Private Stranger

[Duma Shallotte]

The apparently young woman was skulking once again. She had gotten off to a poor start in her life and it had just gotten worse as she aged. Even though she looked to be about the age of 18, the woman was closer to 100. She had pointed ears, elongated canine teeth, white hair, and glowing pink eyes. Her looks alone had a tendency to disturb people. Not that she even tried, it just happened.

After hanging out with the wrong crowd of people, she had found her way to Kashyyyk. There she had an adventure with a couple of Jedi, one of them even had a child! Sadly contact had been lost and she was once again alone in this strange world.

Avoiding most of the crowded areas, she was able to find something akin to a place to stay and hide. However, she was really feeling that loneliness and wanted friendship. Something else she also needed was somebody to smack some sense into her and help her gain a backbone. Lakura was a shy and skittish type, but pretty harmless. Almost like a deer caught in the headlights kind when somebody confronted her.

Walking along one of the trails of the Rest, she could hear somebody approaching and jumped into the bushes next to the path.

Josh Dragovalor

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"What's that?" Jason asked his father as the father and son duo walked through Kashyyyk, with Josh introducing his son to more of the planet's wildlife. This had been a common practice since Jason had been two years old. But now Jason was able to talk and actually ask, instead of Josh just pointing these things out to him. "That's a..." Josh trailed off before explaining the plant type and its properties to Jason. If they were going to be living on Kashyyyk much of the time, he felt it wise that Jason learned as much as he could about the planet. Granted, there was always a chance they could lose their hold here and have to leave. And that would be a shame. He would hope that never came to pass though.

But a rustling in the bushes due to a sudden movement caused Josh to stop. His expression hardened as he gingerly nudged Jason behind him. His demeanor growing deathly serious with Jason in tow, he held out a hand and promptly used a very harsh Force Push toward the bushes. Whatever it was, it was Force Sensitive and he wasn't taking any chances.

Lakura Salim

 

[Duma Shallotte]

The steps stopped, but Lakura remained hidden. Or at least she thought she was going to. She wasn't here to cause harm and actually wanted friendship, but she was scared. That was why she went into hiding behind the bush. Whoever was out there had noticed her and that Force push knocked her into their line of sight.

Fear was in her eyes and her fists were balled up. Not in exactly a hostile manner, but that indicated she was on edge and ready for a fight if that was needed. Then she saw a child behind the legs of the adult and she relaxed just slightly.

"I won't hurt him."

Gulping slightly, she looked at the man guiding the boy.

Josh Dragovalor

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He was on guard more than usual due to the presence of Jason, and his stance indicated as such, putting himself between the woman and Jason. When she stated that Jason wouldn't be hurt though, he slowly nodded his head as he took a breath.

"Who are you? Why were you hiding?" He inquired. There was no reason to hide here if she was welcome here, right? What exactly was he dealing with here? His guard didn't go down very far with that in mind. He couldn't afford to let it down. While he doubted she would be stupid enough to attack him with Jason present, he wasn't taking any chances either. He needed to find out her business here as soon as he could.

Lakura Salim

 

[Duma Shallotte]

Even though Lakura looked quite young, she was far older. However, this did not mean she was good in social situations. Being on this world had helped, but even still she was rather skittish. Looking between the two people, her eyes lingered on Jason a little bit longer than the father would probably like. Eventually, she did look up at Jason and slowly pointed at his son.

"He reminds me of another little boy I met. His name is Articus, but his father called him Arty. Such nice people."

Drawing in a breath, it occurred to her she hadn't answered his question.

"Lakura. I hide because I seem to scare people."

Or at least startle them. So far the woman had told him the truth and not kept much from him. What she didn't mention was she was also scared of the way people reacted to how she looked.

Josh Dragovalor

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Articus?" He inquired. "You mean Gherron's son? Articus is my nephew. Gherron is my younger brother."

Either way, her explanation still left much to be desired and he quirked a brow at that. "Why do you think you scare people? You are near the Silver Rest, where most are welcome. I do not understand what it is that you think you have done that will scare people. Your hiding only made you more suspicious, as I regarded you as a potential threat to my son and sought to deal with it."

It was interesting that she knew Gherron and his son, apparently. He would need to ask.

"How do you know my brother?"

 

[Duma Shallotte]

When Josh said the name Gherron, she nodded. Her eyes grew wide when he said they were related, but it made total sense. It was probably why Jason reminded her of Arty.

"Yes, that is them. You are right. Most people here do seem to accept me, but for many years other worlds did not. Now it's my nature to run, hide or try to escape before being seen. Your brother and his son both did that. Children are quite often able to see how a person really is."

This implied that at least Arty was able to pick up from her that she truly was a genuine and nice person. No matter how frightening she looked on the outside.

"My looks scare people and have for a long time. My own mother even disowned and kicked me away because of them. How do you think I should react?"

Not wanting to sound or look confrontational, Lakura looked down at the ground as she spoke. She only looked up when he asked how she knew his brother.

"We met on a historical tour along with another Jedi."

Josh Dragovalor

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I don't know why people wouldn't accept you here, unless you up and tried to murder their families" He remarked pointedly, staring her down a moment as if trying to gauge what could be wrong with her. "You look like an Echani with red eyes, at worst. We had one for a Grandmaster, so it's not like anyone here's going to see you as much different" He added with a casual shrug.

He didn't understand why her mother would disown her for her looks. Not much seemed wrong with her. Aside from the fact he couldn't tell if she was pale skinned or dark skinned, it seemed to differ depending on the light.

He nodded his head, accepting her explanation as to how she knew Gherron. "And here I thought he only had eyes for Ghostlings" He joked lightly. "You might as well join us on our walk, if you like. I was just showing Jason the different kinds of plants on Kashyyyk" He spoke up as he held out a hand. "That's Jason, my son. I'm Josh Dragonsflame, Jedi Master."

Lakura Salim

 

[Duma Shallotte]

An utter look of shock crossed her features when he suggested she would try to murder families here. Shaking her head quickly, Lakura almost looked like she wanted to shrink down really small and try to run away again.

"I can barely bring myself to kill my food before eating it."

Her cheeks colored after she spoke. Not everybody ate meat and could find it offensive.

"But I'm not Echani. I was born on Dathomir and had no father. When I was 18, I was sent away for a time to pass some sort of trial. When I returned to my mom, I looked like this and well, I already told you."

For some reason, Josh made her want to talk. So far in the last few minutes, she had said more to him than she had to anybody in months.

"Lakura Selim. Nice to meet you, Master Josh Dragonsflame and you too Jason."

Giving the boy a genuinely warm smile, she hoped her sharp teeth wouldn't scare him.

Josh Dragovalor

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He wasn't suggesting anything, just noting that it was the only reason he could think of that people would be wary and that otherwise she should have nothing to fear. Either way, he listened to her story. Had she been mistaken for a Witch of Dathomir then? That would explain the hesitation. He thought it over a moment, but nodded his head.

"Dathomir. That might explain things" He admitted, holding his hand out a bit longer before withdrawing it when it was clear she had no intention of shaking it. "Forgive me for being so on edge. With Jason here, there is no such thing as being too careful" He spoke as he would begin walking. Jason followed close to him, as he motioned for her to follow.

Lakura Salim

 

[Duma Shallotte]

She should have accepted his extended hand, but in her own little world of fear, she was too scared to reach out and take it.

"It is where I was born. Have you ever been there? When I was there, it was a scary place and not very nice. I have some training. May I show you?"

Unless he stopped her from making her display, she would reach into a pouch at her side and take out a pinch of what almost looked like sand. Kneeling down on the ground, she whispered something and held her hand out open, palm upward. Throwing away the sand, where each small grain landed, plants grew up and turned into flowers.

"You are on edge just like I am. For different reasons. You have a child to protect. I just have me."

Reaching down, she picked two of the flowers and held one out to each of them.

"Thank you for accepting me, Master."

Almost like the wild animal, she appeared to look like to some degree, Lakura kept glancing behind her as they walked. Soon enough though, she had stopped doing that. While she was still far from any real confidence, something in her step had improved and she no longer wanted to fade away into the shadows.

"How old are you, Jason?"

Feeling more inclined to connect with children, she reached out to him before Josh.

Josh Dragovalor

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Once or twice. I don't tend to make a habit of it" He remarked as she inquired as to whether he had been to Dathomir. "Last I heard about Dathomir, the Mandalorian Empire had taken the planet and taken the Witches of Dathomir hostage, gifting them to the Sith Empire as flesh sacrifices as a means of solidifying their unity."

He frowned then, realizing he had likely just said something insensitive by bringing that up so casually and he looked back to her. "Sorry."

He needed to soften up, he knew. He was too on edge, and was still coming down from that.

He blinked in surprise when the woman would pick a few flowers and hand them to him and Jason. A peace offering? He tilted his head slightly, studying her face. Eventually he nodded his head, smiling slightly as he took his. "Thank you."

When asked his age, Jason blinked a few times as he looked his flower over. "Uhhh..." He trailed off, counting his fingers a minute. "Six?"

He looked to his father as if to verify, and Josh nodded his head in response. Jason then looked to the flower and then back to her. "What flower is this?"

 

[Duma Shallotte]

When Josh informed her of some recent happenings on Dathomir, her face grew a little hard and he might feel some resentment well up inside of her. Spitting on the ground, she growled slightly before speaking.

"They deserve that fate. My mother cast me away when I was a child and the Witches can go to Hell along with the Sith. I'm sorry, Master Dragonsflame, forgive my outburst."

His own apology caught her by surprise, but the fate of those people and her world meant nothing to her. Lakura did not care about them any longer. Both of them accepted her flower and Josh asked what kind it was. As if to prove what she just said wasn't entirely accurate, she gave a small shrug as she spoke.

"Just a pretty flower I like from Dathomir. These gardens here are beautiful."

Smiling down at Jason, she wondered what he would be like when he grew up. Most children followed in the paths of their parents, one or the other. She had started to, but then that changed along with her looks.

"You'll be big just like your daddy."

Josh Dragovalor

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Jason had been the one to ask which it was, and the child only blinked a few times when she said it was only a pretty flower and nothing more. He then looked to his father, as if the constant wellspring of knowledge in his view would be able to continue his habit of reliably identifying fauna that they came across. Josh nodded his head toward Jason as he looked the flowers over a moment, then gave a name. Jason giggled a bit, seeming satisfied with the result. Josh didn't resent the woman for not giving a satisfactory answer, sure he had told her exactly what he was doing with Jason out here, but she didn't seem to know what she was doing.

He hadn't forgotten her response to his remarks about the Witches though. Jason had just taken priority in that moment, as he always did. He looked to her, and simply shrugged his shoulders.

"No one deserved what the Sith did."

Lakura Salim

 

[Duma Shallotte]

It had been so long ago when Lakura had heard the name of the flower and almost as much as a child that Jason was, she looked up at his father answered the question.

"I had forgotten its name. Thank you."

It was true she didn't entirely know what she was doing other than just trying to live day by day. Pink eyes grew a bit hard when Josh said that nobody deserved what the Sith had done. Shaking her head, she would have her feelings about it remain the same.

Not knowing exactly how to show the master something and keep his son from seeing it was a difficult proposition.

"I want to show you what happened to me not too long ago. You can tell me then if they don't deserve it."

Or Lakura could just tell him. That might be easier to stomach. Sometimes a visual worked better though and she wondered which would be best for him.

"Before I met your brother, I was getting trained to be a Sith. Then another group of Sith attacked us. Actually several groups did. So all Sith can just go to Hell. I don't care about them, my home or my people. Nobody wants me. So I've taken to living in the shadows and keeping away from everybody. You, your brother and another Jedi did accept me, but only they're gone now. As time passes, will you still accept me or will you also disappear out of my life?"

As she spoke, her tone of voice changed depending on what she was talking about. Informational at first, then hard and full of spite only to return to the kind that indicated she was less than she wanted to be and not strong enough to become more on her own.

Josh Dragovalor

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh listened quietly as she would tell her story. Trained to be a Sith, then attacked by several other groups. She hated the Sith, and understandably so. He nodded his head through it, and took a deep breath when she would ask if he would continue to accept her, or disappear.

"I don't plan on going anywhere. I could die, sure... But I have Jason and others in my family to protect, so I don't intend on leaving anytime soon. So long as you are not a danger to them, or to what I strive to protect... You're fine" He pointed out. "You might like my youngest sibling. Force knows the Sith have given him as much, if not more reason to hate them than you do. I don't know where he is though. He doesn't come around as much as Gherron does.

But... I still stand by the idea that the Witches, who are not Sith by the way... Did not deserve their fate. Nobody did. Nobody deserved to be tortured and slowly die the way they did from the hands of the Sith."

Lakura Salim

 

[Duma Shallotte]

"A fly or mosquito are more dangerous than I am, Master Dragonsflame."

This was spoken quietly, but with an honest feeling to it. Lakura really believed she was harmless. Even though she knew spells and magic, there wasn't much she used as a weapon. When it came to children, this was doubled.

Tilting her head and an ear to listen to what Josh had to say about his other brother, she nodded. She was an only child and couldn't imagine what having a family might be like. Having been raised by her mother only and then cast aside like a broken toy, she didn't want one herself.

"I never said they were Sith. It's possible the people that cast me out are long dead now. So you're right, those that are now don't deserve what happened to them. My mother and the ones that cast me out are hopefully long dead or went by the hands of the Sith."

He kept saying nobody did, but the woman was quite stubborn and she would stick to her opinion. Though she did give a little bit of leeway. Those that lived and died now weren't the same people that cast her out.

"What happened to your brother?"

Josh Dragovalor

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

There was little he could do to sway her opinion it seemed, so he just shrugged and moved onto her question. “We were separated when we were both young. The Sith got him when he was a bit older and indoctrinated him. Turned him into a weapon. Then abandoned him when he was captured by the Republic. He freed himself and returned to them, feeling he was too far gone in the dark side to return to any other life as he told me. When he finally did manage to free himself, they nearly killed him. When they couldn’t kill him, they tortured him and broke him down until he couldn’t remember a thing anymore, then conditioned him back into a weapon. When they were done with him, they attempted to send him to the Silver Jedi as a suicide bomb, intending to inject a bioweapon into the planet’s core that would wipe us out, at the expense of his life. While he’s free now, all he seems to be able to think about is killing those who wrong him. In a sense, he will never be free when you think about it.”

He let out a sigh. “He did horrible things while under their control. But he didn’t deserve what happened to him either. Nobody deserves what the Sith do.”

Lakura Salim

 

[Duma Shallotte]

The young-looking woman listened to the story Josh told her and nodded. She was an outsider and it wasn't likely she would be accepted many places. Though the people here seemed to be turning that idea on its head. First Gherron, then Celiana and now this man all accepted her...Maybe they weren't the enemy she had been told they were.

If there was anything that could be considered a weakness was she trusted people quickly. So far, Josh and the others here hadn't done anything to destroy what had grown. Wringing her hands together for a moment, she looked down at the ground and back up at him.

"I'm sorry. You're probably right. I let my own anger speak instead of thinking about what others have gone through."

Hoping her apology would be accepted, she looked back down at Jason and gave him a smile.

"I imagine your mother is a good one. Mine was when I was little, then I grew up. Then she became mean and pushed me away."

Josh Dragovalor

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Everyone has their demons. Everyone has their past. Some more unpleasant than others, but still not otherwise insignificant" He would reason as she would apologize for letting her anger speak for itself instead of trying to think with logic. He wasn't trying to scold her or anything, he was trying to be a welcome host, after all. But there would be no use in letting her walk with the preconceptions she had. They would only destroy her with time.

Jason blinked a few times when she would bring up her mother, and his mother, and how her mother pushed her away. Josh felt like that was too much information to be addressing to a child, especially one with Jason's... Circumstances. Josh looked her dead in the eyes as his brows sharpened a moment. A voice resounded in her head.

"Please don't talk about that kind of thing to him. He doesn't need the reminder."

He left it at that as he would speak aloud.

"So, what are you hoping to accomplish on this planet?"