Private Vibrant Verdancy

[Lao-ta]

Kashyyk
Shadowlands
Ooworii village
Niynx Ioune
<<Shyriiwook>>

Lao-ta stepped off of the Little Minnow and onto the landing platforms of Ooworii village. Niynx had done a marvelous job piloting them through the forest canopy to land in the elevated village. His piloting skills were truly blossoming and he was taking true ownership of his former master's ship. She took a deep breath of the forest air, smelling the woody scent of the wroshyr trees that accounted for so much of the life on this wonderful world. She felt the village stirring around her as they came to see the newcomers. One wookie in particular broke from the growing crowd and approached her, vicious blades hanging from belts wrapping the tall creature's furry torso. He and Lao-ta stopped a few feet apart and looked each other in the eye. The jedi knight extended a hand and waited as the wookiee stared her down. After a few moments of silence the taller of the two clasped the other's outstretched hand and pulled her into a crushing hug with a celebratory hoot. He ruffled her hair and let her go.
"It's good to see you too Akaamjii. I wanted to check in with you and let your father know we were visiting Master Shamba's retreat for a while."
<<We? Little jedi you have never brought anyone with you before. Always since Shamba's passing you visited alone.>> The wookiee growled.
"As Shamba taught me, now it is my turn to be teacher and I wish to share some of my master's wisdom with my new padawan. He should be almost finished locking down the ship." She turned expectantly to the landing ramp of the Minnow looking to see her new padawan.

Since she had met Niynx Ioune she had been consistently impressed by the boy. He had a gift for the empathic abilities the force bestowed and had shown immense bravery on multiple occasions, standing up to not just one but two powerful sith lords including Darth Carnifex himself. That was part of why she brought him here. It seemed that his path was destined to cross with these powerful sith, and with the Sith Order activity on the rise it only made sense. Here on Kashyyk she would prepare him body and mind for the trials to come.

 

[Niynx Ioune]

<< Like the branches of great wroshyr trees, our actions extend from the
roots of our own self understanding. >>
— Jedi Master Shamba​

• Kashyyk​
• Shadowlands​
• Ooworii Village​
• Artistic Credit— Student & Master ( above, Darth Caedes ); SPARK Droid ( below, Big Nick )
• Tags— Lao-ta
  ​

The Minnow's engines clicked and crackled as they cooled, hatches sealing and running lights powering off in the wake of Niynx Ioune. He scampered here and there to various terminals, click-click-clicking the freighter's ground locks and flight guard systems into place, arming security and—

"I... think that's everything," he proposed out loud, glancing about as if expecting to find something he'd missed.​

It felt strange to own so much so suddenly, he'd reflected, almost guilty. Before, the temple on Coruscant had always been his only home. Now, he could pick up and leave whenever he wanted, live on the Minnow, stake out a life for himself using the skills taught to him by La T'vil, maybe even achieve greatness and wealth for himself. Idly, he'd wondered if having intrusive thoughts like that, or even considering such ends for himself at all, spoke to a failing in his loyalty to the Order.

A small, oddly shaped, green little droid jettisoned past the Padawan's face and broke him from his reverie, buoyed on silent repulsorlifts and careening towards the Minnow's opened landing ramp.

<< Indeed! >> Remarked its digital voice, brightly.​

<< The 'power-down checklist' has been performed to completion! The vehicle is now safe to exit! >>​

One of the two Spark droids onboard the Minnow, NOVA-2D ("Novi"), a Cybot Galactica GH05-T unit belonging to Niynx, circled the Minnow's rear cargo hold, then burst out into the bright, fresh air of Kashyyyk.

<< Master Niynx—! Our first adventure togetherrr! >> ​

Niynx smiled as the droid flew off to scan and become familiar with this new, exciting tree-top environment. Jogging, he left the freighter's shadow and made his way down to Lao-ta's side, smiling up at the gathered company. Akaamjii, tall and beautiful, carried himself with the assuredness of a warrior and the softness of a friend.

"Greetings," he said, offering his hand in the normalized, albeit somewhat out of place here, core world greeting habit of shaking palms.​

Although his spoken attempts at Shyriiwook would be nothing short of embarrassing to utter-out and choke on here, Niynx had always found the language easier to understand than to speak aloud. Even so, he'd installed a Shyriiwook translator node into his wrist-comm, ensuring that a constant scrawl of questionably accurate, digital aurabesh subtitles provided him with yet another layer for conversational comprehension.

"It's an honor to meet you. You live in a beautiful village."​

​

 

[Lao-ta]

Kashyyk
Shadowlands
Ooworii village
Niynx Ioune
<<Shyriiwook>>

"It's an honor to meet you. You live in a beautiful village."​

<<Ooworii welcomes you padawan. I hope you will see much of it in the days to come.>> The wookie replied.
"We'll be in the market picking up supplies if you'll let us know when Chieftain Mrryook is ready to see us. I plan to base out of Shamba's dwelling but we'll likely spend most of our time out in the forest." Lao-ta said to Akaamjii. "Perhaps we could share a meal with your family when we return? My treat." She touched him lightly on the arm and then moved past.

"WAIT! WAIT!" Came a voice from the minnow as Nara burst forth from the hatch. The little sphere was a new companion to the knight and nearly identical to Niynx's new droid except for a different coat of paint (orange instead of green) and a different id number (225). "Pardon my tardiness master jedi, but I am now fully charged for the journey ahead." The spark bobbed and circled around the two jedi. "No worries Nara. We all need to be prepared for the journey ahead."

With their group all gathered Lao-ta lead them to the market of Ooworii village. The treetop platforms were connected by wooden bridges. Wookies of all ages peered out from huts as they passed. While there were larger cities among the wroshyyr forests of Kashyyk master Shamba had chosen to live near this smaller village in the shadowlands. While they had frequented Ooworii, their home was several miles distant. Isolated and private. As they came to the market platforms colorful canopies and blankets decorated the area around them. Goods of all sorts laid out in crates and on tables. She turned to Niynx. "Get us two days rations of food and water. It's for emergency only so make sure it's well preserved. We'll be foraging as we go for the most part. Take Nara to translate. It's likely not everyone speaks basic." One of the first things she had done upon acquiring the little droid had been to have her update her language files to include Shriiwook. "I'm going to find you some climbing gear. We're going to be spending a lot of time in the trees and I can't have you falling before you learn how to get around." She handed her padawan some credit chips and looked around to see where she might begin her own shopping.

 

[Niynx Ioune]

<< The beauty of Kashyyyk lies not only in its breathtaking landscape but also in the hearts of its united inhabitants. >>
— Jedi Master Shamba
​

• Kashyyyk
• Shadowlands
• Ooworii Village
• Tags— Lao-ta

"Get us two days rations of food and water," instructed Lao-ta.​

"It's for emergency only so make sure it's well preserved. We'll be foraging as we go for the most part. Take Nara to translate. It's likely not everyone speaks basic."​

Niynx bowed his head in obedience to Lao-ta, the motion made elegant with the boy's natural sense of formality.

"Of course, Master," he acquiesced.​

Then again, he nodded sagely up at the towering Wookiee and smiled.

"Akaamjii," he pronounced politely, excusing himself.​

With a fist, Niynx beat his chest in a Wookiee gesture for enthusiasm, then pivoted and started in towards the market of Ooworii.

Wookiees of all ages, sizes, and colors roamed the hanging market platforms of Ooworii. Some wore bright sashes or bandoliers, while most others remained bare and clad in only their fur. Merrily chortling their greetings to one another, the furry giants wove in and out of familial stalls, making physical displays of affection and filling handwoven baskets with fruits and seeds and dried meat snacks. The air smelled of savory Wookiee cuisine, vendor stalls stacking juicy, seasoned anakkona atop skewered grilled vegetables.

Orbited by two whirling and curious droids, Niynx entered the fray and set about securing their rations and water. Smiling and winking at the village youth as he surveyed, Niynx was quickly approached by a clutch of Ooworoii pups. After an initial translation learning curve and a few linguistic calculations made to Nara's dictionary-databases, allowing for colloquial slang modifications, the group set out together. Like this, Niynx allowed himself to be guided to the market's "undisputed" best spots for the group's favorite treats, eager to show off for the rare outsider. With his shopping concluded, Niynx exchanged names and motioned farewell to his new friends, then directed Nara to find Lao-ta.

"A lively people," he said fondly, falling into place again at his Master's side, hefting a cloth-slung-satchel.​

"I think I've made some friends along the way, Master," he admitted, sheepishly, "but— everything's here."​

 

[Lao-ta]

Kashyyk
Shadowlands
Ooworii village
Niynx Ioune
<<Shyriiwook>>

It took Lao-ta a few minutes to find someone with the proper climbing gear to sell. Ooworii didn't see to many visitors that weren't wookiee, and the wookiees had no need for the gear themselves having adapted naturally to their homeworld's jungles. As she asked around she caught sight now and again of her padawan trailing along behind a group of local children. It was interesting that he gravitated towards them still, but it made sense. For all he had been through he was still young. That was changing though and she lamented her part in it, but it was a natural part of life.

After she accomplished her task she sought out Niynx again.

"A lively people," he said fondly, falling into place again at his Master's side, hefting a cloth-slung-satchel."I think I've made some friends along the way, Master," he admitted, sheepishly, "but— everything's here."

"Excellent. I'm glad you were able to get to know some of the locals. Kashyyyk can be hostile to outsiders but the wookiee people are good hearted and generous." She offered him a small package. "Here you are. Climbing claws, anchors, a grappling line, and harness belt. Hopefully by the time we finish here you won't need them as much, but they should help you at the start. Much of our time will be spent in the trees. It will be good physical training and will help us avoid some of the larger predators."

She began to guide him towards the outskirts of the village, crossing bridges and wooden platforms in the branches of the giant wroshyr trees. "Before we leave I want to to open your senses fully and take an impression of the village. Feel it in it's entirety from the small creatures that lurk around the huts, to your youngling friends, to the oldest elders. Feel it all and let it settle in your mind. Feel the memory of this place. The marks that the generations who have lived here have left. Remember that feeling. When we return you will guide us back." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Physical preparation will be an aspect of our time here. You will learn to further bolster your body with the force, but the true lesson I want you to take from our time here is a greater connection to the living world around you. A constant awareness and a sensitivity to life. The awareness will serve you well but it is the first step towards drawing on power that goes beyond what you can harness on your own. By the time we leave Kashyyyk you will be as one with the world around you and the very essence of life in your surroundings will be a part of you."

 

[Niynx Ioune]

<< The galaxy's memories are a gift, not a weapon. We use this power with humility, or risk the darkness which lingers. >>
— Jedi Master Tsuvatla​

• Kashyyyk
• Shadowlands
• Ooworii Village
• Tags— Lao-ta

Niynx accepted the package of gear and secured it away on his person, lashing its ties absent-mindedly. He was not unfamiliar with similar such tools for climbing, and had on occasion been called to train in similar feats of athleticism under La T'vil's tutelage.

"Yes Master," he said, nodding along to her wisdom.​

He returned Nara to Lao-ta as they ventured outward, thanking the droid for its service and bidding it keep a watchful eye on the curious Novi. Merrily in agreement, the orange little droid flitted off to join its near-twin counterpart along the fringes of the Jedi's vision, where both took to excitedly cataloguing new data-entries of flora and fauna, favoring strange bugs or other natural phenomenon, iconography and architectural curiosities unique to the world. Every now and again, Niynx's wrist-holo would light up as Novi found something it thought to be particularly delightful, or otherwise worth sharing with its diminutive Kiffar master. Smiling, the Padawan would flash a thumbs-up or pause to speak his mutual enthusiasm through the comms and back to his faithful friend.

"Before we leave I want to to open your senses fully and take an impression of the village. Feel it in its entirety from the small creatures that lurk around the huts, to your youngling friends, to the oldest elders. Feel it all and let it settle in your mind. Feel the memory of this place. The marks that the generations who have lived here have left. Remember that feeling. When we return you will guide us back," Lao-ta said, placing a hand on Niynx's shoulder and drawing them both to a stop.​

Niynx blinked up at his Master, momentarily distracted by the sudden physical contact. La T'vil used to place her hand atop his shoulder in much the same way, he recalled.

"Master?"​

"Physical preparation will be an aspect of our time here. You will learn to further bolster your body with the force, but the true lesson I want you to take from our time here is a greater connection to the living world around you. A constant awareness and a sensitivity to life. The awareness will serve you well but it is the first step towards drawing on power that goes beyond what you can harness on your own. By the time we leave Kashyyyk you will be as one with the world around you and the very essence of life in your surroundings will be a part of you."​

​

Niynx took a moment to scan his surroundings, then nodded back up to Lao-ta.

"Yes Master," he acknowledged, only the Force itself betraying just how intimidating that new responsibility felt to young Niynx.​

Selecting a place of shade beneath the canopy of a great wroshyr tree, its wide reaching branches embracing Ooworii, Niynx sat and crossed his legs. Its roots, Niynx knew, would stretch for untold miles along Kashyyyk's forest floor, ancient and saturated with memory and experience. He sat within the mosses which had crept up to carpet patches of Ooworii's hanging platforms, and leaned his back against the tree's trunk, seeking to lose himself in the sensation of coarse robes snagging and catching against the wroshyr's bark.

Like this, he reached out and poured himself into the Force, letting his fingers crawl and scrape along the bark until they found grooves and niches and fell still, steepled like spider legs, pressing into the great tree for wisdom. He lost track of time, devoting himself to the task set before him by his Master. A wash of sensations poured over Niynx, as if his mind had jumped to hyperspace. He called, and the wroshyr tree answered, granting him access, gifting him with vision. Niynx felt himself let go.

Hundreds— no, thousands of creatures surrounded them here. For miles, the forest breathed in the Force, each inhalation a kindness, an innocence, and each exhalation a brutal reminder of the ferocity in balance and the predatory dangers of nature's cycle. Through the Force, Niynx felt the sun of ancient days beloved to this tree, and bore witness to the vague and pastel histories of entire lineages. He felt tree's vast recognition and admiration of the wookiee's established symbiosis, likening it to more personally relatable feelings like friendship and tribe. There was something else there, too, something cold and far off, hard to feel. He let the thought pass.

The roots of this tree touched rivers and massive, moss covered boulders. They spread through the dens of predators and into the homes of Wookiee families. Niynx reached further, pressing himself deeper into the Force, attempting to touch the many minds which stirred and danced around them. Even now, he was not the only one to seek comfort in the shade of this very tree. He could feel others, too, leaning against it in rest, younglings at play in its higher branches. For them, this tree was home. It was safety. Comfort and ease saturated those minds, bleeding into the Force like bright watercolor yellows and the smell of wet stones.

Beyond, into the depths of Kashyyyk's shadowlands, he felt the hunger of beasts and the anticipatory minds of creatures on the hunt. Coiling reptiles hung from thick branches below, and nimbly stalking katarns bent into the planet's grasses. Insects larger than Niynx himself darted throughout the wroshyr's forest. Then— there it was again. That chilly presence, like ice at the small of his back, like an open wound within the forest. Furrowing his brow, Niynx seized upon the sensation and pushed outward with his thoughts. It was slippery, at first, like grabbing hold of a Rishi eel or trying to follow it back to its lair through dark and muddled waters, but Niynx persisted. Grimacing, his eyes beginning to canter and buck beneath closed lids, he exerted himself and reached out to touch that mind, feeling somehow as if it were in a state of dire need, starving. A vast entity, he could sense, at one with the planet in much the same way Niynx was, himself, now. It was a pained entity, intuited the great wroshyr under which Niynx sat, its bark hardened as if in fear of being felled. He shivered, visibly, then sent the being strength in the Force; strength to overcome.

It wasn't until Niynx opened his eyes again and nodded to Lao-ta that he felt that same, chilly presence shift to stare back at him. Chills erupted across his skin and raised hair along the back of his neck. Shaking it off, Niynx straightened his robes and brushed away any loose fragments of wroshyr bark.

"I'm ready, Master." ​

​

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Kashyyyk
Shadowlands
Forest Depths

Tags: Lao-ta Niynx Ioune

Amid clustered masses of trailing vines, amongst the many thousands of stands of wroshyr trees, there was one particular tree out of place. What had once been a meager clearing some 50 years prior, an area of lush grasses and squat flowering bushes, was now transformed by encroaching roots from a neighboring shadowed mass of vine choked thickets. The roots were red-brown and out of place, their pigment and texture at odds with the overall color scheme of this particular environment. Somewhere deep within that wooded hedge, a long slumbering darkness was stirring.

Native plants of the area, from the modest milk grass to the majestic and towering wroshyrs, they all played their various roles perfectly to form a healthy interconnected ecosystem. That one out of place tree though, that small but significant interloper had become an overgrown tangle where the ecosystem was attempting to subdue something that had a powerful but quelled will to the contrary.

Half a century was a mere blip in the seemingly aeonian lifespan of such an expansive forest, but the dreamer caught at the center of the fell briar had drifted through bouts of reverie over the course of that time. Devoid of her own bodily senses, A'Mia had been as a dingy adrift on the vast ocean of the world's energetic field. There were moments during her containment where it was as if she were a castaway spotting land. Spikes of stimuli within her immediate surroundings or far off surges of darkness which nearly cast a relieving shadow within the relentless light. These moments though were never quite enough to rouse her fully. Until today.

Low creaking and the dry rasping of wood scraping against wood sounded softly through the invaded glade. Soil shifted slightly, and leaves shook though there was no breeze.

Slowly.​

Ponderously.
​

That alien presence began to stir into wakefulness.

 

[Lao-ta]

Kashyyyk
Shadowlands nearing the origin tree
Six hours later
Niynx Ioune Madrona A’Mia

Lao-ta waited patiently as her padawan made transition between the branches of two mighty wroshyr trees. Soon they would descend into the roots of the great origin tree and begin their climb, but something was bothering her. She had been this way many times before but something felt different now. There was a presence nearby she had not felt before. Kashyyyk is a place of vivid colors, not just simple light and dark. There were life forms of all kinds from the Shyyyo bird to Terentateks but this was unlike any she had felt before. It would be folly to believe she had sampled every type of life on the jungle world yet something about it felt distinctly foreign. Despite it's alien nature it also felt connected to the world. Tied to the jungle. The sense of hunger she felt from it was almost perverse and yet the connection it shared with the world around it left her curious. She made a decision. They were on no strict timetable. A detour would not ruin their journey.

As Niynx approached she drew his attention with a thought. "Padawan. There is something out of place in the jungle. Find it and lead us there." It would not take them far out of their way. In truth it was almost directly in their path. The force would guide her padawan's training as much as she did. Perhaps this was it's will.

 

[Niynx Ioune]

<< The tree of life blooms with both radiant blossoms and thorns. To honor the Force is to nurture every branch, for even the darkest souls may find redemption. >>
— Jedi Master Shamba
​

• Kashyyyk
• Shadowlands
• Ooworii Village
• Tags— Lao-ta | Madrona A’Mia

Niynx secured himself to an anchor, tying a quick clove hitch with practiced fingers, then mounted his foot into the nearest ascender and scrambled to the top of his respective branch. Something out of place, Niynx contemplated as he climbed. Yes, he had been feeling that too– though apparently not with the same certainty or confidence as Master Lao-ta.

"Yes Master," he said, already in the motions of releasing himself to the Force. ​

He sent out mental tendrils of investigative Force, like vibrations, to wash over the forest around him. With a deep inhalation, Niynx joined himself with the plants and insects, those creatures ordinarily too small or too quiet to be sensed; feeling as they felt, looking where they looked, and letting their wisdom guide him.

There! There it was again...

Niynx gestured down to the forest floor, squinting his eyes beneath furrowed brows, searching.

"It's below us," he said as if speaking to himself. ​

Then, with only a silent warning sent from his mind to his Master's in the Force, Niynx closed his eyes, raised his arms outstretched to either side, and fell backwards off the branch. The serenity clearly resting upon the youths face as he pushed off the wroshyr's great branch seemed to be at dire odds with the brashness of his chosen action, the baggy robes and crisp white linen of his Jedi attire snapping and rippling out around him like wings. There is no chaos, there is harmony.

Something soft hit Niynx's back, like padded leather slowing his fall, then gave way. Another gentle collision, slowing his fall even further, and another, and another. He opened his eyes to see the thick green leaves which caught him now, still dancing and bobbing about in the wake of his passing. Niynx pushed out with his senses, giving himself entirely to the present moment. Even as he sped towards the cold hard ground far, far below, he was able to see the strange birds eyeing his descent, the beetles festooning a wounded and sap-bleeding tree, the parasitic ykam vines (lit. meaning "dancer vines" in Shyriiwook) creating tangled and intricate nets throughout the massive trunks. The vines—!

Reaching out a hand, Niynx called out to the Force and beckoned that it serve his will. One by one, the vegetation coiled like reaching snakes, whipping through the air towards him. He caught the first with ease, a sense of satisfaction and pride trembling through his small frame, but was falling too quickly to maintain the grip and lost hold. Belatedly, he felt the stinging burn of friction along his palm, then reached out again... ​

***
​

Niynx hit the ground smoothly and upon bended knee, leaves and natural detritus filtering slowlydown around him, wreckage from his somewhat daring descent to the forest's floor. Encompassing the grove in its entirety, a strange sensation in the Force whispered of mystery and lucidity and connection. The Padawan furrowed his brow, stretching his senses to their limit in the acquisition of yet greater awareness.

He found himself in an eerie glade threaded thickly with reddish, overgrown root systems and swaddled in an abundance of thorny vines and clinging creepers. Before him, massive and powerful in the Force, a single tree stood out as different and unrecognizable when set against the other flora of Kashyyyk's native inhabitants. He could hear the distant whir of Novi and Nara's repulsorlifts as they tracked their young master, no doubt in a simulated panic, through the chaos of wilderness and to the low-lit Shadowlands of this dangerous world.

It's here, he thought to himself, recalling the presence he'd felt earlier while in communion with the roots. It's this... tree...! Without thinking, following instead on the heels of instinct alone, Niynx stepped into the embrace of vines and roots and laid his hand against the tree's curious trunk, formed as if by intricate and overgrown braiding of so many vines into one solid mass. Closing his eyes again, he let thoughts of warmth and welcome flow through his touch and out onto the bark beneath his fingers, reaching out and embracing the odd tree as one Jedi might embrace another in the throws of the Force.

"Hello...?"​

​

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Tags: Lao-ta

The sights and sounds of Kashyyyk's bountiful ecosystem would be a cacophony upon the senses were it not for how well they interplayed. Within the veritable symphony of life, down upon the forest floor, the young padawan approached the aberration at the edge of the glade.

As Niynx Ioune reached out, both physically and mentally, the response was immediate. That same cold hunger he had sensed before seemed to envelop the warmth offered and doggedly pursued more. There was an intensity of focus within that mind which, once set on something, seemed to bear down upon it with a grim persistence. At the same time that enigmatic mind descended upon Niynx's, the very earth beneath his feet seemed to rise up.

All around him in a roughly 500 square foot circle, roots, vines, and thorny brambles writhed. Stones cracked as they were pushed to the surface, wood creaked as it twisted and turned, all while the thick vines nearest to the young padawan sprung to life and sought to ensnare him within their constrictive grasp.

Some 18 feet up the twisting trunk, a pair of blue-green eyes snapped open for the first time in over 50 years. Truly awoken and just beginning the process of unrooting herself, A'Mia was awash with memories of a battle long past. Those flashbacks were still searingly bright within her psyche, so she lashed out at what she mistook as their source. In a voice comprised of a hundred thousand leaves, the creaking of wood, and the scrape of stone against stone, the hostile elemental shaped one word to hurl it in defiance.

"J E D I I I . . ."​

 

[Lao-ta]

Lao-ta's heart skipped a beat as Niynx fell. But he had done it on purpose. He was in control. This was the sort of thing their journey here was supposed to test and he was embracing the lesson.

The strange presence was directly below them. Her padawan's approach wasn't exactly cautious. She should come to expect that now with how he stood up to Carnifex and how he'd flown in the races. His courage would need to be tempered with caution. For now though she had no choice but to follow his lead, so she leapt.

She fell feeling branches and giant leaves brushing past her as she slowed her fall with the force. Suddenly she felt the presence stir. Felt Niynx's mind intertwine with it. Then she felt the aggression. With a new sense of urgency she let herself free fall. Accelerating towards the ground in a rush to find the younger jedi. Sixty feet up she again slowed her fall landing softly on a large branch 30 feet up.

She took in the scene below. Niynx at the base of a tree. A tree with a face. Masses of writhing vines all around, rising and grasping for the boy. She reached out with one hand and through the force gripped her apprentice and yanked lifting him forcefully up to her perch and out of the reach of the foreign foliage.

"Observe first." She scolded. "Then act. Caution and careful planning will compliment the bravery you seem to have in abundance." Then she turned her attention to the face in the tree. Sending waves of calm and peaceful intent through the force. She felt the hostility in the creature but still hoped that conflict could be averted. She raised her voice letting it carry through the forest. "Peace!"

Niynx Ioune Madrona A’Mia

 

[Niynx Ioune]

"Before you draw your weapon, seek to understand the wound."
— Jedi Master Kaela Tarn​

• Kashyyyk
• Shadowlands
• Ooworii Village
• Tags— Lao-ta | Madrona A’Mia | Haro Aven | Zal Aditi

Niynx's eyes pulled wide open, senses coming alive, reaching out for the familiarity of his Master's presence. She was there, reaching back out for him, and pulling. For a brief moment, as roots and vines roiled in the forest around him, as the grip of his Master wreathed him in the Force, the fabrics of his tunic and robes, his hair, the sabers along his belt, rose up as if it were under water, as if a strong wind tugged and pulled at them, then yanked the youth backwards, out from the clutches of this elemental predator.

Niynx gave himself to the protective manipulations of Lao-ta, closing his eyes and relaxing into the retreat. Suspended, he became a feather upon the wind, a dancer held aloft by invisible strings, able to now feel the grove for its truest nature— a huntress, primordial, intoxicated by the dreams of entire worlds. Afraid, confused, defending herself. He landed on the branch beside Lao-ta, silent, his eyes opening slowly to behold the writhing briars.​

"Observe first," his Master scolded.​

"I'm sorry Master," he replied with little volume.​

"Then act," she continued.​

"Caution and careful planning will compliment the bravery you seem to have in abundance."​

"Yes Master," Niynx admitted.​

"Peace!"​

"But Master," he pressed on, "she is no true enemy, I don't think. Merely lost."​

He scrunched his features, searching for a better word.

"Out of time...?"​

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Tags: Niynx Ioune Lao-ta

Twisting, crunching and creaking wood screamed under the leveraging pressure exerted by the central trunk as A'Mia began to move her massive form in earnest. Long buried roots unearthed themselves and stones with them, the true core of her body sought to rip itself free from the cumbersome overgrowth which had sprung up all around her. The Jedi and padawan's sense of her in the force was and overwhelming wave of rebuffing their attempts to soothe her.

Fire.
Her mind was fire.
Flashes of the last opponent she faced, the onslaught of his focused skill. She had engaged him with confidence, certain of her martial prowess and unafraid of the initial flames he'd conjured to hurl at her fellow soldiers knowing she could withstand most flames. But he had bested her. Too much body loss, too many vines cut loose or scorched and reduced to ashes.
He had driven her back.
Made her flee.

The call for peace, that swaddling blanket pressed all around her confused mind, it was too akin to the suppression she'd faced when the planet was cleansed of darkness and subdued her. The claustrophobic sensation made her lash out and writhe all the more. Stones were flung at the source of the sensation, branches shook and vines snapped until the space around the pair was a veritable maelstrom of natural fury.

¡ C R E E E A A A K !​

A great and terrible rending sound filled the air. That woody face and large eyes were twisted into a fearsome look of concentration as A'Mia turned to look up at the Jedi.

¡ T H U D !​

A booming crash resounded as one great, lumbering leg tore itself free and stomped down when A'Mia took her first step in over half a century. Her great torso turned and with it came a swinging branch that aimed to swat the pair like troublesome flies.

 

[Lao-ta]

"But Master," he pressed on, "she is no true enemy, I don't think. Merely lost."He scrunched his features, searching for a better word.
"Out of time...?"

Niynx was right in part at least. She could feel the confusion in this being, but there was rage as well. They would need to find some way to reach her, to calm her, or they would need to flee. She was ever reluctant to deal out death and hoped it would be unnecessary. This creature was a force to be reckoned with certainly but not one that needed to be removed. Yes at worst they would flee and leave the creature to her own devices. Still she was curious. They had been drawn here and there had to be more to it than random chance. Whatever this being was was out of place. Were they meant to right something?

Her danger sense prickled and she reacted. Ducking a stone that had been hurled in their direction and spinning to evade another.
"Evade and keep open a path to escape." She sidestepped another stone giving it a nudge with her mind to alter it's trajectory away from them both. "Don't draw your weapon unless your life depends on it. You're right Niynx. She needen't be an enemy. We just need to convince her of that."
With that Lao-ta leapt, propelled by the force as one of the creature's woody limbs came crashing towards them.

Madrona A’Mia Niynx Ioune