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[Ferrin Sipal]

.

While Ferrin was happy to receive any mission that took him off Brighthome, the Pantoran was absolutely ecstatic upon hearing of his latest assignment - particularly when it was mentioned that he would be paired with a Jedi Councilor. For years, Ferrin had gone without a proper Master to guide his teachings, and had relied upon the standard curriculum offered within the walls of the Jedi Temples. It was a rare opportunity to glean something one of the more senior Jedi, and it meant that Ferrin took it all a touch more seriously than normal.

The Pantoran was adorned in his usual Jedi attire - sporting a hooded white tunic with matching pants, embroidered with a tan-colored symbol of the Jedi Order. His lilac hair was styled messily and frizzy from Kashyyyk’s humidity, while he carried a backpack full of supplies slung over his shoulder.

“Soo, like,” He asked after a bit of hiking, glancing over to the Togruta Jedi. Truth be told, he wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the Councilor - but none of that seemed to dampen his mood. “Where are we supposed to find these things?” He asked after a small pause. The Pantoran hadn’t even heard of a Raindancer before being assigned for the mission, but that was apparently what they were looking for.

Regardless of answer, Ferrin’s attention was drawn towards a particularly large and beautiful forest plant - exhibiting giant, violet-colored flowers the size of the Pantoran’s head. He stepped towards the plant, taking a moment to smell the sweet aroma and marvel at the flora. Before he could whip out his cheap Datapad to take a picture, the Pantoran was taken aback as the flower suddenly released a puff of pollen directly into the Padawan’s face.

He jumped back, feeling his eyes water. He brought an arm up to stifle the fit of coughs, deliberately not looking at Zak while attempting to place it off.

 

[Zakrym La]

It had been months since the fall of Yavin and Zak still felt the raw pang of guilt for not being there to help protect his family, the Order. Instead, he had been out trying to set up diplomatic meetings with representatives of planetary governments in hopes of creating new allies for the Jedi Order. Sith warships had prevented him from even re-entering the system to aid once news had reached him of the attack. However, he was able to help the refugees and survivors of the attack resettle on Kashyyyk once again. It was that work that had kept him so busy until recently.

It came to Zak's attention that an elusive species of creature resided deep within the forests of Kashyyyk, the Rain Dancer. These diminutive dragons held a unique connection to the Force and a sort of semi-sentience that completely intrigued the Jedi Councilor, his interest had been captured entirely by them. During the scant few hours of downtime he managed to eek out between humanitarian shifts, Zak would meditate and study the Dancers. He learned of their preferred habitats, their familial bonds, and their courtship rituals. Zak had determined to see the dazzling display of a Rain Dancer Gala for himself.

Ordinarily, Zak would have taken his Padawan, Lucifrey Sol with him on this journey. However, the young woman was more than ready to face her trials and had been focused entirely on preparing herself to face them. This left Zakrym with a mixture of emotions to deal with, on one hand he was beyond proud of the woman she had grown into but on the other, her promotion to Knight signified the end of their relationship as Master and Apprentice. It also meant that Zakrym would need to find a new Padawan to share his knowledge and beliefs with, while also fostering an environment they could flourish in.

It was a daunting task.

For that reason, Zakrym had taken the time in the last few days to look into surface levels of files on different Padawans within the Order. The first two Padawans to catch his eye had been a Chalactan teenager named Samara Draven and a Pantoran teen named Ferrin Sipal. Both of the Padawans had dealt with traumatic experiences that threatened to shape them, not only as people, but as Jedi as well. As such, Zakrym had invited the pair of them to share in the journey through Kashyyyk and experience this with him.

Zak had reached out to the pair of Padawans and sent them coordinates to where the trio would meet. He had bumped into Ferrin as he made his way from the village at the edge of the forest they would be venturing into. As such, he had traveled with the young man a short ways and to the bank of a small creek that had broken off from a mighty river, a river they would be following deeper into the forest. He knew that the river would lead them to the scant ruins nestled on it's bank. These ruins had once been a walled Jedi outpost during an ancient war against the Sith and it was within those ruins, if rumors were to be believed, that the beginning of a Rain Dancer Gala was taking place.

Zak, as with most Togruta, disliked wearing clothing that was too thick and had opted to forgo the robes he typically wore while outside of the Order. Instead, he wore a simple outfit, meant to allow a freedom of movement without sacrificing some protection against insects and the elements. In addition, Zak wore a backpack containing trail mix for all three of them and three canteens and both of his lightsabers had been clipped to either sides of his waist.Zak was crouched by the creek, filling three canteens, one by one, with water which would be filtered as it passed into the containers as Ferrin called out to him and asked him a question about the Rain Dancers. Zak's back was to the young man as he worked and so Ferrin wouldn't see the gentle smirk of amusement that touched the Togruta's lips.

"Inquisitiveness is a good thing." Zakrym had thought shortly before he heard the young man entering into a coughing fit.

Zak paused in his task to glance over his shoulder at Ferrin and saw the fading spore cloud that had choked the young man. Zak stood up and made his way to Ferrin's side with a canteen in his hand. He would gently place a hand on Ferrin's shoulder when he had reached him. Zak would offer Ferrin the canteen with a gentle smile.

"Here." He stated simply as he extended the canteen to Ferrin. "Rinse your eyes and wash your face with this." Zak instructed calmly.

@Altaris @llamallove

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin was practically in tears by the time Zak walked over, desperately attempting to stifle down his coughing and the watering of his eyes. Whatever had puffed spores in his face probably wasn’t poisonous, but still wasn’t pleasant to inhale. The Pantoran glanced over to the Councilor and his instructions, flashing a sheepish grin at moment. “I’m all good,” He said confidently, accepting the bottle of water to do exactly as instructed.

Fortunately, it didn’t take the Pantoran very long to get it all out of his system - and he deliberately avoided sticking his nose into any other exotic looking plantlife. Instead, Ferrin trailed right alongside Zak - hands stuffed into his pockets.

“Soo,” He asked after a few moments, glancing over to the Togruta. “Any idea where the other chick is?” The Pantoran knew there was another Padawan that was supposed to be part of their group, but otherwise knew nothing about the girl or her whereabouts. Just his luck, she was probably being digested by some oversized Pitcher Plant, and they’d spend the rest of their journey saving her ass.

Ferrin glanced down at his datapad, once again pulling up the map. Naturally, the updated GPS had no marker that denoted the location of Jedi ruins, or really anything except the nearest Wookiee village - thirty miles away. He squinted a bit, once again defying to the all-knowing wisdom of a Jedi Councilor to ensure they weren’t, in fact, just walking in a bit circle.

“Here’s hopin’ we actually find these Rain Dancers to bond with.” He said, a grin appearing across his lips.

@Apollyon @llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

Rain Dancers. When Master La's invitation to accompany he and another Padawan on a trek in search of Rain Dancers had first arrived, Samara had pictured a seven foot Wookiee dancing counter clockwise with larger than life enthusiasm, roaring up at the sky in Shyriiwook, petitioning whatever gods the Wookiees may or may not have believed in to open the heavens and let rain fall on Kashyyyk's forests.

Nothing like what the Jedi Master actually had in mind. Flying reptiles no larger than a household cat with a baffling connection to the Force. That sounded more interesting anyway.

With the help of a local Wookiee girl that had spotted Samara wandering outside the village and taken sympathy on her, pointing her in the right direction, the Chalactan strode toward the coordinates she'd been sent. A forked river outside of the Wookiee's village that butted up to the forest. The Chalactan wore a Black Selkath t-shirt with a leather jacket, a pair of dark pants, and black combat boots laced up to the shin. The only splash of color on her were the violet streaks in her hair and the purple sling backpack that hung from one shoulder.

The Chalactan was excited but not oblivious to the knot in the pit of her stomach. This would be her first mission to accompany a Jedi Councilor on, and she wanted to make a good first impression. Councilors and Knights alike were in short supply these days, following all the bad publicity the Jedi had received in recent years and the fall of both Dantooine and Yavin IV. Now more than ever, the Jedi were nomads. Defenders with declining numbers. Those experienced Jedi that remained were out working, not hanging around Brighthome. They didn't have time to hang around the academy and train Padawans.

"Here," she said, catching the tail end of their conversation, raising a hand as if she were sitting in class and waiting for the teacher to call on her. She stepped over a fallen log and joined the pair of Jedi at the river bank, violet eyes darting between each of them in turn. Councilor La she had, naturally, heard of. The other Padawan she had seen once or twice before but never spoken to. "Sorry I'm late."
So much for making a good first impression. @Altaris @Apollyon

 

[Zakrym La]

Zak watched as Ferrin washed his face from the pollen. Once Zak was certain the reaction had ended he gave Ferrin a gentle, warm smile and patted him softly on the back.

"I'm glad." Zak replied, his gaze would flicker back down the canteen given Ferrin. "We'll need to refill that." He continued, his calm and kind demeanor never wavering for the briefest of moments.

With that Zak would begin to make his way towards the creek's edge as the young man began to question where the "other chick" was. It was a fair question, Samara was a little late, Zak was slightly concerned about the tardiness, this was Kashyyyk and there were several predators that lurked on it's surface. As Zak went to answer the young man, a feminine voice called out with a simple indication that they were present. Zak glanced in her direction, there was the young Chalactan woman, in a most unusual outfit for the journey they were about to undergo. Regardless, Zak gave the Padawan the same genuinely warm smile that he had given Ferrin.

"I'm glad you made it safely." Zak told her. "That is what really matters." He continued.

Once he had greeted Samara, his attention would shift back to Ferrin as the Pantoran teen brought up the Rain Dancers. A mirthful chuckle would escape from the Jedi Councilor's lips. Now that their group was gathered, Zak's attention would shift between the two Padawans as he spoke.

"That's the goal Ferrin." He explained as a grin settled in on his face. "Before we start this outing, how much do either of you know about Rain Dancers?" Zak asked, his gaze shifting between the two Padawans.

As the pair of Padawans gave their replies, Zak would fish out the filtration straw from his pack and reach out to take the canteen from Ferrin. Once the young man had given it back, Zak would fix the straw into the canteen and form a seal around the straw with his fingers and dip the canteen into the water at surface level. He wasn't sure if either Padawan knew how to utilize filtration straws, if they didn't he had gone through the initial steps of forming a seal slow enough for them to be able to watch and see.

@Altaris @llamallove

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin was about to glance down at his old Datapad out of idle boredom - only for the sound of a feminine voice to catch his attention at the last second. The Pantoran glanced up, immediately locking eyes with the Chalactan girl that formed the third and final member of their little group. He didn’t miss her Rock T-shirt and dark attire, allowing his gaze to linger for a few moments longer than necessary.

After a moment, the Pantoran offered her a friendly smile. “Hey, glad to see you didn’t get eaten.” He said with a wave of his hand, amusement dancing in his eyes. It was kind of the same sentiment that Zak offered. Kind of.

“I’m Ferrin,” He jutted a thumb back to himself, covering the bases of introductions before they began their little journey into the wilderness. The Pantoran tucked the pack a bit higher onto his shoulders, tightening the strap while Zak refilled their canteen. While he probably should’ve been paying attention to the filtration straw and all that useful information, the Pantoran instead glanced over to Samara. “Black Selkath,” He jutted a chin, flashing her an approving grin. “Nice.” It was clear he’d found a fellow fan, and Ferrin planned to completely fanboy with the Chalactan during the course of their journey.

When Zak spoke, Ferrin immediately snapped his attention back to the Councilor. “Uh,” He blinked a few times, running a hand through his lilac hair. “Not much, to be honest. I know what they look like, and that they apparently have some wack-y hookup dance. And that they bond with Force Users.” He grinned a bit, clearly satisfied with his answer.

“Soo..” He looked between Samara and Zak, “Is this the part where he start lookin’ for Rain Dancer droppings to track them?”

@Apollyon @llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

Relief washed over the Padawan the moment she realized Councilor La wasn't about to lambaste her for being late, and as a result she suddenly felt lighter. Not even Kashyyyk's muggy atmosphere weighed her down. The Chalactan hadn't known what to expect, him being one of the highest ranking Jedi within the Order and she one of the lowest, but the Togruta brushed her tardiness off like cool whip. Had it been Master Paploo standing opposite her, the Chagrian would have stared down at her out of black, flat eyes, snorted, and muttered something disagreeable under his breath before repeating it in a louder, more assertive voice just to make sure she heard.

Once she was convinced that she was in no immediate danger with her superior, she turned her attention to the other Padawan. A good looking Pantoran with golden eyes and a head of eye-catching lilac hair, he introduced himself as Ferrin. It was nice to have a name to put with the face she'd seen around Brighthome, but it was the approving grin he jutted toward her Black Selkath t-shirt that would be the building block of any camaraderie the two Padawans might share on this excursion.

"Samara," she replied in turn, lips lifting into a grin to rival the Pantoran's. Automatically, she glanced down at the t-shirt, violet eyes lighting up. "You a fan too?" It was more of a rhetorical question than anything else, a segway into, "I'd like to see them perform live some day."
The old geezers had to be in their seventies by now, but they still made select appearances from time to time. A melophile since childhood, her straight-laced grandfather had tried to steer her toward classical music, favoring Wolfgung Amedda Marshoo in particular, but Samara had always had a proclivity toward the catchy melodies of rock and had, since joining the Order, attended several music festivals with her friends. It was nice to find a common interest right off the bat with the other Padawan, as it helped calm her nerves.

She would've asked Councilor La if he, too, was a fan, but bit her tongue. The Togruta was ready to get down to business, and she had already wasted enough of their time. What did she know about Rain Dancers? Very little. Even less than she had imagined as it turned out, which she realized as soon as Ferrin mentioned a "wack-y hook up dance" they performed to attract a mate. Boy, was she glad that these Rain Dancers weren't the fully grown Wookiees she had originally imagined them to be. She blew out a breath of air, trying to get that image out of her head.

"Couldn't we just lure them in or something?" she suggested, still watching the Councilor, since the other Padawan's comment about animal droppings was a joke. She hoped. "With bait?" Not that she knew what Rain Dancers liked to eat. All she had on her was some jerky, a bag of Calamari Crisps, and two strips of Tepasi taffy—a gift from her grandmother. @Altaris @Apollyon

 

[Zakrym La]

Zak smiled as the Padawans gathered together and began to exchange pleasantries and interests with one another. He personally had no idea what the pair were talking about, but he was happy to see them getting along, nonetheless. Zak didn’t bother interrupting their exchange, he wanted to see how they interacted with each other as much as he wanted to test how they handled issues as individuals and as a team. Eventually, the two began to answer the question that Zak had presented them with.

Ferrin had some knowledge of what Rain Dancers were. It was rudimentary but it was more than enough for Zak to build a quick lesson from. It was important that the two of them learn from him both directly and through observation. The knowledge he could and would impart to them could eventually be integral for their duties as a fully fledged Jedi Knights after all.

“That’s right Ferrin!” Zak said, an amused grin had spread across his face at the teen’s response. “Or, it sort of is.” He began. “Rain Dancers do have a courtship ritual and they are capable of building a Force Bond.” He explained. “However, it is so much more than that. You see, Rain Dancers usually build a Force Bond with their mate. This enables them to feel what their mate is feeling or even see their mate through the Force in times of extreme stress or danger. It is a very intimate connection.” Zak continued. “When a Force Sensitive, like either of you or me, manages to capture a Rain Dancer, we can build a Force Bond with it, yes. However, it comes at a cost for that Rain Dancer, because they can only ever build one Force Bond and if it isn’t with a mate…” Zak’s voice would trail off to allow the Padawans to understand the cost associated with owning a Rain Dancer.

“However, I don’t believe we will be finding many adolescent Rain Dancers on this trip. Nor do I think we will need to lure any of them to us.” Zak clarified, quickly shifting his attention to Samara. Zak would give the teen a small smirk and nod at her suggestion, approval for her quick thinking. “Instead, we will be going to one of their…’wack-y hook up dances’.” Zak explained, he would pause and give Ferrin a playful wink. “I think you will enjoy what awaits us though Padawans, Rain Dancer Galas are quite the display!” He finished and turned to follow the creek upstream. “Come on then you two! You can ask me questions as we travel.” He called out to pair of them as he started their journey into the depths of the Kashyyykian forest.

@llamallove @Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

“Neat,” Ferrin said after a moment, listening to everything that Zak said. In truth, the Pantoran was.. Ever-so-slightly disappointed that they likely weren’t going to bond with a Rain Dancer. He understood the implications, of course, but that didn’t deter the Padawan from still wanting to bond with one of the creatures as a companion.

He glanced over to Samara, flashing the girl a grin as they walked. “Aren’t they having a concert on Ord Mantell soon? What I wouldn’t give to go,” He shook his head. The Pantoran arched a brow ever-so-slightly when Zak gestured for them to follow, seemingly knowing exactly what he was doing, without explaining how they were going to find the Rain Dancers.

“First question,” Ferrin said, following close behind the Jedi Councilor. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, carefully avoiding spots on the jungle floor that seemed particularly slippery - hoping to avoid dirtying his nice boots too much.

“How exactly do you know where you’re going?”

@Apollyon @llamallove

 

[Samara Draven]

Councilor La did not join in on the Padawan's initial exchange, but that didn't surprise the Chalactan. He didn't really strike her as a Black Selkath fan. She pegged him as more of a Space Supply kinda guy. If he started humming Makin' Love out of Nothing once they located the Rain Dancers, there would be no doubt about it.

"I've been trying to get my hands on some tickets for weeks," Samara replied, violet gaze flicking over to meet the Pantoran's briefly. Pale fingers rapped, as if to the beat of unheard music, against the strap of the purple backpack slung over her shoulder. The concert had been sold out for months, and so far she had been outbid at every turn for resale tickets online. It was no secret that Padawans didn't have a lot of money to throw around. "I'll let you know if I do."
Ancient wroshyr trees twisted and stretched across the river, each branch that grew from their boughs swaying in the breeze. Samara fell in step behind the Jedi Councilor, although the path she cut was a little more indirect than his own. There was one question that had been bugging her ever since she had learned about the Rain Dancer's mating ritual, but she hadn't plucked up the nerve to ask. Now that questions were encouraged...

"Does anyone else think it's a little... weird to spy on two animals trying to... to—you know—mate?" Kinky was so not the word she wanted to use in front of a Jedi Councilor, so she settled on 'weird.' "I mean—doesn't that make us sort of like peeping toms?" It wasn't as if they'd accidentally flipped onto the animal planet channel and seen it by mistake. They were trekking through the wilds of Kashyyyk for the express purpose of watching two animals do the devil's tango, and she really wasn't sure she wanted to witness that firsthand. @Apollyon @Altaris