Private Picking up Strays

[Jalen Kai'el]

Picking up Strays
Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

Jalen had actually gotten a lot more comfortable with the hangar since his encounter with Valery Noble and BB-610 . The place had become warmer, even if it was filled with cold machinery and an air of constant anticipation. His music hadn't exactly changed tone however. He plucked away at the strings of his hallikset, the same sad tune that he had played before. It was melancholy, but Jalen liked that sort of vibe. Good for reflection, or relaxing...

Or forgetting.

Still, he had changed a little since then. Jalen certainly wasn't going to be caught unawares under the foils of an X-Wing. Not this time. Instead, he positioned himself in plain sight, leaning against a support pillar for the roof that towered above them. There was no way that he wouldn't be noticed this way. He wouldn't be startling any little droids, and no random individual should run into him. Easy. That left him some time to think about other dilemmas to cause himself worry. It was his studies at the moment. After the incident at the Tangle, Jalen was found to be far more force capable then initially expected, which seemed to come with some drawbacks. In this instance, instability. His rescue of Corazona von Ascania that day had been an impressive feat of telekinetic power, but the time he had spent passed out put more people in danger. That simply wouldn't do. If he was going to be a healer, he couldn't be losing consciousness. Not when people's lives depended on it. That was the current conundrum. How should he combat this? Could he even combat it at all? It was hard to say for sure. Jalen was never really sure about anything, really, but this more so than ever.

So he plucked away at the strings of his instrument. Jalen began to lose himself in the sound again, each note consuming the aura of the world around him. It was therapeutic. He very much needed it after the stress the last few days had put him through. Besides, he had made his presence known. What harm was there in tuning out of reality for a moment.

Only a moment.

 

[Ara Sheridan]

It was still a massive adjustment for Ara to be standing in the hangar... with no more duties or obligations. No more community work and hard hours coupled with heavy work. No more long days of hangar work and immediate training into the late hours. She was a Jedi Knight now... but most importantly, she was a free woman now.

But those hours also had their charm to them. She toughened up, learned a ton and developed good relationships with the other mechanics. The machines she worked on practically became her own. It was only fair to spend one more night in the hangar to say goodbye. So with her guitar in hand, Knight Sheridan made her way down to the hangars for a delightful session of annoying the rest of the temple again... except she wasn't alone. The gentle tune of music flowed through the open space with a sad aura. With a curious frown she pushed deeper until she found the source of the music.

A young boy by a pillar was in a world of his own. It took her a moment to realize that he was blind from the look of things. The scarring around his faded eyes was faint to make out, but definitely noticeable. She couldn't help but be impressed by his skill, given his circumstances. She looked down at her guitar and affixed the sling before waiting for a good spot to join in. Soon enough she accompanied his song with a riff of her own, matching his melancholic, slow tune in perfect sync. Sitting down on a nearby crate, Ara gently bobbed her head as she followed his lead, supporting his song with what was arguably a much louder and heavier note than his.

Even after he stopped, she played on for a few more seconds before switching to a song of her own. Finally she set her guitar down in her lap and looked up at the stranger. "Hot damn, kid. Got some skills with that thing." She remarked with a grin. "That a song you came up with yourself?" She continued, leaning back against the stack of crates.

Jalen Kai'el

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

Jalen was so preoccupied that it felt natural when another instrument joined in. It was only when a new, unfamiliar melody came in that the realization hit him. There was someone else there, a taller woman with a humanoid aura. A blend, perhaps. There was certainly something else there.

"Hot damn, kid. Got some skills with that thing. That a song you came up with yourself?"

"N-no," he responded, somewhat flustered. "I didn't make it. I heard it somewhere a while ago..."

Strangely, her aura was not unfamiliar. He had felt it somewhere before, lingering slightly on Jasper's ship. A female half human friend of his brother's... Jasper had many friends he spoke about, but were any half human? Iris wasn't... Daisy was, but he was sure that he'd notice any pheromones... so that left...

Ara. Ara Sheridan.

"Y-you're friends with my brother," Jalen noted. "I felt you on his ship. Uh, l-lingering essence, I mean. P-people leave behind traces of them where they've been."

Jalen was now bright red in the face. He forgot how weird force sight sounded out loud.

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara loved it whenever she found someone who shared a love of music. Someone who could jam along with her in the temple. Hearing a blind kid play so well was simply something she could hang out with for a good while. "Well, keep at it, dude. You're solid." She remarked, casually plucking some strings on her guitar.

But what caught her by surprise was the remark about his brother. Ara blinked as she stared at him, trying to figure out who he was talking about. When it finally hit her like a freighter who he was talking about, she was pretty glad that he was blind. "Oh! You're Jasper's little bro?! Jalen, right? Yeah, he's told me about you." She spoke up with a bright grin, trying to keep her warm cheeks from turning brighter. Hopefully Jasper didn't tell him what happened between them.

"I've told him that he needs to introduce me sometime, but typical nerf herder, he takes his sweet time. Hot damn, it's good to meet you." She continued. "The name's Ara, by the way. Ara Sheridan." She continued to pluck at her strings, giving a gentle tone while they spoke. "Now what are you doing down here? You dig looking at the ships and stuff?" She only realised what she said after the words left her mouth. The music ceased as well for a hot second before continuing again. "S-sorry, I didn't think that through. With the... um... with you being blind and... yeah, I'll just shut up." She looked away in an attempt so save a little dignity with him, however that was out the window already.

Jalen Kai'el

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

"The name's Ara, by the way. Ara Sheridan."

"You just got knighted, right?" Jalen asked. "Jasper was talking about it the other day. He seemed excited."

That was Jasper. Always excited for other people, never really talking about himself. He seemed to place such high value in the people he cared about. That's what it seemed, anyways. Jalen tried to emulate it, but he didn't really know if he truly could what with his poor social skills. When Ara mentioned him seeing, she became apologetic, which Jalen didn't mind. It was only a figure of speech.

"It's okay," he shrugged. "Most people speak off the cuff anyways. You didn't mean anything by it. I, uh, feel stuff like that too. Sometimes."

When the world around him wasn't so cluttered, anyways. Not everything was as clear as day.

"I like the sounds," Jalen explained. "I spent a lot of time here with Jasper when I first arrived. B-but I tinker as well. N-not just listening."

Jalen sort of felt like he had to throw that in as well. It was sort of a given in the hangar, but he didn't want to come off as the helpless blind kid like he usually did.

 

[Ara Sheridan]

The comment on being Knighted had Ara beaming with pride for a few seconds, still coming to terms with that fact was taking some time. In some situations she still felt like a padawan, even if that was most certainly not the case anymore. "Hell yeah! Now I can pester your big bro without any restrictions." She quipped with a grin.

She was a bit surprised that he talked about her so much. Even if it was his brother. A good reminder of how nice a good friendship like that could be. Sometimes she took Jasper for granted way too much. Ara conveniently continued to ponder that in hopes of avoiding any comments on her slip up, even if Jalen forgave her. However as he spoke about the sounds and tinkering, Ara's curiosity picked up tremendously.

"Tinkering, huh?" She commented, slinging her guitar across her back as she hopped off the crates. "Come on. I think I might have something you'd like." She gave him a nudge and led the way, making sure he could sense her properly to follow. "You ever thought about getting something electric? That hallikset's dope and all... but a little old-fashioned." She teased in the meantime as they walked through the hangar. "Gotta grt yourself one of these." She idly tapped the guitar on her back with a beaming smile.

She wasn't exactly a great conversation starter... but a musical kid that liked to tinker? Yeah, he wasn't going to get away that easily.

Jalen Kai'el

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

Jalen nodded, following the half-Zabrak. As he did, she brought up their instruments...

"You ever thought about getting something electric? That hallikset's dope and all... but a little old-fashioned." She teased in the meantime as they walked through the hangar. "Gotta get yourself one of these."

"I like old-fashioned," Jalen shrugged, "But yours is really sick. I've been thinking about making an electric variation of my hallikset, b-but I'm not super comfortable modding mine. It was a gift... I don't wanna damage it. I've been preparing the components I would need, but I can't find myself a base. A good quality hallikset is pretty expensive here on Coruscant. I... don't really have any spending credits."

Sad but true. Jalen was, and really always had been, flat broke. It certainly didn't help that Jasper was broke as well. It made him feel bad about blowing money even more.

"So, uh... what is it you wanted to show me?"

 

[Ara Sheridan]

"Heh... fair enough, those classics do got a flair to 'em." She admitted with a shrug, drawing closer to their destination. He explained a bit more of his situation, earning a nudge from Ara as she glanced at him. "You tried checking second hand shops out? I know of a few, especially in the lower levels. They're pretty decent places too. Not to mention way cheaper... just, uh... don't ask where they get their stuff." She chuckled with a guilty grin as she glanced back at the item in question.

"You like tinkering, right? Whaddya think of this..." She hopped into a cockpit and flipped several switches before hitting the ignition. A low rumble was quickly followed by the crackle of a power coupling and finally the typical low whine of TIE engines. Her pod slowly rose from the ground and hovered a few feet away from Jalen. "How's that sound?!" She called out from the cockpit, hanging out with one arm to get a look at him.

She knew that Force Sight allowed their users to see objects around them, it was something she was practicing, but whether he could do it or not was a different question.

"Can you, uh... see it? Through the Force?" She asked him carefully as she hopped out to stand next to him. It wasn't exactly her place to ask, but if she could give him a few pointers, then why not? Not like his master would complain...

Jalen Kai'el

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

"How's that sound?!"

"Is that a TIE engine?!" Jalen asked in confusion, frowning as he assessed the... pod?

That was a podracer. She had strapped a TIE engine to a podracer. It was ingenious.

"That's insane!" he exclaimed. "If that's the P-s6, it can hit like 1,200 kilometers per hour in atmosphere! That's like a T-16 on steroids! What are the specs on it?! I imagine you gotta have a heat waste sink, right!? The heat coming off this thing must be insane! What about power surge systems, o-or a boost system!? There's a dampener installed into the P-s6, so you could probably remove it to increase the power output-"

Jalen froze for a moment, his face becoming a bright red. He had gotten a lot more excited than he had initially realized. He needed to dial it back a little.

"S-sorry." the padawan apologized over the rumbling of the engine. "I-I... got a bit carried away."

"Can you, uh... see it? Through the Force?"

"K-kinda," Jalen frowned. "It's a bit fuzzy. I-it isn't as easy to feel things that aren't organic. B-but I can hear it really well."

Hearing was how he identified most things, after all. He had gotten pretty good at it all things considered. Still, it was clear that his force sight needed work.

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara was taken by surprise as the previously shy and quiet kid suddenly burst with excitement at the sound of her pod starting up. A bright grin adorned her features as he bombarded her with questions. Another person with taste met in the hangars. She was beginning to think that hangars and Underworld alleys were the best places to meet good people.

"K-kinda," Jalen frowned. "It's a bit fuzzy. I-it isn't as easy to feel things that aren't organic. B-but I can hear it really well."

The Zabrak nodded as she glanced back at the pod. Should she extend the offer? She had some experience in that field. Not a master by any means, but certainly capable enough to hold her own. She looked down that the young boy as she mulled over it for a second or two. "I can... I can maybe help you out later if you want? I ain't a pro, but seeing through the Force is something I've been training for a while. Could maybe give you some pointers." She finally spoke with a hint of stiffness. She wasn't good at dealing with cripples... disabled people... whatever the better word was.

Deciding to leave that awkward extension far behind, she nudged him a little closer to the pod's cockpit as she closed the distance. "Ain't those big ones, sadly. I couldn't get the P-s6 engines, at least not ones in working order. These are just P-s4's... although," She leaned a little closer to him with a maniacal grin. "How's a sneaky shot of coaxium into the ionization reactor sound?" She slapped one of the engines in passing as she leaned into the cockpit to shut it down. "I figured out that the ion engines are pretty damn tough. So you could squirt in a really small amount of coaxium to give a temporary boost. Kind of like what people do to some speeders." She explained, leaning against the cockpit.

"Though the heatsinks were a problem, messed up the aero too much. I fitted modified turbines and ventilation ducts from an X-wing to the ion engines to keep 'em cool." She looked at her personal marvel of a machine with loving eyes for a few moments. "I call her the Whizzing Arrow."

His comment about the P-s6 engines stuck in her mind far longer than it likely should have. What were the odds of going to a junk planet and finding some First Order fighters. Or interceptors. Interceptor engines would be cool.

"Hey, you wanna go to Raxus Prime?"

Jalen Kai'el

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

"Hey, you wanna go to Raxus Prime?"

"Raxus Prime?" Jalen frowned. "I-I don't think I'm allowed to. N-not without the council clearing me to go."

That and it was probably dangerous, which could force him to use his force sensitivity. The last time he had been in a scrapyard he had completely passed out trying to save Corazona von Ascania from a fall whenever they were attacked by malfunctioning droids. He didn't exactly want to tempt a repeat of that. Jalen was terrified of losing himself.

"B-but I would like advice on force sight," he added, sort of to take the other offer.

He did very much need aid in that department, anyways. It was probably for the best that Jalen accepted any help with that wherever he could.

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Jalen was understandably rather hesitant about going to such a planet. Everyone knew about it. A junk planet, a scrap heap for the galaxy to dump all of its waste, filled with all manner of oddities. Giant worms, haywire droids, crazy people hiding away, desperate scavengers, just to name a few. All of those could mean death if a visitor didn't know their way... and that was just the top of the list.

But the Zabrak wasn't one to step down that easily. A mischievous grin formed as she inched a little closer. "Come on... you don't need permission to have fun, you know. You'd be surprised how funky that place can be. Plus I'm a knight, you won't get into any trouble!" She quipped with a glimmer in her eyes. He didn't need to know about that incident with her and Kyell Laysel from a few years back.

Best to let that one stay buried.

"Besides... planet filled with machinery and metal? Amazing place to get the hang of things. Plus it ain't that bad, only a few spots are red zones, pretty much." She reassured him with a light punch to the shoulder. "My ship's just around the corner if you're interested." She offered, taking her guitar and idly plucking at the strings as she slowly wandered towards her freighter parked in another bay.

Every now and then she glanced back at the kid, rather anxious to see whether he would follow or not. Jasper would likely wring her neck if he heard any of that...

Jalen Kai'el