Healing the Galaxy: Cerea (Closed)

[Hemlock Briar]

Cerea
Somewhere along the Axis River
Daybreak

Hemlock sat in a meditative position. He had been allowed to leave the pedestrian Citadels in exchange for helping with a problem they were having. The Draethos was no Jedi, but he was a Light Sider and better yet he was quite in tune with nature, a must have for all Cereans. The tall cities littered with skyscraper apartment buildings utilized little ground, instead leaving more room for the flora to prosper.

The rogue padawan had traveled to the planet in hopes of getting a pardon to collect Tecave plant to synthesize it into guilea. Guilea was a euphoric drug that was rumored to help one’s connection to the Force and was also used during a few therapy sessions and proved to help an emotional understanding to be reached, most patients were far more honest. Hemlock figured in his two hundred years of life he had yet to take any sort of illicit drug, he figured if it had scientific research behind it once wouldn’t hurt.

The plan had changed however. Instead of pardoning him to pick the plant they propositioned him to quell a spilled cargo ship filled with Akk Dogs, the lightsaber resistant beasts that are notorious for their sharp teeth. Hemlock begrudgingly accepted, figuring it would be easy enough to befriend the beasts considering they were raised by Cerean breeders on the planet. Though not fully trained, they weren’t completely feral. The ship had capsized due to a navigational error and the dogs escaped with their lives, the crew weren’t so lucky.

He had camped along the Axis River, a wide and dangerous river used by many Cereans to trade between cities; it was called the Axis River because there were three other rivers that crossed into it downstream, creating an even larger river. Briar figured there had been a message sent out through the Republic and other close factions, a call for help in exchange for mysterious and rare Cerean technology, however limited it was.

The tyrian colored alien had been traveling for no more than an hour when he decided to stop for breakfast. He had packed some food from the Cerean restaurant he had stopped at the day prior. He hoped soon to find these Akk Dogs and see if he was able to lull them with the Force enough for him to call the Cereans in to capture them and export them.

@[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Being that his last lightsaber had been utterly destroyed by a sith, Vulpesen was now in search of something to make his saber his own. That something was a Cerean kasha crystal, said to empty one's mind in the force which would be perfect for making Vulpesen's feral side so much easier to defeat should he be pressed to his limits again. While he was there, he accepted a small job of containing quite a few Akk dogs that had gotten loose. During the briefing he had been informed of another force user who was in it for some herbs. Keeping this in mind, Vulpesen asked for a simple price. One of the escaped Akk dogs, a transport for the creature to Coruscant, and the previously mentioned Kasha crystal.

As he walked along to the river where he was informed he would meet his colleague, he easily spied the camp. "Salutations!" Vulpesen called out to @[member="Hemlock Briar"]. "Are you the one here for the Akk dogs?" His voice was friendly, but slightly louder than most despite his small frame. It was a voice designed to bark above a busy market place, and would likely suffice to be heard by his companion, assuming he wasn't completely deaf.

 

[Hemlock Briar]

Hemlock stood from his meditative position. Hemlock was a regular height for a Draethos, standing just over five feet ten inches. He bowed his head in a respectful fashion. He was clad in taupe robes, not wanting to stand out in the green and brown landscape he was walking. His overbite was extended into what his people would consider a ‘smile’, the Draethos was a very friendly creature. “Greetings, traveler, I figured they would send someone who was a bit more competent with a blade.” He said, looking the man once over and noticing he was quite a bit more built than Hemlock.

There was sadly no more food from the resturaunt left, if he had known he were to have company he would have waited to share. There was however refreshments, “Yes, I was just taking a break from my travels. Could I offer you some stim-tea?” It was what he liked to start his morning off with; it gave him a jolt from the different plants he added to it from his collection from across the galaxy. He loved making different types of teas and foods with all the flavors from the stars, most said his tea was some of the best they’d ever tried. He had been refining the recipe for over one hundred years by now.

“My name is Hemlock Briar, I come from the Fringe but travel wherever the living Force takes me.” He offered another bow before pouring some tea.

@[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen gave a polite bow as he finally reached the Draethos. He might have had more muscle, but his new companion was noticeably taller as Vulpesen. "Vulpesen Espadus Torrevaso, at thine service." He smiled as he rose from the bow, having formally introduced himself. "Vulps for short, and some tea sounds rather nice." Basic stim-tea like that he could get at a cafe, Vulpesen generally hated, but something told him that whatever his friend have would be more than slightly better. And even if it wasn't Vulpesen's life story seemed to revolve around trying new things. Sure that philosophy mainly had to do with the force, but why shouldn't it touch other places of his life as well? @[member="Hemlock Briar"]

 

[Hemlock Briar]

The Draethos padawan handed the steaming cup over to his new friend. The Cerean winds blew swiftly across the open plains of the planet, bringing with them sweet scents from the local flowers and other local plans. Hemlock loved to be one with nature, he felt the Force much heavier when he walked among the trees and grass. The padawan sipped from his spiced tea, his tastebuds lighting up with the different spices coating his pallet.

“I’m sure you’ll find it to your liking.” He offered before taking another sip. His long Draethos fingers wrapped around the mug, it was still a little chilly along the river, but nothing the two hadn’t experienced before most likely. “So what brings you to Cerea? Other than the obvious of course.” He was curious to see why he took the job, hoping it was for a nicer purpose rather than a selfish one. Hemlock had no time for people who took pleasure from hurting animals, no matter their crimes.

@[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen enjoyed the taste of the tea. It was strange compared to what he usually drink, but pleasant. He would have to learn what herbs were used in the making of this wonderful taste. Upon hearing @[member="Hemlock Briar"]'s question, Vulpesen would look up form the mug and give a small shrug. "Seemed like a good job for me. My lightsaber was crushed by a Sith back on Hape's and I found that when I go through enough pain, that that is when i fall closest tot he dark side. I figured if I did a favor for the Cereans, they might give me a kasha crystal which can help me get over the pain and reconstruct my blade. I'm also a beast tamer, so this Akk dog retrieval job is right up my alley. Who better to capture creatures than someone who spent his entire life befriending them."

Vulpesen remembered well the day that Faust had destroyed his weapon, and he once again vowed to meet him in the future. Not for vengeance, but to take back what was his. However, should he meet any other sith or go into a situation such as that Deadman Wonderland, fiasco, he would need to clear his mind from the death and pain around him. Only then would he stand a fighting chance against the darkness within himself. As he finished his introspection, he took another sip of the tea and finished his reply. "Why did you sign up for it?"

 

[Hemlock Briar]

The Draethos mused over the question for a moment. Why had he come to do the job? Of course there was the rare grass they were going to allot him, but any good Light Sider never did anything for the gain of the few, instead they looked for the gain of the many. He sipped his tea again; the main taste was that of the Kashyyyk mint leaf, a rare and almost spicy herb that the Wookiees used in most of their dishes they prepared for offworlders. He smelled the stim-tea again; it was the small things, those are what mattered. “Well.” He paused, searching for the words. He still had a heavy accent, not as heavy as most Draethos who never even learn Basic, but heavy enough to notice.

“I follow the Living Force, and it brought me here under the guise of research…” He took another sip from his still steaming tea, the warm was quite refreshing. “Turns out the Cereans requested my help, they respected my understanding of nature and assumed I could handle this without harming their fragile eco systems they’ve spent so much money maintaining.” He pointed farther down the river, toward the still rising sun, “They capsized five clicks that way, but by now the pack could be anywhere.”

He carried few weapons, Hemlock far preferred words over swords, but he still came equipped with his single green saber, a sigil of his Force User capabilities. He was quite relieved to hear of the other man’s affinity toward living creatures, perhaps the Draethos would learn a thing or two from the Jedi.

@[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"Well then, as soon as the sun is up, I suggest we go out to find them. No point in wasting any time to finding our scaly friends." Vulpesen finished his tea and watched the sun. He usually did his work without pay, but this time he had a chance to give himself a boost in his work against the sith, and the extra incentive made him all the more eager to get this done. @[member="Hemlock Briar"]

 

[Hemlock Briar]

It would be another half hour or so before the sun arose from its slumber, reaching its rays all over and not just directly into the eyes of those walking toward it. There would be no need to give the hounds any shadows to creep out of, or any excuse for the duo to not see them coming. It was going to be a dangerous mission, trying to sway animals to your side, sure they were partially trained, but most Akk Dogs were sold to slavers or other criminals so only minimal training was required.

Hemlock finished his tea also, the dregs stuck to the bottom. “Let us hope the Force leads us in the right direction.”

@[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen nodded to @[member="Hemlock Briar"]'s words. He found it strange that this person seemed to be more jedi than he was. That wasn't to say that he was the kind of person who barely made the cut, but this Draethos in front of him held an aura of pure light around him, as if there was no possible way the dark side could corrupt him. It was enlightening, disconcerting, and comforting all at the same time.

As the sun finally started to rise, Vulpesen sat up and stretched. "'Bout time we get to work." As he completed his stretch, Vulpesen centered himself in the force and around extended his force sense out past the camp, searching for any signs of life that might signal their targets. That was one of the great things of the force. It made life easier in the way that one didn't have to move as much as those without the sensitivity to the force.

 

[Hemlock Briar]

It was high time they set out., the beautiful oranges and yellows of the rising sun painted the river and the surrounding fields beautifully. The fish in the river jumped excitedly as they swam upstream, it was likely mating season for them, and perhaps they would attract more of the local fauna. Hemlock was fascinated by the circle of life, choosing to take part as an observer, his long lifespan saving him from becoming a part of it for another six hundred years if he stuck to his peaceful ways. The idea of seeing the natural animals tourists never got to see was as exciting as it was dangerous; it was always possible the Akk Dogs weren’t the only predators in the ecosystem.

Heeding his companion's call and taking foot once again next to Vulpesen, Hemlock was ready to march onward toward the creatures. His taupe robes followed his steps, catching on some of the longer grasses below. There were beautiful scents breezing by in the air, fresh from the chilly night’s grasp. Hemlock lived for the beauty of the planets he traveled to, not just for the good he hoped to bring with. He was rewarded with as much happiness as he gave, that was the name of his game. “Let us bring light to these misguided animals.” He bowed again out of respect to their query, hopefully no sabers would be drawn given the two padawans’ love of animals.

They would just need to trust in the Force and everything would be alright. He knew if he were an example of the Light Side to his fellow padawan, perhaps he could help him refrain from flirting with the darkness the empath felt in his soul.

@[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen nodded and extended himself farther out into the landscape until he finally caught a presence off to their right. Vulpesen's head instantly snapped towards the presence and he ran towards it. The first Akk Dog was more than a starting point. It had something he didn't, a nose that could sniff out another Akk dog. "We've got one over there." He kept his hand away from his light saber. A single Akk Dog would be easy to tame, and even if it wasn't he was well aware of their resistance to the weapon of the Jedi. As they started to come close, Vulpesen slowed his pace. He wanted to get there quickly, but he did not need to scare the creature into attacking him. The flora in the area around him was beautiful, but Vulpesen had other interests. Flowers were pretty, animals were amazing. @[member="Hemlock Briar"]

 

[Hemlock Briar]

It wasn’t long after Vulp peeped the Akk Dog that Hemlock spotted it too. He hadn’t felt its presence but that was likely due to him not expecting to see one so early. If it had split up from its pack that must have meant they were looking for food. There were enough woods nearby for them to run to that it wasn’t too hard to imagine they stuck fairly close to their crash site. They were likely hunting down smaller animals to eat and bring back to the rest of them.

“I am interested in seeing your Animal Familiarity in action.” He said in reference to the Akk Dog. The Draethos entered stealth mode, tiptoeing along next to the Jedi, not wanting to alert the dog to their presence. He would be taking notes and later emulating his fellow padawan so he didn’t want to be the one that messed it up for them.

@[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen grinned and walked slowly up to the Akk Dog. Reaching out with the force, he found it's mind and worked on settling the chaos within. His influence was not a demand, but a suggestion. This animal was not to be his slave, but a friend. In Vulpesen's experience animals preferred to be petted rather than whipped. His influence seemed to have an outward effect as the Akk Dog began to slow down in it's movements, seeming almost drowsy as the Padawan continued his approach. He showed no fear, only kindness with a slight air of superiority.

Having never dealt with an Akk Dog, Vulpesen was bound to have a few mistakes, and one of them almost got him into some deep trouble as his would be friend snapped out of the trance to snap at Vulpesen who quickly leaped the side. "Woah, boy!" Once again, Vulpesen increased himself in the force and worked on settling the Dog's mind. The force flowed between them as he once again closed the distance until his palm touched the creature's forehead. "Join us so that we may find your brothers." The dog perked up at his words. He wen he was simply afraid, and lonely as any pack animal was when they were left behind. After Vulpesen finished the bond, he walked towards @[member="Hemlock Briar"] with his new friend at the heel. "Beast charm works wonder's when used with beast speaking of kind words."

 

[Hemlock Briar]

The empath that was Hemlock Briar was on edge the entire time, feeling each and every ebb and flow of the Force as Vulpesen marched toward the beast. It was like the Force was playing music up and down his spine it was reverberating so much. It was the worrywart inside every Draethos, they always expected the worst. It was good for Hemlock though because he generally came out very pleased with the outcome. There was no denying the power in the air as the padawan approached, even when the dog snapped at him he handled it with the grace of a Coruscanti ballerina, gliding his body away.

He took a breath of relief as the dog whimpered under his touch. It wasn’t a painful whimper but a respectful one. You couldn’t be less confident than the animal; you had to show them that you were more powerful, but in a respectful way. Positive reinforcement. There was a certain air in the Jedi as he swaggered back with his new friend. It was obvious the Jedi truly cared for animals. “I am very impressed. You are truly at peace when you are with animals, it shows in your step.” Hemlock took a couple steps toward the two before reaching a hand out. “May I?” He asked about the animal, wanting to touch it, to feel its power and the power of the Jedi controlling it.

Once an empath, always an empath.

@[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen nodded and and motioned for @[member="Hemlock Briar"] to proceed. "As long as neither of us are angry at you, you should be fine." He'd learned reccently that his animals picked up on his emotions towards people when an unfortunate dagger wielder had hurt a woman Vulpesen was protecting. Though he was doing his best to heal her through the force, his bond had sent the animals through a rage which left the man little chance. "I learned how to beast tame when I was a young child." For Vulpesen, beast taming was as easy driving a speeder (he often used the ability to avoid the latter skill). "If it weren't for my ability to do this, then I'm pretty sure I'd be dead by now."

 

[Hemlock Briar]

Hemlock laid a hand upon the beast’s side, immediately he felt the beast’s fear. It had been sent out to find food, but when it returned the pack had left. Likely something inside the woods spooked them off or they already ate and moved on. The lonely Akk Dog had been wounded too.

“You’ve been hurt, my friend.” The Draethos whispered, closing his eyes soon after. The alien’s hands started to glow a feint blue, almost like a smothered light under his hands. “It’s okay, I am here.” With his eyes still closed the Draethos began to transfer some of his energies to the animal, restoring whatever damage had been done, likely just some wear and tear from a fight. Hemlock wasn't the greatest healer yet, but he knew how to make sure someone was okay and ease their pains.

“Something tells me the Akk Dogs aren’t the only thing we need to worry about in these lands.” His tone was much more somber as his eyes opened; staring across the plains and into the woods, what he saw was unimportant, what was important was what he was trying to feel. He stretched his perception out through the Force. There was a tugging feeling down the river, their next stop would be downstream.

“We should continue forward. This one will be fine.” He took his hands off the Akk Dog and started walking.

@[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen agreed and followed behind @[member="Hemlock Briar"]. As he healed the Akk dog's fear, something seemed to lift within Vulpesen. Having not been formally trained in beast speak, his method was a bit different, more intimate. As a consequence, Briar's effect upon the subject caused a small amount of it to move within Vulpesen, who in turn focused his attention onto the process, using the force to sense the changes that were happening. He'd learned the how to use the smallest aspects of mind effect, and now he would learn even more, perhaps something that he could actually use to enhance his own skills.

Whatever Briar was feeling down stream, Vulpesen also felt it, both through his senses, and that of the Akk Dog who stepped in front of him as he moved. The fine animal was in good condition, with no real damage to his hide, or anything else. As a child of Amar, Vulpesen easily took note of these things and decided that when this was all done, that he would take this one. As one Akk Dog was part of the deal, Vulepsen would likely choose the first one he found to take back to the temple on Coruscant.

 

[Hemlock Briar]

The morning sun was beating down on Hemlock’s eyes. He was a bit more sensitive to the light due to his specie’s background so he loathed the break between the rolling Cerean clouds. The duo traveled farther downstream and farther away from civilization. Whatever they were going to face, they would likely be left to their own devices, and the Cerean government cared not what happened to tourists or visitors beyond their protected zones, help would not come.

Hemlock mentioned no word of this however; spirits were to remain high on this mission if they were to succeed. He had to pack away the doubt once again, focus on his newfound training. He wanted to make an impression on an Akk Dog today and you couldn’t do that if you doubted yourself. Instead of worrying, Hemlock decided to converse. “What are you feeling? I keep feeling a looming darkness ahead, something I can’t quite describe.” He wondered what the Jedi felt through the Force and through the animal.

@[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"The dog is getting twitchy. Whatever it is, it's not exactly good, however I'm sure we can survive this." Vulpesen's senses were much like his compatriot, feeling the darkness ahead, but not quite sure what exactly it entailed. However, he placed a steady hand on his saberstaff, just to be sure.Whatever it was, it would find this teach quite hard to take out considering the combination of a battle tested Jedi and a lightsaber resistant Akk Dog.

As they walked to the disturbance in the force, Vulpesen enjoyed the scenery. Having relied so much on stealth during his missions on several planets, he'd discovered a natural affinity to the darkness and the looming cloud cover brought him into a perfect amount of it.He'd realized that he made a strange jedi. Preferring shadows and darkness rather than the light, and yet he would never change to a sith, even upon his darkest hour, he had fallen to defend his friends from a sith, and had managed to face the light as soon as he had recovered from his injuries. Yes, he was a strange and dark one, but the darkness would soon find itself in combat with the inner peace of a kasha crystal if this all went according to plan. @[member="Hemlock Briar"]