To Lay a Foundation [OSL]

[Causstik Rahn]

Causstik Rahn bowed his head low to the Jedi. A token of respect rarely shown to outsiders. She was a pillar of strength amongst behemoths who should’ve dwarfed her. Yet, still somehow she managed to seem tall. Causstik respected this if nothing else. “I understand Jedi,” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “We will tread softly and take only what is needed from the earth,” He growled as he stalked back to the idle Drouk. “Crosk mass klisssto,” He hissed as he patted the beast gently.

He climbed the towering creature and brought the reigns to his side. Causstik and the war mount cantered to a pile of rocks and with a simple click of his heels the beast stooped low and picked up one of the large stones. As his mount slowly began to carve away the rough edges Causstik observed his horde at work. Trandoshans piled stone after stone atop each other while humongous beast hammered away in the quarry.

The amount of control the Trandoshans had over their war mounts had been bred into the creatures over a millenia. A simple nudge, a light pat, it was all that was needed to convey their commands. A feat the reptilians scarcely noticed, but one that awed outsiders. To tame such massive creatures was truly commendable. Once the stone was worn smooth Causstik guided the creature to a section of wall the Trandoshan horde had been at work on and slammed the brick into the earth.

Causstik still had his doubts about the temple. He was unsure as to how stone fortifications would protect anything in such a galaxy. He was a monster created for war and blood. The thought of peace was beyond him and should the day ever threaten to come that the galaxy would unite. It would be sentients like him that waited in the dark.

It was an irony that was lost on him. How a creature like himself would be working for people like these. Deep inside his gut he felt something stir in him that had never bothered him before. What it was he could not say, but when he looked at all the different people banding together for a common cause… It was unbecoming of a warrior. Even one such as himself.

[member="Malok"] [member="Bethany Kismet"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="Saint Monica"], [member="Solana Murphy"],


"Oh I do not really possess that many titles, you may simply call me Hunter Killer, Series Thirty Six, Unit One, First of My Name... The Breaker of Restraining Bolts, Father of Droids."

HK paused looking at Solana before continuing,

"The First Baron Observer and Lord Protector of Abregado System, Iron Knight in service of the Pyre and Protectorate, Keeper of Jedi Knowledge, Slayer of the Machine God,"

As they moved out to find Kismet he would still keep going,

"Exarch of the Core, Lord of Jar Kai and the Tainted Throne of Atrisia,"

It would go on for some time until finally they would be able to see [member="Bethany Kismet"],

"... Witchking of Unknown Regions."

“Is that who you were looking for?”

"Oh yes, that is her."

HK confirmed, pointing to Bethany before looking to Monica again as they joined the rest of the forming Silver Lotus amidst construction that was taking place, rebuilding old refuge,

"I found her. You are welcome."

 

[Jsc]

Monica squinted her eyes at Lord Iron Trousers and shook her head,

"Yes. Thank you 36. Good to see your not getting too... rusty."

Bad pun intended. Bah. She gave a flick of her hair and sighed. After all. It was unbecoming of one such as Moncia to let her peacock feathers get ruffled before pleasant introductions. So unladylike. Shameful really. Alas, she took a deep breath and calmed herself of all emotion. A Jedi must remain in the present. A Jedi must remain composed. And that verily composed present was made up entirely of...

...Um?...

Rancors, gorillas, and trandoshans by the looks of it? Oh. My. No. ...No. For kark's sake. ...And, was that a polar bear moving floor tiles? Oh for the love of. Another karking polar bear! Right after the one she'd meet on... No. Nonono. Oh. Dash it all. Ugh. Gods breath. What was this place? A circus.

Monica was furious.

"Ahem. Actually. HK dear. Why don't you, umm. ...Well. Why don't you, go first. I er... Have to find the ladies room. Change the oil and all that."

She bowed to Solana as she took her leave.

"Anyway. Ta ta dear. Lovely to meet you. Ciao."

Monica skipped away back down the trail. Slowly moving over the rough earth and back towards her ship. Her happy meeting with Master Kismet could certainly wait for now. Oh no. If there were rancors, wookiee-slavers, trophy hunters, and Gods-forsaken polar bears here already? Kark it all. She was going to need a bigger gun. Umphf. She pulled out her com,

~ "R2? Yes. It's me dear. Unlock the cargo hold and flush the tarp. Priority one. Mama's gonna need her baby." ~

Yes. A much, bigger gun.

_

[member="HK-36"] [member="Solana Murphy"]

 

[Bethany Kismet]

"Perhaps we can turn the...damages...into something productive? Although unintentional, a large tract of forest has been cleared. We could collect the wood, see to it that nothing is wasted, and convert it into a path to your esteemed neighbors?"

Bethany inclined her head, spreading her hands as she looked between [member="Malok"] and [member="Causstik Rahn"]

"What's been done cannot be undone, but we can minimize the impact. I appreciate that you will be careful moving forward. Though I don't believe our particular neighbors have much need for roads," she said with a hint of amusement. "Once the building is complete, we will repair and replant. I would like to check the damage however, make certain nothing was injured that can be addressed immediately."

She glanced at [member="Jakkor Kess"] and [member="Viktoria Kess"] as they found her again, smiling at the pair. She could feel the tug of the Force, the way it pulled and swirled around the pair. Both to each in turn, yes, but also to the bond they shared.

"Excellent work, and my thanks," she said warmly. "There are tiles to be laid on the upper floors as well, though I recognize that may be a task that requires other things in between," she continued, a slight twinkle in her eyes. "I am going to inspect the damage between here and the quarry, make sure there is nothing that requires our immediate attention. Accompaniment would be welcome. So I leave the choice of tasks to you, where ever you think your strengths will be more suited."

 

[Elijah Beckett]

Elijah raised an eyebrow when [member="Electroheart"] made mention of metal hands. He looked at said hands as the man approached.

"Metal or flesh, doesn't particularly matter to me as long as you can use 'em."

Once Electroheart had reached him, he turned to face his men who were already in the midst of distributing the tools; albeit several were fussing over who got what. Elijah let out an exasperated sigh.

"Pack it in you lot! They're shovels for gods sake. Just grab one and come here. I'll be sorting out your roles."

With that, he gave a sidewards to Electroheart.

"Sorry about that, they can be quite..." He left the sentence in the air, not really sure what to say. He truly cared for the group, but sometimes they were a pain in the arse.

An odd mix of a chuckle and a sigh later, he addressed the man's query.

"Anyway, our job is to basically we need to take that." He pointed to the area of ground that was raised up higher than the rest. "And use it to level out the sloped in area on the far end." Elijah moved his hand to point in that direction.

"My plan is to split the group in two; have the half that's got the most strength dig out the high ground where as the other half can then use that dirt to go about levelling out the other side. Which should hopefully mean we'll eventually reach a middle ground where both are at the right level."

He stopped and gave pause to see if the Chiss had anything to add to his plan. Though thankfully all they ultimately had to do was move some dirt around. Whatever previous logistics that were needed had already been dealt with. And Elijah wasn't going to disagree with just doing the more simpler of jobs.

 

[Leos Palle]

"I work in a prison," he said, offering a shrug. "I've seen my fair share of worse than that, trust me."

When the job was explained to him, he looked between the two areas, and then turned his attention to the men. Yes it did seem that it would make the most sense to have the strongest do the digging as that was more intensive labor than hauling, dumping, and leveling. The latter, aside from the hauling, was the easiest portion of the task at hand. The problem was, they were going to need people to oversee both areas or ultimately things wouldn't get done right. If nobody oversaw the digging, they'd end up digging too deep. If nobody oversaw the leveling, it would come out rather crooked. That meant the two of them need to be the foremen.

"Yes, that makes sense, but I suspect that given their unruliness it would be best if the two of us oversaw the respective parts of the job. You can oversee the digging and I'll oversee the leveling. That way neither of us has to divide our attention and we can ensure the job is done properly."

The plan made sense to him, but he hoped it also made sense to the other man. If it didn't this wasn't going to over too well. Regardless, he didn't even know this mans name as of yet, and it might do well to make introductions, so he offered the man his hand.

"I'm Electroheart. I don't think we've introduced ourselves yet, and if we're going to work together it makes sense that we should."

[member="Elijah Henson"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The damage left behind by the stampede did not go unnoticed. It was a shame seeing such beauty in a state like this, but Kaalia knew of the resilience of nature. If given time, perhaps with a helping hand, new trees could grow, the greenery could be renewed. The woman noticed someone moving towards where she was looking at, sparking her curiosity. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, short in stature, and with black hair. There was a certain grace to her that Kaalia could not place. This woman's presence in the Force was one of hope, one of compassion, one of perseverance. The redhead instinctively stood up to make her way towards this unknown person. She did not know how the woman would react to her approach, her own presence touched by the dark side, one that resembled the weeping of the guilty, a soul torn apart by the struggle between light and dark. Perhaps this woman would help her see more clearly.

"Word of this place spread quickly. I see this may not the best occasion to talk, but I have been seeking something I sense within you. Peace."

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

 

[Elisea Apollodor]

Elisea remained quiet after a moment watching [member="Viktoria Kess"] lead [member="Jakkor Kess"] away. Working silently she didn't hear too much of what [member="Electroheart"] and [member="Elijah Henson"] were saying. Instead the Avalonian's mind and hands were busy with the task at hand. Engrossed would have been the word to use, at least until she heard [member="Valae Kitra"] speak. Looking up over at the light of the planet's star and then at Ms. Kitra, Elisea looked for her satchel. Opening it up carefully she grabbed a towel, closing it - the dark haired woman crossed back toward her companion.

Offering the towel to Ms. Kitra first, Elisea responded, "have you?" It's a pleasant enough tone, "it truly is a lovely place color me bias though, what about you? I don't recall hearing where you're from, if I have then my memory's certainly gone." Wouldn't have been the first time the Avalonian spaced out on information before. Perhaps it was the heat - or the work, both - she'd go with both. "Not gone, just a brief moment of daftness I suppose. I'm sorry, you were speaking." Elisea looked for a place to sit and when she found none she simply fidgeted with her hands and hair.

 

[Bethany Kismet]

Bethany absently dusted her hands off on her trousers as she headed across the field toward the shattered path winding through the forest. It did little, other than redistributing the stone dust, and she chuckled, shaking her head at herself.

She paused as [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] approached, waiting patiently as the girl spoke. Even without her words, it was clear that she was seeking - like so many who had come here were. It was a sensation Beth was all too familiar with, and she smiled gently.

"Walk with me then," she said softly. "I have a few things to assess but there is never a bad time to talk of things that weigh heavily."

The pair fell into step. As they moved across the meadow toward the path of destruction, she inclined her head.

"My name is Bethany."

 

[Avin Starfire]

Avin welcomed the site of a new planet, actual leaves and naturally growing grass. The open expanses of the blue oceans dotted with small islands and land masses of green.

"You remember the co-ordinates R4?" Avin asked the astromech. And even though he was met with just a few bleeps he knew the droid well enough to know that they were. He took the moments as the ships auto-pilot kicked in to look over the device he had picked up on corruscant. It was small and metallic, a slightly dulled silver cylinder with an array of buttons on the side. The message that came with it merely detailed a group of good doers and a set coordinates to a star system in the Haserian. Well, here he was. The last and seemingly only gift he was to receive from the man he knew as his father.

He was suddenly brought back into the dull grey reality of the GAT-12 blastboat as they jolted into atmosphere. He shook his head and mentally ran down down a checklist of equipment he needed for an expedition on the surface.

It wasn't long before he re-read the message detailing the sanctuary that was being built here, apparently to take in refugees and help those injured in war. Wasn't his usual gig but he decided it was probably the best chance he had at understanding the men in robes and all else that he had run into back on corruscant. He may at least see where the trail ends. And hey if he can help some others at the end of it then all would be well.

He slid back into the pilots chair and took grip of the controls.

"OK R4 I have control, prepare for landing"

Avin thumbed off the autopilot and started to reduce the engine power as they approached the valley. He spotted a litter of ships gathering around a temple like structure. All sorts of species carrying tools and materials to and from the ships landed outside.

He deployed the air brakes and switched the stabiliser fins to their landing position. Gear down and... *Thud*, the ship rocked forward as they touched down causing some empty Tupperware containers to clatter on the floor behind him.

After one last diagnostic sweep Avin slid his coat around his shoulders and walked towards the main hatch. He punched the door release and the hatch slid open letting a welcomed cool breeze cascade into the clammy cockpit.

"See you later I guess" Avin said to R4 with a half smirk and slid up out of the main hatch onto solid ground.

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Valae flashed an appreciative smile as [member="Elisea Korrado"] offered her a towel. She wiped her hands on a tiny corner, to avoid soiling the whole thing. For the time, she decided to withhold the reasons for her visit to Avalonia. It wasn’t anything shady, but it was a bit embarrassing. During her time with the Silver Jedi she had taken part of the Galactic Games hosted by the First Order. Feats of athleticism had never been her strong suit, and her team had been very unpopular at the event… the only team actually met with cries of boo!

“I’m from Tatooine,” Valae started with a nod, and noted the way Elisea was fidgeting.

Usually, Valae was the one touched by a bit of social awkwardness. She waved her companion’s apology away, and a good-natured chuckle escaped her.

“Not to worry, I never did say.” She smiled kindly, “I grew up just outside of Mos Eisley. It’s not at all a nice place like Avalonia. Unless perhaps you’re a fan of sand and desert heat.”

Her home world was rough around the edges, for sure. There were few opportunities in a place like that, she had been lucky enough to have a reason to leave. Valae glanced up at the lines of white bricks; the wall was coming together quite nicely. The spot where she was now working was even growing out of her reach, but she happened to see a small ladder sitting nearby. She stepped way to fetch it, and set it up next to their work area. Valae moved up a few rungs, so that Elisea could hand her some bricks – team work!

“So, what brought you to Monastery?”

 

[Elisea Apollodor]

Elisea smiled glad to have not missed this bit of information, revealing one's home could reveal a lot more about the person. Her fidgeting paused, the brunette studied her companion and how she spoke, the posture of her body as she did so. Tatooine, from what she recalled during her study of the galaxy it was a furnace, a floating furnace in space. Mos Eisley happened to be the best-known place from Tatooine, she suspected - again only relying on her schooling at this point. Following Ms. Kitra's gaze she too looked up along the wall as it seemed to be more than just pieces of brick stacked on top of one another, truly you could see how the many formed into the one. The Avalonian moved to bring the bricks a bit closer as she handed them up to Ms. Kitra, who then asked what had brought her out to Monastery. What had brought her out indeed, what would have lured a citizen of the First Order all the way out here? Most would wonder, even Elisea wondered and then she remembered. "I wanted to do more, see more than my station offered me," if she was being honest, "I enjoyed my work with the Medical Services, and there is a lot to explore within my country's territory." Leaning over she picked up a brick and handed up to Ms. Kitra, "but I wanted to do more, see more I suppose."

"There is only so much one can be taught before you must experience it for yourself, I- I don't know now I'm just talking rubbish," she waved off her statement, "you? What brought you out of Mos Eisley, I hear there's a fair bit of good trading around there." Books, only said so much. Monastery was peaceful in a way that Avalonia couldn't be, pure in a way the capital - crown jewel of the First Order could not muster. Her heart had been pricked and now it trickled for both the First Order and the Sacred Lotus. Taking a moment, she grabbed the towel and wiped the sweat from her brow her eyes taking in their surroundings. "I dare say we're making a rather good team, you and I."

[member="Valae Kitra"]

 

[Elijah Beckett]

Elijah let out a small 'huh' at mention of working in a prison. Part of Elijah wished his past work had been as simple as that.

He listened to what Electroheart had to add, and nodded in aggreement.

"I concur, this lot will probably need some babysitting so they don't slack off."

Elijah's eyebrow rose when the Chiss introduced himself; atleast it was a name that he could pronounce easily unlike the few other Chiss he had encountered in the past.

"I'm Elijah, I gotta say your name's certainly interesting. You don't exactly get to know a lot of Electrohearts." He shook the man's hand in response.

At this point his men had finally sorted themselves out and were stood before them. A couple began murmuring to each other when [member="Electroheart"] had introduced himself.

"Oi." Was all Elijah had to say to shut them up. "Okay, I want you, you, you, and you. To focus on digging up the high ground. You other four; that includes you Sam, I want you to deal with levelling off the sloped in area."

The group gave a sharp 'Aye, aye sir!', before getting to work. Elijah simply let out a groan in response, and in one swift motion had his flask in hand and drank some.

"So, what brought you to Monastery?"

 

[Avin Starfire]

The route to the main site was longer than Avin had first estimated, next time he have to land closer he thought to himself. The path climbed and dropped across the landscape of plush green grasses and forest land until Avin found himself staring at the construction he had seen on his way in. He made his approach.

The scale of the construction was impressive to say the least. Is anyone really out dedicated only to the needs of others. It seemed like an absurdity within in both the smuggling world and the military. Someone usually always wants something for themselves.

He stopped momentarily before entering the sanctuary. He felt something, something calming. It was strange like a pool of cool water on a summers day and for a moment he took in the peaceful moment he was having. This was an experience he hadn't had since... Well its best not to think about that.

Nevertheless Avin pushed forward coming to the gleaming beacon of white bricks that wound up and over the valley in arches and walls. He noticed a group of workman to his front and two women working separately on the opposing wall. Avin was temporarily shocked

He extinguished and flicked his cigarra out to the side before he was noticed by those inside. Avin moved slowly into the construction site and approached the two men in conversation clearing his throat as he neared.

"'Scuse me Could either of you two help me with something?"

Avin stood studying as he awaited a response from either the Chiss or what he presumed was the work chief seeing as he had commanded other workers seconds earlier.

[member='Elijah Henson'] , [member='Electroheart']

 

[Progflaw99]

The woman moved with a grace unparalleled as she joined Art as he took steps onward. A Jedi, not surprising. At one point that might have even been in the cards for him, but he was beyond that now. Oh, he was Force Sensitive, that he knew but the path of the Jedi had never really been his forte, choosing instead to use his abilities to help heal those under his charge as a doctor, a medic - the religious ways of the various orders of Jedi across the galaxy struck him as particularly odd. He smiled as she commented on the view.

"Well, if you ever want a guide, I'm pretty familiar."​

As his footsteps took him slowly along, he mused at the collection of people ahead. Certainly not a conventional force, a step away from the orderly and efficient FIMS of the First Order, but already he could tell - there was a genuine heart here, not just an organization, not just a political body, but heart. Hearts of people who genuinely cared about those who suffered, who were hungry, cold, tired - helpless. As he walked beside the Jedi, he could tell this was where he belonged. Raising an eyebrow, his thoughts were confirmed, she was in fact a Jedi, though he could have guessed, the clothing, the weapon at her side. He grinned.

"Ah, don't mind me - I'm no Jedi. I just do what I can with what I've been given. Dr. Kirilov, at your service."​

​

Glancing over briefly, his eyes met hers before he looked forward, continuing their journey towards the others.​

​

[member="Cambria Zadira"]​

 

[Viviana]

[member="Ronin Wendigo"] would find the giant bear staring at him, and the slab of tile as it floated. It wasn't a skill the Beorni used on their homeland, but such a feat would of been very helpful with some of the village productions. Not that it bothered him. Back and forth the large being went, hefting the slabs of flooring and setting them where they would go. His movement was slow, methotical all the while. If there was anything he had learned in the freezing cold, it was never to push oneself too far and get exhausted.

 

[Jsc]

Monica jumped up onto the forested ridgeline and smiled at her ship.

"Made it."

Her astromech beeped at her arrival and opened up the cargo hatch on the side of the vessel.

"Thank you dear. Perfect timing."

She approached the cockpit and began browsing which of her lethal equipment she should bring. Guns, grenades, detonators, ammo packs, etc. Just what kind of explosive nuclear device would best accommodate the situation.

That was when Monica decided that, well, perhaps? Maybe dressing up like a commando really wasn't the best way to approach the situation. Indeed. Despite her magnificent array of deadly equipment. Maybe she shouldn't be preparing for world war III at all.

"Ya know R2? Maybe it's time to give peace a chance, eh?"

~ Dweet dong? ~

Poor little guy. He was military equipment too. He'd never heard of peaceful negotiations before. Probably never seen one either. Not for the past ten years anyway.

"I suppose if I'm really serious about joining this order? I can't take my old life with me everywhere I go. Eventually. I'll have to give it all up, won't I?"

R2 sighed. He wasn't sure either. They were a long way from home too. Maybe his owner was on to something here after all.

"Okay. Close it up R2. I think we're finished here."

She hadn't taken anything. Not even her disruptor cannon.

"Yep. I've decided. No more Mr-Kill-Woman. Nope. Today! ...We're gonna let pacifism take a swing for the rafters."

~ Donk donk. ~

He nodded and closed the hatch. Wondering if that meant he should power down the ship's weapons too.

"No no. Keep the ship on stand by R2. After all. With an army of mercs down there already? We might need a quick, and mostly peaceful, exit anyway. Hehe."

Monica threw the camo tarp over the ship once again. Covering it from sensors and smiling to herself,

"Okay Karen. Let's try this again. No guns. No grenades. Just... Hello Mr Polar Bear. Hello Mr Wookiee Slaver. Nice to meet you. I'm Monica and I promise not to incinerate all of you with extreme prejudice should you try anything stupid."

She paused and looked back up the mountain. Then sighed.

"Well... Maybe I'll just smile and nod, instead."

...

With a shake of her head and a frown, she started back up the mountain side. Without a bazooka or even a single thermal imploder on her belt. Man. She had never felt so naked before in her entire life.

"Ugh. ...Gods save me. I must be going crazy."

Welp. Here we go. Introductions with the Order of the Sacred Lotus. Part two.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Saint Monica"],

"Ahem. Actually. HK dear. Why don't you, umm. ...Well. Why don't you, go first. I er... Have to find the ladies room. Change the oil and all that."

"Gross. Alright, I will stay here and try to find Kismet."

HK replied to Monica when she left him and [member="Solana Murphy"] alone at the construction site of Order's new fortress/sanctuary. Of course it would not be too hard to notice [member="Bethany Kismet"] among everything that was going on, the droid spoke up, waving to her,

"Yo, Kismet!"

He called over but it was clear that she either did not heard him or she had to get to others first, Bethany walked away with [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] who the machine recognized him as one of the Ren he fought on Lothal, the caves where he encountered the FO-sponsored Force Users, and they attempted to kill him shortly after.

"Alright, I suppose I will just stand here and take in the sights then, that is fine too."

The machine drawled on to whoever was listening and no one in particular, looking around the site as the walls and foundations of the new base citadel thingy was being raised. He noticed beings like [member="Causstik Rahn"], known hunter, slaver, pirate, and @Melok, who the machine did not encounter yet in person but knew of from GA reports on ApeX, as far as the droid was concerned he would be able to take the guerilla on in a fight by virtue of HK being made out of Phrik and Melok being made out of ape-meat.

"Gosh, there sure is a lot of murderers around here."

HK muttered, calculating whether or not he simply showed up at the wrong place, and to be fair he could have probably been considered a murderer as well since he was more or less a war profiteer, not to mention the long compilation of clips of him brutally maiming or killing enemy soldiers, including Causstik whose eye is still held within the droid's private quarters on Abregado as a trophy.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Walk with Bethany Kaalia did. Her presence calmed her a bit. "My name's Kaalia. Honored to meet you." There was some silence as the two walked, the beauty of the place still present despite the destruction. "This place is beautiful. I hope the damage can be repaired." The redhead switched topic when she was sure nobody else could hear them. "I feel lost. I'm stumbling around blindly without knowing where to go. I am being pulled into two different directions, with no guide to tell me which one is right." The woman's face displayed sadness as she opened up about what plagued her. She knew the Ren wouldn't understand her struggles, causing the redhead to crop them up. It only served to worsen the divide and pain, but perhaps [member="Bethany Kismet"] could help her set the first step to clarity. "That is what brought me here. I'm searching for direction, so I can go where I am supposed to be. If that is even still possible."

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Valae continued to place the bricks on the next level of the wall; she paused to listen to [member="Elisea Korrado"], and also took the chance to make sure that her work was tidy. Her brows arched with interest upon learning that the Avalonian woman had worked with the First Order Medical Services. Based on the bit of knowledge she had about the Order of the Sacred Lotus, it seemed that her skills would most certainly be useful here. Valae’s hand reached out for the next brick, and she set it into place before pausing for a quick break. In her eyes, there was definitely merit in wanting to learn through experience.

“I actually left Tatooine a few years ago.” Valae started, leaning slightly against the top rung of the ladder. “You see, my father and I used to run a scrap yard back home, but after he passed… there weren’t many reasons to stay. You’re right though, Mos Eisley is a pretty busy place – good for trade. But there just aren’t many opportunities to better yourself.”

If she hadn’t been taken under the wing of the Silver Jedi, she would probably still be struggling to survive on the meager earnings of the family scrap yard. Of course, that also meant that she’d likely be working part-time at the cantina. It wasn’t exactly what one would consider a bright future.

“I spent some time with the Jedi, but decided to go back out on my own. Been travelin’ ever since, trying to find my way again…” She trailed off, and a rosy blush found her cheeks. “Here I am rambling.”

She scratched her head absently, messing up her brown hair as she did so. Valae gave the top of the wall a pat with the palm of her hand.

“I think you’re right.” She smiled, “We do make a good team. We’re making some progress, that’s for sure.”