Ask Adventures in the Crystal City

Zessel

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Zessel had never visited Berchest before, but he had read some nice things about the planet. It had seas full of salt and all the cities were made from crystal. The half-Arkanian really wanted to see that stuff. He barely had the opportunity to see the sea in Ellora, due to being kidnapped.

The Padawan hoped that he would have time to take some pictures with his EZPhone.

The best part of that visit was that it was a class trip. There would be no mission or cannibals trying to eat him this time. They were simply going to do sightseeing, take pictures, visit tourist spots and all that stuff. Zessel had been jumping on his seat with excitement since they left the temple.

Once their ship arrived, the Knights that were responsible to watch the Padawans had distributed among them small cards with names. Apparently, they were going to form pairs during the visit. Zessel tilted his head while reading his partner's name. Levet Vizsla was a different name. He wondered how they would be.

Perhaps his partner would like to play Magimania with him.

@Darasuum
 

Levet Vizsla

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This was the first time Levet had visited Berchest but he had learned about it in school and during his studies with the Jedi Order. It sounded like a relative paradise which felt at odds when there was a galaxy at war. During the trip to Berchest the Mandalorian padawan had almost forgotten about where they were heading. Instead his thoughts were on Tatooine, on New Mandalore and his biological family.

When the Jedi travelers approached their destination Levet paused his contemplation and pushed various thoughts aside for later. He knew it would not be the best time to ponder and instead make the most of this field trip. This was probably as close to a vacation as someone like him got so he would make the most of it.

There were a lot of fresh faces and names among his fellow padawans. Levet would try to commit them to memory but he assumed they had been trained in other temples or were fairly new to the Jedi lifestyle. The young mandalorian had his helmet held upside down in both hands, occasionally spinning it and fidgetting with the interior, picking out a strand of hair and dropping it outside of the helm where his golden strands settled on the ground.

Levet could feel the eyes of some of the Knights on him. His master had probably advised the other Knights to make sure he did not get into trouble but generally trouble found Levet. Hopefully today would be peaceful and relaxing in equal measure.

The padawan found his partner after looking from name tag to name tag. "Zessel" the name was whispered to himself outloud. It sounded and read a lot like Kessel. But Levet assumed it was a coincidence and nothing more. In a few seconds he found who he was looking for. His own name tag had his first name in aurebesh written mostly in legible handwriting.

As Levet walked over to his partner he gave the fellow teenager a gloved wave. "Sup. Looks like we're partners." Levet glanced at some of the other padawan pairings out of curiosity. Some were already discussing plans while some seemed to be arguing on where they would go first. "Have you ever been here before?"

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Zessel

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In the end, it was his partner that found him first. “Yep, I’m Zessel! And you are Levet.” he stated the obvious, since the tags had their respective names very clear for everyone to read. The white-haired boy stared at the other Padawan for a moment, looking at the helmet that he was holding. He immediately recognized it from the Holonet.

Is it a real Mandalorian helmet? Are you one of them?” the half-Arkanian had never met a Mandalorian before, so he was excited to have the chance to talk with one. “Do you have a jetpack? I always wanted to fly on one.” he had stepped close to Levet, but still maintained enough space between them that would not leave him uncomfortable.

There were few people that Zessel allowed to stay too close to him, even less were the ones that could touch him.

I never visited Berchest before.” he admitted, turning to look at one of the windows. “But I read about some things that we could do here in Calu sap, no it isn’t right.” Zessel said, trying to remember the name of the city. “Calus sat Liluu? No, wasn't it either.” he frowned, wondering why the locals had to name their capital with a name so difficult for his hyperactive mind to process and remember.

Anyway, things that we could do in this city.” he gave up, deciding to simply call it as the city or with the basic name of City of the Glowing Crystal. Zessel thought that it was a pretty name and wondered if the city would be pretty.

Once the pairs were formed, the Padawans started to leave the ship. “I think that is time to go.” he said, preparing to follow the rest of the group before remembering an important thing. The white-haired boy opened his backpack, removed a plastic container and opened it revealing several sweets covered by chocolate. “When I heard that we were going to be separated in pairs, I made blondies filled with strawberry cream for my partner.” he smiled at Levet, offering the sweets to him. “I hope that you like it.

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Levet Vizsla

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IxSUhOK.png


Levet looked down at his helm and then back up with a nod. "Yup. Born and raised." His head turned slightly to the side before shaking his head. He clearly was not wearing one. "Nah. I uh..." Jetpacks were about as common as a full set of mandalorian armor. Levet had some very limited introduction to a jetpack but he did not want to admit it and sour any first impressions. "...no." He finished simply. Levet's neck reclined ever so slightly as Zessel got close but he did not step away. The teenager liked his personal space but would allow his partner to examine him closely, for now.

The mandalorian padawan did not try to correct or help his arkanian counterpart as he struggled to pronounce the city's name. Levet doubted he could do any better.

Levet remained stoic as the other padawans began to leave and was about to put on his helmet but stopped just before putting it over his head. His expression changed to one of interest and hunger. Levet was pretty sure he had just scored one of the best partners as he saw the delicious looking treats produced by Zessel. "Oh hell yeah!" Without a moment's hesitation Levet accepted one of the blondies and took a bite. "mmm." A few crumbs were left on the corners of his mouth as he took a big bite. "hankhou" he finally thanked Zessel while still working on his first mouthful.

The blonde padawan would continue to eat the sweet and walk outside of the ship. There was no point in staying inside the transport all day and Levet was looking forward to getting some fresh air. The food would quickly be devoured by the boy before they even lost sight of the ship. He had no idea where they were going but figured just heading in any direction was a good start. "Want to hit the ocean? I've only seen green and blue waters before."

Wiping his hands against his thighs to clean off any crumbs, Levet put his helmet on so he would not have to carry it around as they walked. The padawan had a cheap commlink which could record some limited holograms or pictures but it was far from high resolution. "Do you think we could stop by a shop? I want to get a camera even if its just a disposable one." He wanted to make sure to capture some memories.

@LouJoVi
 

Zessel

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I thought that all mandalorians had jet packs.” Zessel said, frowning at Levet’s obvious lack of such gear. Then he realized that this partner was still a child. Maybe he would have one when becoming an adult. It makes sense, since the grow ups would think that it was too dangerous for people of their age to have.

Adults could be so boring sometimes!

Zessel smiled with Levet’s eagerness to have one of the blondies. “It’s a recipe that I found in the Holonet. It was different from how blondies are usually made, so I decided to try it. Do you like it?” if the Mandalorian approved, the half-Arkanian would replicate it for a video in his holo channel.

It was obvious that Levet had appreciated the sweets, but Zessel wondered what ‘hankhou’ meant. Was it some type of praise in the Mandalorian language? Wait, this one had a proper name. Mandova? Mandoba? Mandooa? No! He remembers now. It was Mando’a. This one wasn’t as difficult like the name of the city that they were going to visit.

Yes! I never entered the sea.” Zessel said, while putting the container back on his backpack. Obviously, the half-Arkanian had picked one of the blondies for himself and was now taking a bite. “Last time that I visited a planet with a beach, the locals kidnapped me and nearly tried to eat me.” he would dislike Ellora for the rest of his life.

Once they left the ship, Zessel could see how the sunlight reflected on the buildings carved in crystal. The eyes of the Padawan shone with amazement when he saw the thousands of rainbows that appeared due the light refraction. He took some pictures with his EZPhone.

Oh? Yes, it’s a good idea.” the half–Arkanian said, turning away from the natural lights and looking at Levet. While they walked toward the shop, Zessel would try to maintain their conversation. “How did you join the Jedi Order?

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Levet Vizsla

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Levet wondered if Zessel was being serious or making a joke and gave him a look that would tell him as much before reply sarcastically. "I'm just a black sheep. We all ride basilisk war droids into battle shooting disruptors with both hand and breathing fire from our mouths. We're aaall the same." After he finished the remark he slightly regretted it. Hopefully his sass would not ruin the rest of the trip. But Levet was a bit annoyed by the assumptions others made about him and his kind. Zessel was not the first to do voice such thoughts, just the latest.

"Sorry. I think I'm hungrier than I realized." The blondie had helped with his low blood sugar. But the padawan's stomach now realized he had not eaten in a hours and grumbled accordingly. "That was really good." He refered to the sweet he had been offered. "Do you have more or could we get something to eat." A gloved hand found its way to Levet's tummy, trying to keep any future gurgles from being too loud.

They headed for the beach and walked down crystaline paths. Pedestrians of the tourist and local variety shared the walkways with the young jedi. A few gave Zessel a strange look as they overhead his brief kidnap story. Even Levet could not help but furrow a brow at how casually Zessel had mentioned it. His blank T visor helm still seemingly giving a sort of face to the Mandalorian and managing to convey some sense of judgement. "Thankfully I don't think that's going to happen here."

The longer they walked the more relaxed Levet became. The dazzling beauty of the crystaline city and its picturesque sea-scape made him speachless. It was indescribable how beautiful it was and at the same time so strange. His steps were light and happy as they wound their way towards a tourist shop in search of a camera.

Levet's helmet turned slightly towards Zessel as he asked about his past before looking ahead again. His memory thought back, picturing the situation he had been in as an even younger child on New Mandalore. He let out a sigh, not entirely proud of his origins before finally answering. "I uh...well I...I got into some trouble on my homeworld. I fought some older kids and hurt some of them bad enough they had to go to the hospital. I was probably looking at a future of "delinquency" according to my parents but a Jedi was visiting the local precinct that day and saw something in me. He learned about what I had done and tested me for midicholorians. Next thing I know I'm signing up to join the Jedi Order. The rest is history." Levet ended his tale with a shrug. The older and wiser he became the more he believed his parents were right.

The padawan waited for any reactions from his field trip partner before returning the favor. "What about you? What's your story?"

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Zessel

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Zessel frowned. He didn’t notice the sarcasm in Levet’s voice, being more concerned with the anachronism present in the other Padawan’s affirmation. “It’s impossible. Basilisk war droids haven't been produced for, like, thousands years. And,” he stared at the other boy’s face, studying his appearance. “You would need to be equally a thousand years old to be doing that stuff. And you don’t look that old.” he smiled, after remembering something. “Unless you are time traveling, but that stuff doesn't exist.

He immediately moved his attention to something else. “But riding one of those must be cool. If we lived at the time, you could give me a ride.” Zessel imagined them riding that thing together. Then, he remembered that Jedi and Mandalorians used to be enemies at the time. The half-Arkanian immediately felt a bit disappointed that his day dream couldn’t have been realized in the past.

You can have more!” Zessel said, offering more blondies to Levet. “I made them for me and my partner, so you can have as many as you want!” he smiled at the Mandalorian, while picking one for himself. “But, we could really eat something later. I like sweets, but I recognize how it wasn’t good for lunch.” hopefully, they would found a normal restaurant.

When they were outside the ship, Zessel noticed that Levet had put on his helmet. The half-Arkanian didn’t say anything, having considered that it was probably a Mandalorian habit or something like that. “I hope so. That was a very bad experience and I don't want it to happen again.” for the half-Arkanian, the worst part was when his kidnapers had touched him. It had made him feel so uncomfortable and tried many times to escape.

He really hated that situation.

The walk to the shop was really pleasant. There was a fresh breeze coming from the sea, leaving the day not too hot and neither too cold. It was really perfect. Besides taking pictures of the building, Zessel did the same with the red colored sea.

The half-Arkanian didn’t know what to say when Levet finished his story. The Mandalorian didn’t seem the type to send other people to hospital. He seemed to be so nice. However, Zessel should remember that the other boy came from a warrior culture. Yet, by his parents' reaction, the white-haired Padawan was sure that sending other children to hospital wasn’t accepted by them.

Oh, this one is good!” he smiled, before putting his EZPhone back on his backpack. “I have no idea!” he said naturally, a smile on his lips while he stared at Levet’s helmet. “The only thing that I can remember was that I woke up one day in the medical bay of an orphanage in Nubia and three days later, a Jedi appeared to find Force sensitive children among the orphans. I was one of them.

I really can’t remember what had happened before that day. The people in the orphanage said that it happened because I hit my head the day before after falling from a tree. I had a really ugly wound in my head at the time, so I think that the story is true.” he shrugged, knowing that his story wasn’t very interesting. “Sometimes I wonder about the memories that I lost. If I could remember my parents, stuff like that.

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Levet Vizsla

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Levet's donned his helmet in time to hide his judgmental look as he listened to Zessel miss or ignore his sarcasm. The mandalorian did not push the subject. Instead he just took a deep breath and slightly shook his head. Maybe it was for the best.

"I'll wait until we stop to eat some more." His stomach growled in protest but he ignored it. He did not want to keep taking his helm off and on repeatedly.

Zessel was not the only one who had been kidnapped. Levet had been captured by slavers on Kashyyyk after the attempted Hapan invasion. But that was story for later. The padawan did not want to seem like he was irreverant of Zessel's trauma. The experience had not been that bad and in fact Levet had used the opportunity to impact the slaver's operations after they took him to Tatooine. Thankfully he had linked back up with his master afterwards and made an effort to thwart the trafficking of sentient and non-sentient beings. Still, it was not an experience Levet was looking to repeat.

Levet listened to the half-arkanian's origin story. It was interesting and surprising in equal measure to hear the padawan had lost his memory. "In Mando'a there's a phrase, Cin Vhetin. It means "White Field" which represents new beginnings like land covered in fresh snow. Maybe you got a fresh start to your life, one you can choose." Levet was not sure if it was blessing or a curse to not be able to recall his own biological parents. He did not think he was knowledgeable enough on the subject to speak intelligently about it so he kept any other comments to himself. "We have another saying in Mando'a.... 'Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'wadaas'la'. It means, 'Nobody cares who your father was, only the father you'll be.' Basically what matters is what you do going forward, not your past." Considering his own history, Levet felt like he needed to believe in that mind set. There were sure to be many mistakes in the future but even then he hoped to learn from them. Actions speak louder than words when it comes to Mandalorians.

Entering the shop, Levet perused the disposable cameras. After a few minutes he decided to pick one out that was on the pricy side but that was to be expected at a tourist destination. If the human had wanted a decent price he should have shopped for one before coming on this trip. As soon as he got the camera he took a candid snapshot of Zessel, followed up by an arm-length selfie while he held up the peace sign.

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Zessel

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Okay, seems a good idea.” Zessel said, while demonstrating his support of the idea with a nod. He wasn’t hungry at the moment, with the blondies having filled him a little for now. The half-Arkanian also didn’t mind if they went to eat later that day, especially because he wanted to explore the city at the moment. There were so many interesting places to see.

Cin… Vhetin?” Zessel frowned, while whispering the words that Levet had said some times. He probably killed the pronunciation in the process. The Mandalorian language had some difficult words, but the half-Arkanian thought that it was interesting. “Maybe, but I still want to know who I was before losing my memory.

When Levet said the Mandalorian saying, Zessel didn’t try to repeat. It was long and with so many difficult words that the white-haired boy didn’t even dare to pronounce half of it. “I think about how I’ll be in the future, too. I want to be a good Jedi.” he wanted to become a great Jedi, because this way he would be able to help other people.

Mando’a has so many cool words. Would you be able to teach it to me?” Zessel said, looking at Levet with puppy-like eyes. “I only know Galactic Basic, so I thought that having another language could be good.

When they entered the camera shop, Zessel went to look at the products in the stands. Since he started his holo channel, the half-Arkanian became more interested in these electronics and the resources that it had to offer. There were some new models being sold, but they were too expensive for him.

Sadly, Zessel would need to stay with his old one. Maybe when he gets more followers, he would have enough credits to buy a better one.

After Levet bought the camera, the two Padawans left the shop. Zessel smiled when the Mandalorian photographed him, before turning to look at his EZPhone. After giving a look at his latest video, the one about his critical analysis regarding his visit to Ellora, the half-Arkanian saw that it had a lot of views. It gave him an idea.

I have a holo channel where I post videos of my recipes, but people seem to like the one that I did about my visit on Ellora.” he showed the channel to Levet. The name Zessel Zeist Creations in very large letters. “My therapist said that it would be a good example for other children with ADHD, to encourage them to find their talents and all that stuff. What do you think if we make a video about our day? We could show local food and places. You would be the special guest.

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Levet Vizsla

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Levet gave a nod at Zessel's pronunciation. It was not perfect but close enough to be accurate. The mandalorian then shrugged after the half-arkanian voiced his desire to know his past. It seemed fair to want that and he could not think of any reason to think otherwise.

"Same." Levet answered simply in regards to being a good Jedi. But it was far from easy. His Mandalorian heritage often felt at odds with the doctrine of the Jedi Order. But it was one of many trials he knew he would have to deal with, likely for the entirety of his life.

"Sure. I'd be happy to give it a shot. I'm... not much of a teacher though." The shoulders of the padawan rose and fell in a humble shrug. Then a thought crossed his mind. Would my family think it wrong to teach an outsider, a non-mandalorian our language? It was just a language but also one of the six tenets of being a mandalorian. In a way, Mando'a was sacred to the warrior culture. Pushing the hesitation aside Levet decided to at least try to impart some of his culture. Nobody else had shown a genuine interest in learning about his heritage so Levet was excited to share it.

Levet could not help but raise a hidden eyebrow as he heard the news about Zessel's holo channel. He made a mental note to subscribe when he got the chance. "Wow that's cool. Dang, you have a decent amount of followers." By decent he meant impressive. His own master, Dash Pavan, was a holoflick star but Levet was still impressed by the relative fame his peer had cultivated.

Wait, I'm going to be seen by a ton of people? He hesitated to answer right away. Zessel was very open and shared details about themselves easily. Privacy was important to the young mandalorian however and having his likeness viewed by untold numbers repeatedly made him feel shy. "Uh...I guess. I mean, yeah! That'd be cool." He gave a nervous chuckle and touched the back of his helmet sheepishly. It was probably good for him to get out of his comfort zone.

"Do you still want to go to the beach? I kind of want to go swimming if we get the chance. The water is safe...I think."
He wanted to see the local flora and fauna that thrived in the environment. More than that, Levet wanted to immerse himself in the living Force that flowed all around the planet. He had felt a connection the moment they had landed and wanted to follow his instincts.

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Zessel

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Cool!” Zessel said, excited with the idea of learning Mando’a. He couldn’t wait to learn a new language besides Galactic Basic. Maybe someday he and Levet would be able to have entire conversations with the Mandalorian’s language. Then, the half-Arkanian had the idea of teaching the other boy something too.

What do you think of baking? I can teach you some recipes.” he offered, wondering if the Mandalorian would like to learn it. “Do you like any special type of sweet?” he asked, being curious to know if Levet had a favorite dessert. If the other boy really had one, Zessel would make it for him the next time that they met, besides teaching him how to do it.

Oh, thanks.” Zessel’s cheeks got pink. He never thought that his channel was cool. It sort of started an experiment, encouraged by his psychiatrist. The white-haired boy never thought that other people would feel interested in watching him bake. The Padawan stared at the number of his followers. They have really increased in the past months.

I received an invitation for the Teens Baking All’ Stars in Sernpidal city. It’s a baking competition.” Zessel said, still looking at his channel. He could still remember when it started, with the Life Day cookies. Now there were so many other videos. “I don’t know if I should accept. It seems cool, though, I watched some old seasons and the jurors are really nice.” he confessed. His therapist and the adults of the Temple said that it would be a fun experience, but he felt that his abilities weren’t good enough. “Do you think that I should join?

Zessel noticed Levet’s reaction to his offer to participate in a video with him. While the Mandalorian accepted the offer in the end, the half-Arkanian decided that he should be careful to not make the other boy uncomfortable. He was proud of himself for finally becoming a conscious person.

Of course! I still want to see the sea. We can start the video here.” he smiled, while waiting to walk toward the beach. "Did you went to beach before?"

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Levet Vizsla

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Levet thought back to when he still lived on New Mandalore and probably not for the last time that day. "I've never tried baking before unless you count licking the spatula. But it would be nice to have some mandalorian dishes every now and again. Maybe I'll give it a shot." Then the padawan would be able to have a bit home wherever he went. "I like caramel a lot. Candied nuts are probably my favorite thing ever. I could eat those all day." He thought it best to return the question after a momentary delay. "What about you?" Levet was not used to people asking questions about him.

"No prob. Food always brings people together." The more he thought about it the more he was convincing himself to practice cooking going forward. The Jedi Order had not given him many opportunities to prepare his own food. But maybe some day a feast would be the peaceful answer to a conflict. It was worth practicing if for no other reason than his own preferences and self sufficiency.

Sernpidal, it sounded familiar but Levet could not point it out on the galactic map if he was asked. But a competition none-the-less sounded exciting. "Dang, okay master pâtissier." The other padawan would receive an impressed nod. "Yeah, why not? Shoot your shot." He almost gave Zessel's shoulder a gentle nudge with his fist but stopped short and pulled the hand back, switching to a pointing finger and refraining from making contact. He had made it clear he did not like physical contact and Levet didn't want to infringe on his personal space.

"Yeah. I went to the oceans on New Mandalore a few times on vacations but I was pretty young. I've never been on my own, or at least relatively speaking." Technically there were still Jedi Knights probably keeping an eye on them from a distance or enjoying themselves also in the area. But it was different from being a child and having a parent or guardian holding their hand wherever they went.

"I might not look it with this armor but I'm actually a pretty good swimmer." Levet was not such a good swimmer that he could wear his armor and stay afloat, at least not with how it was set up now. Swimming was also a great form of exercise. Maybe with some modifications the mandalorian would be able to submerge fully armored but he intended to take his armor off once they got the beach. "Have you ever been to the beach?"

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Zessel

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Next time after I finish baking, the spatula will be yours.” Zessel laughed, he also liked to lick the spatula. Perhaps the two would need to fight for the utensil. “I know how to make some sweets with caramel, but never tried to make candied nuts. I'll give it a try when we go back to the Temple.” the half-Arkanian loved trying new things in the kitchen. He used to see it as challenges to be overcome. The candied nuts would be a priority in his list.

If he was able to make them, candied nuts would be the next baking video in his channel.

I totally agree with it. One of the reasons why I continue baking is because it has the effect of bringing people together.” to Zessel, there was nothing more fun than talking with other people while they ate slices of cake or cookies. “Do you know, I never found someone that agreed with this idea before.” he said, while looking at Levet. “I'm happy that they put us together.” the white-haired boy smiled at the Mandalorian.

I'm not a master pâtissier.” the Padawan never thought about becoming one. Baking had started as a hobby to him, only now that it was starting to become something more. He was a Jedi and would never replace his vocation with something else. However, the competition could be fun. “I'll accept it.” he said, before sending a reply to the production of the Teens Baking All’ Stars.

I never went to the sea, not that I remember it.” Zessel shrugged, having no idea of what he did during the years before he lost his memory. “Maybe I went, since my orphanage was in Nubia and it had several beaches. Look! We arrived!” he pointed at the pale pink sand that ended in the red waters. “We should start recording.

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Levet Vizsla

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Levet looked forward to the baking lessons. He chuckled so that Zessel would know he approved of the offer regarding the spatula. The half-arkanian's enthusiasm was encouraging him to pursue baking too.

The more they spoke the more Levet was glad to be partnered up with Zessel on this trip. The two of them would make great friends. "Me too." He agreed and nodded for emphasis.

Seeing as Levet was willing to go out of his comfort zone it felt reassuring to hear Zessel do likewise. The padawan did not seem entirely confident in his own abilities but then again it was common for an outside observer to see things that others could not. Sometimes it took a bit of encouragement from a peer to take a step in the progressive direction of self improvement.

Levet took pictures along the way. There was architecture, people and occasionally some avian wild life worthy of capturing on camera. When they arrived at the beach the mandalorian took a moment to just enjoy the moment. The view was spectacular. The smell of the saline ocean filled his nose even through his helmet's filter. The sound of the waves coming and going in a never ending series of crashes and rushes was unique in each moment while also remaining similar to the rest. The experience stimulated each of Levet's senses. "Amazing."

He realized Zessel had said something then extrapolated from context he had probably meant to start filming. "Yeah. Go right ahead. I don't think my camera has a video function. Only stills." He took a quick snapshot of the landscape. It did not do the experience justice but it was still beautiful and would serve as a reminder in the future. After taking the picture he dropped down onto his butt in the pink sand and began to take off his armor starting with his helmet. Piece by piece the mandalorian stripped down until he was just wearing a pair of trousers and his utility belt. They were not swim trunks but they still protected his decency. Even his lightsaber and blaster pistol were set aside.

The blond hair of the Vizsla reflected the red and pink landscape while his blue eyes seemed to match the sky. He looked at Zessel curiously. "Have you been back to Nubia since joining the Order?" His thoughts returned to the last thing Zessel had said before abruptly changing subjects.

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Zessel

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Zessel picked his EZPhone. but before recording he took some time to appreciate the ocean. It was beautiful, with the blue sky contrasting with the red water below. He closed his eyes, feeling the salty breeze that was blowing toward the continent hit his face and the sound of the waves hitting the shore. It was very calming.

Okay.” Zessel said, while walking toward the sand. He walked through it, noticing how there were small shells scattered on it. Each one had different colors, probably meaning that they were different species. The Padawan turned his EZPhone to them and started to take pictures. Once he was satisfied, the half-Arkanian turned to the sea.

Later, when he returned to the Temple, Zessel would remove the sound of the video and add a narration about the place. He was getting pretty good with video editing that he didn’t even need help from others anymore.

Rather than removing all his clothes like Levet did, Zessel only took off his shoes. He was already wearing shorts, meaning that he could approach the water since the waves weren’t high. He smiled at the feeling of the sand, then at how the water wasn’t cold. The sea here was warm, perhaps because this part of the planet was close to the tropics.

Levet’s voice made the half-Arkanian turn his attention to him. “No.” he said, before staring back at the water, watching how the waves hit it before going back to the ocean. “Never had the desire to go back here. Do you visit your homeworld many times?

@Darasuum
 

Levet Vizsla

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The mandalorian waded into the water only enough for it to splash along his calves at first. The water was refreshing but not as cold as he had expected. It was a welcome surprise. He could see himself spending hours on the beach. No wonder this place was a tourist attraction.

"I haven't yet since joining the Order. I occasionally send messages to my parents and get news about back home but..." It was weird talking about his homeworld. His biological family was just that, his family. But the Jedi Order was also his family. New Mandalore was home but so was Mandalore, so was Takodana. So many associations had made the young padawan feel slightly adrift and untethered.

Levet cleared his throat as he remembered why he had asked. "...I only bring it up because maybe going back will help bring back some memories. I've never been to Nubia but I'd visit if given the chance." It was his way of saying he would join Zessel if he wanted him to.

Levet also noticed the colorful shells of different shapes and sizes. He picked a few up and dusted the sand off of some. One was heavier than the others but the young mandalorian saw it was inhabited by a small hermit crab. It's tiny eye-stalks poked out from the shell to look at what had disturbed it.

"Hey little fella." He said softly. The hermit crab brandished its equally small pincers, ready to defend itself. The two creatures of significantly different size stared at one another briefly before. Levet was a lot like the tiny crustacean. The small animal liked to have a protective shell and probably left alone. He put the tiny crab back where he found it. "Sorry. I didn't meant to bother you." The tiny crab scuttled along the pink sand until it was swept up by the waves.

Levet continued to stare at the water with his knees drawn close to his chest. His mind wandered towards this and that but eventually returned to the present. He had forgotten he was not alone as he got lost in his own mind. An innocent smile creased his lips as he blinked and looked towards Zessel. He wondered if the half-arkanian had got that on camera.

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Zessel

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I see.” since he never met his parents, Zessel didn’t know what to say to Levet. He supposed that sending messages to his family would be good, but going to see them would be better. However, what the Mandalorian said early about the circumstances for him joining the Jedi made the white-haired boy believe that the other Padawan didn’t have a good relationship with them.

I read that Nubia is beautiful, full of beaches and mountains.” the half-Arkanian had in his possession some books about his ‘homeworld’, with most of the information about it coming from them. He never thought about going back there, even less that it could help him remember his past.

It makes sense. I’ll think about it.” Zessel said, moving his EZPhone toward the horizon. He could see some birds flying over it. While he should feel excited with the possibility of remembering about his past, the teenager feared what he was going to find here. What if he discovered that his parents were criminals? Or something worse?

What would he do if he discovered something like that?

He snapped out of these unnerving thoughts when he heard Levet talking with someone. Turning to look at him, Zessel saw the Mandalorian playing with a hermit crab. The arthropod had an orange shell and the white-haired boy thought that it was pretty. He recorded the scene, until the tiny animal rushed toward the sea and disappeared in the waves.

Zessel smiled back at Levet. “I think that it was a grumpy little fella.” he said, before stopping the recording. The half-Arkanian felt that it was enough for now. “How is your training being? Do you already have a Master?

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Levet Vizsla

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The subject of the two padawan's respective places of origin did not seem to be exciting or something Zessel was very interested in discussing further. Levet would not push it. The past was behind them. They both had their entire lives ahead and the present time to enjoy.

The Vizsla clan member quirked a smile and gave a soft laugh. "Yeah. I probably would be too if someone picked me up out of nowhere." His eyes glanced at the camera in Zessel's hands. It would probably be easier if they had a tiny probe droid that could hover close by or something similar that would allow Zessel to enjoy the beach rather than be stuck behind a camera.

Matters turned to his training which elicted a shrug from the padawan. "It's been good. Not bad." He stood up and dusted off some sand from his buttocks before beginning to walk along the beach. "My Master is Knight Dash Pavan. He's pretty busy but I get on well enough on my own. When he has the time he's a really good teacher. He's really good at cryokinesis but I don't think I have the same affinity for it. I like connecting with living things. Animals, plants, that sort of stuff. What about you?"

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Zessel

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Zessel chuckled, while sitting next to Levet on the sand in a distance that he felt that respected their personal spaces. “Probably I would do the same with the addition that I would pinch their fingers.” he mimicked the claws of the crab with his hands. “I don’t like to be held by strangers. I feel very uncomfortable with it.

Like Levet, Zessel also rose from the ground and cleaned himself from the sand. He followed the Mandalorian through the beach, while the other talked about his Master and his training. “Isn’t he that actor who is also the boyfriend of Ezra Thorne?” he asked, while remembering that piece of information from a tabloid that he read some time ago.

I never saw snow before, but the idea of playing with it seems so natural.” he said, after Levet had mentioned the cryokinesis. “I don’t know why I feel this way. I really want to see it. I heard that Arkania is completely covered with ice.” the thought of plains and mountains completely white made a smile appear on his lips. “I think that I would want to visit Arkania someday. Maybe you could go with me here.” he liked the Mandalorian’s company.

The white-haired boy concluded that they were friends now.

My Master is Akari Moriko. She is cool. We went to help some nobles one time and I really dislike nobility. They are annoying to deal with.” their disputes for power and attempts to kill each other were a headache.

While they walked through the beach, Zessel had an idea. “What do you think if we take a selfie together? To commemorate our visit to Berchest.

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Levet Vizsla

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"Same." He replied but felt it only scratched the surface of what he would do to someone that crossed him. Mandalorians were not known for their restraint.

On the subject of his master Levet looked a bit sheepish. "Yeah. Don't tell him but I haven't watched all of his flicks, yet. Oh maybe we could have a holo night and do a marathon or something. He's got some range from what I hear. I'm still not used to working with a holo-star." The Levet's disposition for privacy sometimes felt at odds with Dash's public image.

Levet's face could not help but keep a soft smile. He had forgotten what it felt like to have a friend his own age. He silently thanked both the Manda and the Force for such a blessing.

The blond teenager's face changed to one of genuine surprise. "What?! You've never felt snow before? Never had a winter before? Oh wow I mean, that's like .... it's like, indescribably cold, to the point that it feels like needles even. But you get used to it....kinda. I'd love to see Arkania. I hear they have dragons there." It was his dream to see the large creatures in person, maybe even ride one. But at that time he began to feel a rumbling in his stomach. Dragon breath? No, his lactose intollerance was beginning to act up. There must have been dairy in that blondie.

Levet ignored his growing discomfort in favor of listening to Zessel talk about his master. He did not recognize their name but would commit it to memory non-the-less. "I hear you. Pleasantries and pageantry isn't really my thing." He tried to not talk to much crap about his friend's master or her associations.

His stomach grumbled again but he continued to ignore it. It was easy to do that when Zessel suggested a selfie. "Hell yeah!" Levet grinned. "How should I stand? Are you gonna take it with the Force?" He kept aware of his distance from Zessel so they were still an arm's length apart at least but it made the periphery of the camera difficult to capture both of them if held only at arm's length. Jedi did not have to deal with that when they had telekinesis at their disposal. He jokingly struck a few comical poses.

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