If Keanu can do it...

[Brooke Waters]

Token had a lot of work ahead of her. Finding where she was supposed to be and y’know, making use of the Force in this galaxy. She was recently using Sabrene as her home base, flying her ship to and from there back and forth to the Bright Star One and then out on her exploration hops. That was because Sindy was around here, and it seemed like a really nice place to set up shop!

And with that, the blonde wanted to start learning the Force, and really, that kind of meant finding a teacher. While Token wasn’t… well, she wasn’t really formal for the Force, but wanted to learn how to work all that fancy stuff. She was doing a lot of stuff on her own, like… instinct. Working her body and the Force together, and trying to not fry things with a lightning blast.

And that also meant using the Force as best she could to navigate.

They were trailblazing a bit, after all.

Looking out on the beach, the blonde smiled. She’d been coming to this beach for the past few days, knowing that one [member="Manu Xextos"] was here, out in the surf. She was sitting on her towel, in her bikini, with the rash guard next to her, watching the waves. Token had a few boards, something she picked up on the home world, and was watching he waves. Her purple board, 6’2, which for her was big enough for her even on small waves. She was staring, her eyes open, but deep breathing and reaching out with the Force, some exercise she picked up… somewhere. In the galaxy. Maybe not the best idea to be reaching out like that?

 

[Manu Xextos]

It'd been some time since Manu took 'him time'. On his search for the best location for a Temple on Sabarene, the once-Jedi Master left Abha behind and travelled out to the water's edge for that piece of presence which would give him the right place. A beach. Water. Getting back to the root of it all.

The surf was up and so was the surfing Echani. Wearing a navy blue rash guard and silver board shorts, the seven foot Echani rode a longboard built of a heavily lacquered light wood brought with him from Nelvaan. It'd been a gift from the Nelvaani tribesmen, when they found him surfing the waves of their ocean on nothing but his bare feet and a waft of telekinetic force. The man bellowed a laugh, so into the curls and waves of the Sabarene ocean he didn't notice [member="Token Waters"] until after he spilled and swam on his board back to the shore. His skin was pale as paper, and seemed to glisten in the desert sunlight.

Was it translucent? Maybe for a second. Still, with his wife [member="Erryn Xextos"] alive, well and acclimatizing to life on Sabarene and his mother somewhere well tended and out of his hair, the man could let his lengthy silver hair down and let it slick down the back of his neck and across his cheeks. "Dude!" He laughed.

"I thought I was alone out here. . . hey Token how's it hanging? Loose, I hope." Manu pulled the hair from his face and walked onto the sand, carrying his board. Did the man remember @Syndacha Aerin's girlfriend? Yes, yes he did.

 

[Brooke Waters]

To say she was watching like a hawk wasn’t quite wrong. She was hoping to get the attention of the Echani, but she didn’t want to come across… too strong? Or too crazy, something like that. Her own board was simple, modern and made of a plexi that kept it strong and light. Didn’t need to be heavy here, and the paint scheme on it, that was all her own. Token liked to be creative.

Typically it was music, but sometimes it was art on boards and how she was in the water itself.

So far she liked this world. She enjoyed deserts and the ocean, they were… she didn’t know. Vast? And that reminded her of space. Watching the Master fall, she smiled when she saw him come into shore. Making it look like she wasn’t just glaring at him, she smiled up when he walked by.

“Its going pretty well! How’s everything with you? Surf looks good!” She nodded. Small talk, right, her worst enemy.

[member="Manu Xextos"]

 

[Manu Xextos]

"We need to get more people to this beach. Or keep it as our secret and only let the cool kids play on the surf." The land around them was barren and softened by ages of sand for miles. He stuck his board in the soft sand, and plunked down beside the girl with a laugh on his lips and the sound of the sea in his ears. "There's a madman Epicanthix who wants to set up a colony for his people on the other side of the equator, a Senior Captain who hasn't heard the word Fun in seventeen years, my wife's settling in and the rest of our people have made the move to Abha and aren't living on our fleet ships."

He chuckled warmly and propped himself up on his elbows to watch the sun on the waves. "Life couldn't be better right now. Here to hit the waves with that board or work on your tan? How's Sindy doing? Last I checked she was still elbow deep in engine grease and loving the Brynjar's Engineering Department. Still the case? What about you, like my planet? Could use some livening up. Teach them to enjoy life instead of just survive, eh, that'll come in time, right Token?"

The man looked less brittle and harrowed out on the ocean waves and the sandy beach. He felt easy here, as if the weight of his worlds were dwindling for the feel of the surf and the joy of having his wife back from the dead.

 

[Brooke Waters]

Token smiled, she’d spent enough time on the Golden Beaches of Corellia and other worlds that she knew localism was a thing. Sure, surfing for her was new, but she was pretty good at picking up a lot of physical moves. Blame her parents for dancing and martial arts lessons, it was all muscle memory. “That’s right, the fleet ships! Are they working for defense here now?” Sindy was working on them… wasn’t she? Token smiled at [member="Manu Xextos"]. “This place is nice, its good to get my feet in the sand.” She stretched and curled her toes in the sand. Yep, warm!

“I’m doing a bit of both. I haven’t gotten wet… I mean, in the water… I mean… gone surfing, in a bit. So I’m hoping to get in, but with a job I took, I’m ship bound for weeks on end, its good to feel the sun!” Simple enough really, Token craved the sun and the sea, and well, everything. Life, other people, their company, that sort of thing. “And Sindy’s great! Working too much, but she wouldn’t be Sindy otherwise.” She was going to say ‘my Sindy’ but didn’t want to bother Manu with her crazy.

“It would be nice to open a few establishments, I mean… I’ve been working with a man from Abrion, I think you know him… Starchaser? Quite a business.” Casinos and the like. “But regardless, people settling will create a bit of fun on their own!”

 

[Manu Xextos]

"Sabarene is our home base now. We've got the duty of protecting the Fringe from the Unknown Reaches and any invaders who come around our back end. So yeah. We're still on border control, it's a different border and I'm kind of relieved. Heh. Yeah, that girl. I'm glad she enjoys the work." Manu sat forward and put his elbows on his knees. The waves were calling him, it was time for them both to get back in the water.

"A lot of our settlers have been so stressed with finding a home they've been running since the Sith Empire held Chandaar. Think after lifetimes of fear they're learning what fun is again. There'll be rejoicing but it might need a jumpstart, don't you think? Starchaser. Marek? Dude! Small world, yeah I know him. What's he up to nowadays?"

Marek survived Albion did he? The feeling of Marek surviving the space chased Manu with a modicum of relief. When Druckenwell was glassed by their own people, Manu had taken the entire Sv'Yato Fleet and all the colonists on Tythe, all the Nelvaani who would come and ran full engines for the Fringe border. It had been a dangerous, harrowing collection of weeks as the Fleet towed border lines and free space, hoping to remain unseen, undeterred and uncaptured. Finding Sabarene's condition had the collective breaths of the settlers hold firm, there was so much work yet to be done. Even Admirals and leaders needed to take time off.

"What kind of establishments you thinking? I'd like to see a combat competition ring folk could watch. Something huge we could use for games. We've got Epicanthix moving in to their own colony too, and it would help relieve tensions. . . I'm not much of an entertainer."

[member="Token Waters"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

Token was smiling. Having a bit of a home base was nice. Some place where she wasn’t going to witness genocide, hopefully. “It’ll be better than having to worry about war. I wish there was something that could be done over in Abrion.” Yeah, Token was wanting to learn the Force, but she was still crazy free-love Token like always. “She does, maybe too much at times.” The blonde let out a bubbly little giggle.

She knew her boss? Really small galaxy, huh? “He’s working on some projects, helping move the Abrion group through… something, I dunno. He’s focusing more on his own company, casinos and entertainment. Might be the guy you’re looking for.” Or this writer should stop shamelessly plugging for himself.

“He seems a bit too stubborn for his own good. Staying there, I mean.” She wanted to get far from those worlds as possible.

“We could do something for combat, like boxing is done! Maybe some place for a wave pool, although we have the ocean.” She nodded ahead of them. “What about a casino? Or some other resort?” Seemed the most simple explanation.

[member="Manu Xextos"]

 

[Manu Xextos]

"I don't think there's going to be something to do with Albion for a long time. The population has to heal and that won't happen quickly. There was a lot of faith lost and more good will. Think of how many refugees we brought with us? With the Unknown Reaches at our backs and the Fringe at our fronts, we're still safer here than in Albion. Try and get Sindy to chillax, eh? What about You? Gonna pick up some skills while you're here or are you comfy without exploring your wild force side?" Manu got up and brushed the sand off his body with a waft of wind. The sand drifted to the ground and Manu grabbed his board.

"A casino, eh? Yeah that could work. As long as Sabarene gets some of the income from it. Let the wave pool happen closer to Abha. Most folk probably won't make it out here. Not all the way." Something to bring money to Sabarene? That worked for the former Jedi. It worked well. "Grab your board. The waves are too righteous to ignore."

[member="Token Waters"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

Token knew that Manu was right. She was a student and that school was all about humanitarian aid, and public health. That meant she knew what happened after disasters. Nodding to the Echani she was still listening. “I just wish I could do something for the people there.” She shrugged. It was home for a bit of time, and Token had a heart to want to heal the galaxy. But she knew that it wasn’t always possible, not like when she was a child. “Actually, that’s one reason I’ve been here so often.” She blushed, running a hand through her hair. “You teach Sindy, don’t you? Would you… be open to teaching me how to control the Force?”

After what happened to her parents, that was something she desperately needed. There was darkness in her, but if she could focus her Force powers into something… more civil? Like movement and telekinesis, and maybe healing, or dealing with sound as a power, which would work for her. Something to keep her away from the lethal Lightning she had used wildly when her family was attacked. That didn’t end well. Nope.

“A casino would definitely be fun, and I feel that Starchaser isn’t like the rest of them. But… who knows.” She didn’t know much in the galaxy, except that when she was around Sindy she felt home. And knowing that there was this world to come back to was definitely helping her along, especially with her exploration trips that she was taking.

Smiling up at [member="Manu Xextos"], the little blonde grabbed her board as she got to her feet. “It does look good out there!” She smiled, following the Ancient Warrior.

 

[Manu Xextos]

"Yes, I'm Sindy's Master. I'm not easy, Token. I don't take my position lightly, nor do I take the upkeep of my Padawans lightly. It's like becoming part of my family, reminds me of teaching my kids. Train you, hmm?" Manu took hold of [member="Token Waters"]' chin and tilted the girl's head to either side, then up to look at the kindly Master. Manu's eyes were keen and silver, reflections of a vast and endless pool of the shining light. Yet shadows reflected off the pools, shadows of past and present sins. Of pride and the formidable panic of a youngling who was chased by robes of red until the King was dead and his ignoble brow was cast down the trench of his horrific creations. On Sabarene Manu Xextos found a planet freed from struggle, freed from the ten thousands scratching at his neck for vengeance, justice and a firm line in the sand. He could surf and love his wife and even then. . . he could not let go. The man struggled yet with [member="Erryn Xextos"]' clone-flesh and resurrection.

No one was pure anymore, aside from [member="Ilias Nytrau"] and oh how that man did struggle. The Light taught him to let go, the Jedi told him to release his echanar and be free to serve nothing but the bright and noble highs. He couldn't do it.

In this he could understand the fear in her eyes, the pain and panic. "As I said. Grab your board, Paddie-one."

And it was done. Manu would take to heart another student who could rise or fall, one with risks. This was no five year old with a blank slate and chilly fingers. Token had strings of moments thicker than pearls. "And start feeling the Force around you. The Force is like water, it forms and moulds around us and if we're not careful, it'll swallow us whole. Using the Force is like surfing on the water. They're not far removed. Why I do it so much." Manu rushed the water and paddled out past the crests of the waves and sat up on the board.

"Balance, Tokes! Balance or drown."

 

[Brooke Waters]

Well, at least Manu knew what he was doing, a raiser of children and someone who equated students to family. That would be nice. Short of Sindy, how long had it been since Token felt she belonged somewhere? Probably since her folks… y’know, died. Was that still her fault? She was trying to stop the pirates and protect herself, and her parents. How was she to know the Force was that… violent? It’d been what? Months? A year? More? Since that incident? Was she ready for the Force again? She thought so, but…

“Yessir!” She smiled brightly, slipping her arm over her board. She’d have to get the leash on, but that was once she got to the water. Stepping into the water, and collecting her breath, and her thoughts, things she learned when she did time with the Sith, after her incident. She knew that Starchaser found the water a lot. Maybe there was a call to the Force users from the water? Quickly getting her leash on, the blonde paddled her purple board after the Master.

Balance. “I can balance! I know how to… well I can surf surf…” Even if sometimes she surfed like she drove. And she drove like someone who stole something.

[member="Manu Xextos"]

 

[Manu Xextos]

Manu laughed and hit the waves, slicing on the crest of the water and he held up one of his hands in front of him. The wave continued, began to mould and shape until it sent Manu going in another direction to prolong his ride. "Everything's interconnected, [member="Token Waters"]. The way we surf isn't that far removed from the way we pray, or eat or the way we connect to people, events and the Force. Get comfortable. Learn your own skin. Only when you're comfortable with Token can you start being comfortable with the powers of the Force both good and bad, with enough control to keep yourself away from getting taken over or manipulated by higher forces."

The way the girl moved on the waves had Manu pausing. Frenetic, hurried, she threw herself into the surf like a woman half possessed and thirsty for drinking water. Or a stiff drink. "Tell me, when did you know you could wield the Force?"

 

[Brooke Waters]

She was listening to Manu, despite all the loud music the girl listened to, her hearing was still second to none. She really liked sound, and was starting to moonlight as a DJ at some bars, and obviously installed a surround sound to her Niathal. And by installed she meant cuddled one of the guys on board until he put the system in. Then she got to control the music. And with a program she found, was mixing it. Really, this tangent just showed that mixing music, all the different genres, common ground could be found even in music. And the water, and life. Smiling at [member="Manu Xextos"], even if he couldn’t see, she nodded.

Right, she was paddling wildly, but it was working for her. She dug hard and fast. In everything, really. Liked it that way. Hard and fast. First time she used the Force? She bit her lip and stopped paddling. “I… there was an accident, and my parents.” Right, dark side, lightning to kill the bad guys, and apparently everyone else aboard the freighter. It was an accident… And she was starting to get past it.

Slowly.

 

[Manu Xextos]

"The first time I consciously used the more brutal side of the Force, I was a teenager. I'd been terrified of losing my cool and in a training exercise with a fellow Padawan, I nearly killed her with a training sabre. My Master was less than impressed. I ran away, hoofed it to Thyrsus, where I met my wife and my worst enemy of the time. It's a desh-terranium line we weave upon, like the crest of the waves we can either tumble down or cut across. Tell me more. There's nothing you could say that would make me think less of you, Token." He circled around on his board and swam back toward her, sitting up and putting his hands on the lacquered wooden surface.

"I know it's uncomfortable. Those moments are part of us, and for the worst and the best they frame us. But it's going to be okay. Those fears and tensions will fade with time and training. Trust me, it's going to be okay."

 

[Brooke Waters]

It was something else to see that even a person like Master Sex Toast had issues with the Force. "After thEy died. I ran. I hid in the Sith Empire. I figured that was my only option. When I found they were too... brutal for me I made my way to the then Confederacy. It was a nice place but... I wasn't thinking. Straight aside from with Sindy."

She kept paddling, watching the waves and feeling the ocean. Tricky life.

[member="Manu Xextos"]

 

[Manu Xextos]

"The Sith are fantastic at telling you they're your only option. It's their biggest ruse: to be 'other than' Jedi you have to be Sith. That's not true. There's good in you, Token. You're not allowed to forget that the good inside you overruns the ferocious. I'm glad you found Sindy. She's a great kid and you're not bad yourself." Manu lightly pushed [member="Token Waters"] ' shoulder while she was paddling on her board.

"So! Learning. The Force is a different entity for everyone of us who are a part of it. For me it's this. . . cosmic ocean. Always has been. For you? What is it?Whatever it is, it's bound to be fast, eh? Surf this next wave with me. Catch up. Think about nothing but the speed and your goal: tag! You're it!" Manu slapped Token's shoulder with a giddy laugh and pushed off to paddle away toward the next cresting wave.

He stood up and rode the wave, his hand in front controlling the water's flow. The wave continued on and on, Manu surfed it faster and faster, keeping an eye on Token's progress. If she concentrated on the end goal, the process of increasing her own speed would follow.

Heck, this was better than taking her for a run.

 

[Brooke Waters]

Regrading the Sith, Token felt it was her only option. "I was immature. I had just lost my folks. I was a murderer. It was scary." She bit her lip and shrugged. Was nerve wracking. "She is. I really like her." Like a lot a lot. Simple.

This master was what she needed. What was the Force to her? An ocean? A highway? She was it? The girl giggled and paddled after him. She was going to catch him. She liked it fast. Everything, really. "I dunno. I like the Ocean. Its... varied. So many different approaches and ways to use it!" Like different beach breaks.

Paddling faster she pooped up and tucked herself into the wave. Reaching the side wall, she wasn't sure if she'd hit the green room this wave, but a cut back or two and she was snapping off the lip before heading towards [member="Manu Xextos"].