Private A Day in the Life

[Amani Serys]

5 Years Ago
Centin Tillo

“Hey.”

…

“Hey!”

…

“Hellooooo, are you even listening?” A small, thirteen year old Amani gently knocked the head of a sitting Centin, herself standing tall, resting her hands confidently on her hips. “My Master Juno said that you threw a chair in her telekinesis class! And it wasn’t by using the Force!” She chastised her peer in a high-pitched voice. Ever since getting a mentor of her own, the newly-anointed padawan rarely missed an opportunity to mention her. “She told me my first job as her padawan was to help you figure out telekinesis, so that’s what I’m gonna do!”

A small rock lifted from the ground, floating around the girl as she effortlessly manipulated it, sending it this way and that, dancing around her before it once more dropped lifeless into the grass. “It’s not thaaaat hard. Master Juno says that I’m really good at it.” Amani shrugged, before lifting the rock again, playing with it idly and eventually dropping it closer in front of her fellow padawan. “She also says I’m really good at talking a lot.” A smug grin drew across her face when she looked back at Centin.

“Okay, now you try it!” She gestured at the rock, offering no further advice on the subject.

 

[Centin Tillo]

Concentrate on the rock. Raise it slowly above the ground.

Centin’s eyes narrowed in focus on the pebble before him, teeth gritted in concentration.

“Hey.”

Ignore all distractions. Focus. Concentrate.

“Hey.”

Centin closed his eyes, pouring all of his will into levitating the pebble. Yet, no matter how hard he seemed to focus, no matter how much he yearned for the rock to move, there was no response. And the constant babbling from the padawan next to him didn’t help his concentration either.

“What?!” Centin snapped, finally answering her calls after being gently smacked on the back of his head.

The girl before him was slightly younger, a newer padawan to his knowledge. She seemed alright, despite being a bit too bubbly. However, Centin certainly didn’t like having to be tutored by a fellow padawan, especially not one who was initiated so recently. After all, he had been a padawan for two years. If someone her age was tutoring him, what did that say about his progress?

“No I’m not listening, I’m clearly trying to concentrate here,” he huffed, making no attempt to hide his aggravation. “Yea maybe I did throw a chair. I just did what Master Juno asked.” He smirked at the memory, recalling the Master’s flustered face following his explanation of his actions. “You said to visualize our object moving. All I did was make a reference to help me visualize better,” he had smugly replied to Master Juno's questioning, despite knowing it was an outburst born from frustration.

He watched the girl maneuver the rock skillfully, with virtually no effort involved. He scowled at her boasting, the comment only furthering his insecurity.

“It’s not that easy. If it was then everyone could do it,” he said, despite his own uncertainty about the statement’s validity. “Oh yea, I can see why she said you talk too much. Is it some kind of Force technique meant to disorient your enemies?” he sarcastically mused, intentionally misconstruing her words.

At her behest Centin once again focused on the rock.

Please move. Just lift an inch. Just an inch.

“Aren’t you supposed to help me?” he asked frustratedly following another unsuccessful attempt. “If you’re going to stand there and talk all day, the least you could do is offer some actual advice.”

 

[Amani Serys]

Centin Tillo

The sudden outburst was unexpected, and Amani blinked in surprise when Centin lashed out. She responded with a venomous glare she had learned to inherit from Juno, “Well, it doesn’t look to me like you’re concentrating that hard. Otherwise that rock would be moving.”

The padawan crossed her arms and watched carefully, “Most people can do it.” His insult went just as much over her head as Juno’s had, “Nooo, I don’t know how to use Dun Möch. Master Juno says I would be pretty good at it, though.” As a matter of fact, she decided to expound on it, taking a moment to relish in her typical, holier-than-thou fashion. “But, IIIII wouldn’t want to learn it anyway! Because I’m a Jedi, and I don’t need some dumb tricks to help me win a fight! I can do that with the power of the Force at my side!” Amani stood tall, placing her hand on her chest with a self-satisfied grin still etched on her face.

Once Centin had stopped paying attention to her once again, she sunk back down to normal levels of smugness, watching as he tried to no avail to move the rock. He angrily called her out again, this time getting through as his genuine difficulty with the process finally hit her. “Sorry.” Her tone quickly changed to a gentler one. She crouched down in the grass next to him, staring at the rock intently. “Um, Just... forget about all of your surroundings. Close your eyes. Think only about you, and the rock. You and the rock are the only two things that exist. Make the rock a part of yourself, if that makes sense. Move it as though it were just another part of you. Like an arm. Nobody has to think about moving their arm, they just do it.”

 

[Centin Tillo]

Centin grumbled to himself as Amani pointed out that, in fact, most people can levitate a simple rock. She was right of course, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept.

He focused again on the rock, though before long his concentration broke again. The sounds of her raving about being a Jedi (and something or other about the Force) had escaped from being white noise and now occupied the forefront of his attention. He rolled his eyes, having heard the same idealistic spiel many times before.

“You know there’s more to being a Jedi than just repeatedly saying you are, right? You have to like, actually do Jedi stuff. Stuff like defeating Sith Masters and saving planets. That’s when you’re actually a Jedi,” he stated confidently, his head filling with daydreams of accomplishing such grand feats.

Following his frustrated outburst, her apology came as a surprise to him, an act that caught him truly off guard. He eyed her with curious apprehension as she knelt next to him, explaining the process thoroughly. He sighed, but relented once again and closed his eyes. Move it like you move your arm. Alright, he thought, might as well give it one more try. Plus, if it doesn’t work that just means I can quit and go relax in the courtyard. This final notion of relaxation gave him a sense of relief, a sort of blasé calm overtaking him.

Focus. Feel the rock. Just me and the rock. Now, lift it like it’s your arm.

Centin peeked one eye open, glancing eagerly at the rock. It remained on the ground, with no progress having occurred. Just as his frustration began to rise once again he noticed something, a small wiggle within the rock. It began to vibrate lightly, with slight but noticeable movements. It didn’t seem to rise even a full inch, but still, it was moving!

“Amani! I think it’s working!” he shouted in amazement. It wasn’t much, but it was more than he had ever been able to do before. Shortly thereafter, the pebble seemed to fall still once again, Centin having lost his concentration.

“It actually moved! You saw it right?! It wiggled!” he said excitedly, his usual guise of disinterest having completely fallen away.

 

[Amani Serys]

Centin Tillo

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get to that." Amani waved her hand dismissively, "But what I really wanna do is heal people. With the Force, obviously!" Her aspirations seemed small in comparison, strangely enough, in contrast to her apparent braggadocio.

As the two of them put their differences aside to focus on the task at hand, Amani watched closely, doing her best not to disturb the trance her fellow padawan had put himself in. With bated breath she watched, waiting for a sign. Finally, a slight tremble, growing stronger. The easily excitable mirialan opened her mouth to gasp, only to place her hand over it and spare his concentration. The rock slowly hovered into the air, only slightly, but that was enough.

She squealed in excitement, sharing in Centin's happiness vicariously. "That's it!" Her eyes darted back and forth between him and the rock, which shortly after dropped along with Centin's focus.

"That was great! You did great!" Amani applauded him with a rapid succession of golf claps before leaning in. "Wanna try again?"

 

[Centin Tillo]

4 Years Ago
Amani Serys

“C’mon Amani, you know you want to,” Centin teased, trying to persuade her for what seemed like the billionth time. “It’s not like we have to fight one or anything. We just have to get close enough to see it.”

As the pair meandered in the heights above the Shadowlands, Centin had his sights set on some exploration.

“Plus, what’s the worst that could happen? We are forced to fight and slay a Katarn? That’d be awesome!” he stated, a gleam of ambition in his eyes. Perhaps it was arrogance, an overestimation in his own skill. Or maybe even just confidence, based in an accurate assessment of his own capabilities. Regardless of what the truth was, Centin was determined to find a Katarn in the depths of the forest. His bravado was only further bolstered by the notion that if they worked together, there was no way the duo could fail.

“Well, I’m going either way. Wouldn’t you feel bad if something happened to me and you weren’t there to help?” He knew that if persuasion wouldn’t be enough to seal the deal, guilt was. If there was something to be said about Amani, it’s that she was very caring, sometimes to a fault. He was certain she wouldn’t be able to turn her back on a friend, especially one in danger.

 

[Amani Serys]

Centin Tillo

"No, I really don't," Amani asserted, trying to dissuade him for what seemed like the billionth time. "Why do we even need to see some big dumb lizard anyway?"

Amani tip toed gracefully along a tree limb, pushing a smaller branch out of her way only for it to spring back at smack her in the face. "You just said we wouldn't have to fight it. And how would we even kill it anyway? All I've got is a training saber." She grumbled, sputtering a leaf out of her mouth. The padawan glanced down to the lower canopy underneath, which held all sorts of creepy crawlies in the darkness below. She shivered and caught up with Centin. "This is exactly why the masters took to tutoring you themselves. You can't focus on training for two seconds without a superior constantly reprimanding you." Their attempts at a peer tutoring method proved fruitless in the long-term, and by now the two had been separated. Amani really did try her best, but they simply weren't compatible in that capacity. Still, they found time to catch up and hang out between studies.

"You're the worst. Let's just get this over with." He really knew how to push her buttons. Her compassion was both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness. Amani crouched and hooked her legs to the tree limb, swinging upside down and grabbing a lower branch and in turn using that to leap onto the next below that. Even now her natural penchant for acrobatics shone brightly. "After you, hotshot." She gestured at the lower canopy, looking back to Centin. She sincerely hoped he would just give up on it and they could head back. But she was kidding herself. Like that was ever going to happen.

 

[Centin Tillo]

Amani Serys

“How would we kill it?” he asked, repeating her question with a slightly incredulous tone. “With this of course!” He brushed back the side of his cloak to reveal a semi-rusted power pack strapped to his waist. “I made this when I was still back on Makeb. I’ve had to keep the Masters from finding it though, there’s no way they’d let me keep it if they knew.” Centin grinned mischievously as he unveiled his secret device. He pulled the hilt from his belt, pressing the activation button on its side. The power pack emitted an electric hum as a green blade grew from the haft. He swung the saber in two demonstrative strikes as he spoke to Amani, the tell-tale sounds of a lightsaber echoing through the trees. “See, with this we could definitely kill one!”

He didn’t wait for her response as he leapt down to join her on a lower branch. With another flick of a switch he deactivated the power supply and stowed the weapon back at his side. He stood for a moment and peered curiously over the edge of the thick tree limb they stood on. Centin returned his gaze to Amani, flashing her a cheeky smile. “Race you to the bottom!” he yelled, stepping off the branch’s edge. Wind whipped around his body as he plummeted recklessly through the canopy, the forest filling with the noise of excited laughter. Centin’s eyes focused their attention on finding something to slow his descent as he neared the forest floor. There! That cluster of vines! He twisted his body, altering his course in the direction of the tangled plant matter. His hand extended outwards and willed one of the rope-like vines into his grasp. The momentum his fall had gathered carried him, swinging in an arc that raced near the ground. His feet made contact with the ground’s surface as he began to run, attempting to match the speed of the vine-based pendulum. His pace began to slow as he stopped to survey the surroundings.

“Did you see that? I learned that Force Pull through training. I actually can practice, Amani,” he responded, referring to her earlier statement as she joined him on the ground. “Sometimes I’m just not in the mood to practice," he joked, sometimes being an understatement.

“Anyway, let’s keep moving. I bet we’ll find tracks just up ahead.”

 

[Amani Serys]

Centin Tillo

"Are you crazy?!" Amani's eyes widened at the reveal of a secret protosaber, taking a step back as he ignited the weapon. "You made that? Before you were even a Jedi?" Despite the fluster in her tone, she couldn't help but be impressed by his ingenuity. Still, he broke the rules, and Centin would know full well that was going to get her in a tizzy. "The rules are in place for a reason, Centin! Someone could get hurt." she huffed, now tugging at her hair in distress.

Centin joined her on the branch below, and Amani gave him her signature hands on hips / stern glare combo. Not unlike the look he would occasionally receive from some Masters. "I don't want to kill the katarn." He seemed beyond reasoning with as he jumped into the canopy below, but that wouldn't stop her from being grumpy about it. "And I don't want to race you either!" she hollered after him, making her way down to the forest floor at a more leisurely pace.

Sliding down a vine and finally joining him below, Amani found herself much less complimentary of his learning at the moment than usual. "Congratulations. At this rate you'll learn three whole force powers by the time you're twenty." she snarked. The two pressed on, with her tailing him closely. "As soon as we see this thing, I'm leaving. After that, I can't be held responsible for what happens." Amani crossed her arms defiantly, of course Centin would know full well she wouldn't actually do that. Her eyes darted across the forest, reacting to any sound or movement out of place. "This place gives me the creeps."

They delved ever deeper into the shadowy woods, both blissfully unaware of the Katarn in the trees, patiently lurking behind them.

 

[Centin Tillo]

Amani Serys

The pair wandered amid the dark undergrowth for what seemed like hours, their trek elongated by the natural obstacles of the Shadowlands. They had maneuvered carefully and deliberately through the hostile environment, constantly alert for any signs of nearby wildlife. And yet despite their best efforts Centin and Amani were unable to locate their quarry, the result causing frustration to build inside the former.

We’ve been out here so long. How can one stupid animal keep evading us?

“Amani are you still focusing? We need to be doing our best here. If you don’t keep up we’re going to be here all night,” he said coldly, unwilling or able to hide his annoyance at their predicament. The critique was certainly unfounded, the accusation a scatter-shot barb born out of inconvenience and impatience.

“We need to push harder. If we go back empty-handed then this will all have been a big waste of time.” He knelt down for a closer inspection of the mud before them, his eyes searching for tracks. “I don’t understand how we can’t seem to find a single dumb Katarn. It shouldn’t be this hard!” His shout echoed through the timber as Centin reached his boiling point. He stood in the small clearing and turned, facing his fellow Padawan. “C’mon Amani can’t you sense one? Aren’t you supposed to be the good one at using the Force?”

 

[Amani Serys]

Centin Tillo

Admittedly, Amani was not particularly focused on finding and documenting this creature at the moment. Rather she was more broadly focused on worrying about everything else. About all the strange and spooky monsters than supposedly lurked in the Shadowlands. And about how much of a waste of time this all was.

"Yeah yeah, I'm looking. Believe me, I don't want to be out here." His coldness was quite duly noted, and the Mirialan ground her teeth impatiently, holding back a more cutting response. She feigned attentiveness, narrowing her eyes and giving the surroundings a brief scan, as if she would even know what she was looking for.

Behind them, a large, scaly beast silently slunk along the trunk of a tree. The Katarn had found its prey the moment they hit the forest floor, and they were not exactly difficult to pursue. A translucent eyelid blinked over, before the creature crawled across a branch, onto the next tree, and continuing its hunt.

"This already is a big waste of time, Centin. We should be heading back now." Amani stopped next to him as he searched for tracks, bending over to examine whatever he thought he was looking at, "Do you even know anything about it? Does it even live in this area?" It had seemed that Centin had enough, and quickly he turned the problem onto her, quickly sending her over the edge as well. "Stop yelling at me! This was such a stupid plan! I can't believe you dragged me out here for this. No, I can't find the dumb lizard, Centin! If I could don't you think I would have done it by now?! Why do you have be such a... jerk about it?!" She emphasized the insult, of course daring not to use a swear word. Given her lexicon Centin would know the magnitude of the unkind word she had uttered. Quickly, Amani scoffed and turned away, marching several steps back and crossing her arms, "Find it yourself! I'm done."

No sooner had she spoken those words, did she catch the movement in the tree now right in front of her. The Katarn peered directly at her, lurking silently as a low hiss rolled from its tongue. Amani froze in place, matching its gaze and manging to mumble a barely coherent, "C-Centin..." Her eyes darted to the side for a brief moment, "Centiiiiiin..." Strings of saliva stretched and snapped as the lizard's jaw unhinged, revealing a nauseating array of daggers for teeth, and the Katarn sprang from its perch at the duo of Padawans. "Centin!" she yelped, leaping to the side and flopping front first onto the dirt. The Katarn landed in the space between them, swinging around and smacking into Centin with it's large tail, it's focus locked on the already downed prey. It's mouth opened again as it rushed at Amani, intent on taking a bite. Instinctively, she reached for the training saber, igniting it's blue blade and hitting the monster with an irritating zap. It recoiled, but shook it off quickly and made one more lunge at her. Amani responded with a terrified squeak, "Help! Me!"

 

[Centin Tillo]

Amani Serys

Centin turned his back to Amani in kind, scowling as he stared once again at the muddied ground. A jerk! I can’t believe it! She actually called me, ME, a jerk! He knelt back down, retreading the same area for a second inspection. It was mostly to give him an excuse to ignore her for a while, the Padawan didn’t actually anticipate finding anything.

Maybe it was a fresh perspective that spurred his discovery. Sometimes a second glance is all it takes to notice what you may have missed. Or maybe it was the Force, maybe the young man had unconsciously tapped into its power, enhancing his senses. Whatever the cause may be, Centin did take notice of something that had escaped his sight before. Slight indentations on the terrain’s surface indicated a creature’s movements heading opposite of them. Claw marks. Their size though… could they be a Katarn’s?

"C-Centin..." His thoughts were interrupted by Amani’s calls for his attention. “Not now Amani, I’m thinking. I’m actually making progress here, unlike some people.” He shook his head as he tried to close her out of his mind. The prints aren’t deep, the creature was moving fast, possibly stealthily. "Centiiiiiin..." He huffed at her lame attempts at reconciliation. “I already told you I’m busy. If you want to leave so badly then do it. I don’t care,” he stated, his cold demeanor emphasizing his point. His attention once again focused on the tracks and Centin felt that he was close to uncovering their mystery. Wait… these are definitely Katarn tracks. And if they’re heading that way that means we should’ve encountered one. The realization created a terrifying implication for the pair. Could that mean we already have?

"Centin!" The girl’s abrupt yelp caused him to turn, ready to scold her for annoying him yet again. Instead he was greeted with the sight of a Katarn in the flesh, Amani just having avoided the creature’s pounce. It’s tail slammed into his gut and he was knocked off his feet, flying backwards a short distance. He recovered from the attack, standing quickly and surveying the situation.

The creature advanced on Amani as she tried to fend it off, unable to escape. This is bad. This is really bad! Centin took his weapon in hand and ran haphazardly at the beast with little concern for his personal safety. He ignited the blade and swung wildly, narrowly slicing into the Katarn’s tail. It roared in pain as the Padawan froze, unsure how to defend against the beast as it turned to face him. Hopefully Amani can escape now, he thought as he was greeted by the sight of the creature’s dreadful maw.

 

[Amani Serys]

Centin Tillo

The Katarn’s second lunge was cut short as Centin’s lightsaber seared into its tail. Immediately the creature turned around, letting out a low, reverberating hiss before charging straight at him. Amani, too paralyzed by shock to move, could only watch as Centin faced down the predator’s gnashing jaws. Though he braced for it, there was an unexpected lull in the attack; The Katarn froze in place for a moment, and the trademark hum of a lightsaber passed between them. A flash of not green, but indigo instead, and a second later the Katarn fell to the ground, tongue rolling out of its mouth lifelessly. This new lightsaber hung in the air before quickly returning to its master, a shadowy cloaked figure that emerged from the foliage to catch it. The individual walked over to Amani, and a scowl grew over the padawan’s face; She already knew who it was.

“Juno.”

A hand reached up to throw the hood back, revealing the fiery hair of then-Knight Juno. She looked down, eyeing her former student, responding to the glare with her trademark smirk. “Hey, kid. Long time no see.”

“What are you doing here?” Amani slowly stood up and dusted herself off.

“Saving your asses, apparently.” Juno turned around to look at Centin, “You’re lucky I was tracking you two, otherwise that Katarn would’ve turned you into a nice treat.”

“We didn’t need your help.”

“Like hell you didn’t!” Juno swung back around, an intensity growing in her voice. “You two couldn't have taken that thing on like this! What were you even thinking coming out here alone?”

“We-- wait, you were following us?”

“That’s right.”

“Why?! What gives you-”

“-Don’t even start with me, Amani. I did this at Master Niwa's request.”

“Master… Niwa?”

“Yep. And guess where I’m taking you next.”

“No. No wait, please, don’t tell her about this.” Amani’s eyes grew wide, her voice quickly shifting from surly to pleading.

“It’s a bit late for that. Why do you think she sent me?”

The color drained from Amani’s face as Juno sent them marching back the way they came. Master Niwa was her current healing instructor, one of the Masters she looked up to most, and Amani one of her most promising pupils. The Knight glared back at Centin, beckoning him forward, “You too, Padawan Tillo. You’re not getting out of this.”

 

[Centin Tillo]

Amani Serys

The indigo blade appeared in a flash and pierced directly into the creature’s hide, slaying the beast in a single precise blow. Centin watched as the pair’s savior revealed herself, a Jedi Master that Amani clearly seemed well acquainted with. It took only a few seconds before a similar realization dawned on him. Oh no. It’s Master Juno.

“You’re lucky I was tracking you two, otherwise that Katarn would’ve turned you into a nice treat.” The Master’s scolding struck true and caused the ego-bruised Centin to stare remorsefully at the ground. It was one of the rare occasions where even the overconfident young Padawan could see his wrongdoing. She’s right. We’d both be dead if she wasn’t here.

He watched as the two bickered, quietly taken aback by Amani’s shift in demeanor. Normally she was extremely respectful of the Masters, almost annoyingly respectful, but something about Master Juno always seemed to set her off. The boy also noticed how his friend swiftly changed her tune the moment their rescuer invoked Master Niwa’s name. Oh she’s in for it now. Even she knows it.

“You too, Padawan Tillo. You’re not getting out of this.” The statement yanked him out of his observer status and directly into the conversation he wanted no part in. “Oh Master Juno you’re totally right. We were very foolish and we’re sorry. But there’s no reason we have to tell the other Masters right? We recognize the error of our ways and have learned a valuable lesson from the experience,” he stated, trying his best to portray an innocent and repenting face. Centin wasn't afraid of getting in trouble himself, no that was something he was all to familiar with. Rather, he was trying to save Amani from what he imagined she saw as her worst nightmare. "Please Master Juno I promise, Jedi's honor, that we won't ever come back down here without supervision again. Just don't tell the other Masters."

 

[Amani Serys]

Centin Tillo

The walk of shame back to the treeline was quiet for Amani. She never took her eyes off the ground in front of her, mind racing for an explanation as to why they snuck off to play hooky in the Shadowlands. In the moment, the mirialan wasn't sure she had ever regretted doing anything more in her life. Breaking rules, missing classes, partaking in unprepared dangerous hunts for predatory fauna, all things Amani had never dared to do. And by now, it had become a reputation to uphold. She knew Master Niwa was fond of her, and her spotless record. The thought of facing her made Amani shiver.

"Kid, if you hadn't already learned that playing with giant carnivorous lizards was a stupid idea, then I'm surprised that you made it this long." Juno snarked matter-of-factly. "It's not really up to me, anyway." The Knight gave Centin a mischevious smirk, "Even if, when have I ever let someone off the hook easily?" Juno was notorious for being tough and uncompromising among many of her students, though Centin would know she was referring to his own particular incident some time ago. The telekinesis lesson. And the hours of community service she made him do afterwards. Under any other circumstance, the redhead's attitude would have sent Amani ranting; She hated how volatile Juno's code seemed to be. The Knight could be totally lackadaisical about one thing, only to be barking right in your face about the next. But now, all Amani could think about was her impending doom.

Finally, the trio had freed themselves of the dark forest. Arriving at a large clearing, at the edge of which was a tall, Ithorian woman: Master Niwa. They stopped abruptly in front of her, Juno giving the slightest of bows before nudging Amani's shoulder to encourage her to react. Nervously, the padawan looked up, "...Master Niwa, I-"

"Please, Amani. Spare me any excuses." The master's voice was simultaenously quiet yet sonorous, her peculiar biology making the words resound in stereo. Immediately, Amani sealed her lips shut and looked back to the ground. Niwa examined both of them for a moment, before nodding to Juno, "Thank you, Juno. I will handle Padawans Serys and Tillo from here." Juno nodded back, and slipped between the padawans as she took her leave.

Another pause, and the Ithorian turned to the boy, "Centin. You know full well that sneaking off and disobeying direct orders is frowned upon. This is not a conversation I or any of your instructors desire to have with you again, but you leave me few options. The Shadowlands are dangerous, children. Neither of you even have proper lightsabers, how would you have defended yourselves had Juno not arrived?" Niwa sighed resonantly, "We will decide on a proper punishment for the two of you soon enough. And Amani..." The Mirialan looked up again meekly, in fear of what was to come, "...Truly, I hoped for better from you. From Centin, this behavior is oft expected. But from you... Amani, I am not mad. I am just disappointed."

And there it was. The crestfallen tone in Niwa's words hit Amani like a ton of bricks. More painful than any Katarn bite, the dismay of a role model nearly broke the girl's very spirit. Niwa slowly turned around, making her exit as the two padawans were left to think about their life choices. Once the Ithorian was well out of earshot, Amani finally made a movement, slowly and shakily turning around to face Centin. "This... is all.. your fault!" Suddenly prodding a finger at his chest, she angrily raised her voice for the first time that he would ever hear it. "You just haaaad to keep breaking rules. Why can't you just shut up for once and listen?! Why is that so hard?!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued to unleash a torrent of emotions onto him. To Centin, and likely many others, it might seem like a complete overreaction, but to her it was everything. "Just leave me out of it from now on! I don't want anything to do with you or your stupid adventures ever again!" Amani swung back around, storming off as she wiped her eyes against her sleeve. The worst day of her life since she had become a Jedi.

 

[Centin Tillo]

Amani Serys

"Even if, when have I ever let someone off the hook easily?”

Blast. I should’ve known Juno would never buy it.

Centin fell into line quietly, unusually so, as the group continued their exit from inside the depths of the Shadowlands. C’mon, think of something, anything. He tried desperately to form any sort of plan, any defense of their actions he could conjure that might spare the pair from a severe punishment. But before he had enough time to create any arguments in their favor the trio arrived before Master Niwa.

“Centin. You know full well that sneaking off and disobeying direct orders is frowned upon.”

The padawan rolled his eyes as the scolding began, a familiar routine for the boy. He was delighted at how brief it was. The masters’ usual reprimands tended to last far longer. His enjoyment evaporated quickly though as their chaperone found a different target. He watched as Niwa’s final words hit Amani’s weak spot and began to feel even guiltier. This is my fault. I’ve gotta make it up to her somehow.

He waited for Master Niwa to depart and turned to face his friend. “Look Amani, I -”

His attempt at an apology was cut short as she suddenly exploded at him. Centin backed away as she prodded him and shouted at him with visceral anger. "You just haaaad to keep breaking rules. Why can't you just shut up for once and listen?! Why is that so hard?!"

The criticism wasn’t an unfamiliar one for the padawan but something about it coming from Amani made it cut that much deeper. His guilt became intermingled with anger at the accusation, unable to differentiate the two.

“Why can’t I shut up?! Why can’t I?! Don’t you understand how ironic that is coming from YOU?! There’s a reason why Juno said you talk too much and it isn’t meant to be a compliment!” he shouted in response. “Hell, I didn’t even know you were capable of keeping your mouth shut for more than two seconds until Niwa called you a disappointment!”

Just as soon as the final insult came out regret began to wash over Centin. He watched as she turned away from him and declared their friendship over. She walked away, heading off in the direction of Master Niwa.

“Wait, Amani… I’m sorry!” he called out, now finding himself all alone.

 

[Amani Serys]

3 Years Ago
Centin Tillo

The day's work was over. Lightsaber training went about as expected, the practice blade having left more than a couple welts. And even Amani found archive work to be exceptionally dull. And the food in the mess hall today was… subpar. But, all of that paled in comparison to the progress she had been making with her Force studies. Excelling in most, top of the class in some, and some much-needed praise from Master Niwa made today a good end to the week.

And a day this good called for commemoration.

The setting sun through the window created a warm glow across the padawan’s dorm. One of the oft unspoken pros of her room’s placement was the view it gave. Amani locked the door behind her, ducking under her bed to retrieve a small, encrypted datacron. Plopping down on the mattress with a sigh, she happily opened the storage device, only for her smile to quickly melt into a frown. “...What?”

[ERROR: DATA CORRUPTED]
[ERROR: DATA CORRUPTED]
[ERROR: DATA CORRUPTED]

Every file from beginning to end. “No. Nononono…” Could you turn a datacron off and back on again? She tried, to no avail. Panic set in quickly. How did this even happen? Amani stood up, breathing rates now approaching hyperventilation. How would she fix this? The Mirialan dared not tamper with it further herself, for fear of permanently messing something up. She didn’t know anybody good with tinkering.

Or. She did, actually.

This probably wasn’t going to go well. But Amani was desperate. She slid out the door, quickly shuffling further down the halls towards another dorm.

This is a bad idea. Of all the people…

Meekly reaching up her hand, the padawan gave the door a few quiet taps. “...Hello? Are you in there? It’s Amani.” She stayed silent for a moment, tensing up in preparation for some sort of reaction, but nothing came, “...Please? I… really need your help.”

 

[Centin Tillo]

Amani Serys

Knock knock.

The padawan’s head shot up quickly from his desk as he awoke from his afternoon slumber. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, his mind still somewhat groggy. Centin checked the chrono on his wrist and noted how it was still only the afternoon. Just means more time for sleeping. He laid his head back down, and closed his eyes. Yea, more sleep sounds nice.

“...Hello? Are you in there? It’s Amani.”

His eyes opened as he heard the voice from outside his door.

“Please? I… really need your help.”

He remained seated but slowly lifted his head once again. In the early weeks after their falling out Centin had waited for this day to come, a time when Amani would finally reach out after cooling off. That’s how it always happened. Give her a little space and she always comes back.

This time, though, she didn’t. Instead, after months of no contact he had eventually accepted the fact that she, like everyone else, had left too. Yet now here she stood, the day finally here. And he was determined to not waste his chance.

“Uh yea… give me a sec.”

He stood up and straightened his robes, trying to create some semblance of tidiness in his appearance. The padawan walked to the door and waited for a moment as he collected his thoughts. He opened the door and hid his excitement at seeing a familiar face.

“Long time no see,” he said dryly. “So, you need my help? Let me guess, Niwa told you to make amends or something like that? Some weird part of your healer training?

 

[Amani Serys]

Centin Tillo

Amani was surprised to hear that he was actually going to answer. The sound of shuffling inside, followed by the unlocking of the door, opening to reveal a straight-faced Centin. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Amani regretted yelling at him like that, but still she felt betrayed by his words and actions that day.

If it weren't for her current circumstance, she would have chastised him for immediately trying to make this about their argument. Then again, if it weren't for her current circumstance, chances are she wouldn't be here to begin with. Instead, Amani only offered a downcast shake of the head, followed by a meek, “...No.”

The Mirialan slowly lifted up her hand, revealing the datacron she held. Another pause as she swallowed nervously, “It’s… not working.” Her tone of voice was exceptionally glum, a far cry from the angry outburst she hurled at him over a year ago. Neither were sides of her that were often seen by others, though now Centin had gotten a sense of both. She finally lifted her head, giving him a pleading, doe-eyed look, “Please? I’m… sorry.” Her gaze flicked between him and his room. Amani dared not press the issue further, for fear of Centin denying to help her.

 

[Centin Tillo]

Amani Serys

Centin looked at the datacron in her hand quizzically. He briefly wondered what it’s contents could be before his focus returned to the present. Amani was clearly upset and seeing her so distraught was causing him no small amount of discomfort.

No time to waste then.

“Alright, come inside,” he stated, gesturing for her to enter. He offered her a seat near his desk before returning to his own. Plopping down, the padawan reached for the datacron. “Now let’s see what’s wrong with you.”

He moved to place it on his workstation but was greeted by a cluttered mess of tangled wire and metal scraps. “Sorry about the clutter. I wasn’t expecting any guests,” he said as he wiped it all into a waste bin with a brush of his arm. Datacron in front of him, Centin began trying to review the files. The same error codes displayed as they had for Amani, every file seemed to have been corrupted.

“Geez, what’d you do to get it like this? It’s busted to hell…” His voice trailed off as he began to delicately take the datacron apart. “By the way, you didn't mention what’s on here. And judging by your reaction it seems pretty important.” He paused his work for a moment as he turned to face her. “This doesn’t happen to have, say, Master Niwa’s deepest darkest secrets on here does it?” he asked jokingly.

“Because if it does you can bet that I’m reading through everything.”