Ask Lovely Livien Landing

Ariadne Harro

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Livien, edge of the Tion Cluster​

Ariadne pulled up hard on the control stick of her Order owned E-wing as the fire of atmospheric reentry danced across its hull. She had stopped in the Livien system for a navigational change when she had been set upon by pirates. Really they had attacked her almost the moment she had dropped out of hyperspace and it had taken every bit of her piloting skill to escape them and limp to the backwater planet that she was currently about to land on. Land. Crash. Same difference right?

Gritting her teeth as she strained against the g's, she silently prayed to the Force that atmospheric reentry wouldn't tear the starfighter apart as it shook and groaned against the strain. With a final flare-burst, the craft broke through the layer of atmosphere and began a rough dive towards the surface.

Pull up. Pull up. Pull up.

The mantra repeated in her head as she fought against the failing crafts desire to plummet nose first into the hard earth below. After a few harrowing moments, Knight Ariadne Harro managed to guide the craft into a clumsy glide. Thank the Force it had been designed with some manner of aerodynamics in mind.

Grip tight on the stick, Ariadne scanned the horizon for a suitable crash-landing site as the ship soared shakily through the air. Settling on a small lake in the distance, the Jedi Knight winces as she heard a clang and a break and a quick glance at the diagnostics told her that her R-units head had just popped off. Poor droid.

There was no time for grief however as the lake came up fast. An attempt at firing the maneuvering thrusters to slow her descent was a no go, and the ship hit the water fast. A massive geyser of water marked her impact as her body snapped against the starfighter's seat harness, the well crafted device holding her in place and preventing her from becoming a bloody smear against the canopy.

Water swiftly began to rise above the level of the cockpit. Head still swimming from the impact, Ariadne popped the harness release. Grabbing the small survival kit stored in the cockpit, she took a deep breath pressed the canopy release.

Ghrrrrkkkkk!

A loud grinding sound echoed through the cockpit, followed by a rush of water as the small space began to fill, the canopy failing to open more than a crack due to some mechanical failure. Slamming a palm against the canopy, Ariadne cried out as water rose up to her chest, the light of the surface fading as the starfighter began to sink into the lake.

 

Skade Wulfsbane

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The locals had spotted the starfighter off its trajectory from the moment it broke into the atmosphere. Skade had been helping a local village with a bandit problem, and she looked up when a child ran in to shout about a ‘falling star’. The Deucalian threw back the mug of ale she had been drinking, slapping down a cup with two dice in it on the table. She looked at the men across from her.

“Game isn’t finished, I’ll be back,” Skade said before she rose and asked the child to lead the way. Livien was more or less an insignificant planet, and it had no real connection to the outside galaxy. This meant it often fell prey to outside invaders without any way to defend itself. Skade often took on odd jobs like these and steered clear of the ecumenopolis planets. Her path led her here to support the locals and she stopped by for a few days. A ship entering the atmosphere like this was sure to spell trouble.

Skade arrived at the edge of the lake shortly after the ship landed in it. She held the child back from going further, glancing at the little girl, “Listen, I need you to wait here. Got an important job for you,” The child’s eyes lit up. Skade took her axes off her hips, setting them down, “Need you to keep these safe for me.”

The child practically squealed with delight. Skade didn’t waste further time, rushing towards the lake and diving in without a second thought. She could see the ship sinking, and she could sense there was someone inside - the distress from them was almost palpable. Skade kicked with her powerful legs, bringing herself towards the canopy release. It was only partially open, but she could hook her hands around the edge.

Skade pulled with all her might, the gravity assisting in her endeavors as the ship continued to sink. With a loud groan, the top came off far enough to allow her to get through. She flipped upside down to get around the surface, glimpsing into the ship and spotting a woman there. She grabbed the woman by the arms, yanking her close before she flipped upright again and began to swim up.

It took a bit for them to break the surface, but Skade dragged the woman to shore, helping ease her down on the edge. She gazed down at the woman to see how she was faring - she hadn’t really paid attention during the rescue.
 

Ariadne Harro

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Ariadne banged on the canopy of the E-wing, gasping against it as the water rose up to her chin. Panic began to rise in her chest as her mind raced. All her years in academy spent studying, her years training as a Jedi, wasted to die in a watery grave on some nowhere planet with nobody to know what happened to her. She had been right, she hadn't been ready for the promotion to knighthood, she wasn't ready to be a Jedi Knight.

The water came up over her face as she took a quick breath of what little air remained and half a mouthful of water. What was she thinking, she was a Jedi. She had a lightsaber. Her hand grabbed at her waist as she felt the water in her lungs, only to come away empty. Her head swam as she questioned what had happened to her saber, darkness of both the deep water and her own submerging consciousness now only light by a green glow from the ships console.

Green.

Like her lightsaber.

Ariadne's eyes gazed down as they began to droop, down into the green glow as she struggled to put two and two together. She could feel herself fading fast and she tried to focus her mind, slow her heart and, if she had been able to, her breathing. Bathed in the green glow she was almost shocked out of the trance as something hit the ship. She could barely make out a woman's face in the darkness of her own sight and the water, barely lit by the glowing green console. Her eyes closed as the canopy lifted and she could feel strong arms grab her with ease and pull her free.

She was drifting, rough arms around her as she could feel them beginning to ascend. In front of her she could see her ship, the E-wing, sinking further down into the lake, a faint green glow coming from the cockpit. A candle in the dark.

And then there was only darkness.

Unconscious, Ariadne was barely breathing as her rescuer eased her onto the shoreline. Half-drowned and lingering in a hasty trance, the Jedi was almost a breath away from death. Her head flopped unceremoniously onto the gritty sand of the lakeshore and her white tunic clung to her, soaked to the bone. Mouth half open, a small trickle of water drained from the corner of her lips, propelled by the shallowest of breaths.

 

Skade Wulfsbane

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Skade stared down at the woman who wasn’t moving. Slight panic began to set in as the Deucalian looked around helplessly before recalling some of her training with the Jedi. The little girl came over and began to ask a litany of questions, all of which were ignored by Skade.

She tilted the woman’s head back to help her attempt to breathe. Slapping the face lightly did nothing. Skade leaned down to breathe into her mouth before drawing back to do chest compressions. The woman would have to wake up and cough up water before she could breathe properly, or that’s how Skade had seen it before. She kept pressing down on her chest.

“Be gentle, you’re going to break her like that!” The little girl shouted.

That was when Skade looked up at the child, eyes narrowing to give her a searing glare. However, the compressions became more gentle after that. She pinched the woman’s nose and breathed into her mouth again before doing more compressions.

“Come on,” She said through gritted teeth, “It is not your day to dine with the Old Gods.”
 

Ariadne Harro

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Ariadne's consciousness was a faint light in a darkened room, the halls of her mind dark. Clinging to the meditation trance, the slight remaining glimmer of her awake mind startled as breath entered her lungs.

Thumpt.

Thumpt.

Thumpt.

A loud knock at the doorway in the darkness repeated rhythmically. A steady urgent beat that battered at her peaceful sleep. Her last sleep.

Another breath. She felt its deliverance this time with a pinched nose and rough lips.

Thumpt.

Thumpt.

Thumpt.

The knocking at the door grew louder, more insistent, and she struggled to open her eyes, not wanting to get out of bed but knowing she had to answer the door. But she wasn't in her bed. Hard gravel and gritty sand pillowed her head. Fine linen sheets clung wet to her as a Jedi's tunic, suffocating.

She heard a mutter at the door as she began to claw free of the bed. The maid calling her for breakfast. No it wasn't dinner time.

The old gods were calling.

Ariadne gasped deeply as her eyes shot open, lungs clawing for the air that her rescuer delivered through her lips. She jerked free from the kiss of life as she rolled onto her side, spitting water from her lungs and clutching her chest painfully, coughing in a violent fit.

With a wipe of her lip, Ariadne looked up from her place on the ground to her rescuer. A woman, strong enough to save her life from the death trap that Ariadne had landed in. Shifting onto her hip and sitting up, she put her weight on one arm, wincing and clutching her forearm to her chest in pain as she shifted what was no doubt a cracked rib or two.

"You... you saved my life." She stammered as she tried to get her bearings, eyes moving from her rescuer to the surrounded landscape, a dark blue lake, a rocky shore. A small fishing village dwelling on its edge.

"Thank you stranger, I... I am in your debt." She said, turning her eyes back to her rescuer as she really looked at her for the first time. There was no doubt in her mind as her mind caught up to her body, if not for the woman she would be dead at the bottom of the lakebed. A drowned corpse in a metal tomb.

 

Skade Wulfsbane

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The little girl started to cheer and dance as soon as the woman began to cough and spit out water. Skade gave her some space, waiting till she finally caught her breath again. She didn’t miss the way the woman clutched at her chest, knowing it was likely from the ribs. Skade’s eyes flicked over to the dancing little girl. Maybe she should have been more gentle…

The Deucalian’s focus turned back to the woman, gazing into the beautiful eyes that reminded her of tumultuous seas. Skade offered a grin at her words, “Was not your day to die,” She said simply as she rose to stand, offering both her hands to help the woman to her feet.

“Don’t see too many off worlders here,” Skade remarked quietly, “Let’s get back to the village so you can dry up.”

Skade looked over at the little girl, “Oy, run ahead and tell Ollie to clear a room.”

The girl gave a salute, giggled and quickly ran off. The Deucalian wasn’t concerned with displaying that she was Jedi, and she promptly used the Force to call her axes to herself, clipping both on in succession to her hips. Skade would support the woman on the way back towards the village, some of the locals standing outside and dotting the edge of it to see what the commotion was about.
 

Ariadne Harro

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Ariadne gulped, a swallow of what lung-water remained in her mouth as the giant of a woman locked eyes with her. Green, like the glow that had lit up the grave she had rescued the Jedi from. Grasping hold of the woman's rough and calloused hands that spoke of years of hard work and fighting, Ariadne was grateful for the help to her feet as her chest once again crackled with pain, an arm once more clutched to it once they were free.

"Of course," She replied, taken aback by the woman so easily brushing off her gratitude, "Still, I can't help but feel indebted to your bravery. It is not many that would dive to the bottom of a lake to rescue a stranger."

The comment about off-worlders and the village set Ariadne's mind working again as she struggled to piece events back together. The workings of her mind were again interrupted however as the current of the force suddenly shifted and a pair of axes flew to the woman's hands before taking their rest on her hips. "You-" She started before wincing and clutching at her chest once more. The giant of a woman had certainly cracked her ribs.

"You say that you don't see many off-worlders here." She finished, uncertain of whether to acknowledge the woman's display of the Force. She was on an unfamiliar planet, with an unfamiliar savior who displayed a prodigious degree of control over the mystic force for one who was untrained. As far as she was concerned the woman was a native to the world, she hadn't given her any reason to think otherwise as of yet.

As they approached the small village, Ariadne found herself more and more self conscious, thankful for the woman's support as the villager's closed around. Clutching her hand to her chest now not merely out of pain but modesty, Ari realized she must be quite the sight for this humble village, a woman pulled from the lake, barely concealed by her soaked white clothing. Perhaps white wasn't the color for her. A sympathetic woman from the village seemed to notice her plight, wrapping her with a fur-lined blanket that smelled of old hay as they approached the rustic looking tavern.

 

Skade Wulfsbane

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Skade actually paused to stare at the woman as she insisted on gratitude. It was a concept that always made her a little uncomfortable. She had been taught to say it as a courtesy since her time with the Jedi, but she didn’t usually enjoy being on the receiving end, “I am a Jedi, if you have ever heard of us. We do these things free of charge.”

She was very nonchalant about the reveal, clearly unconcerned about anyone’s opinions about her being a Jedi. If anyone had a problem with it, it wouldn’t stop her from helping them all the same. The Deucalian was soaked to the bones, her hair matted to her shoulders. However, the frigid climate she had lived in all throughout her childhood ensured that the cold had little impact.

Skade walked very slowly, glancing over whenever the woman clutched at her chest. The white fabric clung to the woman’s body and threatened her decency, “Walk behind me,” Skade said as she stepped up in front of the woman. Her tall frame was enough to shield her from view, allowing them to arrive near the village with her dignity intact. A woman from the village stepped up to offer a blanket.

She nodded at the villager woman, knowing her for some time now. Skade walked through the village where several people cast curious looks their way. She grinned at them as she called out, “What? You never just feel like an afternoon swim?” The jab made them quickly look away.

Skade led the woman to an inn where a room was already prepared. She turned to look at the woman after stopping at the room door, “I will bring up some clothing for you. I am...displeased about what happened to your chest,” She said awkwardly, “It will mend on its own, but I will also bring some pain remedies. I have been here for a while to help these people, so I know their ways,” Skade finally answered the woman’s earlier question.

“I am called Skade.”
 

Ariadne Harro

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Ariadne could only return a small smile as the woman revealed that she herself was a Jedi. Well that made things awkward, seeing as she was a Jedi herself. Perhaps not awkward but she didn't have time to reveal her own membership within the order to the woman as they had entered the town. Walking behind her savior until they made it to the inn and she was adequately covered.

"Thank you... again." Ariadne bowed her head as the woman assured her that she would grab her some fresh, dry clothes and apologized for her injuries. Well, half apologized as she promised some local pain remedies. "It was necessary. I would gladly take a few cracked ribs over a drowning death any day, especially this day." She responded, trying to laugh through the pain but cutting short.

"It is... well I am glad to have met you Skade." Ariadne hesitated as she tried to drop some of the formality that seemed to follow her everywhere. The woman had just saved her life after all, nor did she seem to have much inclination towards formality. "I am Ariadne." She paused as she looked past Skade to the closed door beyond which warmth and dryness beckoned. Was now the right time, perhaps later. Or now. Or later, when she wasn't a walking wet rag.

"I believe you said something about clothes." She said as she took a step towards the door and reaching for the knob, wincing as she did so but persevering through the pain to twist it open. "I would very much appreciate something dry." She forced a smile through the pain as she laid eyes on the room for the first time.

It was a humble room, not unlike what she had eventually become accustomed to on Yavin. Still, she was glad for the wince of pain that concealed the faint wrinkling of her nose as she eyed the straw stuffed mattress covered in scratchy looking sheets and blankets. Stepping into the room and closing the door behind her, her eyes continued to the small hearth that was yet to contain a much needed flame. The accommodations were more than adequate however considering her situation and she felt it would be foolish not to be grateful for them.

Stripping quickly out of her wet clothes, she took the largest of the blankets and wrapped it around herself before squatting in front of the hearth. Shivering and gritting her teeth in pain she fumbled with the tinderbox as she tried unsuccessfully to start the flame. It had been ages since she had had to do it manually, and the trembling of her fingers and pain her chest did her no favors in the attempt.

 

Skade Wulfsbane

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Skade didn’t linger at the door too long, stepping out of the way to let Ariadne pass. She stared at the door for a moment after she disappeared, wondering what kind of story Ariadne had. It wasn’t often that anyone ended up on this out of the way planet. Why had her ship crashed? Was she shot down by someone? Were her enemies going to follow her to surface?

It wasn’t long before Skade was back at the doorway, knocking politely until it was opened. The Deucalian blinked in surprise at seeing Ariadne wrapped up in a blanket. Ariadne had a prim and proper air about her and it contrasted starkly with Skade’s personality. Skade realized she was standing there just staring and she quickly drew out of her thoughts.

“I brought you some food,” She held out a bowl of warm fish stew. In her other arm she held folded clothing that she borrowed from a woman roughly Ariadne’s size. Skade glanced past her towards where she saw the tinderbox.

“I can start that fire for you,” She said simply. If permitted, she would step past her and crouch down to easily get some flames going. Skade rose to stand, glancing towards the woman again. It took her a moment to realize she was probably looking over too much and she awkwardly strode from the room, giving her privacy.

Skade made her way over to the tavern downstairs where she had been drinking earlier. She sat back at the table with the fishermen from before, resuming the game of dice.

“Come on, you shits,” She said with a grin, “Let’s see if I brought lady luck over.”
 

Ariadne Harro

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Ariadne's continued attempt at lighting the fire was useless, and she was about to give up when a knock came at the door. Blanket wrapped tight around her, she opened the door to a rather startled looking Skade, or what Ariadne assumed might be a look of surprise on the tough woman's face.

"You weren't expecting me to stand around in wet clothes waiting were you?" She said with a small smile as she moved aside to allow her savior through the doorway, as if reading her mind. Accepting the steaming bowl of fish stew and holding it close with blanket wrapped arms, Ariadne savored the warm steam that rose from it and curled around her face, enjoying the bare but flavorful aroma.

"If you would, please." Her eyes thankful as Skade moved to the mess of a tinderbox that Ariadne had left on the floor in front of the hearth. A pang of self consciousness rose in the Jedi, worried that Skade might think her even more useless than she already likely thought. Saved from drowning, now saved from having to light her own fire. Banishing the foolish thought, Ariadne's gaze lingered on her savior as she crouched before the hearth to easily start the fire. The woman likely never doubted herself.

Turning her back to the woman and examining the clothes that Skade had brought, Ariadne suppressed a resigned sigh. Her Jedi tunic and robes had been a simple affair, but she always selected... finer materials than some of her fellow Jedi. It wouldn't be long until she could return to them once they were dry, but for now the roughspun white cotton dress and brown wool vest would have to do.

The sound of the door closing behind her made Ariadne turn her head, finding herself alone once more. She supposed she should be thankful for the privacy, but she had things that she needed to say to Skade. Later then. Returning the blanket to the bed, she donned her new clothing awkwardly, wincing a couple times during the procedure as she pulled the dress over her head and fumbled the lacing of her vest with cold hands, silently wishing her savior was there to once again save her from... minor pain and inconvenience. She felt foolish once again and chastised herself for thinking such soft thoughts. She could take care of herself perfectly fine, cracked ribs or no. She was after all, a Jedi Knight.

Ariadne took a seat in front of the fire with the warm fish stew, wolfing it down with rather unladylike quickness as she realized just how hungry she was. She could certainly have warded off hunger with a meditation technique, but there was little point to that when real food was right in front of her. Warmth finally began to seep into her bones as the stew and the fire finally began to break the chill that had followed her from the depths of the lake. Closing her eyes, Ariadne let herself sink into a light meditation as she tried to collect her thoughts and memories of how she had gotten here in the first place.

The navigational stop. Pirates laser cannons opening up on her almost the instant she had dropped into realspace. Explosions as lasers scored her E-wing. Evading her pursuers, reentry onto the planet. Livien, the Tion cluster. The crash. Sinking, panic, water in her lungs. Skade ripping her free from the sinking starfighter. The glow of her lightsaber in the weapons lock, now at the bottom of the lake. Darkness. Light. Pain in her chest as water was forced from her lungs. Waking up to rough lips breathing life into her.

Ariadne wanted to drop into a healing trance, to focus some of the light to her cracked ribs, but a sudden urgent thought arose in her meditation, a sense of distant danger. Looming. Impending. Opening her eyes, Ariadne rose to her feet and began to rush to the door only to wince and slow her step as she moved too fast. Slowing her step, she made the door before stopping before it. Looking back towards the crumpled pile of wet clothes that she had left on the floor, a wave of her hand had them float to lay flat in front of the warm fire.

Following the sound of Skade's voice booming about lady luck out to the common room, Ariadne found her savior sitting at a table with a group of fishermen, rolling dice. She watched from the hallway threshold of the room, taking a moment to lean against the opening's frame as she closed her eyes and focused on the dice that Skade was rolling. She could feel the contours of the dice as they rumbled in the cup, bouncing around chaotically with Skade's rough shake. Ariadne didn't know the game, instead trusting in the Force as the dice were rolled. A small wave of her fingers from where her hand perched against her cracked chest and a whisper of the Force blowing across the room like a gentle breeze were all it took to influence the dice as they landed. Lady Luck indeed. Ariadne would watch Skade from the other side of the room with a small smirk on her face, waiting for a reaction as the other Jedi would no doubt notice her meddling unless she was force blind.

 
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Skade Wulfsbane

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Skade shook the cup with the dice and threw them down. What happened next brought a brief look of surprise, and she knew at once it came from the Force. Her gaze shifted up to spot Ariadne from earlier standing at the doorway. The new dress looked quite pleasant on her, but her thoughts were on the fact that the woman was clearly a Jedi. Skade caught the smirk and returned it with a grin of her own as she grabbed her mug of ale and tilted her head back to gulp it down. This was as the men began to complain and grumble about her perfect numbers.

The Deucalian slammed her mug down with a satisfied roar, “Don’t blame me for your rotten luck, gents!” She said with a laugh as they began to throw down whatever credits they had. Skade shook her head, “No, I’ll take some of your wives’ home cooked fish and meat pies instead.”

The men’s faces lit up when they realized they didn’t have to part with any credits. Skade glanced over at Ariadne and beckoned her to join the table. The Deucalian was taller and built bigger than the men sitting across her. The villagers here were mostly impoverished and very small framed in nature. Skade was a giant by comparison.

“What would the lady like to drink?” She called out, snapping her fingers for the tavern woman to come by. Skade grinned at Ariadne, “Won’t be a selection fit for a princess, but it gets the job done,” She flashed her a wink.

The inn was coming to life, musicians lining up to play string instruments and sing folk songs. It was lively and jubilant, everything about the setting many years behind how the industrial worlds operated.

@Arclight
 

Ariadne Harro

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Ariadne's smirk widened a bit as Skade caught her eye with a large grin before downing her drink in one go. The woman was certainly boisterous, not like any of the Jedi she had met within the Order during her time with them. Crossing the room at Skade's beckoning, Ariadne was not ignorant to the fact that the woman was larger than any of the other occupants of the room, man or woman. Towering over her fisherman gambling mates at the table, Skade was indeed a giant among men here on Livien.

"I suppose there are no fine wines." She said with a breezy chuckle as she joined Skade and the fishermen at the table, gathering the back of her dress to the side in a practiced motion as she sat. Ariadne was not unaccustomed to wearing a dress. "Any ale will do, surprise me." She nodded to the tavern woman. Skade had clearly picked up on her noble heritage, perhaps through her rather articulate accent or demeanor. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing yet, considering her so far lack of aptitude at just about everything that she had displayed to her fellow Jedi.

Taking in the sights and sounds of the small village inn, Ariadne had to suppress a small smile that tried creeping up onto her face. Everything was so much more simple here, music, food, people. Nothing like her home where everyone watched their every move and were constantly posturing to impress. Just people being people. "You said earlier that you don't see many off-worlders here Skade." She started, glancing away from the general sights of the common room to focus on the woman. "You have been here long?"

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Skade had to chuckle as Ariadne asked to be surprised, “Only one type of ale here, lass,” She picked up her newly refilled mug and took a long sip before setting it down. It tasted awful to offworlders, but Skade had grown to like it. It had that perfectly bitter and strong taste that reminded her of some of the brews from home.

The men sitting at the table did their best not to openly stare at Ariadne. Word traveled fast in the town and both men had very jealous wives at home. Skade had made it abundantly clear she had little interest in men she could break in half and tensions were nonexistent.

The Deucalian took another sip as the barwoman came back with a mug of ale for Ariadne. Skade smiled and cheerfully clinked her mug against Ariadne’s, entirely unconcerned by the fact that some of it splashed on them both, “Skol!” She cried out before taking a long gulp.

Skade thought about her question for a moment, wiping off her mouth before she answered, “Aye,” She nodded, “Been helping out with a bandit problem. Mostly solved so I’ll probably be on my way in a week or two. I mostly stay in the backwater planets because I don’t give a kriff about whatever is happening in the Core,” Skade shrugged.

“I’d ask why you’re here but I imagine you intended to skip right past this humble planet and go somewhere else,” She grinned.

@Arclight
 

Ariadne Harro

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"Only one type huh?" Ariadne asked with a raised eyebrow, her voice amused. The ale in Skade's mug was dark, foamy, and most certainly quite bitter. Not her favorite type of ale, but it was certainly better than no ale, and she couldn't say for certain whether the water in this small village was safe to drink.

The men seemed to fidget as they glanced at her from the corner of their eyes, trying not to look for more than a second or two at a time, politely trying not to stare, likely for their own sakes rather than hers as the men outside hadn't been nearly as respectful during her walk through town. She could understand their nervousness however, she was a bit more beautiful than they were likely used to, having grown up with civilized healthcare and all the benefits of a modern society.

The barwoman returned with her ale, bending at the waist to place the drink in front of Ariadne. The woman's face didn't seem too pleased with the newcomer, her patron's eyes all for her instead of on the tavern girl's low neckline. Ariadne merely gave her a smile before her eyes dipped for a moment to appreciate what the men were missing out on as she grabbed the mug from the woman.

Before she could take a sip, there was ale sloshing out the top of the mug as Skade mashed their mugs together and shouted. "S-skul!" Ariadne stammered as she balanced the mug in her hand and took a sip of the ale, sleeve wet with the stuff. Her earlier assumption was right. It was bitter. Bitter, strong, and rough as it went down with a burn. It suited the woman opposite her well.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Ariadne replied to Skade as she spoke of being on her way after solving a bandit problem, eyes looking for and failing to find anything to clean the foam from her face before sighing and settling with dabbing it away with the hem of her sleeve. "You're right about that however. Ossus was my destination, it seems the Order has some intentions there. I came out of hyperspace on a navigational stop at the edge of the system here. Pirates were already there. I don't think they were waiting for me, rather they were already here..." She trailed off as she considered that thought.

"I worry they might have some ill intentions towards this planet, I meditated briefly, before coming down." A small shiver went down her spine as she recalled the sense of danger she felt looming. "I felt danger. Distant but approaching..." She finished, taking another sip of her ale and trying not to make a face as she dabbed the foam away again. "Perhaps the force brought me here to Livien for a reason." She did not return Skade's grin, her expression a bit more serious.

@Sreeya
 

Skade Wulfsbane

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Jedi Order
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Jedi Knight

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Sreeya
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Skade drank down more of her ale, listening to the woman talk. The music picked up around them and the men’s wives arrived on the scene, taking them away. A few curious glances were shot Ariadne’s way, but they didn’t bother introducing themselves. The town was suspicious of strangers, and none of this was surprising behavior.

The Deucalian could sense the shift in tone from the woman, her keen eyes picking up how she expressed concern. Skade’s own expression went from jovial to something darker, “Pirates still there?” She cursed in Deucalian, realizing that the problem wasn’t close to being solved as she had hoped.

“Aye, I felt the same after I arrived here. My original mission had ended weeks ago, but I stayed because I know my time here isn’t done,” Skade had heard some whisperings about Ossus before she took on the assignment, but she hadn’t ventured to ask beyond that.

Skade tilted her head slightly to smile at the other woman, “But nothin’ we can be doing about it right this second, eh? Enjoy yourself a bit while you recover,” She looked around herself as people began to dance and cheer, “After all, all this is what’s worth fighting for in the end.”

@Arclight
 

Ariadne Harro

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Arclight
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"I admit I much prefer how the Force guided you to this place than how it arranged my arrival." Ariadne said with a slight smile as Skade detailed her reason for lingering in the village. Far better than being shot down and nearly drowning. Perhaps it was for that reason that the Force had compelled the other Jedi to stay.

Ariadne looked around at the crowd as the room became more jubilant, spotting the men who had been gambling with Skade now dancing with their wives. The music was unfamiliar to her but it was full of life. The Force itself echoed the joy of the room within her as the villagers enjoyed their nights entertainment blissfully unaware of the dangers that may lay in the near future. The feeling echoed familiar, reminding her of her days before she had found the force.

"Perhaps you are right." Ariadne said, glancing down as she laughed lightly before looking back at Skade, raising her mug to hover just in front of her lips. "And how should I do that," She started before taking a larger gulp of her ale, only grimacing a little this time as she swallowed, "Get drunk off of unfiltered ale and gamble with fishermen? The former has some appeal." She admitted. It had been some time since she had indulged in alcohol since her academy days. Training with the Order at the temple, well they weren't exactly a bunch of party-goers.

@Sreeya
 

Skade Wulfsbane

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Jedi Order
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Jedi Knight

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Sreeya
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Skade watched her take a sip from her ale, everything about the woman prim and proper. The Deucalian had a grin on her face the entire time, watching the way Ariadne scrunched up her face after each individual sip. Skade chuckled at her question, “Getting drunk is the safer bet,” She said with a wide smile, “Don’t think the fishermen wives would be too keen on their men playing with such a beauty.”

She chugged more of her drink and slammed her mug down, wiping her mouth off. Skade quirked an eyebrow as she glanced over at Ariadne again, “Do you dance, Miss Ariadne?” She asked, the people all around them moving to the upbeat song. People were singing and clapping to the rhythm and the atmosphere was incredibly jovial.

Skade finished off her mug and set it down, rising up from her seat. She stretched slightly before glancing down to see if the other Jedi would join. If she didn’t, Skade would make her way to the others and immediately join in on the dance routine that was a group dance.

@Arclight
 
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