Private Mother Kashyyyk

[Xian Xiao]

This was not at all what she expected to happen. Having signed up for a class on survival, the Padawan was the only one that actually showed up...so far. Listening to the instructor start droning about what was going to happen, the next thing she knew she was all alone.

"Karking hell! Just my luck."

Getting dropped off, Xian had hardly listened to the instructions. On top of that, the girl didn't even have a lightsaber yet.

"How do you expect me to survive down here?"

Her voice seemed to fall flat and not travel anywhere. Sitting down on the ground, the darkness around her was fearsome and she wrapped her arms around her legs. Rocking back and forth slightly, for the first time in a very long time, she was truly alone.

Sniffing a little, she wiped at her nose and stood up.

"Well, I can't just sit here all day...or night. Whatever time it is..."

Luckily, the teen was adept at creating her own light source. Holding a hand out, palm up, a small flame grew there. Lifting it slightly to show the area around her, she started walking.

"Now, how do I get out of here?"

Within a few minutes of her flame being lit, bugs surrounded her. With her free hand, she tried swatting them away but they insisted on coming back. Growling under her breath, the fire flickered and then went out. Once again, she was in darkness and a growl answered hers...

Asher Sonata

 

[Asher Sonata]

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Asher wasn't a fan of these exercises, the Teen had been forced to survive in the forests of Kashyyyk long enough while he was captured in the shadowlands. Though he still had the toothed necklace around his neck to prove his accomplishments to himself. The Padawan had recently made his lightsabers, discs that hung at either one of his sides having been made form the deconstructed vibro-chakram which he had inherited from his tribe on Canan... regardless of the transformation, he still could not bare to lay a hand on them, least he fall into yet another terrifying vision of wars, suffering, death. Relapses that left his body wracked, devoid of strength and fire which would course through his veins as rivers. In the end the episodes of his relapses led to overwhelming lethargy requiring bed rest... though thankfully he had avoided them for about a week now. ​

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Asher however had found himself yet again thrown into another group of younglings and told to sink or swim. Under the guise of one of the knights of the order, Asher was coaxed to lead them in survival drills in the Jungle, difficult missions which involved a keen mind in keeping track of all of them. And, if trouble would come to pass, stepping in to ensure that everyone would remain safe. By now, Ashers name as a pacifist had spread a little among the younger community. He never sparred with anyone short of using general martial arts and avoidance strategies similar to the practice of soresu or defensive ataru. In truth they were Echani martial arts he had been trained in somewhat, that he was attempting to pick up once again. Yet, within an order known for its more... military approach to conflict in the galaxy. It was not a good reputation. ​

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The young ones had been spread out, Asher moved through the glades to find each of them in turn, touching base as they would find cover, build shelter, fires, hunt and more. There was one of them that Asher had lost track of. He had given pointers to many of the others, but he had suspected that at least one of the other kids hadn't been really paying attention when he had talked about the checklist of things a person needed to do in a survival scenario. He was a little worried, to be sure. So, beginning to move, waving his hand as the reeds and foliage around him would part like the red sea, he would attempt to look for Xian. ​

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Not knowing where she was, was the problem, but he did know her drop off point, and it wasn't hard to track her footprints through the soft soiled floor of the Kashyyyky jungle-scape. Evening had fallen, plunging the rest of the jungle into darkness as he had informed the Knight that he had to handle this, asking them to keep an eye on the others who had actually listened. It wouldn't take long for Asher to realize the lost nature of the student. Xian had not made an effort to find shelter, instead had stayed largely in place, had no fire burning and had disturbed the environment around her... not a good combination as a shadow began to move closer and closer to her from a distance. ​

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Gripping one of the long fangs on his necklace. Asher would run forward, tearing through the brush nearby to stand in between the wild creature and Xian. Asher's lithe athletic frame almost looked adult, an open military jacket revealed a sculpted body much more like that of a career soldier while his pants, boots and other apparel denoted someone who liked Silver Military surplus a little too much. Asher would thrust out his hand, the light of a glowstick in his other hand would reveal the hairless catlike beast that was growling from a nearby tree. The Katarn, a horned lizardlike feline hybrid creature growled nearby as Asher would hold up the Tooth of the Anakkona which hung around his neck. Not taking long before the scent of the predator of the Katarn would reach its nostrils, pushing it to its hind legs and beginning to rear away... but still teetering on deciding whether or not Xian was lunch first. ​

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Asher would push forward, moving forward a step and then another violently, hissing in response to it as it would inevitably turn tail and run away, along with a couple more of their kind. Allowing himself to fall at ease he would look back to the distressed Jedi Girl.​

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"Hey there, is everything ok? You seem like you're taking this a little hard. What's wrong?" He would ask, hoping to be able to diagnose her issues with the exercise in order for him to begin to remedy them one after the other. No smile or indicative method for analyzing mood crossing his face other than an honest intrigue and relief at the creature being gone. ​

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It had aleady been such a long day. ​

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Xian Xiao ​

 

[Xian Xiao]

To the best of her knowledge, she had been the only one dropped off in the forest below the Rest. Little did she know there had been others but they had been kept separate for some reason. While she had heard some of the instructions, many of them had been lost when she had gotten distracted by the wilds around her.

When darkness found her, she had panicked and thus drawn the attention of some of the wild beasts that called this dark land home. In her moment of stress, the fire she had been forming disappeared and caused full dark around her. It was in this condition when Asher found her.

Getting ready to scream in terror, a human figure placed itself between her and the katarn that was going to pounce on her. Silence surrounded them and the only thing Xian could hear was the sound of the animal sniffing before it ran off back into the forest.

A few seconds later, the young man turned his head to look at her. Wiping away the new tears that had formed in her eyes, she sniffled before finding her voice.

"I got lost and don't have any idea how to survive down here, sir."

Gulping slightly, her eyes looked at his glowstick and that was something she should have thought of using. There was one in the bag of provisions that had been provided to her.

"What do I need to do? I can make a fire just fine and put it out. Cooking isn't an issue either."

A place to sleep would need to be made to protect her from what weather might reach her. Beyond that, she couldn't think of anything else.

Asher Sonata

 

[Asher Sonata]

Asher couldn't help but smile at the girl softly, moving down to touch her at the elbow to signal that he was going to help her up and get her on her feet. First days out in the wild of Kashyyyk were always brutal, if the wildlife didn't get you the flora would, but at least they weren't performing the exercises in the shadow lands. Asher had first hand experience with that particular hellhole. Once the beast was gone, Asher was certain it would be back and likely with a pack... but the goal of the training remained the same. She would have to learn to prioritize the things she needed, making a fire first was never the best bet, it could ward things away, but without protection or mitigation it could simply serve as a beacon.

"Hey, it's ok... this is what the training's for. So i want you to think, you're safe for now just think. You're out in the middle of nowhere, it can rain or snow or storm at any time, rain means cold, cold means no sleep and no energy for tomorrow. What do you need? And how are you going to get it?"

He would say to her in a calm voice, not putting stress on the situation where it wasn't needed and waiting patiently for her responses. He would remain close, close enough that he could offer security should it be needed as he would keep an eye out on the wilds around them, he would close his eyes and focus on the presence of the other padiwan and their emotional states. Calm, happy and working together. This girl was a little behind, but, by the time Asher was done, she was going to be leagues ahead.

He could remember his first time in the jungle here, though he wasn't new to the art of hunting, but in Kashyyyk things had a nasty habit of blurring the line between hunter and prey, letting you think you were the hunter while the reality was in earnest so much darker.

Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

As Xian finished wiping the tears from her eyes, her savior reached down and touched her elbow. Accepting his help up, she stood looking at the ground for a moment while she listened to him.

It seemed their minds almost worked together. When he mentioned a shelter, the thought had just crossed her mind. Snapping a finger, she pointed it upward when it happened.

"Something to sleep in then. A shelter of some kind."

Then he asked how she would get it.

"I grew up on Coruscant. Not a planet where there is much nature. It's like I'm a lost puppy here. Leaves will make a good roof though. They can repel any rain that might come. Fire isn't an issue for me. Watch."

On the tip of the finger she was holding up, a small flame appeared on it.

"My abilities are with the elements. I'm strongest with air."

Remembering her days living on the streets of Coruscant, she recalled having to eat food out of dumpsters and cooking from the flame on her hands.

"Without a lightsaber, how am I supposed to cut any of these trees to make a shelter?"

The fire went away as she raised both hands and motioned to the woods around them.

Asher Sonata