Smoke Us A Kipper, We'll Be Back For Lunch

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

There were always so many things that were not allowed. They were forbidden, and they were placed into that ever-nebulous category of stuff that inevitably got you in trouble. And yet, they were also the things that children inevitably had to do. It was a part of the rights of passage that most if not all young ones had to pass through on their way to becoming adults. Like so many things in life, rebellion against authority in even the smallest of ways was something that was a universal constant. It was a given, and it was also often something that was so underlying that one could not really attribute it to the willful act of disobedience. It was also called growing up. Being a kid. Exploring the many things that being alive offered. Experiencing what the galaxy had to offer.

And it was certainly a big galaxy.



Two beings stood outside, enjoying the bright day and its' sunny offerings. The sky was clear, and not a cloud in sight. It was like how she remembered many days on Cathar, and Teagan breathing in deeply through her nose, eyes closing as she let her olfactory senses pick apart each and every scent. There was sweat mingled with the scent of fresh lumber and even a note of food mingled within. It was all so raw and new, like a fresh start to life, and the young Lupine exhaled through her mouth, letting herself very nearly lean into the massive figure standing beside her.

Kazahan.

It was a name that would've felt strange on her tongue, but in the years that she'd traveled with Dama and Dad and Sanis and Cirr and Daani and Zem, names and how they sounded when you rolled them off your tongue had become a little bit more... normal. There was diversity, but she'd grown a fair amount since her younger years, and Teagan found it easier to pronounce the many different words that'd come her way.

Finally, she looked up at her companion for the afternoon. Her partner in what she was sure to be a crime of sorts, but this crime... she had to know. She had to see. She had to experience this sensation, and so did Wyl. The two had discussed it, and had decided on their plan... in that there was no real plan, just the act and efforts needed to get what they wanted and needed.

"You really don't mind doing this?" she asked the towering Trianii.

[Kazahan]

“Of course Kazahan minds," the girl's companion responded, glancing down at her intently. “This is foolish. But this one thinks that I can say that five hundred times and you would still do it."

His intent eyes softened to a knowingly resigned tone, and he looked up, enjoying the breeze.

“Such things are not uncommon here. But they are possessed by soldiers, and miners in the far hills. Entering the base or traveling to the miners' camp are not things to be done alone for a young one like you. Therefore, as this one is unwilling to attempt to dissuade you by force, watching over you is the least Kazahan can do."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan sent a lopsided smile upwards.

"Well thank you anyways."

Taking in one last breath, the Lupine leaned forward slightly, casting a gaze down the length of the dirt thoroughfare in one direction, then the other. People were out and about, but not a large amount, and she was willing to bet that as the day went on, more would be taking advantage of the good weather to spend their time outdoors. It was certainly a day that needn't be wasted, that was for sure.

Finally she stepped forward, and the Trianii followed suit, the two falling into step beside one another as they made their way along the road at a rather leisurely pace. As they walked, Teagan let her thoughts drift to what he'd said; she had no particular desire to visit the base, and the notion of visiting the miners was a much more interesting option. Dama had once said that a miner was one who dug into the earth for precious metals and jewels, and the girl had to wonder if those that Kazahan spoke of burrowed into the ground for valuable stones and baubles.

"What are the miners like?"

[Kazahan]

His last admonishment given, the Trianii set a slow, leisurely pace to the closest miners' camp, which was several kilometers away, though how many Kazahan wasn't sure.

"They are hard people with a hard life," Kazahan answered. "But with their callousness comes a strength. They can stand many things most of us Jedi would be hard pressed to deal with. At least at the moment."

Kazahan laughed, a though having suddenly occurred to him.

"It is like that saying, 'look too long into the abyss, and the abyss shall be reflected'. These people work with stone and deep earth, and they reflect that, you see. They are not without kindness, but they have little for themselves, and so little to spare for others."

Kazahan was struck with a sense of absurdity, that he was barely older than this girl (by a number of years, but the gap wasn't so much in truth), and yet he was speaking as if he were a wise elder. He wondered if that were what he had to look forward to in life, and thought that there were worse things. He carried his blaster (http://i.imgur.com/rZHhFYr.jpg), and had a large knife sheathed on his belt, along with some replacement power packs, but he kept alert, as they were getting farther away from their burgeoning town.

A fluttering insect entered his vision and he tried to catch it. It proved equal to the task however, keeping barely out of his grasp with slight changes in its position. He was enjoying himself a great deal, until it flew away and he couldn't help but feel sad at its leaving.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The description of the miners was one that Teagan was intensely interested in hearing, and the girl hung on the Trianii's words, eager for more.

"Some of the other padawans talk about them," she started as they walked, "... they say that they're uneducated and mean."

The descriptions she'd always been given had always seemed harsh to her, and the young Lupine only ever shrugged and went on about her own business. It wasn't like the padawans ever really talked to her as it was. Most of the time they gave her a wide berth and only spoke to her when they had to. It was an existence that she'd grown accustomed to. But the Trianii - Kazahan - had been anything but. He talked to her, and he always had time for her. He never looked at her with suspicion, and for that she always had a smile for him. These days, it seemed that only he and Zem treated her like a person, and not some sort of plague-bringer.

Reaching over to the side of the pathway that they now currently followed, she ran her hand over the tops of the tall grass.

"Seems to me though, that the miners are just tryin' to make a living."

[Kazahan]

"Some of them are very educated. Kazahan could not understand their words about depth and pressure, nor their comprehension of metals and their strengths. They may not have the education that you or the others have, but their understandings in some ways far outstrips ours. But the other padawans are right," Kazahan huffed a laugh. "They are mean. And you are right too: they are just trying to make a living."

He shrugged.

"Kazahan does not think too much about these things. This one only observes, and watches. Thinking too much doesn't grant intelligence. As Kazahan's mother always said: 'It is not being thoughtful that makes one smart, but how one thinks. Even foolish little cubs can become lost in thought.'"

They crested a hill, and there in the distance could be seen the miners' camp, dominated by a large metal crane from which was suspended a cable. Several buildings surrounded the main site, arrayed around it in a series of haphazard concentric circles.

"Ah," he said, enjoying the breeze that lightly danced around them. "It is still a fair distance away. But we are making good time."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She didn't have the height advantage that Kazahan did, but she could at least see the crane that rose above the mining camp. It cut starkly into the sky, out of place in the wild land. But, she supposed that the land itself was in the first stages of being tamed. Being pulled to the will of those who'd chosen it as their new home. Pursing her lips in thought, the girl wasn't sure if she liked that notion. It seemed strange to be concerned over, and as quickly as the initial thought had entered her mind, she brushed it away. It reminded her of some of the stories her Dama used to tell; of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and of Coruscant itself.

Huffing out a breath, Teagan stuffed her hands into the front pockets of her trousers.

"My Mom used to tell me stories from when she was young, and was living at the Temple on Coruscant. She said that the whole planet was one big city, and that it never slept and was always busy, and people were always coming and going."

Another look at the crane, and she bit her lower lip. Their progress was steady.

"Do you think that the Jedi and the Alliance are gonna turn Ossus into a planet like Coruscant?"

[Kazahan]

Kazahan grimaced, though for him the expression was a twitch of his ears and a firming of his mouth.

"One of those city planets?" he asked, turning his face to look at her seriously. "Kazahan hopes not. The hunting would be horrible. Good food needs land and water and air. Ruins are good spots for wildlife though, so perhaps in time Coruscant will be overgrown and sport amazingly tasty creatures."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

His answer was one that made her happy; she didn't think that she'd like a planet that was nothing but a huge city all the way around. Teagan gave an approving nod.

"I agree. Ossus is pretty like it is now," she gave a little shrug then, a quick upward jerk of her shoulders as her eyes stayed forward, going from the path ahead to the crane, then back to the path.

"I suppose a few cities are ok, though."

A few more minutes of thought, and she went on.

"My Mom told me too, that there are lots of animals on Coruscant, and some that will even eat you. She said that rich people would buy exotic animals from all over the galaxy, and then when they got tired of owning them, they'd just take their pet to the underlevels and abandon them. Though some escaped on their own. Animals like veermoks (http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070116195559/starwars/images/6/65/Veermok-wosfg.jpg) and narglatches (http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070130201643/starwars/images/0/09/Narglatchcity-woswfg.jpg) and anoobas (http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110312151840/starwars/images/5/55/Anooba.jpg). There's probably lots of scurriers (http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070130221013/starwars/images/c/cd/Scurrier2.jpg) though, and voorpaks (http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20071208133602/starwars/images/0/01/Voorpak1-woswfg.jpg)."

[Kazahan]

"Oh yes, Kazahan has seen such as what you speak of," the Trianii said. "But the main problem is eating. Without clean land and air and water, the eating is not so good. And Kazahan likes to eat well above most other things."

He patted his stomach and hummed.

"There is something lost in the flavor if a creature has never seen open sky, or tasted sunned wheat or grass or whatever it may eat, or felt the touch of rain. Kazahan has tasted many creatures and those are usually the best. But Kazahan can talk forever about hunting and food; this one has a question. Why do you wish to try smoking? This one is curious."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The question caught her off guard, but more than that it gave her pause. She hadn't really given the notion much thought beyond curiosity and the strange need to try it. Perhaps too, it was one of the few things that she could control, and decide for herself whether to do or not. Instead of going about her daily life being told to read some chapter-book or write some essy, or sit and 'meditate', or eat the food that was being made in the mess today, this was something that she herself could decide on. Well, it was done in mostly secret ways, but omitting the truth often helped far more than an outright lie. She just didn't have to say anything. At least Kazahan had agreed to help. He was the only one she could think of that would possibly do it.

"I dunno," again she shrugged.

"I guess I just wanna see what it's like, you know?"

She remembered one time, when Mr. Brecklin had come to their temporary home on Bothawui, and had brought her Dad a 'cigar'. It'd gotten her double rations of desert for that night for not telling her Mom, but she'd always been curious about the notion of putting a burning stick in one's mouth. It was just... strange.

And she wanted to try it.

"I mean, even if I don't like it, I can say that I tried it."

[Kazahan]

Kazahan gave her a considering look for a moment while they walked.

"Back on Trian, we smoked a moist herb paste as a communal activity. We would eat, and the elders would bring out the ngruka, and would sit and tell stories as they smoked. Kazahan was not much older than you when first this one smoked from it. It burned, but tasted like fruit from a far off island, sweet, yet like a fragrance," Kazahan huffed a laugh. "Kazahan could not breathe normally for the next day afterwards. It was considerably kinder than the dried plants smoked elsewhere."

He was silent a moment, and nodded once.

"Very well. We shall both experience this, and become wiser for doing so, yes?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She couldn't help the grin that flashed, and turning to look up at his, Teagan gave his arm a playful punch.

But, something he said caught her attention, and the girl couldn't help but ask her own question.

"How do you get something to taste like a fruit if you light it on fire?"

She'd grill him about whatever stories he'd heard on Trian later; oh, she'd ask, but she'd wait until a better time. The thought of hearing about what other tales people had to tell was an enticing one, and she wanted to make sure the time was just right.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan became quite animated.

"Oh! It is brilliant! First the fruit is taken and the juice is squeezed out. And then the juice is rendered down into a syrup, thick and with the texture of an oil. That is included in the process of curing the herb leaves, and it is packaged in a sealed oiled skin. But there are so many fruits and tastes and different varieties of herbs that the same herb with a different paste will only be similar to one who has the depth of taste to notice it. There are so many flavors! Too many for Kazahan to adequately tell of them all. But it is best when enjoyed with friends and family, because of its strength and the tales that are told when it is smoked. Those who smoke it alone, usually do so in mourning."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan blinked at his answer, suddenly coming to a stop. They were almost to the miner's camp, but what he spoke of now grabbed her far more than the thought of her initial desire. She looked up once more to him as a strange sort of enthusiasm began to fall on her features.

All that he spoke of was so new and fascinating! The process and work that he'd spoken of that went into making fire taste like something completely different...

"Do you," she bit her lip, then finished in a voice that was slightly lower.

"... do you have any with you, here on Ossus? The Trianii stuff, that is."

[Kazahan]

"Alas, Kazahan does not. This one wishes it were not so, but the circumstances in which Kazahan left the Trianii worlds for Ossus meant that all such things were left behind."

Kazahan seemed to lose a bit of his cheer at the memory, but he did not seem despondent.

"Though this one does hope to be returning at some point," he said, brightening a bit at the prospect. "It is dangerous still to return, but perhaps at that point you would like to accompany me. Kazahan will be able to show you the world of his birth: wide plains and plateaus with forests and deep canyons. It is a marvellously varied world in terms of habitat and temperature. Kazahan is sure you would find it most interesting."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"Oh."

Well, it was a long shot anyway, so if he didn't have any then she wouldn't mind so much still going to the miner's camp. Though, the thought of burning leaves tasting like fruit had intrigued her enough. Starting forward again, Teagan considered Kazahan's invitation.

"I bet that'd be fun. I'd like to see your homeworld; it sounds wonderful."

Again her hands went into her front pockets, and looking up, the young Lupine guessed that they were another fifteen minutes away. The main shaft crane stretched up taller than ever, and seemed as though it was trying to touch the clouds that scudded and shifted their way across the blue sky.

[Kazahan]

"Of course it would be fun!" Kazahan exclaimed. "But it must remain merely a plan for now. It is still too dangerous to travel in Trianii space."

Kazahan followed Tak's line of sight to the top of the crane and the sky above it. The camp was getting closer, though there was still some time before they reached its outskirts. From this distance they could hear the sounds of throbbing engines, and the clang of cars upon the magnetic rails entering and exiting one of the shafts dug into a hillside.

"How goes training for you?" Kazahan asked suddenly, reminded of training in some obscure way by the sights. "You can borrow Kazahan's Master Solomon if you have any trouble, this one does not mind."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"It... goes."

Which was really the best way she could describe it. Truth was, she detested most of it, especially the meditating classes with Knight Hicchoru. Meditation always caused bad memories to creep in, and more often than she cared to admit, the girl had often done her level best to skip that aspect of her training.

"Sparring is sorta fun," she acknowledged.

"And Knight Loki's running trips. I like those."

Of course, she usually preferred her own forays into the wilds of Ossus, but she wasn't really ready to fess up to those. At Kazahan's mention of Master Sol, Teagan made a concerned face, keeping her eyes ahead.

"I dunno. I don't think I'm ready for him yet."

She was still nervous around the towering Jedi Master; she been reminded more than once by overheard whisperings among the other Padawans that it was her own mother that'd been responsible for the man's missing limbs. The thought of approaching him made her nervous.

"What about you?"

[Kazahan]

"Solomon is teaching Kazahan well, though this one is not the easiest to teach," Kazahan answered. "Kazahan cannot focus for meditation. Always this one is seeing the brightness of the light of the sun, the green of the leaves, and smelling the winds. The Force is not very loud, so Kazahan must always quiet himself. It is not easy."

Kazahan did not seem too troubled by his slow progress in that respect.

"But Kazahan is learning to control himself well. See, this one can jump very high now!" Kazahan jumped, ascending a respectable height before lightly landing next to Tak. "When it comes to Kazahan's own body, things come easily. Other than that..."

Kazahan shrugged, finding that body movement more eloquent than any words he could find.

"Kazahan will not stop until this one is strong enough to protect his people. These troubles are obstacles Kazahan will overcome soon enough."

While they were still some ways away from the camp proper, they were now coming upon the outskirts of the area the miners had cleared out for work. A large fence had been erected, posts settled in some twenty feet from each other with semi-transparent walls of energy humming between them. A guard house was situated right outside the fence with a few bored looking men sitting outside.

"Kazahan must warn Tak to stay close. Though it is unlikely they will harm you or Kazahan, some are more unscrupulous than others and may not exercise their better judgment."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She took his words of caution to heart, and instinctively - as they approached the guard house - she moved to walk closer to the Trianni. He knew, after all, a lot more about this that she did.

She eyed the sentries as they stared right bock. One of them broke away to approach the duo. He looked almost bored, as he ambled toward them.

"Ain't offen a coupla Jedi come 'round, less'n they needs sumfin."

Just the inflection of his voice made her blink in surprise. It wasn't angry, but it was certainly gruff. She couldn't detect any malice, but her own skills were lacking when it came to knowing what people meant beneath the surface of their words.

"Um... "

The girl looked up to Kazahan then, hoping that he had an answer.

[Kazahan]

"Unless they mean to nose around business that is not their own, you mean," Kazahan said, his voice pleasant. "Which is not our intention. This one only comes for smoking suppiles."

The guard nodded, but looked at Tak with a wary glance.

"Ain't no place for young'ins," he grunted. Kazahan nodded.

"It is true. But this one cannot leave her now."

"We wouldn't do nothin'," the guard said. "She'd be safer out here 'n in there. Corri's got himself a little girl off worl'. Wouldn't let nothin' happen to yourn."

Kazahan shook his head, and the guard shrugged.

"Open it up!" the guard shouted as he walked back to the guard house. There was a loud reverberating click, like something huge had tapped on a durasteel beam, and the field generators directly in front of them shut off. Kazahan led her through quickly, and for good reason: as soon as they had passed some invisible dividing line, the field generators had finished warming up and the massive semi-transparent shielding was back online, and Kazahan felt his tail in case it had singed any fur off. Mollified that he hadn't been made ugly by the inconvenient gate system, Kazahan looked about.

The camp was not a cheery affair. They stood in the exit/entryway to the main road through the camp, and on either side of its of dry packed earth and dirt large identical and dirty dorm houses stretched for a good half kilometer. Many miners had made attempts to make the dorms a bit more homey: there were flower and vegetable gardens, some hand carved figures, and trees planted along the roadside. But still things had a dreary air, and above it all, still some fair distance from them the crane loomed, the thick cable dangling from it gently swaying in the wind that they couldn't feel so far down.

"We will need to continue walking some ways. If this one is correct, there shall be a shift change soon. Stay close and do not become separated from this one, or else much time will be wasted trying to find one another again."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She wasn't quite sure what he meant by 'shift change', but Teagan wasn't about to question her older companion. Sidling even closer to him, she looked at the rowhouses with curiosity. They had a sort of earthy appeal, but like so many things here on Ossus, they were mostly all the same shape and design. She noticed a few bits that'd been added to a few doorsteps and outer window sills, but they were superficial and in no way a change in architecture. Still though, she had to appreciate the effort that some of the people making a living here put in to making their homes their own.

There was a sound, as though far off. It wailed through the air like a siren; perhaps that was what it was? And yet it had only one tone. There was no pitch change, no note change, nothing but a single keening sound that washed over everything and made her ears hurt.

And then, it was gone. For a moment there was nothing. Not a motion or a sound to follow that hollow sounding squalk.

And then...

It seemed as though doors opened up in such a staggered fashion that a chorus of clicks and creaks filled the air. Men and a few hard-edged women poured into the dusty street, and Teagan pressed herself firmly against Kazahan lest they become separated.

Another mass of bodies approached from where the crane was, all trudging along with tired gaits.

And when the to groups met in the middle, it was like a strange chorus of exhausted greetings, lively joking, and back-patting.

"Did my eight, and hittin' the gate, son! Time to find a bottle and a set o' tits!"

"You goin' tha wrong way, ain't ye!"

"I'm goin' home an' sleepin' fer about tha rest o' me life I t'ink"

"Let's get this shit over with, eh?"

"Depressin' thing is, s'only th'second day o' tha work week!"

"Can't believe I signed up fer a double... "



It was a symphony of voices, and each one fell on her ears like a bizarre song that didn't entirely grind away at her eardrums, but it certainly didn't make things in this miner's camp any more understandable.

And out of instinct, Teaga clutched Kazahan's hand in a tight grip, her eyes wide as she watched everything swirl around her.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan squeezed Tak's hand to comfort her, and led her along through the throng of miners coming in from and going to work. Most of the miners ignored the Jedi as they weaved through, but some stared in curiosity. Those were rudely elbowed or pushed into minding their own business — Jedi usually didn't mean good things for people like them, with questions and some snobby sense of obligation to the environment which threatened their livelihoods, it was best to just ignore them and hope things worked out.

Kazahan and Tak found themselves breaking free from the throng of workers and entering what looked like a village common: a bazaar of sorts had set itself up and wares were being shouted from a myriad of stands. Most of the miners gravitated towards the stands serving and selling alcohol, but there were more than a few larger shops that sold clothing and tools and footwear. Just past the bazaar were larger office buildings with many viewports, and farther along the massive main shaft yawned, dug straight down into the earth, with lifts ringing its outer edges. Lines of workers were leaving and entering the lifts, watching as the crane hoisted up a massive load of stones and dirt. Kazahan ignored most of this with the ease of practice, and stepped into the shade of a curtained stand.

"Ah, if it isn't my Jedi friend," the stand keeper said with a grin. "And with company, also. What brings you to this place, little lady?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Blinking as her eyes adjusted, Teagan gave the new scents around her a testing smell. So many different things made themselves known, twisting and weaving about one another like a hazy melange.

When the keeper addressed her, the girl turned to regard him. His face held the lines of age, but his eyes were sharp and she bet that he didn't miss a thing. He was thin, but it was a sort of lean that spoke of a hard working life. His sken even looked tan, and his black hair had been pulled back with a loose tie to keep it out of his eyes.

For some reason she instantly liked him.

"I've... never been here before," she let go of Kazan now, feeling a bit more at ease and out of the crush of moving bodies.

There was just a little bit of awe that her eyes held, as she looked at the compact 'shop' and the wares that had been so carefully organized on the small, narrow shelves. Bags hung here and there, their contents hidden and their drawstrings pulled tight. She wondered if anything like the fruit leaves Kazahan had spoke of earlier were in one or two of them.

"It smells good," came a final mumble, her eyes still wide and taking everything in.

[Kazahan]

The keeper shot Kazahan a sharp look. Kazahan stolidly returned it.

"This one would much rather have her see this with someone who has some experience with it, rather than attempt to discover it herself and do herself harm."

"Guess I can't say much, I started only a bit older than her," he grunted. "Well, this is a leaf stand. Some call it a smoke shack, or a smoke stand; all of 'em work. I've got lots of regular stim blends, and for pipes, one-hits, bowls, that silly synthetic fluid for vaporisers and misters too. There's tins of nose-killers, chew, and cud. I've even just got in some special leaf used in religious ceremonies from a species I thought was a plant itself."

He pointed to each kind of leaf as he named them. The stims smelled dry and acrid, though some were obviously mixed with other herbs. One smelled particularly like a garnish used in meals. The pipe blends were aromatic and strong, and tickled the back of the nose with a sharp unnameable scent. Several were fruity, but they seemed damped leaves rather than a syrupy paste as Kazahan had described earlier. The fluid came in a pressurized canister that would fill up a reservoir in the shaft of a metallic device that looked like a stim. But what piqued Kazahan's interest was the keeper's mention of religious ceremonies, which brought to mind the stories and tales of Trian; while not particularly religious ceremonies themselves, the paste was used during the dances for the seasons and the meeting of the Tribes, all of which called upon the gods of the tribes to favour them.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Every word that the shopkeeper spoke was as if from another language, and though she listened intently, most of what he said was gibberish to her. It all sounded official and technical, and complicated and just so. Suddenly she was very glad that Kazahan had agreed to all of this. Gods, she'd never have made it past the front gate even, if he'd not been here! Let alone deciphering what the keeper was talking of!

Most of the leaves that had been pointed out smelled somewhat fresh, and while a few seemed stale, others had a tangible smell to them that held depth and body. Especially the ones that he said belonged in a pipe. Whatever that was.

Of course, the Trianni's interest seemed to travel in a very specific direction, and Teagan mirrored her companion's thoughts as she hung on the last words that'd been spoken. Ceremonial... just like he'd spoken of about the fruit leaves on Trian...

With wide, expectant eyes, the girl looked up at Kazahan.

She wanted the special leaves...

[Kazahan]

With a quick glance at Tak, Kazahan stepped forward and motioned to the leaves the keeper had described as being used in religious ceremonies.

"I think they're called canna," the keeper said. "Not actually tried them myself, but a lot of authorities in different systems have kept their use regulated because of how strong they are."

"Kazahan will buy some," the Trianii said, humming in thought.

"They're not cheap," the keeper warned. Kazahan paid for it, and a long thin metal and wood pipe that reminded him of home, and an aromatic pipe-leaf bag whose thick earthy smell intrigued the former Ranger. The keeper hadn't been lying; Kazahan had to pay some four hundred credits for the whole.

"Well, Tak," Kazahan said as they exited. "We will smoke this on our return. Even in such company as this, the sight of one as young as you smoking is not commonplace, and word would reach the Sanctuary."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She held up the pipe-leaf bag to her nose, scenting its' contents. It was strong and rich, and reminded her of the smells back home on Schwartzweld. Intoxicating though it was, she closed the plastic seal as they made their way back out into the sunshine. The brightness was a bit of a contrast to the darker confines of the shop they'd just left, and the girl blinked her eyes a few times as they adjusted.

She handed the bag back to Kazahan.

"That's fine."

The thought of anyone back at the settlement finding out about her dalliance was worrisome, but in the moment her curiosity overrode the caution. Not to mention, just the scents from the pipe leaves was enough to send her wistfully down into happier memories of home.

Of course, those weren't going to be what they would be having, and the young Lupine peered at the other small bag that Kazahan held. The pair walked through the main gates once more, heading from the miner's camp at an admittedly leisurely pace.

"So... that stuff is like the stuff on Trian?"

[Kazahan]

Kazahan sniffed the special bag, and wrinkled his nose. The smell was potent, and cloying.

"Not at all," Kazahan answered. "These are dry and have a peculiar smell."

The leaves the keeper had given them were more like buds ripped from a plant than actual leaves. Unflowered buds, an odd green shade. He tore a piece off, and putting the bag in a pouch on his belt, proceeded to place it in the pipe.

Under Tak's curious gaze, he lit the small fire starter device that had come with the pipe, and took a drag. He left the flame on, used to smoking pipe leaves, but the smoke was quite different; it was sharp and seemed to of it's own accord slip down into his lungs. Surprised, he took a breath, and the rest of the smoke was drawn in, only to be coughed out loudly and for almost half a minute. But the effect was there, if a bit subdued. Kazahan noted how different things were starting to feel.

"Be careful," he said, his voice still effected by the feeling of his chest tightening slightly, while simultaneously warming up. He handed Tak the pipe. Noting that the leaves, though charred, didn't seem to be burning still, he readied the fire starter. "This one will light the leaves. Take in a small breath. Given how it tastes in the mouth, it is not meant to be smoked like pipe leaf; it is meant to be inhaled."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She took the pipe cautiously, inspecting every centimeter of it. She'd watched as Kazahan breathed in the smoke, and gave a concerned look up as he fell into a coughing fit. Was smoking normally like this, and you just got used to it? She couldn't recal the Cizerack - Verratoa - coughing whenever she lit up her own stims. Brow knitting in steely resolve, Teagan lifted the pipe to her lips. She pulled in a breath, though nothing seemed to happen. A questioning look was sent back up to her Trianni companion, and he leaned down to place the fire starter over the bowl with an order for her to breath in.

And the young Lupine did just that. She pulled in a long breath, feeling as the smoke coiled through her mouth and edged down her throat. In surprise she pulled the pipe away, inhaling sharply in surprise.

The sensation hit her immediately, of her lungs filling with a strange substance that permeated everything inside of her.

Then came a tiny cough. And another. Holding her breath as much as possible, Teagan only had time to blink as she let it back out, and the coughing fit that had overtaken Kazahan now descended upon her.

She'd stopped walking, and with the pipe still in hand, the girl leaned forward to place her free hand on one knee.

Another fit of coughing came over her, and she screwed her eyes shut.

[Kazahan]

"Are you well? It did not hurt you?" Kazahan asked. As far as he could tell there wasn't much very special about those leaves at all. He was just very thirsty and still coughed slightly. He placed a hand on her shoulder and blinked. When had her hair been such a vivid color?

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal's fingers tugged and tuned upon the strings of an imaginary bass guitar as the Nehantite skip-dance-stepped his way along the barely-used, dusty path toward the mining camp, the thin, black cable leading from his music pod to his earbuds clapping against his body as he moved in rythym to his music. Big, unshod footpaws scuffed and kicked at the dust and scree while his tail lashed during a particularly intense frenzy of imaginary notes hammered out on that invisible instrument, while his teeth tugged in at his bottom lip, brow creased in musical concentration. None of his "notes" managed to actually match the tune playing in his ears, but in Hal's mind, the yellow-furred mongoose was a rock god.

I am a rock god!

Freebird!His base natures cried out, but his mind would not listen.

Drum solo! Bap bap bappitybappitybappitybap bap bap bam bam bam bam!

For how long the self-exiled Jedi had been jamming out on his weekly trip to the trading stalls and shops at the mining camp, Hal couldn't remember, but it had been an enjoyable diversion thus far, and he knew his journey would result in a bag of fresh naughty magazines, some junk food, and possibly a bottle of Diet Feff, if he was lucky. Well, magazines at the bare minimum. In any case, he relished the complete dearth of traffic upon the path, as it allowed himself to imagine he wasn't stuck on a planet he never wanted to be on, in the first place, and he could pretend he was off somewhere else having adventures. But, as his song began to fade out, Hal's steps resumed their normal tread, and his pink eyes turned once more to the road ahead, and the two figures paused there in the distance.

Uh oh, company.

Psh, we can totally take them.

Totally not what I meant. What if they're Jedi? What if they're on to us? I told you we shouldn't have swiped that Alliance credit card!

Like they can prove it's us. Now, come on, or I'm gonna make you think of things I want.

Gently, Hal's finger pressed the pause button on his music pod, and shifted his earbuds ever so slightly out of his ears so that he could hear, but continued to give the impression that he found his music preferable to the chatter of others.

Sneaky. Sneaky sneaky snee-kay!

Head bobbing, and forced jaunt in his step, Hal closed in on the pair, recognizing the bigger one as that big cat dude from the sanctuary. Kablam? Kamakazi? Kama Kama Kama Kama Kama Kameleon? Kazoo? Kazahan? Kazahan! That was it! And if it wasn't, well, Hal knew he'd hear the right name at least eleven times in the course of a minute's conversation, from what he could recall. The shorter one, however, Hal was not so familiar with, but that mattered little, as more new faces seemed to show up every week. Regardless, Kazahan wasn't the sort that the Jedi would send after him for something like a stolen credit card, Hal imagined, so he continued his approach, smiling.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

It was an automatic response as she felt Kazahan's large hand on her shoulder. Another few last coughs, and Teagan slowly straightened up while taking a first deep breath.

"I... think I'm fine... ?"

She blinked up at Kazahan, staring at him; why was he looking at her like that?

"Are... are you okay?"

A hiccup, and she fell deathly still. She blinked. And then her head angled sharply to the side, ears ticking back as she strained to listen. Did the birds suddenly sound... like laughter? They certainly seemed more clear and distinct, and the constant chittering that had once been nothing but background noise suddenly came into focus with sharp clarity.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan wheezed out a laugh, instead of answering her. It was the hiccup; it had ruined his train of thought until it was gone like dust in a strong wind.

"Oh, there is someone approaching," Kazahan said, seeing a smiling creature approach them. Four thoughts tried to make themselves forefront to him at once, causing him to lose all of them. So he tried to speak them aloud fast enough to grab them before they slipped away completely.

"He looks like Raji."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

In some ways, Hal did, indeed, look like Suriyesh: he was Nehantite, he had a muzzle, paws and a tail, but there were also several striking differences. Halajiin was yellow, not brown, many inches taller than the half-pint droid specialist, had all his original parts, was a Jedi, and was male.

Heck yes, we're male! His base impulses cheered on that sentiment, even though they really hadn't been paying attention to most of the exposition.

His higher senses, however, had more important things to be concerned about. First, what was a padawan doing all the way out here with what appeared to be a young girl? And second... what was that smell? While many scents both pleasant and noxious would occasionally waft down the road from the mining camp, this was a new one, and seemed far more localized. Lips closing, Hal inhaled deeply through his nose, his extended muzzle allowing for larger nasal cavities, and sharper scent reception. Still, nothing came to him, other than it was a scent both acrid and sweet, and should not have been there. Armed with that knowledge, and a stolen credit card, Hal's smile reutrned as he approached the pair, plucking his earbuds out as he did so.

"Hey there," he said with a little wave, then pointed at Kazahan. "Kazahan, right? Think I've seen you around. What're you..."

The Nehantite's lips froze in the "U" sound's shape as his eyes went down to that pipe, "Ohhhh..."

Is that what I think it is?

Let me take a better smell. *SNFFF* Oh yes, that's it.

Pink eyes going wide, momentarily, Hal looked back up at Kazahan, his smile returning, albeit sly. "Shit, son, your master know you're smoking this?" Hal laughed. "And who's this, your supplier?" he smiled and nodded to Teagan.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Teagan stared. She didn't mean to, but she just couldn't help it! Wide blue eyes watched unabashedly as the newcomer came sauntering up.

And then her senses came back to her. Well, somewhat at least. Sidling up close to Kazahan, the girl shifted the pipe so that it was hidden behind them.

A finger from her free hand came up to press against her lips as she fixed Hal with a stern look.

"Ssshhhhhhhh... "

[Kazahan]

"Is there something wrong with smoking this?" Kazahan asked, curious, before Tak came up and shushed him with a stern look. Kazahan looked at her for a second before looking at Hal, flattening his ears, and raising a finger to his mouth.

"Ssshhhhhhh..." he shushed, fixing Hal with an identically stern look, which was promptly lost on his feline features.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

If Hal were a cartoon, he surely would have made that wood block *plink!* sound when he blinked at being shushed. Ears not nearly as mobile as Kazahans, one of his only dipped slightly, while an eyebrow raised.

"Ooookay..." he said, glancing between the two. "But, if you don't want people to know, we really ought to head into those trees, over there." Hal pointed to some growth not thirty feet off the dusty trail.

"In fact, why don't I take this, and make sure you two get there safe, okay?" Gently, Hal reached out and took the pipe and lighter, and stepped off the path toward the trees. With practiced paws, he held the bowl of the pipe in one hand, while igniting it with his other, and took a deep, deep, deep drag, holding in the smoke until he'd passed the second tree into the clump of growth.

*PUH!* the cloud of swirling vapor escaped from him with a mild cough, followed by a mellow smile as he passed pipe and lighter back to Tak. "Daaaaaag," he groaned. "That's the good shit, you guys."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She could only watch as he swiped the pipe from her. His action had caught her so completely off guard that the girl could do nothing to stop him. And then she was following after him, eyes upturned and taking everything in as he put fire to leaf, breathed in deeply, and held his breath for what seemed like a million years. It probably was, at any rate. It sure felt like time was slowing down, or maybe that was the birds changing the pitch of their chirps? They sounded deeper, and farther off now, and they echoed. Even the sounds of leaves and twigs crunching beneath their feet seemed subdued and different.

Teagan instinctively held out her hands as the pipe and fire starter were handed back, but her eyes were still stuck on Hal and the smoke that he'd blown out. It curled and coiled lazily, floating on unseen breezes that held it aloft and pushed it this way and that in slow, airy shifts. The shape changed constantly, and she found herself enraptured.

Her mouth opened in fascination, and only one word came out. One word full of wonderment and pure awe.

"Woooooooow... "

[Kazahan]

"What is your name?" Kazahan asked, keeping a careful eye on Tak. Her eyes were wide and dilated, as she watched the admittedly entrancing smoke. Gently, he took the pipe and fire starter from her. She needed some time before she took any more, he could tell. The smoke hung heavily in the air around them, the wind stifled by the closeness of the trees. He felt light, but the heady feeling was beginning to settle down.

These were religious leaves.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal eased himself down against the trunk of a tree, extending a paw to stare at his fingers as he wiggled them slowly, watching them seem to bend and warp in unnatural ways as he grinned.

"I'm Hal, but you can call me Hal," he replied, then took another look at his inadvertent compatriots. Leaning his head back against the trunk of the tree, the Nehantite's smile widened. "Duuude, it's been so long since I've had some good weed. I need another hit, bro."

His head rolling back forward, he extended his paw for the pipe again, if they'd let him have it.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

"Hal."

It rolled easily off her tongue as she tried it out, repeating it aloud and making sure to enunciate. He seemed nice enough, and he'd certainly made himself comfy. Looking back to Kazahan, Teagan scrunched up her nose as she let herself plop onto a spot of soft grass, legs out in front of her. One hand went out, her palm grazing over the blade-tips of the grass and she idly wondered what it would feel like if she took her boots off and did the same thing with her feet

[Kazahan]

Kazahan handed the pipe and lighter over.

"This one is Kazahan. And that one is Tak. May the Moons shine brightly upon our meeting."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal nearly missed the pipe on his first reach, but was able to grasp it on the second, with better luck on the lighter. "Tak and Kazahan, nice to meet you, too," he said, wriggling a bit where he sat go get more comfortable.

"You guys know how to use this stuff?" he asked, lifting the pipe. "Let an old pro show you the ropes, kids. See, you don't smoke it like it's a stim, you gotta breathe it in and hold it. Long as you can. That way the magic works. Watch."

Once again, Hal placed the pipe stem to his lips, lit the bowl, and took a long, long, deep drag, his typically narrow chest swelling out until he could take no more. Then he held his breath, the colors of the leaves beginning to change as he stared at them, the paths of little flying insects glowing in their wake while his brain began to feel like it was adrift in a glorious sea of champagne. Nearly a minute passed before his lips parted at last, and carefully blew out that sweet, curling smoke, looking a bit like a blonde, furry dragon, then passed the pipe back to Kazahan. "Gotta let it flow through you, like the Force," he said, then giggled, tail flicking between his legs.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

He'd said to pay attention, and that was exactly what she did. She watched his every move, his every action, every nuance and the way he breathed in from the pipe. One would almost say that she paid attention to him far more than she'd every paid attention to her teachers. Course, her lessons never included religious leaves. She would bet that if they did, she'd have no trouble at all paying atten-

A flutterfly!

Teagan whipped her head to her left as a it danced closer, its' red and orange wings beating against the air to keep it aloft. It zigged, then zagged, went up, then down, and the girl leaned over to get a better look at the small insect as it landed on a tiny sappling just pushing its' way out of the soil.

She turned back to Kazahan.

"Magic religious leaves," she intoned. "-that are like the Force. I wonder why no one at Sanctuary grows them, then?"

[Kazahan]

Kazahan was increasingly of the suspicion that the three of them were in some way misusing the leaves, though it didn't stop him from taking a long drag in and holding his breath while passing the pipe to Tak. These were religious leaves, and while Kazahan was polytheistic and quite open-minded about religion in general, it was something he took seriously — after all, the myriad deities on Trianii had various ceremonies and rites to be performed and wars occurred if a representative showed such a lack of respect to something held so dearly by others. And while honorable combat was one thing, wars were something entirely different.

What if they were doing something wrong in smoking it like this? Should there be song? Stories?

Oooh! A flutterfly!

"This one does not know," Kazahan said, still staring intently at the little bug as it flew along.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal saw it too, but he saw more than just the insect and its colorful wings. He could see the buffeting winds coming off of it, spinning and swirling in spirals of chaos through the still air, and the lingering smoke. He could feel the turning of the planet, the swaying of the trees, and all manner of things that he really couldn't, but thought he could while his mind was addled by smoked weed.

"Heh, they're not magic, or religious," he said, a dopey grin on his face. "Stuff's all natural. Just illegal as hell. Don't mean it ain't fun, though."

His pink eyes, partially unfocused, turned to Tak, and her interest in the insects, and then to Kazahan and his... body, while the same big smile remained wrapped around that muzzle of his.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She was ready for when the pipe was passed her way, and Teagan copied Hal's example to the very last letter. She held the fire on the leaves only a little bit so that they didn't completely burn up, and pulled in the longest breath of her entire life. And when she thought she couldn't do any more, she sucked in one last bit. The pipe was lowered, and she held her breath. She could feel the tickle again, as the smoke swirled its' way through her mouth, down her throat, and out into the rest of her body. Hal was right... it did flow through you, just like the Force!

And then she coughed, blowing out an ever expanding cloud from from between her lips. And even though Hal said they weren't, the leaves certainly felt magical.

She set the pipe down in the middle of the trio, leaned back, turned her face upwards, and closed her eyes. A giggle, and she let the rest of her body fall back to the grass.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan was as loose as a spool of rope, though his eyes never left the flutterfly, until Tak collapsed bonelessly onto her back with a giggle, and Kazahan glance over and laughed also.

"This one can feel each strand of fur on his body," he mumbled. "It is very distracting."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

About all Hal could do was chuckle. He'd smoked similar leaves, before, but never anything this strong. Either that, or he was losing his touch. Rolling his body side to side against the tree, he let his head flop over onto his shoulder to look back at Kazahan. "I could feel them for you, instead," he laughed.

Hey, brain, you up there?

...

Brain? Hello? Woah, you are totally checked out. My turn!

"I shoulda met you a long time ago, Kablam."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her whole body seemed to sink into the ground, as if she was becoming a part of it. She could feel all of the little blades of grass, and more than that she was sure that she could hear them growing. Kazahan and Hal were talking about fur, and how every single strand of it could be felt.

And in that moment, the girl opened her eyes, levering herself up to prop on her elbows. She gave an intense look to Kazahan, then on to Hal. And then back to Kazahan, and then back to Hal.

"I have a secret," she finally whispered, a rather elated yet conspiratorial look on her face.

[Kazahan]

"This one is pleased to know that such a good impression has been made," Kazahan responded, somewhat confused. His fur was really distracting. But the feel of the wind on it was nice. Kazahan huffed a laugh and looked down at Tak.

"We all have secrets," he said. "This one is not fond of his mother's mlungkha soup. But do not tell her. She will be disappointed."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

One eyebrow raised on the Nehantite. The other one wanted to, but somehow couldn't find the muscular control to do so.

"Oh?" he asked, and immediately he could see spirals of color exploding off of Tak. "You're a raaaaaaainbow!"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Another fit of giggles overtook her, and Teagan rolled back once more. It wasn't long though, before she rocked back up, this time pulling her legs in so that she rested on her knees.

And again she looked at each of her companions. No one knew except for the masters, but she just had to get it out, or she was going to burst into a cloud of tiny, glittering Teagan-confetti.

Her lips still held their grin, and she inhaled deeply before letting it back out in a long breath.

"I can change."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

A high school film-strip with narration played before Hal's mind, and he lost all context of anything that was going on, other than he very much wanted to find out if Kazahan's fur was soft and fluffy, or coarse and bristly.

The words fell out of his mouth before he even knew he was speaking. "Of course you can change. We can all change. We can do anything if we put our minds to it. We're special, each in our own way." His paws raised to give spirt-finger jazz-hands as he even enunciated the "doo-doole-dweee!" of the shooting star rainbow he remembered as as kid.

[Kazahan]

"Change?" Kazahan asked, sitting back on his haunches and looked at her curiously. "How so?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

She made a face at Hal, her tongue half-stuck out as her features scrunched up.

"Yeah I know everyone changes," she scrambled up to her feet.

"But not like me."

With one finger going up, she gave the universal and silent order for the both of them to stay put. And then came the next order.

"Close your eyes."

Each did as they were told, and Teagan made quick work of her boots, unlacing them and pulling each one off, tossing them to the side. One last look to make sure that both Kazahan's and Hal's eyes were indeed still closed, and her pants and shirt followed suite. She would've folded them, but that would've taken too long. Her socks were peeled off, and stuffed inside of one of her boots.

She stood stock still then. A deep breath, and she held it in for another moment longer.

Then came the sound. It was like a whisper, as her brow knit in concentration. Her body moved beneath her skin, and as each muscle began to shift, her bones changed as well to accommodate her transformation. She gasped, feeling as her shoulders popped from their sockets, and the girl fell forward to all fours, hands... paws? going out to catch her. Grey fur sprouted up the length of her arms and legs to travel over the entirety of her body. She arched her back as joints thwocked back into place, and a very different face lifted up to look at the sky.

Pointed ears twitched a few times, and in the immediate after-effects of her change, the lanky vornskr - not quite a pup yet also not fully grown - gave herself a full body shake. Beginning in the tip of her nose, it ended at the tip of her long, whip-like, bony, barb-tipped tail.

She let out a huffed breath, plopped down to sit on her haunches, and cast tawny eyes at her two friends. Both still had their eyes closed.

She barked.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan's eyes opened and widened.

"Tak?" he asked, his tail lashing the air excitedly. The vornskr barked and yipped. Kazahan slowly wrapped his arms around her. "This is possibly the cutest and most amazing thing Kazahan has ever seen."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal's reaction differed from Kazahan's by a great many orders of magnitude. Pink eyes wide, he stared at the beast, body frozen in place. Alarm bells, sirens, kazoos and numerous other klaxons sounded inside his head as everything about the situation told him that it was wrong. There was supposed to be a girl, there. A normal, young, most likely human girl, but instead there was a... dog.... monster... thing...

Tail dead still, he could only continue to stare, even forgetting to breathe until he ran out of oxygen, so that came with an emergency gulp before his eyes finally came unfixed, and found themselves able to rotate once more.

Kazahan.

Dog-monster.

Kazahan.

Dog-monster.

Kazahan.

Dog-monster.

No matter how many times his eyes darted from one to the other, there was still no Tak.

Duuuuuude. This is the really good shit, man! I wonder what he turns into when we take another hit?

When words at last came out, they tumbled out without thinking. "Are you a dog?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Kazahan's arms around her were warm, and she turned a happy 'smile' towards him before stepping in to give one of his ears a snurrfle.

Hal's voice caught her attention, and the vornskr pulled away from the Trianii only a half-step, mindful of his arms and the hold he had on her. It was comfortable!

Her 'smile' was given to Hal, and a string of unintelligible gibberish sounded from her throat like a warbling rumble, punctuated with bright eyes and a shaggy shake of her head.

[Kazahan]

"This one always wanted a puppy," Kazahan said happily, before sitting back and looking at Tak and then Hal, and then noticed Tak's clothing laying in a neat pile nearby. "But Kazahan understands why you don't change more often if clothing will get lost. It would be awkward to try and clothe yourself like this and change back into them."

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Setbacks.

There were always a few and they always multiplied if they weren't quashed.

That's what had Major Untaaura Verratoa bumping along a rural trail as the hover lorry loped a leisurely cruise from the Jaanni'saari base to the mines. The mine foreman had been waffling on his ore commitment for the last week. At the rate of his lollygagging, Verratoa figured she'd have to kill her site's smelters within four days. If that happened, the build queue on her slate of projects would start to die on the vine. The foreman would hear all of those grim possibilities in an even less kind fashion if she didn't get a truly forthright answer from him today.

The Major sat in the passenger's seat, half-leaning against the rolled-down window as the displaced air buffeted against her face and duty cap. It was a hot day, and the bit of relief offered by the wind was a comfort. Untaaura fished a pack of cigarettes from her breast pocket by habit, queuing one up for use when a strange smell caught her nose. A familiar smell.

"Saau'ta hei!"

Dutifully, her driver applied the air brake, stopping the lorry midway through a turn in the rode. Untaaura's eyes peered behind her sunblockers, ears cocked forward to pick up a hint of what her nose might have winded. She remained where she was, cautious and still.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal's eyes misted halfway between their normal pink and his excited red, and he stared unwaveringly at Tak. "Duuuuuuude," he said, his smile lopsided. "That is like, magical."

He should have heard the hover lorry, but instead it seemed a million miles away, and instead of being concerned, Hal simply took another long drag from the pipe, then leaned forward to slowly blow the smoke into the strange dog-thing's face so it, too, could take another hit.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her bony tail shifted lazily back and forth as she leaned forward into the thick cloud of smoke Hal had blown out, her mouth open as she pulled in a lungful. Of course she couldn't quite help herself, and the vornskr happily smacked her jaws open and closed as if to bite each wispy tendril of smoke. Her teeth clicked with each bite, and the Lupine let out another string of bubbly gibberish.

And though she too had heard the lorry, she was much more concerned with munching on the 'air'.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan was feeling thirsty. Very thirsty.

So when he'd heard the lorry on its way down the road, Kazahan stood and walked out to see if they had anything to drink they would spare.

"Oh! It is the Cizerack!" Kazahan said, even though there was no one around to talk to. He shouted, "Hello! This one is curious if you have anything to drink?"

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaaura hadd already put her cigarette back into it's pack, and the pack back into her jacket pocket when the dread hirsute lummox known as Kazahan came bounding towards her from the woods. Her back stiffened as if a durasteel rod had been thrust down the back of her neck. The Major opened her mouth to say something cruel, closed it just as promptly, and began to take a hurried series of steps around the Trianii to simply avoid him without conversation.

[Kazahan]

"No? Nothing to drink?" Kazahan asked, disappointed, following the small Cizerack closely. He let his tongue loll out and smacked his lips. "Thith one ith tho thirthty."

[Untaaura Verratoa]

He was following her. Traanjirra take her, this was a nightmare. Untaaura spun on a bootheel, hissing.

"Sa'aa tai keeita jyou arre jinssufferable!"

The Major snatched the sun-blockers off her face, angry blue eyes flashing as she deftly folded the shades up and used them to prod the huge felinoid in his...stomach.

"jI wouldn't even sslake jyourr thjirrsst wjith urrjine!"

Verratoa paused in the midst of her rebuke, ears quirking as she sniffed. She sniffed again, making a face at the acrid aroma that rolled off the Trianii like burned fur.

"Kazahan..."

She was risking calling the abyss by even entertaining this conversation.

"...what jiss that ssmell all overr jyou?"

[Kazahan]

"This one smells?" Kazahan asked, and lifted an arm and sniffed. But the smoke smell overrode his senses, and he couldn't smell anything else. "Kazahan doesn't smell anything but the scent of the smoking leaf Kazahan has been indulging in."

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaaura's eyes nearly watered at the stink of it. She gave Kazahan a brusque shove away.

"Drrugss."

She shouldn't be surprised. Some of this brain damage had to have been induced. If only this was Carshoulis, where she could pummel him and arrest him. Instead, he was as Serena Laran had indicated with no subtlety - untouchable.

Untaaura winded the air again, turning her eyes towards the woods. But there was that other smell, too. She looked back at the Trianii suspiciously.

"Kazahan, do not mjisstake what jI am about to assk asss an jinvjitatjion forr morre of jyourr rrjidjiculoussnesss, but do jyou have a pet? A dog?"

[Kazahan]

"Drugs? Is that what they are called. Such an odd term. Drugs. Druuugs. Droogs. Hmm?"

Kazahan blinked, caught off his train of thought.

"Oh! No, sadly. Kazahan has just learned that his friend can turn into a dog though! It is most exciting!"

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaaura's mouth was hanging open as she gave Kazahan a half-lidded stare. A bead of sweat suddenly formed on her forehead, and began a lazy cascade down. Suddenly aware of her ridiculous state, the Major blinked hard, her mouth snapping shut with an audible click of teeth.

"Oh. Of courrsse jyou do."

Her tail twitched. And yet her nose didn't deceive her.

"jI am terrrjifjied to assk."

[Kazahan]

"Here! Come see!" Kazahan said, pushing back through the bushes to the little area where Tak and Hal sat.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Kazahan parted the boughs ahead of her, and the moment he did, Untaaura had forgotten every ridiculous word he'd said previously. It was her.

"Kuurramaai!"

Untaaura rushed forward to greet her unlikely companion, her tail buoyed by the sudden good turn of events.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her head snapped around, and for the briefest of moments the vornskr's tail fell still. Still partially enveloped in a cloud of green smoke, Teagan parted her lips to offer a sudden toothy grin. She rose to stand, and trotting towards the Major, gave a happy bark. Rearing up, her front paws went out to embrace Verratoa in a bizarre hug as her nose went to snurrfle at the underside of the Cizerack's jaw.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal looked up at the newcomer, yet another Cizerack, and this one he didn't know. They were all about the same, to him, anyhow, so he let his head lean back aganst the tree, pipe held lazily in his paw on the ground beside him, and heremained silent until at last he exhaled a long, thin stream of curling smoke.

"Is that your dog-monster?" Hal then asked, his brain not yet having made the connection that the dog-monster and Tak were one and the same.

[Kazahan]

"That is Tak," Kazahan laughed. "She is no monster, Hal."

He tried imagining Tak as a monster. She grew big imaginary horns, and her eyes became wild and glowing, her fur grew mangy, and he didn't have to imagine the slavering jaws; there was enough drool there at the moment that Kazahan immediately switched mental tracks to imagine her drooling like that as a human.

He couldn't help it. He started laughing, and couldn't stop as the two mental images stood side by side.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

The Major glanced back at Kazahan, who'd unlocked a piece of the puzzle for her. Tak.

Untaaura looked down at the creature who certainly remembered her if she could guess from her behavior. Her ear flicked at the approach of a cold wet nose, and Untaaura couldn't help but run her hand down her soft sleek fur.

"Tak."

She tried to fit the name to the creature. Maybe it was a better fit. Kuurramaai simply had too much history.

"Tak."

She paused mid-petting and gave a sniff. Jerking back suddenly, she looked at Kazahan and Hal in bewilderment. The same stink was thick on her.

"What have jyou been dojing?!"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal's pink eyes were partially lidded, a lazy, nearly sleeping smile wrapped about his muzzle. "We've been savoring nature, maaaan," he answered.

"Your turn, Kablam," the Nehantite then extended the pipe and lighter back to Kazahan without a care in the world.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

The vornskr gave only a happy, toothy 'smile' as she paced around the major a few times. She trotted back over to Hal, watching as he handed the pipe back over to Kazahan. Lowering herself to sit, she gave a lick to her lips, and in that moment her stomach let out a rather audible growl. As if surprised that she had been the one responsible for the low rumble, Teagan craned her neck up, blinked, and gave a hurff.

She was hungry.

[Kazahan]

"This one is Kazahan," the Trianii laughed. "Not Khabhlam."

His accent was becoming thicker as the leaf's effects worked through him. He accepted the lighter and pipe and took another drag, though again he was worried they were somehow misusing or messing up its use. What if the lack of ceremony would invite bad luck or give offense to the god or gods this was meant to be for? He exhaled and coughed.

"Such a difficult word for this one," Kazahan said. "Khablamng."

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaaura slapped the pipe from Kazahan's hand and it sailed into the air.

"jYou jidjiotss! Don't jyou even carre that jyou've..."

The Major glanced back in time to see the vornskyr rolling on her back back-and-forth repeatedly, lolling her tongue out of her mouth as she ran on air. Dumbfounded, the Cizerack gawked.

"...gotten the dog...HjIGH!?"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"NOOOOOooooooooo-oooo!" Hal's voice came out in slow motion as he watched the blessed pipe and its ignition source take flight, spinning haphazardly into the air.

Unable to lift himself from his position on the forest floor, he shot his paws out as if to catch them, despite having nowhere near the reach to do so, panic in his bleary pink eyes.

And, as if by magic, both pipe and lighter slowly began to defy gravity on their descent, until at last both hung still in the air, bobbing only slightly. "Thaaaaaaat's beeetterrrrrr..." Hal spoke, still in deep, slow motion, before summoning the pair to himself through the Force. Once in his grasp he smiled, stroking the stem of the pipe as if it were a kitten, then glared up at Untaaura. "Duuuude, she got herself high, man. Don't be a buzzkill. You want a toke?"

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Rolling to her side then, the vornskr let out a sudden sneeze, and a moment later gave a rumbled bark as if in agreement with Hal.

Her hunger situation wasn't exactly going away though, and as if on cue her stomach let out another growl. Maybe she could find herself a scurrier?

[Kazahan]

In a completely drug induced moment of clarity, Kazahan could feel Tak's hunger, compounded with his thirst, and Hal's easy relaxation. And his awareness continued to spread, until...

"Tak! There is a stream nearby, with fish and nice, cool, clear, eminently drinkable water. This one is so thirsty. If you come, Kazahan will catch you some fish if you like."

[Untaaura Verratoa]

"What?!"

The Major gawked dumbfounded at Hal's invitation, her ears drooping low before immediately flipping backwards.

"No!"

Horrified, Untaaura took a step back. This had to be some sort of creepy Jedi cult ritual. Of course there are drugs, there always *are* with mystics! Did Master Laran approve of this?

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal shrugged with a musical, "Hmmph," of acceptance. Some didn't care for a good smoke, and he wasn't going to force it on them. All the more for himself!

"Water what?" Hal then murmured, ears perking as he'd lost track of the conversation. "Oh, water, right," a lazy smile worked back up his face. With all the grace of a drunken hobo, the Nehantite staggered to his feet, then leaned forward a precariously long way before balancing himself out with his tail. Tempted to light up another drag, he resisted, instead looking Untaaura up and down, giving a sly smile and reaching a playful paw out to squeeze her backside before launching off to follow the others toward the stream.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her lips parted in an eager smile at Kazahan's suggestion, her tongue lolling out as she sprang up to stand. The sudden movement made the world around her a bit stuttery, but she felt so in tune with everything that the feeling was more embraced than worried over. She let out a happy bark, her tail going back and forth in large, sweeping movements before coming to rest once more. Trotting alongside Kazahan, the vornskr darted ahead as the stream came into view, and she splashed into the cool waters like a rancor running amok in an Ithorian crystal shop.

[Kazahan]

Kazahan walked with Tak to the stream and laughed when she barrelled into the water, and in the process scaring away fish he might have been able to catch. The first thing he did was wade into the stream and bury his face in the water with his mouth wide open. He came up not even a second later coughing and spitting, but the cool feeling and the absence of feeling like he'd stuffed his mouth with cotton more than made up for it.

"Come in!" he called to Hal and Untaaura. "The water is splendid!"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal shook his head, content merely to come up to the stream's edge and find a seat on a rock, letting his footpaws soak in the cool water. "Didn't bring my swim trunks, dude," he answers, a laugh carrying throughout his voice.

Gently, he tipped the pipe back up to his lips, lit the bowl and took a deep, long drag, the world around him spinning in a glittering rainbow of sunshine and floating underpants.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaaura jolted as if she'd been hit with a live wire the moment Hal's uninvited paw caressed her derriere. Eyes wild and teeth bared, she somehow resisted the urge to feed the rutting boar his own spleen.

Remember what Master Laran said. Remember what Master Laran said.

The mantra poured like icewater across her red hot rage until the Major swore she could feel steam coming out of her ears. Slapping the hand away in a fury, Untaaura stormed off and away from the drug-addled cultists until her better senses prevailed. When they did, she slowed down, counted to ten, and pulled out her communicator.

"Massterr Vjymess. Pjick up.


Pjick up!"

[Zem Vymes]

Torn from his readings in his temporary lodging in the dormitory, Master Vymes glanced warily at the comm device on his desk. A familiar voice was shouting through it with enough force to make the communicator physically rattle against the desk's surface.

Resisting the urge to wince, Zem carefully picked up the comm, holding it a respectable distance from his ears. He didn't even have to ask who was on the other line.

"Yes, Major Verratoa. Is there something I can help you with?"

[Untaaura Verratoa]

A manic look on the usually-stony face of Major Verratoa was a sign that she was having a controlled freak out.

"Arre therre anjy...sspecjial Jedji rrjitualss that jI sshould know about?"

[Zem Vymes]

Special Jedi rituals?

Zem's face drew somewhat longish as he side-eyed the commlink in his hand.

"Major, I'm sure there is a reason you're asking me this."

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Verratoa peeled off her duty cap, slapping it against her forehead in exasperation.

"The Jedji Hal and the Jedji Kazahan arre out between the camp and the mjiness. Thejy arre ssmokjing drrugss and talkjing madnesss!"

With a briefly horrified look back, Verratoa spoke low her next words.

"jI thjink thejy'rre prreparrjing ssome kjind of...rrjitual anjimal ssacrrjifjice...wjith a dog!"

[Zem Vymes]

...

"What."

[Untaaura Verratoa]

Untaaura was pacing back and forth, her tail snapping frantically as she talked.

"Massterr Larran wass clearr that jI wass not to jinterrferre wjith Jedji affajirrss. jI am a woman of mjy worrd, but thjiss...thjiss jiss ssjick! jIss thjiss what Jedji do forr trrajinjing?!"

[Zem Vymes]

"Uh..."

Bewilderment etched across Zem's face. This had to be the oddest thing he'd dealt with in a month. Two months.

"...Major, send me your coordinates. Just...stay calm and stay put."

Thinking the situation over, he added.

"Don't shoot anyone until I arrive."

Before the frazzled felinoid could interject with any more manic eyewitness accounts, Zem killed the line. He sat still for a moment, comm in his hands. At last, he keyed a new frequency in.

"Solomon. This is Zem."

The Jedi Master took a big sigh.

"Are you sitting down?"

[Rev Solomon]

Solomon and Zem Vymes hurried through the woods at a pace that could only properly be explained by the Force, Jedi robe and nerfide coat trailing behind them as they ran. Major Verratoa's report hadn't been much to go on, but it was plenty enough to cause alarm, and though Solomon's head swirled with questions, he knew Zem couldn't answer any of them. There was nothing for it but to haul ass and assess the situation when they got there.

They smelled the scene long before they saw it. A heavy, cloying, sickly odor pooled around a modest grove, still hazy with a few wisps of curling blue smoke. Solomon slowed only slightly before he spotted the Cizerack jogging to meet them with an uncharacteristically helpless look on her chiseled face.

"Where?" Solomon asked, and she pointed. The two Jedi soldiered on toward the sounds of splashing, laughter, and a chorus of high-strung yipping.

The preacher ground to a halt on the streambank, chest heaving, and absorbed as much of the bizarre scene laid out before him as his mind could take. Even after the brisk run, his voice was steady and clear.

"What in blazes is going on here?!"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

By lifting his footpaws in and out of the water, Halajiin Rabeak found he had the ability to control time on other worlds, and he stared off at the distance as he watched a trailer park being built quickly, then slowly, then quickly, then slowly, all while angelic hosts of underpants circled about his head, singing their glorious songs.

Tak glowed with white light so intense Hal couldn't look at her, while all Hal could see when he looked at Kazahan was a muscled, shirtless hunk of man.

By the time Solomon arrived, the Nehantite was more baked than a tray of muffins, and grinning like an idiot under half-lidded eyes. The shouting forced his ears back, and he raised a peaceful paw of protest.

"Woah, dude, chill. Feel the Force, man, this place is alive with it. A-liiiiiive."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Diving headfirst into the water, Teagan felt the current tug gently against her, and though it took little effort to resist its' pull, she let herself be carried through the cooling eddies. It was wonderful, and she blew out a stream of bubbles before coming back up to the surface. Paws finding purchase on a smooth river rock, the vornskr carefully made her way to the stream's edge. Her grey pelt dripped, and the waterlogged Lupine gave another sneeze before finding herself in a rather unexpected shadow.

Tawny eyes lifted upward.

She blinked furiously, as if such an action would make the looming figures of Master Vymes and Master Solomon disappear. It most assuredly did not work.

And as if in slow motion, the vornskr lowered herself to sit, ears switched back and just a little bit down as her bony tail grew deathly still.

[Zem Vymes]

If ever there was a guilty look.

Zem looked down at Tak as she sat and went unnaturally still. The vornskr's head angled down low, occasionally stealing glances up at him and then forlornly turning her eyes back to the ground. A keening whimper could barely be detected as it skirted human auditory range.

"Did you do this?"

Eyes flicked up again, and back down. A whimper.

[Kazahan]

"Tak! Tak, look!" Kazahan shouted, wrangling a small fish in his claws. "This one has caught a fish for you! Ah, ah, eentch!"

The fish had wriggled out of his hands, and in the process of trying to catch it again, the towering Trianii fell backwards into the water with a splash. He stood again, shaking his head wildly to get the water out of his nose, and turned to face Tak, only to see her cowering before Masters Zem and Solomon.

"Ah, Master Solomon!" the big cat said, sloshing his way to the bank. Still dripping wet, Kazahan shook himself out, and bowed clumsily. "What are you doing here?"

[Rev Solomon]

As if the outlook couldn't get any more bizarre, now Zem was shaming his adopted daughter-slash-padawan as if she'd mauled a pair of slippers. How did discipline work with an unruly Lupine? Did you ground her, or reach for a rolled-up newspaper? For the present, Solomon was glad that it wasn't his problem. The great sopping felinoid rising out of the water, however, was.

"Kazahan," Solomon replied. The symptoms were somewhat harder to read on the Trianii's face than the Nehantite's, for some strange quirk of biology, but the blown pupils and the uncharacteristic sway in his usually sure-footed gait gave him away as plain as the suns in the sky. The preacher sighed deeply.

"We were told you're performing a ritual of some kind. Would you care to explain?"

[Kazahan]

"So there was a ritual?" Kazahan asked, his brow furrowing. "This one knew it! Which god did we offend? What oblations should we have given? We were told the leaf was used in religious ceremonies, but we performed no ritual; we merely smoked it. The whole time Kazahan was thinking, 'It will be bad if this is meant to be done in a certain manner and we are ignoring the proper ritual simply to experience its effects,' but no one knew what ritual was to be done. At least, this one thinks so; things are somewhat muddled in this one's memory right now."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal followed the flights of invisible things with his whole face, not turning his eyes as they slowly fluttered about his head. "No ritual, dude, I told you. It's just some leaf. No harm done, man. Just having a good time. Then Tak turned into a dog-monster, but she seems cool with it."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Her hunched form seemed to ooze further down, as if gravity's pull was just too strong to resist, and Teagan felt herself literally melt into the soft, whispy blades of grass. It felt so wonderful, and despite the carefree haze that still surrounded her, she couldn't ignore Zem completely.

With her belly on the ground, she inched forward, neck craning out to furrow through each blade of green freshness until her nose came to rest at the toe of his boot. It smelled of aged leather and earth, and the addition of each new scent only fired her senses more. A slight roll to flop to her side, and she drew in her front legs as her back end pushed, sending her body sideways between his legs.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

"Thejy werre ssmokjing drrugss ljike abssent mjinded lunatjics!"

Untaaura hung back behind the Jedi Masters, more than happy to let them clean up this awful mess.

"Then thejy made thjiss dog ssmoke drrugss too. Who doess that? jIss thjiss norrmal for Jedji?"

[Zem Vymes]

Teagan was (he guessed) trying to get a commuted sentence by playing the cute defense. Fortunately, Old Zem was a grizzled hand at this game. He stonewalled her with a narrow-eyed expression.

He wasn't about to say what was really on his mind to her now. That would wait for another time fast approaching. Teagan probably knew that as well, which was why she was in no hurry to get back to a state of being that could speak.

Instead, Zem glanced at Hal in a pointed manner.

"You're the senior Jedi here, Hal. I expect the occasional slip from a Padawan from time to time, but I hold you to a higher regard. I need you in a frame of mind where we can discuss these events here and exactly what transpired."

It was an attempt to compel the Nehantite's better nature to take control.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal rolled his slightly reddened eyes. "What, man? It's not like we're hurting anyone. Besides, they started it," he replied, then crushed out any embers that remain in the bowl of the pipe with his thumb.

[Rev Solomon]

Solomon wished he could dismiss Hal's protest as nothing more than a petulant, childish plea to escape his own responsibilities. But he knew something of Trianii religious practices, enough to form a working theory of what was going on here, especially given his own padawan's rambling about ritual propriety.

"Kazahan, where did you get this... substance?"

[Kazahan]

"Hmm? Oh, the mining camp," Kazahan said. "Why are you all acting so curiously? Did we do something wrong?"

He glanced down at Tak.

"Perhaps we should get Tak's clothing so she can change back. It must be uncomfortable sitting around in wet fur like that."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Barely making it through his legs, Teagan took a moment to lose herself in the earthy scent of Master Vymes' boots, her nose pushing again the leather heel as if the smell of it was the most amazing thing in the whole galaxy. And in this moment, it was. It had been oiled recently, but the raw scent of leather was still very powerful, and another moment later she gave the creased surface a small, tentative nibble. Then another. It was a strange taste, and the young Lupine pulled away as she tried to register what her tongue was telling her. It was a quandary, and as she vaguely heard Kazahan speaking of her clothes, she slowly lumbered up to stand.

Wobbling only a little bit, the waterlogged vornskr moved to stand between the two Jedi masters.

She looked slowly from Kazahan to Hal, blinking slowly.

And then her shoulders rolled, her neck following the motion as her body did the same. What came next was a violent full body convulsion, from her nose to the tip of her bony tail, sending water drops everywhere in her attempt to shake herself dry.

[Untaaura Verratoa]

"Perhaps we should get Tak's clothing so she can change back. It must be uncomfortable sitting around in wet fur like that."

This was the peak of lunacy. Untaaura grit her teeth together in exasperation at Kazahan's prattle. He spoke idiot perfectly fine enough when lucid, but under the effects of his religious leaf, he had sailed past event horizon.

"Kazahan would jyou pleasse rrub both of jyourr brrajin cellss togetherr and sspeak ssensse forr once!"

Now he was concocting an entire worldscape around his hallucinated fantasy of a girl turning into a dog.

[Rev Solomon]

The major's protests were increasing in both volume and pitch, neither of which was helping the state of Solomon's mood.

"Major," he said, and he paused as he realized he wasn't going to risk embarrassing himself with her name, "perhaps you could return to your duties. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I'll assure you, we'll get to the bottom of this. And we'll discipline the responsible parties appropriately."

This last was said with his eyes firmly on Kazahan's and his face set like a granite wall.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

With a noisy yawn and stretch, Hal stood up, smacked his lips, then passed the pipe and lighter back to Kazahan.

"Well, was fun while it lasted," he announced, then stepped back from the stream. "I still gotta get some stuff from the camp. See y'all later, dudes."

And with that, Halajiin Rabeak turned and waved, heading back toward the path, ignoring the way the trees twisted and warped, and how one of them belched.

[Kazahan]

"Did you not notice the folded clothing next to Tak where we were sitting?" Kazahan asked curiously, making for the little copse of trees where they had been sitting earlier. "They certainly wouldn't fit this one. Nor Hal."

[Zem Vymes]

Two saplings bent over on themselves, swallowing up Hal's exit as Zem raised a weary hand in their direction.

"Not so fast, Mr. Rabeak."

He wasn't just going to duck out of this one. At the very least, he was going to make sure a lucid Nehantite left his company, so as to not terrorize the village so completely.

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"Woah," Hal said, his face turning up in a stupid grin. Paws reached forward, the living Force bristling at his fingertips, and it was clear that he meant to part the trees once more. Instead, he saw something on one of his claws - a tiny insect, and Hal brought it up close to his face, mesmerized by the tiny, crawling wingy thing, forgetting the others entirely as he peeked into a miniature world.

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Now a little bit less dry, Teagan blinked, her eyes fixing to the stream. Her head angled slightly as her ears swiveled forward. Suddenly, in a burst of movement, she darted ahead towards the small riverway once more. A happy, rumbling growl settled in her throat as she yet again dove into the shallow water, her head going beneath the surface for a brief moment before coming back up, a fat silverfin fish clamped between her jaws.

[Zem Vymes]

No sooner had Teagan cascaded water around in her initial drying then she was back in the water again before Zem could protest. This time, she came up with a mouthful of fish, which caused the Jedi Master to facepalm. Munchies, of course.

He glanced back to where the Major had been. Fortunately, Solomon had succeeded in talking the outraged officer down, and she'd reluctantly returned to her lorry. Zem's attention returned to his stoned, transmogrified daughter-in-law.

"Do you really want to eat that? You're gonna make yourself sick, you know."