Private Braving the Cave

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

​

A vessel. Naked. Nestled in space and time. She would float, she would fly, she would go, sail between the stars in that vast blackness, being but a pinprick in the distance, a speck of dust in the grand expanse of suns. Nevertheless, amid a sea of infinite possibilities, of myriads of star systems, the Star’s Sanctum floated, drifted, as a ship worth more than the sum of its parts.

Perhaps there was some poetic sentiment to such a notion, but right now it was lost on one woman, who stood in the cargo hold of her ship, with no shroud, her face plain as day as she watched the opposite wall in the near distance.

This was her ship, yes, Star’s Sanctum, a freighter, but it had a passenger, a partner, who was as welcome as a guest in her own home. More than that, said guest was a fellow explorer, adventurer, and a Jedi flying by her side.

Into day. Into night. The woman sighed, brave, despite the fact that this fight was more of a dance, with attacks that were less about surviving and more about enhancing. That said, it would be unsurprising if a nonlethal shock to the neck, felt like a needle, would cause the recipient to think twice about mistaking this session for recreation.

No, this was no contest, but it was practice. A spar was by far one of the ways in which warriors honed their blades with one another, to know themselves as much as their enemies. Well, Jedi Knight Vayla Mirana would hope to please her opponent by offering a duel that might fuel him to learn in turn.

A Knight, she was. A Padawan, he was. When I met you, I was but the learner. Vayla remembered of her own master. If you were here now…would you burn me to the ground?

“On guard, Padawan.” The Knight smiled, the tip of her cyan blade pointing her opponent’s way.
The hilt gripped in her right hand, the Pantoran taking a stance that offered him her right flank.
Her lightsaber was set on stun, she had no armor, just white robes streaked in blue head to toe.
“You can attack me first, if you wish, or I can advance.” She shrugged. “It makes no difference...”

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan needed to try and learn more of the Jedi in the New Jedi Order. He had to build his trust in them again after recent events. And so this expedition with Jedi Knight Mirana was the perfect way for him to do that. She already seemed to have made a good impression on him. The Star's Sanctum was a good ship from what he could see. He hadn't learned a lot about starships, and honestly never had much of an interest in them until he had been taught how to fly one. Space was just never a huge interest for the Mirialan, always preferring solid ground and archaeology.

There was a part of him that was anxious at the thought of going up against a Jedi Knight, even if it was just sparring...but he had to remind himself. It wasn't a competition. He didn't have to win, he just had to learn. Just don't think about what was making him panic. Clear his thoughts and trust in the Force. He just had to relax which was a far bigger problem than he would have thought he'd have.

He pulled his saber off his belt straight to his hand through the Force. Wrapping both of his hands around the hilt of his saber, feeling the greel wood of the handle. There wasn't much nature for him to try and focus to reassure himself but his saber was more than enough. Feeling the comforting presence of his crystal inside of the saber as Shan ignited the green blade, illuminating his face in a similarly green glow, turning his attention fully onto Vayla's being, his eyes going over towards her saber for a moment, looking at the tip pointed at him.

He wore his standard brown robes, taking in Vayla's stance for a moment. Shan didn't have much knowledge to fall back on with lightsaber stances, at least not practical knowledge, so he just took his Soresu stance, calming his breathing. He had to wait. Don't be the first to strike, let your opponent strike first so you could learn more about them. That was how Shan's thought process was going to go. Even with her flank open, Shan knew better than to try and take the opening. Things were far too good to be true.

"You may go first, Ma'am." He kept his voice as steady as he could. Of course there were still nerves at the idea of this spar, but he had to just throw himself into it. Turn off his thoughts and let the Force guide his actions. It would prevent him from making any unnecessary actions or wasting energy. He might have been able to outlast the Sith he fought on Elom, but Vayla was a Jedi Knight. She had far more experience than him and potentially the Sith he fought. He was going to need to preserve every bit of energy he had to make sure he could at least make a good impression during this spar as he got ready to start blocking.

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

​

Maybe he thought he would bank on the response of the knowledge of lightsaber stances.
Soresu, Makashi, Ataru and what have you, with his taking in the defensive for his Soresu.
It was worth a mention, given it was the position for either Jedi warrior to in turn take in.
Warrior. Vayla grimaced, licking her lips. War. Were they victims of such circumstances?

Or did the Jedi fight to preserve, to safeguard with arms, whatever the consequences?
That was a debate for another day, a philosophy lost on the duelist right here and today.
One Jedi’s opponent, her friend, was nevertheless her contest, one telling her to go first.
“Very well.” So groaned the bell, but not of death. In this spar, both of the Jedi would learn.

Vayla advanced, as beckoned, given into the wind of a stagnant starship, charging forward.
In an arena to unfold in a cargo hold, she dashed, she ran and she darted, front and toward.
Her attack would be plain, swinging straight for Shan’s left shoulder, carving blade downward.
Keeping her front aligned with his, Vayla’s blade would slash one-handed down to his right hip.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Don't worry. Don't think. Don't panic. Just feel. That was what Shan was telling himself as Vayla advanced towards him. The speed of someone trained in combat was something Shan had started to notice in his past battles. Each one was a new learning experience for him. Even now as he prepared for Vayla's strike, he was still trying to learn something. That was part of what he thought of as Jedi. Scholars, educators, protectors. They were meant to learn and preserve knowledge for the future. So that progress would always be made, instead of stagnation.

With a flick of his arm, Shan sent his blade to meet Vayla's. The crashing of sparks illuminating him, alongside the green and cyan glow of the sabers. Some might see a spar as a form of dance, or a performance with certain movements being performed alongside the eye catching colours but Shan couldn't see it that way anymore. This was a lesson. A chance to perform moves he wouldn't dare use in actual battle because of the potential danger to himself or his opponent. A spar didn't limit him to only having to go for hands or the weapon, he could try to go for other marks of contact instead.

The Padawan flourished his wrist after connecting with Vayla's, swinging his saber to the left of his body before bringing it in a wide slash towards Vayla's center. It felt unnatural to him. The Mirialan was used to being on the defensive, parrying and attempting to disarm his opponent, as opposed to the offense approach he was trying to take. Even when it came to the basics of Shii-Cho, he had always relied on patience and defence, but this spar was the chance for him to try something new. Get out of his comfort zone.

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC (Recurring)

​

Just like that, the lightsabers crashed, cracked, both blades biting back in a -snap-hiss!-
Then again, maybe those words better described a blade’s ignition instead of their kiss.
The Jedi Knight was not one to argue with semantics when it came to sparks and spars.
That cargo hold was bathed in a glow of emerald and sapphire; in blue green hues apart.

Vayla had advanced and attacked Shan. She had slashed for his left shoulder to his right hip.
He reacted by blocking her saber with his own, having to swing upward into Vayla’s direction.
Then Shan swung to his left, then swinging toward his opponent’s center, while she reacted.
After both blades had clashed, her right hand on hilt, Vayla held her blade for the path of his.

His wide slash would once again clash into her saber.
Meanwhile, her left hand free, Vayla shoved it forward.
Open palm, a Force push would send Shan backward.
Block his strike—send him staggering away from her.

Both hands on hilt, Shan had no advantage to resist this.
Shan would have to quickly release his grip to counter it.
And have a hand withdraw from his hilt to push the push.
Either way, Vay’s ready, steady as stone where she stood.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

The hissing of the blades didn't make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge like it had previously. He was slowly getting used to the sensation, sound and impact of saber against saber. Whether or not that was a good thing could be debated later, but for now it helped keep Shan keep his nerve as he tried to push his blade against her's, taking in a sharp breath. Trying to push his saber up against hers before he noticed her free hand coming out to send a force push in his direction.

She might have expected Shan to release a hand from his blade to protect himself from the push but in fact the Padawan did otherwise. Instead, he let himself get pushed backwards, going with the flow and trying to stay fluid in his stance instead of being rigid, allowing his Mirialan flexibility to come into play. Letting himself fall backwards with the push, to break out into a small roll whilst also disengaging his saber. It wasn't as necessary, but he didn't want to potentially scratch up the ship's floors or get himself by accident as the Padawan tried to get straight back up to his feet by pushing his hands up against the floor and to launch himself up into the air, using the Force with his push to land on his feet.

He ignited his saber blade again, having tried to make some more distance between himself and Vay...Though whilst it was getting quite close, Shan was actually starting to smile at the spar. With the rush of adrenaline going through his system, and the actual rush of the experience, he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't enjoying this spar with Vayla. Though now he was trying to debate what his next move was going to be, dozens of different ideas rushing through his mind before coming to a decision.

Shan just held out his left hand towards Vayla, breaking out into a small grin, before beckoning her to come close, almost as a challenge. It wasn't normally like him, but it was meant to be part of his plan. He was going to wait for Vayla to try and extend into an attack, before using the Force to try and pull her off balance for him to try and slash towards her right hip. All he really wanted was to get one strike in, and then he'd happily accept defeat.

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

​

He might have expected her to expect him but, in the end, expectations were moot.
Her opponent could have countered the Force push coming his way, gave it a boot.
He neither did the unexpected nor left his own opponent unimpressed as he moved.
Instead of resisting, he gave in with the wind, bit of a flip that put him back into view.

Landing on his feet, weapon at the ready, positioned at a distance from his adversary.
If not quite an enemy. Vayla grinned, enjoying this, as a duelist might find customary.
She was not alone; Shan smiled back all the while, as both foes viewed scenarios.
Force, a floor to explore, serving the future, bells to foretell. If yet a broken stereo.

History, however, was not written, it was taken, and only a fool dealt with absolutes.
Vayla’s opponent beckoned her onward across the floor as before, and she was true.
She advanced in a dash, but the Knight would offer no slash and instead a quick jab.
Offering her right flank, stabbing for Shan’s chest, committing her right hand’s attack.

Her left hand, meanwhile, remained at the ready to counter her opponent’s maneuver.
Whatever Shan had planned, he would have to actually execute it, and take his turn.
If he wanted to pull her off balance, he could try, maybe he would negate her strike.
Whatever the case, either way, the Knight’s opponent would be in for a surprise.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan wasn't sure how many flips he had in him, it was more energy than he normally liked to expend during a duel. He was already having to pant a little bit to focus on his breathing. Making sure to inhale as much air as he could to try and keep himself focused. He was proud of the flip he had managed to perform but apart from that, there wasn't much he had done in this spar that he had actually felt was a good performance. It was only an okay performance at the best.

He was originally ready for Vayla's advance, expecting another slash so he was surprised when she lashed out with a jab instead. He saw two choices right now...Either he could try to deflect the jab to the side or he could try to commit to his plan. There was a chance that his plan wouldn't even work and he should stick to the guaranteed protection of a deflect...but sparring was the time for risks as Shan rushed forward to actually meet Vayla.

Though instead of lashing out straight away, Shan attempted to twist himself so that the saber tip would strike his shoulder as opposed to his chest, whilst at the same time swinging his saber towards Vayla's right flank, almost in an attempt to try and exchange blows. To try and make sure Vayla went through with the thrust, the padawan used his free hand to pull on the waves of the Force to pull Vayla forward. He knew the Knight would probably have a way to defend against his force powers, but he had to try and mix up his attacks.

Either way, Shan would let out a hiss of pain whether or not his strike managed to connect, as he felt the tip of Vayla's saber make connection with his shoulder. If it hadn't been on stun, it would have went straight through but that had been part of Shan's plan. A jab to the chest would have been lethal, whereas to his shoulder would have just been painful if this was a real duel. That didn't mean he felt good about the pain either. It was just part of the learning experience.

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC (Recurring)

​

Whatever Vayla had planned, her surprise was not necessarily with her lightsaber’s jab.
For which Shan had not blocked outright or swiped the blade aside as Vayla attacked.
Rather, he offered her some surprise of his own as he twisted his torso and shoulder.
Vayla’s saber had stabbed the latter, while her opponent was pulling her forward.

The Knight did not fight against this, did not resist, but instead Vayla gave into it.
Shan had managed to pull her into his guard and she was moving quick as wind.
While his saber came for her, she twisted her own torso, her front facing his blade.
Her own weapon still in its jab position—left hand defending as Shan’s attack came.

Her fingers unfurled, casting a quick burst of the Force against Shan’s lightsaber hilt.
His arm would be pushed backward before his saber reached her, body otherwise still.
Meanwhile a flick of Vayla’s wrist would reposition her blade inches away from his throat.
Her sword was already planted beside him and, thanks to him, her body was just as close.

If successful, Vay would hold her blade at Shan’s neck, yet without trying to zap it outright.
Instead, her foe was in a good position to yield, or otherwise react and continue this fight.
That much would be up to him. Vayla would happily keep exchanging blades and grins.
If the Padawan had another trick up his sleeve then the Knight would be ready for it.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Most of Shan's attention was towards the pain in his shoulder, as it had practically locked up from being struck. The Padawan was used to getting attacked and hurt, but lightsabers even on stun mode were far more than anything he had dealt with before. Maybe the burst of Force Lightning he had taken during the battle on Elom came close but he could at least fight through that. His shoulder refused to move, no matter how much he tried to push it forward to try and help him in the spar.

He couldn't even push against Vayla's force push, his saber being pushed away from her body, causing Shan's attempt to try and attack her to be unfruitful. He couldn't think of a way to fight back against the Knight, as he tried to get ready to swing his saber again, until he realised Vayla had her saber up towards his throat, and Shan just froze up.

The Padawan couldn't think of anyway to defend himself against Vayla's saber, so Shan just turned off his saber to show that he yielded, fighting the urge to try and retaliate. He had to accept he had lost the spar which made sense. He was still a Padawan and his lightsaber skills weren't as great as they could be, neither were his force powers. The most important thing was that he learned something from the spar which he had. He just cleared his throat, trying to talk without getting himself zapped. "I yield"

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

​

A stun was indeed enough for someone to become distracted especially in the moments.
In combat, the moments, the seconds, meant everything. It took no genius to know this.
Vayla had the advantage over Shan in that one moment, but time was ever treacherous.
He might have proven to put her at a disadvantage, react to and attack his opponent.

That, though, was a bit moot. The spar was over, her foe had yielded—and so it goes.
“I accept your surrender,” the Knight smiled. Only one blade buzzed—held to throat.
Finger on switch and retracting the blade in an instant, Vay stood before her partner.
Close, composed, the instructor raised her hand and placed it on the struck shoulder.

“Never take a hit if you can avoid it.” Mirana studied Pavond closely—eyes into eyes.
Hers were cybernetic, prosthetics that didn’t blink. “-If- being the operative word.”
Trading injuries—a costly mistake she wanted him to avoid. I’m not his master.
That said, a master didn’t need to be a Master. Him a Padawan, her a Knight.

“Attacking my flank is a good move.” Her voice would clearly drip with truth.
She withdrew her hand, took a step back and clasped her hilt back to her belt.
“And you move well.” She took a breath, held it and wondered what else to tell.
“If all else fails, well…” She shrugged. “Stick ‘em with the pointy end.” You buffoon.

Herself, that was, but then again what was a spar without some amusement?
There was a -ping!- on her comlink just then that would break concentration.
Concentrating on being an idiot though she had been, at least. “We’re close.”
They were on their way to a planet, to a cave system, one of rock and of snow.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I was thinking that it would be better to take a superficial wound and be able to deal a severe wound. My saber crystal helps to dull my pain." The Padawan thought it was important to answer why he had acted the way he had. He did wince ever so slightly when Vayla placed her hand on his shoulder. It was still a bit sore, and the pain had actually increased when he turned his saber off since the thontiin crystal was no longer giving its painkilling property.

Vayla's eyes disturbed Shan, as much as he would never voice it. The fact they were unblinking made him feel like she was just staring directly through him, even though he knew that wasn't the case. She was giving him some good pointers when it came to a fighter however as Shan moved to clip his saber straight back onto his belt for secure placement. Ever since he made his lightsaber, Shan had always been taking particular care of it. Making sure to polish and clean it whenever he had a spare moment.

"I've been trying to work on my saber work, but I've also been incorporating blaster work in my repertoire now. It gives more...flexibility to my techniques and allows me to surprise my enemies." Or at least that was Shan's theory behind it. He hadn't actually had to use a blaster of his own in a battle yet. At least not against a Force User. He had done it against a few guards he had to deal with a while back. A small smirk came to his face at the stick people with the pointy end comment that Vayla had said, and shook his head at it. It was able to bring a smile to his face which he needed after losing that spar as badly as he did. It was bad enough that he had yielded, but he didn't want to get zapped to the neck.

Though he turned his attention to the ping that came from her comlink, breaking out into a bright grin at that. He was ready to go and explore this new place as he rubbed his hands together. "Perfect timing for us to have finished off our spar then." Shan had barely seen snow in his life. There was Elom, which was more of a frosty dessert but this was going to be an actual place with real snow and so Shan still had some childhood excitement at the idea of visiting the planet.

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

​

Pain was helpful in its own way. Vay had not intended to cause further harm to her student.
Even if Padawan Pavond wasn’t really her apprentice, she attempted to simply refresh him.
The Knight’s hand-grip may have made him wince, then, but it was yet given with affection.
Shan had spoken of saber, blaster, work, but what yet stuck out to Vayla was his attention.

He kept his sword clean and, for a Jedi Knight like Vayla Mirana, well, that meant everything.
She favored peace but was no less of a duelist. She had a blaster and wasn't afraid to use it.
Yet, blade to blade, for game or fate, nothing beat swordsmanship. For her, it was a mountain.
“Perfect timing indeed,” Vayla agreed, pocketing comlink. Swords holstered. “Pick up your feet.”

That was Knight Mirana’s expression to beckon him to follow her toward the cockpit of her ship.
It wasn’t terribly fancy, a 3-Z light freighter, but it got her from A-Z, her very own Star’s Sanctum.

She had quarters, she had a galley, she moved forward or she might just easily dilly-dally.
She. The captain smirked in her cockpit. Why do we call starships female? A musing query.
“Kaldahan is on the approach.” Her systems chimed in. “Frozen forests amid the mountains.”
Home of the Kanduh civilization. It was also home to the wildest of wildlife roaming the planet.

“Our spar was not for nought, Padawan,” Vay assured as she gestured toward the console.
“Ferocious beasts wait for us as much as the mysteries of a long lost civilization so...untold.”
The Knight grabbed a canteen, sipping on hot tea. “Our zone is basically an uncharted world.”
Others had gone before them but not to their destination. She was excited. If a bighearted girl.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan brushed his saber along his robes carefully, to make sure there wasn't any speck of dust left on it. It was a good idea to try and take care of your equipment at all times, so it doesn't fail on you. Or at least that was how Shan liked to see it. He couldn't afford to let his saber break down on him, otherwise he would be screwed and wouldn't have something to fall back on. Well, that was why he had the blaster. It was something else to fall back on now but it wasn't something he always had. Now he was trying to learn more ways to fight, so that he didn't have to rely on his saber.

Either way, the Padawan hurried off after the Jedi Knight to get to where they were going. He was going to need to make sure he had everything ready for the mission. Tapping his saber to make sure it was secured, alongside making sure he still had all of his medical equipment in case either of them got hurt. They could always rely on the Force to heal them, but Shan liked to carry standard medical equipment in case they wouldn't be able to rely on their sabers. They had to rely on something that could rely on.

Kaldahan. That was the name of the place they were going to. How...interesting. A frozen forest. A forest just meant plenty of animals and as much as Shan didn't want to have to deal with them, Vayla even told them how they were going to have to potentially deal with the beasts that explored the planet. Now that was something that didn't appeal to the Mirialan, but finding civilisations did! He always wanted to be able to record things in history, and whilst Vay drank tea from her canteen, Shan just drank clean water. He wasn't interested in stuff like tea or coffee. It was water or bust with him since he liked to be healthy!

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

​

Tea. Coffee. Either made with water. Truthfully, Vayla was happy to simply be sipping beside him.
Shan Pavond, a Mirialan beside a Pantoran, but no matter their species, they were just two peas.
In the same pod. Padawan. Knight. They were both Jedi. They braved space to venture beyond.
Kaldahan. It was the name of a planet. The expanse. Outer space. There's no other name for it.

It was an ocean, a sea of mystery, no matter the motions of a drifting starship that sailed within.
Meaningless. The Jedi Knight sighed in her cockpit, thoughts in a mist, spying into the distance.
Words are useless. They burn in the abyss. They could not ever describe those stars so far apart.
Moon of my life. My sun and stars. Such was the universe as it curved and as the galaxy arced.

“Closing in.” Star’s Sanctum floated in, drifting downward, quite like a feather floating in the wind.
A leaf on the ocean, even, broken by the breeze, stolen from its throne, a token of nature’s abyss.
Words are wind. Vayla Mirana promised, reassured, honest. Be the earth. Be the sun. Become stardust.
She might have voiced her thoughts aloud—but that choice might have made the Jedi Knight blush.

Star’s Sanctum drifted in with the wind, cradled by the atmosphere, a burning angel with no fear.
Mountains on the horizon, reaching so high, peaks that stabbed the sky. She glided in. So near…
From the expanse, in the distance, the ship came in, above forest, mountain, diving in a blizzard.
So close no matter how far… Only worlds apart. Snow closed in, cold, as the ship’s heart burned.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan sipped at his water, staring out into space. He never understood some people's obsession with space. There was barely anything to find out there. Staying on planets was the better option in his eyes, because there was always new things to find. For him, space was as interesting as the road you take to get to a destination. It wasn't something grand thing to explore, but more a path to use to find your real end goal. The place you wanted to arrive at. It was a means to an end, though perhaps he'd start to change his view of space in due time.

As they started to descend closer to the planet, Shan just started to prepare himself once more. Making sure that everything he needed was on his person. There was no such thing as too many double checks. There was a part of him that wished he was more experienced in Force Powers to try and deal with the Beasts that were going to be on the planet. He'd want to be able to pass by them peacefully but that was probably going to be harder and harder no matter how much he tried to.

Now he was used to the cold on Nar Shaddaa, but the type of cold that was on Kaldahan was going to be far different to anything the Padawan had dealt with. There was a part of him that was actually eager to experience. The cold and chill was going to be something he hadn't dealt with before so it was going to be a new learning experience. And that's how he decided to try and see all of this. Treating it as something to learn from, instead of something traumatic.

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

​

From the sanctum of the stars, the Star’s Sanctum descended, headed for the mountains in the distance, and for the forests. The pilot was not flying blind; coordinates would help the pair of Jedi find the ruins of an ancient civilization. So we hope. The truth was that they wouldn’t know until they would be looking at their quarry, and from above she could see only stone and tree.

Finally, the freighter landed, finding purchase in a forest clearing amid the density of the trees. Towering sentries, green leaves that were overtaken by white. The snow had been falling heavy but was beginning to let up, at least on this side of the mountain.

The outside temperatures gave Vay little wonder as to what to wear to better fend against them. To ward off the cold, well, you had to get dressed in something warm. She would express the same sentiment to her Padawan. It was okay to be brave as long as bravery did not lead to stupidity, and neither Jedi could afford to die in a storm or from frostbite due to being one garb short of a scarf.

‘My’ Padawan. She reflected. Shan Pavond was no less than Vayla Mirana’s ward, at least for the duration of this mission, so long as she was borrowing him from his actual master. The pressure is on to make every effort to keep him alive, then.

Sure, the planet they were on had dangerous creatures, but the Knight felt like both she and the Padawan could handle some feral beasts. We shall see. With that, Vayla stepped into the cold, garbed in winter gear, coat, cloak and backpack, as well as her lightsaber hilt clipped to her belt.

“We need to negotiate our way east through the trees.” Vay got straight to the point, her voice easing into the frigid breeze. She held up the map on her datapad. It wasn’t much of one but it would function well enough. Before moving forward, she gave the young man her gaze. “Sense anything?” Her own eyes didn't blink.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan made sure the winter gear he was using was fully secured. he didn't want to risk letting any cold air causing him to get cold in the middle of moving. He needed to be able to keep his focus on their surroundings as opposed to letting the elements distract him. Urgh, learning pyrokinesis would have been helpful for right now but that was a bit too late. He would just have to make due with the equipment they had as he prepared to head out, holding his hand out to try and protect his face from the breeze.

Vayla was already quickly earning Shan's trust at the very least, which considering he had been starting to get wary of Jedi that were older than him, or well higher ranked, was a good sign. She seemed like someone with similar interests to him, at least when it came to learning. He wasn't sure what her opinion on the dark side and light side was, or how much she was interested in fighting but she didn't seem like some kind of fanatic Jedi so...good books for Vayla! Shan was going to trust her, or at least trust her as much as he could right now.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Vayla asked if he sensed anything and the Mirialan gave a slightly embarrassed smile in her direction. "Sensing through the Force has never been a...strong suit of mine. I normally just try to rely on my regular senses." Though with the sound of the wind alongside the constant white visual, it was going to be harder for him to try and rely on those senses. Maybe he should just try to reach out with the Force to see what he could sense. He struggled to passively sense things, but if he tried to actively sense...

The Mirialan just closed his eyes, holding his hand out in front of him as he started to visualise the Force. An all encompassing vast sea surrounding him, various small waves crashing and falling as he took in a deep breath. Gently lowering his hand to cause for lack of a better term a "ripple" in the Force, to let it expand outwards around him. Waiting to see if he felt the ripples hit anything and send the information back to him. There had to be something for him to feel out there...

Vayla Mirana

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC (Recurring)

​

Vay smiled at her partner’s answer. Honest response, easily sensing he is not just being modest.
She was a Knight but, like any Jedi, whether Padawan, Knight or Master, one was ever learning.
Each individual had strengths, weaknesses; strengths to excel in, weaknesses for overturning.
She nodded at her companion. “Work to improve that and you will, Pad. That is a promise.”

She winked. His master had doubtlessly given his student at least something of that same spiel.
It was at this point that Vayla would instruct the young man to close his eyes and open his ears.
Just in time, he did so on his own accord as he tried to visualize the Force. There you go... Feel...
She kept silent as he reached. Listen to the wind and trees. To the ocean of energy. Far and near.

Moments passed, air slipping between fingers, ruffling leaves, and finally those eyes opened.
His eyes, and her eyes, beneath the white sky and gazing further east into that sea of trees.
“We face the same direction.” There was movement ahead, beyond the naked eye. Motion.
“Wildlife, I sense.” More northeast. Important to mention given this planet’s roster of beasts.

“Likely a number of creatures, either prey or predator, and I have no mind to be the former.”
It was safer to determine the life signatures as the latter—predators. “Let’s move forward.”
The Jedi would keep east at a safe distance from the direction in which they had sensed.
Made sense for animals to be spread out for now given the noise of the ship’s presence.

It certainly came with a commotion despite the waning storm. “Moving downwind also helps..."
It was one way they could more accurately tell of their surroundings, with wind carrying smell.
“Whatever is out there won’t yet pick up our scent so quickly.” Snow crunched under a boot.
Twigs and sticks scattered about, blown around by the blizzard, as both adventurers moved.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan nodded at the comment. Working to improve on things was what Shann spent most of his time on. Getting stronger and more competent at what he knew, whilst trying to learn more and more new things. Life was a constant lesson. Something he was always having to learn from no matter what he did, or how the results of his actions happened. Either way, he had to just focus on the Force right now, keeping his hand held out to try and feel around him. It wasn't as hard as he expected but it was also not as clear as he expected it could be. Just vague outlines and movements of creatures. He wouldn't be able to figure out anything about them.

Instead he just opened his eyes to look off ahead of him, listening to Vayla's comment about the wildlife. He definitely did not fancy becoming prey but at the same time he didn't fancy being a predator either. He just wanted to be like the wind. Just flowing through the planet to get to their destination. Find what they needed to find and leave without causing a disturbance to the natural life on the planet. He wasn't here to cause any impact on the flora and fauna of the planet.

"Speak for yourself about scents. I don't stink." Now that he felt comfortable enough with Vayla, Shan didn't mind trying to joke around with her slightly. He wasn't going to be too extreme with his jokes however. She was still a Jedi Knight and so Shan wanted to show the respect she deserved. Shan just shook his head, turning his attention over towards the surroundings once more before looking back over towards Vayla. "I'm ready to start moving when you are however. I will follow your lead, as you know best." Shan lowered his head over towards her carefully, almost like he was bowing before standing up straight. Keeping his eyes and his ears open to try and make sure nothing was going to end up sneaking up on them. Evasion was the aim of the game, not confrontation.

Vayla Mirana