Ask These Are Your First Steps

[Sevrin Valtiere]

“I did not kill him,” Sevrin said, “I removed his legs,” He added as an afterthought. He had expected a standard Force toss or pull from Shaw. The rock was a welcome surprise and managed to hit him on the shoulder, “Ouch!” Sevrin called out to let Shaw know his attack found purchase. His lips almost curved towards a smile at that - not that Shaw could see.

“Follow,” He said simply to Shaw, making the boy rely on his other senses and see Sevrin’s signature in the Force to guide his way.

“The Jedi usually handed prisoners to local authorities unless they were particularly dangerous Sith,” Sevrin explained, “We have since changed our ways. Asminys was held in a high-security prison along with a very dangerous Sith named Tiamat who is a devout follower of Raze. Darth Raze infiltrated the facility to retrieve her and Asminys escaped in the process,” Sevrin said with distaste clear in his tone, “We do things differently now.”

At the end of their walk, Sevrin turned to Shaw, “Remove the blindfold,” He said as he took a seat. If Shaw did so, he would find himself on the edge of a cliff overlooking a stunning landscape of verdant forests below and the ridges of endless mountains. There was a massive waterfall just across from them with a thick mist that plumed like a serene cloud.

Sevrin sat on the edge of the cliff, his legs dangling over it, “Perhaps the most important lesson of all is the one that has nothing to do with being a Jedi,” He explained, “Many turn to the Dark Side because they forfeit what it means to be human to adopt the profile of a Jedi. In truth, the core emotions are what make you whole. So do not be afraid to explore grief, guilt, anger, hatre, love, and everything in between. Just take care not to let the emotions manifest in how you utilize the Force,” Sevrin said, “Your allegiance to the Jedi will matter far more to you when you find camaraderie and friendship with others and believe in the fight you all fight together.”

He took a moment to reflect on Shaw’s question about the split, “The split should never have needed to happen, but circumstances forced its necessity. It classifies Jedi into two black-and-white roles - Jedi who are more pacifistic and Jedi who want to take more action. In the process, we lose the reality that a Jedi can be all of those things,” Sevrin remarked, “I have no desire to claim lordship over territories, and yet I am one of the most combat-focused Jedi out there,” He quirked a brow, “So which one am I?”

Sevrin turned his gaze to the waterfall ahead, “You will make your choice somewhere along your journey, but know that nothing has to be permanent and we are far too complex to be boxed into categories.”

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"So they're still out there?" Shaw asked the sephi as they walked. "This Asminys and Tiamat?" Just a few weeks ago, Just a few weeks, possibly even days ago, a blindfolded Shaw would have been groping blindly after Master Valtiere, grasping at plants and tripping over roots. Now he knew exactly what to do. He didn't even have to think about it actually. He just had to follow the sephi's signature in the force, that brilliant white light that shone as brightly as the sun.

When the padawan was finally allowed to remove the blindfold, he stood on the edge of a cliff. He listened to the sound of the rushing water, watched the afternoon sun's reflection in its every ripple. It was beautiful. Some of the most breathtaking scenery Shaw had ever seen in his life. He was reminded of the view from the top of that mountain Master Valtiere had made him climb over and over. He knew that view like the back of his hand now.

Sitting down beside his master, Shaw would pluck a blade of grass and play with it as he listened. "What made the Jedi change their minds?" he asked, remembering something Prani had told him. Master Valtiere spoke of exploring your emotions, just not letting them be the master of you. Not allowing them to manifest in how you used the force. "I mean," he explained, "One of my friends told me the Jedi didn't use to allow attachments or any of that kind of stuff." Attachments—that had been the word she had used, right? "Do you draw on any emotion when using the force? Or is it better to just clear your mind and all that? Try to be objective?" Might be difficult to be objective in the heat of the moment. Shaw knew that pain and frustration were bad motivators—they had already talked about that. But what about love? Devotion? Fear? Wanting to protect the people around you? Were those bad motivations to draw from too or was that what Master Valtiere meant about friendship making your allegiance to the Jedi matter even more?

Shaw was relieved to hear Master Valtiere say that nothing had to be permanent, that no Jedi could be boxed into a single category. Shaw was still coming to grips with being a Jedi, let alone deciding what kind of Jedi he wanted to be. He was still learning how to accept that the force was a part of him, learning how to allow it to not only flow through him freely but to direct his steps. Right now he felt like a different person every day. Every morning when he woke up with a brand new day ahead of him full of the unknown, and every night when he laid his head against his sleeping roll after a grueling day of training and pushing himself beyond his limits.

"Have they tried to get you to pick a side?" he asked the sephi, staring at the rushing water. Shaw wasn't really sure how politics within the order worked, but since Master Valtiere was a higher ranking member there was probably a lot more pressure. @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

“Asmynis reportedly went on to take over a planet called Eiattu V,” Sevrin explained, “However, another Sith - who then went on to become the Imperial Grand Marshal - killed him,” He said, having learned about the details while he was traveling through Sith territories. As a Shadow, he had a pulse on things that most Jedi didn’t. He often posed as an Imperial or Sith himself, and he had to be convincing in his role.

“The Jedi began to lose allies because the actions of a few had the impact of many,” Sevrin said with a sigh, “Mistakes were made where Jedi acted rashly or did outright silly things that got lambasted by the media. Darkness ran unchecked and the Council took no action. As a desperate measure, some Jedi such as Master Vanya suggested a more aggressive stance. The split happened because many Jedi do not believe in a proactive offense and identify as the traditional sort,” Sevrin wouldn’t tell Shaw which side was right, but the boy had to choose for himself what kind of Jedi he wanted to be.

“The Jedi discouraged attachments for a very long time,” Sevrin said, “It was part of the failings that gave us the first Sith Empress Andraste and then later Darth Vader,” He sighed, “It is a cycle that repeated and remained unbroken until Master Rey’s Order was firmly established. Nowadays emotions are not forbidden and yet many Jedi follow those old principles and find themselves frustrated and unfulfilled.”

He had to think about Shaw’s question, parsing the answer carefully in his mind, “I am a Sephi, so emotions are somewhat muted for me to begin with. However, I lean on what I believe is right and act on that feeling to empower myself,” He explained.

The last question elicited something that could almost be labeled as a scoff, “They always try to make me pick a side,” Sevrin said, casting Shaw a sideways glance with amusement glinting in his sterling eyes, “And by now you can imagine how well that goes.”

He took a moment to silently admire the view and the sound of the waterfall. There was no war here on this tucked-away planet, and he could only imagine how badly the Raze followers would love a Force-strong planet to corrupt.

“There is a lot of beauty in the galaxy, Shaw,” He said, “Sometimes you will find that preserving it is all the motivation you need to fight.”

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Does that happen a lot? Sith killing other Sith?" Maybe another dumb question, but everyone had to start somewhere. Shaw just knew what the news networks had fed him and what he had managed to pick up on his own, so who knew what was reliable and what wasn't? Whatever Master Valtiere told him—that he would believe. Master Valtiere had faced Sith in battle, gone undercover amongst them if the spellbound whisperings of the other padawans were accurate, so if anyone would know about the Sith other than the Sith themselves it would be the sephi beside him.

Dangling his legs off the side of the cliff and leaning back to rest on the palms of his hands, Shaw blew out a breath. This was relaxing. The first real downtime the two Jedi had shared since they had arrived, not counting time around the campfire every night, which didn't really count since they pretty much just ate and fell asleep. Well, Shaw fell asleep. Master Valtiere just ate and then meditated or went for long walks. Shaw never actually saw him sleep. But this? This was nice. It was probably the most they had talked since they had arrived months ago.

"I'm glad the Jedi allow attachments now," Shaw spoke up, kicking his feet back and forth. "I can't imagine having to give up my family." Even if they were on opposite sides of the galaxy and hadn't seen each other in months and months, they still had a relationship. They still loved and cared for each other. "Or any of my friends." That had been one of the most surprising things of all—the amount of friends Shaw had made within the order since joining. Shaw almost added, "Or you" just to give the detached sephi a hard time but decided not to. Best not to ruin the moment.

Master Valtiere's comment about the beauty of the galaxy being all the motivation you need to fight made Shaw raise an eyebrow. "Whoa. That's deep, dude," he said, totally sincere. He considered it. "How do you think of stuff like that on the spot?" Probably not a question the sephi would dignify with a response. Shaw was lucky if he could string a coherent sentence together sometimes. But Master Valtiere and Macote were always dropping lines that hit hard.

Glancing over at Master Valtiere, he asked another question. This time it had nothing to do with the force or the Jedi or the Sith. "What do you mean about your emotions being muted? Do you not feel emotions as strongly or something?" Then, as an afterthought, "Do I ask too many questions?" @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin nodded, “Sith often kill to ascend the ranks. Weaker Sith are culled to pave the way for their betters,” He explained, “Whoever stands at the top has the unquestionable loyalty of those below because they are afraid to move against them. The tactic works for fast advancement but executes poorly long term. Empress Andraste was perhaps an exception because she ruled with diplomacy and rewarded her followers,” Sevrin said, “Tempest governs with fear from what I gather and it is only a matter of time before someone challenges her rule.”

When Shaw mentioned his family, Sevrin was silent for a long moment, “Yes, but if they asked you to quit the Jedi and tell you they’re prepared to have you back home, what would you do?” He asked bluntly, not one to mince words. He thought of his own tough decisions, but if he could turn back time he would have explored ways to keep a relationship with Amariel while also being a Jedi. Perhaps he would have given up on his Shadow duties and opted for traditional defense instead.

Sevrin considered Shaw’s question, “I let my environment inspire my thought and speech,” He looked at Shaw, “The same holds for you, Padawan, you just let your doubts act as a hindrance from letting you utter or act on them,” He said plainly.

“Sephi experience emotions, but they do not manifest on our faces unless they are particularly strong,” Sevrin explained, “Our ears often show them instead. As for me, I was born into circumstances that required me to keep a dignified and muted presence at all times, so it became a habit.”

If Shaw nosily searched for the Valtiere name before this, no doubt he would have learned that Valtiere was affiliated with Thustran royalty. King Dresdien Valtiere currently sat on the throne and had a son that relinquished all royal titles. Sevrin finally rose to stand, “Come, Padawan, we must retire for the night. Do not forget your daily meditation.”

He turned and began to walk, “The day you stop asking questions will be the day you stop being you, Shaw,” Sevrin said without looking back.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

It sounded like a miserable way to live. Always watching your back. Always keeping one eye open. Not knowing who to trust. Not knowing who actually cared about you and who just cared about what they could take from you. Was that the kind of life Nash had to live? The reason Krel had walked away from the Sith Order? Shaw chewed on his lower lip. Krel had escaped all of that, but what about Nash? He hated to think of Nash being nothing more than a stepping stone on the path of ascendance for her "betters." Or would she be the one to ascend? To walk that path at the expense of others? He couldn't see her doing that.

Shaw had been asking a lot of questions and expecting a lot of answers, but he hadn't expected Master Valtiere to turn the questions back on him, and in typical Master Valtiere fashion, he had to ask one of the toughest questions of them all. "I don't think they will," Shaw replied after a moment's silence, but his answer lacked confidence. He wasn't sure how much he really believed that statement. Was he answering the sephi or was he just trying to convince himself? "I mean, not after I explain. Sure, they'll be sore at first—when I tell them I've decided to become a Jedi—a real Jedi, but they'll get over it. They just gotta see things from a different perspective, you know?"

Sentiments against force users were strong in the core worlds, but Shaw had been able to get past that. They would be able to too. If Shaw could do it, anyone could do it. He looked at Master Valtiere. "I told you back on Kashyyyk that I wanted to be a Jedi. I meant it then, and I mean it now." Then, unintentionally ruining a moment as he often did, "I ain't cappin."

Two months later...

"How long have we been here?" Shaw asked Master Valtiere out of the blue. After a few months days and time had begun to run together for the padawan, especially since he never had any time to use his dataphone and there was no service out here on Cularin. @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Two more months passed and every day was still as rigid and exhausting as ever for Shaw. The boy was still oblivious to the changes to his physical form and the way his hair grew out or how his body began to put on muscle. Sephi generally did not have facial hair, but the teen certainly began to sport some scruff after his time on the planet.

Shaw moved with grace as he practiced with the training saber and effortlessly leaped his way up the mountain with a blindfold on. The Force came easily to him and the basic uses like push, pull, and other core uses were second nature for him. Each day consisted of hours of sparring and Force training.

When Shaw asked his question, he would spot Sevrin beginning to roll up the campsite earlier than sunset. Sevrin didn’t answer the question just yet.

“Padawan,” He began, “Pack your things,” He stated simply, “And if you must shriek, kindly move away from me to do so,” He said as the very subtlest hint of a smile almost tugged at his lips, “Because we are leaving for Jedha,” Shaw would know many Padawans went there to obtain their kyber crystals.

The ramp to the ship was already down and waiting.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Master Valtiere did not answer Shaw's question about how long they had been on Cularin, but that wasn't out of the ordinary. The sephi often picked and chose what questions he would answer and would not. Sometimes Shaw was surprised by what he would answer and what he wouldn't answer, but he never took it personally. That was just how Master Valtiere was, and the teenager was starting to get used to it after months alone together.

What was unusual was that the sephi was beginning to pack camp up before the sun had even set. That was usually something they did before the sunrise, after a hot meal and a good night's rest. Shaw scratched his chin. His face had been a lot more itchy lately.

Shriek? Why would Shaw... His mouth slowly fell open, and a look came over his face as realization set it. "FOR REAL??" he shrieked, springing to his feet and practically jumping up and down. He wanted to do a happy dance but realized he had to keep at least some of his cool in front of Master Valtiere.

"You really think I'm ready??" Don't blow it! "I mean, I think I'm ready—so long as you think I'm ready!" The teenager began throwing things into a bag much like he had back in his dorm room on Takodana months ago. "So how does this work? Do I get to pick a color? Does a color pick me? Do the colors mean anything?" He stopped mid packing and just grinned up at the sephi. "You... you really think I'm ready?" @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin’s ears flattened at the shriek despite expecting it, but there was no displeasure on his face. This was a big moment for any Padawan, and it meant even more for Shaw who started out doubting himself at every step. It was his answer to Sevrin’s question about his family that was the final test, the one that mattered beyond their saber or Force training. Choice was the ultimate factor that determined how one became a Jedi.

They were walking up the ramp as Shaw asked a few times whether Sevrin was sure. The Sephi calmly glanced at the boy, “I am as certain about this as I am about your need for a shave,” He said with amusement in his eyes. Perhaps in a year or two, Shaw would manage an impressive jawline with an even beard, but right now it looked like pocket lint crudely glued together in a patchy mosaic.

As the ship jumped into hyperspace, Sevrin glanced over at Shaw in the co-pilot seat next to him, “Jedha is a planet seeped in history,” He explained, “It housed one of the first civilizations to explore the nature of the Force and Jedha City existed as a pilgrimage site to connect with it. There are many names affiliated with it throughout history such as Saw Gerrera and Darth Vader. Though the holy city was destroyed, there have been efforts made to rebuild it over time,” Sevrin mused, not having returned in some time.

The journey was largely uneventful and Shaw had more than enough Holotv entertainment to keep him company. Sevrin took the time to train in the gym fitted into the cargo hold of the ship and read several books.

Before long, they landed on the hot surface of Jedha, the ramp lowering. Sevrin stepped out, the hot air suffocating and oppressive. He was unbothered by it, walking towards bustling markets and towns that lined the outskirts of the site of the rebuilding process of the Holy City. Even now, the deep fissures and the crater from the Galactic Empire’s attack were prominent.

“Stay close, Padawan,” Sevrin said as he walked, “There are many unfortunate and desperate souls here that wouldn’t hesitate to pickpocket you,” He explained, though he doubted Shaw needed the warning. Most residents from Coruscant who weren’t obscenely wealthy were wary about walking through bustling streets.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

There was an unexpected and wistful feeling that washed over Shaw as soon as Cularin shrunk from view, just another spec amongst the rest of the stars and moons littered across the galaxy. Except it would never be just another spec to Shaw. Cularin was where he had become a Jedi. He had made the decision to become a Jedi on Kashyyyk, but Cularin was where Master Valtiere had shaped him into one. The planet and the memories made there, difficult and grueling as many of them were, would always hold a special place in his heart. He hoped he would get to return one day.

The first thing Shaw did aboard the shuttle was take a refreshing, cold shower. It was nice to get to wash up in an actual shower instead of a river or a pool, even if that had been a fun experience the first few times. Then he shaved, per Master Valtiere's suggestion. Shaw didn't wanna go around looking like a neckbeard after all. Maybe one day he would be able to grow an impressive beard, but today was certainly not that day.

After that Shaw just had time to himself to do whatever he wanted. It actually felt really weird to have all this free time on his hands now, and he just milled around the ship for a little while unsure what he ought to do. He never used to have trouble filling his time with totally unproductive but dopamine rewarding activities like video games, holotv, or dataphone scrolling. He ended up messaging some of his friends, touching base with his family, and then actually—of his own accord—reading up on some of Jedha's history. Crazy, right? Even he couldn't believe he was doing it. Eventually he did bore of reading and watched whatever reality tv show happened to be on.

"Can't believe the Empire tried to play this off as a mining accident," Shaw remarked to his master as they walked a dirt street on the outskirts of what used to be the Holy City. The pictures online didn't do the crater justice. It was massive. A transport shuttle filled with construction workers zoomed past the Jedi. Each face looked as miserable and as dirty as the next, just coming off of a long shift. Some of their eyes followed the newcomers. "Do you ever think they'll rebuild it?"

A thin, bony hand clutched at the sephi's robes. At the end of the arm was a middle-aged woman with long, unkempt hair and hard lines across a weathered face that looked much older than it actually was. "Spare a credit, mister?" she croaked. @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

“They have been trying,” Sevrin explained, “Now with Ezra Thorne and his EZPhone business, the Jedi are well funded to contribute to the effort,” While he found Master Thorne’s methods of contributing to the Order unorthodox, even he couldn’t deny the benefits of extra funding. The boy was almost as elusive as Sevrin himself around the temples, however, and still retained much of his spoiled Thorne habits.

Sevrin glanced over when a woman tugged at his robes. He studied the woman’s face, his gaze flicking down, “Certainly,” He said calmly, “Once you relinquish the trinket that does not belong to you to its proper owner,” He said with a flat, even tone. The woman’s face transformed into a sneer as she muttered curses and stormed off with hurried steps.

The Sephi kept walking, unbothered, towards the markets.

“The kyber mines were destroyed by the Imperial attack, but the tunnels run deep and there were new veins uncovered over time,” Sevrin pointed, “We will need to descend quite a bit to get there. You do not find the crystal - it calls to you. Do not be discouraged if it takes a while-”

The Sephi’s explanation would trail off for Shaw. His mind would be filled with a gentle call, a siren song that beckoned him forward. Sevrin stopped talking, turning to walk behind his apprentice without questioning it.

Shaw’s steps would take him towards the markets and stalls, past the food stalls, past the trinkets and wares. In the distance he would see a little girl sitting near a basket of fish, her face smudged with dirt and her face gaunt from hunger. Around her neck was a tiny necklace with a glinting crystal that would be illuminated only for Shaw.

Sevrin was surprised - normally it took hours or even weeks to find a crystal, and it certainly didn’t manifest outside of a mine or crystal forest. And yet when the kyber had its call, there was no rhyme or reason to it. The Sephi remained silent. Would Shaw snatch it from the little girl? Would he forsake his crystal?

“The kyber intended for a Jedi always finds a way to that Jedi,” Sevrin remarked calmly as he observed the impoverished girl, “Directly or not,” He said as he walked off to look at some of the food stalls. He left Shaw to his own devices.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

The moment Master Valtiere mentioned a stolen trinket, Shaw panicked and patted himself down—first checking for his friendship bracelet and then for both his necklaces. One he had made from the tooth of the mutated bear Nash had killed. The second was the necklace that little wookiee girl on Kashyyyk had given him. They were all still present and accounted for. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had learned the hard way on the streets of Coruscant just how quickly a pickpocket could swipe your belongings and come back for seconds before you ever realized it.

Shaw usually tried his best to listen to Master Valtiere and pay the sephi the respect he was due, he really did, but for some reason he suddenly found it really hard to pay attention to anything the sephi said. As soon as the markets came into view it was downright impossible. The teenager's mind was elsewhere, listening to something otherworldly that called to him. Everything around him—Master Valtiere's even voice, the chatter of the vendors, and the steady rumble of construction faded to background noise.

The only thing Shaw could hear, the only thing he could possibly focus on was the song ringing in his ears. It was the most alluring sound he had ever heard, its call entirely irresistible. He followed it without a second thought or doubt, winding through the crowds and stalls as if he knew them by heart until the siren call culminated in a little girl on the other side of the markets. Around her neck hung a necklace, and from the necklace a clear crystal. That was what was called to Shaw. He could feel it. He had never been so sure of anything his entire life.

He stood there for a moment or two, utterly transfixed, before he realized that that was probably weird. He cleared his throat and gestured to the spot on the other side of the basket of fish. He tried to ignore the smell. "Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked the little girl, using the same voice he always used with his little sister. When he wasn't annoyed with her that is.

If she agreed, Shaw would sit down and cross his legs. "I really like your necklace!" It was a totally bizarre thing to sit down across from a child you didn't know and compliment her necklace, but Shaw couldn't stop himself. The crystal mesmerized him. He wasn't going to take it from her, but he couldn't help but want to just be able to look at it. To be near it even if he couldn't reach out and touch it. He tossed his head toward the mine entrance in the distance. "You find it down there?" @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

The little girl didn’t respond when Shaw asked if he could take a seat, a suspicious look on her face. The moment he complimented the necklace, the girl suddenly had a knife in her hand, brandishing it at Shaw, “Look, guy, it’s not for sale!” She said in a murderous tone, which sounded absurd in her high-pitched child voice, “Why don’t you buzz off before I cut you open like one of my fish!” The girl said, one hand furiously clutching the necklace.

Meanwhile, Sevrin was studying some books at a stall on ancient Force techniques. The sound of blaster bolts erupted suddenly, many of them peppering nearby stalls. There were screams and cries as several merchants were hit and at least one dropped dead. Sevrin turned to spot the culprits - a group of bandits that zoomed in on a stolen speeder. They jumped out to hastily steal the wares laid out for trade.

Sevrin had his saber out in an instant, the blue arc alone enough to send a few of the bandits back into the speeder.

Duty calls, Shaw! He yelled to Shaw through the Force. The witnesses in the vicinity gasped at the sight of a Jedi among them.

“They raid us every week! Please do something!” A woman screamed in the distance.

Sevrin looked around and spotted a pair of speeder bikes, hopping on one and pointing Shaw to take the other. The locals were eager to let them take it, “Don’t let them out of your sight, padawan,” Sevrin called out as he gave chase to the group. Sevrin purposely kept a distance so the speeder would lead them back toward their hideout.

“Use your training, Padawan,” Sevrin called out to the boy, “Use it to guide our path to them.”

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw just stared at the little girl. What was she, some kind of an assassin in a past life? She had pulled that knife out of nowhere in the blink of an eye. "Look, I'm not trying to rob you!" he tried to defend himself but realized that that was exactly what this looked like. A random guy coming up and complimenting your necklace out of the blue? "I'm just trying to... to..." His words petered out. What was he trying to do? He had no idea. He hadn't sat down with a plan. He had just sat down wanting to be closer to the crystal.

There was no time to try and explain himself to the little girl, and he wouldn't have been able to come up with an honest explanation that would have satisfied her anyway. There was blaster fire, the roar of an escaping speeder, and several screams as a body hit the ground dead. Duty calls was right, and probably just in the nick of time.

If it hadn't come at the cost of a dead merchant and abandoning the kyber crystal, Shaw would have been thrilled about sliding back onto the seat of a speeder bike. Back on Mindor during an assignment with Elidan, Shaw had realized that he had some aptitude for driving a speeder bike. He wasn't ready to enter a swoop race or anything like that, but the basic controls had come quickly to him and he felt confident slipping his hands over the maneuvering controls and speeding off after the others. He had to resist the urge to catch up with the raiders, following Master Valtiere's example of hanging back so the raiders would lead them to their hideout.

Paranoid since a literal Jedi had pulled a lightsaber on them and chased them off, the bandits looked back over their shoulders from time to time, so the force had to be relied on more than a visual on their location. Shaw did as Master Valtiere instructed, letting instinct kick in as he maneuvered the bike and allowing the force to direct its path.

The Jedi were led to the site of a starship crash, half buried by the desert sand, half exposed. It looked like the bandits had scrapped it for all it was worth and used it as their base of operations now that that was all it was good for. Shaw pulled to a stop a safe distance out, where it wasn't likely that they would be spotted by any raider lookouts. Sliding off the bike, he looked at Master Valtiere for further instruction. Did they just barge in? Did they get a lay of the area first, find out how many raiders there were? @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

They came across the starship wreck and Sevrin surveyed it for a moment with his keen eyes. His ears picked up a subtle dialogue that was tense.

“They are spooked about Jedi back in the markets,” Sevrin relayed to Shaw, “It sounds like there is a decent number of them inside,” He explained, “We may only have this opportunity to strike because they are planning on taking a ship offworld with all their stolen goods,” Sevrin said.

He could spot a few of the bandits standing atop the roof of the ship to act as sentries. Sevrin trusted in Shaw’s abilities at this point, so he walked towards the ship, using the Force to yank two of them off and toss them into the sands below. There was a groan of pain from the landing, but one was stumbling to his feet while the other was out cold.

Unlike Corellia, Sevrin fully expected Shaw to engage if needed. As if on cue, another bandit rushed out from the ship, leveling his blaster to fire several bolts at Shaw.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

This was their only chance to stop the bad guys and return all the stolen loot to its rightful owners, to make Jedha a little bit safer for the workers and their families? No pressure then.

While Master Valtiere began a direct assault on the bandit holdout, Shaw would take up the rear as backup. Briefly, his mind dwelled on Corellia. He remembered how terrified he had been that day, how every abomination or shadow that might be an abomination triggered him and sent him right back to Coruscant. How useless he had been when Master Valtiere had faced the Sith in a duel. Shaw never wanted to be useless again, helpless and unable to do anything other than cower in the corner.

Shaw stepped out beside the sephi rather than linger behind him. These weren't Sith, and they weren't abominations. They were just some raiders. He had dealt with something similar back on Keitum. Come to think of it, he hadn't been much help there either, but Jedha would be a different story.

Stretching a hand out, the teenager yanked the last sentry from the roof of the starship and let him fall to the ground with a thud. He came up spitting out grains of sand, but Shaw didn't give the raider a chance to recover his blaster, tossing him toward the wall of the hull of the ship. The second hit knocked him out, and he slumped to the ground.

It was the first time Shaw had actually used the force on someone other than practice with his master, and he couldn't help but look over to see if Master Valtiere had seen it. He was always seeking the sephi's approval, whether he always realized it himself or not. One of the defunct boarding ramps of the starship flew open, and a woman with a rotary blaster cannon strolled out.

"WE GOT COMPANY!" she shouted to the others inside before she lit up the sand with rapid fire blaster bolts. @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

A rotary cannon?! Sevrin drew out both his sabers, “I’ll deflect, go remove her from the cannon!” He called out as the woman started peppering shots at them. Sevrin harmlessly batted the bolts away to the side, but Shaw only had a tiny window to yank the woman away from the cannon before she started strafing it across.

Once the cannon was out of the way, the two had a brief moment to barge in before those inside could rally properly. Sevrin started by deflecting two bolts back into bandits standing to the side. The men dropped with wounds, groaning and rolling around in pain. Sevrin could already see cargo boxes loaded to the brim with supplies these people habitually stole from the market.

The Sephi was about to keep pushing forward when someone jumped on him from behind. Even experienced Jedi could get taken by surprise and the Sephi landed with a thud on the ground. The man got a solid punch in, putting his hands around Sevrin’s neck in an attempt to choke him.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"On it!" Shaw replied, pleased with himself because that sounded like actual combat lingo. He ducked behind a sand mound, watching Master Valtiere deflect the initial blaster bolts before he popped out from behind cover. Curling the force around the heavy metal weapon, he yoinked it from her grip and then, before she could run to pick it up, he pushed her back through the boarding ramp opening and into the starship. They would hear her crash into someone or something.

Master Valtiere and Shaw entered next. Two men opened fire on them, but the sephi deflected the bolts and took them out within a matter of seconds. The rest of the raiders were still trying to coordinate. It looked like the Jedi had interrupted a game of sabaac if the tables covered in cards and the bottles of alcohol knocked over in the confusion were any indicator.

They were outnumbered, but at least the Jedi had the element of surprise. Or did they?

"Master!" Shaw yelped, rushing over and dragging the raider off of the sephi. In his panic he forgot that he could have used the force instead, and the two struggled against the wall in a really sad fist fight that had a lot more pushing and shoving than punches thrown. It wasn't a holodrama worthy fight, but Shaw eventually got the last hit in and rejoined Master Valtiere, a little out of breath but standing and ready to fight some more bad guys. The muscle Shaw had built up over the last few months from training was really coming in handy, and those hand to hand moves Nash had shown him didn't hurt either. "You okay?" he asked the sephi. @Sreeya

 

[Sevrin Valtiere]

Sevrin wasn’t used to being caught off guard, and it took a moment for him to find an opening to hit back. Shaw came to the rescue before he had to, yanking the attacker clear off and engaging him in a fight. Sevrin thought to intervene, but he watched as Shaw effectively handled the situation. The Sephi rose to his feet, wiping away the blood that dribbled down from his mouth, “Where did you learn that?” He couldn’t help but ask after watching Shaw apply the practiced hand-to-hand techniques.

They had no time to discuss, the Sephi turning on his heel to give chase to the bandits that tried to go deeper. One of them hurled a grenade and Sevrin tossed it right back with the Force, “Why do people insist on throwing grenades at Force users..” He muttered under his breath, having seen the same stupid tactic more times than he cared to count.

The explosion cleared out several of them, but the two Jedi would have to fight through a few more. Both of them would be engaged in the fighting, each facing off with his enemy and only occasionally crossing paths. By the end of it, they would pass through the smoke-filled path where the grenade exploded earlier.

Sevrin could hear people shouting in the distance, his brows furrowing, “They have prisoners?” He asked as he charged ahead, finding rows of cells of what looked like merchants. Sevrin drew out his saber and began to cut through the locks, leaving Shaw to take the other side. One by one, the captives spilled out, all sobbing and thanking them.

There was a cell at the very end with a man that remained unmoving. After Shaw approached him and opened the door, the man with long hair would blink at him. There was something oddly familiar about his appearance but Shaw wouldn't quite place why.

“Ah,” He said, his gaze flicking down to Shaw’s training saber, “About time one of you showed up to save the day,” He gave a weary smile, slowly rising to his feet.

Sevrin looked back at Shaw, “I think that’s all of them. Let’s get these people back to their homes and turn the bandits alive to local authorities,” It was similar to the routine back in Kashyyyk.

@throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Uhhhh," Shaw said, catching his breath, "A friend taught me." That was the truth. It just wasn't all the details. It probably wasn't a good idea to tell Master Valtiere about Nash.

When the smoke cleared, it was just Master Valtiere and Shaw left standing. The teenager could feel the sweat trickling down his back, knew that he would most likely be sore later, but man if he didn't feel alive. Energized and exhausted all at the same time.

All the training, every little and big workout or exercise Master Valtiere had put him through over the last few months, it had all paid off. He could see its effects in every punch, dodge, and push. He was faster than he ever had been, stronger than he ever had been, more agile, more confident. It felt amazing to take a group of raiders head on, outnumbered, and never once second guess himself. And to think this was just the beginning...

Shaw still didn't have a lightsaber that could cut through metal, so he had to grab one of the keycards off an unconscious raider. It was a lot slower, manually unlocking each cell one by one, but it got the job done. "You okay?" Shaw asked the guy in the last cell when he didn't move at first. He looked very... familiar, and yet Shaw didn't think he had ever seen him before. How could he? This was his first time to Jedha, and what were the odds that he would run into someone he knew here of all places?

"Need a hand?" he asked the older man as the cell door swung open. If he said yes, Shaw would slip an arm around his waist and help him out of the cell and through the open boarding ramp door at the other end of the old starship. If he said no, Shaw would just walk beside him. They followed Master Valtiere and the rest of the prisoners out into the sunshine.

A few of the prisoners groaned, shielding their eyes from the light. "Just how long were you down there?" the padawan asked the older man. @Sreeya