Private In The Wasteland of Modern Capitalism

[Colette]

There were 5127 levels to this place. So dead was this planet that it was no longer measured by its tallest peak but instead by how far away from it your were. The smell of wet concrete certainly did precious little to instill any sort of idea that this place was still alive and the air reeked of fumes and who knows what more they put in there to keep it all going. Because given everything else on this forsaken planet it wasn’t entirely out of the question that its rains were just as fake as everything else.

There were no scars from rivers that had carved out its path through the landscapes over the course of millenia here. There were no signs of REAL forests here that would teem with a natural life unique to this particular world. There was no system in place, untouched by man, that worked in perfect unison together to ensure each other's survival. Where there should have been natural predators and prey and everything in between there was only the presence of scavengers and parasites which tried to grow fat off of the bloated carcass left behind as Mother Nature was forced to abandon yet another one of her lost children.

If there was ever a single thing that Colette would point to as ultimate proof of everything that was wrong with this galaxy, Coruscant was it. Crime and corruption ran rampant here and credits coursed through the city like poisoned blood through infected vessels. These tokens of favor - credits - were dangled in front of others as a means of giving an illusion of importance when in reality amassing that kind of favor capital should have been illegal in the first place. It was sickening how tightly this egotistical mindset was ingrained in the galaxy at large and how everyone seemed to have fallen for the disease of capitalistic greed.

So, as Colette stood outside the entrance to a restaurant a few blocks away from the Jedi Temple and looked out across the rooftop surface of the world she so utterly despised there was little she could do but despair. She would be heading home in a few days, but that still put her on Coruscant for ninety-six more hours than she was able to tolerate. In this very instance she wished that someone would just burn this stain to the ground. It had been attempted before, but that didn't change the fact that Corsucant needed to die, it needed to rest. There was nothing good that could come from a place as inhumane as this place, and that was a belief that Colette held onto tight with no signs of letting up, and it was a belief that in just a short matter of time would become questioned.

Because behind her she could feel the approach of the one person that she had heard of making the rounds recently. It was the Padawan Seeker, the Mandalorian with a penchant for questions. Colette could feel her presence and the way her presence was piled onto the pile of everything else wandering around her mind in this very moment.

The kid looked over her shoulder.

“Oh,” She said and turned back to the skyline. “It’s you.”

It wasn’t disgust, just another drop in an already all too bitter cup of disdain.

“I can’t stop you from leaning in if that’s what you’re looking to do.” She sighed and shook her head as a thought struck her. If anyone would have an opinion it was this woman, right? Colette turned back. “Actually, tell me, what is it that you see when you look out across this?” She asked and motioned for the sight beyond the metallic balustrade. “What does Coruscant even stand for?”

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Coruscant
| Objective | Seek and Find - Learn and Grow.

Coruscant disgusted Jenn.

To a woman who took such pride in her honesty, the planet itself was poison to her. This was a bastion of lies, of ill intent: from the lowest levels up to the seat of the Galactic Senate, every last part of the structure was rotten to the core. The thoughts of purifying fire that came to her mind were chased away, although with some... difficulty. Convincing others that she was not a bloodthirsty Crusader bent on destruction might prove difficult, if all her presence in the Force could exude was anger and disgust. Inhaling deeply through her gills, she sought to refocus on her mission: namely, challenging her views a little more... directly. Doing so with a Knight or a Master might very well just get her in the kind of trouble she would not find herself capable of walking away from, but Padawans? Not only was she confident in her ability to defeat them if they chose to resort to violence, she found them to be introspective souls, untouched by the horrors that came with the word necessity.

Shan Pavond abhorred violence, and found himself struggling to deal with his purpose in the galaxy after surviving his time in captivity among the Sith. Instead of condemning what most among her people would regard as weakness, the Ersansyr had remained patient, calm, perhaps even a little kind as he asked his questions and sought to understand why Mandalorians were the way they were. Loomi did not want to hurt anyone either, and Jenn had found herself moved by her innocence enough to take the girl back to safety after the raid on Alliance worlds. Even Corazona von Ascania , for all the clear distaste she held for the new Alor of Clan Kryze, pulled at the woman's heartstrings - reminding her of the cost of victory, and the scars it left on the defeated.

With her beskar'gam hidden away beneath an ample cloak, she looked inconspicuous enough - if not for the helmet, although she had gone through the pain of ridding herself of the one she would normally employ, opting for a less... traditional design. It would keep people from bothering her, unless they approached her closely enough for her to put her voice to good use. Flaunting her nature as an Ersansyr was hardly her goal, but perhaps she might delude her pursuers into thinking of her as a Jedi.

See-through as the visor was, there was no hiding how she lifted her brow as the Padawan she had been following looked over her shoulder, as if she had been expecting her. Force Sense was a wonder to her - and, equally, a curse, especially now that she held her own presence in the Force, making her so much easier to track down. Looking left, then right, she detected no sign of an ambush... but, then again, with how close they were to the Jedi Temple, reinforcements would be quick to come if she found herself faced with a more pragmatic Padawan.

Rather than introducing herself or why she had come, she approached the young girl, turning her gaze towards the skyline as well as she crossed her arms over the balustrade.

"Lies", spoke the Mandalorian simply. "Nothing in Coruscant is genuine. I have seen the rot up close when my cyar'ika and I decided to head back to her old home in the city's underworld... and the Senate is hardly any better than the cutthroats down there. How can you expect anyone to be genuine, when they live in a world where there is nothing left of what it once started as? No seas, no forests... not even earth. Even the dirt here is imported."

​

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Jenn Kryze

Her… What? Cyan Richard? Who?

Colette blinked at first but found herself slowly nodding along as Jenn continued to lay out the rest of her thoughts. It was almost suspicious how much they aligned with Colette's own. The kid squinted for a moment to try and read what the deal was but even with a clear visor she found that hard to do.

"Life is a thing to put on display here." Colette grumbled as she let out a sigh. "They put animals in something called a Zoo, claiming it's for their own good, but that's just another lie to stuff their pockets with money. And then, they do the same to people. They set up a big structure of these... Big chains... Where people work themselves to death over a debt that was never theirs to repay to begin with."

The kid kept from spitting over the edge of the balustrade. The more levels it fell down, the more likely it was that it hit someone who never deserved it in the first place. Her eyes wandered up towards the spires that pierced from the ground. Now, if she could have spat with laser-precision in that direction on the other hand...

She groaned.

"We agree on the world at least, so that's good." The kid said and gave a small, almost defeated shrug. "Always found it ironic that despite swearing to uphold life, my order still placed their home on a bloated corpse."

"Look, I know who you are from the others, and I know that you are on some sort of… Question-asking tour or something." Colette leaned to her side and turned to face Jenn. "Why?"

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Coruscant
| Objective | Speak, and be heard.

"Symbols have power", came the Mandalorian's response as Colette mentioned the sheer irony behind the Temple's location. "Did you know that Coruscant was once the home of my people? Before it became... this. A repugnant hive where life is but hardship in the shadows of tall spires." A fact she only knew through her fondness for the song of her people, in truth. But, as the girl chose to speak to her more directly, she turned to look her way, those grey eyes of hers telling the same story as her presence in the Force: this fiery-haired stranger was... calm. Almost shockingly so, really.

"Because trust is earned, not given. And if there is to be peace, then it should be forged honestly, between people who know one another. Don't you think?" The truth, as ever, spoken with neither pride nor shame - and a rather piercing question, clearly meant to help her divine where, exactly, Colette fell on the I abhor Mandalorians scale. "I don't quite ask questions as much as I try to form a connection with others. Having your views challenged helps, you know. Just ask Shan. I doubt he expected someone like me to treat his pacifism with respect."

A pause followed her words, giving time for the Padawan to ponder over her words if need be... and for herself to observe her. To drink in her features, and commit them to memory for later. And, most importantly of all, to watch for her reaction: her ability to sense other people's emotions through the Force remained limited, after all.

​

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Jenn Kryze

What was the point of symbols if it went against what it stood for? Colette had heard this before, but quite frankly it didn't make any sense. Why would they put a building in a place where a statue could serve the exact same purpose then?

Colette kept herself from groaning, but she did roll her eyes. Now, did she know that Mandalorians had once held Coruscant?

"I did not." She said and looked out across the desolate landscape it was now. Given how long Coruscant had been dead it was hard to take the Mandalorian's word for it. Colette's own ancient ancestors, the Imperials from millenia ago, could most likely also claim the same thing with the same measure of truth to it.

Jenn continued, Colette listened.

"Maybe he was surprised because you hide your face." Colette fired back. "Hard to build trust with someone who hides behind helmets and masks that hide their emotions."

"And who the hell started that saying, anyway?" The kid was clearly irate about it. "If I didn't trust you, there would be a Jedi Knight here to take you in. That's not something you have earned, that is trust that I am giving to you."

"I don't have to know you to encourage peace. I only need to understand that the alternative isn't worth it. Your life is not mine to take. Nobody has the right to take anybody's life."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Coruscant
| Objective | Speak, and be heard.

"I know this thanks to our oldest of war chants", continued the Mandalorian calmly, her voice truly devoid of... passion. Letting emotions drive her words brought only wrath when others chose to dismiss her entire culture, deeming her people to be savages unworthy of respect or consideration. Why, then, would she choose anything else than utmost calm, speaking dispassionately, if truthfully? Better to be thought an emotionless golem by the Jedi than a barbarian giving in to the shifting tides too easily. "Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an. In Basic, you would know this as... We, the wrath of Coruscant, Brothers all."

For a moment, the woman's voice... changed. Even the helmet could not truly muffle the sheer beauty behind her voice, how melodious it truly was, or how the words seemed to hang in the air after she said them, that ethereal touch behind every syllable caressing the mind of all those who heard it. And then, the moment passed, and she turned her gaze to the spires instead, taking the time to ponder the Padawan's words before she brought an answer.

"Our armor does not define us, but it is a core part of our culture", spoke the Ersansyr at last. "We are an insular people, true, but we are also possessed with a great love for one another. Removing one's helmet is a sign of trust. We keep that kind of gesture for friends and family." This Padawan was hardly the first to look at the customs of her people and find only something contemptible, in truth: but, unlike with Corazona, Jenn was prepared for insults this time around. Letting her emotions flare out of control again would be a sign of failure on her part. And now that she had become the Alor of her Clan, failure was no longer an option.

"I am Jenn, Alor of Clan Kryze. Now, you know me, even though you do not yet know of me." And with that, she turned to look at the girl again, extending her hands towards her.

​

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Jenn Kryze

Songs and chants made for a poor basis upon which a whole planet could be claimed. Which was not to say that planets could be claimed to begin with. As far as Colette was concerned there was no ownership possible when it came to nature. Nature was nature, it wasn't a thing and a planet was very much part of nature.

"Well, you say that, but arguably I already knew of you from the others." Colette said and reached out to grab the Mandalorian woman's hand. "I'm Colette. You know me, and you know of me too."

It would have been a lie to say that Colette wasn't interested in hearing what the others had said, but then that fell dangerously close to gossip. She would instead look back out across the wasteland of modern capitalism and sigh. This conversation was about to go somewhere.

"I won't question the reason why, but don't you think it's ironic that something that makes you more trustworthy is only saved for those who already have your trust?" The kid fired back. "And why is this 'great love' only extended to 'each other' and not everyone?"

"I mean, okay, that isn't just a Mandalorian thing. That is an everyone thing. Like, why is it that everyone seem so… Distant?"

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Coruscant
| Objective | Speak, and be heard.

"Do you now?" asked the Mandalorian as she shook the Padawan's hand firmly. "I do wonder what they had to say about me." Parting her hand from Colette's own, the siren returned it to the railing, looking down at the reminder of just how unnatural Coruscant truly was beneath the both of them. Clearly, she felt a certain measure of amusement in the face of the girl's words, a chuckle escaping her soon after she fired right back at her, unimpressed by her explanation of Mandalorian culture and what it entailed.

"Maybe you have a point, Colette. All I know is that.. trust is difficult. When you love someone, really love someone, you expose yourself to them. A bit of a tough ask, for a people known to value armoring one's self, right?" Another chuckle escaped her, but this time, it lacked mirth. No, if anything, she sounded... sad. Love was the most beautiful thing in the Galaxy to her, and yet it brought about its own set of challenges as well. "It's easier to be distant. The loneliness will eat away at you, but for some, that's easier to deal with than being hurt so deeply."

​

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Jenn Kryze

"But it's not!" Colette laughed, this was such an insane conversation. "Love is meant to be given freely, and without question. You can hate a group, but you can never hate an individual, that's insane. And don't get me started on the illusion that loneliness is some sort of 'fix' for having been hurt."

"I don't hate you, Jenn, but I do find that the group that you are part of has done a lot of things that I don't like or believe in." The kid shrugged. "I believe that life is sacred, and that the brain," She tapped at her own forehead. "Are what separates us from animals."

"Animals attack because they don't know better. They feel things but they don't understand why." Colette was very certain in saying this. "We are capable of thought, of reasoning with not just ourselves but with others."

"Foregoing that, letting that animal-like fear take us, is a waste. Especially if death becomes involved."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Coruscant
| Objective | Speak, and be heard

To her credit, Jenn did nothing to cut off Colette, or otherwise challenge her words until she was done speaking. No matter what she thought of the Padawan's words, the Mandalorian was intent on giving her a fair chance to express herself, and to perhaps convince her. As she had done with every other Jedi she had met, no matter how hopeless the venture might seem to some, from Shan's pacifism to Amani's reproaches against her people: all were given a fair chance to speak to her, and find themselves heeded.

"I don't hate you, either, and I don't hate the Jedi, believe it or not. When the Order can stop acting like a bunch of hypocrites, they do good in the galaxy. You're supposed to be peacekeepers - under my leadership, my Clan rises to be Protectors. There's more similarities to us than you might think." A slow roll of her shoulders followed those words, as if they were ultimately inconsequential. The idea of kinship with Mandalorians was a difficult thought for most to stomach: and what she intended to be a rare compliment was often rejected and denounced. Most took the opportunity to tell her they were nothing alike, and that her people were naught but warmongers.

But Jenn kept on trying, each and every time.

"I can agree with your assessment on what separates us from beasts... and I understand the sentiment of life being sacred. I wish I could believe in that, still. But when you've felt all that you've ever known die around you... no. I can't share your sentiment. For a time, all I could think about was vengeance, and even now that I have done my best to free myself of it, I know that some are too far gone to ever save. There are some who bear the name Kryze who betrayed us and went over to the Sith, and I will kill every last one of them if it's the last thing I do."

Realizing that her hands had balled into fists and venom filled her words, the Ersansyr breathed deeply through the gills at the side of her neck, closing her eyes as she turned her back to the infuriating sight beneath them, leaning back against the railing with her arms crossed. Losing control would not help her - not with convincing a Padawan of her earnest intention.

"Your words remind me of Shan's own", she remarked after a moment of silence. "But you seem even more confident in them that he is. I may not agree with either of you, and I know my talk with him has only begun to show him that my people are not all monsters, but- idealistic as they are, I don't think your beliefs are contemptible." A sigh escaped her at that, and the siren closed her eyes. Would the Jedi remain so cordial with her, if they knew she was the Alor of her Clan? That made her valuable, and in war, scruples died all too easily. Everything was so... complicated above the surface, and, more than anything else, she wanted to disappear below the waters of Scarif.

"Someone I loved so very dearly once told me that... Jedi are mystics and pompous sages, and Mandalorians are warmonger and warrior-heroes both. That all stories have good, and evil."

​

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Jenn Kryze

Colette laughed. Not out of spite but out of the fact that in a sense she understood what Jenn meant in regards to the hypocrisy in the mindset of the Jedi. In a sense Colette wasn't unaware of her own hypocrisy but she liked to think that when it came down to it she was at the very least consistent in standing up for her beliefs even if the 'idealist' tag came with some inherent form of condescension.

"I'd like to believe that." Colette nodded as she listened to Jenn talk about their similarities. "I think most people are a lot more similar than they'd think if they just took the time to get to know each other first."

And then the Mandalorian got to explaining why she thought violence was a valid answer to certain questions. In the end it boiled down to vengeance and anger, a desire to see someone dealt unto in such a manner that oneself had been treated. In essence it seemed to be about the unfairness of death, the finality of it and the way some people just do not get closure. Of course these things were somewhat alien to Colette as well, but just because she hadn't experienced this one particular form of devastation didn't mean she wouldn't be able to understand it.

However, this seemed like a very open wound, and one that Jenn most likely didn't need Colette to poke around inside of. The kid used to be brash and blunt, but given just exactly what they were discussing, with who, and where, it meant very little to try and 'speak her mind' on it.

And, naturally, given that she mentioned Shan there was a brief moment where Colette's back straightened just a little extra as she listened far more intently.

"I mean, not all your people are monsters." Colette said and shrugged. "I mean, clearly not." She then motioned up and down towards Jenn. "It's the ones attacking innocent lives and burning homes to the ground that are the problem."

"Same as any Jedi who swears to uphold life yet has no problem killing people simply because they are branded as bandits or pirates. Those are lives too, and they deserve the chance to repent and grow too."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Coruscant
| Objective | Chat up the Padawan.

Colette's laughter took her by surprise: and, at first, she narrowed her eyes, expecting mockery from the Padawan. After all, this would hardly be the first time... but, in spite of her initial reaction, Jenn chose to give the Padawan the benefit of the doubt. Showing enough trust in the young Jedi to let her see just how deeply some of her wounds ran in her mind was, she hoped, an olive branch that would be acknowledged. The fall of Mandalore was a difficult topic for most to approach, and yet she had made the choice to let the girl understand just how raw that wound remained, even many, many years later.

For many of her people, it never truly closed. Some were still haunted by it, even as their children grew into warriors, ignorant of the price paid by all Mandalorians. Jenn never forgot the taste of ashes in her mouth.

It was a good thing that Colette chose to speak once more: the sound of her voice shook the Mandalorian from her recollection, shaking her head from side to side in an effort to refocus. "You and I will begin arguing pointlessly if I defend my kin", admitted the siren simply. "I think the Crusade is a misguided attempt to return to the past. A lot of what we do is just that, grasping for something that once was. We sleep at night thinking of what we lost, and some, like me, have learned cautiousness... but others, particularly those born after the fall, dream of taking back what is ours. And they never stop to think that this greatness has killed us, every single time. "

Jenn sounded so very tired.

​

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Jenn Kryze

Colette could appreciate the sign of trust with the hurt that Jenn held on to. Despite how the kid wanted the galaxy to work she would also understand that some things were just not going to be that way. Trust with something very personal like pain was something that Jenn at no point owed Colette an understanding of but chose to let her understand anyway.

"You're most likely right." Colette said and shrugged. She most certainly wouldn't ever say she saw the point of the Crusade, but history most certainly had a way of making people nostalgic for something that once had been. It was in some part why Colette herself held very little reverence for it. History told people how they came to be, not what they should strive to become.

And even then, what mattered was the present. The past was a guideline and the future didn't exist.

"Well, the crusade is violent, and you already know my stance on that." The kid said and sighed. "And, in a way, it sounds a lot like the Mandalorians are a shattered pot. If that makes sense at all?"

"When you accidentally drop a pot or a jug on top of something solid, it will break. You can buy a whole new pot if you're lazy, or you can try to repair it if you have the patience. Except, when you drop something like that, there's going to be a lot of smaller parts that were a lot more important than you would have known that got lost in the crash."

"So, either you can repair that piece with more clay, or you can get creative with it. In some corners of my own world, they would for example repair pots with metals to create these… Gorgeous patterns that filled out the cracks and made for a much more solid jug as a whole."

"It sounds to me like perhaps the Mandalorians should focus less on the pieces they can't find and more about forging a beskar filling with the pieces they already have."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Coruscant
| Objective | Chat up the Padawan

When Colette compared her people to a shattered pot, Jenn lifted a brow... and yet, she hardly seemed to be offended, as one might expect. Instead, she merely looked to the Padawan expectantly, quietly inviting her to continue. And what a metaphor she had to give! Although she gave no sign of assent or disapproval, the Mandalorian was well and truly captivated by what the girl had to tell her, drinking in her every word with rapt interest. More often than not, she found metaphors to be needlessly complicated, dismissing them as an ineffectual mean to convey one's point: and here was this kid, lacking in the experience she had accumulated throughout the years, and still somehow making sense.

"You're going to make quite the Jedi Knight, one day", remarked the warrior with an upnod, her tone warm for the first time since their conversation began. "Strong moral values you are willing to stick by are well and good, but all the good intentions in the world mean nothing if you lack eloquence." Rare praise, perhaps, from someone who was, for all intents and purposes, an enemy to the Jedi. And with her back turned to Coruscant's skyline, there was nothing to ruin the moment, allowing her to visualize exactly what the Padawan meant.

"Those pieces we're looking for so helplessly... some of them aren't worth picking right back up, and I wish the others would understand that. It's easy to think of all the glory we gained in the past, but the horrible things we did? These don't quite make for the same sort of stories. Take Mand'alor the Ultimate - he made us what we are today, transformed what it meant to be Mandalorian from a species to a culture with its doors open to all who wish to tread the path. Doesn't change the fact his Crusaders exterminated entire people under his rule." There was a certain firmness to her voice: if nothing else, Jenn was more than willing to be critical of her people's history, and to learn from it. Sharing it with outsiders was frowned upon, but then again, this was hardly the most important tenet of the Catechisms she had broken as of late.

"You are wiser than I'd have expected, Colette. Would that more Jedi could be like you."

​

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Jenn Kryze

Wait, eloquence? Colette was visibly surprised for a moment but let the moment slide. From all of her friends, Colette had been told that she was the least eloquent speaker, often one to be bold or brash in her statements as if to elicit some sort of reaction from her counterpart. It wasn't so much an unwelcome compliment as it was an unexpected one.

Maybe there was something between those ears of hers after all.

"You're kind to say that." Colette smiled and gave a grateful nod at Jenn. "I am usually more blunt, but I guess even I have my moments."

"In case you didn't know, or didn't figure it out, I'm kind of new to the galaxy." She admitted. "I grew up on a planet where we wandered the world and tried to tend to nature in any way we could as seed-spreaders, protectors, and caretakers. We were raised to only take what we need and never more than that."

"... I have learned that this is not how the galaxy works." Colette frowned. "The galaxy is built around the idea of taking, and taking a lot. People take more than they need, just in case they need more later, and they do that even if it goes to waste or others need it more."

"My people put a lot of emphasis on surviving together, on resolving all issues with respect for each other. The reason I see violence and war as such a crude thing is, well… I've seen whole tribes die that way, and sometimes all it took was for a single person to die. My people are nomads. Few ever settle down, we are always on the move. The more people we are, the more resources we had to haul, so everyone just kind of banded up in a groups of maybe a dozen or two."

"I used to think I missed this, but…" Colette frowned. "My idea of what the past was and who my people were was just… Not at all what the truth was."

"... My clan cast me out when I came back home recently. Despite the fact that I saved their lives."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Coruscant
| Objective | Chat up the Padawan

​

"I managed to talk honesty and convincingly enough for a Jedi Master to decide against striking me down. I think we all have our moments." Sobering words for Colette, perhaps... but, then again, they might just arouse her curiosity, and Jenn hardly wanted to get herself in trouble. After all, said Jedi had made a simple, but no less meaningful promise: if she ever saw her again in Alliance space, there would be no discussion, and no letting her go this time. Only a green lightsaber heading her way, and a fight against one of the strongest opponents she had faced just yet.

"As for your words... I like to think I'm precisely kind enough. I strive to be truthful in all matters among my people and with outsiders as well, and it has earned me a reputation similar to your own." Then again, she was skimming over the fact that she was the Alor of her Clan now, and her honesty was precisely why people trusted her to do the right thing. Into darkness or into light, the most loyal among her kindred were willing to follow her all the way, knowing that she would never deceive them, leading from the front whenever possible.

And when the Padawan spoke of her people as well as her origins, the smith found herself listening most intently, keeping quiet all throughout, without providing so much as a nod or a "mmh" to urge her on. The look in her eyes said enough: there was more than merely a respect for different cultures there, but an undeniable fascination as well. Silence followed the girl's words, as if the Ersansyr sought to gather her thoughts and offer her something useful.

"In this, we are alike", admitted the Mandalorian with a nod. "Even after I stopped being a zealous Crusader, some years ago, I... suppose I still believed in the glory of our past. In the heroic tales my mother would tell me. I've since come to realize that the image I had made up in my head of who we are as a people isn't quite what I once believed in. What - many of my kin still believe in." There was a hint of bitterness there, soon banished as she shook her head, slowly lifting a hand, as if hoping to let it rest on the Padawan's shoulder... only to fall limp at her side once more, realizing how presumptuous such a gesture might be.

"I'm sorry. I truly am. In my culture, a Clan is- well, it's family. I can't imagine what you must be going through right now... or what they must have been thinking, to rid themselves of such a talented mind."

​

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Jenn Kryze

Huh. Clan as family, well, that was certainly a familiar concept. Colette frowned.

"We had a similar structure, yeah." The kid sighed. "You spent most of your younger years traveling with a clan and then you married into another, as long as your blood ties weren't too close."

"I've been told by others, after leaving, that it seemed my people were into… Ew- ew-genicks? Sorry, it's a… Big word. I hate big words, but basically 'optimizing' the genes of people. Making them stronger and less likely to catch diseases."

"... I was never meant to be part of that since nobody knew who I was from. I was deemed a big question mark, and when it comes to genes… They do not like that."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Coruscant
| Objective | Chat up the Padawan

Jenn's sympathy and care faded away, replaced with... anger. Was it scorn, frustration, indignation? Difficult to tell, with the mask in the way. And yet, the Mandalorian made an effort to remain silent, to spare this Padawan from the wrath she wanted to unleash. Colette had done nothing to her, and the rage she felt was directed towards her people - but it was, she knew, a visceral reaction, and one she needed to quell. Mandalorians had caused enough destruction to lose the benefit of the doubt, she knew that much, and showing anger was, unfortunately, always going to be held against her and her people.

"I hope you can forgive my harsh words, Jedi", spoke the Ersansyr at last, her emotions under control once more. "I have no doubt that your people and their culture are important to you, still. You grew up among them. But your wisdom, Colette, is your own. And their folly is theirs, if they- acted like this with you."

It must have been odd, for a Padawan, to find a Mandalorian, a proud warrior whose entire culture revolved around conflict... acting like this, over her. Perhaps it was the principle of the thing. Or perhaps it was that maternal instinct of hers acting up again, just as it did with Loomi after the battle of Kiffu. Whatever the cause may be, Jenn found herself absolute irate at the idea of such an idealistic, but no less wise young woman being cast out from her own people.

​

Colette ​

 

[Colette]

Jenn Kryze

It was for all intents and purposes a still painful wound. Yes, Colette faulted her old family for what they had done but she was also ready to move on from it. There was no point in wasting her time bawling over the what-ifs anymore now that she herself was keen on walking this new path ahead of her without them. If they didn't treasure her, then she sure as hell would treasure herself.

"I appreciate that you are angry for me, but really, it's their loss and I made sure that they are aware of it." The kid said and eased up from leaning on the railing and got back on her feet. "Told them before I left exactly how I felt, and that they were lucky to have had me."

Of course, the way in which said thing was told to them was not shared. That was for her and Valery to know.

"This has been a good talk." Colette said and looked over her shoulder towards the temple and then back again. "I should most likely start thinking about heading back, but I got some more time."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

| Location | Coruscant
| Objective | Chat up the Padawan

Jenn merely nodded in answer to Colette's words. Everyone processed things differently, and, if she was honest with herself, the anger she felt on the Padawan's behalf was weakness on her part. Watching as the kid got back on her feet and peered on over to the Jedi Temple, the Mandalorian answered with but a nod. What finally claimed a proper response from the masked woman was the mention of the conversation being fruitful - a claim that brought a grin to her face, hidden away as it was, and a chuckle as well.

"Mention me and my words to whomever you wish - Loomi, Shan, Corazona, Valery... I care not. I only ask that you do not mention I was on Coruscant. At least, not before I manage to get off of this... miserable excuse for a planet." Best not to mention the fact that she would meet any attempt to capture her by detonating her suit's power system in a catastrophic explosion. Colette might just mistake that for the fanatical desire of a brutal warrior to take as many people with them as possible: to Jenn, this was nothing more than another way to ensure that she would never be made vulnerable again, stripped of her armor and tossed in a cell.

Stretching some, she mimicked the Padawan's motion to get herself off the railing. Although the conversation shared between the two had been something of a welcome break, it was time for her to get back to the duties that came with her new station in life. But not before wishing the gentle, idealistic soul before her well.

"I hope our paths cross again, Colette", admitted the Mandalorian earnestly, although her tone betrayed some... reservation. "But I will warn you, this once. The Alliance will counter-attack eventually, and your Order with them. Join them in that assault at your own peril. I am a Crusader no longer, but a Protector: and although I refuse to partake in raids against your worlds, I will kill every last person who thinks to attack my home."

"You are a good soul. I'd hate to kill you."

And with that, she slipped her hood over her head once more, and she was gone.

​

Colette ​