Private Lessons of the Jungle

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery stood patiently on the landing pad of the New Cov Temple with a smile gracing her lips. Today was an exciting day for her. Two Padawans had expressed interest in learning more about New Cov and its jungles, and she had invited them to come along with her. It was an opportunity for them to learn, and for her to share something about a planet she had grown very fond of.

New Cov would always have a special place in her heart. It's where she grew up, it's where she became a Jedi, and it's where she met Kahlil Noble all those years ago. That day often crossed her mind and it wouldn't surprise her if he rolled his eyes when she told the story again, but she would never be able to suppress the affection that brightened up her features when she spoke or thought of that day.

Everything about New Cov and her history with the world was a blessing to her.

Turning around, Valery watched as she felt the Padawans approaching. She neatly folded her hands behind her, kept her posture straight, and wondered how well they were prepared. She had instructed them to prepare for the jungle — a task to see if they underestimated it or if they took it seriously enough.

Lestra Thairk Nir Si ​

 

[Lestra Thairk]

The Jungle. It wasn't something Lestra had to deal with before. He hadn't really seen one before either, unless you counted Holo-images. The wide open plains and hills of Dantooine where what he was familiar with. Which is exactly why he had put research into the trip. It was unlike Lestra to actually put some thought into preparation but the young lad wanted to prove that he was being serious. What was more serious than shoving your nose in some datapad for a couple of hours? The people in the archives always seemed to be the most serious people to him, so imitating them should make him look serious!...Right?

Either way, he had made sure to wear some light and breathable. With a hot climate, Lestra didn't want to sweat out because he decided to pack up on a few layers for protection. The best protection was to just not get hit anyway and if he wanted to move fast and not overheat, then light and breathable clothes it was! Of course the heat also lead to one of the most important things he had packed. Water. And quite a bit of it. Sure, he had a few bits of food here and there to use but arguably food would be easier to find in a jungle as opposed to fresh water that he could clean. It was a fact that he didn't even need to research, since most beings needed some form of liquid intake.

Of course, he also didn't know how long they were going to be out there for, so he brought a separate bag alongside the main one that included sleeping supplies like a hammock. Sleeping on the ground in a jungle would probably be a good way to make him seem like prey. So staying high in the trees would have been better. That wasn't to say he didn't bring anything to defend himself! He of course had a small knife to use in case he needed to cut something and then for better self defence, he brought his staff alongside him! Sure, he could have brought a training saber as well but it felt wrong to use.

None of that mattered for now as the shuttle came to a landing and like a womp rat out of the netherworld, Lestra bolted straight out of the metal hellscape that was the shuttle. He didn't like metal. Well. That was a lie. He didn't like technology. Electronics. Stuff like his staff or the knife that was just simple metal, with no extra doodads was perfect for him. Lestra shook his head to try and regain focus, spotting Valery on the platform and breaking out into a wave as he focused on running over.

"Hello Grandmaster Valery! I'm not late am I? I'm normally late. And since I took time to pack I feel like I might be later than I normally am!"

Valery Noble Nir Si

 

[Nir Si]

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Tag: Valery Noble Lestra Thairk

The Jungle was a familiar sight for Nir, admittedly. Cathar was a home to plenty of it, and the Denik were masters of that domain. Still, New Cov was an entirely different beast. The Jungles of Cathar were more a maze of wildlife that was more likely to look at you with curiosity than with violence. Nir had been told that the planet the Grandmaster came from was one of danger, but he couldn't really comprehend that yet.

For him, it was just another jungle.

"Hello Grandmaster." Nir said, his polite tone coming through. Despite being a rock star, the teen was always a good kid under all the bravado.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

The contrast between them was amusing.

Lestra Thairk practically sprinted out of the shuttle and made it very obvious how excited and eager he was to explore the jungle. Nir Si , on the other hand, introduced himself politely and seemed a bit more calm, at least in the context of this adventure. Despite their differences, Valery bowed her head and greeted them both with a smile.

"Don't worry, you're both on time," she assured them before looking them over, "I hope you two packed some food and items you might need. I'm also bringing along enough, but the better prepared you are, the less risk you run going into these jungles." She looked to her side, where the path into the jungles began.

"What do you two know about New Cov's jungle?"

Lestra Thairk Nir Si​

 

[Lestra Thairk]

Lestra looked up towards the trees, his eyes sparkling with wonder. How could trees even grow to that height? It shouldn't be possible but there they were in front of him. The trees back on Dantooine had never been that large and-...Oh. Valery was asking a question. He shook his head to snap out of that thought train he was on, glancing over towards Valery with a grin.

"I don't know much about New Cov's jungle in specific. I only did generic research. They can be super hot, which is why I've brought a bunch of water with me. But they're probably going to be pretty humid as well so temperature control might be difficult...Obviously there's going to be plenty of dangerous Flora and Fauna...but sometimes they can be predictable. As long as you know how they'd normally act, you shouldn't have to worry..."

He trailed off at that, going silent as Lestra frowned to himself. The young lad going into his own little world of thoughts once more. He wasn't normally a big thinker type of person. Instincts and reflexes were his main way of living but there was something about nature that always got the hamster in his head running.

Valery Noble Nir Si

 

[Nir Si]

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Tag: Valery Noble Lestra Thairk

"That it's the most dangerous jungle in the galaxy. Or at least, that's what the travel brochure says." Nir joked, summoning a sandwich into his hands. "I pack light. Lived in a jungle most my life, I know how to find food and water at least in a pinch."

The boy was a bit more blasé than he probably would be normally, but jungles were his people's favored terrain, and he was at least confident he could navigate it.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"Be careful with expectations," Valery said, mostly to Nir Si and the confidence he seemed to have, "One jungle isn't the same as others. The way you hunt or gather food vastly changes when everything in your surroundings is trying to kill you. Most Jungles have predators, but very few have such a vast variety in deadly fauna and flora."

Valery turned her body and pointed into the valley. Far in the distance, they could barely see a huge dome that rose high above the trees, "That's one of the cities. It has that dome because the Jungle is so deadly, that people need to separate themselves completely. Even a wall wouldn't be good enough." Death could come from above, from within the trees, plants, and water. No matter where you were, you were never safe.

"My advice when you travel to a world you know is dangerous — never assume anything and treat the planet as if you've never been to anything similar."

"Any questions before we go?"

Lestra Thairk Nir Si​

 

[Lestra Thairk]

"Plus every planet's flora and fauna will have evolved in a different way compared to another planet. They might have strong similarities, but that doesn't always mean they are completely the same. That's a quick way to get bitten by something."

Lestra nodded at that. He had experience from assumptions causing himself to get hurt. The Kath Hounds back on Dantooine had a different temperament to other ones he had seen in the Galaxy. Frowning as he stared off towards the dome that Valery pointed out, Lestra let his mind wander once again as his eyes darted up towards the sky for a moment and then down at the ground.

Need to be careful no matter where we are...The sky and ground can hold plenty of secrets I might not see until it's too late. Just means I need to rely on more than just my sight...

Well. That would be relatively fun for him at least. Lestra always enjoyed going off his instincts. If something smelled wrong, or if it felt like something was watching him, he was usually right.

"No questions Grandmaster! I'm ready and raring to go!"

Valery Noble Nir Si

 

[Nir Si]

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Tag: Valery Noble Lestra Thairk

"...no questions."

To be humbled was a new experience for Nir. He was always one to throw himself at a problem with confidence, more or less hoping and praying for his own ability to shine through. Today, he was under the tutelage of someone who had a lot more ability that he did, and he needed to remember that.

He needed to remember he wasn't a rock star everywhere.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"Get bitten, or bite into something poisonous." Valery looked between the two of them with a content smile. They seemed to understand what she was getting at and that was the most important thing.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

They needed to avoid assumptions and be open to learning about a Jungle that might seem familiar but very different from most others in the Galaxy.

"Now, I'm going to be your guide but I'm also going to give you both a task. In a Jungle like this — or any other dangerous place — you can still keep yourself safe, even if you don't know the terrain, the fauna, or the flora." She began to walk down the path leading into the Jungle, and it didn't take long before that path ceased to exist entirely.

Beyond the Temple, the Jedi had purposefully not tampered with Mother Nature.

"Have you both learned how to sense danger?"

Lestra Thairk Nir Si​

 

[Lestra Thairk]

Lestra blinked at that question. He had to fight the urge to tilt his head as well. To him, sensing danger was almost like second nature to him. Of course, part of it was learned behaviour from spending a lot of time with Kath Hounds as a child, even if his parents hated him doing that...Though they couldn't complain. He had always known his boundaries with the Kath Hounds, and been able to sense when something was going to go wrong.

"I...know how to sense danger, but I'm not sure if it's the way you mean. It's more of an instinct or a reflex. The hair on the back of my neck might stand up, or something might feel off about the wind."

Of course there was other ways Lestra's instincts reacted to danger. Sometimes things would smell off. Like it was sick or tainted. It was how he'd know what animals to stay away from back home...

Nir Si Valery Noble

 

[Nir Si]

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Tag: Valery Noble Lestra Thairk

"Sorta. I get this like...kick in the back of my brain when something bad is about to happen. The trees aren't gonna try and eat me, are they?" Nir had planned to keep his altitude pretty high. Forest floors were always bad news on the jungle, where all the big predators roamed that couldn't climb. At least, that's how it was on Cathar. The ones that couldn't climb usually kept pretty low, and the ones that could, would roam high above.

Then there was the ones that could fly. Those were the spooky ones.

"...nothing can fly around here, yeah?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"There are trees that can eat you," Valery told Nir with a serious expression, "And some of the wildlife does fly." She knew these weren't the answers that the Cathar was looking for, but it was important for him to know the truth. Those domes had been built to protect the inhabitants of the cities against everything for a very good reason.

Danger could come from anywhere.

"But I asked because Danger Sense is one ability that will help keep you safe regardless of where you are. You two both mentioned one of its drawbacks though — danger already needs to be imminent." Valery was guiding them into the Jungle now, and it didn't take long before they were surrounded by tall trees and thick vines.

For now, there was no sign of hostile plantlife or wildlife just yet.

"In addition to danger sense, it helps to refine your Force sense. It's easy for us to feel the presence of another Jedi, but can you also feel the smaller animals that move around us?" She looked at the two and smiled, "If you can, you know where potential danger lurks and you can adjust your path accordingly."

"Does that make sense?"

Lestra Thairk Nir Si​

 

[Lestra Thairk]

Lestra frowned for a moment, glancing up towards Nir as Valery spoke about the trees that could eat people alongside the flying wildlife. It wasn't something Lestra was terrified of. He already revered nature and did his best to not underestimate it. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel some sense of fear but that was how he knew he was alive.

"...It might not be my place to say this Nir, as I'm younger and less experienced than you, but it can be good to be afraid. It heightens our senses, and makes us more aware of our surroundings. As long as you don't let it control you."

It was like a state of being calm. It was a part of the whole...what did they call it...fight or flight? Yeah. That was it. He kept his eyes and ears open as they wandered through the Jungle. Taking careful steps on his own part to avoid stepping on various branches or plant life too much.

"It makes sense to me. It's when you have an absence of any sound or the presence of any animals that you should be especially on guard, right? Because if they're keeping themselves hidden...There has to be a reason for it."
He took a moment to try and focus on the wildlife around them. He could clearly feel the presence of Nir and Valery, because of their larger size, but he was trying to focus on the smaller presences he could feel. They were like small flickers of light around him like dozens of stars flickering in the sky.

Nir Si Valery Noble

 

[Nir Si]

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Lestra Thairk Valery Noble

"Knowing I'm in danger and being afraid are two different things. The jungle isn't really scary to me, but it is dangerous. Cathar taught me that." He noted to his fellow Padawan, his eyes never seeming to stay focused on one place for long as they entered the Jungle. Nir was quick to climb the first tree he could find, getting some altitude on the two. "I can...sorta feel them. I can feel how things move through the air. Where they are in relation to other stuff, but...the jungle is too lively to focus on every creature. Usually I just focus on what's closest to me..."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"That's a good start," Valery told Nir Si before she turned to Lestra, "It depends, but you're generally right. Predators will often try to ambush you, but some are louder than others. They also behave differently if they're actively hunting versus you stepping into their territory." If they're on the hunt, they're more likely to ambush and attack in groups. A territorial animal might get much louder and obviously aggressive if they were defending their territory.

Or their children.

"I'm covering all of this because it doesn't just apply to New Cov. With how many worlds we visit, you can never familiarize yourself with all of them nearly enough to just survive on experience alone. One jungle isn't the same as another, but the same goes for other types of planets." This was important to know because one mistake could easily be their last.

"The easiest way to handle danger is to avoid it. Animals aren't our enemies, so they attack because it's in their nature or because of something we do. With Force Sense and Danger Sense, we can avoid those encounters."

She smiled a little as she walked through the jungle and listened to the sounds. The wind blowing through the trees, the critters, but also the larger animals that moved around them.

"But what if you do run into a dangerous predator despite your best efforts to avoid one?"

Lestra Thairk Nir Si​