To Bridges Built

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

" Yanna kuzu peekay. " << This isn't for sale! >> Their, supposedly, leader shouted out. This immediately drew heavy groans and shrieks of ire from his companions though. They flitted amongst each other for a while again, like when she had just walked up. It seemed that the core of the discussion was about a certain agreement between them and someone else.

A someone they called the mistress of this settlement -- though, it was roughly translated as 'Head Engineer' because Jawaese did not actually have a word for 'boss'. Their culture was entirely based on scavenging, repairing and selling, those who engineered best and as a result brought the most money in for the clan?

That was the leader.

" Yanna kuzu peekay. " The same Jawa repeated again, proudly.

The others didn't try to interject anymore, just sighing in defeat.

" Ashuna ta ayafa eyeta, le takada basho. " << Talk to the clan friend if you want to discuss it further. >>

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

The clan friend? Now that was a rather curious bit of terminology.

"Ashanna peeyeta basce kuza ta no?" << Where is your clan friend then?">> Choli asked the Jawa, who immediately began to discuss among themselves again. Meanwhile, Choli let her gaze pan around at her surroundings. There was something odd about this place. The young teenager had traveled to plenty of areas with Chloe, and in that, she'd had her fair share of curious locations.

There was something here. A hum of energy. Of the Force. There had been tales of a place in the dune sea. Where no one went to for fear of the ghosts that wandered within.

Hmm...

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

"Basta Bopom Kova!" << The Big Mountain! >> One of them shrieked out, instead of waiting for their chief. This somehow set them off again, almost as if they had all been waiting for one of them to get the courage to break the silence. And now that it had happened they were fervent to fill that same silence with noises.

"Dikwass Cirkoza!" << Cliff encampment! >>

Another one yelled while jumping up and down, happy to help -- even if the help wasn't especially helpful right now. The chief was just shaking his head, sleeve disappearing into the shadows of his cloak, as if holding his head in disgust.

"Eyeta!" << Friend! >> The third one piped up.

"Kiizci Jubinloo!" << Cave City! >>

And so fort and so fort, until the chief finally shushed them down again and started to explain it in a more defined way.

They were at the harbor right now. And she would have to move up the hill, past the cliff encampment occupied currently by a small clan of tusken raiders -- some humanoid, others the literal definition of 'tusken', all of them sworn to protect the holy oasis and the trade settlement that was bringing life to this part of the Dune -- up the 'big mountain' and finally down the slope into the center of holed-out mountain.

That's where she would find the Ayafa Eyeta.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

"Bosba naka?" << is that so?>> Curiosity was one of Choli's riskier traits. However, she hadn't lived with Chloe Blake going on a few yaers now to sit back idle. Adventuring and exploring had been the Warden's passion, as had been learning from different Force Philosophies and lore.

"Jama Ootna Ba." << I'll be right back.>> she told the Jawa pack. R4 gave an inquisitive beep boop beside her, and Choli beckoned the Pebbledrone with a curve of her fingers.

"Come on... let's get to the speeder." she'd be able to travel easily enough. Born and raised on Tatooine meant she knew how to avoid hazards and travel across the dune sea. It didn't make it completely safe, but it at least made her aware of dangers outworlders would not know.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

The Jawa looked on while Vyn got herself ready and then speeded away on her vehicle. For a moment there was only silence, silence between them, silence in-between the lulls the wind left in its wake and even silence in between the many shouts and screams of the other tradesmen paddling their wares.

But then the little sentients huddled close together again, enthusiasm and energy sending them jumping in close quarters while they discussed what had just happened.

It wasn't soon before long, until one of them picked up an old transmitter and started relaying a message to destinations unknown through it.

Clearly someone would know that someone else was coming.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

Moving up the hill was no issue.

It's dealing with Tusken Raider snipers that could kill any traveler through the Jundland Wastes onto the Western Dune Sea. Most tribes settled along the massive crack in the earth known as the Wound. Like a gaping maw, the sheer cliffs there sank down to an abyss like canyon. The area was so deep and wide that it could even have its own climate, prompting dry lightning, thick clouds of mist, and sudden sand storms.

Because of this, local tribes considered the Wound to be of special religious significance. Which was also why they would aggressively defend the area.

Knowing that she had up use her knowlege if the lay if the land, just prior to reaching the overcropping cliffs, Choli brought her speeder to a halt. Resting there, she plucked out a pair of macrobinoculars.

Time to see how many snipers she might need to get past by.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

None.

None as far as she could see, anyway. If she had asked the Jawa they would -- well, they probably would have chittered amongst themselves a few moments, before just laughing off the question -- but no, it was fairly reasonable for her to watch out. It was a dangerous planet, Tatooine was, even with the civilization brought piecemeal by corporations like Arceneau Trade.

It wouldn't be a long journey and every once in a while she would pass other caravens moving up and down the slope. Some were heading closer to the oasis itself, others - she would probably speed past 'em, because they were mostly walking - were heading the same way.

Strangely enough the effect of the oasis did not seem to decrease in intensity, though. In fact it seemed to be just as strong as it was previously.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

It was odd. Not a single shot over to her from those Raiders. What was it with this place? It made Choli feel a bit weird to be honest, but it also sparked her curiosity.

Soon, she was at the top of the mountain, where the Jawas had sent her. Frowning behind her goggles, the girl brought her speeder to a stop.

Now... where was he?

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

He, if he was a He indeed, was just a touch further ahead.

The up and down-flow of people was thicker here as they went inside the mountain... if you could call it that. Buildings had been built against the large, tall walls, by the architecture she would note that none of this was new. In fact, some of the building relief looked positively ancient. While others looked far more new -- the implication being that someone found this place in the last few months and started rebuilding it.

Even now there were cranes hanging from big heights. The settlement was still very much under construction, in rapid flux of change, one might say.

But all that was of little relevance to one Choli. She would note that while approaching the main entrance, there was a figure waiting next to it. He, it, was quite different from the other sentients moving about. For one, he was wearing worn leather and a cloak obscuring the greater features of his face.

Yet, yet, it wasn't obscuring enough to hide it all -- Choli would clearly see a snout and teeth, like a wolf of some sort. But bi-pedal and clearly scowling while looking at her.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

Choli gave a frown under the bundle of fabric that shielded her face and the mouth rebreather. Goggles in place, she stared up at the creature of sorts. He was unlike anything the pilot had ever seen before, and she'd traveled a plenty with Chole and Jannik.

"Ghul boskkalnecoe. Halikae ghey den blacoe?" «Good afternoon. What is this place?» she began, her voice toneless and genderless save for the slight metallic ring to it.

Was this a guard?

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

The figure shifted its head a fraction, while listening before shrugging.

"I don't speak ya nonsense," Scarra growled out after a moment or two. The Qo'saarai Tuk'ata had entered the Galaxy only a decade or so ago, there hadn't been much time to learn all the various languages that existed - even one as common as the galactic trade language or protoBasic.

No, all that Scarra could speak was Sith and Basic.

"We 'eard ya wanted to chat with the boss, tho. So if you still wanna, follow at your leisure."

No waiting, the Tuk'ata pushed himself off the wall, turned the corner and entered the complex itself. The sights would tell Choli all she needed to know about what this place was, though. A nerve center within the largeish, work-in-progress settlement with various traders, bureaucrats and other officials writing, signing datapads... and shouting at each other.

It almost looked like an exchange rate of sorts.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

Okay! So standard basic it is!

With a slight shrug and a hidden half grin, Choli brought up her hands up and palm out in a gesture of submission. "Okay! Most use trade language around here so I just wanted to make sure." she would explain, voice still threaded with metallic genderless overtones.

"Oh... okay." wait they heard? Had the Jawa's commed ahead? Huh... Not one to keep her guard down on Tatooine, the Alliance pilot gave a nod. Once she went down into the complex itself well, she couldn't help the low whistle she gave. It was an actual trade settlement. Out here in the middle of the Western Dune Sea. That was strange and surreal in and of itself.

What was all this about? She hadn't heard any word of an encampment being constructed out here in the middle of nowhere.

"So... how long has this settlement been in place?" she asked first. Hey, she may not get an answer, but might as well try.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

Scarra knurted.

Knurting wasn't a Galactic Basic Standard verb, in fact, it wasn't a word that existed on most literary maps. It was a strange blend between ancient Sith and the feint Kelsieri dialect spoken by the Echani of Kelsier, its meaning would be lost in translation, but the act itself was the sound one makes when applying a basic gnash of teeth and combine it with a hearty rumble at the back of a Qo'saarai Tuk'ata's secondary lung devices.

Few species possess those particular organs, so they cannot make the same sound - this was probably why the word had never found widespread usage amongst the other sentients of this Galaxy.

"Any questions you got, ya can try and ask 'em to the boss." The Tuk'ata lumbered forward, exchanging a passing nod with some of the merchants, a thumb of his fist against a fellow Qo'saarai Tuk'ata walking by -- this one, incidentally, without the cloak, which meant that Choli could take a look at them, if she wished.

They walked down a couple of stairs, before turning one corner, then the other and then another one.

Before finally stopping near an unassuming door where Scarra settled down next to it.

"Here ya go, goggles." Inside, if she did enter, would be a little office with two individuals inside. One a Herglic, whose presence dwarfed the entire office, and one a green-skinned woman with glasses.

They were in an animated discussion.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

Okaayyy. So all questions went to the boss. Right. Question was, who was the boss? Choli Vyn would figure that out shortly once the Tuk'ata led her to a door.

"Right... thanks." she managed to say with gratitude, rocking on her feet as the petite woman stared at the door. There was a rather muffled but animated sound of a heated discussion coming from it.

Ahhh... should I open it? People likely didn't like to be interrupted while they were arguing....

Yeaah, maybe I'll wait.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Choli Vyn"]

It was about three minutes, give or take, before the door was pushed open and a huge Whale strutted out of it.

He wore a splendid, beautiful black suit -- a sharp contrast to the more downscale approach of Tatooine - and was about to leave, when his beady eyes noticed the lankly humanoid standing and waiting. For a moment they just stood there awkwardly; whale and humanoid, before Dergl gave the slightest of bows from his waist down and burbled.

"She's a touch sensitive right now, you might want to be careful." The Herglic winked, before walking past Scarra - pausing only briefly to pat the Tuk'ata on the shoulder - and left.

Scarra grimaced slightly. He was one of the few sentients who could handle being patted by the Herglic in his overtly friendly way, but it was still a million pound blubber weight heavily bouncing against his shoulder.

"She ain't waiting all day, cheeka. Get on with it."

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

Well, that was the point. Choli wasn't quite sure why she was here, to begin with. It was just idle curiosity. Much the less, who she was in the first place.

Choli's eyes went wide behind her goggles, but none the less she took a tentative step inside. It was a rather large chamber. Roomy, with half of it, carved out from the cliff face and the other built out of pourstone in the traditional material often seen on Mos Eisley and Anchorhead. It weathered the constant blast of sand storms and the elements well, plus provided a cool area inside that would normally felt as if one was baking under the heat with other materials.

Keeping quiet for now, the young teenager went inside. Things still felt a bit off... Not in a bad way. But.. off.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

There wasn't much that happened next.

For a moment Cerita just focused on the papers in front of her, scribbling down some notes after the aftermath of her meeting with the Herglic and wholly ignoring the appearance of [member="Choli Vyn"]. Perhaps ignoring was the right word, though, perhaps it was more a sense of gauging the other side before starting a conversation.

Vyn would notice two things in one particular order; first, was that the woman in front of her was entirely green. Secondly, which was perhaps more surprising, was the bird sitting in the corner of the office.

It was a Jubba Bird. It looked quite dopey, small beady eyes and a big beak with an inclination that bordered on a goofy smile, but those same eyes... they displayed a strange amount of cunning. At least for a moment, before it receded back and it started pecking at its own feathers, cleaning them in the process.

"The Jawa told me you are new in town," The words suddenly cut through the spell and the scribbling. Looking back, Ceri was still very much writing, but the attention had shifted noticeably now.

 

[Choli Vyn]

[member="Cerita Sarova"]

It was the Jubba bird that caught her interest. She'd seen a few before, when Choli and Jan made a stop at Dagobah. A Jubba bird was a Force-sensitive reptavian native to Dagobah. They would build their nests out of sticks and plants, using mud scooped from the swamps of Dagobah to hold the nest together. This made the nests heavy, often causing them to droop downwards into the swamps, where predators were waiting to gobble up the eggs.

The interesting things about Jubba birds were that they were deceptively intelligent birds, though domesticated jubba often played dumb to avoid harassment from ignorant owners. Birds sold to appreciative owners sometimes allowed their innate intelligence to show, and became loyal companions. Many jubba birds were captured and sold by vendors as pets prized for their mesmerizing song. Their song was a highly soothing whistle that it manipulated through the Force.

Choli had taken a few steps towards the bird when the woman finally spoke. Panning her attention back to [member="Cerita Sarova"], Choli studied her with a bit more avid curiosity.

[ There are a lot of new things here. ] the town for example. Most folk don't go deep into the Western Dune Sea for fear of the Tusken Raiders and for the certain death that could follow by the spirits or the elements.

[ This place included,] said the modulated voice.