Private Roam If You Want To

[Cato Harth]

"Clearly," Cato quipped, rubbing his nose. He kept Inanna's attention on his injury, enough to get his whip free. And when she tried to retaliate, she ended up zapping herself with the crossguard. At risk of getting more on her bad side, Cato couldn't help but laugh as it happened. Only to tug the whip, and accidentally lash his ankle in the process.

He tripped over, taking Inanna down with him, "Ow," Cato said, despite chuckling about his own injuries. Serena came over around the same time, landing on top of them both with a hug.

"Stop!" She exclaimed, now taking their sparring match seriously. Expy trailed after her, futilely having tried to stop the little girl from running into the middle of the chaos. But by now, it had died down.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna probably could have recovered from the shock, but Cato tripping over the lightwhip and subsequently crashing into her destroyed any chance of that happening. The duel was already over at that point; Serena running onto the mat and flinging herself on top of her parents was just the cherry on top of the whole messy sundae.

“Mommy, Daddy, no more fighting!” the two year old pleaded, wriggling her way between her parents as if to break them up.

“It’s okay, baby. We were just playing,” Inanna said, enfolding Serena in her arms… and then belatedly realized that describing their mock-duel as “play” perhaps wasn’t the best choice of words for a toddler. “Uh, I mean… We’re all done fighting. No more of that. Right, Daddy?”

Cato was laughing his ass off. Inanna couldn’t help giggling too. The whole situation was so absurd—as was usual for the Harth family. She glanced over at Tsilla, wondering what the Jedi Master thought of all this nonsense.

“So, how did I do?” she asked.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato chuckled, and tousled Serena's hair, "That's right, pinkie. We're done," He waved a hand, "We'll call it a draw."

In the midst of the match, Cato had practically forgotten about Tsilla's presence. He glanced up at the Mikkian, and smile sheepishly upon realizing she had witnessed the entire ordeal. Neither put on the most… proficient display of dueling. The Jedi Master stepped forward, and chuckled, "Well… I can certainly say I've never seen a spar quite like that before," She waved a hand, "Your familiarity with the lightship was apparent, and impressive. Although evidently that experience doesn't extend to every form a lightsaber…" Tsilla glanced at the crossguard blade, "But few Jedi are masters of everything."

"We'll see what else we can gather of your experience as time goes on. But for now, ah, shall we continue our tour?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Tsilla seemed amused by all that she had seen, at least. “Fair enough,” Inanna said. “I’m not a fan of crossguard sabers.” They were kind of goofy. “I fight a lot better when I’m not going up against someone I love. Then I'm not so reluctant and afraid of hurting them...”

"We'll see what else we can gather of your experience as time goes on. But for now, ah, shall we continue our tour?"

Inanna stood up, balancing Serena against her hip. “I hope your nose is all right?” she asked Cato softly, lightly pressing her lips to the tip of his schnozz.

Serena looked tired, her head resting against her mother’s shoulder. Her drooping eyelids lowered even further once Inanna began to gently stroke her dark hair, her mouth going slack as her whole body relaxed. Nap time.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"An equally good point," Tsilla acknowledged, "Perhaps I should have offered myself up as an opponent, rather than your husband answering the call." A chuckle.

"Didn't stop her this time," Cato quipped. Inanna still seemed to feel a bit concerned about it though, and as soon as she kissed it, he perked up, "It'll manage." Serena, despite her ardent protestations just a moment earlier, quickly became tuckered out. Before long, she was soothed to sleep. Tsilla smiled at the scene, before leading them off to finish up their tour.

They passed by the last few remaining rooms; A medical bay, a small, relaxing meditation chamber, and a lecture hall, for less hands-on learning. All quite nice, but nothing for this particular group to dwell on at the moment. Eventually, they wandered back out to the foyer, through the back corridor that led them out to the courtyard. The class that was out here before had packed up and moved on. Now, they were just left with a tranquil, natural space. Reflective ponds and trickling fountains. Pathways surrounded by soft grass and abstract statues. "We use this space for just about anything. Training. Lessons. Gatherings. It's always nice to spend some time outside. Even if outside is technically still the inside of a spaceship." She chuckled, glancing up at the artificial sky above them.

"Well… I suppose this concludes our little tour. I do hope you found the enclave as promising as I do. Do you… have any questions for me?"

Cato shrugged, "It seems like a great spot. Amani did a nice job putting this together," He looked to Inanna, to see if she had anything in particular to add. He already had a job, so it's not like there was much else needed to win him over.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

As the tour drew to a close, Inanna’s thoughts turned to whether or not she was meant to be here. The place was nice, and clearly the students were receiving a quality education. But try as she might, she didn’t feel the calling to join them which she had hoped for.

She had wanted to finish her training in the Force. Perhaps that wasn’t the right way to look at it. Even the Jedi remained students of the Force all their lives. It was infinite; they could never hope to understand it all. Becoming a Knight or a Master was not the end. It was more like receiving a diploma or a degree—something that would serve as proof that you were educated. Becoming a Jedi Knight would bestow authority upon her, marking her as someone worthy of respect. Someone who could be relied upon.

They’d have to be crazy to think they could rely on me, she thought, thinking of the person she had been the last time she tried to be a Jedi. Then Serena stirred, adjusting her position against Inanna’s chest. You do have to be pretty reliant to be a mother, she thought. Ensuring a child was healthy, safe, and well cared for is no easy task. You can’t afford to be selfish or irresponsible…

So maybe she had changed for the better. But it would be so easy to fall back into her old ways. If Cato wasn’t around, or Serena… like when Hal and Ophelia and Galahad had been taken from her...

"Well… I suppose this concludes our little tour. I do hope you found the enclave as promising as I do. Do you… have any questions for me?"

"It seems like a great spot. Amani did a nice job putting this together."

Inanna caught Cato looking at her. She smiled at him, but it was clear that she was deep in thought. Her golden eyes were a little bit wet, though no tears fell.

He seemed at home here, fitting in with the other Jedi Knights as easily as slipping on a glove. Inanna couldn’t help feeling like she didn’t belong among their ranks. She wasn’t a space monk or a cunning warrior. She wasn’t particularly patient or thoughtful or kind. She gave in to temptation too easily. Being a good person didn’t come naturally for her.

But wasn’t it difficult for everyone to be good? Cato certainly wasn’t perfect, either—she was holding the evidence of his capacity for irresponsibility in her arms. But he had stepped up. She had seen him lose control, venturing into those dark corners, but he always came back to the light. She could do the same.

It was a hard thing, trying again. Like reopening a wound that hadn’t healed right, you made yourself vulnerable in the hopes that this doctor would be able to patch it up better. It would hurt, especially the cleaning part, but it was better than losing a limb or dying from the infection which would eat away at the body in the absence of care.

Inanna faced Tsilla. “When would you have me start?” she asked.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Both Cato and Tsilla seemed to pick up on Inanna's introspection as they turned to her. Cato pursed his lips expectantly, but said nothing. He had a sense of where her doubts might be coming from, and ultimately this was her decision to make. Tsilla remained lax, offering a reassuring smile.

“When would you have me start?”

Cato then offered a smile of his own, while Tsilla's grew broader. She approached and touched a hand to Inanna's shoulder, "Whenever you're ready," The mikkian peered beyond Inanna's eyes, with the insightful wisdom only a Jedi master could claim, "A Jedi's paths are many, Inanna. Stick to it, and you may just find it more freeing than you imagined." Healers. Inventors. Agriculturists. Jedi were found among them, and many others. Perhaps Inanna would find a niche all her own.

Tsilla then dropped her hand, and nodded to the Harths, "Enjoy the rest of your day, you three. I look forward to working with you." The, the Jedi took her leave.

Inanna Harth​