Private 360 No Scope

[Jonyna Si]

​

New Cov.

Jonyna had taken the hidden away temple as a new home base for her padawans these last few weeks. With Rayia's training in keeping her beast form under wraps in progress, it had been a bit of a process to get the two acquainted with the jungle environment. While she wasn't one to force anything on them, as they were allowed to leave whenever they wanted on the Reaper, she did want them to adjust.

Today though, today was a day she had planned out for a while now.

Today, she had a training session for both of them planned. Not for Rayia's beast form, but for...something else.

"Alright you two, here's the plan." She grinned. "Today, we're gonna teach you something very special."

Tag: Ko Vuto Rayia Asai

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: New Cov
Tags: Jonyna Si | Rayia Asai

---

Ko was never very familiar with the New Cov temple. But knew that it was held in high regard to many Jedi, his Master included. Although the weeks here training in the jungles were a welcomed change of scenery. Allowing Ko to maintain his skills as an outdoorsman. Being a Kel Dor offered plenty of unique challenges and struggles for him to overcome in survival situations. Of course being blind hadn’t helped him much either.

After his little hiccup in his training with Jonyna after trying to understand pyrokinesis. She had even suggested that he’d be brought here to train and further understand the explosive manner in which he manifested the already dangerous Force ability. New Cov was remote enough for him to train Combustion with more confidence. Even so he still was mindful not to needlessly cause destruction to the environment wherever he found himself training.

Once Jonyna had approached him and Rayia, Ko had assumed an attentive stance for his Master and listened closely to what the cathar woman had to say. “Something special?” Ko wondered what that could mean. Was it an ultimate technique? Or some sort of Jedi deep lore that could enhance his understanding of the order?​

 

[Rayia Asai]

Jonyna Si Ko Vuto

---

Rayia’s ears flicked tiredly as she sat on a fallen log within the canopy of the jungle. The Felacatian seemed constantly tired these days, ever since starting the training to manage her beast side more. Her fur’s normally vibrant sheen had lost some of its brightness and had even matted into clumps. Clearly she was exhausting a lot of energy in the training. Only to have to wrestle with her bestial side at night. Burning the candlestick at both ends one might say. Rayia picked at the matting with her fingers, trying to comb it smooth.

Nevertheless, her eyes remained sharp and Rayia fixated on Jonyna as she grinned and revealed that she had something special planned for the both of them. ‘That takes me back,’ Rayia remarked mentally as she noted the feline grin gracing her Cathar mentor’s face. ‘Old Kaheti would grin the exact same way. Usually followed by picking me up by the nape and carrying me away into the savannah to strand me so I’d have to find my way back,’ Rayia thought to herself, remembering her old tracking mentor fondly. It seems that Ko was thinking along similar lines as she heard him voice the question of what they are doing today. Then Rayia frowned, “Wait, we? Is someone else joining the lesson today, mentor Jonyna?”

 

[Jonyna Si]

​

"Oh, uh, no. I just was being fancy." Jonyna blushed, before looking to Ko. "Today...we're gonna do some lightsaber training. Specifically, how, and when to throw it." The grin was devilish across her face, and her eyes focused on the Kel Dor. "If you're going to insist on throwing it, I might as well teach you how to do it right. Now, sabers out, both of you."

Tag: Ko Vuto Rayia Asai

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: New Cov
Tags: Jonyna Si | Rayia Asai

---

Rayia made an excellent point, Ko hadn’t realized Jonyna’s choice of words. But it didn’t really seem to mean anything. Hearing his Master’s explanation made Ko’s shoulders sag some. Especially with how she looked at him made it pretty obvious that he was the reasoning behind wanting to train in lightsaber throwing. Something he already didn’t do as often because he knew how critical Jonyna was of it.

When she told the two of them to brandish their lightsabers Ko summoned his smaller shoto to his clawed digits. He still hadn’t yet gotten his old one back or constructed a replacement for it. “Master Si, I can’t help but feel a little called out right now.” Ko said, the tone of his voice was a bit humored and more so feigned concern. The padawan could certainly appreciate some focus on ranged combat and maneuvers however. But wondered how much there really was to teach with saber throwing. ​

 

[Rayia Asai]

Jonyna Si Ko Vuto

---

Rayia blinked as Jonyna revealed that what she had pointed out was merely a slip of the tongue. She wondered what had brought that on, only to be swiftly swept along as Jonyna revealed that they would be doing lightsaber training and that it would be about throwing it specifically. Rayia's ear flicked pensively and she made an apprehensive growl at the thought. "I thought you said that throwing away your weapon was dumb, Mentor Si." Rayia remarked, and glanced towards where Ko was kneeling besides her. Rayia was hardly blind to the subtle glances that Jonyna kept shooting his way. 'Perhaps he is right. That she intends this to be a lesson,' Rayia thought to herself, only to shrug her shoulders. It was hardly the first time that Rayia had been in a situation like this. Lessons in the tribe often used the perpetrator of the mistake as an example... and often to much harsher criticism. So long as Ko wasn't objecting, Rayia would appreciate the lesson that her mentor offered. 'Besides, Jonyna is right. There may be a when when it would be important to know how, without loosing a finger,' she thought.

Standing up, Rayia withdrew Light Fang from her belt. The lightsaber that she and Jonyna had constructed fit snugly in the palm of her hand and she held on loosely as she waited for Jonyna's instructions to light the blade and then throw it. When Jonyna gave the instructions, Light Fang would spark to life. A snap hiss signaled the unveiling of the oscillating whitish-yellow blade which lit up the clearing like a torch held aloft. Tendrils of energy drifted from the slightly curved projection, as Rayia felt the heat of the blade tickle her face. Light Fang always burned particularly hot, and in the oppressive jungle humidity, Rayia squinted involuntarily to bear the oppressive blanket bearing down on her. "Ready when you are, Mentor Si," she remarked and continued to wait quietly.

 

[Jonyna Si]

​

"Normally, yes." Jonyna added. "And yes, Ko, you've lost a saber twice now."

She wasn't normally one for calling out those under her, but she felt this was an important lesson to learn. Mistakes had to be learned from. "But, there's always an exception to every rule."

Jonyna drew her own saber, Lucy, and threw it into the jungle in a boomerang fashion. "If your opponent has no way to defend against it, then throwing your weapon is a great tactic. Couple that with a bit of basic force manipulation..." She waited, as Lucy cut through a branch, causing it to fall and a nest of birds revealed eggs unhatched, before the saber spun back around, into Jonyna's hand. "And it makes for a potent tool. But should an opponent be able to catch your blade, then you're just disarming yourself."

She extinguished Lucy, holding her out in front of you. "The important part is to understand your opponent. A blade is only as useful as it's owner. For now though, I want you both to practice. Get me the rest of our lunch. We're in the jungle, there's a lot to eat."

Tag: Ko Vuto Rayia Asai

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: New Cov
Tags: Jonyna Si | Rayia Asai

---

Ko’s shoulders sagged a bit after Jonyna mentioned how his sabers have been stolen twice now. It was bad enough to have his weapon stolen from the big, purple alien Mandalorian, Domina. But for Hilal to do it to his backup was just insulting. But more so it highlighted a serious issue in his capabilities if he were to be a Jedi.

He knew that it was fair that Jonyna would want to address it. But he listened closely to Jonyna as she spoke about when are some appropriate moments to throw a lightsaber. Even recalling some of the instances he did and he wasn’t fighting those capable enough to counter such an attack. Watching too as she cut through a branch with her weapon. Observing via The Force that there was a nest among it was well.

He wondered at first if she just didn’t know of the little habitat among the branches. But also wondered if the fact that they were unhatched and unbroken was to show off precision of her saber throw. That was until she mentioned for them to go out and get more lunch. Communicating to Ko that she wanted to eat the eggs.

Ko thought for a moment as he stood there. He only had his shoto with him. Somewhat limiting the potency of his saber throws. But perhaps that was a good thing. Requiring him to be more mindful of what he was throwing it at and how. So he could make the most of the weapon’s limited surface area. “Hmm, what do cathars and Felacatians like to eat?” Ko wondered to himself. But it only took him a moment to figure that out. Jonyna’s most prized possessions were her stakes back on The Reaper. He felt like it was okay to assume that Rayia was similarly carnivorous.

He also wondered what he would eat as well. If there even was anything for him to scavenge together to eat. But he’d focus first on getting stuff for his surrogate mother and sister to eat first. He always had plenty of ration pellets and nutri-paste on his utility belt to last a good while.​

 

[Rayia Asai]

Jonyna Si Ko Vuto
Location: New Cov
Mood: Confused

---

Rayia tilted her head to one side, in the way felines do when they place the focus of their attention under heavy scrutiny. Her feline ears drew forward until they stood on end, quivering lightly. Jonyna's admission confused her. 'So... it is a dumb idea and we're going to learn it anyway?' Rayia thought to herself, though she conceded the point that Jonyna made next. The most important trait of a hunt was the ability to adapt to the environment, situation, and prey's movements. Jonyna's explanation also made sense and Rayia raised her head to nod. "I see. I suppose that's true," She relented, watching with some awe as Jonyna used force manipulation to recall her saber once it had neatly sliced the branch supporting a nest of bird's eggs. And with that, Jonyna sent both Rayia and Ko out into the jungle.

Rayia's nose wrinkled at the thought of the task as she stepped out into the brush of the jungle. The warm, muggy air seemed to cling to her and her fur soon became slicked with perspiration. Brushing a lock of hair away from where it had been plastered to her face, she shook her head. 'If Mentor Jonyna wanted to throw me out of my comfort zone, it worked,' She thought to herself. The idea of hunting for food within a foreign jungle ran contrary to anything she had ever been taught. Perhaps if she had more time to immerse herself within New Cov's environment as a huntress usually did before stalking her prey, she might have more understanding of what exactly she should be looking for. As it was, she could only rely on her keen Felacatian senses, including her tail's ability to detect movement in a range around her through the tremors of vibration, her feline instincts, and... Light Fang.

'But, I can't throw the way that Jonyna did. Light Fang has more concentrated mass near the tip of the fang, as a result of the modulations made to the emitter. That means it's unbalanced for throwing. Maybe if I...' Rayia thought to herself, and reached into the pouch near her waist. She withdrew a simple wooden spoon like implement with a hole carved in it and a length of leather twine. The throwing device had gone almost unused since she'd departed Weik and Rayia fretted that the twine would have frayed or snapped. But it seemed to be intact as Rayia wound the twine around Light Fang's haft. The smooth wooden sppon like implement now fit snugly in her palm. 'If I throw Light Fang like a spear, and practice throwing it like a spear, then just maybe it will work,' Rayia thought to herself. Just then, a sweet scent wafted upon the breeze. Rayia's tail bristled as she felt movement high above her a short distance away. The movement was like the swaying of a slow pendelum or the bracing of a tree in strong winds, crawling forwards only to rustle back as tension relented and the suspended weight jittered to a stop before reversing course.

 

[Jonyna Si]

​

While the two of them went off, Jonyna got to work starting a small campfire, and getting an omelet made. She trusted they could take care of themselves, and if they couldn't, they'd call for help. She'd long ago given them basic communication devices as part of their utility belts, knowing full well that they'd need them someday. Most of the utility belt was made for that reason. She wondered for a moment if she overprepared her padawans, but that was quickly quashed by the idea that maybe, someday, it would save their life.

---

Deep in the jungle, Rayia Asai could hear the sound of foliage shifting. Something was out there with her...

---

With Ko Vuto left on his own, he could feel the liveliness of the jungle. Everything around him could be eaten, in theory. But what would kill him or not? What he could sense, near him, was a plant that shined with the Light, small fruit bearing off it's branches.

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: New Cov
Tags: Jonyna Si | Rayia Asai

---

Ko trekked into the jungle more and more. Keeping his senses in The Force sharp to find anything worth catching for Jonyna and Rayia. He noticed plenty of large bugs, but never noted the two cat women as being avid insectivores. So he kept looking. Eventually under the shade of a tree he would glance up. Observing some riches in its foliage.

Berries… lots of them to. In his cut Ko trusted that Rayia would get something meaty to bring back. Ko figured that he might need to find something to balance out the national qualities of this makeshift meal. The Kel Dor would ignite his short green lightsaber. Aiming it briefly before chucking it up into the foliage. Cutting off a decent size branch that fell a few feet in front of him. As his shoto boomeranged back to him he caught it. He observed the bench, it was covered in leaves and berries. But there was something else.

As he approached the branch he heard a sudden buzzing noise. That was until he noticed a small hive attached to the branch he just cut down. Accidentally mid identifying it as just a knobby part of the branch. However the angry insects within it began to swarm around Ko. However he only casually swatted some of them away. His rather lathery skin kept him largely unharmed from their assault except for the occasional sting.

Ko reached down and picked up the hive before gently levitating it back up into the canopy. Nestling it back another sturdy branch before giving a little wave of his hand, using the Force to temper the territorial rage of the stinging insects. Quickly rendering them more docile before the buzzed back up to their hive. He then calmly wiped away some of the stingers that got embedded into his thick skin. Grabbing the branch he hoisted it up onto his shoulder and began to head back. Keeping his senses sharp for any other goodies he could find along the way.​

 

[Rayia Asai]

Jonyna Si Ko Vuto
Location: New Cov

---

As she wandered, Rayia's clawed finger trailed lightly over the spot where her communicator was fastened to her utility belt. She wasn't in any danger. No, rather it was Rayia's budding dislike for being alone that made her consider opening up a channel. She'd started to like her found hodgepodge of a family and was already missing her adoptive mother and brother. Even if she'd never admit it aloud. At least, not until asked. Decorum in the Feral Queen's Tribe demanded that she refer to Jonyna as Mentor, or risk disgracing herself in front of one who freely gave wisdom. It had been the same whilst she was her biological mother's student. Nemea hadn't been Mom at the time. Rather she had been Mentor.

Suddenly, the rustle of foliage stopped Rayia in her tracks. She could tell that something was pushing its way through the foliage, drawing closer to her. Rayia drew upon an old Felacatian hunting technique that she had learned from one of her mother's hunt-masters. Sinking slowly to her haunches, Rayia remained very still and spooled her tail out to its full length. The burnished silvery, tawny fur of her tail immediately started to bristle as the acute organ picked up the displacement of air and the vibrations of even the smallest movements around Rayia for several hundred yards. Rayia could feel a trio of small birds flit through the foliage above her; their throats warbling in an eerie sort of song that seemed to pound inside Rayia's head. A small frog-like creature leaped from the underbrush, scattering leaves in its wake as it tried to sneak under a nearby brush. One of the birds swooped after it, and snatched it up with its left talon. The frog croaked, releasing a plume of bubbles that burned Rayia's nose with their acrid smell. The bird's left side froze in mid air as its left wing made the slightest contact with the bubbles. Then the bird hurtled to the ground. 'Surely noxious, then,' Rayia thought to herself, and continued searching leaving the tainted meat where it lay.

It was the slow, slithering motion about twenty paces back that caught Rayia's attention. Based on the fact that the movement only occurred when Rayia was facing away, and the building tension she could feel emanating from that spot, Rayia knew that meant only one thing. 'This is an ambush predator and it thinks it has caught me unawares. It will pounce in three... two... one...' Rayia counted down, fingers tightening on the atlatl she had made for Light Fang. At one, a massive snake like beast sprung from the jungle floor, coils circling in the air as it propelled itself towards Rayia. Rayia simultaneously used her Felacatian speed to whirl around and cast Light Fang forwards, all within the span of a heart beat. The massive snake beast's four mandibles were stretched wide and Light Fang pierced through the upper left jaw. The flesh immediately started to scorch and blacken as the immense heat that Light Fang emitted was brought to bear. The snake beast shrieked and dropped to one side, writhing in pain. With a quick flick of the fingers, Rayia twisted the blade to the side bisecting its head. At this it stilled, though the tail still occasionally twitched. "Well, I hope the two of them enjoy eating wyrm." Rayia muttered to herself, scratching her cheek.

 

[Jonyna Si]

​

As soon as the two made it back, Jonyna had already gotten through half an omelet.

Jonyna smiled as the two returned. "So, what'd ya find?" She hoped this would teach them the techinque, so she could teach them to theory.

Tag: Rayia Asai Ko Vuto

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: New Cov
Tags: Jonyna Si | Rayia Asai

---

Once Ko got back to where his Master was eating dropped the tree branch down that he had severed earlier. Although the device on his face masked his expressions. Jonyna could easily read that the Kel Dor was happy and proud of himself for finding berries for her and Rayia. There was just one problem...

The berries were obviously poisonous. They were small and bright red and too abundant on the branch, showing that no manner of bug, bird, or other critter has risked eating from the abundant amount of berries from the tree. But the blind padawan had not made that connection in his head, although if he could see their bright red coloration he probably would’ve.

“Pretty cool right Master Si?” Ko asked, still clearly pleased with himself. “Oh and these too, I found them on my way back hrere…” Ko then reached around to get access to his backpack. Pulling out three coconut-like fruits from it. “I tried one earlier, they’re quite refreshing.” Pointing out his clawed index finger he used The Force to harden the tiny appendage before quickly poking holes into the three coconuts. Taking out three of his bendy straws, that he often used to drink with his mask on, he placed them into the coconuts for them to enjoy. ​

 

[Rayia Asai]

Jonyna Si Ko Vuto
Location: New Cov

---

Rayia studied the snake like beast that she had fileted with her lightsaber. She honestly had no idea of what to make of it, having never been on the planet before. However, there were a few things common things she could check to avoid. Wiping the back of one hand across her brow, Rayia leaned down towards the steaming meat. The delicious scent was wafting through the air, and Rayia realized that whatever she was going to do, she'd have to do it fast. The scent of the kill was already likely to have predators and scavenger swarming her direction. 'It helps then, I suppose, that I was somewhat sloppy. Considering how much I opened it up, it should be quick to harvest,' Rayia thought, shaking her head at the jagged and rough edges of the cut. She'd been panicking sure, but Rayia was slowly starting to realize that she found internal uses of the force to be far easier than external. 'I mean it was a simple twist cut and...' Rayia trailed off, poking at the hewn edge and watching the juices well up beneath her clawed finger. '...Ah well, we'll deal with that later. First, let's see if this is safe to eat,' Rayia thought to herself, bringing the snake's head closer to her nose. She sniffed the meat delicately, searching for the acrid scent of venom. She found a faint lingering trail coming from the head, likely resulting from the venom sacs that were concealed in the snake's jaws. Unwilling to risk tainting the meat by attempting to extract the venom sacs, Rayia simply cut Light Fang across the snake's neck. The wound cauterized, preventing any blood from leading a trail to the group and Rayia hoped that the scavengers would be suitable satisfied with the head that they would not attempt to follow her back to the camp. Bundling the snake up, she started back towards where Jonyna waited.

As Rayia returned, she saw Ko presenting his offerings to Jonyna before her. He had apparently found some berries, and several gourd/coconut like fruits that he punctured. Rayia could smell the sweet scent released into the air as Ko's claws penetrated the hardened fruits. They would be as refreshing as Ko promised. But the abundant, round, red berries caused Rayia to sneeze and itch her nose with the back of her hand. The lingering acridity was obvious and Rayia's ears flattened back in response. She said, "Ko, I don't... think we should eat those. At least, raw as they are." Rayia's nose twitched again as she shook her head. "Yeah. I really don't." Rayia laid the butchered snake down on the stones in front of the campfire. "...On the other hand, at least you managed to get the berries and those fruits with little collateral damage. I definitely seared my prey. I hope it's still salvable." Rayia said, some color tinging her voice.

 

[Jonyna Si]

​

Jonyna on the other hand, looked over the branch with a careful eye. "These berries are poisonous...but..." She walked over, loosing a claw from a finger, and dragging it across the branch, stripping away the bark. "The branch is actually edible. The wood is soft, and it tastes sweet. If you cook it right, it's just like potato meat."

Jonnya looked over to the snake, looking it over. "...this should be fine if we cut off the head and discard it." She looked to her son and daughter. "You two did good. But I'm gonna expect you to do better next time. From now on, as long as we're here training, I expect you to hunt the same way, all of our food. Okay?"

Tag: Ko Vuto Rayia Asai

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: New Cov
Tags: Jonyna Si | Rayia Asai

---

“Huh?” Ko said as he turned his attention to Rayia. Quickly feeling his sense of accomplishment flushing away from him as she told him they wouldn’t be good to eat. His shoulders sagged some. Clearly bummed out over his mistake as Jonyna went to more closely look it over.

“Wait, you can cook the wood?” He didn’t know what Potato Meat was but imagined it must be good. But the idea did remind him of something else. “Do you boil it? I know about bark teas, often for medicinal purposes however.” Ko replied, remember how some cultures have brews that use wood and bark over leaves for some teas. Although people generally didn’t eat the bark afterwards.

Ko listened more to Jonyna as she explained that they were gonna need to hunt and gather their food while training here. He knew that it would offer some unique challenges for himself though. Although it was a challenge he knew he should strive to overcome. If put into a dire survival situation he would need to adapt to ways to sustain himself without risking oxygen poisoning. “I understand Master Si. Perhaps I should look into gathering some water to boil.” Ko said, figuring that turning most his food into broths and soups would be the most practical way for him to go about this. ​

 

[Rayia Asai]

Jonyna Si Ko Vuto

---

Rayia couldn't suppress a small sneeze as the scent of the berries continued to bother her nose. Turning away from the others, she let out a small "Achoo!" When she turned back, she rubbed at her nose gingerly with the knuckles of her index and middle finger. "Sorry," she said by way of apology, seeing the way Ko's expression was slowly collapsing. "Hey, you never know when you might need to poison someone." She tried, hoping to infuse some of the sense of accomplishment Ko felt back into him. Though her gaze switched to Jonyna when she mentioned that the wood was edible. Her brows lifted a fraction as a curious twinkle gleamed in her golden eyes. She found herself drawing closer subconsciously and sniffing at the wood clutched in Ko's clawed hands. A sweet aroma spilled from the wound in the bark where Jonyna had dragged a finger along. "Wow, that does smell good," Rayia commented, before turning to Ko and remarking on his knowledge of bark tea for medicine. "Right, I know what you mean. We had such a recipe for pain and fever. It was quite effective too." Rayia remarked, thinking back to the tea that she had sipped as a child whenever she was sick. Milky, golden brown in color, it had smelled of the earth and had always tasted rather like cinnamon.

Rayia straightened as Jonyna examined her own prey. Rayia nodded as she was instructed to remove the head and discard it. Using her clawed fingers, Rayia did just that. She tore the snake's head from its body with a sharp twist. A series of pops and of gushing tears sprung forth as Rayia shattered the snake's spine and tore the muscles and flesh open. A gout of green blood welled up, but Rayia quickly staunched that with a squeeze of her fingers. Then turning away from the group, she hurled the head away and into the trees. "Done. Now, should I continue deboning it?" She asked, and quickly nodded in understanding when Jonyna tasked them to hunt and gather the food during their expedition here. It made Rayia homesick slightly, and she was nostalgic about the chance to hunt freely again.

 

[Jonyna Si]

​

Jonyna nodded. "Ko, get some water. You'll need to boil it anyways to clean it, but I expect you to do that too. Rayia, yes, debone it and we'll skewer it to cook." She was happy her padawans were slowly picking up on her lesson. Today was a lesson about survival, and self sufficiency. A jedi should be able to take care of themselves, and throwing your saber was part of that.

Tag: Ko Vuto Rayia Asai

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: New Cov
Tags: Jonyna Si | Rayia Asai

---

Rayia was right, but then again the idea of poisoning someone sounded like a pretty dishonorable way to kill somebody. He couldn’t think of many instances where a Jedi would need to, or even should poison somebody. But it was nice to know that she was also familiar with certain herbal teas made with bark. Ko then watched as his fellow padawan began to prepare her catch as well. Although he really saw it, the sounds made were rather gruesome.

Jonyna explained to him to start collecting some water to begin boiling. “Certainly…” He simply said back. However Ko wondered for a moment how he might go about doing that. He didn’t have any pots or pans to easily collect water or anything to properly filter it. All he had was a metal canteen that might be ruined if he used it as an improvised pot. Perhaps he could collect more coconuts to use them as little bowls.

The Kel Dor wondered if this was meant as another test of his survival skills. To see how he would adapt, overcome, and improvise his way to success with these challenges.​