A deal's a deal.

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

The Antelope-class shuttle jumped out of hyperspace, trading the blue glow of hyperspace for the serene, orange planet known as Ryloth. The two Jedi who manned the shuttle had a simple task. A simple Twi'lek village had identified one of the children to be Force-sensitive. Shortly afterwards, they contacted the Jedi Order. And now, the two Jedi padawans, Sakadi and Vash, were on their way to pick up the child.

Sakadi slentered towards the cockpit of their shuttle. For the last few hours, the two had taken turns piloting the ship. While there wasn't much to take care of when their shuttle moved through hyperspace, it was still good to have someone present just in case. If something were to go wrong in the middle of hyperspace, the results would be disastrous. Perhaps she was a bit paranoid, but flying wasn't her forte.

Sakadi sat down next to Vash, as their shuttle entered orbit. So who is going to do the talking, your or me? she conveyed with a smirk. She was in a good mood, unlike the last few times they had met. She usually acted distant, which had to do with their last few 'adventures'. Atleast this time, it wasn't going to involve violence and lightsabers.

@Larry Kenobi

 

[Vash Tembra]

The Echani had developed a taste for flying, so when he took to space with his fellow Padawan, flying off of Jedha, he couldn't help but exclaim "This is where the fun begins!", before happily taking the shuttle into hyperspace. He would have preferred his own, malla-class fighter, that he'd gone through the trouble of painting and all, but this was good enough. Besides, the fighter would have meant no space for a second seat, and he wouldn't survive the attempt of suggesting that Sakadi sat on his lap, he was sure. The shuttle was a necessary evil.

This was to be a simple thing: get in, take the child, get out... which somehow made him think it wouldn't be that easy. Things never were when Force Sensitives were involved, it seemed. People like him and Sakadi had an uncanny tendency to attract danger. Makes sense, I suppose: you can't leave a strong impression in the Force and not expect... ripples, he thought as he took the shuttle out of hyperspace, feeling the odd sensation of leaving such a high velocity on his body: you always felt a bit of a pushback after decelerating so quickly, but he was getting more used to it as time went by.

He gave Sakadi a grin as he took the ship closer to the coordinates of the little village they were headed to. As Ryloth grew closer and closer, the varied terrains on the planet became more and more apparent, and there were many of them: the Twi'lek homeland had volcanoes, valleys, jungles, and the Force knew what else. The village they were headed to was located along the equator, in the planet's forest region. Also where many dangerous predators happened to live in.

"Ah, your voice must be tired.. I got this one," he told her with a little wink.

It was about midday, with the sun high in the cloudless sky as the Echani took the shuttle to land a few meters away from where the village was. He could already see the Twi'leks gathering around to greet the newcomers. They probably didn't get many visitors around here. This was a remote place, which meant it'd be bucolic... but probably wouldn't have any Twi'lek dancers, which was a great shame. You never knew, though, there was still hope.

"So, uh... before we leave, anything you want me to ask them, or just say, or avoid in general?"

Sakadi, Vash knew, was a tad more sensible than he was, so it didn't hurt to do a little bit of preplanning with her before they left the ship. Last time they'd acted without planning, they'd somehow ended up attacking a whole criminal organization, after all, and he wanted to avoid the mistakes of the past.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

The shuttle landed just outside of the town, as Sakadi replied to Vash's question. Yes, I've got a few things for you. When you get the chance, don't mention slavery or Twi'lek dancers. Avoid the young women in general. You're an echani Jedi padawan; an opportunity to get out of poverty served on a silver plate. Also, try not to get involved in their problems. We are servants of the light side, not social workers. With that said, she stood up from the co-pilot seat and moved to the shuttle's ramp-like door.

She waited for Vash to join her, before she left the shuttle. As she expected, a small crowd had gathered around their ship. Who she assumed was the leader of this small settlement, was waiting for them just outside of their shuttle. The leader was a bright green colored Twi'lek and by far the oldest twi'lek who had approached the shuttle.

Sakadi's gaze shifted toward the crowd. Many of the Twi'leks were relieved to see the two Jedi descend from the ramp. Others were surprised; they likely expected two much older representatives. Fair enough, normally this task wasn't given to Padawans. It could be quite troublesome, the order had no intentions to kidnap children, but persuading parents to let go of them wasn't an easy task either. That's why more seasoned knights often took it upon themselves to recruit new Jedi. And yet, here they were. Two uneasy rookies, worshipped like some gods who descended from the sky. She really hated herself for not wearing her cloak right now. She didn't like it when people stared at her.

The elder approached the two Jedi with a friendly, but worn smile. Sakadi could tell that he was tired, had he slept at all for these past few days? She quickly glanced at her fellow Jedi. She had warned him just a minute prior that they shouldn't involve themselves with the Twi'leks bussiness, but knowing the Echani, he couldn't ignore the troubles of living beings. It was admirable, but kindness lead to death as much as apathy did. They truly balanced each other out perfectly.

 

[Vash Tembra]

He really didn't like her awnsers. Staying away from the young women would be quite the trial, though Vash agreed on not mentioning slaves, or dancers: it'd be a bit disrespectful.

The thing that stuck with him the most, however, had been that final remark from Sakadi, which really showcased the differences of opinion between the two Padawans. She believed in serving the Light, like some kind of mystic ideal for the Universe, while Vash believed in simply helping others whenever he could. Past experiences had taught him not to be rash and wade into the thick of things unprepared, but that didn't mean he'd ever stop trying to serve others before putting in thought any vague considerations on the Light Side.

It didn't help that the Twi'leks from the region looked worn down and, frankly, desperate. If their tired, expectant faces weren't enough to tell him that, the feeling of their emotions through the Force certainly was: they expected something from him, and were probably going to ask for a favor. Normally, Vash would have been proactive and just asked them what was wrong, but that'd have been disrespectful to Sakadi's earlier request, so he just played along.

"Welcome, noble Jedi, to our humble village," the elder began, bowing his head to the two Padawans. Vash didn't really like being the subject of so much reverence, but he did his best to give the old Twi'lek a smile, before bowing his head as well.

"Thank you for your kind words. My name is Vash, and this is Sakadi," the Echani replied, gesturing to his Sephi friend.

"Hama is my name, pleased to meet you both. You have come to take the girl, yes? Please, come inside my house. My wife has prepared some delicious food, just for you two. We can discuss all the details in there"

And there it is, Vash thought. He'd worked for the GA as a spy long enough to know when someone would want something. They'd normally offer some food, or something to put one at ease, then come with a sad story and ask something in return for their service. Vash would be happy to help, but he'd also be careful not to get into some sort of deal that heavily favored the Twi'leks here. He had a job to do, after all: he couldn't just give them all the help in the world and expect nothing in return.

"We'd be happy to go with you," he awnsered with a smile, following after the Twi'lek.

"Be nice", was what he sent out to Sakadi. "Just be polite and take their food. We'll be going back to the ship in no time."

He didn't want Sakadi's short temper to flare again. That was always trouble, after all. If it were up to her, Vash suspected she might try to avoid getting entangled in the villagers' problems.

Good thing she can't speak, then, Vash thought with a little smile.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi respectfully bowed before the elder as Vash introduced her. As long as he could do the talking and they agreed on what to do, this mission would be over soon. But the Elder however, who apparently went by the name of Hama, wasn't going to let this be a quick transport mission. No, there was more behind his dinner invitation and she was pretty sure that he knew that they were aware of it. Sakadi glanced at her friend for a second; she didn't need telepathy to show that she wanted him to deny the invitation. Sadly, Vash didn't pick up on her silent supplication. With a smile, he accepted Hama's offer. Great.

Before she could argue with him however, he asked her to 'be nice', which made her frown. When wasn't she kind or nice? Okay, she had to acknowledge she made some pretty rash decisions in the past, which had ended in violence. But they were dealing with thugs and criminals in those situations. These circumstances were different. These men and women were innocent civillians. She wasn't going to hurt them or anything, but she didn't want to aid them either. They weren't in neutral space or galactic alliance territory. No, Ryloth is one of the planets under juristiction of the Mining guild. If word got out of Jedi interference, these people would end up with a fate worse than they currently had. Some problems simply did not have simple solutions.

However, that way of thinking didn't mean that she was apathic toward the troubles of these Twi'leks. It was harder to stand by and do nothing than it was to act. What made it even harder, were the men and women who followed the two knights and the elder, looking so relieved by the arrival of the Jedi. As if they were going to solve all their problems with a snap. Most living beings who lived in poverty didn't understand the Force, often ending up viewing Force-sensitives as some sort of gods or demi-gods. That truly seemed to be the case here.

The old Twi'lek limped in the direction of a small hut, smoke crawled out of the chimney, indicating that someone was preparing food. It was too hot on Ryloth to start a fire for any other reason than cooking a decent meal.

Hama was the first to enter the home, Sakadi was the last to enter the cozy building. It consisted of two rooms, a small bedroom for what she presumed to be the entire family, and a living room. The room was decorated with all kinds of colored textiles, mostly shades of green with all kinds of different patterns. Against the opposite wall of the entrance, Sakadi instantly recognized a kalikori, placed on a small but beautifully decorated table.

She quietly scanned the room for any kinds of abnormalities, but before she could find any, Hama's wife made her introduciton. She was a bit younger than her husband; while he had many visible wrinkles all over his features, this woman barely had any. If she could believe the rumors, Twi'lek women were among the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy, and it seemed like that did not disappear with age. Unlike her husband, the woman had blue skin and blue eyes and wore more tight and revealing clothes, compared to the loose fitting tunic of her husband.

"Greetings great Jedi, my name is Aduna, I am the grandmother of the force-sensitive child you came here for. But before we discuss those matters, please join us at our table. I've prepared enough for two more guests, and we can't let our precious food go to waste here." Her expression was warm and friendly, but Sakadi could see in her eyes that she was just as tired and worn as her husband.

With a nod, Sakadi followed Aduna to the table in the middle of the room. It was not like she had a choice after Vash had accepted Hama's invitation. What bothered her though, was that Aduna and Hama seemed to be the only two present in this house. That was strange, since the mud brick building seemed like it housed atleast two or three more people. It was a sign for Sakadi to reach out to Vash.

When you get the chance, ask them if they live here on their own. I don't want to get involved, but something is going on here.

Sakadi took place at the table, next to Vash. It seemed like they still had some gender-based hierarchy in this village, as Aduna took place opposite of Sakadi and kept her attention on the Sephi, while Hama tried to start a conversation with Vash.

I am so sorry that we have no gifts prepared for you. The last months have been difficult for our village.

Sakadi smiled at Aduna as she handed Vash and Sakadi two plates with some sort of meat and a local type of fungi. Again did Sakadi have to rely on her talent as an actor not to disappoint the woman in front of her. Sakadi wasn't a vegetarian, but she wasn't a fan of meat either. She noticed that Hama ate first, while Aduna clearly waited for her husband to finish. Another sign of the hierarchy here. Sakadi decided to follow the example, and wait for Vash to finish first. She did have something to discuss with him first though.

Can you trade your fungi for my steak or whatever kind of meat this is... please? She added that last part with hesitation. She didn't like asking the Echani nicely, since he'd probably tease her anyway. She could've just taken it, but she wasn't sure if Aduna or Hama would accept that. Besides, it was Vash who accepted their invitation. Not her.

 

[Vash Tembra]

Vash had to hold a laughter after seeing Sakadi's frown as she was told to be nice. He'd worked with his fellow Padawan long enough to know that she could be a tad blunt and reckless, and was pretty sure she'd have advocated against accepting the dinner invitation, which would have been bad for bussiness: the villagers might not be so prone on releasing the Force Sensitive girl if they were impolite, and the Echani wasn't too keen on stealing a baby. He wasn't exactly above such things if he were specifically ordered to do so, but it just felt wrong.

Another thing that felt blatantly wrong was all the stares the pair was receiving. The whole village seemed to be here, watching the group make their way to the elder's hut, and it was really making Vash uncomfortable- not only because it felt weird to be the center of so much attention, but also because of the way they looked at the pair, as if they could solve all the problems in the world by waving their lightsabers around.

I really wish that were the case, he thought sadly, remembering the fiasco that had been when he'd tried to save that one Twi'lek slave, not that long ago. Despite the short amount of time that had passed since then, it felt like an eternity since it had happened. He and Sakadi had really come a long way since then.

The elder's hut was small, but pretty, in its own way. What was better was the fact that now the doors were closed, and the villagers would probably lose interest and go back to their bussiness. Which was great, because there were some really pretty Twi'leks in the crowd that Vash wouldn't mind saying "hello there" to, if he didn't know better. As it stood, they had a job to do. He could always look up a cantina on Ryloth when he was off duty later.

"This is a beautiful house," the Echani complimented, once Aduna had introduced herself, and he'd given his and Sakadi's names. "Do you live here by yourselves?", he asked, after hearing his companion's request.

"We do now," Hama replied with a sad smile. The awnser was enigmatic, but Vash could tell, through the Force, and the man's expression, that this subject caused Hama great grief, so he chose not to press the issue.

"I'll ask them again after we've broken the ice a bit, pinky promise," he told Sakadi telepathically, before she asked him to make everyone uncomfortable by probing these people further. To be fair, he wasn't completely sure she would do that, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

He let Aduna "speaking" with Sakadi, who seemed to be holding her own in this little conversation, while he turned his attention to Hama. Before he could utter a word, however, his Sephi friend contacted him once again. Apparently she didn't like meat... like most girls he met nowadays.

"Your wish is my command," he replied in a cheerful tone. He didn't mind steak at all, so this wasn't a big deal. Their hosts might be offended, however, so he decided to make up an excuse.

"Forgive me," he began, addressing Hama. This was apparently a patriarchal society, given the fact Aduna seemed to wait on her husband to finish eating, so it made sense to talk to him first. "But my friend here follows a sect of the Order that prohibits her from consuming meat. I will take her steak, and give her some of my fungi, if that is alright"

He was met with a casual wave of the hand by Hama, as if the old Twi'lek were shrugging off the issue.

"Do as you will," he said with a light smile and a kind tone. His wife didn't look as pleased, given the little grimace she made for half a second, but that was to be expected: she had gone through the trouble of making the food, after all, and no one liked to have their work scorned.

Vash decided to simply levitate the steak from her plate to his, and do the same with the fungi, passing it from him to her, which earned him a round of applause by his two hosts. He bowed his head theatricallly in thanks, and began to taste the food. While certainly simple, it tasted nice, and had lots and lots of spices. These things probably weren't cheap around here, which made the Echani realize just how much thought had gone into such a meal. They were trying to impress, which was good, but also meant they'd probably be asking something soon.

"This food is delicious," he said with a smile. "Thank you both"

"It was my son's favorite dish," Aduna replied, giving him a smile of her own. "I wish he were here now"

This last comment made her tear up, and Hama noticed it, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Our son was taken from us recently," he explained. "Which is part of the reason we called you here, noble Jedi, defenders of the downtrodden."

Oh, boy, was all Vash could think. They were already laying the groundwork to ask something... and were using some really blunt compliments, to boot... that told him how desperate these people were. But if there was something or someone killing the villagers, could Vash simply ignore it? It wouldn't be right, would it?

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Defenders of the downtrodden eh? That was a really desperate attempt to show that they needed help. Aduna even teared up as she mentioned her son. Yeah, the village seemed to be in some sort of trouble. A problem they couldn't deal with on their own. But they couldn't just 'save' these people. There was the mining guild. The political relationships between the Galactic Alliance and the Mining guild were more important than this village. And that bothered her, just as much as it bothered her fellow Jedi. That, she sensed immediately. Thus, she reached out again.

I don't have to remind you to stick to the mission, do I? Besides, we can't help these people. If the mining guild hears of Jedi interference, these people will be punished, and they'll be in more trouble than they already are.

Just as she conveyed the facts to the Echani, Hama and Vash finished their meals, a clear indication that Aduna and Sakadi were finally allowed to dig in. Before she did however, Sakadi added one more thing.

I can't allow Jedi to interfere with this matter, for the good of the Galactic Alliance. But if, let's say, a couple of tourists interfered, well there would be no reason for me to prevent them from helping this village.

She quietly continued to go about her bussiness; enjoying the meal, that was. She nodded and smiled at Aduna, indicating that she was enjoying her cooking.

As long as nobody knows that the Jedi Order solved this matter, I'm willing to aid them. Just know that the moment our cover is blown, we have to leave. Promise me you won't complain when that happens.

 

[Vash Tembra]

Sakadi could be downright infuriating at times. The nerve on that tiny, cheeky, purple alien was just obscene. They had come to Ryloth as equals, to handle the delicate matter of the little Force Sensitive child, and here she was, acting like she was in charge. She really was a test of his patience at times, though he had to admit, she could also be useful on occasion.

"I won't complain," he awnsered simply, not wanting to draw out any sort of confrontation. But mostly, he wouldn't complain because he wouldn't leave until his bussiness were concluded- assuming he actually decided to help the villagers.

Ah, who was he fooling? Of course he'd help the poor bastards, he'd just have to be careful while doing so, because for all her cheekiness, his fellow Padawan had a point: being discovered here would be bad- really bad.

"You put too little faith in me," he added in a playfully sarcastic tone before he could help himself. "I am still a spy, I'll have you know- I can be discreet when I'm not running after little purple things with a jumping fetish"

"Alright, alright, take a break here, my intolerance to lactose is attacking, what with all the cheesiness you're throwing at me," he told Hama, who didn't quite seem to understand what he meant, but apparently got the general principle that he was being a bit too melodramatic. "You want to ask something of us, don't you? Well, what is it?"

His usual relaxed tone had been replaced by one of annoyance. It was an old trick he'd perfected- if he were too nice, these people might try to take advantage of his goodwill and squeeze as much help as possible. Much as he'd love to stick around for a while and make everyone's lifes better, he had bussinesses elsewhere, too, so he had to keep this short.

The trick seemed to have worked somewhat, because Hama had bowed his head in apology, and Aduna seemed a bit embarassed. They were still going to ask the favor anyway, Vash saw, which meant they were really in need of help. Yeah, no way he wasn't going to give these people aid.

"I meant no insult of course," Hama began apologetically. "But we're at our wits' end, Master Jedi- we have no one else to turn to. Life here is hard. It always was, and it always will be... but recently, we've had disappearances happening all over the surrounding area. Small things at first, like our hunter going missing, then more and more people who ventured outside the village, either to look for the missing people, or to seek help from the outside. Everyone who went into the forest did not return, and while we tried to contact the authorities, they only said they'd send someone to investigate when they had the time."

Hama let out a weary sigh. Obviously talking about this pained him greatly. "That was a week ago, and still nothing. We think they consider our warning simple surperstition, and will do nothing to actually handle this threat. My son took charge of the village, and ordered everyone to not stray into the forest. It worked, for a short while. But just two days ago, he and his wife went missing, and all we found of them was a trail of mud and blood, leading into the woods. We fear beasts have been attacking us, and growing more and more ravenous after we stopped heading outside the village and... well, feeding them, I suppose."

After a short pause, the old Twi'lek continued. "This was enough to break the spirit of many of my fellow villagers. They decided to take their chance into the woods, and fled in different directions. We haven't heard from them since. So, Master Jedi, as you can see, I cannot simply let you take my granddaughter without this issue being solved first"

His last sentence had been said in a firm, authorative tone. Hama was polite, but he was used to leading the village, and it showed in his voice. Vash could respect that, but he also had his problems. Screwing up here would be really bad for the GA as a whole, he saw that much. So he had to secure a compromise.

"A terrible fate," the Echani agreed, offering a sympathetic smile. "But I'm afraid I can't just help out of the kindness of my heart... you know your leaders wouldn't like for you to associate with Jedi. If we are discovered, it'd be bad for you and us. So, to put it bluntly, what can you offer for our trouble?"

That seemed to have caught Hama off guard. He appeared genuinely shocked by the question.

"Why, the girl, of course- you'd be gaining a recruit into your Order!"

"Ah, yes. A girl of your flesh and blood, who'd gain an opportunity of a much greater life. It seems to me that only you would win here- one of your own would possibly become an extremelly powerful individual and your village gets saved, to boot. Meanwhile, the Alliance gains... a child. Who may or may not have what it takes to become a Jedi Knight. See the discrepancy?"

Hama had no awnser, other to stare at the ground sadly, and nod his head. Vash knew he was a good man, but he also knew the Twi'lek was trying to take advantage of the situation to solve all his problems at once, with no real regard for the Jedi, or the Alliance. That wasn't how they'd do things. They both had to gain here, or this little endeavour would have been for nothing.

"The Alliance needs eyes and ears everywhere," Vash continued after a pause. "Good men and women, like those in here, who'd be able to keep an eye out on things for us, and help us get places, and maybe a few things should we need to- do you think you and yours could do that, Hama?"

The old Twi'lek met Vash's gaze with his own. He could tell Hama wasn't happy... but he was also resigned.

"We can do that," he agreed. "I obviously won't involve the entire village, but my family can help your Alliance should you need us. We'll keep in touch, should you succeed in aiding us here."

There was a hint of bitterness in Hama's voice, but it couldn't be helped. Vash was asking a lot, he knew, but so was Hama. It was a fair trade.

"Good!", Vash exclaimed happily. "Then if we rid you of your woes with the beasties, you'll help us. If we fail, or die horribly, you owe us nothing. A win-win. Of course, if our little friendship goes well, you will be able to contact us for help- so long as you're careful. Neither of us want the mining guild to find out about our secret relationship"

He was smiling, and so was Hama and his wife, but he could tell they weren't as happy as they'd been a moment ago. Which was fine, because he wasn't either.

"Just so you know, I'm not proud of this," he told Sakadi. "But it had to be done. Also, probably no lightsabers for this job. We're just nosy turists... you have any non Jedi clothing on the ship, or should I ask Hama for something for you to wear?"

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

She could sense that her ally didn't like her somewhat commanding tone. She fully understood that Vash didn't like that side of her, but she felt like it had to be said nevertheless. What brightened her mood again though, were the exceptional bargaining skills Vash used against Hama. It was a bit sad for the Twi'lek, but he had to understand that not all his troubles could be fixed by the Jedi order without gaining something in return. Besides, it was amusing to watch Vash focus his attention and strange humor on somebody else for once.

Sakadi folded her hands and kept them in front of her face, doing the best she could to hide the smile which formed on her face. She answered his telepathic message with a mental voice more playful than usual. I understand, but you did great. We can't just stop by and solve all their problems and besides, I'm glad to see that I'm not your only tease victim today. What even was that pun about lactose intolerance? Had the Sephi been able to laugh, she would have likely done so. Another negative of her ruined vocal cords.

Also, I didn't bring civillian clothes, left all my dresses at the temple. Please do ask if they've got something to wear for me. You might also want to explain that I can't speak.

With that, Sakadi waited for Vash to ask Hama and Aduna for some 'undercover' outfit. Aduna simply nodded, took the Sephi's arm and guided her to small bedroom.

"Come, we don't want the men to see you undress, do we?" She said as she winked to Sakadi. Now it was her turn to slightly nod, still flustered over the 'undress' part. She may have been famous once, but the lavender-skinned girl was still incredibly shy when it came to her own appearance. Especially because the only thing that seperated the bedroom from the living room was a thin cloth that had the function of a door. Which meant that every comment Aduna would make, would be heard by the men in the living room. Knowing Twi'leks, there was going to be a lot Aduna was going to comment on, and she didn't want Vash to picture whatever was happening in this bedroom. It grossed her out a bit.

Aduna opened a wardrobe, which was filled to the brim with all kinds of colorful clothes. Aduna apparently knew exactly what she was looking for; with a single movement she grabbed a colorful but tight piece of clothing that reminded her of an onesie or an overall. Aduna looked Sakadi up and down for a second, before she concluded out loud: This would look wonderful on you, but your chest is just a little too big for it, don't you think? It made Sakadi blush, and Aduna grin. These are Twi'lek clothes darling, nothing is too revealing or too tight. We dress to impress, in other ways than you are used to. Aduna was clearly enjoying this, and Sakadi really started to regret her decision now.

Aduna took another, similar type of clothing out of her wardrobe, but this one made Sakadi instantly shake her head. It was a perfect fit, she could tell, but consisted purely out of what looked like fishnets. What the kriff was this woman thinking? She wasn't a prostitute! Is this really a no? You've got such great curves, you shouldn't be afraid to show them girl! But I figured you weren't going to like this one anyway. Aduna threw the dress on her bed and started to rummage through the wardrobe again.

Alright. I think I've got just what you are looking for this time. Well, Sakadi heavily doubted it. Aduna pulled a tight (everything in her closet seemed to be extremely tight) white silky dress out of her closet. It covered not much past her thighs, but considering the other options, Sakadi just agreed to wear this one. She really wondered what Aduna's profession used to be though, with such a wide variety of exotic clothes.

After what seemed like ages, Sakadi and Aduna finally joined Hama and Vash back in the living room. Next time I'm under the impression that following a Twi'leks fashion sense is a good idea, please stop me. She conveyed to her fellow Jedi.

 

[Vash Tembra]

Seeing his Sephi friend happy with his decisions put Vash in a better mood. Truth was, he was half expecting another lecture on not getting involved, but apparently she approved of the little deal he'd struck... and of his pun, which made him feel even better.

"Did you see the look on his face?", he asked happily. "And you know, cheese... milk... lactose intolerance. Had to use his cheesy plights against him. It's a little trick I learned, to keep people confused when they want something from you. Makes them less confident in continuing their requests"

His time as both a spy, and before that, the son of a bussinessman, had taught Vash a few tricks on negotiating with others. He'd never have thought it'd be of use in his life as a Jedi, but there it was.

"My friend and I will need some clothings to disiguise ourselves," he continued. "And I completely forgot to mention this, but Sakadi can't speak- she can communicate just fine using the Force if she has to, though, don't worry"

He'd grown so used to his fellow Padawan's damaged speech that he'd forgotten to mention it to others, and had been acting as if they already knew of her condition- the dinner must have felt so awkward because of it!

"Should've mentioned that earlier, sorry about that," he told Sakadi, who was already being taken by the hand by Aduna. She seemed really excited in taking the lavender colored girl to try out some clothes- Vash wasn't even sure she'd heard about Sakadi's lack of speech.

"Oh, it's fine," Hama said, in his usual kind tone. "I forgot to mention my wife used to make clothes for a living, and still does so as a hobby, so we're even. I do hope your friend likes fashion, because she'll be there for a while," he added with a little smile.

The Echani smiled back, imagining if Sakadi would have a good time. He knew she'd been some kind of big celebrity back in the day, so it was entirely possible she'd appreciate choosing some nice clothes.

It didn't take long for Vash to realize Sakadi was probably not having a good time, if Aduna's comment on her chest was anything to go by. He, on the other hand, got very happy, and had to stifle a laugh. It was just too good to be true.. and the comments just kept coming! Now he and Hama were hearing about the Sephi's nice curves as they shared a drink together.

"Nice," they both said at once, but in hushed tones. Both men knew it wouldn't be wise to be heard muttering any sort of comments. Especially since one of the ladies in there had a glowy weapon of death.

Eventually, Sakadi came out of the room, wearing a somewhat revealing white dress. Considering the comments he'd heard, Vash suspected this was one of the more... somber outfits Aduna had, which didn't mean much.

"Oh, don't be such a downer," he told her playfully upon hearing her request. "It looks nice on you. Doesn't quite show off your curves, but what can we do?" He quickly turned his attention to Hama before she could scold him.

"So, can I take anything from you?", he asked the old Twi'lek.

"Yup, second drawer should have everything you need," was the awnser.

In five minutes, Vash was back, wearing a black jacket, a simple red shirt, and black pants.

"Lot easier to get dressed when you don't have a fashion crazed Twi'lek following you," he told Sakadi in a playful tone.

After they were all set, and had their Jedi robes carefully hidden inside the room they'd just changed in, Hama told them to try heading east, towards the cliffs- that was where most of the disappearances had stemmed from. Vash nodded and prepared to leave, though he waited a bit to make sure Sakadi didn't want to ask them anything else before leaving.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi chose to ignore Vash's many comments and ended up patiently waiting for the Echani to get dressed. The only problem she faced however, was the fact that she had no pockets or a belt to take her lightsaber with her. So when Vash returned, she calmly handed him her lightsaber. The expression on her face as she handed him her weapon spoke volumes. If you lose it, you're dead. Or something along those lines. Not that she didn't trust her fellow Jedi Knight, but a lightsaber symbolized the life of a Jedi. A life she just handed to him for safekeeping.

After receiving the instructions from Hama to head east, Sakadi made a respectful bow, before leaving the mud brick building. If the villagers didn't know better, they wouldn't have recognized the two Jedi. Therefore, it was best to simply leave the village as fast as they could, before they'd get swarmed again.

She took the lead, heading out first with Vash close behind, or so she hoped. Ryloth was a dangerous place, even for Force-sensitives, so they had to tread carefully. Neither of them knew where exactly the cliffs mentioned by Hama were located, or how long it would take for them to reach it. Thus, Sakadi decided to go with a steady pace; not too slow, not too fast. She didn't want her energy to be depleted the moment they arrived. First however, they had to cross a few forest-covered hills.

Sakadi decided to stop for a second, they hadn't discussed the possibilities yet. She didn't want them to be caught off guard and she presumed that Vash wouldn't like that either.

We haven't discussed this yet, but what do you think is responsible for these disappearances? I don't believe there's a predator responsible for this. There would be clear tracks if that would be the case. Besides, don't you think it's strange that the local government doesn't act? If it were me in that government, I definitely try to protect the civillians at all costs. Workers are worth their weight in gold to the mining guild. She conveyed her thoughts with a little hesistance. Personally, she had no idea what could be responsible. She hoped that her fellow Jedi would have some sort of explanation for this.

 

[Vash Tembra]

As expected, Sakadi didn't respond to his comments. He'd have to make silly comments to strangers again someday, though: she seemed to have enjoyed his pun with Hama. What Vash hadn't expected, however, was that his fellow Padawan would offer him her ligtsaber. Of course, it made sense, as she had nowhere to put it, but it was still somewhat of a shock. He might have made a sarcastic comment, but chose to instead respect the moment, and simply give her a light bow of the head, hiding the weapon beside his own, under his clothes. With any luck, they wouldn't need the sabers. Blasters, however, were another deal altogether, and he had one, at least, if it came to fighting.

As Sakadi took the lead, as she was wont to do, Vash simply followed in silence, and took the opportunity to try out a new trick he'd been perfecting, calling up an illusion to make the pair appear to be Twi'leks, at least at a reasonable distance. Thankfully, the villagers had dispersed at this point, and no one seemed to have seen the Jedi leave the elder's hut, so they appeared too unimportant to be approached: just another two Twi'leks on the village, nothing special to see.

Once they were clear and out of sight, the Echani relaxed, and let the illusion fade. Considering the amount of sneaky stuff he and his Sephi friend did, he was glad he'd taken the time to perfect this little trick. He was actually beginning to enjoy the walk now that he no longer had to keep up his concentration, and the pace they were walking in was also relaxing, to boot. Ryloth had a certain beauty to it, he couldn't deny. Well, beside the obvious Twi'lek dancers, that is: the hills were beautiful, the weather was nice, and the variety of plant and animal life here was also quite large, which was always a bonus.

Finally, Sakadi paused, and pointed out the elephant in the room. That there was more to this than animals.

"Yeah, you're right," he agreed. "It is suspicious as all hell. My guess is, these people aren't dying. If someone wanted them dead, they could just attack the village. Double weird that Hama's son vanished shortly after he began to get things somewhat in order. The villagers are either being used by some purpose, or someone's got a personal vendetta against that settlement. My guess is on the former- maybe as slaves, or as test subjects for some experiments. We'll find out soon enough one way or the other."

He was glad he wasn't the only one who thought it was more than animals. Vash didn't know what would be waiting for them in the cliffs, but he didn't want to be caught off guard.

"Speaking of which, might be a good idea to devise a plan, if someone decides to jump us. You got any ideas?"

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi brushed a lock of her hair aside, as she listened to what Vash believed to be responsible for the disappearances. They both concluded that a predator couldn't possibly be responsible for these Twi'leks vanishing. If they were going to get involved with slavery again however, she was going to get really annoyed.

As Sakadi started to move again, she tried to devise a plan. They needed fake identities if someone were to catch them off guard. Of course, when it came to combat, Vash had her lightsaber, so he'd have to deal with it. She had something different planned if they could talk their way out of the encounter though.

Easy. What do we look like? About the same age, man and woman. The most obvious disguise would be to act like we're a couple. As much as I hate to say this, I think that would be the most convincing option we could go with. I'll let you decide why we are so deep in Ryloth's jungle. she conveyed to her fellow Jedi. Knowing Vash, it may have been quite the mistake to suggest playing a couple, but it truly was the best chance they had if they encountered someone in this jungle.

The female Knight picked her steady pace up again, determined to get to the cliffs as soon as possible. If that's where most of the disappearances took place, perhaps she could discover something with psychometry. While she still had to get some more practice in using energy manipulation techniques, her mental prowess with the Force came along nicely. This deal they had made with Hama, seemed like one where more passive use of the Force would be better. It meant that she had an advantage, which was good.

If we get to the cliffs, we need to look for the less obvious traces. If Hama knew that most of the disappearances took place there, they likely found the more obvious signs already. And these Twi'leks don't strike me as people who understand that the crime scene must be kept intact. She hoped it didn't sound too much like she commanded Vash to do something. It was more of a suggestion, since she had noticed his mild annoyance concerning her straight to the point-attitude.

 

[Vash Tembra]

Vash gave Sakadi a little grin when he heard her plan, though he was quick to resume a more neutral expression. He didn't want Sakadi to get completely uncomfortable, after all, and it'd have been rude to take this as an opportunity to kid around. There'd be plenty of time for that later.

"I promise to behave as much as possible, baby," he said in a cheerful tone, not fully able to help himself. "Guess we just have strange tastes in where we spend our vacation."

As they kept moving, Vash nodded at her next comment, seeing no fault in her reasoning. It really was true that they'd have to look beyond what most people could see... and as such, it was a good thing they both had the Force to aid them. He kept moving in silence for a while, just enjoyng the wildlife and the feeling of the sun on his back, as he pondered on Sakadi's words.

"I suppose we'll find out when we get there, but yeah, we've got our work cut out for us. If we have to stay in the area a while, we can always make a fire and claim we'll be camping there or something... it is technically public space, after all," he finally replied, as they both made their way through the forest.

Vash also was careful to sometimes pull on the bigger patches of grass discreetly with his teleknetic powers: since his fellow Jedi's dress was so tiny, it felt gentleman-like to prevent the place's flora from touching on her leg all the time. It was a good thing he'd become pretty proficient at moving things with his mind, making this kind of exercise almost not straining at all to him.

A few minutes of walking later and they'd arrived at the cliffs Hama had mentioned. The sight was impressive, there was no denying: directly beside the cliffs, and way down below, a river could be seen passing, and the view of the region, heavy with vegetation was also nice. Perhaps a little too green, but the large amount of birds that flew just a few meters above the two Jedi was a great help in diversifying the almost monochromatic view from below.

There wasn't much that stood out in terms of a crime scene, at least at first glace, from where they were. Just some trees, and a waterfall, a little ways ahead. That was, at least, what Vash thought, until he opened himself to the Force and felt... fear. The area was saturated with the feeling of an oppressive, all emcompassing fear. Either this was the work of some Force user, or enough chaos had happened to leave a strong, almost everlasting, mark in this place.

"I think we're on the right place," he said, as if it wasn't obvious. "Shall we split up a bit? You can look over somewhere, and I'll look around in the opposite direction"

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Sakadi nodded in response to her fellow Jedi's suggestion. If they would split up, they could cover more ground efficiently. I'll go left, you go right. The simplicity of the plan was exactly what would make it so effective.

She strolled to the left, her gaze fixed on the dusty soil. First, things first, locate the signs of anything that remotely looked like a struggle, a trace of blood or perhaps even a body. She searched counter-clockwise, for no particular reason. According to Hama, multiple disappearances had occured here, which meant that both of them had a chance to find a possible lead.

When she was just about to give up continuing in this direction, Sakadi found something noteworthy. Broken twigs and branches, with a small piece of torn cloth entangled in a small bush. She tried to search for other signs of a possible struggle, but the combination of a slight breeze and the dust had swept away any traces that could have possibly been left. The pointy ears of the Sephi twitched in annoyance. Why was it never just an easy "Oh there he is, now give is the child"-case. No, the villagers just had to be in trouble, didn't they. Atleast she had found a possible lead.

Many times had the young knight done this before. While she didn't want to boast, she certainly didn't keep her prowess with psychometry a secret. Concluding that she'd get no other leads here, she grabbed the torn cloth with an elegant sleight of hand. The material was silky, much like the dress she wore. It had a greenish color, which likely explained why the Twi'leks had failed to notice it at first glance. Everytime someone of the village disappeared, the Twi'leks would've done nothing more than take a quick glance at the 'crime scene', or so she suspected. Otherwise it wouldn't have been Sakadi, but the Twi'leks instead who found the torn cloth.

The lavender-skinned Knight held the torn cloth in one hand, the other ominously hovering above her closed palm. She sat down on the soft soil in a kneeling pose, simultaneously closing her eyes as she lowered herself to the ground. Time seemed to be slowing down around her and sounds died away as the light side washed over her, in it's usual warm embrace. Sakadi guided the Force through her body, channeling it through her arms and allowed it to pour into her closed palm, where the cloth resided. The energy passed through the textile, returning to her Force signature with the information she so desired.

It was harder to obtain the information than she had initially thought. The cloth had been there much longer than the slender Sephi had expected. She broke into a sweat, as she kept on guiding and cycling the energy through the torn piece of cloth. Come on... give me something...

 

[Vash Tembra]

It was oddly relaxing to be working with Sakadi, Vash suddenly realized, as he made his way to the right, crouching on the grassy ground to look for clues. He'd gotten used, somewhat, to his fellow Knight's ways by now. She could be authoritative, and a bit hard on others-and herself- but her heart was in the right place, and that was something he could appreciate.

It was doubly nice that she was more skilled than him when it came to things such as psychometry and other, more subtle uses of the Force. While the Echani was far from a brute as far as the use of his powers was concerned, he was mostly worried about more practical, in-your-face applications, like influencing emotions and manipulating energy. Sakadi, thankfully, had developed her skills with more... broad situations in mind, which meant that right now, she'd get much more use of her Force skills than he ever could, which was fine: Vash still had his other, mundane senses to assist him... he should be able to find something.

It took him a while, but with a little help from the Force, Vash managed to actually smell a very weird, and definitely artificial substance, somewhere near one of the many trees that littered the landscape. He placed his nose closer to the ground, and the stink got stronger, so Vash kept it up, sniffing around the tree like some sort of dog as he searched for whatever that was. He could tell for sure that it was near the roots, but no matter how closely he looked, Vash could not find what he was looking for.

Until it hit him: he'd have to dig a little. As if he weren't acting like a dog enough. Wonderful. Just wonderful, Echani thought as he pulled back his sleeves and set to work, digging with his hands where the smell was stronger. Thankfully, the earth was wet enough to make this endeavour an easy one, and before too long, Vash found what he was looking for: a syringe, still with a little bit of the substance he'd smelled on it.

He would have screamed for Sakadi, but she seemed deeply focused on her fancy mystical skills, so the Knight decided to simply wait it out, heading for the little stream nearby that eventually gave way into a waterfall to clean his hands. Now he was feeling a little less guilty for having struck out such a deal with Hama, the old rascall. Sniffing around trees was definitely not in his list of favorite activities.

It was a good thing, a very good thing indeed, that he'd been not only waiting, but also keeping an eye out for danger, just in case. Animals and other things seemed to be attracted to Force Sensitives, and areas deeply immersed in fear. This place had both these things, and it was no surprise when the Echani heard what sounded like a stampede heading their way.

"Watch out!", he screamed for Sakadi in case she hadn't noticed anything.

He tried heading her way as quickly as possible, since he had her lightsaber and all, but the creatures were fast to appear into view, and faster still to act: three surrounded him before he could properly move, circling about him as if seizing him up, while three others, Vash saw, were heading straight for his fellow Knight.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Her attempt to gather information paid off a little, as the first few flashes of the cloth it's owner and whereabouts became clear to Sakadi. The wearer was a Twi'lek, a female in her late 20s. Her reason for going to the cliffs? Looking for her late husband. The village had declared him dead after his disappearance. Sadly, the torn piece of cloth contained little information as to what the Jedi were looking for. All other info she could gather was that the woman collapsed, her clothing got stuck in the bush and bam, the torn piece of cloth stayed behind. Not exactly what the young knight was hoping for. She had hoped for something a bit more.. substantial.

A single, loud sigh was all she needed to break her concentration. Her knowledge and skill had increased, but if the material sucked, even psychometry would be usele- what the kriff? Her little trance had made her unaware of what had been happening around her, and now she seemingly paid the price. Like a deer in headlights, she sat there, watching as an insectoid-like predator dashed straight at her.

Her movement was like a blur to the creature, as she evaded the attack last minute. Not because the sight of the beast paralyzed her, but because she didn't want to give it a chance to follow up with a second attack. Vash was too far away for her to summon her weapon. Great, the one thing that was supposed to save her life here, was out of her reach. It was kind of her own fault though, she had agreed to split up after all.

She had managed to dodge the first assault of the beast with a quick roll to the side. Now she stood upright however, she found herself in yet another predicament. A second creature came at the knight now. Not that it mattered though, trying to get a hold of the Sephi in open terrain was an art in itself.

As she prepared to evade the second animal, she noticed a third in the corner of her eye. "Tsk." The Sephi rarely made a sound, but these pack tactics were really pissing her off. The third creature was waiting for her to evade the one coming at her, so he could catch her right after she dodged the animal. Yeah, that wasn't gonna happen.

With the precision and patience required of a Jedi Knight, Sakadi waited for the dashing creature to close in. Again, the lavender-skinned woman bursted into motion. She jumped up, front flipped over the animal and landed safely behind it. While she'd normally be concerned about her dress for an action like this, she knew that Vash had some trouble of his own. Chances were high that he wouldn't notice it, so she just went along with her athletic and acrobatic movements, like nobody was watching.

The third beast gave her little recovery time, but it was not like she needed it. The Jedi was already on her feet again, narrowly avoiding the bite of the third creature. She sidestepped it's sickle-like claw just in time as well. She now faced the three creatures. They were exactly where she wanted them.

Sorry for this Vash.. she thought, as Sakadi took a deep breath and brought her fingers to her mouth. If Vash saw her in time, and she hoped he would, he'd hopefully cover his ears fast enough.

Sakadi channeled the force through the deep breath she took, building the Light-side energy inside of her. She had practiced this in secret before. It was a technique she held as a last resort. After all, who would expect the mute girl with broken vocal cords to master Force Bellow?

The trick was simple, use the Force to amplify sound. While regular Force-sensitives could simply amplify the sounds of their vocal cords, Sakadi had slightly altered the technique to amplify the sound of her whistle.

The amplified high-pitched sound made by the Sephi was devastating. She saw the three creatures and probably those around Vash too, cry out in pain. Not that it could be heard over the ear-shattering high-pitched noise though.

Deafened, confused and terrified, the creatures fled the scene as fast as they could. Sakadi didn't even have to stay alert; there was no way those beasts would suddenly turn around and attack her again after that display of power. She turned to Vash, hoping that the devastating whistle hadn't harmed him like it had harmed the beasts.

Sorry for that, I had no other option. Are you alright though? I intended to keep that technique hidden as a last resort, you know. Didn't want you to find out I could do it the hard way... she conveyed with a sheepish grin. She felt a little guilty after all.

 

[Vash Tembra]

Vash eyed each and every one of the creatures before him carefully. He could feel their aggression, their desperation, through the Force. The beasts seemed... starved, which was really bad for him and his fellow Jedi Knight - a hungry animal wouldn't give up as easily, after all. Calming them through the Force was out of the picture: one, maybe two, he could handle, but it'd be too risky to try with more, especially when the beasts were so close, and ready to attack. And although he had two lightsabers and a blaster, the Echani was reluctant to use them: these things looked like Gutkurrs, who were notorious for their resistance to blasters... and a saber would just be a dead giveaway that there were Jedi in Ryloth if anyone found the creatures' bodies.

So Vash simply waited, opening himself to the Force, and letting his instincts guide him. Time onboard his fighter had done much to refine the Knight's instincts and reflexes, something he would use to his advantage.

The first attack came from the little buddy directly in front of him: the beast had lunged, aiming to sink its teeth into Vash's right leg. It was a distraction, the Knight knew, but went along with it anyway, sidestepping the attack, that missed him by inches. As he took a large step to the left, Vash also started twisting his body and preparing a punch for the beast that was actually planning to hit him for real: while the first Gutkurr had made that distracting move, the little (well, not that little) devil on Vash's left was preparing to leap at his throat, a plan that was quickly prevented when the Knight's fist came crashing down on its left eye, causing the creature to howl in pain and reel backwards.

This prompted the animal behind the Jedi to move in order to leap onto his back.... but it was too late: the Jedi had already taken another step to the left, and a little backwards, making the beast actually come crashing down right onto the head of the Gutkurr that had met Vash's fist. After that, it was a mess, and the two predators got entangled into one another, completely confused as they bit one another out of frustration.

Before the last beast standing could do anything harmful, Vash extended his hand towards it, using the Force to work his way to its brain, and put it in a state of numbness: a Force Stun, that caused the beastie to fall to the floor unconscious. Vash had been perfecting this power quite a bit, and knew the Gutkurr wouldn't be coming back to its senses anytime soon.

Right, now these two, the Echani thought, extending his hand to do the same trick on the remaining predators. And that's when something terrible happened.

A sharp, terrible noise filled Vash's ears, and suddenly all thoughts of using the Force, or defending himself from the animals was gone. All he felt was the pain coursing through his head as he fell to the ground in agony, and all he could do was press his hands tightly against his ears. He thought he was screaming in pain, but he couldn't really tell: all that Vash heard, all that he felt was that terrible, sonic force coursing through every particle of his being.

Vash couldn't tell when, exactly, the terrible sound stopped. One moment it was there, the other, it was gone, replaced by a ringing noise in his ears. He noticed his hands were shaking a bit, and it seemed that Sakadi was saying something in his head, but he was in too much shock to really tell what she'd said. It was a good thing she'd survived the beasts, and whatever had made that sound. He really didn't want to lose his friend, especially right now, when he was in this state. A state that he had to change as soon as possible.

To do so, he just laid there on the ground for the time being, closing his eyes and doing his best to recuperate. Calling upon the Force was hard, but doable now, which was a start: he could enter a healing trance, and regain some basic functionality faster. After that, he suspected, Vash would be better suited to get up and more actively heal himself. Just what was that noise? He hoped it wasn't another predator.

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Vash? Oh by the Force what had she done. The sheepish grin faded away, making place for genuine concern. She quickly approached her friend, kneeling down beside him. This was her fault, so it was up to her to fix it. If the damage was permanent, there was no thinking what she would do. This was not her intention. It was good to know that her 'last resort' technique worked, but she had to be more careful around her allies. Thanks to her, two men had been killed and now she injured one of her friends.

Gently, she placed her hands against Vash his ears, directing the flow of the Force through her fingertips. As she allowed the Force to flow through her, directing it's healing abilities to assist Vash his trance, a purplish glow started to form around her fingertips. Sakadi made sure to keep her ally down until she believed he was healed. She wouldn't allow him to stand up before she deemed the Echani to be fully recovered. It was a bit authorative and controlling again, but at this point she didn't care. Vash had been injured by her doing, so she would take full responsibility.

Only after Vash had her blessing to stand up, did she stop healing him. I'm so sorry for that.. I didn't mean to harm you.. Her ears were slightly pointed downward, a clear indication that she regretted her actions. Even without her lightsaber had she managed to accidentally cause harm to someone. Her reckless actions often lead to the desired results, but not without consequences. Sometimes she considered that it would be better for her to work alone, with this being another prime example of why she shouldn't be part of a team.

Hoping that Vash wouldn't scold her, she quickly changed the subject. Have you.. found anything noteworthy? I got something vague, but it's nothing we can use as a lead.

 

[Vash Tembra]

It took a little while, but Vash eventually began feeling better, especially once a pair of hands enveloped his ears, aiding him in his healing. He was still in his stupor, so at first it felt like some divine being had come from the heavens to heal Vash, until he eventually realized the hands belonged to Sakadi. A while longer passed, but he eventually managed to figure out it had been her who'd made the sharp noise. Pretty impressive, he had to admit.

When he tried to get up, Vash found his friend holding him down - apparently not letting him go until he was fully recovered. It was heartwarming, in a way, and Sakadi knew more about healing than he, so the Echani let her continue, just relaxing back into his healing trance.

Finally, once she was done, the Echani opened his eyes, and was greeted with the sight of two lavender colored thighs. Things are starting to get better already, he thought with a little smile, until he saw his fellow Knight's face: she seemed almost embarassed of what she'd done, and he couldn't let that stand, especially when he heard her apology - she'd just done what was needed to survive, how could he hold that against her?

"Now, listen here, you," he began in an angry tone, rising to his knees and placing his hands on her shoulders. "If you ever apologize for saving you and me from rowdy, hungry predators again, I will kick your ass - or at least I'll damn well try!"

His tone was cheerful again, and he flashed her a smile, sliding his hands from his fellow Jedi's shoulders to her forearms. Vash then proceeded to get up, and pull up her along with him.

"Course, a little heads up when possible is always nice, but I'd endure all that again - gladly - if it meant no one had to die or get permanent injuries. Oh, and to awnser your question...." he produced the syringe he'd found earlier from his pocket. "I had to sacrifice my dignity to get this, but here you go. My guess is, this was used to drug one of the villagers. Surprise, surprise, there are more than just predators here"