Perched amongst the rocks was a modest home looking as if it had no earthly business being there. I there was a long path in the sand marked by rocks on either side that were strategically placed so one could find there way without the use of their eyes if need be. Tatooine was a treacherous place one that was wrought with sandstorms and sometimes the locals could be less friendly than even the environment, so one might think it was counterintuitive to lay a fool path down to one's own front door. That being said there were hidden things that lay in wait for the Sand People if they chose to make their way here, perhaps a force imbued object here or there that's mere presence was a enough to frighten them away.
The door to the home was well locked despite the passive defenses, breaking in would be an act of pure will and the casual burglar or local wouldn't even waste their time with the mechanism. This home was the perfect place for someone who did not want to be bothered to lose themselves and to cut all ties with anything and everyone who had any desire to find them.
A Home Amongst Desolation
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
In a cave-like outcropping of rocks long abandoned by beast and humanoid alike, a hidden ship's airlock opened, and two figures stepped out into the desert environment. The normally imposing Trandoshan was the shorter of the two, and he briefly squinted as his eyes adjusted to the bright light of the twin suns. Stepping out of the mouth of the protective enclosure, he turned and called to his lanky companion.
"Alight, move out here so I can prepare ssome ssecurity."
Zhi had requested to come to Tatooine, and although the reason for doing so was unknown to the bounty hunter, Sskveesh for sure was not going to allow the Jedi out of his sight for a second. He already had too much invested in this man to let him go without collecting what he felt was owed to him, and that included wandering the wastes of the Dune Sea. Once he and Zhi were outside the cave, he busied himself by burying a couple HX2 landmines. He pressed a button on a device and nodded, satisfied with the results. He pocketed it and turned towards Zhi.
"That will keep any unssoliscited vissitorss out. Now, let uss be on our way to Moss Eissley. Oh, and Jeedai?"
This next decision had not come lightly for Sskveesh, but in the end he decided the risk that the man would attack and kill him was heavily outweighed by being caught in a firefight with bandits or a Krayt with an unarmed companion. He unclipped Zhi's lightsaber and tossed it to him.
"Alight, move out here so I can prepare ssome ssecurity."
Zhi had requested to come to Tatooine, and although the reason for doing so was unknown to the bounty hunter, Sskveesh for sure was not going to allow the Jedi out of his sight for a second. He already had too much invested in this man to let him go without collecting what he felt was owed to him, and that included wandering the wastes of the Dune Sea. Once he and Zhi were outside the cave, he busied himself by burying a couple HX2 landmines. He pressed a button on a device and nodded, satisfied with the results. He pocketed it and turned towards Zhi.
"That will keep any unssoliscited vissitorss out. Now, let uss be on our way to Moss Eissley. Oh, and Jeedai?"
This next decision had not come lightly for Sskveesh, but in the end he decided the risk that the man would attack and kill him was heavily outweighed by being caught in a firefight with bandits or a Krayt with an unarmed companion. He unclipped Zhi's lightsaber and tossed it to him.
They have given me a ssecond chance...My giftss shall pleasse the Sscorekeeper and the Old One...
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Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
He registered the brightness first, then the scorched air. The Jedi reflexively squinted to let in just the narrowest slit of painfully bright red-gold light; pleased that at least his photoreceptors were working fine. He stood some paces away in the sand. Zhi carefully didn’t chuckle as the trandoshan behind him made some kind of fastidious muttering sound while securing the freighter, presumably with traps from the sound of it. He was honestly starting to enjoy his questionably motivated companion, who was one of the most interesting and un-Jedi individuals the young man had encountered in nearly half of his life.
Zhi left Sskveesh to it. He had his own work to get done. The extreme desert heat radiated at him through the worn soles of his shoes, his clothes, his skin, his nasal passages, and it was already threatening to swell up his fingers. It was nothing instantaneously damaging. Humans were oddly resilient. The species managed to more or less thrive in various challenging environments for their entire spacefaring history. Even ignoring the question of whether or not Panathans had evolved from human stock millennia ago (a theory to which he ascribed, despite that it was a matter of some debate on his paternal homeworld), there was more than enough baseline-human in Zhi to be adaptable.
However, as for Zhi specifically; his system had been acclimated to the barren cold of a dead mining colony for two years, let alone preserved in a flash-frozen block of carbonite. Typically it might have taken his body several days or longer to make appropriate thermoregulatory adjustments, during which time he would have advised an average patient in similar condition to take things with extreme caution. Unfortunately, Zhi didn’t feel especially confident in his ability to avoid exerting conditions or company. Fortunately, he was a Jedi Healer. The Force that had brought him into this situation had already supplied him with everything he needed.
The young physician stretched. He pushed back the makeshift ‘hood’ of his spare shirt so that the suns hit down on him, his muscles tensing in protest. Thankfully his skin contained enough melanin to provide at least some measure of initial protection - significantly more than his pale mother or half-sister at any rate. Likewise, while the body weight he'd lost had been unfortunate on the cold mining world, on Tatooine it worked almost to his advantage. There were pros and cons to everything, he reflected. Zhi breathed in and set to work. He touched his resting heart rhythm and nudged it slower, then delicately drew on the Force to speed up the adjustments his body was scrambling to make in his circulatory system, stress responses, and HSP. There were formula changes his system wanted to make to his sweat-electrolyte balance, which Zhi mused over when he licked the corner of his mouth and tasted salt. It wouldn’t help anything if he used up all of his resources so quickly, but he took the instinct into consideration... There. He arrived at a compromise with the internal resources he had available, and felt satisfied enough with his work. Much better.
‘That will keep any unssoliscited vissitorss out. Now, let uss be on our way to Moss Eissley…’ He heard the trandoshan moving his way. Zhi moved his inward focus to a stopping point, cricked his shoulders, and sensibly pulled his cowl back up while he turned to face Sskveesh. He’d found balance that left him feeling acclimated enough, no longer in much worse danger of heat stroking than any other Tatooine residents of his species.
‘Oh, and Jeedai?’
There was the faintest familiar sense of a ‘click’ from Sskveesh’s belt, which caught his interest immediately. Zhi held out his hand, catching his lightsaber with a thankful smile. Returning it to his own belt, the young Jedi inclined his head to Sskveesh in a nod of respect.
“Thank you, Sskveesh.”
He wouldn't be quite his prime physical again until a few weeks of better nutrition, but this would do for now. He barely had a plan, which his planning-oriented soul wasn't thrilled about. He had a thousand concerns about whatever circumstances might have led him to end up here. But, as the lanky young Jedi fell into pace beside the Trandoshan, Zhi Jonan felt whole and purposeful.
“About how far out did you land?”
Zhi left Sskveesh to it. He had his own work to get done. The extreme desert heat radiated at him through the worn soles of his shoes, his clothes, his skin, his nasal passages, and it was already threatening to swell up his fingers. It was nothing instantaneously damaging. Humans were oddly resilient. The species managed to more or less thrive in various challenging environments for their entire spacefaring history. Even ignoring the question of whether or not Panathans had evolved from human stock millennia ago (a theory to which he ascribed, despite that it was a matter of some debate on his paternal homeworld), there was more than enough baseline-human in Zhi to be adaptable.
However, as for Zhi specifically; his system had been acclimated to the barren cold of a dead mining colony for two years, let alone preserved in a flash-frozen block of carbonite. Typically it might have taken his body several days or longer to make appropriate thermoregulatory adjustments, during which time he would have advised an average patient in similar condition to take things with extreme caution. Unfortunately, Zhi didn’t feel especially confident in his ability to avoid exerting conditions or company. Fortunately, he was a Jedi Healer. The Force that had brought him into this situation had already supplied him with everything he needed.
The young physician stretched. He pushed back the makeshift ‘hood’ of his spare shirt so that the suns hit down on him, his muscles tensing in protest. Thankfully his skin contained enough melanin to provide at least some measure of initial protection - significantly more than his pale mother or half-sister at any rate. Likewise, while the body weight he'd lost had been unfortunate on the cold mining world, on Tatooine it worked almost to his advantage. There were pros and cons to everything, he reflected. Zhi breathed in and set to work. He touched his resting heart rhythm and nudged it slower, then delicately drew on the Force to speed up the adjustments his body was scrambling to make in his circulatory system, stress responses, and HSP. There were formula changes his system wanted to make to his sweat-electrolyte balance, which Zhi mused over when he licked the corner of his mouth and tasted salt. It wouldn’t help anything if he used up all of his resources so quickly, but he took the instinct into consideration... There. He arrived at a compromise with the internal resources he had available, and felt satisfied enough with his work. Much better.
‘That will keep any unssoliscited vissitorss out. Now, let uss be on our way to Moss Eissley…’ He heard the trandoshan moving his way. Zhi moved his inward focus to a stopping point, cricked his shoulders, and sensibly pulled his cowl back up while he turned to face Sskveesh. He’d found balance that left him feeling acclimated enough, no longer in much worse danger of heat stroking than any other Tatooine residents of his species.
‘Oh, and Jeedai?’
There was the faintest familiar sense of a ‘click’ from Sskveesh’s belt, which caught his interest immediately. Zhi held out his hand, catching his lightsaber with a thankful smile. Returning it to his own belt, the young Jedi inclined his head to Sskveesh in a nod of respect.
“Thank you, Sskveesh.”
He wouldn't be quite his prime physical again until a few weeks of better nutrition, but this would do for now. He barely had a plan, which his planning-oriented soul wasn't thrilled about. He had a thousand concerns about whatever circumstances might have led him to end up here. But, as the lanky young Jedi fell into pace beside the Trandoshan, Zhi Jonan felt whole and purposeful.
“About how far out did you land?”
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
The tall man appeared to be incredibly genuine. Sskveesh didn't run across people who were very often in his line of work, so naturally the personality of this 'Jedi' was a hard sell for him at first. However, he was beginning to believe that perhaps this overly polite humanoid was the Jedi he claimed to be, and was just as clueless in the street smarts department as he appeared to be. Either way, the Trandoshan was growing steadily less concerned that he was going to be receiving a dagger in the back and might just actually be able to pull off a profit off of this venture after all.
"Think nothing of it. It iss besst that you can defend yoursself out here too."
Sskveesh did a quick patdown to check for his own weaponry. In addition to his Slavemaster attached at his belt, he also had his Chalon machete strapped to his back. He had left the two lightsabers in his quarters when he changed into his armor. He ran his tongue across his teeth as glanced around, seeing nothing moving but sand dancing in the wind.
"Not that I expect any trouble of coursse, but there iss no reasson to be carelessss."
Zhi's next question was heard, but not enough to stop him from scanning the horizon.
"Oh, about three quarterss of a sstandard Galactic hour. It iss a bit of a hike, I know, but we will be able to hit the cantinass up before the ssunss sset."
Bars were often the best place for rumors if you wanted to avoid official channels. However, Sskveesh knew even then that this wasn't exactly a walk in the park. "No honor amongst thieves" was a phrase for a reason, after all. If you weren't careful you could get sold out real quick, which is why Sskveesh was so adamant about landing the ship so far out for this particular venture.
"Now, let uss be off."
Sskveesh pointed in the heading for Mos Eisley and began the journey.
"Think nothing of it. It iss besst that you can defend yoursself out here too."
Sskveesh did a quick patdown to check for his own weaponry. In addition to his Slavemaster attached at his belt, he also had his Chalon machete strapped to his back. He had left the two lightsabers in his quarters when he changed into his armor. He ran his tongue across his teeth as glanced around, seeing nothing moving but sand dancing in the wind.
"Not that I expect any trouble of coursse, but there iss no reasson to be carelessss."
Zhi's next question was heard, but not enough to stop him from scanning the horizon.
"Oh, about three quarterss of a sstandard Galactic hour. It iss a bit of a hike, I know, but we will be able to hit the cantinass up before the ssunss sset."
Bars were often the best place for rumors if you wanted to avoid official channels. However, Sskveesh knew even then that this wasn't exactly a walk in the park. "No honor amongst thieves" was a phrase for a reason, after all. If you weren't careful you could get sold out real quick, which is why Sskveesh was so adamant about landing the ship so far out for this particular venture.
"Now, let uss be off."
Sskveesh pointed in the heading for Mos Eisley and began the journey.
Last edited by Sskveesh on Sun Jan 03, 2021 8:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
They have given me a ssecond chance...My giftss shall pleasse the Sscorekeeper and the Old One...
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Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Hot sands shifted underfoot. The right side of Zhi’s mouth quirked in a small tight-lipped smile at Sskveesh while he kept pace with the Trandoshan, moving towards his impression of lives on the horizon. The familiar weight of his weapon was dearly appreciated, even if his lightsaber would hardly be his first choice if he needed to get creative today. The Jedi made a faint acknowledging sound, but hadn’t felt it necessary to say much else for the moment. Zhi didn’t feel particularly confident about his companion’s motivations… Yet even still, he’d become confident that Sskveesh wasn’t evil. Bounty hunter, yes. Mercenary, yes. Credit-prioritizing, yes. Meticulous, yes. Secretive, yes. Honor-driven, reasonably. Apathetic, probably. Evil — no. He was willing to gamble on that.
He kept his gaze towards the marginally less-piercing brightness of the sand for the most part, generally avoiding letting too much of the stark sunlight hit his eyes and damage them further. The Force pricked gently at his senses. He listened, but the young healer didn’t feel a concern at present… only the need to be aware.
“Sskveesh, I think twice about this because I have the distinct impression things are still unfinished with us, and I don’t especially like to tip my hand. But, this may be a prudent time to tell you clearly that I still can’t see anything. It’s fine; I had plenty of practice at that. But if things really do get interesting, I’d recommend erring on the side of not trying to catch my attention with subtle nuances.”
He kept his gaze towards the marginally less-piercing brightness of the sand for the most part, generally avoiding letting too much of the stark sunlight hit his eyes and damage them further. The Force pricked gently at his senses. He listened, but the young healer didn’t feel a concern at present… only the need to be aware.
“Sskveesh, I think twice about this because I have the distinct impression things are still unfinished with us, and I don’t especially like to tip my hand. But, this may be a prudent time to tell you clearly that I still can’t see anything. It’s fine; I had plenty of practice at that. But if things really do get interesting, I’d recommend erring on the side of not trying to catch my attention with subtle nuances.”
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Sskveesh snorted at the sudden words before responding.
"How very obsservant of you. If I wass done with you, I would have dropped you off at Nar' Shadda and been on my way."
Could this man truly be of the famous Jedi Order? He certainly didn't LOOK like a legendary knight. Perhaps he was one of those pa...pada...baby Jedi the Old One had spoken of before, and had no combat experience. It would figure that not only had he freed a Jedi, but a greenhorn Jedi.
"However..."
He sighed. There was no need to antagonize the man while he still needed him. Zhi wasn't his slave. He was his cash cow. Unnecessary resentment would only hinder the Trandoshan's purpose of keeping Zhi on a leash until he could make the maximum amount for him. He relented and spoke with what he tried to make a friendlier tone.
"...thank you for mentioning it. I appreciate the honessty, but you can trusst me on one thing: ssubtlety will not be neccssesssary here."
There were certain infallible truths about the ways of the Wild, no matter what the biome. Sskveesh's words were not meant to convey the meaning that subtlety had no place in the desert. The truth was that it was an invaluable tool of predators stalking their food. Sskveesh had used tricks and ambushes many a time to successfully hunt his targets. However, what the bounty hunter knew was that in the situation he and the lanky man he called a traveling companion had found themselves in they were the prey. Sskveesh was unaccustomed to being the hunted, but with a potentially inefficient combat partner, he would have to protect him like a mother protected her young until they safely got to where they were going. A prey animal was anything BUT subtle once danger was sighted, whether it was to alert a heard to flee or gather numbers to force a predator to doubt its resolve.
Sskveesh's mind began whirring to life as he calculated likely scenarios and discounted them. Normally he would just do this internally, but the Trandoshan muttered them aloud for Zhi's benefit.
"It iss true that Tussken Raiderss tend to pick off sstragglerss or travelerss in ssolitude, but unlikely sso closse to Moss Eissley. They tend to avoid open conflict with the sspacseportss, particularly during the day."
Sskveesh glanced up at the sky momentarily and narrowed his eyes to obscure the glare from the sands. He longed for clouds, but that wasn't in the cards today it seemed.
"Banditss also tend to not exspect random vissitorss from the Dune Ssea. They would rather pick off their targetss from the sspacseport itsself. We are more likely to rissk running into them on our trip BACK to the Sskahra's Ssmile, not from it."
Sskveesh took a swig from a flask of water at his belt before offering it to Zhi. They couldn't pause or stop their march for a second, for taking a break in the desert was tantamount to suicide with the significant heat. The temperatures didn't bother Sskveesh terribly, as he was used to high heat from the jungles. The Trandoshan had no intention of dragging an unconscious body across the sands.
"If a Krayt Dragon encounterss uss..."
That would be a problem, as he had used his best and only real explosives to protect the ship from Jawa scavengers. While they would have been perfect as a trap or a deterrent for the large beasts, they would've done no good if the ship got scrapped. Sskveesh certainly didn't like the odds of a blind Jedi and he taking on one of the monsters alone.
"...well, let uss hope one doessn't encounter uss. Now, let'ss keep moving."
"How very obsservant of you. If I wass done with you, I would have dropped you off at Nar' Shadda and been on my way."
Could this man truly be of the famous Jedi Order? He certainly didn't LOOK like a legendary knight. Perhaps he was one of those pa...pada...baby Jedi the Old One had spoken of before, and had no combat experience. It would figure that not only had he freed a Jedi, but a greenhorn Jedi.
"However..."
He sighed. There was no need to antagonize the man while he still needed him. Zhi wasn't his slave. He was his cash cow. Unnecessary resentment would only hinder the Trandoshan's purpose of keeping Zhi on a leash until he could make the maximum amount for him. He relented and spoke with what he tried to make a friendlier tone.
"...thank you for mentioning it. I appreciate the honessty, but you can trusst me on one thing: ssubtlety will not be neccssesssary here."
There were certain infallible truths about the ways of the Wild, no matter what the biome. Sskveesh's words were not meant to convey the meaning that subtlety had no place in the desert. The truth was that it was an invaluable tool of predators stalking their food. Sskveesh had used tricks and ambushes many a time to successfully hunt his targets. However, what the bounty hunter knew was that in the situation he and the lanky man he called a traveling companion had found themselves in they were the prey. Sskveesh was unaccustomed to being the hunted, but with a potentially inefficient combat partner, he would have to protect him like a mother protected her young until they safely got to where they were going. A prey animal was anything BUT subtle once danger was sighted, whether it was to alert a heard to flee or gather numbers to force a predator to doubt its resolve.
Sskveesh's mind began whirring to life as he calculated likely scenarios and discounted them. Normally he would just do this internally, but the Trandoshan muttered them aloud for Zhi's benefit.
"It iss true that Tussken Raiderss tend to pick off sstragglerss or travelerss in ssolitude, but unlikely sso closse to Moss Eissley. They tend to avoid open conflict with the sspacseportss, particularly during the day."
Sskveesh glanced up at the sky momentarily and narrowed his eyes to obscure the glare from the sands. He longed for clouds, but that wasn't in the cards today it seemed.
"Banditss also tend to not exspect random vissitorss from the Dune Ssea. They would rather pick off their targetss from the sspacseport itsself. We are more likely to rissk running into them on our trip BACK to the Sskahra's Ssmile, not from it."
Sskveesh took a swig from a flask of water at his belt before offering it to Zhi. They couldn't pause or stop their march for a second, for taking a break in the desert was tantamount to suicide with the significant heat. The temperatures didn't bother Sskveesh terribly, as he was used to high heat from the jungles. The Trandoshan had no intention of dragging an unconscious body across the sands.
"If a Krayt Dragon encounterss uss..."
That would be a problem, as he had used his best and only real explosives to protect the ship from Jawa scavengers. While they would have been perfect as a trap or a deterrent for the large beasts, they would've done no good if the ship got scrapped. Sskveesh certainly didn't like the odds of a blind Jedi and he taking on one of the monsters alone.
"...well, let uss hope one doessn't encounter uss. Now, let'ss keep moving."
They have given me a ssecond chance...My giftss shall pleasse the Sscorekeeper and the Old One...
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Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
(Mhm. And if I wanted to be done with us, you would know about it,) Zhi mused to himself with the silent chuckle that his interactions with the Trandshan seemed to regularly elicit.
He accepted the water canteen and drank before passing it back.
“And here I was hoping to meet a sand demon,” he replied with a faint smile as they strode onward, perhaps privately a little amused with watching reactions from the self-serving reptilian who clearly had so little faith in him. “Or at the least a sarlacc. I had questions to be answered.”
The Force was here. Whether the lanky, still youthful enough, man visually looked it or not, Zhi’s senses were fine. The premonition of a minuscule downtick in temperature brushed at his skin. A few strands of hair brushed against his neck as if from two directions. His nasal passages found microscopic increase in dust particles when he inhaled; barely discernible yet — though he expected the Trandoshan hunter would be feeling them quickly enough. Fascinating…
Something else brushed his senses. Zhi paused briefly, struck with instincts and the vaguest presence he hadn’t felt since…
The half-Panathan Jedi resumed walking, his direction breaking off to their left. His stride both lengthened and quickened, heading into the wind that rolled down through the an unseen ridge of dunes.
“Change of plans, I think, Sskveesh. We should move quickly now, and deal with town after.”
He accepted the water canteen and drank before passing it back.
“And here I was hoping to meet a sand demon,” he replied with a faint smile as they strode onward, perhaps privately a little amused with watching reactions from the self-serving reptilian who clearly had so little faith in him. “Or at the least a sarlacc. I had questions to be answered.”
The Force was here. Whether the lanky, still youthful enough, man visually looked it or not, Zhi’s senses were fine. The premonition of a minuscule downtick in temperature brushed at his skin. A few strands of hair brushed against his neck as if from two directions. His nasal passages found microscopic increase in dust particles when he inhaled; barely discernible yet — though he expected the Trandoshan hunter would be feeling them quickly enough. Fascinating…
Something else brushed his senses. Zhi paused briefly, struck with instincts and the vaguest presence he hadn’t felt since…
The half-Panathan Jedi resumed walking, his direction breaking off to their left. His stride both lengthened and quickened, heading into the wind that rolled down through the an unseen ridge of dunes.
“Change of plans, I think, Sskveesh. We should move quickly now, and deal with town after.”
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
The sand was starting to fly even faster and harder now. Sskveesh knew that sandstorms were always a possibility, and it seemed like they had the misfortune that one may be coming sooner rather than later today. Fortunately, they were well on their way to Mos Eisley so they should be able to hit safety and relax in the comfort of a tavern. The Trandoshan bounty hunter was still calm and relaxed until he heard Zhi's voice.
"What?"
He turned and saw the Jedi doggedly heading off to the left into the Dune Sea.
"Where are you going? There iss nothing that way but ssand!"
Perhaps the Jedi wasn't hearing him, or wasn't listening, but he increased the volume.
"Hey!! HEY!! ZHI!!"
Now Sskveesh was left with a dilemma. Heading to Mos Eisley on his own would be a giant waste of time, as he would lose his valuable prize and he had no real reason to go on his own. It wasn't like he was expecting any serious bounties available in the mechanical oasis. Trying to stop Zhi by force was equally not an option, as he would either overpower and stun the man and be forced to drag a body back towards the city or the ship, both of which would be too far with dead weight. The other option of course was that the Jedi overpowered and left him for dead. Either way resulted him being a corpse amongst the sands.
"Kriffing lunatic..."
He snarled and reluctantly began to follow the lanky man on what he considered was a death march into the unknown. At the very least he could kill and devour Zhi if it came to that, but he prayed to the Scorekeeper that he wasn't tying his fate and score into a madman.
"What?"
He turned and saw the Jedi doggedly heading off to the left into the Dune Sea.
"Where are you going? There iss nothing that way but ssand!"
Perhaps the Jedi wasn't hearing him, or wasn't listening, but he increased the volume.
"Hey!! HEY!! ZHI!!"
Now Sskveesh was left with a dilemma. Heading to Mos Eisley on his own would be a giant waste of time, as he would lose his valuable prize and he had no real reason to go on his own. It wasn't like he was expecting any serious bounties available in the mechanical oasis. Trying to stop Zhi by force was equally not an option, as he would either overpower and stun the man and be forced to drag a body back towards the city or the ship, both of which would be too far with dead weight. The other option of course was that the Jedi overpowered and left him for dead. Either way resulted him being a corpse amongst the sands.
"Kriffing lunatic..."
He snarled and reluctantly began to follow the lanky man on what he considered was a death march into the unknown. At the very least he could kill and devour Zhi if it came to that, but he prayed to the Scorekeeper that he wasn't tying his fate and score into a madman.
They have given me a ssecond chance...My giftss shall pleasse the Sscorekeeper and the Old One...
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Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
(Neither one of us are lunatics, Sskveesh. It's only that we have significantly different priorities.)
The gritty wind was picking up more fiercely, enough that the lanky young Jedi kept his head bowed, eyes and mouth closed, and overall his whole face marginally shielded by a part of the extra shirt fabric he’d worn like makeshift cowl and hood. His hair was tied back, but whipped around against his neck and the sides of his jaw. Zhi breathed purposefully through his nasal passages. The… ‘feeling’ wasn’t far… even if he couldn’t have absolutely specified at this point whether his instincts were moving towards a person or a place connected to that person.
The young Jedi’s mental voice was calm with the same faint hint of a smile, not particularly emotional about anything, and mindful of the privacy of his suspicious companion. Zhi obviously must have reached out with a form telepathy, but for all intents and purposes he could have been speaking out loud. There weren’t any efforts to ‘sense’ anything about his companion’s mind or presence in any fashion. There was a sandstorm. Zhi was human enough that trying to shout into the wind with his back still turned to the Trandoshan wouldn’t have been especially pleasant or effective.
Zhi's foot caught against an unexpected rock and he stumbled with a low ‘oof’. When he caught himself and realized there was another rock almost parallel, he expanded his awareness and noticed that there were many small boulders spaced unevenly out into two lines marking a rough path through the terrain. In winding fashion, it seemed to line up with where he wanted to go and was distinctly useful to a half-blind Jedi in a sandstorm, so he adjusted his course accordingly.
(I think it's about a quarter mile. Look. They've left us a trail.)
The gritty wind was picking up more fiercely, enough that the lanky young Jedi kept his head bowed, eyes and mouth closed, and overall his whole face marginally shielded by a part of the extra shirt fabric he’d worn like makeshift cowl and hood. His hair was tied back, but whipped around against his neck and the sides of his jaw. Zhi breathed purposefully through his nasal passages. The… ‘feeling’ wasn’t far… even if he couldn’t have absolutely specified at this point whether his instincts were moving towards a person or a place connected to that person.
The young Jedi’s mental voice was calm with the same faint hint of a smile, not particularly emotional about anything, and mindful of the privacy of his suspicious companion. Zhi obviously must have reached out with a form telepathy, but for all intents and purposes he could have been speaking out loud. There weren’t any efforts to ‘sense’ anything about his companion’s mind or presence in any fashion. There was a sandstorm. Zhi was human enough that trying to shout into the wind with his back still turned to the Trandoshan wouldn’t have been especially pleasant or effective.
Zhi's foot caught against an unexpected rock and he stumbled with a low ‘oof’. When he caught himself and realized there was another rock almost parallel, he expanded his awareness and noticed that there were many small boulders spaced unevenly out into two lines marking a rough path through the terrain. In winding fashion, it seemed to line up with where he wanted to go and was distinctly useful to a half-blind Jedi in a sandstorm, so he adjusted his course accordingly.
(I think it's about a quarter mile. Look. They've left us a trail.)
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
The wind was picking up, and the sand rode the currents with hit. Although Sskveesh's skin held off the normal sand flying through the air, even his armor would eventually not be able to withstand the storm. If this kept up, then the unnecessary side trip would prove to be fatal. As he checked out the oncoming storm, he heard Zhi's voice clear as day. Confused, he whipped his head around and saw there was still a little space between the two travelers. After a brief second of haziness, the answer came to him clear as day.
"A bloody mind trick... sstay out of my head, Jeedai."
He stifled a laughter at the man's near fall and discovery over the rocks. However, as the tall Zhi discovered more, it would appear that a path had been created in the sand. Just where was he being taken? Was a trap cleverly set up for him? Perhaps he had been too taken in by the implied sincerity and honesty shown to him in the Sskahra's Smile. Sskveesh reached back and turned off the safety on his Slavemaster, leaving it strapped to his cloaked back. He muttered, mostly to himself.
"But who are they..."
They continued on, and Sskveesh was regretting his decision more and more every second. Sskveesh didn't speak for the rest of the trip, too worried about a potential ambush. As they continued on, a modest home eventually came into view. The sand was now furiously whipping through the air.
"By the Sscorekeeper...what iss thiss?"
The storm was too bad at this point to make it to Mos Eisley even if he wanted to turn back. This shelter would be their only salvation. He kept one hand on his rifle over his shoulder, staring grumpily at Zhi. The message was clear as Sskveesh walked past him and tried the door, obviously locked. There were no signs of life nearby, but Sskveesh doubted he'd be able to smell or see anything amongst the tempest. Now what were they going to do?
"A bloody mind trick... sstay out of my head, Jeedai."
He stifled a laughter at the man's near fall and discovery over the rocks. However, as the tall Zhi discovered more, it would appear that a path had been created in the sand. Just where was he being taken? Was a trap cleverly set up for him? Perhaps he had been too taken in by the implied sincerity and honesty shown to him in the Sskahra's Smile. Sskveesh reached back and turned off the safety on his Slavemaster, leaving it strapped to his cloaked back. He muttered, mostly to himself.
"But who are they..."
They continued on, and Sskveesh was regretting his decision more and more every second. Sskveesh didn't speak for the rest of the trip, too worried about a potential ambush. As they continued on, a modest home eventually came into view. The sand was now furiously whipping through the air.
"By the Sscorekeeper...what iss thiss?"
The storm was too bad at this point to make it to Mos Eisley even if he wanted to turn back. This shelter would be their only salvation. He kept one hand on his rifle over his shoulder, staring grumpily at Zhi. The message was clear as Sskveesh walked past him and tried the door, obviously locked. There were no signs of life nearby, but Sskveesh doubted he'd be able to smell or see anything amongst the tempest. Now what were they going to do?
They have given me a ssecond chance...My giftss shall pleasse the Sscorekeeper and the Old One...
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Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Zhi heard the Trandoshan’s grumbling, but didn’t try to communicate anything else to him for the time. Sskveesh didn’t care for it. That was fine. Zhi hadn’t really expected that he would have; but now he’d been told so, and the young healer saw no point pushing the boundary.
He hung back a little so that they were within a few paces of each other, but then continued picking his way through the trail in as close to a rapid march as possible. The grit was starting to sting in through all of his clothes and batter him with a thousand tiny scrapes and scratches. The half-Panathan wasn’t strictly baseline human, but there wasn't much special in his more interesting genetics besides height, a little muscle, a little agility, and some coloring. Nothing that conveniently protected his skin from abrasions, or that would make a compromised airway any easier if he got to that point. The Force was here, though. And he was raised Jedi. Between those two things; he was his usual calm self. He’d been through worse, and he’d always found that it was enough.
They came to some kind of doorstep, a stoop, and a door. Both Zhi and Sskveesh crowded up onto it together. From just sensing what he could of it in a sandstorm, Zhi couldn’t tell much about the building structure besides size. He didn’t get the impression there were any lifeforms inside… hm… at least not sentient ones. He wasn’t completely sure past that. Zhi considered the possibility of a droid or such if he knocked — knocking was specifically the textbook Consular answer to this problem after all— But Zhi then considered that this was an empty house on Tatooine. Any hypothetical droid that might be inside could just as easily be armed against burglars as it could be sympathetic to sand-battered strangers.
Zhi frowned at the door and breathed in through his nose. He turned to the window next to the locked door, which he tried shattering with a not-unimpressive ramming of his lightsaber hilt. That didn’t work well, so Zhi shrugged. He ignited his lightsaber blade with the its wash of green and the iconic snap-hiss almost lost to the static roar of sand, and then pierced the blade against the most likely weak point of the window. Impressively enough, he noted with fascination that the structure was still semi-resistant. Even so, the material was heating and he really didn’t expect it would take long.
He hung back a little so that they were within a few paces of each other, but then continued picking his way through the trail in as close to a rapid march as possible. The grit was starting to sting in through all of his clothes and batter him with a thousand tiny scrapes and scratches. The half-Panathan wasn’t strictly baseline human, but there wasn't much special in his more interesting genetics besides height, a little muscle, a little agility, and some coloring. Nothing that conveniently protected his skin from abrasions, or that would make a compromised airway any easier if he got to that point. The Force was here, though. And he was raised Jedi. Between those two things; he was his usual calm self. He’d been through worse, and he’d always found that it was enough.
They came to some kind of doorstep, a stoop, and a door. Both Zhi and Sskveesh crowded up onto it together. From just sensing what he could of it in a sandstorm, Zhi couldn’t tell much about the building structure besides size. He didn’t get the impression there were any lifeforms inside… hm… at least not sentient ones. He wasn’t completely sure past that. Zhi considered the possibility of a droid or such if he knocked — knocking was specifically the textbook Consular answer to this problem after all— But Zhi then considered that this was an empty house on Tatooine. Any hypothetical droid that might be inside could just as easily be armed against burglars as it could be sympathetic to sand-battered strangers.
Zhi frowned at the door and breathed in through his nose. He turned to the window next to the locked door, which he tried shattering with a not-unimpressive ramming of his lightsaber hilt. That didn’t work well, so Zhi shrugged. He ignited his lightsaber blade with the its wash of green and the iconic snap-hiss almost lost to the static roar of sand, and then pierced the blade against the most likely weak point of the window. Impressively enough, he noted with fascination that the structure was still semi-resistant. Even so, the material was heating and he really didn’t expect it would take long.
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
As the sandstorm whipped through the dry air on this wretched but solitary sanctuary of solitude it would have stung the skin of uninitiated to Tatooine's harsh climate and it wasn't quite that it didn't sting his, it's just that he was used to it and he dressed appropriately. His brown and cream Jedi robes had become slightly tattered in this environment over the years, but they still offered him plenty of protection...and it's not that this was his only pair. It was more that this was his sandstorm attired, coupled with a cloth slid up over his mouth and nose and protective goggles to protect his eyes. His hood was raised and he carried a pack slung over his back filled with this weeks grocery supplies from in town. Sandstorms were dangerous but he was accustomed to them and he was a Jedi Knight too, or at least he was, he was not entirely sure if that moniker matched his outlook on life anymore, he was however technically a fully trained Jedi.
As he approached his home after miles of hiking through the desert he felt something, a presence he had not felt since....
He brushed it off for a moment, but there it was again. As he found the path lined with rocks towards his front door, he heard the traditional snap-hiss activation of a lightsaber. his flew into his left hand it's emitter angled down at the ground at a forty five degree angle. The sand and the wind causing his robes to whip in the wind. It was doubtful they had seen or heard him, whomever they were, but he made out a distinctive green glow near his window.
"Motherfu..."
He muttered silently to himself, not enough that anyone could have heard him over the storm. There were two of them, one of them was holding the lightsaber and clearly force sensitive, the other was a Lizard man, whom the Force was not clear on, or maybe Alex was just rusty in sensing strangers. He took a few silent steps closer and realized that lightsaber was a Jedi, a consular....even if his actions didn't match his aura.
What fresh hell was this? He let his left hand fall to his side in case the Lizard man got any ideas he did not bother to clip his weapon to his belt. He grunted under his breath, that window was hard to find and it was not easily replaced.
"Don't kriffing mind me while you break into my home, it is of course customary to knock. Just be happy Sasha isn't around or I doubt you'd have gotten this far, she doesn't like sandstorms either....and would you mind not breaking my damn window with your lightsaber?! Who the hell trained you? Consulars KNOCK, go get yourself a blue crystal and then break the window."
He waved his right hand and the door opened up, he glanced at the lizard man.
"What are you doing with the likes of him? This is as odd a couple as I've seen in quite some time...but what the hell do I know?"
He took several steps closer and now was within two meters of them.
"Well, talk you idiots! My patience and hospitality is thin."
As he approached his home after miles of hiking through the desert he felt something, a presence he had not felt since....
He brushed it off for a moment, but there it was again. As he found the path lined with rocks towards his front door, he heard the traditional snap-hiss activation of a lightsaber. his flew into his left hand it's emitter angled down at the ground at a forty five degree angle. The sand and the wind causing his robes to whip in the wind. It was doubtful they had seen or heard him, whomever they were, but he made out a distinctive green glow near his window.
"Motherfu..."
He muttered silently to himself, not enough that anyone could have heard him over the storm. There were two of them, one of them was holding the lightsaber and clearly force sensitive, the other was a Lizard man, whom the Force was not clear on, or maybe Alex was just rusty in sensing strangers. He took a few silent steps closer and realized that lightsaber was a Jedi, a consular....even if his actions didn't match his aura.
What fresh hell was this? He let his left hand fall to his side in case the Lizard man got any ideas he did not bother to clip his weapon to his belt. He grunted under his breath, that window was hard to find and it was not easily replaced.
"Don't kriffing mind me while you break into my home, it is of course customary to knock. Just be happy Sasha isn't around or I doubt you'd have gotten this far, she doesn't like sandstorms either....and would you mind not breaking my damn window with your lightsaber?! Who the hell trained you? Consulars KNOCK, go get yourself a blue crystal and then break the window."
He waved his right hand and the door opened up, he glanced at the lizard man.
"What are you doing with the likes of him? This is as odd a couple as I've seen in quite some time...but what the hell do I know?"
He took several steps closer and now was within two meters of them.
"Well, talk you idiots! My patience and hospitality is thin."
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
The Trandoshan had seen lightsabers in use before. He had obviously dabbled with them before upon inheriting the two from The Old One, but he hadn't thought of using one in such a way before. Zhi clearly had used one before. The bounty hunter chuckled at the thought of how un-Jedi-like breaking and entering was, but he was also familiar with the phrase of 'any spaceport in a storm.' Suddenly, the noise from behind them rung in his ears.
Sskveesh heard the voice and had a brief moment of panic. Someone had gotten the jump on them! He hadn't even heard the approach. Even though there was a sandstorm which probably dampened his senses, his prowess of a hunter and the downwind scent should have given away something. Now they were trapped, and his mind raced to deal with the solution. First, he needed a better look. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a single old man. How did one human manage to get the jump on them? The words that he spoke didn't mean much to him at all, but the fact that he was armed didn't escape him. He quickly judged that there was enough distance that he couldn't get stabbed immediately.
He reached up to his neck with his left claws and ripped the cloak down. He did an abrupt 180 degree turn and whipped the Slavemaster carbine forward. Sskveesh leveled it, and silently stared. He prepared to pull the trigger...but then the door opened behind him.
Sskveesh waited for bullets to pierce his hide from behind, but nothing came. Out of instinct he leapt to his left away from the doorway. Now he couldn't be sure what was happening, but either way he figured it might be better to shoot first and ask questions later. The Trandoshan prepared to pull the trigger.
Sskveesh heard the voice and had a brief moment of panic. Someone had gotten the jump on them! He hadn't even heard the approach. Even though there was a sandstorm which probably dampened his senses, his prowess of a hunter and the downwind scent should have given away something. Now they were trapped, and his mind raced to deal with the solution. First, he needed a better look. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a single old man. How did one human manage to get the jump on them? The words that he spoke didn't mean much to him at all, but the fact that he was armed didn't escape him. He quickly judged that there was enough distance that he couldn't get stabbed immediately.
He reached up to his neck with his left claws and ripped the cloak down. He did an abrupt 180 degree turn and whipped the Slavemaster carbine forward. Sskveesh leveled it, and silently stared. He prepared to pull the trigger...but then the door opened behind him.
Sskveesh waited for bullets to pierce his hide from behind, but nothing came. Out of instinct he leapt to his left away from the doorway. Now he couldn't be sure what was happening, but either way he figured it might be better to shoot first and ask questions later. The Trandoshan prepared to pull the trigger.
They have given me a ssecond chance...My giftss shall pleasse the Sscorekeeper and the Old One...
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Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Between dealing with the window and all the sensory input of the sandstorm, the younger Jedi missed the newcomer’s presence until he’d come close enough to start shouting out his objections to Zhi’s entrance methodology. The Consular deactivated his lightsaber blade, but didn’t turn around at first. Zhi stood still in his tracks, listening to the gruff voice in acute fascination. Had he been wrong? For a few seconds, he considered that he must have mistaken the other Jedi-like Sensitive for someone else… But, no. That was right. Older, obviously, but Zhi was sure it was right.
Alex Lynd was….. just…. very gruff. That wasn’t normal. At least, it hadn’t been.
Meanwhile, Sskveesh panicked into fighting mode.
Zhi breathed out through his nose in a calm sigh that masked his confused laugh at the situation. Turning around, the tall healer in his early twenties spoke loudly to the other two over the storm.
“Your brother did! He likes green crystals, and people over possessions. But it’s too stormy to stay on the doorstep! Sskveesh, this is not a trap. Or if it is, we’re both in it. Alex… Skveesh is along for the trip. Please let him be. We should all go inside.”
Taking his own advice, Zhi Reverance Jonan promptly spun around and and walked through the opened door into the shelter of the home while he watched and waited for the other two. His blurred eyesight didn’t take in much of anything in the house, but his senses told him enough while he stepped into the home and continued focusing on the two outside. Hopefully neither of them would harm each other, but they both seemed capable enough… If they did, he’d address that as needed. He considered with a faint grin that it would have been nice to have anything like a real med kit… but the home around him felt decently provisioned. He was sure he could make something work as needed.
Alex Lynd was….. just…. very gruff. That wasn’t normal. At least, it hadn’t been.
Meanwhile, Sskveesh panicked into fighting mode.
Zhi breathed out through his nose in a calm sigh that masked his confused laugh at the situation. Turning around, the tall healer in his early twenties spoke loudly to the other two over the storm.
“Your brother did! He likes green crystals, and people over possessions. But it’s too stormy to stay on the doorstep! Sskveesh, this is not a trap. Or if it is, we’re both in it. Alex… Skveesh is along for the trip. Please let him be. We should all go inside.”
Taking his own advice, Zhi Reverance Jonan promptly spun around and and walked through the opened door into the shelter of the home while he watched and waited for the other two. His blurred eyesight didn’t take in much of anything in the house, but his senses told him enough while he stepped into the home and continued focusing on the two outside. Hopefully neither of them would harm each other, but they both seemed capable enough… If they did, he’d address that as needed. He considered with a faint grin that it would have been nice to have anything like a real med kit… but the home around him felt decently provisioned. He was sure he could make something work as needed.
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
An eyebrow shot up as the young man spoke...the man far too young to be Zhi. Wasn't he? He could be mistaken the sand was everywhere and then there was the wind on this wretched planet. Alex sighed at the mention of his older brother Luka. How was he? He hoped he was well and most certainly not dead, but with the state of this galaxy being what it was who the hell knew or who could control it in the first place. Zhi being alive did bode better for Luka.
The Jedi clipped his lightsaber to his belt and moved slowly looking at the Trandoshan thinking that maybe, just maybe this man would trust Zhi.
"Sskveesh is it? Well go in if you're going in, I am. Sandstorms are very very dangerous and I don't feel like standing around in one much longer."
Alex walked nonchalantly passed the Trandoshan and into this home. He waved his hand and the lights came on. He walked past Zhi, set his pack down on the table and removed his goggles and scarf. Once done he lowered his hood, his jet black hair had a few strands of grey interrupting what used to be a perfectly maintained hairstyle. His hair was now near shoulder length and maintained in a short pony tail manipulated into a bun in the back. He glanced at the younger Jedi, the Jedi that was too young to be Zhi, but at the same time was definitely Zhi. He was tall, much taller than he remembered, hell even taller than Alex. His eyebrow arched again as he studied the features of the young man, notably the eyes.
How....was Zhi in his early twenties? By his math Zhi should be at least thirty by now and likely with a Padawan of his own, but it clearly looked like he might just have a Padawan braid still. His eyes scanned him up and down for a few moments.
"Few things, number one, you grew up cute, not so hard on the eyes there Zhi..."
Alex chuckled and made his way over to the cabinets, retrieving three glasses. He bent down and turned a valve on a container under the sink. He watched the flow of the water pressurizing the pipe and then he stood upright and filled each glass nearly to the brim with water. He set them down on the table for his guests and took a long drink out of his.
"Numbers two, three and whatever. You've been here how long? Looks like weeks, but yet you're lost in a sandstorm. Oh and even more pressing..."
He took a long drink of water and watched the door.
"By my guess, you're about ten years younger than you should be...how is that?..Sskveesh your husband, boyfriend? Either way, I've seen odder couples, to each their own and he's one lucky guy. Drink water, you're the healer you know you need to drink at least 50% more of it in this type of environment just to maintain, let alone thrive..."
The Jedi clipped his lightsaber to his belt and moved slowly looking at the Trandoshan thinking that maybe, just maybe this man would trust Zhi.
"Sskveesh is it? Well go in if you're going in, I am. Sandstorms are very very dangerous and I don't feel like standing around in one much longer."
Alex walked nonchalantly passed the Trandoshan and into this home. He waved his hand and the lights came on. He walked past Zhi, set his pack down on the table and removed his goggles and scarf. Once done he lowered his hood, his jet black hair had a few strands of grey interrupting what used to be a perfectly maintained hairstyle. His hair was now near shoulder length and maintained in a short pony tail manipulated into a bun in the back. He glanced at the younger Jedi, the Jedi that was too young to be Zhi, but at the same time was definitely Zhi. He was tall, much taller than he remembered, hell even taller than Alex. His eyebrow arched again as he studied the features of the young man, notably the eyes.
How....was Zhi in his early twenties? By his math Zhi should be at least thirty by now and likely with a Padawan of his own, but it clearly looked like he might just have a Padawan braid still. His eyes scanned him up and down for a few moments.
"Few things, number one, you grew up cute, not so hard on the eyes there Zhi..."
Alex chuckled and made his way over to the cabinets, retrieving three glasses. He bent down and turned a valve on a container under the sink. He watched the flow of the water pressurizing the pipe and then he stood upright and filled each glass nearly to the brim with water. He set them down on the table for his guests and took a long drink out of his.
"Numbers two, three and whatever. You've been here how long? Looks like weeks, but yet you're lost in a sandstorm. Oh and even more pressing..."
He took a long drink of water and watched the door.
"By my guess, you're about ten years younger than you should be...how is that?..Sskveesh your husband, boyfriend? Either way, I've seen odder couples, to each their own and he's one lucky guy. Drink water, you're the healer you know you need to drink at least 50% more of it in this type of environment just to maintain, let alone thrive..."
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Just as the bounty hunter was about to fire, his tall lanky headache intervened. He and the other human spoke, and the Trandoshan looked back and forth between the two of them. As Zhi went inside, the man who Sskveesh assumed owned the property they had just tried to break and enter into spoke to him and invited him in. Then the man turned his back to him and waltzed in. The Trandoshan's face was the height of confusion as he began to mouth silent queries, before his face just melted into a surrendering visage of apathy as he sighed. Opening his eyes again, he holstered his blaster and glanced one last time at the growing violence of the impending sandstorm.
"I've got a bad feeling about thiss..."
He entered the domicile and closed the door behind him. As their host put out some water for them and quickly began to drink his own, the Trandoshan harbored a concern of poison only momentarily before his thirst gave the glass its approval. While he did not need a lecture from the man...this Alex... about Tatooine, he assumed it was only natural to assume that the Trandoshan didn't have much history with the desert. Certainly he had no idea which part of the Dune Sea he was on right now due to signal jamming from the weather, so perhaps it was best to swallow his pride along with his beverage and let the two men converse. He also assumed the conversation probably had little to do with him, so he began to eye up the man who had sheltered them from the storm.
He seemed a fit human, not a youth, but certainly not an elder either. The stoic nature he had observed outside had seemingly transformed into a casual laid-back one once inside, but that was only natural if you came across two people trying to break into your home. After complimenting his companion's looks, he expressed the fact Zhi should be looking older. That would be a logical first question if the two men knew each other before Zhi was entombed in carbonite, however Sskveesh wouldn't rule out the possibility that Zhi had telepathically told the man to ask that, much as he had spoken to Sskveesh earlier. The next comment wasn't expected, and the bounty hunter actually chuckled.
"Hardly. I only met him earlier thiss day."
Zhi was going to have to decide what he wanted to tell Alex himself. Anyone else he knew from before and continued on would have the same questions, and since these two were clearly on good terms with each other, Sskveesh felt no need to force himself into the conversation. He sipped his water and leaned back against the wall.
"I've got a bad feeling about thiss..."
He entered the domicile and closed the door behind him. As their host put out some water for them and quickly began to drink his own, the Trandoshan harbored a concern of poison only momentarily before his thirst gave the glass its approval. While he did not need a lecture from the man...this Alex... about Tatooine, he assumed it was only natural to assume that the Trandoshan didn't have much history with the desert. Certainly he had no idea which part of the Dune Sea he was on right now due to signal jamming from the weather, so perhaps it was best to swallow his pride along with his beverage and let the two men converse. He also assumed the conversation probably had little to do with him, so he began to eye up the man who had sheltered them from the storm.
He seemed a fit human, not a youth, but certainly not an elder either. The stoic nature he had observed outside had seemingly transformed into a casual laid-back one once inside, but that was only natural if you came across two people trying to break into your home. After complimenting his companion's looks, he expressed the fact Zhi should be looking older. That would be a logical first question if the two men knew each other before Zhi was entombed in carbonite, however Sskveesh wouldn't rule out the possibility that Zhi had telepathically told the man to ask that, much as he had spoken to Sskveesh earlier. The next comment wasn't expected, and the bounty hunter actually chuckled.
"Hardly. I only met him earlier thiss day."
Zhi was going to have to decide what he wanted to tell Alex himself. Anyone else he knew from before and continued on would have the same questions, and since these two were clearly on good terms with each other, Sskveesh felt no need to force himself into the conversation. He sipped his water and leaned back against the wall.
They have given me a ssecond chance...My giftss shall pleasse the Sscorekeeper and the Old One...
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Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Zhi didn’t have much of anything to set down, so he stopped beside a table of some sort and brushed sand from his hair while his skeptical companions joined him and their host… complimented him. The young Jedi grinned in amusement and shook the trapped sand from his makeshift hood. He didn’t especially mind sand. It was just coarse, rough, and had a tendency to get everywhere. Oh well. He could do something about the last part anyway. And sarlaccs certainly seemed to look it, so to each their own. Zhi’s impressive layer of dust and grit swept itself into a self-contained pile on the floor just under the table, where it wasn’t especially likely to be tracked all over the tiles.
“Alright. Let’s see… First, thanks. That’s good to know. Second, we landed about an hour ago. We would’ve gone to Mos Eisley, but I felt that we needed to detour… to you, apparently. So I’m calling that a success. Regarding Sskveesh: He’s an entrepreneur, I expect. More or less.”
Shrugging, Zhi paused and took a thoughtful drink from the water glass that their host had set in front of him. He chuckled a bit at Sskveeh’s retort.
“Did we really meet less than a day ago? I thought it was.. yesterday, or something… but I suppose I wasn’t at my best. Anyway, then he shot me with an impressively effective stun weapon once or twice. It’s a little foggy, but we’re moving forward. Where were we? …Uh. It’s been an eventful decade, Alex. It sounds like everyone else’s has, too. I’m sorry. Our ages are off because we ended up stranded on a dead mining planet. We retrofitted a freighter and carbonite stasis pods… about ten years ago, from what I can make sense of. It was the best plan we had available, but obviously something went wrong.”
Zhi finished the water and set the glass back on the table. His eyes weren’t focused, but it didn’t really matter. The younger Jedi found Alex’s gaze with a calm expression.
“The Force… needed a lot of us. We had work to do. When we finished, it returned most of us to the mining planet. We rebuilt the ship. It was pre-hyperdrive. We built the pods. Nomi, Master Hirius, and a few others stayed awake to pilot it. As best as we could guess, it should have taken eight years back to known space.. Maybe a few more. That was about ten years ago. I would have woken up with them… so something happened. Sskveesh won my pod in stasis a day ago from some Rhyloth crime leader, for whatever that’s worth. I don’t know where anyone else is or how long I was there. I need to find Luka, and Ashlin and Master Erril. The others, too, but I am very concerned that those three will die if anyone like Sskveesh wakes them up. The tibanna seepage will come very close to killing them.” He swallowed. “Do you know where Pax is? He wasn’t with us.”
“Alright. Let’s see… First, thanks. That’s good to know. Second, we landed about an hour ago. We would’ve gone to Mos Eisley, but I felt that we needed to detour… to you, apparently. So I’m calling that a success. Regarding Sskveesh: He’s an entrepreneur, I expect. More or less.”
Shrugging, Zhi paused and took a thoughtful drink from the water glass that their host had set in front of him. He chuckled a bit at Sskveeh’s retort.
“Did we really meet less than a day ago? I thought it was.. yesterday, or something… but I suppose I wasn’t at my best. Anyway, then he shot me with an impressively effective stun weapon once or twice. It’s a little foggy, but we’re moving forward. Where were we? …Uh. It’s been an eventful decade, Alex. It sounds like everyone else’s has, too. I’m sorry. Our ages are off because we ended up stranded on a dead mining planet. We retrofitted a freighter and carbonite stasis pods… about ten years ago, from what I can make sense of. It was the best plan we had available, but obviously something went wrong.”
Zhi finished the water and set the glass back on the table. His eyes weren’t focused, but it didn’t really matter. The younger Jedi found Alex’s gaze with a calm expression.
“The Force… needed a lot of us. We had work to do. When we finished, it returned most of us to the mining planet. We rebuilt the ship. It was pre-hyperdrive. We built the pods. Nomi, Master Hirius, and a few others stayed awake to pilot it. As best as we could guess, it should have taken eight years back to known space.. Maybe a few more. That was about ten years ago. I would have woken up with them… so something happened. Sskveesh won my pod in stasis a day ago from some Rhyloth crime leader, for whatever that’s worth. I don’t know where anyone else is or how long I was there. I need to find Luka, and Ashlin and Master Erril. The others, too, but I am very concerned that those three will die if anyone like Sskveesh wakes them up. The tibanna seepage will come very close to killing them.” He swallowed. “Do you know where Pax is? He wasn’t with us.”
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Sskveesh chuckled at being called an entrepreneur. A natural euphemism was necessary to hide what his true nature was like. Of course, the other possibility was that Zhi didn't really understand exactly what it was he did. Sskveesh hadn't exactly been forthcoming about himself, and his ward hadn't been terribly inquisitive. He'd hold off on details until he got specifically asked and forced to answer, but he couldn't help but allow a retort.
"That'ss scertainly one way to put it."
Zhi began to extol more details about the story of his lost time. Sskveesh couldn't help but listen in, trying to absorb the details. The way he said it flowed very well, and didn't sound rehearsed. The more and more he heard, the less and less he believed that Zhi was a con man after all. However, as Zhi went on to describe 'someone like him,' his spine bristled and his lips curled.
"Hey, you're alive, aren't you? Although that could alwayss be changed..."
"That'ss scertainly one way to put it."
Zhi began to extol more details about the story of his lost time. Sskveesh couldn't help but listen in, trying to absorb the details. The way he said it flowed very well, and didn't sound rehearsed. The more and more he heard, the less and less he believed that Zhi was a con man after all. However, as Zhi went on to describe 'someone like him,' his spine bristled and his lips curled.
"Hey, you're alive, aren't you? Although that could alwayss be changed..."
They have given me a ssecond chance...My giftss shall pleasse the Sscorekeeper and the Old One...
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Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Alex listened to Zhi drone on about the Force needing them for something and a pre-hyperdrive ship of sorts. That was all entirely fascinating of course but what did catch his attention more than anything he Zhi had mentioned was Luka. Now he was not entirely sure he believed Zhi's story, not that Zhi was lying per say, but more that his mind might not be capable of being trusted at the moment which seemed entirely likely.
"So the Force just up and picked you up and placed you in some place where you were needed? Then you traveled back in a pre-hyperdrive capable ship in stasis pods that will kill my older....now likely younger brother? Oh and he won you, so I take it he's selling you now too...?"
Alex blinked for a moment and looked towards Sskeeesh quizzically.
"Sure....so my new Trandoshan companion, exactly how many times did you shoot him with that stun gun and how effective was it?"
He took a drink of water, thinking he might need something stronger in a moment.
"No Zhi, I don't know where Pax is, does it look like the Fore picked me up and carried me across the galaxy? How hard did you hit your head when he stunned you?"
"So the Force just up and picked you up and placed you in some place where you were needed? Then you traveled back in a pre-hyperdrive capable ship in stasis pods that will kill my older....now likely younger brother? Oh and he won you, so I take it he's selling you now too...?"
Alex blinked for a moment and looked towards Sskeeesh quizzically.
"Sure....so my new Trandoshan companion, exactly how many times did you shoot him with that stun gun and how effective was it?"
He took a drink of water, thinking he might need something stronger in a moment.
"No Zhi, I don't know where Pax is, does it look like the Fore picked me up and carried me across the galaxy? How hard did you hit your head when he stunned you?"
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
“It was not a criticism, Sskveesh. I am alive and appreciative.” The young man turned toward the reptilian whom he had yet to visually see, and waved his hand with a faint smile. “You could have killed me at the time if you’d wished to, but from the moment I was coughing on the floor, I can tell you with authority that I was very unlikely to die on my own. With or without a stun bolt, a few of our family would have been much less fortunate. Alex’s brother is one of them… I don’t feel the sense that he is dead yet. Assuming they are alive, I would very much like to find them and help them to remain that way.”
He turned back to Alex and shrugged his shoulders. “It was a dozen years of life summarized the best I could into a minute. You’ve had twenty. Based on your… house… and your mood, they weren’t better. Why are you here?”
He turned back to Alex and shrugged his shoulders. “It was a dozen years of life summarized the best I could into a minute. You’ve had twenty. Based on your… house… and your mood, they weren’t better. Why are you here?”
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Sskveesh flipped the safety on for his carbine and flipped it around, offering the handle first towards Alex. Even if it was supposed to be a sarcastic suggestion, it would at least give him a reprieve from the talk about people he didn't know. The two Jedi hadn't killed him yet, and something told him that they probably wouldn't unless Sskveesh himself was the aggressor. Besides, if Alex was any type of warrior or weapons hobbyist, maybe he would appreciate the slight modifications he had made to the trigger mechanism to make it easier for a clawed shooter.
"It iss an effective carbine to be ssure. My perssonal Sslavemasster."
His eyes twinkled.
"One, of coursse. It alwayss only takess one."
Sskveesh turned back towards Zhi and listened to the man's little speech. The faint smile and gentle demeanor of this man continuously irritated some part of his brain, and he couldn't switch it off or risk wiping the little smile off of Zhi's face. What made this Jedi so sure of himself? When Sskveesh had found him, the man was barely alive on the floor of his ship. There was no changing that simple fact or masking it under the pretense of the 'superiority of the Force.' If the Jedi Order was so good at staying alive, then the galaxy would be full of them rather than ghost stories. However, as the man continued on with his plan, Sskveesh decided to hold off from lashing out. The man was riding an emotional high and filled with high hopes and pie in the sky dreams. He shrugged.
"I wish you good fortune. That tassk won't be easy."
Sskveesh didn't even bother to glance towards Alex as Zhi fired off his next question. Having just met the man, he obviously had no idea of what the answer would be, but he could hazard a guess or two, none of them pleasant. No one chose the Dune Sea as their home for kicks and giggles.
"It iss an effective carbine to be ssure. My perssonal Sslavemasster."
His eyes twinkled.
"One, of coursse. It alwayss only takess one."
Sskveesh turned back towards Zhi and listened to the man's little speech. The faint smile and gentle demeanor of this man continuously irritated some part of his brain, and he couldn't switch it off or risk wiping the little smile off of Zhi's face. What made this Jedi so sure of himself? When Sskveesh had found him, the man was barely alive on the floor of his ship. There was no changing that simple fact or masking it under the pretense of the 'superiority of the Force.' If the Jedi Order was so good at staying alive, then the galaxy would be full of them rather than ghost stories. However, as the man continued on with his plan, Sskveesh decided to hold off from lashing out. The man was riding an emotional high and filled with high hopes and pie in the sky dreams. He shrugged.
"I wish you good fortune. That tassk won't be easy."
Sskveesh didn't even bother to glance towards Alex as Zhi fired off his next question. Having just met the man, he obviously had no idea of what the answer would be, but he could hazard a guess or two, none of them pleasant. No one chose the Dune Sea as their home for kicks and giggles.
They have given me a ssecond chance...My giftss shall pleasse the Sscorekeeper and the Old One...
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Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Alex's eyes went back and forth between the two of them for a moment before they settled on Zhi and narrowed slightly. Not that Zhi would pick up on that exact subtle gesture at this particular moment. Something stronger to drink was most certainly in order but this was not the appropriate time, not when there was a total stranger in the house who best he could tell could more than handle himself.
"Want to shoot him again?"
Alex smirked at the Trandoshan briefly.
"Alright Zhi, you have an issue with my mood? I could have killed both of you as trespassers versus letting you in, so my mood must not be that terribly bad."
He looked quickly to Sskveesh.
"No disrespect intended my friend, I have no doubt it would not have been easy."
He took in a long deep breath.
"When the Chancellor of the quote unquote Republic is a Dark Lord of the Sith it does indeed tend to put Jedi in a bit of a discomforting mood. Add that with the fact that you could have stopped him but waited until it was too late and then when you finally tried to destroy him you lost because he had become far more powerful than you ever could have imagined he was capable of being...it tends to put you in even more of a mood as you put it."
Alex lifted up his shirt to reveal a lightsaber scar that spanned two inches above his navel and tapered off just at his right armpit. He stared at Zhi for brief moment and then rolled his eyes forgetting that the healer was blind. He stepped forward and grabbed Zhi's hand and placed it on the scar.
"All that and he's your twin brother and you have a bit to think about Zhi.....he did that to me, but he refused to kill me, we fought not far from here. I never left the planet again, I couldn't face the order."
Alex hung his head and blinked rapidly.
"I failed at the only thing I ever wanted to be, I failed as a Jedi, I failed as a man, and I failed as a human and millions have died because of my failure. So Zhi, I've not been myself in quite awhile..."
"Want to shoot him again?"
Alex smirked at the Trandoshan briefly.
"Alright Zhi, you have an issue with my mood? I could have killed both of you as trespassers versus letting you in, so my mood must not be that terribly bad."
He looked quickly to Sskveesh.
"No disrespect intended my friend, I have no doubt it would not have been easy."
He took in a long deep breath.
"When the Chancellor of the quote unquote Republic is a Dark Lord of the Sith it does indeed tend to put Jedi in a bit of a discomforting mood. Add that with the fact that you could have stopped him but waited until it was too late and then when you finally tried to destroy him you lost because he had become far more powerful than you ever could have imagined he was capable of being...it tends to put you in even more of a mood as you put it."
Alex lifted up his shirt to reveal a lightsaber scar that spanned two inches above his navel and tapered off just at his right armpit. He stared at Zhi for brief moment and then rolled his eyes forgetting that the healer was blind. He stepped forward and grabbed Zhi's hand and placed it on the scar.
"All that and he's your twin brother and you have a bit to think about Zhi.....he did that to me, but he refused to kill me, we fought not far from here. I never left the planet again, I couldn't face the order."
Alex hung his head and blinked rapidly.
"I failed at the only thing I ever wanted to be, I failed as a Jedi, I failed as a man, and I failed as a human and millions have died because of my failure. So Zhi, I've not been myself in quite awhile..."
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
A few more sardonic responses drifted through Zhi’s mind at his companions’ various quips and sarcasm about shooting him again, but the younger man let the dry humor drift away before he voiced any of it. It wouldn’t be helpful. Zhi turned his face towards Alex and listened neutrally. Decoding the psychometry of inanimate things wasn’t in his talents, but living cells were another matter entirely. In the quarter second between the systole and diastole of the older man’s next heartbeat, the young healer and physician understood the physics, original length and depth, and the frankly astonishing restraint and blade control behind the twenty year old lightsaber wound. Whatever the emotional betrayals and circumstance were, it was clear to Zhi that Alex’s younger self had been painfully and more than shamefully outclassed. Whatever else had gone wrong for Alex in the time since then was less clear to Zhi, but he didn’t see much benefit in trying to judge much or critique from where he stood now. Here they were.
Still, it was time to move. He had family to find and lives to be responsible for. A galaxy full of them, possibly.
It wouldn’t do anything for the skin and muscle that had all healed decently enough over the years, but the younger man pushed a measured pulse of restoring energy to the older one anyway. There was something genuine in it, and a rejuvenating moment of wholeness. It was better than a night of rest or any decent cup of caf anyway.
“I’m sorry we weren’t here, Alex.” He took his hand back, and turned from Alex to include Sskveesh.
“And…. Thank you. I wish you the same. But I need to figure out the scope of this thing, and by tomorrow I need to be gone with or without either of you. Can either or you tell me anything concrete about the Coruscant temple situation as it stands? What about Panatha? I’ll figure it out myself either either of you have a decent comm.”
Still, it was time to move. He had family to find and lives to be responsible for. A galaxy full of them, possibly.
It wouldn’t do anything for the skin and muscle that had all healed decently enough over the years, but the younger man pushed a measured pulse of restoring energy to the older one anyway. There was something genuine in it, and a rejuvenating moment of wholeness. It was better than a night of rest or any decent cup of caf anyway.
“I’m sorry we weren’t here, Alex.” He took his hand back, and turned from Alex to include Sskveesh.
“And…. Thank you. I wish you the same. But I need to figure out the scope of this thing, and by tomorrow I need to be gone with or without either of you. Can either or you tell me anything concrete about the Coruscant temple situation as it stands? What about Panatha? I’ll figure it out myself either either of you have a decent comm.”
Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
Amongst the banter that the two Jedi were launching back and forth, there was a rather interesting fact that was revealed to him. Sskveesh blinked a few times, unsure if he had heard Alex right.
"Exscusse me...did you ssay the Chancsellor iss a Ssith?"
It was almost unbelievable...but up until just recently the bounty hunter would have said that someone running into Jedi was a lie. Until he accidentally opened up a carbonite pod he thought that the Jedi went extinct when he was a child. The Old One had taught him that the absence of a political power created a vacuum, and theoretically a Sith lord could take advantage of the disappearance of the Jedi. Before his anxiety could rise to unbearable levels, Zhi brought the conversation back down to a reasonable volume. Skveesh took a deep breath. He still looked noticeably agitated but at least he wasn't panicking.
"Corusscant Temple?"
The Trandoshan shook his head.
"If you mean the building, I ssupposse the ruinss are sstill there. No one'ss lived there ssincse the lasst of the assssaultss."
He glanced towards Alex to see if the older Jedi wanted to respond. Sskveesh had never been to Panatha so he had no frame of reference. However, the young Zhi's next request was absurd, and he had to give a chuckle.
"Don't be sstupid. Even if the commss were sstrong enough to deal with interferensce from the ssandsstorm, it would be a fool'ss errand to blindly inquire about the Jedi unlessss you want to attract the attention of the Chancsellor'ss forcsess..."
"Exscusse me...did you ssay the Chancsellor iss a Ssith?"
It was almost unbelievable...but up until just recently the bounty hunter would have said that someone running into Jedi was a lie. Until he accidentally opened up a carbonite pod he thought that the Jedi went extinct when he was a child. The Old One had taught him that the absence of a political power created a vacuum, and theoretically a Sith lord could take advantage of the disappearance of the Jedi. Before his anxiety could rise to unbearable levels, Zhi brought the conversation back down to a reasonable volume. Skveesh took a deep breath. He still looked noticeably agitated but at least he wasn't panicking.
"Corusscant Temple?"
The Trandoshan shook his head.
"If you mean the building, I ssupposse the ruinss are sstill there. No one'ss lived there ssincse the lasst of the assssaultss."
He glanced towards Alex to see if the older Jedi wanted to respond. Sskveesh had never been to Panatha so he had no frame of reference. However, the young Zhi's next request was absurd, and he had to give a chuckle.
"Don't be sstupid. Even if the commss were sstrong enough to deal with interferensce from the ssandsstorm, it would be a fool'ss errand to blindly inquire about the Jedi unlessss you want to attract the attention of the Chancsellor'ss forcsess..."
They have given me a ssecond chance...My giftss shall pleasse the Sscorekeeper and the Old One...
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Re: A Home Amongst Desolation
"Yeah it's mostly deserted except for well, you know the...do you? You were a Padawan and a young one at that the last time you were there. So it's mostly deserted but they are still around, places some are at the temple believe it or not. Which sort of reminds me, I forgot about something...well I didn't forget exactly, you tried to break into my house and seeing a walking talking...but not quite seeing relic from your past tends to push things out of your mind especially when you were quite sure that relic was dead."
Alex looked at the Transdoshan.
"He's not stupid, just dense."
Alex tapped his fingers on the table and looked between the two of them again.
"About a month ago, or something. One of the chancellor's minions was here, nasty Sith named Kaini. Raided an area near by and left nothing but bodies and burning buildings in his wake. Real sweet fellow."
Alex cleared his throat and moved towards the backroom of his home.
"Anyway, he was looking for Jedi and found one who gave him one hell of a fight before he lost. How's your healing game Zhi? Doctors gave him a new hand and dealt with the lightsaber wound across his chest the best they could and I did what I could, but I'm no damn healer. He's young, knows the temple and the current state of things better than I. He was barely clinging to life when I pulled him from the burning building and he's recovering slowly, but maybe you could help him? He might be willing to go with you."
Alex looked at the Transdoshan.
"He's not stupid, just dense."
Alex tapped his fingers on the table and looked between the two of them again.
"About a month ago, or something. One of the chancellor's minions was here, nasty Sith named Kaini. Raided an area near by and left nothing but bodies and burning buildings in his wake. Real sweet fellow."
Alex cleared his throat and moved towards the backroom of his home.
"Anyway, he was looking for Jedi and found one who gave him one hell of a fight before he lost. How's your healing game Zhi? Doctors gave him a new hand and dealt with the lightsaber wound across his chest the best they could and I did what I could, but I'm no damn healer. He's young, knows the temple and the current state of things better than I. He was barely clinging to life when I pulled him from the burning building and he's recovering slowly, but maybe you could help him? He might be willing to go with you."