Ask Rising Moons

Quin Leonkri

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Turning around and seeing that the criminals were far enough behind, Quin would turn into the woods to look for Vand. He had with him a holomap that would show him the direction back to the road or to the city, but it wouldn’t show him where the Padawan was. So, he would have to rely on whatever information Vand gave him. At least he was safe— but he wouldn’t be for long if the criminals kept up their search.

“I’m… trying. A large tree?” Quin slowed down his speeder, looking around him. If there was one thing there was no shortage of in the woods, it was trees. And he didn’t see a Padawan in sight. He mentioned a rock, but those weren’t difficult to find either. “I’m afraid that doesn’t narrow it down by much.”

Speaking of turtles though, Quin soon did find himself in front of a small river that appeared to originate from the mountains and go deeper into the woods. A quick look at his map showed that it was the only one around for miles. He didn’t know if Vand was nearby, but if he would be able to find it, it would significantly increase his chances of being found.

“Do you see or hear a river near you? If not, stay where you are and I’ll, uh, try to figure something out.” If Quin had to be honest, tracking was far from his strong suit. However, he would try his best to make sure Vand stayed safe.

@LouJoVi
 

Vandirak Hastakor

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Vand was seated in the bike while hitting his finger rhythmically against the vehicle’s surface. Quin was having problems finding him and the Padawan was starting to lose his patience with his attempts to describe his surroundings. He wondered if the other could really be that much stupid.

It’s a Marbellia tree and has pink flowers. The leaves are compound with oblong leaflets. It isn’t very difficult to see.” he said, ignoring the fact that the Knight probably had no idea about the botanical characteristics that he was explaining. “The stem probably has 90 cm of circumference and is dark brown with gray shades.

When Quin mentioned a river, Vand stopped talking and paid attention to his surroundings. He could faintly hear the sound of flowing water in the distance. “I can hear water, but I can’t see it.” the Padawan said, deciding to remain where he was. If he moved again, the half-Nagai could get even more lost.

@Sicadorito
 

Quin Leonkri

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When Quin had asked for a little more detail, Vand had given him a full botanist’s description of whatever tree he was in front of. He had no idea what a Marbellia tree was or what compound leaves meant, but the description of pink flowers narrowed it down. Plus, the fact that Vand could hear the water was a bonus too.

Knowing the Padawan had to be somewhere nearby, Quin slowed down his speeder and looked farther downstream. The slope was just enough for him to be able to see the tops of the trees, and he did see a cluster of pink flowers somewhere down there. Heading down toward it, he soon saw another speeder through the foliage that looked like Vand’s. Feeling a little better, his hopes were raised when he saw the younger man sitting atop it.

“Vand?” He pulled up alongside him, and when he saw that it was indeed the Padawan he was looking for, relief flooded him. “I’m glad you’re safe. We should head back to the city.” Once they regrouped, they could work on finding Enigma again.

On the way back to the trail, Quin decided to break the awkward silence with a question completely unrelated to what they were doing. Maybe they could get to know each other a little better? So far, Vand seemed annoyed at him at the very least.

“So, uh, I take it you’re interested in botany. How long have you been studying it?”

@LouJoVi
 

Vandirak Hastakor

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Vand calmly waited for Quin to find him. Under the shade of the Marbellia tree, the Padawan was eating a pack of cake rolls. All this time that he spent feeling from the criminals and getting lost in the forest made him hungry. Besides dealing with Quin was exhausting and he felt as if his level of glucose went down with each conversation.

When Quin finally found Vand, the half-Nagai had already finished his cakes and was taking a nap on his bike. The sound of the Knight’s voice calling woke him up. “Finally! I thought that you had gotten lost too.” there was no playfulness in his voice, the Padawan was being deadly serious.

He would follow the Knight back to the trail, the silence between them being something that Vand appreciated. He was still pissed for having to spend all his credits to save Quin and would only calm down when the other paid him.

Even if he was pissed, Vand felt obliged to reply to Quin’s question. He was a polite person, after all. “Since I can remember, I think. My mother is a botanist, so plants were very present in my life.” like how his parent’s house had a greenhouse with several exotic species. “Do you like something like that?

@Sicadorito
 

Quin Leonkri

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Finally, Quin had said something that didn’t seem to irritate the Padawan. Maybe there was some hope for the mission working out after all.

“That’s cool! Yes, I wish I knew more— I used to walk in the gardens of Theed almost every day. Good times.” He grinned at Vand. “Having you there would have been amazing. You could definitely teach me a thing or two.” Soon, the trail was visible up ahead, and Quin would turn his speeder slightly to get onto it. As he fell into position beside Vand again, this time heading for the city, he remembered that they had something in common that he was curious about.

“You’re from Naboo as well, right?” If he recalled correctly, Vand had noble origins too. “How do your parents feel about you joining the Jedi? Naboo doesn’t have the best… attitude towards the Order.” He paused for a moment. “At least in my experience. How was it for you?”

@LouJoVi
 

Vandirak Hastakor

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I could teach you many things. You don’t seem the most bright individual inside the Jedi Order. Vand thought, not daring to say it loud to Quin. The Knight would probably think that he was impolite. However, a person that jumps in the middle of a bank robbery without any plan could only be called an idiot.

Yes, I’m from Naboo.” Vand shrugged with Quin’s question about his parents' opinion. “They didn’t have much choice. When they discovered that the Force could help me avoid having crisis of hyperinsulinism, they immediately contacted the Order to accept me.” besides that, his parents never were against the Jedi.

“Before that, I needed to sleep with a tube inside my mouth giving a constant flux of glucose.” these weren’t times that he liked to remember. It was best if he changed the topic of the conversation for something else. “So, did you used to live in Naboo? What you used to do here?"

@Sicadorito
 

Quin Leonkri

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Quin grimaced inwardly when Vand mentioned the glucose tube that he used to use. It couldn’t have been pleasant sleeping with that in his mouth. It was a good thing too that his parents let him join the Order— the Force could do wonderful things if one was taught how to connect with it.

“That doesn’t seem very comfortable,” he commented, but one glance at Vand and hearing his rapid change of subject told Quin that he didn’t want to talk about it. “I did! If I wasn’t sneaking off somewhere to practice with the Force, then I was either at the Academy or in the gardens.” His gaze wandered off aimlessly into the woods. “I was around your age when I left for the Jedi. A lot has changed since then. Parents still aren’t completely thrilled, but they’re coming around.” He gave Vand a sideways smile before looking at the road up ahead. He could see the city skyline from here, they would probably arrive in a few minutes if they kept up their pace.

“Getting there just before nightfall. How nice,” he murmured, half to himself before turning to Vand. “Do you need to take some time off to rest before we start looking again? I know it’s been a long day.” He felt himself starting to lose a little bit of energy, but he would still be able to function well for at least a few more hours. While night was when the gang fights were most active, he didn’t want either of them to be going in exhausted. Even a short break could help, but after all the trouble Vand had gone through today and how much glucose he had surely used up, he didn’t want to push him.

@LouJoVi
 

Vandirak Hastakor

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It wasn’t.” Vand shrugged again, the second time that he did it during this conversation. While he tried to maintain the appearance of not caring, the truth was that the Padawan didn’t want to remember about these times. Nowadays his life was easier with the Force, even if he still needed to eat sugar from time to time.

Maybe they’ll understand someday.” the half-Nagai tried to comfort Quin, but not even him believed in that. People could be very stubborn to accept new things. It was even worse if they already had pre-established opinions. It was very rare for them to change their opinion, even others tried to talk rationally to them.

While he could see the city in the distance, Vand thought about Quin’s offer of having some rest. It had been so long since he had time to sleep. Needing to save the Knight and then flee from the criminals had also left him exhausted. “I would like to rest a bit, please. We can start searching later.

After saying that, the Padawan would remove two cake roll packs from his bag. Before he started to eat, Vand would offer the other to Quin.

@Sicadorito
 

Quin Leonkri

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Quin nodded at Vand’s agreement to take a break, his shoulders sagging in relief. Now that he thought about it, he was more tired than he would have liked to let on. He was glad that they would be able to rest, even if it could only be for a relatively short amount of time.

After finding a suitable area near the road, Quin would pull over with Vand before turning off the speeder. He would shift into a more comfortable position, about to reach into his own bag for some rations before he saw Vand offer a cake roll to him. Surprised and slightly caught off guard at the Padawan’s sudden kindness, he took it silently as he processed it.

“Thanks! I really appreciate it,” he said after a few seconds, looking up to smile at Vand. It would surely be much better than whatever foodstuffs he had on him— the rations tasted like stale bread at best. But then, as he was about to bite into the cake, he didn’t know if he should. Vand needed it more than he did, and there was only so much he could carry in his bag. Who knew how long they would be here for? Then again… He looked down at the cake roll. It looked delicious. He could buy some more for him if he did eat this one— credits weren’t an issue. I'm thinking too much.

Just then, he realized that Vand was probably thinking that he was insane, sitting there staring at the cake roll in his hands. Making up his mind, he would tentatively take a bite.

“I’ll buy you some more of these once we get back to the city. I promise,” he said decisively, putting it back down. “It’s delicious!”

@LouJoVi
 

Vandirak Hastakor

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Vand only nodded, after Quin expressed his gratitude for the cake rolls. He wasn’t going to eat it while the man watched. After everything that had happened today, the Knight probably was hungry. While the sweets aren’t the most nutritious type of food, it was what they could afford at the moment.

The Padawan watched the Knight stare at the cake as if it was some type of treasure. “Are you going to eat it or only look?” the half-Nagai asked, while raising an eyebrow. If the older Jedi was going to waste the sweet, then he should give it back to Vand. He only had another pack and some candies.

Yeah. I could use some more.” he said, before finishing one of the cakes. “This vanilla one is good, but I prefer the strawberry.” unfortunately, he didn’t have time to pick those when he came to this mission. Perhaps he could find those in the city and then make Quin buy.

Since there was still some time for them to rest, Vand decided to continue with their conversation. “Do you have any favorite type of food?

@Sicadorito
 

Quin Leonkri

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First Vand had given him a cake roll, and now he was willingly continuing the conversation? It was quite a change, but Quin was glad that maybe, Vand was starting to forgive him. “Can’t go wrong with strawberry,” he agreed, taking another bite. If their mission ended up turning into a cake roll shopping trip in the city… he might not even mind that much.

“If I had to choose a favorite, probably some nice homemade five-blossom bread. But anything from Naboo.” Nothing could beat food from home, in his opinion. “Pair that with some tea and it’s all you need to win me over. You?” Although, saying that right before finishing up his own cake made him second guess himself just a little. He couldn’t deny that these were fantastic.

“By the way, how’s your training coming along? Do you go on this kind of mission often?” It was a good learning experience for everyone— and he was no exception. In fact, with his relative lack of experience in investigating crime, he was surprised the council even assigned this one to him. But if it was Vand’s first time too, they could work together to figure it all out.

@LouJoVi
 

Vandirak Hastakor

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I see.” Vand wasn’t surprised that Quin appreciated Naboo’s cuisine. The food from the planet was very good, even the half-Nagai needed to agree with it. Now that they were talking about their homeworld, the Padawan was hit by a wave of nostalgia. He really missed that world.

I would like to eat a strawberry cake. In this case, a real one.” the Padawan said, before putting the rest of the sweet in his mouth. He liked cake rolls, but they didn’t have the same delicious taste of a cake made at home. “My mother used to make one with strawberry jaw. I loved eating it while drinking soda.

The Padawan shrugged when the conversation changed topics to his Jedi training. “It’s going well, I think. This is the first time that I go on a mission of this type.” he said, before turning to stare at Quin. “Since I don’t have a Master, it isn’t common for me to go on dangerous missions.

@Sicadorito
 

Quin Leonkri

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All the talk of strawberries was making him hungry again despite having just finished his cake roll. When Vand brought up his mother’s baking, Quin couldn’t help but smile. Nothing could top family recipes, whether it be cake or bread.

“This is only your first time?” His eyebrows went up in surprise as Vand turned to look at him. “You’re doing very well.” If he was one to talk. He didn’t want to admit it, especially now that a Padawan seemed to be better at this than he was, but it was really his first time trying his hand at law enforcement too.

That Vand didn’t have a master didn’t come as much of a shock, considering that had been the norm in the Order for quite some time now. However, he personally felt that every Padawan especially one with as much potential as Vand, should have a dedicated mentor to help along his journey like his own master had done for him. While he was definitely not good enough to fill that role, he could try to help along the way.

“Well… I know you probably won’t think very much of it, but if you ever need someone to help you out in training or in another mission, you can give me a call.” He gave Vand a smile. “So, when do you want to start heading back?”

@LouJoVi
 

Vandirak Hastakor

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Thanks.” Vand said, feeling a bit proud with Quin’s praise. For his first mission of this type he was really going well. Not only had he saved a Knight from kidnappers, but he also had escaped from them in a real speeder bike chase. It was exactly like a holomovie.

The half-Nagai remained in silence when the Knight offered to help train him and to go on missions together in the future. Quin was a nice guy, but was a very inconsequential Jedi. He was lucky that the criminals that captured him wanted to talk, because in other conditions they would have killed him at the first sight.

I’ll think about it.” Vand finally said. While Quin wasn’t the best Jedi around here, the half-Nagai didn’t have many chances to participate in missions. He would take any chances that were offered to him.

We can go now.” the half-Nagai felt rested enough and he wasn’t going to need sugar for at least a couple of hours. “We need to find more information about the Enigma. Any idea of how we are going to do that?

@Sicadorito
 

Quin Leonkri

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Maybe it was just politeness, but Quin was glad that Vand didn’t completely reject the idea of going on more missions together. Despite the slight friction between them, he liked how the Padawan didn’t completely go along with whatever he said and voiced his own opinions on when he was being stupid. Sometimes he needed that.

“Then let’s get back on the road!” Hopping on his bike again, he answered Vand’s last question. “If this Enigma has as much influence as everyone said he does, then I think he’ll come to us before we go looking for him. He probably knows that the Jedi are involved now, after all.” He started up his speeder just then— they both knew whose fault that was, and he didn’t need another reminder of it.

Heading out for the city again, the two would soon arrive. It was as if nothing had happened. The streets were still filled with people, and it would be easy to get lost if they didn’t pay attention. No doubt they were crawling with criminals and civilians both, but where better to start than the market? They would certainly blend in more there than at a bank, and maybe the shopkeepers had seen something of interest.

“How do you feel about restocking on some cake rolls?”

@LouJoVi
 
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