed that both were the targets. And as the young man called for an "assassin", the burglar crouched down, contemplating how to get the big bag of goods on the Mirialian's back.

Elise extended a hand, pulling her sleeve. Her vambrace made no sound as a dart was launched from her vambrace, hitting the burglar and knocking him out. Elise lowered her hand and walked out from behind him, looking to the good samaritan below. She looked down to the thief on the ground.

"A paralyzing dart. He'll be knocked out for a bit, but is unharmed. I'll handcuff him to the wall in a second, but we have about fifteen minutes. So."

She looked up to the boy, pulling her hood down. Her red eyes glowed against the darkness of the alleyway. A telltale sign of her infrared vision. She stepped out of the shadows and looked to the young man. The Force Sensitive young man. A Jedi?

"You were looking for me? Don't deny it. I have good Force Sense."

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan turned his head around at the sound of a body hitting the ground, before looking up to spot someone else behind the person laying down on the ground. "...I mean, it doesn't take Force Sense to hear someone yelling for you." He gave a small awkward wave in the girl's direction, before heading over towards the knocked out man. Sure, the woman said she was going to tie him up, but Shan wanted to put the man into the recovery position before they did anything. He wouldn't be able to stand for it if the man ended up dying in front of him because he was just left there laying face down. "There we go. Shouldn't choke on his tongue now." The Mirialan brushed his hands together ever so slightly before looking back up at the woman in front of him, giving her a bright smile.

"But yeah. I have been looking for you. So I can stop you. Or at least...stop you from attacking random criminals. Really should have started with that part first." The Mirialan rubbed the back of his neck, frowning in thought. He wasn't exactly making a great first impression in his eyes as Shan held his hand out in their direction. "Shan Pavond. Jedi. Pleasure to meet you." He left out the Padawan part. There was a part of him that felt like if he included that, he would just get looked down for being inexperienced. "Heard about you from some of the locals, so I thought I should...well...check on you." He waved his hand down towards the thief laying on the ground in front of them.

"From what I've seen, most of the time, vigilantes have their own problems. And more often than not, they go around solving other people's problems instead of their own." With that, Shan folded his arms along his front, raising an eyebrow as he actually looked down at the thief between them...and crouched himself down, starting to root through the person's pockets. "Hm...Should probably see what he has on him, and give it back to the people. Wonder what exactly he's taken from people." And almost like that, Shan was ignoring his own problems. Trying to help other people instead, like what he had just accused vigilantes of doing. Once he was finished searching the person, he stood himself back up, keeping a bright grin as he looked the woman in front of him up and down. "...Are you doing alright? Do you need a place to stay? Something to drink?"

Elise Ahana-Gwyneira

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

So far, this young soul had good intentions through and through. He was quite awkward, but was equally honest and hard working. As he went through the criminal's belongings and set him upright, Elise placed a hand on her hip and slanted her lips. She had always been taught to be a lot tougher on crime. Her mother was a Karjr after all; and the memories and history she had learned through the years taught her that the Jedi were simply too soft. But the Jedi, in Elise's eyes, were still mostly well meaning folk - even if they were wrong. As much as they disappointed Elise, they also had a level of respect from her.

Elise still has to scoff though, "I have a room at a hotel. It's passable. But 'stop me'? When I'm the one taking out the trash down here? In your little war you got yourselves into, you need all the help you can get saving your civilians."

The way she spoke of the war was with obvious disdain and misery. The loathing that things got this far, and the sorrow of what it had done to her and her loved ones, weighed heavily on her. Still, she was not quite ready to reveal her heritage to a Jedi just yet. And still, an earnest question swarmed in her mind.

"Seriously, what was the Galactic Alliance thinking declaring war on a faction outside their borders? So much waste and pain could have been avoided, if-... I mean, come on, aren't there Sith out there posing greater threats to everyone?"

She looked away, rather oblivious to Shan's own obvious avoidance of his problems. Despite being Force Sensitive, and despite being a Shaman, Elise was quite clueless to the feelings of others. Even... her own sister...

Elise crossed her arms in a sort of self hug, "But yes, I'm down here because beating up thugs is therapeutic. I'm not running from my problems. I'm obsessing with them. I'm just absolutely miserable right now and I want to be doing one thing right."

She looked to the young Jedi, however, and shrugged. "I doubt someone like you would understand it though. Cause on one hand, it would be nice to talk to someone. On the other hand, you Jedi never understood my perspectives. And..."

A visible look of shame crossed her face as she looked away. The guilt. This blasted guilt for defecting from the Enclave, betraying her vod, and stabbing her kin in the back was all too much to bear. And no matter how honest Shan was, it was something a Jedi of the Galactic Alliance would be unable to comprehend.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I don't fight in the war. At least not this one." Shan said rather simply, as he kept patting down the thief to make sure they weren't going to pull out a knife from somewhere and try to shank him, before he stood up straight again, brushing himself down. "I have a...dislike towards the Mandalorian culture. And so it's not the kind of war I should be involved in." His opinion towards the Mandalorians had been starting to change recently, mostly thanks to Jenn but he still didn't feel comfortable about it. "I'd let my anger and hatred blind me if I went into this battle. So...I'm doing what I can here instead." He jabbed his thumb towards the supplies he had with him.

Technically, the Sith were also on the outside of the borders, but Shan had a feeling that the person in front of him wouldn't take kindly to that prompt, as the Mirialan shrugged his shoulders. His typically good mood dropping ever so slightly at the mentioning of the Sith. "...We're still fighting the Sith. I didn't even get a chance to recover from being captured by them, before I had to jump straight into this war to try and protect Ukatis." The Mirialan grumbled, trying not to let his frustrations get the better of him. Taking in a deep breath and then exhaling to try and keep himself steady. Deal with other people's problems. Not your own. That was the best way to distract himself.

He raised an eyebrow as she said she was obsessing with her problems, and his eyes narrowed at her for a moment. "...You remind me of myself. Well, a bit more of a violent version of myself, but still. You feel the need to just help people, in any way you can. You throw yourself into fighting criminals, hunting them whereas I go, heading out and looking for people to heal. Heal their pain to forget my own. I'd rather not think about my own pain." Whilst she seemed to have clear guilt on her face, Shan seemed to be mostly in his own world as he dropped down to the floor, sitting down as he stared up towards the ceiling, sighing to himself.

"I suppose I might not be able to understand your perspective." The Mirialan wasn't going to assume that he could ever understand where someone else was coming from. It wasn't his place to have the arrogance. "I shouldn't be alive. I was held captured by the Sith, whilst they killed and tortured my fellow Jedi. I only survived through luck, and being friends with the right people. Every time I look at my fellow Jedi...I feel like I'm being judged. I'm the one who survived. I should be special in some way...but I'm not." Shan just let the words out, sighing to himself. He couldn't expect someone to settle and talk to him, unless he opened himself up.

Elise Ahana-Gwyneira

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Ah, so he disliked the Mandalorians and their culture.

Good to know.

Perhaps Shan would have caught the ironic, nervous smile on Elise's face for a moment, before Elise tucked the expression away. The more she listened to him, the more Shan struck her as a pacifist. Of course, Elise was not a fan of pacifists either. The types that would refuse to fight at all, while the galaxy burned. It made Elise's stomach churn at times imagining the good intentions which only lead to weakness. But then again, Elise herself only ever had good intentions, and now... Well, here she stood, A traitor. It was ironic then, that Shan seemed to think so well of her so far. If only he knew the truth!

The mention of Ukatis, one of several worlds that the Enclave had invaded, made Elise frown. But listening further, Elise also saw Shan's own sorrow, and how he too put himself on a pedestal that he had be knocked down off of, made Elise rethink her previous thoughts. Perhaps, he would be able to understand her after all. But she knew what he was doing, in opening up to her. He could not expect her to open up if he did not as well. Elise scoffed, a soft smile forming on her face.

Despite their various differences, they had some things in common. And Elise pitied the young Jedi for it all.

She sighed, turning and leaning against a wall. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she braced herself. She looked up to the Underworld's sky, and she gave the boy the benefit of the doubt.

Here went nothing.

"I fought at Kiffu. The Enclave invaded the Galactic Aliiance. And despite my misgivings towards the Alliance and their 'join us in peace or we will destroy you' mentality, there were still innocent civilians there... civilians that never wanted anything to do with this blasted war. The Alliance was wrong, stupidly wrong. But the Enclave too has been going down the wrong path. I've seen it in my dreams, from the Ancient Ones of Archais Themselves. I have seen what this war can do... and I can't let it come to pass."

She chuckled miserably, "But it was no easy task, defending that planet. I may be a Novanian Shaman, but I am Mandalorian as well." She pulled her hands from her pockets and pulled up a sleeve, revealing the details of a Mandalorian vambrace, "And the opponent I met was someone I had only hoped to avoid, my sister."

She looked to Shan with a ferocious agony, potent and sharp. "I fought my sister, Jedi. My sister. My dear, younger sister. I watched when my parents adopted a helpless Chiss refugee into our home. A Foundling, an mere adik. A little girl haunted by what Mawite Remnants had done, enslaving her people in former Chiss space. It took years for her to come out of her shell, but I know she never 'recovered.' And there we were, all grown up, fighting each other on opposite sides of a war."

Tears flooded her red eyes, and she looked away. "I only ever had good intentions, choosing to fight my own people. My fellow vod, my kin. And even my own family. My grandfather is the War Master of the Enclave, after all. I let them all down, and I hate myself for it."

Shame flooded her features and she looked towards the ground, hands falling to her sides. "I am a traitor, and I feel the shame of it. I could not stop this conflict, as much as I wished I could. Ultimately, I feel that all my efforts are for naught. I cannot stop the visions I saw, or the Enclave's Crusade, or the ignorance of our culture that caused that blasted Galactic government in their ivory Senate buildings to act so maliciously towards my people. This is all just a waste, and it's hurting my family... hurting me. Because I let my little sister, my odi'ka, down. She has... resented me... and I never knew it."

She lifted a hand to her forehead, "Why should I keep fighting then? If I cannot stop the outcome. Is it foolishness, trying to save the Galaxy like I always wanted to? I've lost everything, and I know the carnage won't stop on both sides! The hatred on both sides, and the guilt, and the spite... All vanity. And here I am, drinking bitterly from it. I-I never wanted this to begin with!"

She realized that she had started crying, and she winced her eyes shut. She sniffled, wiping her tears away as she hoped for something, anything, that Shan Pavond could do to assure her... that it was not meaningless. That, or the confirmation that she was only a fool, and that she should let herself drown in it once and for all.

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan was far too oblivious to notice the expression on Elise's face. He was mostly in his own world right now anyway. Though as soon as Elise mentioned she had fought at Kiffu, Shan's head snapped in her direction for a moment. Dozens of thoughts rushing through his mind. Had he gotten caught in a trap again? The...Ancient One missing flew over his head if he was being honest to himself. Though his eyes narrowed as the woman then said she was a Mandalorian. Perhaps, if it hadn't been for Jenn, Shan would have immediately left here and now. Why would he want to help a Mandalorian, when their people were destroying parts of the Galaxy. But Jenn had made him realise that most Mandalorians just wanted to look after his people, and how on Coruscant could he even think about being aggravated at something like that? Everyone was allowed to protect their own people.

He carefully listened to Elise's words either way, his frown only growing. It was clear she saw herself as some kind of traitor for going against her family's wishes but in Shan's situation...Well, he wasn't entirely sure if that was a bad thing. He was a traitor to his own dad by staying alive in a way, but he didn't let that get him down...Okay, that was a lie. He did let it upset him, but it was something he shouldn't have to be upset over. It didn't matter though. What did matter was him giving Elise the time she needed to get her words out. Patience was key after all as he politely listened, folding his arms along his front. There was a part of him that debated hugging Elise...but for all he knew, he'd get flipped onto his back and knocked out. It didn't take a genius to figure out he didn't want that.

Then once she had finished speaking, Shan cleared his throat. Staring off into the distance away from Elise instead of being able to look at her. "...My mother was kidnapped whilst I was with the Jedi. I didn't find out until I went back to see my parents. See how they were doing. She was gone, and my father blamed me for it. He told me he had never loved me. And then tried to shoot me." The Mirialan rummaged around in his pocket, pulling out an old antique looking blaster. He stared down at it, almost as if he was reliving the moment he was staring down the other end of it before shaking his head to carry on with his story. "I'm a traitor to him. Just for being alive. He resented me my entire life...but unlike you, with your sister, I knew. I just didn't want to believe it. He hated how I wanted to help others. That I'd put random strangers over my own safety...He'd hate me right now, for wandering around Coruscant trying to find you."

The Mirialan put the blaster away and stood himself up, heading over towards Elise's side, and carefully putting his hand on her shoulder. "So why am I still alive? Why do I still help people? Why am I still here, when there's better Jedi who have died?" Even now, Shan was still ignoring his own problems to aid someone else, sighing to himself quiet. "Plenty of people have lost everything...It's just up to them to pick it back up again. Somethings might be broken to the point of no return...but that's why you use those pieces to make something new. You aren't the only Mandalorian who doesn't agree with this war...You're the only one I know who's fought against them but..."

"...I can't answer your question though. For why you're still fighting. It's wrong. Like how you can't answer why I help people. Why I help even my own enemies. I can't help you find your answers, Mandalorian...but I can be here for you. You might feel like you're alone but you aren't. I'll always be willing to be there for someone who needs me."

Elise Ahana-Gwyneira

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Ah, the misery of lost souls. Shan Pavond had no answers, like she had hoped for. Only a feeble sense of optimism. How quant.

And yet, as he opened up about his own past, Elise felt the pangs of sympathy within. Like Shan, she was drive by a desire to help others. And neither seemed to understand where it came from. Elise's eyes traced his father's blaster when he pulled it out, explaining how his own father tried to kill him. It was something Elise was unable to imagine, her parents trying to kill her. Gwyn had pointed a blaster at her, but when she realized what Elise was going to do... but she lowered it and wished Elise the best of luck in life.

"Baby girl, regardless of what happens from here, I love you. And I'm proud of you."

Unlike Shan, Elise's living parent loved her. And in a moment, she remembered what an Ancient One, Arr'huwal, had told her.

"Be strong, Jac'Eli'Serum. You carry a heavy weight. But, you are not alone."

Crazier than anything else, was an echo of those words from Shan's own lips, here and now. Elise would have winced when Shan placed a hand on her shoulder. It was an instinctive reaction, as she never knew when her psychometry would switch on. It spared her today, it seemed, for she would not have been able to bear it. Her mind spared of Shan's memories, she was able to completely absorb what he told her now.

"I can't help you find your answers, Mandalorian...but I can be here for you. You might feel like you're alone, but you aren't. I'll always be willing to be there for someone who needs me."

Elise's tears doubled. She coiled her arms around her frame, her body hunkering as her despair collided with information that did not make sense. She felt alone. She felt betrayed. She felt that she was the betrayer. And yet, she heard voices telling her that even though it was her against this whole karking galaxy, she was not alone.

"Dry your eyes, my love. Face the future with courage. If I've trained you well, you will survive. You follow your convictions, and you fight as fervently as any Mandalorian with a mission before them."

Gwyneira Vizsla's words sparked within her, a memory she had somehow forgotten.

"Be strong, Jac'Eli'Serum. Stay safe. But most importantly, live a life you will be proud of."

Elise looked up to Shan and sniffled. She heard the same words, over and over again.

"You are not alone." And... "Be strong."

Elise shook her head, confused. "'You're not alone,' they told me! 'Be strong,' they told me! But for karking what? What in the Force is there to hope for in a place like this? All these memories, these things I've seen, the visions, they're all in here!"

She reached up, grabbing her head. It was as if she only wanted to reach into her skull and pull the voices out. "They're all in here! But I'm there too, swimming! I can see what I need, above the waves, but I only hear all these voices! I chose my own path, but they're not silent! I wish, I only wish that I was never Force Sensitive! Never a Shaman! Never a Mandalorian to have to deal with this!"

She lowered her hands from here head, shaking. "Your father was wretched to you, and you faced a monster in the face of a Sith. You have survivor's guilt, and you still carry on in hoping for a better Galaxy. What kind of strength is that, Jedi? To hope for something better, against all odds? You must feel the same as I, hoping that this cup had never been passed to us. You don't know why you keep healing, don't you? But not only do I don't know, but I feel like giving up. Why don't you?"

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan had no clue to the problems that were going inside of Elise's head. All he knew was that she flinched when he put his hand on her shoulder so he removed it almost as immediately. He didn't want to make this worse for her. The main reason he was here was to help her. Though as her crying doubled...Shan had no clue what to do. How was he meant to help? He just sighed, stepping over towards her carefully, and trying to carefully give her a hug. To remind her that she wasn't alone. He was there, even if he didn't care much for the culture, Shan still cared for the people. However he did step back when Elise started to grab onto her head, just watching carefully with a scowl on his face.

"I don't know who else is telling you that. Or what memories you're seeing...Visions don't come to me. At least not easily. There's...plenty of things to hope for. It just depends on who you are as a person. It's why I can't answer that question for you." Shan crouched himself down for a moment, just resting his arms against his knees as the Mirialan debated his words. "...Don't." Her wishes. Her wishes not to be a Shaman. A Mandalorian. To not be Force Sensitive. "If it wasn't you, there'd still be someone else dealing with this. Or you'd have to deal with some kind of other problem in this Galaxy."

The Padawan shrugged his shoulders in response to Elise's comments about him feeling the same as her. "Even if I did. I have to live on. For the people I care about. I'm not strong. Don't get the wrong idea." He'd refuse to accept that about himself. Shan saw himself as being weak, for just wanting to heal people. He didn't want to fight, he didn't want to hurt people and he felt like that made him weak. "It's simple. It's worth it to see people smiling. Knowing that I've helped to make them feel...happy enough to smile...Just...you're not alone. Okay?" Shan took his jacket off for a moment, holding it out to Elise for her to take. For now at least, he was going to want it back before she left. That jacket was a birthday gift! No way was he just going to gift it to some random stranger.

Elise Ahana-Gwyneira

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Shan Pavond was adorable. His awkwardness, putting the coat on Elise as if it would help, and trying his best to speak. It was obvious to Elise that he was not quite able to reach exactly where she was. But at the same time, he was doing his best to help an outsider like herself. She looked down, in misery, but was able to take comfort in a certain set of words.

"If it wasn't you, there'd still be someone else dealing with this. Or you'd have to deal with some kind of other problem in this Galaxy."

Those words, they gave her a sense of being... less isolated.

This cup was a bitter cup to drink, but the realization that the cup would exist with or without her was strangely... relieving. The fact that, even without this cup, there would be another one waiting for her. But that was the thing, wasn't it? She wanted to tackle every problem in this galaxy head on. Stop the Sith, save the day. Help civilians, fight corrupt regimes, and end criminal empires. Her entire life, she had wanted to be the one to fix everything. And now, one cup was laid out in a row of many others. And Elise realized... she could not take them all. She had never considered the cost.

With a sigh, Elise removed the coat and handed it to Shan. She sat down on the sidewalk, contemplating.

"But you are strong. Stronger than I am! You still have a sense of optimism, against all odds. And you keep pressing on. Regardless of the price and what you've lost. Me? The moment I face doubt, I fall to it."

She chuckled, looking down at the medallions on her hip. "I thought I always knew what I wanted. I wanted to be a hero. Help people and fight anyone who would hurt others. I saw the memories of my family, and it hurt so bad. I thought that if I could become the best Mandalorian and Shaman ever, I could somehow fix everything."

She shook her head, "But reality doesn't work that way, doesn't it. I can't save everyone, and things aren't as black and white as they appear at first glance. The Galactic Alliance is overrun with corruption and selfishness. The Enclave is rife with zealous rage. And I am only one person, unable to stop it."

She lifted a hand and placed it on her forehead again, "What can I do then? I will fail, I've failed already. I thought I had the conviction to be confident in what I chose. There's no going back now, now that four fellow vode died indirectly due to my actions. Not to mention my sister! I'd feel even worse just walking away and hiding. I need to take action, but the action isn't easy."

She blinked, and looked up to Shan, "And that's it, isn't it? This isn't easy. I... I do know what I'm doing. I just don't know if I have the strength to do it. Because I may very well not have my family to go to when this war is over. I know I'm here to fight for others and protect other people... but what about me? What if I wasn't willing to pay the price?"

She looked away, shame in her calloused eyes. "I don't want to face the consequences of what I've done. And I'm a coward for it."

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I'm not strong. I just...have to be like this. I can't afford to be upset." Shan said rather simply, as he sat himself down next to Elise to try and just be there. Though he listened to the Mandalorian carefully, before nodding all of a sudden, holding his finger out towards her for a moment. "That's your problem. You've put too effort into trying to fix everything when...even I know that's not possible. We can all only make small changes." The Mirialan rested his head on his knees, staring off at the nearest wall. "I thought I'd be able to help people. Make the Galaxy so much of a better place. I was naive. I ended up getting my mother kidnapped because I thought being a Jedi was better than staying with my family...Sure, I have a new family now but...it's still left its mark on me."

"I know that things aren't as black and white as they seem. Nearly every part of me wants to blame this on the Mandalorians. To say they're just savages and bloodthirsty. But then people like you prove me wrong and I just get more frustrated. Because I just...I can't hate you. And the more I learn about the Mandalorians, the more I can't hate them." It was slightly aggrevating the pacifist ironically enough. It was easier for him to put blame on a group, than it was to admit that neither side was right or wrong.

He turned his head over towards Elise, trying his hardest not to show any pity for her. The Mirialan wasn't sure if she'd appreciate that kind of thing, so he just focused on trying to make sure she wasn't alone with her thoughts. Being alone with your thoughts wasn't always good. Especially since apparently she had extra voices in her head or something...

"You've already paid the price Mandalorian. The pain you're going through. THe pain your sister is going through. That's the price. I won't say it's the right thing because...that's just pure arrogance. I can't simply say that the Alliance is right, or the Enclave is wrong. Just..." He frowned for a moment, going over his thoughts for a moment...before holding his hand out towards Elise, as he went to make a deal with her. "Even if you don't have your family to go back to, I'll always be willing to be here for you. We might be strangers, but we've both lost family. Though whilst i've found a new one with the Jedi...You're still alone. And I won't allow that. I'll try to find more people for you to talk to. So...you aren't as lonely."

Elise Ahana-Gwyneira