First Reply All it Takes is Just a Spark

[Braze]

LOCATION:
TAGS: @

​

Braze sat alone in a secluded clearing in the forest, a carefully arranged circle of kindling and tinder before him. He had informed Jasper Kai'el of his location and kept his commlink within arm's reach, just in case.

"Remember, the Force is an ally, but so are your wits and hands," he whispered to himself, recalling the wise words of his instructor back at the Jedi temple.

Today, he was using a survival knife that had been gifted to him by Kaleleon , avoiding the use of his lightsaber or the Force. He meticulously used the knife to split the gathered wood into smaller pieces, increasing their surface area to make them more receptive to catching fire. With each precise cut, he couldn't help but appreciate the knife's craftsmanship.

After preparing the wood, Braze turned to the bow drill technique, which required no flint or steel, just friction. Holding the fireboard steady with his foot, he wrapped the bowstring around a wooden spindle, which he then set into a notch in the fireboard. He used a stone to apply downward pressure on the spindle while moving the bow back and forth with determined strokes.

Soon, his arms ached and sweat trickled down his forehead. Yet, he pressed on. Wisps of smoke began to emerge, followed by a couple of fleeting sparks. Excitement surged through him. "This could be it," he thought.

Carefully, he transferred one of the promising sparks to his nest of finely chopped kindling. He leaned in to blow gently, encouraging the spark to ignite into a flame. Once, twice, a third time he blew. But despite his best efforts, the spark flickered out, extinguishing any hope for fire this round.

Sighing in disappointment, he took a moment to absorb the lesson. As useful as the Force was, there were instances where basic survival skills could make the difference between life and death. And mastering those skills often came with their share of failures and humbling moments.

With that in mind, Braze meticulously began setting up for another attempt, mentally cataloging what he'd learned from this initial failure. After all, the journey to becoming a Jedi wasn't just about mastering the Force; it was also about mastering oneself.

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: Not Lothal
Tags: Braze

“Perhaps the wood is too green?” Ko suggested from above. The Kel Dor having come out here to observe how his pale friend was doing. He was sitting up on a branch in the canopy looking down at the would-be survivalist. How did he get here? Why was he out here? Who knows.

Ko knew better than to just give Braze a bunch of unwanted advice and pointers. It was clear the boy was testing themselves otherwise they’d just use a lighter or some matches. He was quite content with the idea of just getting to watch the gifted student struggle at something so worldly.

“If you’d like any tips feel free to ask… It’d be unbecoming of me to not aid a fellow padawan if they were struggling and wanted help.” Ko said with a somewhat mischievous and taunting tone. But it was all in good fun for the former woodsmen.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

​

With a hint of exasperation, Braze nearly rolled his eyes when he recognized Ko's voice. He settled back into the dirt and looked up at the elder Padawan. "Enjoying the view from up there?" Braze inquired, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I think I'm close to getting this fire started. Ever tried the bow drill technique?" he asked, his tone tinged with curiosity.

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: Not Lothal
Tags: Braze

“Yeah you could say that.” Ko replied to the question. “I’d say you’re doing well. It can be a real struggle for most to just get smoke, and yes I have used the bow drill before. It can be tough though to make. Plow method is much more straightforward but can be tiring too.” The Kel Dor explained from his lofty position. Going over briefly the pros and cons of some of the methods.

If the weather and conditions were right his favorite was using some kind of lens to concentrate sunlight into kindling. But that could only be done with clear skies and not under the shade of a forest. Environment was probably the biggest determining factor of how successful one might be. If it’s raining, swampy, or snowing it would make things far more difficult. Even under the most dry and ideal of circumstances it can be tough for the most skilled survivalists.

“Keep at it and I’m sure you’ll get a flame soon enough. It’s already dry and hot enough, just don’t stress it out too much.” Ko said, trying to be a bit more encouraging.

 

[Braze]

LOCATION: Totally Lothal
TAGS: Ko Vuto

​

Braze paused, wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He looked up at Ko, a wry smile forming on his lips. "Ah, so the great Ko has descended from his lofty perch to grace me with his wilderness wisdom," he quipped, his tone playfully sarcastic yet appreciative.

Hearing Ko's assessment, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. If the elder Padawan said he was on the right track, then perhaps he was closer to mastering this technique than he'd initially thought. "The plow method, huh? Might have to give that a shot next time. Or maybe I'll just rely on the Force to summon a fire." he joked, before his expression turned more serious.

"Thanks for the encouragement. I'll keep your advice in mind. And who knows, maybe I'll even impress you," Braze added, flashing a cheeky grin as he returned to his task, bow in hand and ready to coax a spark into a flame.

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: Not Lothal
Tags: Braze

“I’d say I’m already impressed, many people can easily get discouraged by how stubborn making fire from scratch can be.” Ko explained to the younger padawan. Letting him know that he’s already doing better than many others. However, Ko also noted that they didn’t really seem to set up anything for having a decent campfire. Not even a ring of stones to contain it or clear away all the dried leaves and twigs around.

The Kel Dor got the sinister idea to mess with Braze later once they got the fire up and running. He kept the idea in mind for later if the opportunity arises to teach Braze about some fundamental fire safety. Stepping a bit closer to Braze and their kindling, Ko crouched down next to them to get a better view of it. The pair of boys both eagerly awaiting the fire as it seemed smoke began to rise from the bow now. Ready to set the kindling ablaze at any moment.

 

[Braze]

LOCATION:
TAGS: Ko Vuto

​

“I’d say I’m already impressed, many people can easily get discouraged by how stubborn making fire from scratch can be.”

"Really?" Braze asked seemingly surprised by Ko's words.

Braze's spirits lifted at the bit of admiration he'd received, invigorating him to continue his task with renewed enthusiasm. Gripping the bow drill, he moved it back and forth with a steady, focused rhythm. Soon enough, wisps of smoke materialized, followed by glowing embers. Carefully, he transferred these tiny pockets of heat into a small "nest" of dried twigs, grass, and leaves he had situated near his boots.

Leaning forward on his knees, he gently blew on the embers, providing them the oxygen needed to ignite. Each breath he took was calculated, coaxing the fire to life.

In his current focus on succeeding at the fire-starting task, he'd neglected to prepare a proper fire pit, lined with stones for safety. But at that moment, safety precautions took a back seat to the joy of impending success. Keeping a contained fire wasn't part of Braze's immediate considerations; right now, he was captivated by the simple challenge before him.

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: Not Lothal
Tags: Braze

Ko crouched down next to the kindling. Watching eagerly along with Braze, the two boys seemingly indulged with the youthful interest to catch things on fire. He watched through his shady goggles the smoke begin to rise up from where the bow made contact.

Eventually the pale boy began making some real progress as they carried their newly crafted embers to the kindling. Where it finally was starting to become a genuine fire. Once more Ko got the sinister idea, to suddenly stomp out the fire with a pile of dirt. Following with a brief lecture on the importance of proper fire safety.

The Kel Dor was about to, practically clutching a clump of ground with The Force to use. But he didn’t let go of the dirt before he even lifted it. Letting out a sigh he looked over to Braze and softly spoke. “I should ask you Braze. Did you make sure to bring any water with you before you decided to come out here and mess with fire?” Ko instead opted to take a more gentle approach now. Knowing it wouldn’t be very nice to ruin the younger student’s hard work just to make proving his point more dramatic. Looking around a bit more he added. “Also there seem to be a fair few dry leaves around too, we may want to clear them.” ​

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Braze's eyes lit up at Ko's comment, clearly pleased that someone had noticed his problem-solving skills. "Ah, no, I didn't actually bring water with me. I was thinking along the lines of the fire triangle—you know, oxygen, heat, and fuel. I just focused on removing one of those elements. In this case, I eliminate the oxygen." He grinned, proud of his unconventional but effective solution. "But I suppose you are right about the leaves. " ​

 

[Ko Vuto]

Location: Not Lothal
Tags: Braze

Ko raised a brow over Braze’s response, they were correct in knowing that removing oxygen would put out the flame. But the Kel Dor was a little skeptical of that being a proper solution to the possible hazard. “Oh really, I thought this was all about trying to deal with these things without the Force?” Sure if things got out of hand it would make sense to utilize The Force to put it out. But what if they were in a spot like their sparring match and couldn’t rely on using their abilities to remove the oxygen from the air.

“You’d also still likely want to remove the heat and fuel as well. Since if you just create a vacuum the air will rush back and possibly reignite itself. But I can appreciate your more scientific way of thinking for solving the problem.” Ko then stood up and looked around a bit. Holding his hand out some and summoning a number of rocks to him, before having them telekinetically placed in a circle around the little fire they had going.

“You can keep the firing going, make sure it’s healthy, I can clear away the leaves and twigs around us.” The elder padawan said before brushing away the area around them of any extra fire hazards.

 

[Braze]

LOCATION: Totally Lolthal
TAGS: Ko Vuto

Braze contemplated Ko's words, deeply appreciating his thoughtful and logical approach. The way Ko always methodically analyzed situations and made decisions based on sound reasoning was something that Braze had always admired. In this vast universe filled with countless species and cultures, it was one's character and actions that truly defined them; and Ko stuck out in Braze's eyes.

"You have a point," Braze admitted, watching the rocks float and arrange themselves neatly around the fire.

"It's not always about the immediate solution, but the long-term effects too. Thank you for the reminder," Braze said, his gaze momentarily lingering on Ko, a hint of appreciation in his eyes. It was more than just for the advice; there was a growing respect for the Kel Dor that he couldn't quite define.

"You know, most people wouldn't look beyond the surface of things, especially when it comes to using the Force. But you..." Braze paused, searching for the right words, "You always have a way of thinking things through. It's... refreshing."

He paused, taking a deep breath as he searched for the right words. "You know, Ko," he began, his voice more sincere than before, "I've always admired how you think."

Shifting slightly, Braze met Ko's eyes- or rather his shinny goggles, the fire's glow reflecting off them.