Private A Force of Nature

[Katherine Holt]

Location: Dxun
Outfit: Link
Equipment: Lightsaber, Beskar Spear
Tags: Torin Emberlain​

Katherine caught that faint pink in Torin’s cheeks, and had to refrain from openly smirking. Finally, she had managed to get the big guy to blush, even if it was a little.

I will take that as a small victory!

Especially after he had caused her to heat up like a literal furnace. Hell, Katherine had a feeling her cheeks were still sporting a healthy flush.

“I intend to, I just need to find the time to sit down and focus.” She replied, letting out a small sigh. “Too much going on in the galaxy, heck I was mid-returning from another mission when I got diverted to investigate things here on Dxun.”

But that was Katherine’s ‘lot in life’ as it were. Once she had gotten over her initial shyness and fear when first arriving at the Temple, she had dived straight into training, and then heading out into the galaxy to help defend people. Rare were the moments where she could just sit down and draw.

Katherine smiled at Torin’s suggestion. “Deal, but in exchange I want you to cook me something. Like I want to watch you cook something.”

Her gaze then fell upon the cracking fire, letting the silence settle around them within the cave. It was then that he eyes fell upon her gear, particularly her belt where a number of satchels were attached.

“You know what, I can do you one better, like right now.” Katherine initially thought to get up and go grab it, but thought better of it. Besides, she was content remaining seated as she was. Instead, the redhead reached out with the Force. Arm stretched out as one of the satchels loosened itself from the belt, and flew into her open hand.

“This is something I had originally sketched, like a multitude of designs before finally making it a reality.” Rummaging through the bag a bit, Katherine eventually pulled out something that initially looked like a piece of ornate hand jewelry.

Something that would wrap around the wrist, and trail up the back of one’s hand. Rather, it looked more akin to a ‘skeleton’ of a glove.

“It’s a…I haven’t really thought up an actual name. But it’s meant to be an attachment to my armoured gauntlet. You can snap it into place securely, and once it’s all settled…”

Katherine raised her arm up, making some distance between it and herself. And with a push of her thumb, a medium-sized, round, purple energy shield sprung to life around the redhead’s forearm.

 

[Torin Emberlain]

Equipment: Greatsaber, Soul-Ring, Pendant
Tag: Katherine Holt

Torin blinked once, then twice, his focus sharpening on the sudden bloom of violet light.

"…That's very impressive."

There was no embellishment in his tone — no loud praise or overblown admiration. Just quiet, genuine awe. His eyes tracked the contours of the shield, then flicked back to the skeletal device that birthed it. The construction, the mechanics, the way it integrated seamlessly with her gear — it spoke of both ingenuity and precision.

"You built that?"

His brows lifted slightly. He sounded more thoughtful than surprised now, like he was already turning the idea over in his mind, imagining how such a thing might hold up in a real skirmish. He leaned in just a touch, studying the soft hum of the shield.

"Seems like it’d come in handy when things go sideways. Fast deployment. Strong projection. Compact."

Then he sat back again, a faint half-smile ghosting across his face.

"Beautiful, dangerous, and a tech genius. You are full of surprises."

 

[Katherine Holt]

Location: Dxun
Outfit: Link
Equipment: Lightsaber, Beskar Spear
Tags: Torin Emberlain​

Just when she thought her cheeks were cooling down, Torin had to throw out that compliment her way. Despite her blush, Katherine threw the druid a playful glare.

“I can’t take all the credit, it was based on a lot of research, done by a plethora of other people. And it’s not like I just ‘winged’ the actual production, I went and consulted those with actual experience.”

Yeah, but you still built it though, didn’t ya?

Only because I wanted to ensure it was exactly right.

Mhm, got that bit of a perfectionist in you. Shall we tell him about the armour?

…Shut up.

“Another important component is the crystal.” Katherine continued, deactivating the shield before opening up the device. “It can technically run on any kyber crystal, but needs proper integration to avoid it breaking.” The redhead plucked out the purple crystal that was comfortable nestled within.

“It’s an equally important part. Was a gift; an old crystal from someone I hold dear to my heart, someone I consider as family pretty much.” Katherine smiled fondly at the memory, gazing at the crystal for a few moments.

“But yeah,” She began, pausing for a moment to reinsert the crystal into the device. “I’ll have to show you all the different concepts I drew up before I landed on something I was satisfied with.”

 

[Torin Emberlain]

Equipment: Greatsaber, Soul-Ring, Pendant
Tag: Katherine Holt

Torin's eyes lingered on the device for a moment longer — not with judgment, but with quiet reverence. Then they shifted up, meeting hers.

"I’d like that," he said softly. "To see where it started. How it changed."

His voice carried that same slow, grounded cadence he always had, but there was warmth beneath it now. A kind of admiration that didn’t need loud words to be felt. He smiled — not wide, but sincere — and it lingered for a beat longer than usual as his gaze held hers with present warmth.

Then the moment passed, not with discomfort, but with calm.

Torin turned toward the cave mouth, his gaze falling on the curtain of rain outside. It was still falling hard, hammering the leaves and stone with a steady, unrelenting rhythm. Mist clung to the mouth of the cave, curling in pale spirals.

"I don't think it’s stopping anytime soon," he murmured, voice low again. "Might be best to rest. If we’re staying dry, better to keep it that way."

He didn’t move yet — just kept watching the storm, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, glancing back toward her, he added, "Have you eat enough?"

A small, simple question. But there was a thread of care stitched through it, quiet and constant — the kind that didn’t demand anything, only offered.

 

[Katherine Holt]

Location: Dxun
Outfit: Link
Equipment: Lightsaber, Beskar Spear
Tags: Torin Emberlain
​

Katherine frowned as Torin spoke, joining him looking towards the storm that was still raging out. The thunder and rumbling might’ve lessened since, but the absolute downpour of rain still seemed unrelenting.

“Still, let’s hope it clears sooner rather than later. The longer we remain, the more time the Terentatek has to spread this…madness.” And as much as Katherine could be stubborn, they’d just be putting themselves at a handicap trying to track it in the current weather.

Not to mention they still needed to wait until their clothes had fully dried.

Still didn’t stop her from worrying though.

Katherine blinked at Torin’s question, glancing down to notice she had consumed the last bit of food Torin had given her. She hadn’t even realized the fact, and she let out a sheepish chuckle.

She had intended on getting some food upon returning home, but then of course she had changed plans and headed straight to Onderon. Katherine looked over at Torin, a grateful smile on her face.

“It’ll suffice, I’ve managed on much less. Still not quite used to my body’s metabolism, but if we’re going to be simply resting for the next while, I should be good.”

 

[Torin Emberlain]

Equipment: Greatsaber, Soul-Ring, Pendant
Tag: Katherine Holt

Torin offered a quiet nod, gaze still fixed on the curtain of rain veiling the mouth of the cave. The storm rumbled on in the distance, less violent now, but no less persistent. He reached for another stick of firewood, gently feeding it to the flame, watching as the orange glow flared and flickered anew.

"You should rest first," he said after a moment, voice low. "Regain your strength. I'll keep watch."

There was no room for argument in his tone, but neither was there any force behind it. Just care. Steady and warm.

He glanced her way, and for a heartbeat, the firelight caught something in his eyes — not just the reflection of flame, but the quiet conviction of someone who would guard the threshold without complaint until the storm passed. Whether she slept minutes or hours, he would be there.

Once she had settled, Torin shifted slightly closer to the fire, stretching out his legs and resting his forearms across his knees. He stared into the coals, their glow steady and rhythmic, like breath.

And then, softly, barely more than a whisper, he began to hum.

The tune was old — older than war, older than missions, older than pain. Just a song. A half-remembered thread from another life. A lullaby his mother used to hum when he was too small to understand the words, and too loved to need them. Somehow, even after all these years, the melody remained.

His voice was low and untrained, but the notes were gentle, and they lingered in the warm hush of the cave like smoke curling through silence.

Outside, the rain fell.

Inside, the fire burned.

And Torin watched.

 

[Katherine Holt]

Location: Dxun
Outfit: Link
Equipment: Lightsaber, Beskar Spear
Tags: Torin Emberlain
​

Katherine opened her mouth to speak, to suggest he ought to sleep too, but his tone of voice made his stance clear. She smiled, shaking her head a little. Though before she could begin to get comfortable, she caught the look in Torin’s eyes.

The quiet conviction was clear, he would remain resolute in his watch while she would sleep.

She could feel a sense of warmth stir within, beyond just the campfire close by. It was a familiar feeling, of which the closest she could attribute it too, were the Nobles.

A feeling of Security and Safety.

Only with Torin, there was something different about it. An element that Katherine couldn’t quite place. And something that she couldn’t figure out, was a mystery the redhead was all too eager to unravel.

Just, not for now.

Katherine shifted to get comfortable, first ensuring Torin’s cloak was still securely around her. The Valkyrie then manoeuvred a bit so that one of her wings was laying flat against the ground. Using it like a pseudo pillow, Katherine gently lowered herself down atop it.

Sure, she’d likely end up with a bit of a ‘numb wing’ once she woke, but nothing a little stretching won’t fix.

As Katherine began to try and doze off, Torin began to hum a tune. It was unfamiliar to the redhead, but even still she could tell it was something the druid held dearly. Something about the way he was humming, eliciting feelings of remembrance. And it struck a chord within her, and part of Katherine wondered how often he openly hummed that song.

It was another mystery, but right at that moment…sleep awaited.

Though not before Katherine joined in, ever so briefly. More of a ‘mumble hum’ than anything, but it was there for several moments, before the redhead finally fell asleep.

 

[Torin Emberlain]

Equipment: Greatsaber, Soul-Ring, Pendant
Tag: Katherine Holt

Torin’s breath caught.

It was so soft it might have gone unnoticed, lost beneath the crackle of the fire or the distant hush of rain against the leaves. But it was there. A hitch in his chest as Katherine — half-curled in sleep, wrapped in his cloak and resting her head against her own wing — began to hum along with him.

The tune was ageless. A lullaby he would sing to himself alone in the deep green of Selvaris, where the canopy stretched so high it blotted out the stars. Be never knew the meaning, only that it meant safety… warmth… love.

And now Katherine — a woman he’d met only hours ago, warm and fierce and bright — was humming it too. Not perfectly, not intentionally. But something in her had heard it and joined in anyway.

His gaze shifted to her slowly. The firelight played across her face, softening the shadows, catching in her red hair and reflecting gently in the curve of her lashes as sleep pulled her under. There was no armour here, no storm or mission. Just her. Just breath. Just quiet.

And that small, echoing hum.

Torin smiled — not wide, not showy, but honest. A quiet warmth bloomed inside him, unfamiliar and startling in its gentleness. He felt… full. Not in body, but soul.

When her breathing deepened and her voice fell away into sleep, he turned his eyes back to the fire. It had burned low, coals glowing steady and strong, a heartbeat in the dark. He kept humming — just under his breath now — the same tune his mother had once sung to the trees.

And for the first time in years, the sound no longer felt like memory.

It felt like home.

 

[Katherine Holt]

Location: Dxun
Outfit: Link
Equipment: Lightsaber, Beskar Spear
Tags: Torin Emberlain
​

A few hours passed before Katherine stirred once more. She immediately smelt the familiar scent of the campfire, mingled in with that telltale smell of recent rainfall. But it no longer dominated her hearing, not even a small ‘pitter-patter’. What she could hear though, was someone stoking whatever remained of the campfire.

Is probably Torin.

The thought brought a small smile to the redhead’s face, as she continued to slowly awaken. Katherine let out a quiet yawn, gradually pushing herself up into a seated position. Right at the same time as a muffled ‘beeping’ began to echo out across the cave.

Almost as she had just had a subconscious premonition of it happening.

Katherine blinked blearily, eyebrows frowning as she tried to recognize whatever the new sound was. And to her credit, it was only a matter of seconds later when her eyes snapped wide open.

“The commlink!” She almost yelled, jumping to her feet. A tad bit too fast, wobbling a little as she regained her balance. But Katherine didn’t pause for a second, striding over to where her gear had been placed. One hand ensuring the cloak was still clasped around her, Katherine used the other to reach into one of her smaller pouches.

With a quick flick of her fingers, Katherine activated the device, ramping the volume up in the process.

“This is Vane. Kat ‘n’ Tor, are you reading me?” A few seconds pause, the message repeated once more. It was the shuttle pilot.

“Hearing you loud and clear Vane, this is Katherine.”

“Oh thank the Force, I was worried you two had gotten caught in that storm.”

“Well, we sorta did. But we managed to get into a cave to wait it out.” Katherine looked over at Torin, given the druid was the sole reason they were able to find this shelter.

“That’s good to hear. I’ve been trying to get in contact since, but the storm wasn’t playing well with the signal.” Vane’s frustration could be easily heard through the commlink. “Are you both doing okay?”

Katherine paused, opting to let Torin chime in instead. “Good good. But yeah, I was trying to contact you guys because of a developing situation."

“To do with the hospital in Iziz?” Katherine asked.

“Ye-yeah, how the hell did you know that?”

“What’s happening on Dxun isn’t the first time the New Jedi Order has encountered something like this. Would I be accurate in saying that the patient had shown increasing levels of aggression?”

“Pretty much yeah, started off with him being a bit snippy while talking to the staff. Right up to a point he tried to outright attack one of the nurses looking after him.” Katherine let out a frustrated sigh in response, that wasn’t good news.

“Has the hospital been able to handle it?”

“Mhm, got a quarantine protocol in place. Fortunately they were able to restrain the patient before he could get loose.”

“That is definitely good to hear.” Katherine replied, glancing over at Torin once more. It did mean however, that they really couldn’t afford to waste more time. The Terentatek needed to be dealt with.

 

[Torin Emberlain]

Equipment: Greatsaber, Soul-Ring, Pendant
Tag: Katherine Holt

Torin was crouched near the remnants of the fire, slowly stoking it back to life with a few dry twigs he’d gathered earlier. The jungle air was damp but calm now, the storm long passed. He had spent the last few hours simply watching it, reflecting, enjoying the stillness and calm from the rain and rhythmic breathing of Katherine's sleep. His senses were already stretching outward, threading quietly through the trees and stone, deeper into the wilds of Dxun.

He didn’t speak immediately when Katherine finished her conversation. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on the glowing embers, brows faintly drawn. What he felt through the Force had grown more distinct. The corruption was far from gone. It was moving.

He rose in a smooth motion, rolling his shoulders once before reaching for his gear.

"I think I know where to go," he said, voice low.

He paused, then he turned his gaze to her, steady and deliberate.

"But how are you feeling, Katherine? Truly."

His tone softened just slightly.

"Are you ready, if we find it?"

 

[Katherine Holt]

Location: Dxun
Outfit: Link
Equipment: Lightsaber, Beskar Spear
Tags: Torin Emberlain
​

“Understood, keep us updated on any further developments. We’ll be heading out soon to track down the source.”

With that, Katherine clicked the commlink off, and stuffed it back into the pouch it had come from. She wasn’t at all surprised that Torin had a possible lead on the Terentatek’s location.

The man seemed to have an innate connection with nature. It didn’t matter what planet; or moon, he was on. And the beast they were tracking down was an absolute abomination to the natural order of the galaxy.

“I’m feeling great, ready to jump back into the action. All thanks to you, of course.” She replied, flashing Torin a little wink.

Then an idea struck Katherine, only to pause a moment later as she internally debated it.

Am I really going to?

But her body was moving ahead of her thoughts at that moment.

“Am I ready? Well I don’t know about that…I think I’m missing an important step.” She said, the slightest smirk on her face as she glanced over at Torin. The redhead raised an eyebrow, as if silently going ‘well?’

Katherine gave him a couple moments for it to register. Then promptly turned back around, let the cloak fall to the floor and began to grab her gear.

 

[Torin Emberlain]

Equipment: Greatsaber, Soul-Ring, Pendant
Tag: Katherine Holt

Torin blinked. Once. Twice. Then promptly forgot how to breathe.

The cloak hit the stone with the softest rustle, but it may as well have been thunder. His thoughts scattered like startled birds, wings flapping against the inside of his skull, as he struggled to know exactly where to look. He turned his head away sharply, eyes darting anywhere but where she stood. But not before — just for the briefest moment — his gaze had flicked across the smooth lines of her back, catching the glimmer of gold ink tracing down her form in winding, intricate patterns. Beautiful. Striking. Etched into memory before he even realised it.

He cleared his throat, too loud, and busied himself with unnecessary tasks. Adjusting the straps on his belt. Re-checking the fastenings on a pack he hadn’t moved. Lifting and then setting back down a water canteen as if it had offended him.

"R-Right," he muttered. "I'll, ah... check the trail again. Just... take your time."

His voice cracked slightly at the end, and he couldn't hide the rich blush that crept along his ears and cheeks.

 

[Katherine Holt]

Location: Dxun
Outfit: Link
Equipment: Lightsaber, Beskar Spear
Tags: Torin Emberlain
​

Before Torin had even left, the realization of what she had just done hit Katherine like a tonne of bricks. It was a good thing she had her back to the druid, as the redhead’s face very quickly began to match her hair.

WhydidIdothat?! WhydidIdothat?!

Katherine’s thoughts sped around as she tried to wrestle with the reality of her actions. Only when Torin finally stepped out of the cave, did she dare look around to check he was truly gone.

It had been a bold, and admittedly impulsive move.

A far cry from the shy and reclusive person she had been upon first joining the Order.

What would younger me think of this?

The thought amused Katherine, but she pushed it aside knowing more important things were at hand. She made quick work; quick as she could at least to get dressed. Making a mental note to choose an outfit next time that had far less belts. Once she was done, Katherine rolled up the cloak Torin had given her, and just stuffed it into her own bags for now.

She’d have to remember to return later.

Katherine stepped out of the cave, hands raised as she used a band to tie her hair into a ponytail. She spotted Torin a little ways away, doing as he said; checking the trail. The redhead briskly walked over to him.

“So, you said you might know where to find our culprit?” She inquired, trying her best to not blush just looking at the druid.