Private Going For a Swim On Samovar

[Ishani Dinn]

When one thought of places to go for a swim, Samovar probably didn't come up on their list. With its cooler temperatures, even in summertime it was far from tropical. The planet was also notoriously hostile to offworlders, discouraging travelers from staying for long... yet Ishani was there, it was summer, and she was headed for a swim.

Oh, she'd prefer not to, of course, but she had no choice. The Call of the Sea was upon her; she had to don her Skin and enter the water, or risk madness. It was just bad luck that it happened to hit her while she was on Samovar, trying to lay low in the Outer Rim.

To avoid attracting attention at a public beach or similar location, she instead found a remote lake in the midst of a deep forest. There she pulled on the scaled Skin and, with a flash of an orange tail, disappeared into the depths.

Kain Aldore​

 

[Kain Aldore]

Another dead end, three days ago he'd landed on the boreal planet after discovering another lead to his origins, yet the one thing he wanted kept evading him like womprats.

Brushing wet hair out of his eyes and pulling his blanket tighter Kain let out a frustrated sigh, after diving in the water for nearly an hour he'd given up after only finding a small ball-shaped device, regardless of how significant, whatever it was had died possibly decades ago. Moving the ball around and fiddling with it, Kain then threw it into the satchel before dropping the blanket and standing once more.

Quickly he walked towards the tide taking his shirt off and checking to make sure his saber was still present, he had bit down onto a rebreather while wading into the fridge water when something caught his eye, a woman.. or maybe not and flash followed by her diving into the water. He had to be seeing things, did the device actually work, or was he getting hypothermic?

It didn't matter, he needed to either get out or follow Ishani Dinn down, the latter. He dove down into the water after the woman, maybe she'd lead him to another clue before he turned into an ice cube.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Ishani dove deep into the lake. The Skin she wore kept her from feeling the cold even as she plunged toward the bottom. She had no goal in diving, save to stave off the Call of the Sea which afflicted her. All she had to do to placate her little addiction was wear the Skin and go for a swim, for a few minutes at minimum, though she often found herself enjoying it enough to linger in the water for longer.

Upon reaching the lowest depth, she paused to rest. Taking a seat on a smooth jutting rock, she pushed the tendrils of her floating hair out of her face and had a look around. The underwater world was quiet and peaceful, the dim sunlight filtering down from the surface casting everything in blue. Apart from some fish hiding among the plants, she saw little of note.

She was alone, or so she believed, and in the silence her thoughts turned toward home. A few days ago, in a grief-addled, half-mad state of mind, she had done something that, according to a renowned seeress among her people, would doom her homeworld. Ever since then Ishani had been delaying going home to face everyone whom she had disappointed and/or pissed off with her actions. But she’d have to return soon for the sake of her children, to save them from this ambiguous impending doom. She’d have to take them somewhere else, somewhere further from the border… but where was safe in the galaxy? Would they have to live aboard her ship, grow up as spacer children? Even then, there was no guarantee of safety, if they got caught somewhere trying to buy fuel and supplies…

Hang on, pull back, stop catastrophizing. Thinking about the future always did this to her. She would’ve preferred to focus only on the present, but having kids had forced her to think about their futures, if not her own.

Something glinting in the sand below her swishing tail caught her attention, the dappled sunlight reflecting off something that might’ve been metallic. Intrigued, she reached down to pick it up…

Kain Aldore​

 

[Kain Aldore]

The water nipped at his skin, bearing with it for the sake of discovery. the woman had disappeared from sight just beforehand he reached the dark depths of the bottom.

Kain stopped on the floor of the lake kicking up the silt and pulling the lightsaber off the flight suit straps, in case he wasn't invited, there were remnants of life littered around such as tattered cloth and some utensils, mostly mundane things that were probably dumped in the water as a way to forget about them, he knew how that felt.

Kain had checked the area earlier, and the priority now was to find the woman he followed down, at first he wasn't sure if it was real or not, but now he could definitely tell there was something in the water with him. He swam onwards towards the life source, but who was this girl, was she here for the same reason, no His reasons were personal, he wanted to know where he came from, Kain wasn't summoned into existence, and he was definitely no Zabrak like his adoptive father. It all accumulated in an abandonment he was too young to remember, he didn't even care about why they left him, he just wanted to know who, maybe that would alone would be enough.

Stopping a few feet away from the life source, Kain could make out Ishani Dinn and her appearance, a Melodie? No that would be impossible, once changed it was permanent and they were unable to leave their planet. But he couldn't see her fully, only able to tell she was bent over reaching for something.

He needed to know, his curiosity was kicking him, Kain raised his saber above his head his finger hovering above the ignition, he thought about the consequences but it was insignificant. Hitting the ignition the area was immediately illuminated by the green hue of his blade, though how she'd react was another story as he only eyeballed the box buried in the silt near her hands.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Disturbed silt drifted through the water as Ishani pulled out a small metal box buried in the sand. She hardly had a chance to properly examine it, however, before she abruptly became aware of an approaching presence. She turned to face them just as the depths were suddenly illuminated by bright green light—emanating from the distinct shape of a lightsaber.

Ishani’s eyes widened, her shocked expression awash in the eerie green glow. In the blink of an eye, she was gone, little more than her orange tail visible as she swam away as fast as possible, headed for the opposite shore.

The box was still clutched in her hand.

Kain Aldore​

 

[Kain Aldore]

He raised his hand about to send a freindly wave as she shot off in the opposite direction 'how did you expect that to go?' reaching his hand out he quickly dragged at the water around her with a slight amount of force, nowhere near enough power to do anything significant just get her attention, In his mind he needed to see the box, and at this point Kain was quite literally grasping for straws, well more like grapsing for the mer-person.

Then he did something really stupid and tried to speak to her, the rebreather nearly slipping from his mouth and nothing but gargled noise eminating into his surroundings, the cold was definitely getting to him. He then adjusted taking a second to collect his thoughts, the best way to get her attention that's what he needed, he turned the saber off, then threw his hands against the lake bed using the force to rocket up towards the surface, He wasn't as fast as Ishani Dinn but if he could catch up at the shore and at least convince her it would be enough

He breached the surface a few moments later spiting out the rebreather and some lake water along with it "Miss are you around? I'm sorry really, I just need to see what you found!- Yeah cause she'd definitly listen to me now." He spun around trying to see if she had breached the surface anywhere while making his way, without a body suit he was starting to shiver after spending much time in the water, feeling around he began to swim in the direction she took off in.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Ah! The water! He was manipulating the water! In a panic, she swam even faster, desperate to get to the shore. Upon reaching dry land, she scrambled up the bank, her tail splitting into two legs, the material of her Skin reshaping itself and sealing shut. She stood on her own two feet and turned around to face the lake just as she heard a voice calling to her.

"Miss are you around? I'm sorry really, I just need to see what you found!"

What the feth was going on? Who was this guy? She looked down at the box in her hand and was tempted to throw it back out into the water. But that might piss him off.

"It's just a box!" she called back, knowing full well that just a box was a bit of an oxymoron. What was in the box, ah, everyone always wanted to know that. "What do you want with it?"

She heard splashing, getting closer to her position. He was swimming toward her. Just for her own security, she summoned her blade, one hand gripping the handle while the other held the precious box.

Kain Aldore​

 

[Kain Aldore]

He could feel his toes and fingers going numb, this was bad, Kain wasn't built for cold weather, the hot dry climate of an engine room was his speed, he needed out of the water.

"It's just a box!";"What do you want with it?"

He faced the direction of her voice and started swimming, at least she wasn't a hallucination. The woman made a point, was Kain forcing himself to suffer for nothing? Anything down there for the last twenty-five years would be dust by now, there was most likely nothing in the box but he needed to see or it was all for nothing.

Kain stopped looking at her from the shallow water he was now standing in, her sword clearly visible which made sense, after all, he had greeted her with his lightsaber ignition. Taking a breathe he raised his arms out of the water and held them both in the air while taking shallow steps to get out of the lake.

"I uh... guess I need to see what's Inside"Anything he said wouldn't matter, Kain guessing she was probably a salvager looking to make some cred off used and throw away junk "Listen It's personal too m- you can keep the box and the contents but just allow me to take a look... please?"

He glared at the box, its design was intricate and deep carvings like thorns around the outside looked sith while other parts appeared more neutral. The water had done almost no external damage to it whatsoever and it would be a nice dresser piece for some rich person who liked the design. Kain's gaze then shifted from the box to her, who was she? He knew at first glance Ishani Dinn probably had nothing to do with him, but that only answered one of his many questions.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

It was a human that emerged from the shallows, a tall light-skinned male holding his hands in the air to show that he was no threat. He was shivering from the cold, and being soaked was doing him no favors. Ishani took a few more steps back, giving him ample room to get out of the water.

“Personal?” Her eyes flicked down to the box. She hadn’t had a chance to get a proper look at it, but she saw now that it was intricately carved with thorns and other symbols. It reminded her of something Arcturus might’ve made in his forge, vaguely Sith in design but not truly malevolent.

Her glance at it was brief before she swiftly returned her gaze to the man. “Then take it,” she said, slowly and carefully holding out her hand, the box resting in her palm. “I just thought it looked cool.” And she couldn’t help but be curious now that he’d revealed there might be some special significance to it. “What do you expect to find inside?”

Kain Aldore​

 

[Kain Aldore]

Dragging himself out of the lake, Kain wrung his hair out, he wasn't sure what to expect, his other free hand still held up in the air was prepared to rip the box from her hand. But then something more unexpected happened as Ishani Dinn held out the box for him. He gave her an awkward look, but why she jhanded it over was clear, the series of events came down to a misunderstanding and a bit of surprise. "Thank you... I'm Kain."

Reaching his hand out Kain walked up to the woman, the less reason she had to stab him the better. He stood s few feet from her with a gentle smile taking the box from her hand, he examined it closer almost getting instantly absorbed in the object he realized she was still in front of him he nodded his head.

"Honestly I don't know what i'm expect to find- Maybe a clue to who I am."

Pulling to open the box it didn't budge, he tried again pulling with all his strenght "You've got to be fething me?"He tried again and again with no result letting out a small laugh in frustration.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

The man introduced himself as Kain. Shrugging, she replied, “Ishani.”

Turns out Mr. Kain was looking to find out who he was. So, she’d just so happened to stumble upon some family heirloom or key to this stranger’s origins? Great. Lovely. Well, it was a good thing she hadn’t run off with it, then.

As Kain struggled to open the box, Ishani just stood there awkwardly. “Uh, is there maybe some sort of lock mechanism you have to trigger to be able to open it?” she suggested. “Or maybe being buried underwater rusted it shut. I don’t really recommend using your lightsaber on it, but if it works…”

Kain Aldore​

 

[Kain Aldore]

By now Kain was enhancing his muscles with the force while pulling when she introduced herself, giving her a warm smile in response while trying to pry open the box.

I don’t really recommend using your lightsaber on it, but if it works…”

"Nah I can't risk it. If there's any chance of damaging what's inside cant take it." He started inspecting the box closely then tracing the design gently with his finger and eyeing Ishani Dinn , she seemed human, his curiosity now dividing its attention, if the box wouldn't open it wasn't a total waste, at least he'd met someone intriguing enough to balance out his building disappointment.

Whether he got sick or frustrated, this whole trip seemed to be against him, before Kain began floating the box in the air; attempting to open it using the force with the same result. Taking it back in hand he clicked his tongue and wrapped his other arm around his body while pressing random spots on the box seemingly hoping he'd get lucky "Well Damn- Any other ideas?"

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“Yeah, I figured.” So no more lightsaber. Good. She hated lightsabers.

Kain was still struggling to open the box. He even tried using the Force, making it float and spin as he searched for some kind of mechanism. It occurred to Ishani at that point that this guy was the real deal, and not just some dude who happened to have a lightsaber. She’d run into a few of those types in her travels—ordinary people who managed to get their hands on the weapon of a Jedi or Sith, and used it as an effective means of deterring thieves and other troublemakers from bothering them. It was like wearing a costume, sure, but the reputation of Force Users preceded them. Few dared to mess with one.

Kain asked if she had any other ideas. “I dunno,” Ishani replied. “You said this box might offer a clue to your origins. Is that information supposed to be kept secret, or did somebody send you here to find it?” Basically, she was trying to clarify whether the box had been deliberately locked, or if it was just stuck due to being at the bottom of a lake for Force knew how long. “Who would’ve made it? A Jedi, a Sith? Somebody who liked puzzles? Is it just an ordinary box that’s rusted shut?”

All of her questions would be useless if he knew nothing at all about it. But that seemed unlikely, given that he had come here specifically to look for a clue to his past. Something must’ve told him to come to this place, even if it was just a hunch.

Kain Aldore​

 

[Kain Aldore]

"Sent here isn't the most accurate description- It's all just bread crumbs left by my adoptive father." This was becoming irritating, Samovar was the third 'Clue' he'd followed upon. The two previous being even less successful, the only guarantee he was on the right track was the repeating design on random objects and now the box he held,

Kain turned around sitting down on the bank running scenarios through his head, it definitely hadn't rusted shut, there was a trick behind it but whatever it was evaded him. Maybe his Father already followed these clues and came up empty, perhaps that's why he was never told. He could go around and around in his head till the lake dried up.

"I think the old man knew who my parents were or at least had an inkling but he was so damn overprotective; after he died all I found were some clues he had tied to my last name" What if there was nothing to find, what were the chances he'd been chasing this down over the last several months and it had no answer. "I really have no idea who made this- I have a few guesses which would all point to force users, but unless there's something I'm missing then... I don't know what to do." He set the box in the sand; averting his gaze away from it towards the water while scratching the stubble on his face.

Tilting his head up and looking back at her, Kain had a look of resignation, dwelling on the box any longer probably wasn't good for his mental state, he worked best when things popped into his head, he needed something else to think about besides the weather as his eyes hovered on what he guessed was actually a swimsuit on Ishani Dinn "How the hell does that thing work?" His engineer brain was definitely more interested in new tech than dwelling on something he couldn't figure out.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Bread crumbs, yeah. Not much to go on. But if it was most likely made by Force Users, that probably meant… “Is it like a holocron? Because if it is, you have to use the Force to open it, and sometimes there are other rituals involved,” she suggested, still trying to be helpful. To be honest, she didn’t know why she was bothering. Maybe the mystery intrigued her.

He changed the subject from the box to her Skin. Ishani went a little red in the face, abruptly aware that he was looking at her. “Oh, it’s a, um… an alchemized diving suit, basically,” she replied. “An Atargatis Skin. Improves swimming, lets you go down deeper, handle colder temperatures and pressure, self-cleaning… all that.”

Kain Aldore​

 

[Kain Aldore]

At the mention of a Holocron, he instantly recalled the process of opening a typical Jedi functioning Holocron. pulling at it with the force should have been enough but perhaps he needed a different method of opening it, more focus? He held his hand above the object putting force into it to no avail. More importantly, Ishani started explaining about the Skin, which was definitely up his alley, Kain always found new tech interesting and loved to theorize about what made it tick, one word she said specifically gave pause and started a buzz in his mind

alchemized

Looking at the thorn engraving on the box, the more Kain thought about it, the more the design appeared to look like lightning bolts, there was no way, the dark side? Angling his fingers towards the box and tilting his head "Miss Ishani, just as a heads up I'm going to try something." He didn't want to surprise her again, keeping it announced was probably the safest course.

Curling and then unfolding his finger a jolt of lightning shot out of his fingertips to the box, the intricate carving lighting began to glow as the box opened Kain simply let out a sigh. Reaching into it he pulled a small cylindrical Wayfinder out, finally, he had something to show. Looking at Ishani Dinn while shivering and grinning from ear to ear like a schoolboy. "You're a genius."

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“Uh, okay…” She took another careful step backwards as he decided to try something new, not sure what he intended. But it worked—the box opened, revealing a cylinder inside. Ishani had no knowledge of Wayfinders, and therefore didn’t recognize it by sight alone.

Kain seemed very pleased with the discovery, grinning broadly and dubbing her a genius. Ishani rolled her eyes. “I sorely doubt that,” she muttered. But now that he had opened the box, her interest in the mystery was beginning to wane. She probably wouldn’t stick around much longer.

“What is that thing?” she asked, pointing to the Wayfinder. “Or, I guess I should ask, do you know what it is?”

Kain Aldore​

 

[Kain Aldore]

"I do know, there were several blank versions of this device kept in my fathers workshop,.." His hesitation was apparent, Kain knew it would lead somewhere, though it's not exactly like he can run it through a computer and receive a set of coordinates, this means another scavenger hunt was probably in store for him

"It's a Wayfinder- Think about a compass pointing at a planet, this should take me right there."That was all nice and dandy, the implications of needing to open it with the Darkside didn't make him feel at ease, specifically what implications it had when pertaining to his past.

Putting the Cylinder away stood up again a new glow in his eye, His day had gone from bad to great. All because of her if she hadn't been there he'd never where to go next. while he was almost He was completely taken by the discovery and what it meant for him. Ishani on the other hand was very interesting and had definitely made the search easier, a Diving suit with sith alchemy, He could only imagine how Ishani Dinn got her hands on that.

"Thank you, Miss Ishani." he was pulling at his soaked flight suit trying to get his arms back in the sleeves, looking back in the direction of his ship. "I'd like to apologize in some way for interrupting you earlier, seriously anything in my power, just ask or send a holonet message."

 

[Ishani Dinn]

A Wayfinder. Huh. And it was an astrogation compass? How did that work? Ugh, never mind, the Force of course.

He thanked her, then offered “anything in his power” in return. Unfortunately, the one thing Ishani wanted most definitely wasn’t within his power to bestow. Or at least, not directly. Still, maybe she would call on him for aid some day in the future, as a favor owed.

“Alright, cool. Glad I could help,” she replied. “Just, uh—try not to pull your lightsaber on the next person you meet, okay?” After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “Actually, there is one thing—what would you say is the safest place in the galaxy?”

Kain Aldore​

 

[Kain Aldore]

"I can make no promises."He had a habit of greeting people in eventful ways, though meeting Ishani Dinn had definitely topped the cake, for now.

The implications of the device were numerous, and now that he was coming down from the high, Kain began to realize the cylinder could be flying him straight into Maw territory or anywhere else he didn't want to go, which was everywhere except the outer rim.

“Actually, there is one thing—what would you say is the safest place in the galaxy?”

That was definitely a question he'd never thought he'd heard, what would he say to that? It swirled in his mind, the one place it took him back to was 'There isn't one.' but that wasn't an answer, the constant attrition over planets would likely never stop, but that in itself lent another issue, what about the people who just want to live? He was a Knight of the order and this topic is exactly what led to him leaving.

"Well, That's not easy to answer. For me it's anywhere in the outer rim, but I'm a solitary trained force user, there are very few things that pose a threat to me."He took a few steps looking at the lake then in the direction of his ship "Three years ago I'd say Hosnian Prime or Cato Nemodia, Now? Somewhere near the Eternal Empire territory such as Abridon or even here on Samovar. Sorry I don't have a better answer."

There was no real answer, Kain didn't know her well enough but he suspected there was a good reason she asked.