Private A Hand in Open Greetings

[Leea Pandac]

It was a long trip to a world Leea had not known existed until about a month ago. Neither had any of the transports she had attempted to hire. Now she was alone in a small freighter, barely larger than a fighter, she had managed to purchase with only an astromech to guide her through hyperspace. Honestly, it had flown the ship for most of the time. Leea had found herself spending a steadily greater amount of time in the refresher or her quarters. It had gotten so bad the near-human had taken time off of her job flying for a travelling mercenary. She had finally managed to free herself of latest in a long line of episodes when the droid twittered over the intercom. It was all gibberish to her, but a readout on her datapad translated the message as meaning they had finally reached the planet. Making her way through a mostly empty and run-down ship, Leea soon reached the cockpit and her sight was filled with the planet the droid was slowly piloting towards.

"Keep it steady. Find a place to land near civilization." The droid warbled and Leea slumped into a pilot's seat propping the datapad on the consoles. "Nothing? No, there has to be something. He assured me they could help..."

---- 1 month ago ----
​

Leea had spent an hour and a half with a shrink. The Bothan had recommended she avoid areas or situations that would remind her of combat. At least for the time being. The slight Mirialan of course knew this was practically impossible. She couldn't simply pull out of work to follow this suggestion. There were people counting on her, and the galaxy was too tumultuous for anywhere to be truly safe from the fighting. Even thinking about it made her blood boil. She had thanked the shrink, paid the fees and left as quickly as she could.

In the slow night traffic of Terminus, Leea found some respite. No grav vehicles hovered by, there was only the smallest amount of overhead flights, and a few wandering souls this late. She knew she couldn't sleep; if she did there would be worse waiting for her in the immaterial of her subconscious. Instead, the green-skinned sentient walked through the streets towards a local nature park. Although she had fought many battles on forested worlds, had lost friends under the dense canopies, and nearly died in the roots and earth, simply standing under the trees seemed enough to bring some relief to her aggravated mind.

While under the vegetation of any number of worlds she may or may not have fought on, Leea had rested in some semblance of peace. She became of her surrounding again though when she heard another person in the darkness, the slow, quiet and intentional footfalls in an otherwise silent environment. The Mirialan suddenly found herself in the jungles of some unknown planet, then in a blink it was a lush forest on Makeb, finally, the images blurred back to reality and there stood a Cerean with a perplexed, yet calm look upon his face.

The man had spent the better part of the night speaking with her, Leea found him strange yet reassuring. During this time he explained that he had ended up on the world by mistake, a happenstance that seemed now to have been explained. He spoke of the Force and of her pain. He told her of a place where more of his order could help her, the monk promised that there could be peace for Leea. He gave her a planet name and location, before bidding his farewell and disappearing into the park.

----
​

Leea stood on a world totally unlike anything she had seen before. The forest was intertwined near perfectly with the various empty buildings. The astromech had managed to locate a clearing near a, particularly large village. Now, she wandered the simple buildings, seemingly void of all life. She called out every now and then, hoping to find someone. "Hello! Anyone there?! I was told to come here for help!"

Tiland Kortun

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Qi-Lan Monastery
Leea Pandac
=============

Tiland hummed softly to himself as he swept the main courtyard clear of leaves and dirt that had accumulated since he had been gone. Others had come and gone in that time, and had done much of the work necessary to maintain the cleanliness of the complex, but it had been some time since any had passed through the monastery. The Tree-Dreamers, he could sense through the planet's Force nexus as they went about their business and lives of meditation, exercise, preparing food, and dreaming. But they stayed primarily in their great tree.

A voice echoed through the trees from the woods surrounding the village. Tiland cocked his head to one side as he listened. It wasn't someone he recognized, either by hearing or through the Force, which intrigued him. It was very rare for people to come to Qi-Ko. Intentionally so, on the part of the planet, he suspected. But for someone to find their way here meant that the Force had brought them in for a reason of some kind.

He wandered out the front of the monastery, broom in hand, and squinted into the surrounding wood. He cupped one hand around his mouth, "Hello! Come this way! I am the caretaker of the monastery for now!"

Tiland looked around, but couldn't quite make out this new guest and so he picked his way into the woods, still humming to himself as he carried the broom along with him, until the newcomer came into view.

He bowed. "Welcome to the monastery of Qi-Lan. I am Jedi Master Tiland Kortun, founder of the Circle of the Light Hand. What help can we offer you?"

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea meandered through the various empty buildings and overgrown pathways for quite some time, lost to the world. This world was strange, it felt like there was some background noise in her head. She had only experienced this only once before, on the planet Weik. At the time, Leea had assumed it was her imagination; she had knocked her head hard when she crashed on the other world. This time though, she could guarantee there had been no crash and her head was clear enough.

As she travelled further into the strange landscape, the Mirialan heard a distant voice. Barely audible above the noise in her mind, she assumed it was a figment of her imagination. But as the shouts grew louder and closer Leea changed her direction to work towards the source.

After what felt like hours, but was probably only minutes, she came to clearing inside of a larger building that opened in many directions. There stood an aged man in simple garbs, broom in hand. Leea responded to his greeting with a start, surprised that someone was actually here. Her face conveyed an apologetic look before she continued, "Greetings Master Jedi, I am Leea Pandac. I come for help- help finding..." She paused a moment as she tried to decide what word to use. Finding it, the Mirialan spoke slowly, "I came for peace, I can't calm my mind."

She closed to within arms reach and returned the bow. She expounded, "I think I met one of your Order on Terminus. He gave me directions that led to this world."

Tiland Kortun

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Leea Pandac

Tiland smiled as the next visitor entered the monastery and he sensed the turbulence of emotions and sensations that surged within her and her mind, as well as the faint resonance between her and the world. Force-sensitive, but undeveloped, if he estimated the sensation properly.

"Ahh, that means you have come to the right place," He stepped aside and gestured her to enter the monastery. "Most likely, yes. We don't have many members of our order, but we do tend to travel through Terminus on a fairly regular basis."

Finding peace and calming her mind. He chewed his lip slowly as he considered the possibilities and meaning. There were many of them, each of them full of complexity and even more possibilities.

"I'm glad he was able to find you and direct you here then," Tiland said, leaning the broom against the door. "This is a world of peace and contemplation. Please, have some tea with me and discuss the path set before you."

The aged Jedi passed through a door into a small side-chamber, where a low wooden table was surrounded by low cushions on the floor. He paused for a moment and took a kettle of water from where it hung over a small fire and set it over a brazier to heat up further as he knelt on the cushions, settling himself into a lotus position and letting out a long breath.

"An unsettled mind can come from a wide variety of sources and have a wide variety of further effects."

As he spoke, he sifted through the collections of herb pouches, picking each one carefully and setting them on the table.

"Why don't you tell me what is happening."

 

[Leea Pandac]

The Mirialan felt a spark of hope start within her as Tiland Kortun spoke. A world of peace was something she had almost not imagined possible in the galaxy these days. She followed through the open building allowing herself a moment to focus on the environment. These structures were strange to Leea, she could not tell if they were formed from the same material as the plants or if they were constructed out of some obsolete material. The walls lacked the rough and abrasive texture of permacrete, and appeared nothing like the metals used in many modern constructs.

The green-skinned sentient was surprised once again at the simpleness of the little side-room she followed her host into. She was no stranger to open flames, indeed Leea had spent many a freezing night with her back to a blazing furnace alongside her brothers-in-arms. However, her greater experience was with the open and wild flames left behind by heavy ordinance and incendiaries. She treated real fire with great respect and caution. But, in all of her time travelling the galaxy, she had never seen fire used in such a domestic affair as boiling water for a drink.

As the Jedi Master before her settled into a seated position, Leea half-heartedly patted at her grey-brown clothes. She saw no conventional chairs in this humble abode, and the Jedi seemed most comfortable on the cushions. Come now, don't be disrespectful. She focused on a specific cushion and quickly attempted to follow the Jedi's example, though she looked far from comfortable with the position. It had been the smaller part of a decade since last she had taken the time to stretch or rest in the meditative positions her race were known for. Leea spread out her legs and ended up settled in a somewhat awkward sprawl, nonetheless she smiled politely towards Tiland as he began working through the pouches.

When asked about her situation, Leea felt like it was a difficult subject and her hand instinctively came to her head and ran slowly through her ragged raven hair. She spoke thoughtfully as best she could, much of it was stuff she had said before to counsellors and others who had tried to help. "Where to start? Life's been getting harder these past couple of months. I guess one of the big things is my sleep. Or more properly, my lack of it. I've been having these nightmares, I haven't gotten a full night's sleep in a long time. I could handle it at first, but it just kept happening and now I feel exhausted all the time. I decided to take up a job away from the battlefield, but it's like my brain just doesn't get it. Little things like the droid walking through the ship, or the air-ducts rattling. They set me off. I can't think straight and I often lose control. I hole up in the sonic shower just to blot out any other noises."

Her frustration would be evident to even the most uninitiated listener. The veteran felt she was entirely out of control of her body and mind and it infuriated her after the training and combat she had survived. "I've been to see shrinks and they all say I need to avoid situations that remind me of the battlefield. Like I am going to find that on most worlds these days. And it doesn't seem to matter anyway, I end up freaking out at the smallest things and then I'm wound up for the rest of the day." Realizing just talking was beginning to set her off, Leea stopped and closed her eyes. Breathing in deeply, the sentient gave an apologetic glance to Tiland before more formally, "Sorry for that. It's been a long while dealing with this. What do you think can be done?"

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Leea Pandac

Tiland noted her somewhat surprised look at the furnishings of the room, from the fire heating the water. He said nothing, however, and let her speak freely, adjusting the tea he was making as she spoke, adding appropriate, empathic affirmations in the correct places. His mind rolled over the problem as his hands busied themselves automatically with the ritual of sharing tea.

First grinding the dried leaves into the appropriate mixture and texture, letting the oils and scents release into the air before sprinkling them into the hot water. While that steeped, he set one cup in front of each, nodding Leea finished speaking.

He sat in silence as he considered what she said and what it entailed. Were he a proper psychologist, he could have given a diagnosis. But a psychologist, he was not. A Jedi healer, yes. Herbalist, yes. But that was a wound of the mind and of the spirit. The Force could not fix that, nor could any herbs.

"What do I think can be done?" Tiland mused after a moment, slowly pouring Leea's cup full of tea, watching as the tea spread through the hot water, and fragrant steam wafted into the air. "Many things can be done. The real question is what do you want to do about it? Your situation is not at all uncommon and I have known many who suffered from the like. These shrinks, as you call them, are right, although I must confess to being shocked by the simplifcation in their suggested cure."

Tiland paused and took a long sip of tea. "Such healing as you seek is one that takes time and patience and rest. The mind can heal itself in time, with rest, but what you describe is not damage to the mind alone, but damage to the spirit. Your bodymind exists in a permanent state of high alertness, by the sound of it. It has kept you alive in the past, but it now hampers your life by forgetting when it can turn itself off."

There was a soft clink as he set the cup of tea down again. "My first thought is to help you sleep, truly sleep, free of nightmares and tension. That will go a long way in helping your bodymind begin the process of recognizing when it is safe and when it is not. And then..." He simply shrugged and gestured to the world around them. "Let your thoughts and your nightmares be expressed freely, gradually, over time, as you your bodymind remembers what it means to be safe."

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea remained quiet for some time. The distinct fragrance of the leaves was strangely intoxicating. At first, as Master Tiland had crushed the leaves, the Mirialan had found her speaking had kept the scent filled air from engaging her. But as she fell silent and the steeping tea released yet more fumes, she found herself caught up in the new and strange scent that wafted through the room. It distracted, and yet seemed soothing in itself. In her years since leaving home, she had never had tea. That was just one of the many luxuries that combat and fieldcraft rarely afforded. Caf she had had in in copius amounts, particularly during long nights on frozen worlds.

As the Jedi Master spoke, the Mirialan turned her head gently to face him. "Sleep? I think that will be nice... Will it really help you think?" She remembered a previous psychologist speaking about the need for restive sleep and how the dreams might have been helpful in identifying mentally background issues to be overcome. Unfortunately at the time, there had not been any options available to help with the sleeping aspect and she had been called away for other work before she could see the doctor again.

"Are there any meditation techniques I should start?" While sleep was appealing, she felt that was a rather small step. Leea desired to know more about the path she might take to healing.

Tiland Kortun

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Leea Pandac

Tiland sat in silence as she considered what he had said, processing the words and their meanings undoubtedly. He refrained from sensing anything or opening his mind to her, so the privacy could be maintained. It was a slow, delicate process they were speaking of beginning.

“Sleep is the most fundamental aspect,” Tiland said, nodding. “Otherwise the cognitive and physical elements of the brain are unable to heal and do the cognition work necessary.”

He took another long, slow drink as he contemplated the question. “There are a multitude of meditative practices you could do. If any will help, I cannot say. But the first step is mindfulness and awareness of our own mental patterns, our own reactions both emotionally and physically. I might suggest meditative journaling to begin. Write down your dreams and the memories that haunt you and you suspect cause this strife. Write them down and be aware of your own bodykind reactions and thoughts.”

 

[Leea Pandac]

Remember, you came here for help from those who know better. The advice he gives comes with more experience than you have. The voice in her mind spoke soothingly, and though Leea had no doubts that it was some subconcious part of her mind speaking reason, she could not help but feel as if it were some external influence. There was something strange about this world, as if there was an external force pushing on her mind. Weik had been like this, but more aggressive. Here the pressure seemed sedate, almost relaxed in its steady drive.

Although she would normally have felt no small degree of suspicion at this force, and certainly loathed those that might have been connected to it, the battle-wearied veteran found some degree of solace within the message. It seemed Tiland Kortun was the individual she was fated to meet for this task. Surely the odds of landing on this planet, a world she had never known about until only a short while ago and near enough to his abode to be readily discovered were astronomical... What did that mean for her goal here?

"Alright, I believe you. How will we go about cleansing my mind for sleep? Will you be poking around in my head?" She gestured to her head with a pointed finger and waved it somewhat incredulously. She was convinced, but the soundness of the plan still gave her some concern.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Leea Pandac

Tiland sat comfortably as he waited for her response, neither pressuring nor prodding her in any direction. But when she asked if he was going poke around in her head. He nearly choked on tea, but disguised it as a slight cough as he straightened himself, shaking his head.

"I am a Jedi healer, yes. But primarily through the Force and medicinal properties of herbs and plants. Brain surgery or telepathy type operations are far out of my skillset." He shifted through the satchel at his feet and came out with pieces of paper and an old-style ink pen, sliding them across the table. "Let them out by writing first. Tell the stories and experiences to yourself before anyone else."

Another long drink of tea as he considered. "That will help the thoughts and emotions kept in your mind to be free, like unblocking a stream of debris. That, and a herbal tincture for relaxation and sleep will work wonders for that part."

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea sat quietly as the Jedi spoke his peace. She felt some small bit of trepidation dissipate as he explained his own area of expertise. Perhaps there was also some degree of disappointment, that the Jedi could not just search for a specific problem and repair it. Now it seemed the mystical person had decided on an alternative route, one that required more patience on her part.

As he pulled out the writing paraphernalia, Leea sighed. It reminded her of days long gone, learning to write with a stylus on a datapad, rather than simply typing it out. She had been in recovery at a local hospital after a cave-in and her mother had insisted she use the time productively. At first, the young Mirialan had despised the prospect of being cooped up inside, worse yet to have to learn a skill so evidently obsolete. She had never quite gotten the hang of it, she could form the words and letters, but the spacing was a foul weakness and quality was practically nonexistent. The idea she might have to write with something even more arcane struck her as more than a little embarrassing. She resolved, nonetheless, to push through the feelings and at least try what he suggested.

As the veteran pulled the seeming ream of paper and ink-pen, she asked, "Should I drink the tea before or after writing? I'm afraid I might find it difficult to remain coherent if I write while drowsy..." Leea was also concerned that perhaps once the stories started flowing, there would be no stopping them.

Tiland Kortun

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Leea Pandac

It did always amuse him to see how different individuals responded to the suggestion of writing by hand, with ink, on paper. It was an archaic form, yes, but also portable, cheap, and for those who needed it, highly secure. Completely impervious to slicing. Few data pads could say the same.

But really, it was about the process. The tactile experience of paper and pen and the relationship between them, the writer’s hand, and their mind. The parts formed a harmony together that seemed, in many ways, to unlock the mind.

But more importantly, it created a distance between the words and mind as they were written. He sat back and waited, sipping at the tea until she spoke.

“YoI can do both together,” Tiland answered. “Coherence is of little value for this. Nobody will read it but you. And the greater incoherency, perhaps the more emotionally accurate and cathartic it will be for you.”

 

[Leea Pandac]

The young woman maintained a stony expression. Well... I guess this is it. She verbalized, "Got it." Grabbing hold of the cup, Mirialan willed her hand to stop trembling as she lifted the container to her lips. With a slow sip, she tasted it, half expecting the flavor to be bitter and repulsive. Despite its heady aroma, Leea discovered the flavor far tamer, indeed it held a strangeness that defied her ability to describe. Whether it was sweet or bitter, she found herself unable to really decide.

She found herself wondering for a moment, Surely it can't act that fast. She realized of course that the exact effects of this brew were unknown to her. As far as I know, this stuff could put me to sleep in minutes, or make me vomit my guts out, maybe even both! Should have asked about that. Too late to start asking questions now of course. Might as well ride it out.

She cautiously took another sip, before placing the cup down, electing to let it cool a little more before continuing. Leea believed she should stay productive and slid a sheet of paper around so that it was almost diagonal to her. Lifting the pen, she spent a few moments trying to recall the most comfortable and effective grip. It had been quite some time. By the time she had managed this feat, she placed the pen back down and took a longer drink of the tea. Sighing after, Leea picked up the pen and began writing.

At first, the Mirialan fixated on writing neatly, as best she could remember. The first words took minutes at a time to form and were still quite wobbly and uncertain affairs. This is gonna take forever. Her hand started picking up the pace, throwing caution to the wind. The letters came scraggily and jagged, born of a hand unaccustomed to this labor. Nonetheless, they formed into passable, if unappealing, words and passages. So focused was she on the task of writing, the veteran did not contemplate what she was writing.

Her subconscious guided her hand, or perhaps more correctly, it seemed some exterior being drove it. She stopped for a moment, the realization dawning on her that the story written so far was not something she would have thought of. It was her experience in a forest world, a particularly bloody patrol. Near cost my life. Blasts took out three of our fireteams in the afternoon alone. I was sure I had been blasted deaf, no long term injuries though. Lucky me. How many was that, four guys I knew, reports say something like fifteen total... There remained an incongruence in the writing, seemingly pointless details written about the environment, while other aspects were almost entirely overlooked. Leea did not realize this, her mind filling the gaps, and she did not allow herself a moment to think about it.

It continued for quite some time, with the occasional break to drink until at last, the cup sat empty. But the pages were filled swiftly, recollections and tales from planets as diverse as the plants of the world. Frozen plateaus where she had met strange aliens on the battlefield, humid cityscapes where she engaged in house-to-house warfare against insurgents, even a brief stint on a molten world. Many of the stories shared elements of loss or personal failure. But some few stood as minor events, some positive and some neither. When at last Leea placed the pen down, she felt exhausted. Her hand ached, and her eyes were heavy-lidded. Emotionally, she felt drained, though at no point did she feel the emotions seemingly expressed on paper. Had been sure the paper would have run out. Maybe I didn't get them all?

Her mouth and tongue recalcitrant, Leea mutely glanced over to Tiland for direction.

Tiland Kortun

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Leea Pandac

Tiland let his eyes sink to nearly closed as his new student/patient began the process of watching. Few things were as awkward or as uncomfortable as being watched in the process, especially when one was not fully proficient in writing. He let his mind wander through the Force around the planet and immersed himself in its sensations.

He sensed the dreamers far off, sleeping in the branches of the tree, and the few other Jedi scattered around the planet, on personal questions and meditative retreats.

Time passed slowly until he returned his awareness to the present moment, as she finished writing and placing things done. There was something different about her demeanor, but he did not press it or examine it. That was her role, not his.

"Very good, very good," Tiland said softly. "That is enough for the day, I think. Sleep now, and rest. The herbs will help calm your body and the writing will have helped calm your mind."

 

[Leea Pandac]

Leea had already begun to suspect she was coming to the end of her consciousness. She was torn by the prospect still, one on side hope that this Jedi was true and right. She hoped that peace could be found in a dreamless slumber. Yet there remained some terror of what might be hidden within a dream. There was no desire within her to once again face the nightmares that lay in ambush.

As Tiland indicated the cessation of writing and commanded her to sleep, she nodded. It was all she could do to focus on his words and she wondered, Did he know how long it would take? Or could he read it on me with the Force? Maybe I'm just that obvious. Her thoughts soon grew too incoherent even for her to follow and she soon found herself pulling the cushion on which she sat and reclined on the floor.

Mumbling words through a drowsy conscious, Leea barely managed to construct a cognizant sentence, "I'll dro-p here..." With no more ceremony, and no will left to keep her head up and mind awake, the Mirialan allowed her eyes to close and, no longer awake enough to consider the fears or desires from before, her mind fell from the waking world. For a moment though, she could hear voices as if echoing through the hollow trunks of trees or caverns. Their cacophony overwhelmed any attempt on her part to comprehend the messages, yet she felt no fear in it. It grew in intensity before suddenly disappearing, leaving nothing but an echo of sounds reverberating through her weary mind. Then at last came oblivion.

---------

It felt like mere moments before Leea blinked into wakefulness. She felt relaxed, if a bit stiff. Pushing herself up she gazed around blearily as her mind shook away the last vestiges of the dreamless slumber. That was something... How long was I out? She did not have a crono on her, and the light outside seemed no different than when she had lain down. Surely it was more than a second. Though, it did feel quite short. I wouldn't be this rested though. Right? The Mirialan slowly raised herself from the ground, stretching aching joints and complaining muscles.

Tiland Kortun

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Leea Pandac

Tiland simply nodded as she spoke and began to droop down to sleep, eventually falling fully into the dreams of sleep. He sat where he was, sipping his tea as she slept. As the sun began to trend down into the dark, he moved to the doorway and set his stool by the doorway, watching the sunlight change through the trees overhead until night fell.

As the night cooled, he pulled his robes tighter around himself and kept the vigil by the doorway, ensuring nothing crept in through the night, neither physically nor dreams of the Dark and the horrors that she had experienced that could slip out through the Force. He was a barrier in the doorway, ancient as the wood and solid as the rock beneath their feet, but placid as the pool of water below the monastery.

Neither threat nor nightmare passed through the air where he stood watch.

Night turned into day until things were almost the same until he heard her begin to stir behind him. He waited in the doorway still until she seemed to be fully awake.

"Good morning," Tiland finally said, at last. "I hope you slept well. If you wish, I can begin preparing a meal. There is a pool of water in the stream beneath the monastery if you want a bath. It's a bit crisp, but it is refreshing and will help any stiffness."

 

[Leea Pandac]

Awakening as it was from a deep sleep, Leea found herself strangely aware, more so than normal for her experience in the past. Except in circumstances of high stress or absolute necessity, such as when she woke up to an air raid targeting her camping site on Dubrillion, she usually took several minutes to come to full consciousness and become cognitive of her surroundings. This time though, she came to wakefulness in complete control of her senses and aware of her surroundings.

"Good morning to you too. Thanks, I think I'll take that offer. The food and the wash that is." Didn't think I'd ever want to wash in a stream. Reminds me of roughing it out on the forest worlds. Hope this water doesn't have the irritant one had. She picked herself up from the floor and greeted Tiland with a smile and a somewhat stiff wave.

Spending the next few minutes wandering around the monastery until she discovered the path to the stream, Leea allowed herself a longer than average time in the rejuvinating, if chill, waters. By the time she returned to the room she had awoken in, the air was filled with a new scent and her body was freed from the minor ache of her sleep. She felt refreshed in a way that she had not considered possible before. "Thank you for that, it was quite pleasant."

Tiland Kortun

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Leea Pandac

Tiland nodded and rose from where he had been keeping vigil and stepped away from the doorway, arching his back to stretch out any of the stiffness. "Very good, very good," he murmured as his young pupil made her way out of the monastery and disappeared towards the stream and pool below. In the meantime, he stoked the small braziers and the stone hearth on the far side of the room.

As the fire began to warm the room, he sorted through the provisions on hand, settling for a standard breakfast fare for a protein-rich porridge and honest, along with toasted bread, and fresh fruit and vegetables. The porridge and bread were nearly finished by the time Leea returned and he turned in greeting as she entered.

"You are most welcome!" He smiled and nodded. "This world is quite special in the rejuvenating properties that can be found in many places and many ways." He handed out the dishes and the ladles before setting another pot of tea on the heater as he gazed out the window past the treetops and forest below, where he could just make out the heart-tree towering high above the horizon in the far distance.

"So, how was your sleep?" He started with just one question. It would not do to rush her. This was a lengthy process that could not be rushed or pushed in any way, and certainly not by anyone else.

 

[Leea Pandac]

"It went well?" Her voice carried uncertainty as she continued, "I don't remember any nightmares or waking up; I guess that's a good thing." There was a strong fragrance from the breakfast that awoke Leea's semi-forgotten appetite. This in and of itself was a sign of change, usually, it took a while before she felt hungry in the mornings. She had assumed it was related to having to go without rations many times during her deployments. Tapping her lips with a hand, a gesture of thanks in her family, she partook with as much restraint as she could muster. While she ate, she allowed her mind to wander over the thoughts about this place and the Jedi. Can this all be real? Maybe all the late nights have caught up to me and I'm conked out, Talohn's probably piloting the ship... No, too real. Not usually this creative, and it has none of the signs of a nightmare. I mean, unless there's going to be an unexpected arty shell through the roof or something. At this, she instinctively tensed and looked to the ceiling, ears straining to hear the distinct whistle all too common in such weapons.

As nothing appeared to occur, Leea continued eating. This guy is helping me. I told him I needed help, and that someone he might not even know said I could find it here. And he just accepted it. Why? Nothing happens like this, not in the real world. Leea's face scrunched into a grimace at the thought and for a second or two, she stared at the ground thoughtfully. And yet, here I am. She finished her food and reclined, arms stretched behind her as she rested.

The Mirialan remained still for a moment, considering the lack of memory of the prior night. Is it a blessing or a curse? I slept through the night no doubt, or maybe he used some of his Jedi powers to remove any memory of it. She came up and gazed past the man, not quite tall enough to look over his shoulder, through the window. Far off, merely a dark silhouette surrounded by the azure skies, the hulking tree drew her attention. At this distance, Leea could not tell what the object was, however, its enormity was all too apparent.

"Is that... a mountain or a city?" She queried with some degree of interest. She hadn't seen anything like an industrial-scape during the entry and it seemed something of an odd shape to be a mountain. Maybe it's some sort of illusion, a mirage. There are stories of Jedi capable of shaping the landscape to their will... Could it be? "What makes this planet so special? Why is it that I can sleep here one night and not have a whisper of a nightmare when I can't even sleep on my own ship?"

Tiland Kortun

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Leea Pandac

Tiland hummed softly to himself as he finished cooking the breakfast and nodded. "Excellent, excellent! Those are indeed good signs of progress!" He sat in silence as she ate, slowly eating small bites of the food as she went through hers. He didn't have much use for food these days, if he was entirely honest. Infused tea and pure Force energy was what he had come to rely on.

Thoughts seemed to roll through her mind, but he kept his mind well away from that and focused instead on the food and tea he was preparing, of which he poured two cups. But as she looked past him, and something seemed to seize her attention, he turned back to look.

He smiled broadly. "It's neither, in fact. That is a tree. The largest tree on the planet and one that dwarfs even the Wroshyr trees of Kashyyk, at least some of them." With one hand, he picked up the cup of tea as he considered the question.

"In honesty, I only know a fragment of what makes this world special, but from what I can gather, this planet is a massive Force nexus designed to promote harmony for all living beings. And, I suspect, you are Force sensitive. While the nexus would affect anyone, it seems to affect you quite strongly. But this place seems to call to those it feels need a place of rest and recovery. So my best answer is that you were destined to come here for some reason as of yet unknown."