Ask Practical Application

[The Storyteller]

Terek’s smile adopted a feral gleam as he watched the padawan’s handling the current situation. With the inclusion of Roanoke, the light had the upper hand, so rather than immediately engage he decided to hang back and get a better look at the ship drifting just within sight. Sea fog had started to roll in, obscuring the vessel and giving it a ghostly quality.

Motep stepped forward catching Terek’s attention, the knight started to stop him, but decided against it, he wasn’t as familiar with their culture and he didn’t want another Mon Cal on his hands…

“Etua chu’alla’tal!”

A flash of warm light immediately followed his words. Terek looked back to see a gangly looking Elloran, and, for lack of a better description, an absolute unit of a four armed simian sentient light up the space between them with fire. The two Elloran they were engaged with let loose a baleful wail as they were engulfed.
“That’s one way to end the threat…” he muttered, turning to watch the ship slowly drift out of sight and into the fog. To the Padawan’s he sent a mental word of warning, “Once this mess is wrapped, let’s touch base. We all need to get on the same page before we move forward with this.”

As the thought drifted from his mind, Ordeen caught a glance from Motep that told him he’d shared a similar message to his cronies.

The plot thickens… thought Ordeen.

@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire @Zay

 

[Zessel]

Zessel got up from the ground and stared back at the Ellorans, blood in his eyes. Well, perhaps it was a strong expression. With him being a Padawan, the white-haired boy didn’t fall easily to rage. However, he was still pissed for having his head covered by a bag and then carried away like a sack of potatoes.

It was time for some justice!

The half-Arkanian took the bag that had been covering his head and rushed toward one of the Ellorans, aiming at one that had been distracted by the arrival of Terek, Roanoke and Shaw, leaving his back turned to Zessel. Using the Force to enhance his movements, the boy jumped on the four-armed man and covered their face with the piece of cloth. He immediately let go and dropped back in the ground

Then, Zessel proceeded to kick him in the knees with the strength that the Force allowed. The Elloran started to jump around due to the pain, even forgetting the bag covering his head.

@Zay @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire

 

[Caul]

Caul’s blood was pumping now, the battle was reaching it’s peak and he could feel it. As Zessel shot forward, Caul fell in behind him looking to capitalize or back up his buddy if the need arose, but the pale padawan made it clear he wasn’t going to need any help.

As Zessel attacked the elloran like a rabid monkey lizard, Caul slipped around to the beings blind side. The kick to the knee brought an empathetic wince out of Caul and he let the simian hop around a bit before lifting his lightsaber and clubbing the confused and wounded enemy over the head. His saber was still a training blade, so it made a satisfying, BONK!, followed by a crackle of electricity as it stunned the jerk.

“Nice moves, baker boy!” crowd Caul lifting his hand to high-five!

The sound, illumination, and sensation of sudden bursting flame made him flinch, his head whipped toward the light as Rin’s blade came up in defense, then he saw it… and his eyes widened while his mouth dropped open in horror. The two enemies Inagi and Pooda had been fighting were suddenly set ablaze. Their screams drowned out the whooshing flame and Caul felt sick… but instead of puking… he shot forward, blade raised and a scream ripping off his tongue.

Inagi was closest to him, his blade came down and slammed onto the Elloran’s shoulder with a resounding crack. The gout of flame pouring from Inagi’s hand went out as he crumpled and the body of the scorched Anok, finally released from it’s personal inferno, dropped to the ground breaking into charcoal as it fell.

Caul whirled on Inagi, blade raised ready to strike.

“Enough!” barked Terek.

Caul looked in the knight’s direction, but he didn’t lower his weapon. His breath was off. He could feel fury driving him, but he didn’t care. The utter destruction of one’s enemy wasn’t a trait of the Jedi. It wasn’t a trait of the light.

Caul took a deep breath and deactivated his lightsaber. The stun effect of his blade put Inagi out, and it would have made him a hypocrite to attack someone who couldn’t defend themselves. Terek was by his side now, “I know it’s not right. You’re right. But, this isn’t our planet. They don’t follow our teachings. Who are you to judge them?”

The words were quiet and quick but each one hit home. Caul felt confused, he felt pissed off, he-he felt… he didn’t know what he felt. He looked over his shoulder at the others. He’d made an ass out of himself, and now he just felt ashamed.

Caul deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it to his belt, “Whatever,” he muttered as he started to stalk off back toward the Village.

@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw could feel the Elloran tense up, sway back and forth, and then hit the sand face first with an audible thud. That was definitely gonna leave a mark. A well deserved mark if you asked Shaw. The teenager rolled off the ape's back and tried to stand up, toppling backward and tripping over the Elloran's massive, unconscious body. Suddenly everything was spinning. Well, it had been spinning before, but now it was really spinning, just when everything else had stopped spinning. That didn't make any sense, did it?

When Shaw looked up he was staring into the concerned faces—no, face—of Roanoke. "Duuuude!" Shaw managed a grin, holding a hand to his head to try and get everything to hold still long enough for him to concentrate. "Where did you learn to shoot like that?" He either didn't care or hadn't noticed that Roanoke had almost hit him. He just knew that Roanoke had saved him. "I owe you one, man." He clapped the other teenager on or in the general direction of his back.

If Shaw thought seeing everything spin was crazy, imagine what seeing everything spin and then spontaneously combust felt like. It took him a moment to process exactly what had happened, and then he wasn't sure he had the whole picture. There was a stench in in the air that not even the smell of saltwater sulfur could conceal. It wasn't an odor Shaw had ever been forced to endure before, and yet he recognized it immediately—burning flesh.

All three teenagers would watch Caul stalk away from the beach, back toward the village. There was a moment of indecision, of not knowing what to do. To stay with Knight Terek or follow Caul. It didn't take Shaw long to decide, jumping up and falling into step behind the sandy haired teenager. Shaw wasn't good with words, as all of the other boys had probably figured out at this point, so he didn't say anything. Just kept Caul company. @Zay @Graveyard Shift @LouJoVi

 

[Roanoke]

Roanoke stands there, ready to assist Shaw if he needs it. Finger off the trigger, the mohawked teen's gaze flicker over to Caul and Zessel, relieved that the white-haired Padawan is now free and is delivering a swift and well-aimed kick at one of his captors' knees. Gaze shifting back to Shaw when he hears his friend's praise, Roanoke stands a little taller, a bit more confident now, even as worry lingers in the back of his mind. Shaw doesn't comment on the former acolyte's near-blunder, and Roanoke won't sour the moment with his lingering terror.

"You owe me nothin'," he gently assures Shaw, a grateful smile tilting the corners of his lips upwards. "I'm—"

His words are cut off by the sound of flames igniting, followed by Caul's seemingly enraged scream. His new friend's anger, coupled by the scent of flesh and the agonized wails, are a tad too familiar with Roanoke, and his stomach flips anxiously. He watches, wide-eyed, as the assailants are engulfed in flames, the light reflecting in his eyes—and yet he can't tear his gaze away. Even as the burn scar on his back—inflicted by his former master in her moments of cruelty—throbs with phantom pain, he just... stares.

Transfixed.

Horrified.

He's oblivious to Caul stalking off, nor Shaw following the other Padawan. He forgets that Zessel is also still there, probably looking at his friends. Motep is largely ignored, as Roanoke shuffles over to where Ordeen stands. In a moment of sheer vulnerability, he reaches out with one large, trembling hand to weakly clutch the sleeve of the Knight's robe, as if wordlessly searching for reassurance. Then, Roanoke jolts with a start, realizing what he's done, and lets go of Ordeen's sleeve as if he's burned.

"S-Sorry," he mumbles, embarrassed. Roanoke shifts his focus, attention snapping back to Zessel. Tearing himself from Ordeen's side—away from safety—he approaches the half-Arkanian, brows furrowed with worry.

"You okay, Zessel? I'm s-sorry, I didn't notice you were kidnapped..."

But even as he asks his new friend's well-being, Roanoke diverts his fear into focus, into preparing for the next phase of their mission.

@Zay @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi

 

[The Storyteller]

Ordeen was dealing with his own disgust when Caul lost his cool. The knight couldn’t blame the kid, everyone’s emotions were heightened, but what would the Padwan do when faced with a Sith? Any hesitation to defeat his enemy would lead to defeat or worse, death. As Terek watched the young man stalk away he couldn’t help but question if he’d made the right choice. This mission was beginning to prove far more uncertain than it had initially.

To Zessel, Terek said, “Two things, first you okay?” Once Zessel had confirmed he was alright (If he did) Terek would say, “Second, you got any more of those cookies?”

A little while later…

The walk back to the village had been uneventful. Motep, Pooda, and Inagi were tight lipped, not an apology, a go screw yourself, nothing. It made Ordeen miss Corellia. At least when he was there he knew whether he was around friends or not. Corellians as a culture were wildly blunt, and right now he was really struggling to keep his mouth shut. The village was winding down for the evening as they returned, the former boisterous revelry had tempered from burning fire to smoldering cinders. There was an air of uncertainty about the place now, and Terek couldn’t tell if it was his emotions or the force bringing it to his attention.

The Padawan’s had all clustered up somewhere nearby, most likely trying to find food if he had to guess. Over his shoulder he heard Motep dismissing both Pooda and Inagi, his tone made it clear he wasn’t thrilled with their little stunt, but there was still a modicum of fatherly love in there for the two. Ultimately, it just meant he needed to understand the relationship between the Elloran’s the Jedi knew and the ones they didn’t, startined with the Anok.

Instead of approaching Motep immediately, Terek decided to tend to his own flock, the kids had been introduced to the dangers of the mission right off the bat, so he was sure they probably needed a little pep talk. He spotted Caul over by the Kabob hutt with an Elloran. The boy wasn’t throttling the simian so Ordeen took that to mean his temper had… well it had tempered. Upon closer inspection Ordeen realized the Elloran Caul was speaking to was actually Dalsim. His brow’s knit together, could just be a coincidence, he thought, but after the night they’d had he wasn’t willing to leave anything to chance.

As Ordeen closed in he spotted Shaw on the other side of Caul, he didn’t see the other two, but that didn’t mean they weren’t around. As he approached Dalsim turned and flashed a toothy-baboon’s smile on him, “My friends, I am so blessed that the light saw fit to bring us back together!”

Caul looked over, but once their eyes met the boy looked away, still pissed, Terek guessed, but it didn’t matter, “The pleasure is all mine Dalsim, everything okay?”

The Elloran laughed, “Oh yes, I was just helping your students get fed, I’ll be off, I’m sure there’s much you wish to discuss,” Then to Caul he said, “Think about what I said, young one.”

With that Dalsim made his exit, Terek watched him go, then once he was out of ear shot he said, “There’s something off about that one.”

“There’s something off about this whole place…” replied Caul.

@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire @Zay

 

[Caul]

Caul’s pouting lasted all of a hundred meters into the woods. He could already feel his anger sloughing off like a skin he’d outgrown. Free of his emotions he ran over the altercation in his head. The shift in demeanor from the Elloran’s. The shock they experienced when Zessel went missing, the revelation of dark side users, and their total destruction. Not to mention the crazy things they’d been filled in on in their briefing. Then there was the ship…

“I have heard that not all that wander are lost, can the two of you say the same?” came a familiar sing-song voice from out of the shadows. Dalsim’s white fur stood out from the darkness before his toothy grin appeared. It was at this point that Caul realized Shaw had followed after him. The gesture shocked him. Why didn’t he stay with Ordeen?

“ Sorry, I was in my own head,” he said to Shaw then to Dalsim he said, “ It’s good you showed up, I can’t say I’m particularly familiar with these parts.”

Dalsim hooted with laughter, then gestured for them to follow, “I was your guide and I am once again, who am I to complain at such an honor, come if we hurry we may still be able to feed you!”

Caul’s started to decline and then his stomach growled so loud he felt his face get hot with embarrassment, “ Well, if it’s not too much of a bother…” he glanced over at Shaw, “ You’re hungry too right?”

A short walk later and they were back at the (not) chicken kebab stand. Dalsim ordered for them and the stall worker was kind enough to take care of them. An awkward silence fell between the three of them, Caul broke it with a question, “ Dalsim,” he looked around to make sure no one else was listening then said, “ Are there Ellorans that follow the Dark Side?”

Dalsim’s unreadable alien features betrayed nothing as he stared back at Caul.

“The shadow’s prove the sun shines, does it not?” asked Dalsim.

Caul took a moment to consider that. It was clear Dalsim was a tricky one, but that didn’t mean he was an enemy… did it?

“I suppose it does, are you saying that where there is light there is also dark?” he asked, Dalsim smiled, “That is correct.”

Caul considered that, he looked over to Shaw to see if he had any opinion, “If you wish to know more, I can think of only one place that may hold what you seek…” Dalsim’s voice suddenly sounded as if it were made with honey. “Here, a gift for… the unpleasantness earlier.”

The Padawan looked down and realized the gift was a compass. Caul frowned, but managed an appreciative smile. He tucked the thing into his tunic, making a mental note to fill in the dudes once they all got back together. “I think you’ll find my gift has more answers in it than you expect…” Suddenly, Dalsim looked over Caul’s shoulder and presented another one of his fanged smiles, “My friend, I am so blessed that the light saw fit to bring us back together!”

The back and forth between Ordeen and Dalsim had an edge to it, but Caul couldn’t figure out why. Terek mentioned there being something off about the Elloran and Caul Chimed in, “There’s something off about this whole place…”

Before Terek could ask what Dalsim meant with his cryptic exit, the kebab’s arrived.

@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire

 

[Zessel]

Due to the heat of the moment, Zessel didn’t even notice that he was high-fiving Caul’s hand. “We are a good duo!” he smiled, before turning to look at the enemies that remained. Now that he had started, the half-Arkanian wasn’t going to stop until the last of his kidnappers were down.

Or he would do that if some of them didn’t suddenly catch fire. The Padawan watched how they burned, with their screams slowly dying out. The half-Arkanian closed his eyes and covered his ears with his hands, not wanting to see and hear what was happening.

Even doing it, Zessel could still see and hear it in his mind. However, the Ellorans were replaced by smaller figures and the beach was some type of building. The fire remained the same, both in reality and in his mind.

Zessel only dared to look back when he felt Ordeen's presence. The Knight had finally arrived, bringing with him Shaw and Ronanoke. It was good to see them again, but the half-Arkanian was wondering why the adult seemed to be pissed with Caul. He had missed out of the fight, being clueless after the screams started.

When Caul stalked away to the village, Zessel was prepared to follow him. However, Roanoke approached him first. “It’s fine.” he said, smiling at the dark-haired boy in an attempt to calm him down. However, the half-Arkanian was more concerned with Caul at the moment. “I shouldn’t have walked away alone, but now we need to find Caul.”

Then it was Terek that approached him. “I’m alright.” Zessel would be better if the Knight let him go find Caul. The adult’s question about cookies made the white-haired teen stare at him with a look that could only be described as ‘are you serious’. He didn’t even care to answer that, rushing away to find his friend and expected that Roanoke would be coming with him.

He arrived right on time to see Caul talking with an Elloran. Zessel looked at the alien with suspicion, after the events of the beach, the half-Arkanian didn’t trust the locals. When he approached them, the white-haired boy saw that Shaw was already there.

Ordeen arrived shortly after him and started a conversation with the Elloran, who was named Dalsim. While they talked, Zessel approached Caul. “Are you fine? I got concerned when you walked away.”

@Graveyard Shift @Zay @throwitintothefire

 

[Roanoke]

The fact that Roanoke doesn't even reply to Zessel's reassurances speaks of the shock and terror he still feels after witnessing their assailants' demise. Even as they walk away from the beach, even as they return to the village, the scent of smoke and burning flesh stick stubbornly in the back of his throat.

He's quiet, the silence a far cry from his usual taciturn self. His hand keeps wandering over a spot on his lower back, face pinched with the lingering phantom pains as the burn scar there throbs. He doesn't register the conversation around him—Ordeen's words, his friends' voices, all transformed into background noise. Even so, Roanoke visibly tries to bring himself back to the present, the hand on his back sliding down to his side. The ex-Sith blinks, posture straightening, and clarity returning to his eyes.

And then the kebabs arrive.

With a wince Roanoke averts his gaze from the food, pressing the back of one hand to prevent himself from gagging. It doesn't help that he can still taste the burnt flesh from earlier, nor the burn scar on his back—always hidden as best as he can along with the rest of the scars littering his body—throbbing with psychosomatic pain again.

He ignores the food, even as his stomach grumbles with hunger. He sits there, diverting everything he's feeling into concern for his friends and for mentally preparing himself for whatever comes next on the mystery that grows ever deeper in their mission.

Besides, he can always throw up later.

@Zay @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi

 

[Shaw Amaris]

"Dude... always," was Shaw's answer when Caul asked him if he was hungry too.

Dalsim was being more cryptic than a lower level turbo dog salesman on Coruscant when the health inspector came around to ask about the product ingredients. But the compass he gifted Caul was pretty neat, and he paid for their kebobs so he couldn't be all bad. Right? Right?

There wasn't much for Shaw to add to the conversation between the Elloran and Caul, nor to the brief exchange between his buddy and Knight Ordeen. Shaw was pretty new to the order at this point, a fresh face amongst a bunch of other padawans with a lot more experience and knowledge under their belts, so he didn't know much about the force, and he knew even less about how it might manifest itself on Ellora and in the lives of the Ellorans. Still, he did cast a look between Caul and the accompanying Jedi Knight, wondering if Caul was going to show him the compass or not.

That was up to Caul. Shaw certainly wasn't going to spill his secrets. He wasn't a snitch. That was not what good friends did. Good friends let you keep your secrets and then helped you clean up the mess later when those secrets inevitably got you into trouble. That was what good friend did.

The teenager was midbite when he caught sight of Roanoke. "Bro, you okay?" Shaw knew from their conversation that day they had first met while training that Roanoke had experienced a lot of trauma in his short life. Tonight probably hadn't helped. @Zay @Graveyard Shift @LouJoVi

 

[The Storyteller]

Ordeen watched each of the padawans. Was he screwing this up? There was a clear disconnect between them and him now. He could see the light of the issue in his mind's eye and he knew he had to get to the bottom of this apparent shadow war before he and the kids were dragged into something they couldn’t handle. Terek could feel his frustrated cynicism rising to the surface, so rather than burden them with it he rose from the table, “Welp, I’m gonna turn in for the night,” he started, “Caul do you have your datapad?”

Caul’s head snapped suddenly, making Terek frown inquisitively. “Do I wha— Uh, oh, yeah, it’s right here.”

Still frowning, Terek took the pad and dropped a pin, “That’s where we’re staying. My room is in the back, don’t go in there.”

With that he rose from the table, “I’m turning in, I’d recommend you guys do the same once you’ve finished eating,” he sighed, rubbing his temples, “I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a lot.”

With that the knight made his way out, leaving the Padawan behind to lick their wounds.

Once outside, Terek opened his mind to the force. Immediately an oppressive sense of the dark side washed over him. His eyes went wide and his mouth went dry. He tried to swallow as sweat slid down his face. He immediately closed himself off the force. He hoped he hadn’t been spotted, but with a presence that thick, that massive, he had no doubt that it was heading their way. Ordeen looked around, the hour had become late, and no villagers were around.

“Better do a perimeter check before I turn in,” he muttered, jogging off into the shadows.

@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire @Zay

 

[Caul]

Caul couldn’t help but scoff when Shaw replied with always, they’d literally just seen two beings get fired to a crisp, the smell of which would be stuck in Caul’s clothing and nostrils for what felt like forever, and yet Shaw was still hungry, what a mad lad. When the food showed up Caul ate. It wasn’t easy and he only managed to get through a single kebab feeling his george playing chicken with his mouth the whole time. Not the best dining experience, 1 star for past experience for sure.

“Sorry, for worrying you, I uh, I let my emotions get away from me…” he admitted to Zessel, while keeping an eye on Terek. It was true of course, but that didn’t matter to Caul, if he had the choice to do it again, he would. Zero hesitation and harder if he could. “What about you? That had to have been scary as hell man.”

Caul nodded politely as Terek announced he was turning in. The weight of the compass in his tunic was the only thing he could think about. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t told Terek about it, but following the execution of those two Elloran’s Caul wasn’t one hundred percent sure he could trust the knight. Utter destruction wasn’t the way of the Jedi, they were founded on life and fundamentally believed that anyone who’d fallen to the seduction of the dark could be redeemed, or at least that’s what Caul believed.

Once he was sure the knight was gone, he whistled and gestured for the padawan’s to group up. Once their impromptu huddle was formed he’d say, “Alright guys, I think we can all tell there’s some weird shit happening here. Before we get into that, is everyone okay? Chances are things are only going to get worse, so if you need to get something off of your chest, it’s now or never.”

@LouJoVi @Graveyard Shift @throwitintothefire

 

[Roanoke]

Roanoke almost jumps out of his skin when he hears Shaw speak to him directly, the former acolyte's head already threading into darker, deeper territories that he doesn't want sailing into again. Of course recent events just practically drops him in metaphorical choppy waters, so it's no wonder he's floundering right now.

"I-I'm—" he blurts out quickly, torn between honesty and empty placations. His next words eventually show his decision. "I'm... n-not. S-Sorry..."

He shouldn't be apologizing, but he feels the need to just do so. Ordeen, his friends, nor these Ellorans don't need him a stuttering, panicked mess. Roanoke knows that he needs to be strong, even if it's just a façade or some sort of false bravado. But he can't lie to Shaw. Not to the first real friend he's made since joining the Jedi. And certainly not to Caul and Zessel whom the ex-Sith is quickly warming up to.

Ordeen addressing the Padawans give pause to Roanoke's attempt at explaining. Lips pursed and face pale, he watches as the Knight turns in for the night. The mohawked teen would be lying to himself if he told himself that he'd be getting a good night's rest here. He won't, oh, most definitely. Not when he felt the Dark Side at the beach earlier. Not when he almost let it get the better of him because of his anger at seeing his friends get hurt.

He's about to rise from his seat and do as Ordeen did, but Caul's whistle grabs his attention. Joining the impromptu huddle, Roanoke nods at the other teenager's observation about weird shit going on. There's definitely weird shit going on, and he knows that his fellow Padawans are also thinking that this mission isn't even about the washed up, dead Maru any longer. Something feels at work here, a driver to these odd events. The Dark Side just adds up to the mystery, and if Roanoke is being honest, he just wants to run away. He ran away from the Sith, and here the Dark Side of the Force is, as if shoving it to his face that he can't escape.

No. Natalie praised him for escaping an escapeless Order. He has to believe her words, now more than ever.

At Caul's nudge, Roanoke pales. But right now, he still chooses honesty over self-preservation as his parents strictly told him. He's wants to be honest with his friends, and even if he never really kept being a former Sith a secret, he doesn't know if the other Padawans' whispers about the former acolyte already reached Caul's and Zessel's ears.

"I-I'm scared," he confesses shakily, uncaring if it's not cool or if they begin to think he's a wimp for such a big, buff guy. "I'm scared because t-the Dark Side seems to b-be involved and I'm a Sith, fuck, I wanna bail, I don't want to use the Dark Side again!"

He's rambling, and he forgets to use the past tense about being a Sith because fuck it, he's not a Sith anymore, but he needs to let this out. If only for his friends' sakes, if only to prevent himself from actively lying.

"I-I shouldn't be here! We shouldn't be h-here! I don't w-want to hurt any of you!" Tears well up his eyes, but he doesn't wipe them away. "F-Fuck, b-but I need to be here! I have to! I want to! I ain't g-gonna bail on any of you! You're m-my friends! I don't want a-any of you to get hurt!"

He doesn't look at Shaw who already knows that Roanoke's an ex-Sith. He doesn't look at Shaw because he doesn't want to put his friend in the corner, or have him stand up for Roanoke. He doesn't want to give Shaw the responsibility to assure both Caul and Zessel that Roanoke's a nice guy. Is that odd? Still, Roanoke is an odd, gentle soul who doesn't want to trouble anyone with his shit. Except right now that's exactly what he is doing—trouble his new friends with his shit.

@Zay @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi

 

[Shaw Amaris]

Shaw would watch Knight Ordeen walk away before his brown gaze flicked between each padawan in turn—from Roanoke to Caul to Zessel. An unspoken understanding passed between the three teenagers. They weren't going to just turn in. Huddled together with kebobs in hand it was time to regroup and hatch a plan. Caul was the unofficial but very much official leader of the group, so they all looked to him to get the ball rolling.

First thing he did was to check and make sure the rest of them were alright, which was a pretty OG thing to do when he had clearly been going through it just a few minutes ago. And for once someone answered that question honestly—Roanoke. Shaw's gaze drifted to the mohawked padawan. Roanoke already knew that Shaw wasn't great with words or the comforting people in general thing, but the big guy was spiraling. Shaw had to say something. Hopefully it wouldn't be the wrong thing. If it was he knew Caul or Zessel would chime in to say the right thing.

"Hey, don't let it get all up in your head." The darkness. The self-doubts. The guilt that Shaw knew clawed away at Roanoke from the inside out. Always easier said than done. "Not everything your head tells you is the truth. You're not gonna use the dark side." He gestured a thumb in the direction of the beach. "Did you not see what you just did back there? You saved my life, dude. You're one of the good guys. Don't let your head tell you anything different." @Graveyard Shift @Zay @LouJoVi

 

[Zessel]

”Yeah, being kidnapped sucks.” Zessel said to Caul, while staring at the kebabs. He was so hungry and that food looked normal, perhaps it wouldn't be a problem if he ate one of those. The half-Arkanian fished one of the sticks and started to eat. For his relief, it wasn’t some type of sea worm masqueraded as red meat.

“I thought that they were really going to kill me back there. They were discussing eating me.” he shuddered with the thought. Zessel wondered what would happen if Caul didn’t arrive on time. Ending like a kebab really wasn’t the way that he wanted to die. “I’m fine now.” it wasn’t true, though. The half-Arkanian was still a bit shaken with the vision that he had when he saw the fire. The fact that he had a feeling that it had happened at some point in his past was worrying him.

Zessel frowned when Ordeen said that they shouldn’t enter on him. The situation was already strange, but that sudden order from the Knight left the Padawan even more concerned. He wondered if the older Jedi knew something and wasn’t going to tell them. Really, if he ended up with another bag on his head because of those secrets from the man, the half-Arkanian would kick his knees.

Thankfully, Caul also noticed the weirdness of this situation. Zessel bit his lip when the other teen asked if they had something to take off of their chests. Maybe he could tell them about his vision.

Before he could decide about it, Roanoke revealed his insecurities. Zessel had heard how the dark-haired boy was an ex-Sith, which was very doubtful in his opinion. The dude was so nice, there was no way that he had been one of the Dark Siders. “Shaw is right. You are a Jedi now, don't ever doubt that.”

Then, Zessel took a deep breath and decided to reveal what had been bothering him. “I don’t know if any of you are aware of it, but I don’t have any memories from my first six years of life. I woke up one day in an orphanage in Nubia ten years ago, with no memory besides my name.” he said, his finger fidgeting with the rem of his robes. “The workers of the orphanage told me that they found me below a tree and deduced that I lost my memory after falling from it. Some weeks later, the Jedi found me.”

“I never cared about these lost years, but something happened today. The people catching fire back on the beach, I think that it made me remember something.” he leaned against the counter, deep in thought. “It wasn’t a good memory, though.” Zessel wasn’t sure how the others would react to that, but he was starting to trust them too. He believed that this story could be shared with the other three teenagers and that he wasn’t going to be judged by them.

@Zay @throwitintothefire @Graveyard Shift

 

[Caul]

Caul blinked when Roanoke broke, but immediately reeled his confusion in to be supportive of the big guy, he’d only meant to ask if anyone was injured, needed another weapon, or needed to run back to the ship to get some gear, but it was clear there were other things more important to discuss. Caul often forgot he was the weird one in a group of Padawan. Most new members of the order nowadays weren’t raised in the temple from birth like he was, they lived lives outside the teachings of the Jedi.

Shaw and Zessel reassured Roanoke. Caul reached out a put a hand on the big dude’s shoulder, “If you fall, I’ll pick you up, that’s what friends do, so don’t be afraid of who you are,” tears suddenly stung at Caul’s eyes, he wasn’t sure if the emotion had come from seeing his buddy broken up, or at the fact that he was willing to share something that in a normal circumstance would completely ostracize him from the other members of the Order, but it didn’t matter, “You’ve had experience with something we’ve only ever fought against, your understanding is going to be vital on this mission, I’m glad you’re here, and I’m proud to have you at my side.”

When Roanoke rallied, Caul joined in, “Hell Yeah!”

Of course, Caul knew they were all going to get hurt, there was absolutely no way around that. Fighting something wasn’t about coming out unscathed, it was about coming out alive.

Next was Zessel’s turn, Caul was initially left slack jawed at the guy's revelation, and of course, because his mind was geared to track trauma, he knew Zessel was telling the truth, anchor points in memory are tricky. There’s no telling what can set them off, and in this case, they were lucky it didn’t culminate in a mental breakdown. Caul had been there, it wasn’t fun. It was really embarrassing and pretty immobilizing.

“Whoa, I didn’t know that, thanks for telling us dude, if there’s anything I can do to help don’t hesitate to let me know, even if it’s go to nubia and fight that tree.”

Caul looked over to Shaw, “Anything on your end city slicker?”

 

[Roanoke]

Roanoke has covered his tear-filled eyes with one large, rough hand long before Shaw speaks to reassure the ex-Sith. He's too embarrassed for breaking down like this, and too mortified due to his sudden lack of self-control. His face is flushed, the tips of his ears, too. He can't even thank Shaw for his encouraging words. The other teen has long since accepted Roanoke's past even if Roanoke himself is yet to share most of it, but he can't say the same for Caul and Zessel.

He keeps his eyes covered, afraid to see the way the other two Padawans might be looking at him at his confirmation of being once a part of the Sith Order. Roanoke has always been guilty and self-conscious about it, not to mention ashamed. He didn't choose that life for himself, and yet he still feels guilty for surrendering to his parents' wishes. But then Zessel mirrors Shaw's words, reminding Roanoke that he is a Jedi now. The mohawked teen lowers his hand shyly to look hopefully at Zessel, expecting that the half-Arkanian might just be feeling forced to say it, yet Roanoke sees nothing but sincerity in the latter's blue eyes.

Charcoal eyes then flicker to Caul who places a hand on Roanoke's shoulder. The fact that he's offering to pick Roanoke back up should he fall only sends more tears to the mohawked teen's eyes. He bites his lip to prevent himself from sobbing again, this time out of pure gratitude for the realization that his worry of Shaw throwing hands if Caul and Zessel begin to reject Roanoke for his past is now just an amusing thought. More than that, he feels so blessed to be accepted by his new friends rather than shunned.

Through the tears he musters a smile for them, and it's a mixture of surprise, relief, gratitude, and acceptance.

"T-Thank you," he tells all three of them, his voice a bit rough from crying. Roanoke chuckles shyly as he wipes away his tears with the sleeve of one arm, hiccupping slightly. He sniffs, then surprises himself by joking, and not self-deprecatingly at that, "I t-thought you w-were gonna tear me a n-new one or something for b-bein' a Sith and cracking l-like this."

A sympathetic look fills Roanoke's still-flushed face from crying as he listens to Zessel speak about his own past—or his his lack of memory of his childhood. One of Roanoke's fears is forgetting, and while he's not really an expert when it comes to conditions regarding the psyche it seems to him that Zessel has amnesia. What's it called again? It's retro-something, and the name is on the tip of his tongue...

"Zessel, thanks for trusting u-us with this," he earnestly tells the pale Padawan. He glances at Caul, then at Shaw, before gazing back at the half-Arkanian. "Count me in w-with the tree fighting, too. I'll help, yeah? J-Just give me a nudge and I'm all in."

Then, as Caul shifts the conversation to Shaw, Roanoke looks at the very first friend he's made after joining the Jedi Order—the first Padawan to have ever approached the ex-Sith and engaged him in conversation and a friendly spar. Should the boy from Coruscant share his apprehensions or a secret, he can expect Roanoke to fully support him and offer the reassurance that he, too, deserves.

And whatever happens during this mission, Roanoke promises to himself that he will be there for these three, even if he has to fight a horde of Ellorans or Darksiders for it.

@Zay @throwitintothefire @LouJoVi

 

[Zessel]

Until his friends told him what they thought about his past, Zessel couldn’t stand still. He had sat on a bench next to Caul and his legs were shaking in a way that hadn't happened since before he had started doing therapy. The half-Arkanian was also fidgeting with the hem of his robes.

The first one was Caul. Zessel stopped his fidgeting, bracing himself for what was going to come. The first time that he told someone about it, had been shortly before he joined the Jedi. He told some younglings about his amnesia, but their answer wasn’t good. They called him crazy and other bad things. This made the half-Arkanian distance himself from others.

Until now.

He had no idea why he was telling that to the other Padawan. What if they called him crazy too?

Caul support made Zessel smile, but Roanoke’s offer to fight the tree was enough to have the half-Arkanian bursting with laughter. It was enough to make him cry too, because it was the first time that people heard about his past without making fun of him. “You are the best.” he said, between laughs and tears.

@Zay @throwitintothefire @Graveyard Shift