Travel Companions

[Lynmeira Verashy]

Lynmeira’s memories of Antari IV were distant but she had recalled it was a pit stop as good as many others, and she knew someone there, a humanoid called Kirena. Kirena had sheltered her and Tullya back in the day. It seemed proper for the Jedi to travel there on her way to Ossus, as her new Padawan and her were headed there to find out about the renascent Order.

For sure, the remote planet had a colder weather than the tropical atmosphere of Rishii. The tall Hapan (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4f/57/eb/4f57eb97163a2e3bcbbf846e724fed38--outlander-claire-outlander-season-.jpg) was grateful that she had carefully kept the few belongings her late Master and herself had gathered prior to their move to Rishii. She had even been able to lend some extra clothing to Suri, for she had no wish for her new companion to die freezing.

The place wasn’t urban at all, and the tall brunette didn’t mind it. She had grown up in the Consortium and could fend for herself in towns where outlaws prospered among the rest of the locals, but she preferred the quietness of the wild and smaller villages.

One of the downsides so to speak was that they had to trek their way to the village where Lynmeira was hoping to find Kirena for supplies, for there was no nearby appropriate spot for landing her ship. The old battered freighter still worked wonders but certainly didn’t incite anyone to think much of it, which was no bother to the Knight. She favored practical and quality over appearance.

“How would you feel about staying here for a few days before heading to our destination?” she inquired, for she might have a plan in mind, besides visiting her old acquaintance.

[Suri Jaxx]

What a whirlwind of a few days it had been for Suri (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/67/68/8b/67688b5e70ec069a8629c0533cd68ff7.jpg). Having lived most of her childhood on Rishii, the blind Padawan of Lynmeira had left the relative safety of what she knew to embrace the unknown and further her knowledge and abilities she possessed. Despite her obvious blindness, Suri had inherited her Miralukan mother's ability to see in the Force, which allowed her to see the world around her in a slightly different manner. She saw the life energies of plants, animals and people and, as she was quickly finding out, she could also see the electrical energies generated by the buildings and vehicles. This realization was exciting for the girl as she had initially thought that she would need to rely on staying close to her Master to ensure her own safety. Being on an unfamiliar planet, however, made sure Suri kept close to Lynmeira anyway. Their Master/Student bond was still very new and the last thing the girl wanted was to lose her in an unfamiliar place.

What caught Suri off guard once she'd stepped off their ship, however, was just how cold Antari IV was! Having adapted to Rishii's tropical climate, the girl was definitely feeling the cold, despite being wrapped up in warm clothing. Hanging her staff over her shoulder, Suri used her free hands to wrap her borrowed cloak tighter against her body in an effort to retain more heat. Lynmeira had told her that they were to visit someone named Kirena for supplies, and it was a trek away from the spaceport. While she did not enjoy being cold, Suri found the thought of hiking in a new environment to be somewhat exciting.

When Lynmeira asked if Suri was okay with staying on the planet for a few days, the girl nodded to her with acceptance. "Sure! Apart from the cold, this place seems nice enough...I don't mind staying." she responded, her features showing curiosity as she wondered what her master had in mind with staying here longer. "What do you have planned?"

[Lynmeira Verashy]

Lynmeira chuckled at Suri's comment regarding the cold. "Quite different from Rishii, isn't it? It has been years since I enjoyed the cold." She smiled pensively. She liked a more median type of climate, but in the end, she hadn't been blessed with actual seasons in so long that experiencing cold weather again was a treat in a way.

The Hapan was exhilarated and nevertheless somewhat apprehensive to be traveling again. She had been itching to leave Rishii for a while, but when time came to do as such, it had been bittersweet. She trusted the Force and that her decision to seek the new Order with her padawan was the right thing to do. It didn't mean it wasn't a challenge. She also had no real idea of how to teach someone. Or rather, she knew how to teach certain things but the ways of the Force was something she hadn't expected to train anyone in.

She was grateful for how her bond with Suri was forming though, so it was a good thing.

"Besides meeting with Kinara, I thought that using how remote this place is for some first training might be a good idea. We can always do that aboard the ship, but the outdoors or at least being on planet is somewhat more appropriate."

[Suri Jaxx]

Wrapping her cloak tighter as a gust of cold wind grazed across her body, the Miralukan/Hapan Padawan had never really experienced a cold season before. Her earliest memories were with Serah and her parents on a ship and the rest were on Rishii where it never gets cold so this was a new and uncomfortable experience. "I've never really felt this cold before..." she admitted. "Life has mostly either been on a climate controlled vessel or Rishii. Its not the most comfortable, but you don't learn to deal with things such as the cold if you don't experience it first..."

Attempting to distract herself from the cold, Suri decided to try enhancing her sight through the Force. Since her own eyes were blind from birth, the girl had to rely on her other senses. Touch, smell, hearing. They all developed to compensate for the loss of sight until a few years ago when the Force began to step in and help her get a picture of the world around her. Her other senses then began to add to the 'picture' the Force provided and while it wasn't perfect, she was getting better detail the more she focused her energies to it. In the past, she was content on enhancing her sight in the Force enough to function and to defend herself, but now she considered it a priority to make it better for reasons that were beyond her own self preservation and the defence of the Rishii. Others, even Lynmeira would one day rely on her to defend them from dangers ahead.

Her keen senses soon picked up on something. A noise of an animal that she'd never heard before and instinctually held a hand to her staff while she honed in on its location. When her ears seemed it was coming from above, Suri looked upwards, the Force granting her a look at a creature that reminded her of a flying Manta Ray. Pulling her hand away from her staff, Suri canted her head slightly and smiled. "Heh...I thought those creatures died out with Alderaan..." she mused. "Its nice to know that someone bred them off world." Suri watched as the creature flew away before looking over at Lynmeira. "Dad used to tell me and Serah stories of the places he'd been to. I barely remember them now, but he mentioned that he'd once been to Alderaan as a boy. He told us about these creatures called Thrantas. He believed they had all died with Alderaan though when the Empire destroyed the planet." The Miralukan hybrid looked up again as more Thrantas appeared while they walked. "Its nice knowing that belief wasn't entirely true. They are majestic creatures..."

[Lynmeira Verashy]

"I also grew up in climate controlled environments, until I traveled a lot with my former Master. I loved Rishii and it was difficult to leave the place, but I admit I missed the cold," Lynmeira admitted with a soft chuckle. There was something about the cold that made her feel more alive than any other climate. It was difficult to describe, but it was a truth she had almost forgotten in the past years. She also appreciated the solitude of the place as they were making their way towards Kinara's location. It reminded her of how easy it was to find pockets of quiet on Rishii. She valued such things. She was not a total hermit, but she had never had much liking for crowded places. She definitely was a bizarre Hapan by many standards, but cared little to fit in neat boxes at this point of her life anyway. She wouldn't be there if it had been the case.

When Suri looked at the creature, Lynmeira smiled. "Kinara told me that they have been more numerous over the last decade. It seems they enjoy the cold. And there are few hunters to take them down. Kinara took a couple down last year. It seems they got the memo." Kinara had worked with the Jedi for a long time and was one hot head, which was likely why Tullya had loved her so much.

"Destruction is a path many choose, but rebirth can remain an option, at least for nature and civilization at large. We're all here on borrowed time and can as well do the best we can." She wasn't exactly sure where she was going with that, but rambling aloud had been something she had done a lot since living on her own. She was too young to turn into the crazy old hermit, but at the same time, if she couldn't speak freely with Suri, then it would be problematic.

[Suri Jaxx]

Suri listened intently as her Master spoke about the numbers of Thrantas being culled because they were thriving so well. For the young Padawan, such an action was a sad outcome. No lifeform deserved destruction simply because they were adapting and thriving in new environments. She understood that sometimes, it was necessary if they were causing damage to the environment and native wildlife, but it was still a shame to hunt them for doing what came naturally. Sighing sadly in response, Suri looked up and watched the Thranta a moment before turning to Lynmeira as she continued to speak about how people often followed a destructive path. It seemed like a ramble of sorts and made the girl smirk slightly. It was something Suri often did, especially as she often patrolled alone or talked to animals. It was kind of refreshing to know that she wasn't the only one who did such things as she thought it was something done out of loneliness. Still, her words did get absorbed by the Padawan.

"Its sad that its true." Suri said as they walked. "I try to walk a path that involves little destruction as possible, but its not easy to. I only fight to defend myself and others with me or the village and will choose negotiation over fighting whenever possible and kill only if there is no other alternative. Its kind of why when I discovered I could talk to animals with the Force, I chose to work on that particular ability. Wildlife can only be what they are and follow their instincts to keep them alive." Suri used the Force to get to know her environment a little before looking up at the Thranta as it headed toward a populated area. Canting her head slightly to the left, she could not help but smile slightly as she briefly connected with the creature, who started turning away from its current path, onto one where there was less chance of humanoids attacking it. "They don't know that they could be putting themselves in danger, nor do they know that encroaching on certain parts of land could threaten their lives, or in the Thranta's case, threaten the lives of indigenous species. They were taken out of an environment they knew and placed in a new one, to which they have been forced to adapt to and have done better than expected."

As she looked up at the Thranta as it moved beyond the horizon, Suri reflected on Lynmeira's words about being on 'borrowed time. "Hmm... With our 'earthly bodies' yes. Yes I guess we do live on borrowed time. But..." Suri stopped to look around a moment in the Force. While it was indeed colder here than on Rishi, the blind Padawan was searching for something that would help convey her beliefs. She soon found it in the form of a caterpillar of sorts. Lowering her lithe frame and gently cupping it in her hands, Suri looked at it for a moment before rising and handing the caterpillar to her Master. "One day, this creature will transform from a caterpillar into butterfly. In order for it to do so, it must shed its current form and be created into something new before it can fly. The same can be said for all creatures when their souls leave their earthly bodies." The girl then smiled a little as she looked at her Master. "In a way, the same can be said about us. In our current form, we're caterpillars. Growing, learning, slowly evolving until one day, its time for our souls to part our earthly bodies. Our souls return to the Force to be created into something new."

[Lynmeira Verashy]

Lynmeira shook her head when Suri misunderstood her words about the Thrantas. "Kirana shot down the poachers, not the creatures. The Thrantas are flourishing, but they're far from causing any trouble before many more years even with the local fauna. The hunters are the ones that are gone for now." She avoided destruction too, but she had wounded and killed out of defense in the past. With the life she had lived, and certain dangerous areas she had been in, it was not such a surprise. The galaxy was not one peaceful heaven. She dreaded causing harm, but she was ready to do what had to be done.

"That's quite poetic," she remarked about Suri's discussion about the caterpillars and the butterflies. "I'm glad to remain a caterpillar for the moment though." She chuckled softly. In an ironic way, she had been expected to just be an appropriate butterfly to make her Hapan family proud. She got disowned long ago and was at peace with that. She had had to work and trade things to make a living at times, but she would never go back to her old life.

They reached an inn in the mountain, stationed at a fork in the road. A couple of vehicles were parked near a stable, where several mounts must be stationed, due to some ripples in the Force and also the sounds of the creatures.

"Kirana may be here or further up the hill." The tall woman shook the snow from her boots before opening the door and stepping inside. The large fireplace kept the room warm enough, and a handful of people were gathered either at a table, playing sabacc, or in front of the fire. A tall Twi'lek, all bundled up in fur, even inside, waved at them from behind the bar, one of his lekku sectioned and semi-hiding behind his head.

"Lyn! It's been forever! Welcome back!" The tall brunette pulled the hood of her cloak back and smiled. "Garen, I thought you'd have stormed off to warmer places by now!" The Twi'lek chuckled. "I guess I can't live without Kirana. Just don't tell her!" He peered at Suri. "Hello, hello, I'm Garen."

Lynmeira smiled and rested a hand on her padawan's shoulder. "Garen, this is Suri. She's traveling with me."

[Suri Jaxx]

"Oh.." Suri said, acknowledging her misunderstanding. As the two continued to talk, Suri sensed the Force change slightly around her. With quiet curiosity, the blind Padawan took a moment to look around as they walked. Buildings began to form in her Force vision and she could sense the people inside, seemingly relaxed and having a good time. Is this a taven? she thought to herself as Lynmeira told her that Kirana could be in there or further up the hill before shaking off the snow from her boots and following her Master inside. There was some tavern music playing in the background as the people inside were busy doing their own thing. Some were dancing while others were drinking or deep in conversation with one another. Just simply being here however, triggered a sense of curiosity in the blind Padawab. A Twi'lek male, however, seemed to clock the two entering the tavern and judging by the banter between himself and Lynmeira, they knew each other well. He then turned to the young Padawan and introduced himself as 'Garen'.

As Lynmeira rested a hand on the blind Padawan's shoulder, Suri looked toward Garen and bowed her head after being introduced, trying to make it appear that she was attempting to make eye contact despite her eyes missing their mark slightly. It was enough for those paying attention to notice that she was possibly blind but not too noticeable for those with busy lives. "Greetings Garen. It is good to meet you." she said graciously, a broad smile pulling on her soft, sunkissed features as she offered a hand in friendship. Slowly, the Force was giving her more detail of her surroundings, including Garen in front of her so her eyes could lock on better. His facial features along with that of the others came to her, as did the details of the area they were in, such as the chairs and the fireplace. Even the fire within the Tavern came to life within the Force sight. "Its a lovely Tavern you have here. Are you its owner, Mister Garen?" she asked. Her tones were quite formal in nature, but it was merely because she was out of her depth outside of Rishi. She was trying to exude a sense of confidence when internally, the blind Padawan wasn't feeling confident at all. Curious most certainly, but not confident in either her abilities or strange surroundings.

[Lynmeira Verashy]

Lynmeira observed the interaction between Suri and Garen. She could tell that her padawan wasn't as confident as she projected, and the scheduled nature of this inn was a good first step before possibly interacting with a larger number of people when they reached Ossus. She still wasn't sure she wanted to live in a crowded place, for living mostly as a hermit had been her way of life for a good number of years. Yet she hoped for the better when Suri and her would find the gathered Jedi. They had to check Ossus out for sure.

Garen smiled and offered a nod to the younger brunette, wondering whether she was blind, but he knew not to pry, all the more because this girl was a friend of a friend, and he respected friends' privacy. "Greetings, Suri. It is good to meet you. A friend of Lyn is a friend of ours. As for your question, I help the owner, but this place is only my home, not my property."

The Hapan smiled fondly, warming up to the place again, memories flooding her mind. "Please tell me the attic room has better heating systems now." She wasn't jesting because the last time it had been really cold and she didn't want to subject Suri to the biting cold at all times.

A booming voice came from the threshold, revealing Kirana, a tall and strong humanoid woman. "I've not missed you all these years to give you the goddamn attic, child! I don't need Tullya's ghost haunting me for years!" Lyn turned on her feet and chuckled right before Kirana enveloped her in a huge hug. "I've missed you, little one."

Lynmeira had already been in her late teens when meeting the older woman but to Kirana, anyone younger than her tended to be called "child" when she liked them. Given that she had no idea of Kirana's species or age, it might actually be appropriate.

[Suri Jaxx]

Suri smiled as Garen welcomed her, finding the welcome somewhat comforting and easing some of her nervousness within, though her blind eyes darted between Garen and her master as they spoke about the attic room being cold. Deep within, Suri hoped that, wherever they stayed wasn't too cold. Her body had acclimatised to the warmth and humidity of Rishii so found the coldness outside unpleasant. She wouldn't admit to it, considering that she knew full well that she'd have to deal with it regardless, but she really hated feeling cold. The last time she felt this cold was when a sudden Arctic blast hit the area of Rishii lived in and it was so cold that she had to light a fire inside her home. That nearly ended in disaster as a flicker of flame bounced out of the fire pit and set fire to some clothing nearby. The snow was very helpful at putting the fire out but it did cause some great fear for a while off lighting fires again.

Her thoughts of this came to a sudden, crashing halt when a booming voice startled her to the point where she instinctively put herself into a defensive stance. Momentarily blind in the Force because of the fright, she struggled to make sense of the situation and listened carefully to her surroundings. Taking a few breaths, Suri's Force Sight returned and when she realised that her Master the newcomer were friends, possibly adopted family, the Padawan moved to a more relaxed stance. Looking down, however, Suri's cheeks flushed sheepishly. The wilds of Rishi had taught her to always be on her guard and to always be ready to defend herself when threatened and the culture difference meant Suri didn't really understand banter from threat at this time. All she could really do was muster an apology for her behaviour. "Forgive me..."

[Lynmeira Verashy]

Lynmeira felt the sudden shift in the Force when Suri got defensive upon Kirana's arrival and her loud greeting. While the Knight had always had an affinity for peace and quiet, the remains of her Hapan upper class upbringing had made her comfortable enough with about any level of social interaction. Also, she had the advantage of having been at the inn before and being familiar with her longtime friend. She gently offered silent support to Suri, letting calming waves of the Force surround the teenager. She didn't want to add to Suri's embarrassment which was evident.

Kirana gave a slightly puzzled look at the younger brunette but smiled encouragingly, even though she had guessed the girl was blind or near-blind. "I'm Kirana and I'm sorry I startled you. Usual patrons here can use a little terrifying from me." She chuckled and hugged Lynmeira again. "It's good to see you."

"Kirana, this is Suri. We're traveling together now and thought we would stop here for some supplies and a few days on our way to our destination."

The tall woman stepped closer to Suri. "Welcome, Suri. Is that alright if I hug you? Anyone traveling with Lyn is like another child to me." Lynmeira appreciated that Kirana who was most often a well-meaning but overbearing woman, was making efforts not to make Suri comfortable.

[Suri Jaxx]

A small smile tugged on Suri's lips as she realised her defensiveness was unwarranted. She gave the woman, Kirana a slow nod when Lynmeira introduced her. "Forgive my sudden reaction, Kirana." she said sheepishly as her Force vision returned, allowing her blind eyes to lock on better to Kirana. "I was born blind and grew up on a world where I had to protect myself from mercenaries and predators. I can see through the Force pretty well but... sometimes if I'm startled by sudden noise I lose that ability." Suri curled her hands together into light fists and pulled them to her chest, just below her shoulders as she made a promise to herself and others. "I'm working on it though... It'll take time but I'll do it!"

When Kirana asked to hug Suri, she canted her head slightly with an expression that seemed uncertain. She remembered her mother giving her hugs long ago but other people giving her hugs outside that of the Rishii family she grew up with was something she had no real experience with. Humans and near-humans that she'd encountered in the past often attempted to take advantage of her blindness or point a blaster at her so it was little wonder that she was unsure. Looking to her Master for reassurance, Suri then stepped forward and allowed Kirana to embrace her. She was tense at first, but after a few seconds of sensing nothing but kindness from her, Suri pulled her arms up and wrapped them around Kirana's back and relaxed into the embrace. It was nice for the blind Padawan to know that there were more people out there that had kindness within their hearts. It served as a reminder that not everyone are as cruel as those who tore her family to pieces so long ago.

[Lynmeira Verashy]

Kirana smiled warmly to Suri as the teenager explained herself. "You don't owe me any apology, child. That friend of yours has been known to be quite antsy herself at times." Lynmeira shrugged slightly, knowing that she used to be easily agitated and on utter guard when younger. It had come with growing up Hapan in a world of intrigue and then being outlawed for being Force sensitive, and then traveling with her late Master when avoiding being hunted. Kirana looked at both brunettes and smiled. "I don't think either of you needs my protection but while you're here, my home is your home and if anyone annoys you, they'll be lucky to just get my foot up their butt and not worse."

Lynmeira smiled warmly when she watched Kirana and Suri embrace. She wanted to make sure that while she was learning how to be a teacher, she didn't impose on Suri. The Hapan understood boundaries and advice, so she didn't want to be overbearing towards Suri. To be honest, she wasn't even sure how well she could care for someone in a close relationship as she had only ever been with her late mentor. Even like that, it had taken years for Master and student to be very close.

"Alright, I'll show you to your quarters. They have decent heat. And we can eat together later tonight. I take it that some quiet and rest wouldn't hurt you two, right?"

[Suri Jaxx]

As Suri pulled back from the embrace, she couldn't help but pull a small smile at both Kirana and Lynmeira. It was strange... The feeling of security was not something she had felt in a very long time. Despite the sense of security, however, she couldn't let her guard completely drop. Kirana was still a stranger to her, and she'd learned never to completely trust strangers in case they had connections to the mercenaries after her. The Force told her she could trust Lynmeira fully, thanks mostly to the vision that had been with her for a number of years, but having been away from human contact for so long had meant Suri didn't have much experience with them. Perhaps this would change today? Perhaps that change should start at this very moment?

When Kirana offered her home as their own, Suri bowed her head and smiled at the woman. "Its very kind of you to offer us food and shelter. Thank you." she said gratefully. However, Suri felt compelled to offer something in return for this kindness. "Is there anything I can do in return for this kindness? I've little in the way of credits to cover food and shelter but I'm capable of earning my keep while I'm here..."

[Lynmeira Verashy]

Kirana gave a stern look at Lynmeira. "I will happily provide for you two while you're here. It's not often enough that I have family visiting." The tall brunette shrugged and gave a sheepish look at her friend. "I tell you every time I am happy to help, just as Suri did." Kirana shook her head. "If either of you want to cook something for us, or regal us with stories in the evening, I am happy to let you entertain, but do not even think you shall earn your keep while visiting. That's my house and that's my rules." Then she chuckled and shook her head as she wandered off.

Lynmeira let out a long breath and sighed, though the smile was obvious in her tone. "Kirana is more stubborn than I am, which says a lot. Come on, I'll show you where we stay." She picked up her bag and led the way towards the staircases to the third floor. The stones were old and different from more modern building, but it was part of the charm of the place to the Hapan.

The room where they were to stay had a fireplace, in case the heater system had malfunctions. There were two beds big enough for Wookiees, meaning the two women would have plenty of room, and a small fresher.

"I realize I didn't warn you about Kirana's exuberant nature. I hope it was alright."

[Suri Jaxx]

Suri was not accustomed to such kindnesses and while she could not cook per se she could share knowledge and stories. Hmm... Is this trade like the one back on Rishi? she mused before nodding to Kirana, "Stories it is then. I can share a few..."

She watched as Kirana walked away before turning to Lynmeira, who was apologetic about not warning Suri of Kirana's exuberant nature. "Its OK...truly." she said, canting her head slightly in thought. "I tend to be guarded when ambushed, friendly or otherwise. A life of looking over your shoulder for mercenaries looking for 'easy money' takes its toll after a while." The blind Padawan's lips pulled into a smile as they moved to the room they'd be staying in and dropped their gear in a corner of the room. "Its strange to find people in this galaxy that shows such kindness and not ask for something in return, yet in a short space of time I've found three. Its a nice feeling I've not felt in a long time..."

[Lynmeira Verashy]

Lynmeira traveled light, but still arranged her belonging in the room with ease and practicality. She was far from being organized when growing up, but being on the run for a while with Tullya, and then learning herbalism, had definitely helped her improve over the years. She smiled with relief when Suri said she was alright. She listened to her padawan as the younger brunette spoke.

"I hear you. Finding the right balance between opening to people and staying safe can be tricky." She paused for a moment, and decided it was a teaching opportunity.

"Since we have some time to rest, what about you try to sense people' auras around here? Nothing intrusive, just the general sense you get of living beings within the inn, and maybe just outside."