A remote and backwater world. What’s not to like?

[Sorel Crieff]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Sorel reflected on the question. “I never thought about it really. I didn’t see being a Jedi as a choice. I mean not a conscious one. I have the abilities, so I must use them. I guess that makes me…us…a target for Sith and the like, but what’s the alternative? I have no idea. And being trusted doesn’t really matter for me. I do what’s right and that’s all that matters to me. I’m not in it for the thanks or any reward, or even simple gratitude. I do it because it’s the right thing to do really.” Sorel was slightly uncomfortable with the conversation. She’d never considered this before and wasn’t sure she ever would again.

But she felt on safer grounds talking about the Sith. “Jedi might get a bad press from time to time but the Sith? They are fools if they think they can pass of their actions for anything other than they are.”

Sorel looked at the indicated tree. “It’s too far to jump safely, even with the Force. I think your idea is best. And since I didn’t bring my climbing gear with me, we’d simply best be careful, yes?” She grinned widely at the attempt at gallows humour.

 

[Joza Perl]

Whereas Sorel was a bit iffy about their conversation topic of choice, Joza was unperturbed. Perhaps because the pink Padawan had many thoughts surrounding temptation, she was eager to get her thoughts out onto poor Sorel. And as they were stranded in the middle of the jungle, the other apprentice couldn’t get away lest their chances for survival lower.

“What, really? You don’t see yourself not using your powers?” Joza seemed taken aback to learn this. Then again, the Zeltron had started her training later than most Padawans as her mother was adamant on not letting her leave Zeltros. She’d come to find, much later that the man who fathered her hated Jedi—and that Joza’s mother was worried that she’d track him down as the very thing he hated.

“There are rogues, though.” She waved her hand as if to capture the thought. “That go around doing the Jedi thing but hold no particular loyalty to one order. Oh, and I’ve heard of dark Jedi before—Jedi who use some dark side powers I guess? I wonder what that’s like…” Her words took on a wistful tone, as if she were actually contemplating becoming one herself. At this point she only wanted to stick to the light, however. It made sense. Sort of. Still, Joza spoke not recognizing that she was in strict Jedi company.

She hummed in agreement in regards to her words about the Sith. Those she’d met so far were simply monsters.

“Ah, we’ll be fine. I’d be very upset if I die by falling off of a tree into a ravine. I’d like a more heroic death, you know?” Returning the young woman’s grin, Joza retrieved the hilt of her saber and quickly thumbed the ignition on. “Alright…I’m not sure what the best way to do this is, so I guess I’ll just go for it!” She gave a sharp horizontal slash to the tree that looked as if it would be the sturdiest bridge, not too close to the overhang so that felling it would cause the rocky foundation it was rooted in to crumble. The blue blade cut a shallow swath from the bark.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel frowned at the talk of Dark Jedi. Her guard was down. Not sufficiently to share her history, but enough to voice her true feelings.

“Dark Jedi are an abomination,” she said, without filtering the words her brain wanted to spill. “I mean, to call themselves Jedi? They’re just Sith in my book. Dark-siders. Many say they’re a force for good, but they use the Dark-side. That simply doesn’t cut it in my book. Pick a side and be honest. Same with Rogues. A Jedi has values and a Code. It’s very simple.” Aware she was possibly overstepping the mark, she stopped and blushed. “Sorry. Back to the matter in hand.”

Sorel added her blade to the felling of the tree and within minutes it lay across the ravine. She jumped onto the trunk. “It’s wide enough. Just focus on the other side and you’ll be fine. And we’re here for each other, so we’ll be fine.”

She held out a hand to her fellow Padawan. “Come on.”

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

An uncomfortable silence, as humid as the sticky jungle air fell between the two Padawans as Sorel finished her piece on Dark Jedi. Joza wasn’t offended, but a bit taken aback and sinking into her own thoughts on the matter. Really, she didn’t know much about the different classifications of Force users other than Jedi and Sith. Some, like Sorel, would say that was all that there was. But she’d heard Knights and Masters whispering about rogues and Dark Jedi and this and that. A sudden thought struck her, and the corner of her pink lips upturned in a smug smirk. “Aren’t Sith the only ones who deal in absolutes?”

Joza hoped that she hadn’t annoyed Sorel to the point where the other woman might see it fit to push her from the tree trunk. Unfortunately the Zeltron had a few nasty habits, and one of them being that she couldn’t resist teasing when a good opportunity presented itself.

Wiping the sweat from her hairline after their combined efforts felled the tree, Joza looked up at Sorel as she hopped on to the trunk. “Al…alright.” Rolling her shoulder to relieve some of the tension, she slide onto the trunk with precarious footing. As the pair of Padawans carefully made their way across, she tried to make conversation. Probably not the best time when they needed their concentration, but she still had quite a bit to learn. “I’ve been meaning to ask you,” She began, knees bent and arms out to help her balance. “What’s up with the tattoo on your chin?”

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel smiled. “I think there are enough Jedi quotes to dispel that thought. ‘Only the weak falling to the dark-side’ is an much of an absolute as I’ve ever heard and an eminent Jedi Master said that I understand. And I suspect it’s not even true. Perhaps you need strength to avoid temptation, but that isn’t the same thing, is it?” The smile remained on her lips. “I can be opinionated sometimes — you might have noticed.”

As they edged along the trunk, Sorel was not entirely surprised about the turn in the conversation — it invariably came up as a topic. “It’s a very long and in places boring story. But the short and less tedious version is that I’m not entirely sure. I was on Kashyyyk, searching an artefact of Master Unduli. And it just…appeared. Apparently it’s a mark of worthiness or something for Mirialan. At least that’s what I understand. And the more worthy, the more you have.” She pointed to her chin. “Just the one…so not that worthy yet.”

She tottered on the tree trunk. “Oops, probably the time to re-focus on the task in hand. But on the subject of embarrassing questions, please tell me. Pheromones. Is it really impossible to resist them?”

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“I suppose,” Joza hummed in thought. Resisting temptation in general was something difficult for her to do—but the Jedi teachings had sunk in to the young Zeltron so far. To a degree, that is. “I hear that dark sided powers are stronger than light sided ones. Though, that could just be the errant talk of Sith trying to lure Jedi away from the code.” She chuckled, glad to see that Sorel had taken her remark graciously and had even given a thoughtful reply.

“There’s nothing wrong with being opinionated,” She insisted with a good-natured chuckle. “If you haven’t noticed, I tend to ask too many questions.”

“Worthiness?” The word tumbled from her lips and she would have tilted her head in confusion. “Did you do something special there? That’s pretty cool. Maybe if you go back to Kashyyyk you’ll get some more!” Chirping happily, the Zeltron gave pause, remaining still before Sorel regained her balance.

Humming low again, Joza ruminated on the question. She’d fielded questions from a few curious Jedi who never happened upon a Zeltron, so she was used to talking about pheromones. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I know that there are species out there that aren’t susceptible to mental manipulation, but I don’t know if it’s more of a mind thing or a biological thing. I guess if someone had really good control over themselves, like a Jedi Master, they could consciously resist them.” A pause, as she considered something else.

“But on Zeltros, the pheromones are like…really super thick. Most sentients end up succumbing to them pretty quickly. Many planetary invasions failed simply because invaders lost their will to fight, except for…” Joza frowned, recalling the Sith invasion of her home when she was still very young. Well, as much of it as she could recall.

“Anyway,” Clearing her throat, she opted to continue and try to shift the topic away from war. “It was actually really hard for me the first few months. Of being a Jedi, I mean. Growing up around all those pheromones, I guess I kind of went into a withdrawal? I was like, really anxious and homesick for a long time.” She chuckled nervously. “Don’t….don’t tell anyone about that, okay?”

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel shook her head at Joza’s words. She had no filter between her mind and her mouth when it came to matters of a Jedi’s conduct or the Force. “Not stronger, just easier to attain. If they were more powerful, there would be no Jedi left. Just different is all.” There was no animosity in her voice, the tone simply reflected a matter of fact response to her fellow Jedi’s words.

She smiled. “And thanks for letting me voice my thoughts. Like most people, I tend to think I’m right. It doesn’t mean I automatically am — just that that’s the stance I’ve adopted through learning and experience. I’ve not had good dealings with the dark-side. I can’t get over that I guess. One day perhaps, but not now. Not soon.”

He brow furrowed and then her face straightened and finally broke into a smile. “Ask as many questions as you like. You probably noticed, I don’t mind talking. I’m mostly an open book. And not necessarily worthy either. I just keep to the Code, which is all I can promise to do. Not special, definitely not special. Just a Jedi doing Jedi things.” She cocked her head to one side. “Maybe one day I will get more. This one took some getting used to, but perhaps I’m destined to? Who knows?”

She smiled warmly now. “And trust me, I can keep a secret. We all have them, and none are for me to share. But I am curious. Is there any way of not falling for the effects of pheromones? Have Zeltrons come up with any antidote or anything?”

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“And how do you know? Are you secretly a Sith Lord?” A grin stretched across Joza’s face, her tone more playful rather than mocking. As stringent as she was in her beliefs, Sorel was proving to be a good conversation partner. “And no worries. I think it’s good to challenge long-held beliefs, as you’ve noticed. Regardless, I’m glad that we can talk freely like this, even if we don’t level on every aspect of the Force and being a Jedi.”

A flicker of a frown passed over Joza’s features at the mention of Sorel’s contact with the dark side. “I get what you mean, though. In my very first fight against the Sith, I was so scared that I shook nearly the entire time. I ended up taking my opponent’s hand after he left a scar on my face, but I don’t remember much after that….I think I threw up? Either way, it wasn’t fun.” Forcing herself to lighten her tone lest she darken the mood, Joza shrugged and moved on swiftly. She still wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to face a bloodthirsty Sith with steady hands.

“I feel like once we’re Knights, we might discover more of a purpose. You know, beyond sticking to the Code. Or maybe the Code will mean something different to us? Or maybe that’s just me. You were practically raised in this whole Jedi thing, and a lot of Zeltron morals don’t exactly align with Jedi ones.” Chuckling, a thoughtful look swept over her face as she considered Sorel’s question on pheromones. “You know, I’m not exactly sure. There probably are, but who would want to resist a Zeltron’s charm?" A grin spread across her face at that, but she knew better.

“Ahem. I mean, if there was some sort of antidote, you think that the Sith would have mass produced it, given it to their soldiers and tried to take Zeltros again by now. It is on the edge of their space…” Yeah, that thought was a little troubling. If the Sith did invade her homeworld, Joza would be there in a heartbeat. “Honestly though, the pheromones aren’t just a sexual thing—though they certainly can be used in that way. Really good for just relaxing and putting people in a better mood all around. If you want to try it sometime, let me know!”

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel shook her head in mock dismay. “My secret is out, I am really Darth Nasty! Not that I should joke about such things — although I find it hard not to some times. I shall resist the temptation to fall with every breath in my body. It’s no guarantee but maybe the fact that I don’t see the dark-side as better or more powerful or anything special will stand in my favour?”

“And I know how you feel about fighting. I’m not sure a Jedi should ever enjoy it. Taking a life should be a last resort but sometimes it is inevitable and that is something I accept. I am reasonably gifted with a saber and know a trick or two when it comes to duelling — and that means I am inevitably going to be drawn into duels with dark-siders. But I treat this as something I have to do, not something I look forward to or enjoy. My old Master said I was sometimes old before my time when it came to such matters — he said I was world-weary at a very young age. I think I’m just pragmatic.”

The prospect of not being able to resist a Zeltron caused Sorel’s brow to wrinkle. “I think I might give your home planet a miss. At least for as long as I’m a Padawan. Until I have a greater control of my reactions to emotional stimuli.”

She seemed to be deep in thought for a few moments before nodding vigorously. “You’re right. I should find out what it’s like to experience the pheromones. I mean, better to learn under controlled circumstances than when I least expect it. Do you have to travel to the planet to practise?”

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“There has to be some appeal to it though, don’t you think? I mean, even I have trouble believing that. Sith just seem so angry. But have you met Krux Mullarus? He’s a Sith turned Jedi, and he’s got a lot to say about that sort of thing.” She spared a light giggle at “Darth Nasty”, but it made her wonder how Sith chose their names.

Joza chewed at her lower lip in thought when Sorel described how she preferred to drawn-out battles with the Sith. “It seems that Jedi have to be more warrior-like than sage-like, from what I’ve heard. At least nowadays to combat the growth of the dark side.” A shrug accompanied her statement as if to say that she wasn’t quite sure of the validity of her repeated words. “Honestly, I’d prefer to end a fight as quickly as possible. If that means killing, then so be it. After all, aren’t we trying to eradicate the Sith?” Contrary to Sorel, Joza was quick to try and end a fight with a permanent solution.

“Aw, okay. But we’ll visit Zeltros someday!” Tilting her head back, Joza laughed before her voice dipped into a light hum. “It’s easier on Zeltros, but I can produced them away from my home. I suppose we’d better wait until we’re safely back within Sanctum space to try that, huh?”

At long last, the two girls made it over their makeshift bridge and onto the other side of the gorge. Joza was about to remark on how nerve-wracking it had been, but the words died in her throat as her danger sense flared. “Do you feel that?” She hastily spoke in a loud whisper towards Sorel just as the bushes to the side of them began to shake. As if on cue, a pair of Nekarr cats emerged from the forestry, charging towards the two young Jedi who happened to be invading their territory.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel shook her head. “No appeal for me.” Her face was dead-pan, there was no humour there, this time she was deadly serious. “And no, I haven’t met him. I don’t socialise a great deal if I’m honest and when I do, I have a small circle of acquaintances.”

“And I have come to see myself as a guardian — if such categories still exist — but not a warrior. I will fight if I have to but I will not seek conflict. In my head, I see a distinction. Fight when necessary, never seek to face combat. Never shy away from facing the dark-side or those breaking the law. Maybe I’m over-simplifying it? I don’t think so, but accept others may see it that way.” Her shoulders shrugged. “I am me. No more and no less.”

She smiled to lift the mood and the talk of Zeltros was opportune. “We have a deal. Zeltros it is —a Jedi should face their fears, not seek to hide from them. Does that mean I’m frightened of letting go? Perhaps. Frightened of enjoying myself? Maybe?” She looked pensive. “I suspect I should reflect on these thoughts and be honest with myself.” She smiled again. “Wow, that was getting a little deep, wasn’t it?”

As she jumped down from the tree, she sensed the presence of the predators a fraction after her fellow Padawan. “Oh,” she said as she saw the pair of small felines. Small but no doubt capable of looking after themselves. “Looks like it’s about to get serious again.” She drew a saber from her belt, but did not activate it yet.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza hummed in thought at Sorel’s response. “I think,” She began. “That in order to avoid the dark side, we have to understand it in a personal capacity.” Pausing to reflect on her own words, she shrugged. “Now, I’m not suggesting that we run off to join the One Sith,” She nearly gagged at the thought of being one of those monsters. “But that it would lessen some of the appeal. I mean, who knows what can happen? Padawans get inquisitive.” She tried to cover the darker topic with a short laugh, aware that Sorel apparently held no curiosity to the other side of the spectrum.

“I’m glad that you seem to have it figured out.” Joza’s words were soft, and yet there was no malice in her voice. She was genuinely pleased that Sorel had enough confidence in herself and her beliefs, something Joza always wavered on.

Chuckling good naturedly, the Zeltron shook her head. “I’ve never heard anyone get so concerned over a little party before. How’s about you try my pheromones first? We can see if you’re able to build up a resistance to it. I don’t know if there’s any Zeltron Sith, but I suppose fighting against pheromones could come in handy from time to ti—“

Exhaling through clenched teeth, Joza mimicked Sorel’s actions and retrieved her saber hilt. “Those don’t look friendly,” For a moment, the pair of Jedi and Nekarr cats stared eachother down, the later snarling and spitting at the intruders, hackles raised. It was clear that they were trying to drive the humanoids from their territory without it coming to bloodshed. Unfortunately and perhaps hastily, Joza ignited her saber shortly after speaking. The sudden action triggered the jungle cats, spurring them into action. With a vicious cry, the two beasts leaped—one at Joza, and one for Sorel. Both aimed to pierce or slash their opponents with their sharp front paws.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel raised an eyebrow at her fellow Padawan. “I may not be a perfect Jedi, far from it in fact. But even I now that inquisitive rarely ends well. There’s a time to press rules and test boundaries. But when it comes to the dark side, I can’t say I ever want to take a single risk. Maybe that’s unhealthy, but it seems prudent from where I’m standing.”

“But some risks are safer and your pheromones? Sure.”

But the conversation never went any further, due to the arrival of the two felines. There was a brief stand-off and Sorel wondered if they could end the encounter without blood-shed but before she could think of an idea, the cats leaped. One came straight for Sorel and she used her free hand to push it aside with the Force and it flew a few metres yet landed on its feet. There was something about cats and balance it seemed.

Yet still Sorel chose not to activate her saber.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Though Joza didn’t necessarily agree with Sorel’s philosophy on dealing with the dark side and Jedi in general, any potential response she had was hushed by the arrival of the Nekarr cats.

The Zeltron didn’t know how Sorel viewed it, but Joza only saw a situation where the enemy needed to be eliminated. Anxiety gave you tunnel vision like that. While her companion had managed to push the jungle cat away and leave both contenders unharmed, Joza matched the beast’s ferocity. She attempted to deliver a few wide swipes with her saber, but the feline dodged with an unnatural grace.

“Kark it!” Hissing under her teeth, she’d become frustrated at the lack of takedown. The creatures were still agitated but they did not attack—yet. Instead the padded upon the soft dirt of the ground, as if stalking the two humanoid invaders and deciding what to do.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

In the natural order of things, Sorel and Joza were the interlopers. This was the Nekarr cat’s planet, their home and their territory. That didn’t mean Sorel would lay down her life needlessly, but she kept that thought in mind.

And she was only a Padawan and did not have a string of abilities to call upon — yet the few she could name she practised daily — and Beast Control, or Animal Friendship was one of them. It had saved her life more than once, although on each occasion it had ended with the creature dying, as there was no alternative. But today she vowed to use the Force to save lives, not end them.

She focused on the closest cat and connected with it. It was relatively simple — the overwhelming emotion it was sharing was fear and she latched onto it straight away and followed it back to the creature’s mind. “They’re petrified,” she said quietly to Joza. “They’re a lot more frightened of us than we are of them, believe me.”

And she made a quick decision. There was no time to truly connect with the animal’s mind and win it over, she had to replace the emotion with one that would take precedent and change its behaviour. So she placed the idea that the two young Jedi were alpha males and that the cat should back down. With any luck, its behaviour might trigger its mate to follow suit.

Sorel pushed the thought relentlessly at the cat and it wailed briefly before its hackles dropped and it adopted a subservient stance and looked close to slinking away from the encounter.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Feeling a bit foolish, Joza was not reckless enough to disturb Sorel while the other young woman tried to influence the beasts peacefully. But she was still on edge, saber in hand and ready to strike should one of the Nekarr cats lunge at them again. And perhaps the unaffected creature could sense her anxiety from how it tried to stare her down.

“They are?” Joza frowned, finding that hard to believe at first. Yet with a second look, she studied the cat’s body language. Had they truly been naturally aggressive or hunting, they wouldn’t have given the pair of Jedi a warning and would have attacked straight away.

Sorel’s target turned to its mate, uttering a series of subdued growls. Whatever it had said seemed to work, and the pair of cats slunk back into the jungle foliage.

Letting out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, Joza sighed as she turned to Sorel with a sheepish smile. “That was amazing, really. I don’t know how you did that, a wordless mind trick? But you saved our skins, Sorel.”

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the two cats slinked away. Was it just a trick? Perhaps, she pondered, but once she sensed the two felines had moved far enough away not to pose a threat, she spoke to Joza.

“It’s a variation of the standard Mind Trick, but if anything more basic, yet focused primarily on suggestion and emotions. So not really amazing, at least not for a Jedi. The key was to see this not as a fight but as a simple problem. And, as a Jedi, fighting was to be the last resort. So I explored all other options. Of course, there was no guarantee it would work. Against a more powerful animal, I’m sure my ability would come up short. But luckily these are young cats and so relatively easily persuaded to take an alternative course of action, once they understood we were not a threat.”

She sighed again. “If only dealing with sentients were as easy! Anyway,” she smiled again, “Let’s get going, the sooner we get to the river, the quicker we get off this planet, right”

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza listened to Sorel’s explanation, feeling a bit more bashful that her first inclination was to fight. Jedi were supposed to be peacekeepers, igniting their sabers only when absolutely necessary. And here Joza was, having been ready to attack the cats and likely would have, had Sorel not had the foresight to use her ability.

“I don’t know too much about Mind Tricks, but I’m pretty good at feeling emotions. It’s a Zeltron thing…er, I probably should have paid more attention to those beasts. Maybe it would have been easier for me to see that they were scared and I could have done things differently.” She offered a small smile to her companion, hoping that she wouldn’t be judged too harshly for her misstep. All’s well that ends well, right?

Returning Sorel’s smile, she gave her an encouraging nod. “Yes, the river. Ah, do you want this? It’s been quite a while. Don’t want you to pass out from the heat now.” Removing the temperature stabilizing bracelet, she offered it out to Sorel.

[member="Sorel Crieff"]

 

[Sorel Crieff]

Sorel took the bracelet. The moment she slipped it on she felt the benefit as her body temperature dropped to normal.

“Life is about learning. Every day for the rest of our lives. My old Master said we make mistakes and mistakes do not make us. I should know, I make enough mistakes for a dozen Padawans.” She smiled at her own admittance. “Nobody s perfect, remember that.”

“And that river, let’s pick up the pace before something bigger and less easily dissuaded finds us.” And with that she began to jog in the direction they’d seen the river flow.

[member="Joza Perl"]