A Welcome Burden (Saveer)

[Jorshal Vuntana]

Cold water splashed on his face as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Glancing at the mirror for a moment he dunked his face inoto more water. For the past six months Jorshal had been teaching Saveer basic combat in primitive weapons and now he was about to take Saveer to put his new skills into practice. The training excursion they were about to partake in was not about being able to use those skills, but rather what it meant to be the type of man that used them.

They had left on a Sith Order ship only the previous night and slept during the trip to Dantooine. That morning, or rather what should be morning on Korriban, they were scheduled to land. In being such a desolate and flat planet a landing place was hard to miss. Jorshal looked out the window from the refresher and found they had entered the atmoshere, as ordered they were headed to Dantooine's equator where the massive plains turned to dense jungle. The planet was never inhabited by any modern race and never colonized by either the Republic or Empire. The only residents there were small tribes of humans far from ever reaching a state of accepted civilization, space worthy or not.

It was the primitivity of the planet that engaged Jorshal and served his purpose in the training mission. In becoming so complex with technology, tactics and commanders, war had strayed from the warrior.

As the ship set down, Jorshal met Saveer in the common room in the ship and began to give his instructions. "I want you to leave everything here, datapads, chronometers, lightsabers if you have them. They have no place here." As Saveer discarded any items he might have had on him, Jorshal did the same.

As the ship began to set down, Jorshal began to give Saveer a run down of what to expect. "The tribe of people we'll be looking for have encountered me before. You'll be the first acolyte I've brought along, though. They're primitive in all regards, the most advanced weapon we'll work with is the bow and arrow. You'll be expected to participate in their culture to the fullest extent for the month we're here. On the other hand you might have to watch out because of your appearance. Their contact with aliens is non-existant." The ship finally settled down on the ground. "Any questions?"

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Saveeradeevaravaravee dropped his weapons and technologies on the floor in a large pile. Reaching above his head, he began to stretch his arms. He felt much less burdened without the weapons adorning his body - his body weight had been reduced by nearly 1/4 now. As he finished working the kinks out of his body, he walked over to the ship's boarding ramp, next to which stood Jorshal Vuntana.

"I'm ready when you are, Jorshal."

The ramp lowered with a loud hiss as the air pressure within the ship changed to match that outside. Feeling utterly naked without his weaponry, Saveer followed Jorshal down the ramp.

The area around them seemed totally devoid of intelligent life. A few small animals moved around here and there, but Saveer saw no sign of the tribe of which Jorshal had spoken. Only grass and trees.

"So where are these people, anyway?"

[Jorshal Vuntana]

"They're deep inside the jungle." He said as he gazed into the green abyss. Most of Dantooine was grasslands and stepp, however, at the equator there were few patches of land in which a jungle could cultivate. However, where the jungle could grow lived the strongest of the Dantooine tribes.

"Let's get going. There isn't much distance between us and the tribe, but the jungle will slow us down. Hopefully we won't spend all of daylight treking through it." Jorshal walked down the ramp with Saveer close behind and touched down on the fertile grass. No more than a minute later the ramp closed against the ship and the ship began to take its leave. "They'll be back when I call them. Don't think we're stranded." He commented as they began their penetration into the dense jungle.

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

For a moment, Saveer indeed thought that Jorshal had taken the training a bit too far - deserting themselves on a primitive planet with no way to get off was not Saveer's idea of a good plan. Jorshal had done worse before, though, and Saveer was not about to test his instruction.

As Jorshal revealed the truth, Saveer followed him to the edge of the dense jungle.

As they entered the forest, Saveer reached back, subconsciously preparing to draw his Sith Sword for aid in cleaving through the dense foliage. It wasn't there, of course, and Saveer unwillingly let out a soft sigh. Looking up, he took a quick jump, landing on one of the branches above.

"I'll take it from up here, Jorshal." With his diminuitive stature, Saveer would have a difficult time wading through the small plants on the ground. Squeezing between branches, however, was no trouble at all - and jumping from tree to tree could prove a good exercize in force boosting. Calling the Dark Side to his command, he took the first jump, following Jorshal's lead.

[Jorshal Vuntana]

Despite his small size, Saveer easily took the lead from Jorshal. For Jorshal, there were more obstacles in traveling the jungle, silently he wished he had his lightsaber. For Saveer, jumping from branch to branch, through and around the various leaves and vines wasn't a problem. He would have to make do, he decided as he pushed another vine out of his way.

---

The trip through the jungle was long, tedious and uneventful. For the abundance of life that occupied the jungle, nothing of threat or danger had presented itself. Jorshal kneeled down at the tributary that cut through the jungle and cuped his hands, filling them with water. He took a sip from some and splashed the rest on his sweat covered face. He wiped his eyes and looked down the tributary.

"Well, the tribe we're going to meet are where the tributary meets the river. I'd say by the current, it shouldn't be more than a mile." He looked to the sky. "we should arrive before dusk."

He stood up, the water rushing around his ankles, and walked to the bank. The bank, for the mos part, was clear of trees and shrubs thathad previously slowed him. He began walking along the bank in his water soaked boots towards where the tributary met the river.

---

As it turned out, mud from teh bank proved to be as formidable an obstacle as the trees. More than often did he find his feet stuck and sinking in the mud. But now, the travel was over and some of the native had spotted them.

There were two on the bank when Saveer and Jorshal reached the junction, one had a large reptilian creature slung dead over its back. Both wore a red cross painted over their faces much like the one Jorshal wore. In seeing that on Jorshal, they called out in a foreign language, waving their hands to the sky and falling upon their knees.

Jorshal pushed his leg further into the water and began to cross the tributary. My midpoint, the water had come to his waist and he knew Saveer didn't stand a chance crossing the river, at least not without his devices he didn't. Jorshal finally reached the edge of the bank and the eager and joyful tribesmen pulled him ashore.

With the Force he gripped Saveer and carried him over the river while the two tribesmen burst into howls and cries at the demonstration with the Force. He gently set Saveer down on the bank but before he could explain his accomplice the tribesmen had their spears pointed directly at the furry alien.

[Saveeradeevaravaravee]

Saveer landed gently on the soft soil, and went about dusting himself off. The long journey through the woods, as agile as he may be, had left many leaves and prickly plants in his fur. As he worked one of the plants from its rooting in his fur, he glanced up to see how Jorshal was faring with the tribe -

And found two long spears shoved straight into his face.

Here, he was faced with two option - there was the option of submittance, trying to earn their respect diplomatically and find a nonviolent escape. That would be the way of the Jedi. The other option...

Reacing into the Dark Side, he called his slave to him, pushing his hands to either side of his body. The two primitive creatures went flying, landing on their backs a few feet away. Saveer, as Jorshal, judging by the primitives' mimicry of him, had obviously done, would demand their respect and loyalty.

The more violent members of the Order - and Jorshal's training - were beginning to rub off on him. Then again, he had always done things this way... just without the Force.

[Jorshal Vuntana]

Jorshal turned his head as the two gards went flying across the bank. In a strange and foreign language he spoke, "[I would like you to meet my latest apprentice, Saveer.]"

As the two stood back up he glanced at Saveer and could easily see how the tribesmen could mistake Saveer for an edible animal from the jungle.

"[We should return.]" The taller tribemen said to them, glancing waringly at Saveer.

"[Yes, A big feast for your return.]" The other said, also carefully watching Saveer,

The two slung the large reptilian creature over their shoulders and lead the path through the forest.

"If you're having trouble understanding them, the Force can work as a translation tool as well. Without it, their language may be difficult to learn." He began pushing through the jungle, Saveer taking to the branches. "It's very old you know, the language. Surprisingly enough for such a primative tribe, but they've accomplished a lot despite their lack of technology. An important lesson to learn: strength of technology does not make one civilization more advanced than another."