Discovering a New Me

[Kat Decoria]

Kat nodded her head. She felt her feet sinking in the soft earth, she grumbled, the issue with robotic legs were their weight and muddy earth just got her legs stuck in the mud. It was something that could not be helped, she had tried several things but nothing could help with the weight of the legs. Pulling her feet out of the mud with a plop, she shook her head. She needed to focus on the task at hand. They were in a dangerous new setting according to Isard. Drawing her Force Pike, she paused and looking at her surroundings.

"So what should I be sensing?" Kat asked curiously as she stalked through the area, her eyes darting around as she thought about what dangers they could possibly come across. If it was giant spiders then she was definitely out, Kat did not deal with spiders, or anything with eight legs. She had been told that was a common phobia but she could never remember the name of the phobia.

[member="Willa Isard"]

 

[Willa Isard]

[member="Kat Decoria"]

"Kinrath, they are like large spiders only with four legs and really large teeth." She said it while looking at many of the things they had. She turned her head around though while standing there and observing her legs before she crouched and stopped pointing over towards the roots that were coming out of the mud and muck. "Stand over there, I don't want your legs to get stuck or malfunction. I wasn't serious about getting a new padawan... kind of would be frowned on."

 

[Kat Decoria]

Kat grumbled as Isard mentioned the chance of meeting giant spider like creatures. Hopefully, the lack of eight legs and mandibles and web would terrify her less. Clutching her Force Pike tightly, her eyes were on the look out for any giant bugs that needed squashing. When Isard informed her to move, Kat did so without question. The ground better supported her robotic legs now as she was able to focus on sensing her surroundings.

Closing her eyes, she tried pushing her mind out and feeling what was out there and what could be coming to attack them. It was tricky, her mind was just drawing a blank, this was an area she previously never explored with the Force. Trying to better understand her skills, perhaps she needed to use work to help. Thinking about how the power would benefit her as a mechanic, it would be nice to sense tools instead of searching for hours to locate it. She tried again, but thought less on finding danger and more on getting a picture of her surroundings and noting things of interest.

"I think... Yeah, I think we have something coming towards us from the East." Kat stated before opening her eyes. Unsure if she had been accurate.

[member="Willa Isard"]

 

[Willa Isard]

[member="Kat Decoria"]

Willa was reaching out with a look on her face. She turned to look in the force but crossed her arms. Without the heavy armor on she just pulled up her smg's while the bolter on the top armed. Thick metal rod packed with enough explosives to make most things not have that chance o think twice and when in contact with plasma well the contact could cause it to explode so great for saber users who might try and deflect it. "Alright, proceed carefully, and lets find it."

 

[Kat Decoria]

Blinking at Isard, she was sure that she missed heard. "Ffff. Find it? Thoughtbwe were avoiding danger, not seeking it... What if it's a spider-thing?!" Kat pouted, very unhappy the situation she was being pushed into. Grumbling very loudly, she stepped over some of the muddier areas ans wander forward, towards the creature that Kat thought she had sensed.

Her mind still trying to hone in on the target, she pondered what it could be. She couldn't tell whether or not it was an insect, or an eight legged freak, or just a Wookiee. Could be that there were just a bunch of Wookiees down here. The Shadowlands were know to be trial areas for young Wookiees. Seemed daft to send people to dangerous locations to prove their skills. But Kat thought herself sensible in that manner, didn't help that her Echani existence meant that she could tell so much about a person through combat with them.

[member="Willa Isard"]

 

[Willa Isard]

[member="Kat Decoria"]

She looked at her. "THe more you know, if we don't know where it is, how far. If we don't know the creatures... how can we best avoid it. Intelligence gathering is important for a jedi as much as a soldier padawan. We could have a kinrath in which case they don't like coming near groups alone. It could be one of the nasty creatures down here, it could be a wookiee on their own or a scout from a hunting party." Willa was moving with herself where she was prepared.

 

[Kat Decoria]

Annoyingly, Isard made a lot of sense when discussing the fact that they should know the thing Kat sensed rather than have it sneak up on them and attack them while they were unaware. "Fine. But if its a spider-thingy then you're in big trouble, I do not handle that poodoo with grace." Kat growled as she continued to wander forward. Her Force Pike tightly in her hands as she moved around the Shadowlands with some attempt at grace. Her nerves were shot as she could feel her anxiety rising. Every tree branch snap was causing her to jump in alarm. "See, if you just lied and said there were no spiders, I would be a lot happier... And calmer and likely a lot angrier when facing one. Perhaps lying was not the best option long term but who thinks long term!" Kat moaned as she frowned. This was not her favourite part of training.

[member="Willa Isard"]

 

[Willa Isard]

[member="Kat Decoria"]

Willa looked at her with a nod of her head and moved a little to the side, up oneof the thicker roots so she was above with a better vantage point. Letting the shyrack that were moving around up ahead flutter from overhanging moss line to overhanging moss line. THe jedi master crouched watching it and letting herself remain int he shadows at just the right angle to avoid being seen. "Well not a spider but I'd watch out they sometimes like going after hair to take back tot heir nest."

 

[Kat Decoria]

Isard had spotted their target, a shyrack, it seemed nothing too threatening and Kat was sure that it wasn't a spider so that gave her a big sigh of relief. Isard had vanished into the shadows, making sure Kat had to take the lead on this attack. She crouched and wandered forward with measured steps. Holding her Force Pike tightly, her eyes assessed the dangers.

Before she leaped forward to strike, a branch snapped under her foot. Kat had carelessly not ensured her feet were in secure points. The shyrack snapped around to face her before letting out a shriek and flying at Kat to attack. Growling at her own carelessness, Kat adjusted to the situation she twirled her pike and slashed at the shyrack. Wishing to stun the beast and stop it in its tracks.

[member="Willa Isard"]

 

[Willa Isard]

[member="Kat Decoria"]

Willa was watching as she moved, Kat had a good idea of placement even with cybernetic limbs... a testament to the quality and craftsmanship of them already on display. THe jedi master though watched with her pistol as she held it up and fired into a second shyrack with the field rail pistol. Letting the one she managed to stun twitch on the ground for a moment until she crouched looking for other possible threats. "Better." She said it with the force to carry it to Kat but not yell. Much easier to make a conversation as she hopped down looking at the stunned creature and one of the semi dead. Its wing torn up more then anything and it was bleeding.

 

[Kat Decoria]

The second shyrack was squirming around on the ground in agony. With a slight remorseful look, Kat drove her pike into the creature and ended its suffering swiftly. Swallowing hard, she looked up and heard Isard call to her, it wasn't loud as it should have been to carry through the distance they were from one another. Likely something to do with the Force Kat bet. Shifting from her spot, she wandered back towards Isard.

"So what do we go do next?" Kat asked, looking around attempting to assess whether or not there were more of the creatures about. "I don't think I can sense any more near us but I can't be sure. There's just so much life around here..." It was tricky to pinpoint one creature now, knowing what the shyracks felt like through the Force Kat thought she could use that to locate more.

[member="Willa Isard"]

 

[Willa Isard]

[member="Kat Decoria"]

"Well now we have privacy so we can get to know each other. No distractions, no one rushing in sayingthere is a problem." Willa motioned to the ground as she sat on a root with a hand going itno the thigh pack and pulling out two devices. One she set on the ground and it activated with a warm glow that produced heat but no flames or smoke. The fireglass field brazier and the second was a small ball that activated making a tent around them. The hardlight decoy concealing them in the darkness and keeping the light from appearing int he shadowlands. "So I know about you but now it is time to get to know each other. If you have any questions."

 

[Kat Decoria]

Isard offered them a chance to better know one another. This surprised Kat, who had expected this was all about using the Force to hunt things and such. Blinking as she had to switch off her hunting mindset, changing into a calmer and easy going alternative mindset. Settling down near Isard, she was surprised to hear the Jedi Master knew all there was to Kat, they had shared no real words and Kat never opened up to anyone in the Jedi Order, or Antarian Rangers.

"What do you think you know about me?" Kat asked politely, interested in knowing what the Jedi Master assumed about Kat from their brief encounter together. Kat placed her Force Pike safely away as she leaned against a tree and watched the Jedi Master curiously.

[member="Willa Isard"]

 

[Willa Isard]

[member="Kat Decoria"]

Willa was looking at her and her eyes glowed a little golden from the inner fire before she spoke slipping some fo the rations out. "I know you are echani, those cybernetics aren't new you are used to them. Comfortable with them as much as one can be anyways. Means either somemthing happened when you were a child and you have spent most of your time getting used to them or you had something when you were born that required cybernetics. I know you have good mechanical skills better then most. Thanks to your need to maintain your legs you would have developed the need and adapted."

She gave a look of am I close? With her eyes but remained there. "I know that despite access to stronger weapons or more technologically advanced. you favor that pike which means there is something to it. Sentimental value, it is well worn and cared for. Likely older then you which means it belongs to someone else, someone important at least." Leaning back less smug then because she was slipping some fo the food rations out of the thigh pack and getting them with some water to hydrate. "But I am only looking at what I see. The lack of a love life is sadly common for most jedi and ranger's but it can be harder to find a few. Grey and Zathra were special enough for me."

 

[Kat Decoria]

Kat was intrigued that the Jedi Master noticed a number of things. Not too detailed but there were the start of personal information there. Kat looked at her robotic legs and smirked slightly. "I was born without them, well I had legs but they were severely deformed and it was safer and kinder to remove them than make me grow up and suffer extreme pain. There's about ten to twelve inches of actual leg before it is all robotic." Kat commented as she remembered her childhood days.

"I was stuck in a wheelchair till I was five. I hated that thing, could never keep up with my siblings who run off and other kids we hung out with didn't want to play with me around as much." Kat sighed, it wasn't easy but she never resented those kids, they were young and she was so different to any other Echani. "I decided I wanted legs and made the crudest and worst robotic legs ever made! They never worked but my dad saw me working on them, he was a mechanic and he could see the same determination in my eye that he had. So he helped."

Kat smiled warmly, her dad was her hero, he was the best guy ever. "From there I worked on the legs till they are what they are now. Mechanic was all the life I knew till I joined the Order. Only left Eshan because my father died in an accident." Kat paused. The day of the accident was the worst day in her life. Her father died due to a droid malfunction, unpredictable and explosive. No one was at fault, as much as Kat tried to blame someone, anyone.

"Pike was his. My only possession that links me to him. Nothing is bigger than this pike!" She said defiantly. Deep down she knew the pike was too basic for anything beyond training with. "It'll be my only weapon till I have a Lightsaber I guess." Kat blushed when Isard mentioned a lack of a love life. "That's... That's. Private..." She managed to stutter. "Work too important. Don't need to date guys. All of them stupidheads..." Kat mumbled quietly under her breath.

[member="Willa Isard"]

 

[Willa Isard]

[member="Kat Decoria"]

"I didn't say date." Willa looked at her and moved herself up with a sort of boneless grace common to vahla as she patted her shoulder with a wink. "Sometimes you will have just been in the mud and blood for a week dodging enemy fire and you just need a... a" She held her hands up sitting down before slapping them together. "At least in my experience. Don't need to date to get off in a fox hole padawan." She sat back down going into more of a laying position on the one side of the brazier. her weapon there in front of her. "Then it is back to business as usual. So lets test your perception skills. What have you observed from me?"

 

[Kat Decoria]

Kat shook her head. She understood the implication that Isard was making, but it was not a need or want that Kat had. "No, no. That's never been something I need to fix." Kat stated coolly. The topic was not one she was comfortable with. It reminded her too much of her mother who would badger her to date more guys. But like Kat mumbled guys were stupidheads, she never really found them attractive.

"I think you are a lone wolf, preferring your own company than any others. When you do hang out with others, you rather fellow soldiers than Jedi. Hence our sitting here not at the Jedi Temple. You are also a soldier first as you stated earlier, very serious and find it hard to socialise with others." Kat shrugged, she hadn't gleened much due to Isard's private manner.

[member="Willa Isard"]

 

[Willa Isard]

[member="Kat Decoria"]

Willa moved on and gave a look at her face with a nod as she spoke about her now. "Yes mostly. THough there is one thing you are not factoring in." Willa said it as she stood up and stroipped off her holsters and belt. Mostly to sit more comfortably with a hand held out palm up. She snapped bringing flames to her finger tips. "I am vahla, do you know the story of what happened to my people?" She said it looking at her. "Long ago, the vahla lived under their goddess on our homeworld, we laughed and played and worshipped Vahl the goddess of fire and destruction. We sacrificed the unworthy to her but we exceeded our world. We took others, invaded, brought attention. We attracted the jedi to our world, we attracted the Republic and they stopped us. Broken, and lost we scattered and our world was lost. Now we wander the galaxy seeking our homeworld once again and the Ember is awaiting the return of the goddess. Most of us hate the jedi and would want to see them destroyed but.. it is hard to explain. I understand what we did and don't blame the jedi of that era.. they are long gone and the Ember now is usually used as a puppet of the sith or shadow empire."

 

[Kat Decoria]

Kat understood, there were many races that were once conquerors but now scattered amongst the stars. Her people had been lucky and intergrated well with the Jedi and the Republic, however, people like Vahla and Mandalorians were not as lucky. They fought to keep their ways, their beliefs and often were shattered and trampled on for it.

"Thank you for sharing your people's history, Master Vahla. I didn't think about your race, those events seemed so long ago, I didn't think they would still be revelant." Kat swallowed hard, wondering if what she said had been phrased correctly. Staring into the campfire, Kat thought about her future now, how different it was.

[member="Willa Isard"]

 

[Willa Isard]

[member="Kat Decoria"]

"The past is always important, it shapes us, makes or breaks us padawan. The point is to learn from it, to improve and better yourself from it. Most of my people are still caught up in the past, wanting to nurse the oldest grudges and hatreds because it gives them purpose. I chose to embrace something new... maybe. I won't deny that even with all of my growth." She said the last word less as a fact and more like she was trying to grasp a proper word to fit within it. "I may still resent some fo the jedi, the ones who claim that things have never happened in the order or jedi's history like what they did to my people. Rewriting the past to suit their own narritive." She said it looking at the fire in her hand and then closed it with the flame. A smile forming on her lips. "Still it is a good way to learn what we can from it." She said it and moved a finger to her arm. The list of campaigns. "Same as these, each campaign I was in as Republic special forces, Havoc squad and the Rangers." She brang the finger down weach one from the Operations on Kashyyyk under Selena, to battle of Dac, Korriban, Metalorn, Second Battle Roche Asteroids, Battle fo Hapes, Togoria, Voss, Ossus, Dromund Kaas. More with Havoc squad and the Ranger's. Reaper Company, Grey's Luminous Corp and along the length of her rip cage... or where she would have it with the tank top on. Names of her squad members. Rohn, Maiden, Grey, Zathra, Keinushi, Cody.