Populate Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fondor — GA populate of Stobar

[Jacob Solay]

TAG: Mahsa

Jacob had managed to leave himself open, again for an attack he did not anticipate. While he had adapted to the Makashi style for the most part, or at least accounted for it, the boy did not think the girl would do something a brawler might. Whatever her style was, it was unorthodox, and Jacob liked it.

She used his weight. What was his strength became a liability that Mahsa knew how to use.

When she fell, so did he. Since she was pulling him with her, Jacob fell right on top of her.

OOOF

Their eyes met for a moment as something familiar to his father’s side of the family tugged at his lips. Jacob smirked.

“Hi… uh… I mean… Sorry!”

He quickly, and rather awkwardly pushed himself off the girl and created some distance between them. Nothing about what had happened was okay. Sure he expected to get knocked down, but the last thing he ever expected was to fall onto a girl in the middle of a practice fight.

Jacob really needed to rethink his expectations of what being among his peers was going to look like. It was a good thing he did not currently share a room with any of them.

 

[Mahsa]

Objective II: Wartime Training

---

The idea behind her move had been to toppled Jacob over her and onto the ground, however reality was quick to check the Kazelrrian into her place. Despite the advantage provided by their momentum Mahsa simply lacked the physical strength of Aris Noble or Ayhan to follow through with her plan.

She’d been quick to power off her blade as the ground came closer, afraid it could’ve harmed either of them, before a startled yelp escaped when Jacob landed on her. For a split second she couldn’t help but admire the pretty blue shades that colored his eyes, but that was soon forgotten as she finally realized how close they were for her to actually appreciate them.

"S-S-Sorry!!!"

She released the grip on his clothes instantly, already able to feel the heat that crawled through her neck and up to her cheeks and tip of her ears, as Mahsa stammered out a hasty apology. What she hadn’t expected was the small ‘hi’ he’d offered, perhaps an attempt to diffuse the awkward situation they’d found themselves in, one that actually worked as the girl stifled a chuckle when Jacob backed up to give her some space.

"N-No, it’s okay.". She shifted into a sitting position as the redhead offered an apology of his own, strands of yellow and orange shifting in her hair as she shook her head. "It was my fault anyways… y-you’re not hurt, right?"

Spoiler: Gear & Stuff

Lightsaber | Padawan Apparel

---

Interacting with Jacob Solay ​

 

[Valor the Forsaken]

Valor observed the sparring match between Aris Noble and Braze with a keen, analytical eye. His snow-white brow furrowed in concentration as he scrutinized every movement, every misstep. The initial struggles between the two combatants elicited a rare smile from him, a spark of genuine amusement that prompted him to record the bout for posterity. The clash of skills, the raw intensity of their duel, and the near-perfect execution of their techniques fascinated him.

Yet, when the dust settled and the victor emerged, Valor's smile faded. The outcome was not what he had anticipated, and a slight frown creased his features, hinting at a tinge of disappointment. Perhaps he had expected more from the duel, or maybe the result had simply failed to live up to the thrill of the struggle.

His attention drifted, leaving behind the concluded match as his gaze settled on Mahsa and Jacob Solay . A touch of intrigue sparked to life in his eyes, and he quirked a snowy white brow in interest. "Oh... this would be good," he mused, the corners of his lips curling into a knowing grin.

Valor's demeanor shifted subtly as he prepared to witness the new engagement. He leaned forward slightly, eager to see how Mahsa and Jacob would turn out as he recorded their bout next zooming in and getting a good view of their expressions.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

"Let us," Valery agreed, before she followed Amani to a meeting room nearby. With a view over the courtyard, they could still keep an eye on the training Padawans, just to be safe. But rather quickly, her focus was primarily on the galaxy map that Amani projected into the room. Alliance territory was vast, so there were countless options, but it wasn't easy to pick one that would be perfect.

Somewhere safe and stable for Jedi to be.

"Fondor itself might be an option. It'll not be a very hidden Temple, but at least protected." Fondor was likely going to become a target of infiltration and perhaps even precision strikes. So the idea of placing a Temple there wasn't her favorite. But as Amani pointed out, Temples away from public eye weren't easy either.

"What about Kashyyyk? It's not too far away from our borders and the Silvers have had a Temple there for a long time now. The Wookiees are friendly as well." She just wasn't sure if they'd be okay having another Temple built there.

Valery then sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, "There aren't any obvious options. Maybe we'll have to discuss this with the rest of the Council soon."

Amani Serys ​

 

[Ran Serys]

"Definitely out of practise," he replied. He didn't match her flourish, but he grinned as he set his stance.

His short blade moved across his body and down, trying to force her blade low as he countered with the right for her shoulder.

"Only if I crash."

Acaadi tried to force her blade but Ran didn't engage. She side stepped out of the way. Keeping her lightsaber as a buffer between him and her. She had to be cautious, more careful. While two lightsabers were just as efficient as one, they were also more dangerous for both the opponent and their wielder. Acaadi claimed to be out of practice but any Dark Jedi or Sith Lord that stood across from Ran would not be be.

Ran laughed. She had been in the position of going from a downed fighter to swinging her blade across a battlefield. It wasn't a very fun position to be in, but she made it out alright then.

"I wouldn't worry about that." She announced. "If you're piloting is half as good as your dueling, I'd say staying in the sky will be the least of your worries."

Ran swung her lightsaber down. Hard.

Acaadi​

 

[Jacob Solay]

TAG: Mahsa

For now they sat. Both of them seemed to be embarrassed about what had just happened. Jacob’s weight had meant Mahsa could not quite execute what she had attempted, well if she had rolled a bit sooner. That kind of throw was something Jacob could teach.

“You almost had it you know… I could help you with your timing.”

He wanted to be helpful. Makashi had been a learning moment for him, and now this was hers. It was good they did not jump right back into the fight, because well, there was still the awkward feelings in his stomach. Why had it been so… different. Maybe it was because they were close in age, or maybe J was starting to notice that girls were nice.

That was not going to help when it came to sparing.

Yay teenager.

“I’m okay. I’m the one who fell on top of you. I should be asking if you’re okay.”

He shrugged.

“So… are you?”

Outside of her changing color, which Jacob assumed meant she was embarrassed or flustered, Mahsa seemed to be just fine. Using the force, he called his lightsaber back to his hand and set it next to him. He was fine with just talking for a moment, at least until she was ready to try again.

 

[Mahsa]

Objective II: Wartime Training

---

She was unaware of the bright pair of eyes intently staring at them, Valor the Forsaken carefully monitoring them as he studied the pair. A healthy blush still coated her skin as she cradled the hilt of her lightsaber in her lap, but despite the embarrassment she currently felt Mahsa couldn’t deny she’d come to enjoy their little spar.

"I did…?" A curious gaze landed on Jacob before the girl tilted her head ever so slightly, thinking back to the improvised move. Sure, her timing could’ve been better… but even without that error Mahsa wasn’t sure she would’ve managed—and yet Jacob sounded so sure of it that she couldn’t help but wonder. "Could I really do it… w-without the Force?"

It was a subtle change as the fiery hues in her hair shifted to sunkissed shades, the previous awkwardness that had lingered moments ago replaced by the Kazelrrian’s drive to learn new things… at least until he touched back on the subject. Traces of orange colored the very tips of her strands as the Kazelrrian swept them behind her ears nervously.

"Y-Yeah, I’m fine…!" That much was true, physically there wasn’t anything wrong with her, though she would’ve felt better if the pitter-patter of her heart would slow down.

Spoiler: Gear & Stuff

Lightsaber | Padawan Apparel

---

Interacting with Jacob Solay ​

 

[Braze]

It was eerie just how quick Aris seemed to just.. Recover. His expression shifted to the calm one from before as he nodded once to Braze and stepped out of the ring to find a bottle of water to drink. His ears did feel a little funny, but it wasn't like when the man from before had screamed at him. Thankfully. He didn't like being deaf as he had been. "I'll be alright, I think. Thanks, Braze."

Braze

TAGS: Aris Noble

Braze knew Aris wasn't one to want unsolicited help or advice, and he was a little unsure if Aris was fully okay. Braze thought this was what he wanted: to win against Aris. But somehow, it didn't feel right. He felt unfulfilled, and this kind of victory didn't sit well with him. Braze wasn't sure how to communicate with his friend. He always felt awkward. The conversation he had with Jasper Kai'el annoyingly rang in the back of his head as it resurfaced causing a frown on Braze's face.

"You're welcome... I'm sorry if it hurt. I would like to keep... trying with you in the future... to, um, keep pushing one another to... be better; If... you're okay with that I mean... " he offered lightly, unable to shake the uneasy feeling he had about it.

As he spoke, Braze's fingers fidgeted with the hem of his tunic, his eyes darting around, unable to meet really meet Aris's gaze. His shoulders were slightly hunched, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, a clear sign of his discomfort. Braze wasn't really sure if Aris could feel pain or be hurt the same way others were, but he figured Aris's ears might hurt and Braze knew all too well that suffocation wasn't pleasant either.

He fetched his brace and tried to feed his limp arm back into it, securing it onto his person and slipping his fingers into the right spots. His hand trembled slightly as he fastened the straps, the action a distraction from the knot of unease tightening in his chest.

 

[Aris Noble]

"That's just what happens in a spar though, isn't it?"

Aris tilted his head in confusion. The ringing in his ears had already faded. The headache went away. For all intents and purposes, it was as if he hadn't been suffocated at all. The more they fought, though, the clearer things had at least gotten for the Epicanthix. That they just weren't clear with one another. Different pages, different intentions, different goals. He smiled, in turn. Whatever the case, they weren't going to get anywhere beating around the bush, right?

Zaiya Ceti had helped him figure that much.

"This one was my loss. The next won't be. So.. Yes, we'll keep doing this. Why wouldn't we?"

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

​

"Well... hurting the other person isn't exactly my goal when I think of sparring," Braze explained, his voice earnest. "I see it more like a game of tag, one that teaches you to think quickly on your feet."

For Braze, sparring wasn't about causing harm. He believed that, despite the inherent risks of full contact, the primary focus should be on honing the skill of 'tagging' the opponent, rather than inflicting real or serious injury. He paused, contemplating how best to articulate his philosophy.

"When we spar," he continued, "For me... it's not about brute force or overwhelming your partner. It's about precision, agility, and mental acuity. It's... kinda like a test of how well you can anticipate your opponent's moves, how swiftly you can adapt, and how cleanly you can execute your techniques. I don't like it when I hurt my friends or when they hurt me. "

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris's expression shifted just a little. Was that all Braze constantly saw of him? Just brute force? Aris wasn't just brute force, and never had been. He worked far too hard, practiced far too much, to be reduced to some brute. Without the Force, he needed skill. Agility, control, precision. Mental acuity. They were his main tools. It didn't matter how well he could take a hit if he didn't have something more.

This was.. Frustrating. It was as if Braze was willingly ignoring every other part of his skills.

"Got it."

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Aris Noble

​

Braze felt an odd shift that didn't quite add up. Perhaps Aris didn't understand what he was trying to convey. The disconnect gnawed at him, a discordant sensation that left him unsettled. He couldn't grasp why it felt different, nor could he comprehend it fully unless Aris actually voiced his feelings.

Braze frowned, pondering if it was something he had said. Aris remained mostly silent, with only a

"Got it."

as Braze received no further reply. With a sigh, feeling defeated, he stepped back. It always seemed to go like this. Braze momentarily debated taking a vow of silence; it felt as if Aris never wanted to communicate with him. He always felt so... cold. The sensation left an even worse feeling in the pit of Braze's stomach. He turned away, clipping his blade in placeto his belt, frustrated and perplexed.

He just didn't understand Aris, nor did he think he ever would at this rate. Nothing he tried seemed to work or get through to him. Every attempt only seemed to blow up in his face. Feeling sickened and uneasy, Braze departed the arena, seeking a dark and quiet place to collect his confused thoughts.

 

[Kel Se'Taav]

​

Tags: Alicio Organa | Bianco Cruhn | Kha'la Daaray | Lodd Grimmin | Monaray Dod | Natasi Fortan | Nizhalgal | Vianca Mecetti
Objective 1: The Pan-Alliance Relief Act (PARA)
Location: Alliance General Ministry Canton, FONDOR

Seeing as Senator Kel Se'Taav of Abregado-rae was a habitually tardy member of the Alliance Senate, it was only befitting he find himself running late yet again to christen the first hearing in the assembly's new home on Fondor. He'd been swept away in a sea of trouble that was surging on his patron world to the galactic north, only a stone's throw away from Fondor and another to Coruscant. His constituents are -as they should be- terrified of the Dark Empire's obvious plans of expansion, should their siege of the capital succeed. Kel was just concluding a holo-meeting with Abregado's Minister when his assistant droid, a long-time stand-in since Breha departed the position, approached from the main office. "Senator Se'Taav," she said rather timidly. The old Bothan raised an eyebrow. "Yes? Is everything alright?"

She tottered on into the meeting room and bowed her metallic head. "Quite so, sir, but I must remind you of the meeting in the Grand Assembly chamber. Your presence may well be-"

"Blast!" Kel said, his fist thudding on the table as chided himself. He gathered his datapads, swallowed a large mouthful of bitter caf, and headed for the door to the Concourse. With the majority of the Senate already inside and discussing the PARA, the circular hall was strangely quiet. Small clusters of delegates and officials stood together in conversation. A pair of Fondor Honor Guards passed him by, offering respectful nods as they went. "Senator," one of them said. Kel returned the sentiment with a brief "Good morning."

Another pair of guards stood at attention on either side of the entrance to the Grand Assembly. The double doors slid open with a gentle whoosh that hopefully wouldn't draw too much attention to Kel's tardiness. Luckily, the cubical pod that had been reserved for Abregado-rae was nearer the edge of the Assembly than the middle. Even better, one of his world's junior legislators had adhered to the start time much better than he had. Kel joined her, quietly taking a seat in the pod and passing her one of the datapads. It detailed some of the work he had done as a member of SELCORE thus far in its tenure, a record he felt more than exemplified the need for the committee's permanence. He arrived just in time to hear Alicio Organa open the floor to discussion on the matter.

Kel was thoroughly impressed with the disposition Vianca Mecetti of Obulette. Opposition for the sake of it was something he'd come to expect of her late husband and House Mecetti. He cut his eyes to the junior legislator and shrugged. "Seems I was wrong," he said, the corner of his lip curling into a coy smirk. She returned with a grin of her own. "Yes, and you owe me a hundred credits now, too, Senator Se'Taav." He stifled a chuckle. "Put it on my tab, dear." Several representatives rose to speak, but Nizhalgal caught the junior legislator's attention. "Who's he?" she asked quietly. "The senator of Yag'Dhul," Kel said flatly. "Likely too preoccupied with reconstruction efforts to bother with PARA and SELCORE."

A few more ayes were brought forward, the only opposition being Lodd Grimmin and the Trade Federation. "As expected," the junior legislator commented as she and Kel recounted those who had spoken thus far. When it seemed those who were punctual to the meeting had spoken their piece, Kel looked to her and nodded toward the pulpit. "Would you like to do the honors or shall I?" he asked. Kel was eager to see how she'd do, but she shook her head respectfully. "I'll watch this time," she said.

"The people of Abregado-rae stand ready to support the Pan-Alliance Relief Act," Senator Se'Taav proclaimed when his turn to speak came around. "I have worked firsthand with Senators Alicio Organa , Lila Doneeta , and Sonya Provost as members of the initial SELCORE team and have witnessed for myself what good can come of a dedicated committee of this manner. I cast my vote in favor of codifying the Senate Select Committee for Refugees into Alliance legislation, and I furthermore move to request that my services be enlisted once again as a member of the SELCORE team should its permanence be established."

 

[Jacob Solay]

TAG: Mahsa

“Good.”

Mahsa was not hurt. Maybe her ego was bruised a little, like Jacob’s had been when she stabbed him in the back. As far as he was concerned that would make them even in the spar. He had not lost, but he had not won either.

His mind went back to the subject of her throw. She asked if she could do it without the force.

“Why not?”

It was not about physical strength, and Mahsa knew that, or should have. Momentum had been on her side, but the technique needed work. Just because she was small did not mean she would be instantly incapacitated by someone larger than her. Her makashi technique was proof enough of that.

Jacob crossed his legs.

“So, your timing was off. You had the right idea, using the momentum I created against me. You just tried to roll too soon. The movement needs to be more fluid. You could throw a grown adult without the force if you improve your technique.”

Maybe that would be the confidence boost she needed. His lips pulled into a smirk again when he noticed her hair change once more. Jacob stared a little too long, but that was because of his curiosity. His education had introduced him to many alien species, but not all of them. Color shifting ones were certainly new to him. And here he had met two at the same time. How rare was that?

He averted his eyes when he felt like she caught him looking.

“Sorry… I didn’t mean to stare.”

 

[Mahsa]

Objective II: Wartime Training

---

“Why not?”

His response had been so matter-of-factly that the Kazelrrian found herself unable to voice out any of the concerns that lingered in the back of her mind, momentarily forgotten by the assuredness Jacob showed. The hilt of her saber had been clipped back onto her belt once it became evident their spar wouldn’t resume for now, before she shifted into a comfortable butterfly position as Jacob began to explain.

"So I was just too early…?"

At least it sounded like that had been her biggest mistake, before the redhead also touched up a bit more on her actual movements and approach. She couldn’t help but stare down at her tiny hands, a shred of doubt crossing her mind.

“You could throw a grown adult without the force if you improve your technique.”

Her gaze instantly swept across the field until she spotted Aris Noble , the match between him and Braze seemingly done for a while now. Could I really throw him? The Epicanthix was already pretty big compared to herself, but it didn’t take long before her thoughts wandered towards Ayhan and his larger build.

Could she actually throw him, too?

"W-What would I need to doooo. . . ?" Excitement rippled through her and increased the vibrancy of yellow in her hair, before Mahsa’s voice trailed off when she’d turned back to catch Jacob staring so intently at her. A hand rose to touch her cheek, fearing something might’ve stuck to it on their fall, before the teen finally seemed to realize what he was doing—a quick apology offered as he looked away.

"Aah no, it's f-fine," Flecks of bright orange tangled with the yellow strands once more, the girl exceedingly aware of herself again, before she mustered the strength to ask a question. "... d-do I have something on my f-face?"

Spoiler: Gear & Stuff

Lightsaber | Padawan Apparel

---

Interacting with Jacob Solay ​

 

[Amani Serys]

Valery Noble
​

Val suggested Kashyyyk, "It's an option. Perhaps some of our Silver Jedi alumni would be able to build bridges for us. Or not. I'm not exactly caught up with how relations between the Silvers and the Wookiees ended." She doubted it was hostile, but what remained of the order had essentially packed up and left. Had the locals felt betrayed by that? Relived? Simply indifferent? It was hard to say without further investigation, "Master Cthylla and I made a trip to Kashyyyk some months ago. I can say some of the other indigenous peoples seemed to have a less than positive opinion. Still, those small groups didn't represent the wider planetary population. And they had a few other factors playing into their distaste, which have since been negated."

"There aren't any obvious options. Maybe we'll have to discuss this with the rest of the Council soon."

Amani deactivated the console, "Probably. I don't want to rush it but, I think this is a case of needing to decide sooner rather than later." If they waited too long, and something went wrong, they could be caught dangerously off-guard.

 

[Jacob Solay]

TAG: Mahsa

They were done for the time being, and Jacob was okay with that. He had learned what he needed to from this particular spar. That was the thing about training with an opponent, the session did not have to be long to be productive. It was a truth he had learned from working with the Rangers his grandfather would train. Maybe he would be proud to see that he took the same disciplined approach with the Jedi.

Maybe he wouldn’t be.

He nodded in response to Mahsa.

“Yeah, that’s all. Everything else as far as I could tell was pretty good.”

Jacob made a mental note that hand to hand combat was in fact a tactic among the Jedi. It had been encouraging to see, because it meant they likely had their own versions of the art to teach as well. He would need to research this later. For now he was still a bit too embarrassed for being caught staring at the girl's hair.

She had to have known that he was. Jacob was still just enthralled to be seeing new forms of life in the temple he had never come across before. The curiosity was certainly a trait from his father’s side of the family, but it existed regardless. He supposed the discipline came from his mother, but Jacob had seen enough in his father, and his other grandfather to know that Lesans knew when to be serious as well.

Junior was more so than Judah senior was anyway. His grandfather hid a lot of pain behind his teasing and carefree facade.

“Ummm well it is much easier to show you than to tell you,” he said shaking his head… “and uhh no nothing on your face. I was just… your hair keeps changing color, and Zaiya over there, her spots change. Never seen anything like it before.”

It was the truth.

“I didn’t mean to stare.”

He apologized again.

 

[Mahsa]

Objective II: Wartime Training

---

She had grown among others of her kin with the same traits and, with how short Mahsa kept her hair, perhaps that’s why the girl often forgot it could do the thing—and that said thing wasn’t common outside of the small bubble she’d grown up in. It was probably why, despite finding Zaiya’s colorful displays to be very pretty, she didn’t often find herself staring at the Lovalla for prolonged periods of time.

"Oh… r-right!" She felt silly now upon realizing she’d missed the reason behind his stares, hands unconsciously brushing the white and yellow strands of hair before she shook her head. "N-No, it’s f-fine… I don’t mind."

His apology was declined softly, after all Mahsa didn’t feel that was something Jacob needed to ask forgiveness for. It was normal to stare at things that piqued your curiosity, especially when it was something new—and that was clearly the case right now. Instead the girl was quick to get back on her feet, a smile on her face as she offered a hand to Jacob.

"Yes, please! I wanna learn how to do it right," she replied, before Mahsa realized she’d gotten a bit too swept up in the moment as she tacked on an amendment. "I-If you don’t mind, that is…?"

After all, she didn’t want to push Jacob to do something he might not want to.

Spoiler: Gear & Stuff

Lightsaber | Padawan Apparel

---

Interacting with Jacob Solay ​

 

[Jacob Solay]

TAG: Mahsa

Jacob shrugged. She did not seem to mind, and let it roll off as though it was nothing.

Again.

If she was not bothered by it, then the redhead did not need to be. Her response was different though. She seemed… flustered. Why? Jacob had not been ogling her or anything. There was that shared moment of eye contact where they both kinda had a moment where they may have let the stare linger a bit too…

OHHHHHHHH

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

She didn’t think he was… oh, now he was blushing again. Okay so yeah, she was pretty. The hair change thing was cool, and her ears were different, but Jacob had seen a Sephi before. Jacob just did not ever stop or pause long enough to think that she thought he was staring for a different reason.

Navigating people was hard. This was why being a soldier with strict rules about fraternization was better. It made things more about business not about making friends. This seemed to be about both, and Jacob did not know what to do with it.

Fortunately he did know how to throw someone, and when Mahsa stood up, he was right there with her. It was possible he looked a bit more excited than he should have been…

“Alright then, come at me, but slow, and I’ll walk you through it.”

 

[Mahsa]

Objective II: Wartime Training

---

With the mystery as to why he’d continued to stare at her solved, and glad to know it wasn’t because she had something on her face or looked funny, the orange wisps in her hair had gradually shifted to blend with the present yellow shades—all the while being entirely oblivious to the new conundrum Mahsa had accidentally unleashed on the poor boy.

The fact he’d joined her when standing up boded well, the Kazelrrian taking it as a sign that she wasn’t imposing on the young ranger as their spar now shifted into a lesson about throws. "O-Okay…!" A serious expression crossed her face as he motioned for her to begin, Mahsa quickly closing the distance as she mimicked her earlier grip against the fabric between his neck and left shoulder, before an unexpected pause lapsed over.

"Uuhmm..."It was only now that Mahsa realized she didn’t quite knew how to grab anyone for a throw, or rather she’d never attempted it out of combat. Was she supposed to also grab his arm, or would it be easier to mirror the grip she had on the other side too?

Should she have thought of these things while fighting too, was that why her approach—or technique, as Jacob had called it—had been off-beat from the very beginning? "W-Where should I grab for a proper throw?"

Spoiler: Gear & Stuff

Lightsaber | Padawan Apparel

---

Interacting with Jacob Solay ​