Bright the Day

[Leith Kaerdyn]

Zenith Prime
Afternoon

It had been about a month since his rescue and the young boy was still trying to make sense of it all. Not only was he no longer a slave, but he’d landed into the company of his family, he wasn’t some unwanted bastard. He didn’t really remember his mother ever telling him about his father, but then she hadn’t been able to tell him much of anything before she had died. Now not only did he know the man, he was living with him and was part of a family again. He even had a little sister, which was weird too, it seemed like he’d just sprouted family overnight. He was playing outside in the park he’d found, he’d wandered from the house to explore. The city was a templar city so it wasn’t like he’d get hurt or too lost, at least he didn’t think so.

He liked the city, it was filled with people who weren’t so miserable and all the things he felt from those around him weren’t terribly painful. It was easier to find a place to be alone too, there wasn’t anyone around really so he could just sit and take in what he saw. For the first week he’d been too afraid to leave his room hardly, by the second week he’d been able to leave the house. Now however, since he’d been told he could, he was exploring outside. He was still much too shy of crowds or groups of people to dare going near them, but he could watch the other children from a distance. He’d gotten a gift from his father of a silver necklace with the templar crest on it to ease the weirdness he’d felt from not having a collar.

The silver band was thin, maybe half the size of his pinky finger, but at least with it around his neck he didn’t feel like something was missing. He was wearing a long sleeved blue shirt, grey jeans and plain white sneakers. His hair had been cut sort and wasn’t untidy and though he was still thin, he was eating better. He was sitting under a tree with his bag next to him and a book in front of him, he knew how to read mostly from what his mother had taught him and what he’d managed to read before he’d been found. The book had a lot of pictures so it was easier on him, but he wanted to get much better. Every once in a while he’d look up from the book to look around him, but other than that he stayed put.

He didn’t want to go too far just in case his father came looking for him, but also because it was nice just relaxing under a tree.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]
@[member="Josiah Denko"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

His journeys through Confederacy space had brought him to Zenith Prime, and so far his travels had gone smooth and uneventful. Freedom and independance were the cornerstones of the CIS, and it showed. When stepping off his ship, the Seren Heritage, the personnel seemed friendly enough as they went about their buisness at the space port with great efficiency, proving their loyalty and discipline. His little girl walked beside him, clutching his hand with her tiny one. She was wearing the dress once given to her by Kat, and it made her look so very pretty with the light-blue fabrics perfectly matching her icy-blue eyes, pale skin and white hair. Thurion himself wore, as always, his humble everyday robes which didn't belong to either Jedi or Sith - therefore none would take offense to his presence or be able to spot him in a crowd. It was not to serve as a means of concealment - it was true; he belonged to neither, even though he was a firm believer in the spirit of the Jedi at heart, only now he followed his own path and let his heart guide him moreso than the Force.

He looked down at Nina by his side and decided to find a quiet place for them to rest at. Normally the 4-year-old required a nap after lunchtime, but once they arrived on Zenith Prime she insisted on accompanying Thurion. It was not every day she would make such a request, so naturally he allowed her to come with him and get some fresh air. It would be good for her to see the worlds they would visit for herself so that she could make her own assessments on the galaxy at large. The two soon found what looked like a park; there were trees littering a grassy field with the occasional children running around playing catch or hide-and-seek, but mostly it seemed rather quiet and peaceful. Setting his sights on one of the trees, Thurion took a seat by its roots and leaned back against the thick trunk. As he did so, Nina settled herself onto his lap just as he wrapped his robes around the little one. "This seems a good place to rest at", Thurion thought as he leant back and closed his eyes, fully expecting Nina to do the same. But instead she couldn't stop staring at the sight of a little boy sitting not too far away from them, reading a book by the looks of it. An action she'd usually refrain from came to mind, and before she knew it her hand waved at him from afar, if barely for a second.

She didn't know whether the boy had taken notice to her or not.

@[member="Leith Kaerdyn"] @[member="Josiah Denko"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

Leith did indeed see her wave at him and he glanced at her shyly from behind his book watching her. His blue eyes flicked over to her father, but he wasn’t sure if she really was looking at him or not. He looked around to see who else she could be motioning at and when he saw no one else it seemed really certain she really did wave at him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever played with another person, his mother had always needed him beside her and then after she died he’d been sold. Slaves didn’t play, they did as told or got punished, though he wasn’t a slave now it still felt odd doing things free people got to do.

His hand rose to touch the necklace around his neck, the templar crest pendant helped reassure him that he still didn’t have a collar. It had felt so strange to be without something and when he was gifted it he’d been so grateful. It had felt like losing a piece of himself or something, the necklace at least made him feel more secure. The man looked sort of like a Jedi and he wondered if she was his student or something. He looked down at the picture in his book, then back at the man, his robes were different yet still similar. Did Jedi students even get to play? He’d only read a little about Jedi and if this stranger and the girl with him were some of them this could be a good chance to see some up close.

He knew Jedi were supposed to be good people so he wasn’t all that worried he’d get hurt, Jedi just didn’t hurt people, his book said so. He stood up and walked over, hugging his book and hiding half his face behind it. The man was a lot bigger now that he was just a few feet away and he suddenly felt too nervous to even speak up. It took everything he had not to race back to his things, snatch them up and go hide some place.

@[member="Josiah Denko"]
@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion didn't react to the boy approaching, for his eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep. Nina could not muster waking up her guardian, and instead she was forced to take action. Very slowly and hesitantly she got up on her feet, standing right next to Thurion and keeping a hand on him so that he would not be out of reach for her. Looking at the boy carefully staring back at her from behind the book he carried, again she managed a tiny wave of her hand accompanied by an awkward smile. Behind her Thurion could be seen smiling to himself, for he had successfully made his little girl interact with someone her own age, or close enough. After the wave, Nina hurried back into his lap and tried to cover her face within his chest as she buried herself in his embrace. She frowned and whimpered, to which he shushed her and caressed her tiny figure. Poor girl was still not used to interacting with strangers on her own, despite how young and innocent they seemed.

He awoke from his feigned slumber and while he sheltered his baby girl from what she believed to be frightening, Thurion glanced over to the poor boy still clinging to his big book. "Don't be afraid, little one. It's not you that scared her; she's just not used to meeting new people her own age by herself." His hand caressed the back of her head as he then looked at the book the boy held so dear to him. "What's that book you got there, youngling?" he asked as a gentle smile was sent his way.

@[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

He’d seen shyness from people before, but it helped that he could also feel it from her. The man didn’t feel scary, mostly something smooth and sort of bubbly, like he was happy though not laughing. He wasn’t used to good feelings from people so he didn’t know what the name for what he felt was. It was encouraging at least, it meant he wasn’t upset at him or anything, but he knew how fast things could go from good to bad, he’d felt it often enough. He glanced down at his book and then showed him the cover. The book was called ‘Tales of Master Blaze’ it was a comic about Jedi, though he had others. Reading lots and lots of words was tricky, but comics on the other hand were much easier. His dirty blond hair had fallen into his face and he looked shyly down at his feet “You sorta look’d like a Jedi mister...an...she wuz look’in at me so...kinda wanted ta see if maybe you was, not seen one outside my book. She don’t feel scared, just all sorta...fluffy blue, um... Mabbe, but no, not scared, bein ‘fraid is more...squiggly and grey black.”

He wasn’t used to talking and so it mostly came out as a loud whisper, he never met the man’s eyes either. His speech was pretty rough, he’d not gone to school and been taught much of anything so he wound up speaking more like his former owner than of a child more educated. He wanted to explain that he knew what the difference was, but he wasn’t sure the man would understand. He hid his face behind his book again and bit his lip, he hoped he wouldn’t get mad at him for talking so much.

@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"Fluffy blue, eh...?" he chuckled as he looked down at the quivering Nina in his embrace, before returning to look at the boy. "That seems about right." Then his face took on a concerned look as he noticed the thin fingers and malnourished frame the boy carried. It struck him hard as he reminded Thurion of himself at that age, before Asha found him and took him under her care and brought him into the Jedi Order so long ago. Tilting his head to the side slightly, he examined the comic book he carried. "I'm not a Jedi - not anymore, that is. There was a time when I used to belong to their family, but when my master chose to abandon the Order I in turn chose to go with her. Thus I gained a new family." His attention was then again brought to the little girl in his lap, who still clinged to him like a young primate would her ape mother. "It's alright, Nina. He's not going to hurt us", he spoke to her telepathically to ease her mind. Her quivering and whimpering slowly ceased, although she refrained from looking at the poor boy for the moment and instead kept burying her face into Thurion's chest.

"My name is Thurion Heavenshield, young one. And this little girl is Nina Vi'dreya. Would you mind telling us your name, boy?"

@[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

He’d seen that look from a few people lately, the pale orangish worry color, he didn’t really understand worry from others, but then it was only a recent emotion he felt, all because of him or something about him. “Leith Kaerdyn...um...Denko, cuz my father says tha’ is part of my name too.”

It was hard to get in the habit of adding something to is name, people around seemed to know his father, but then it was probably because he was a Templar and this was one of their cities. For all he knew he was one too, he watched the little girl before he moved to get his bag, he brought it over and set it on the ground sitting down next to it. He didn’t really know what else to do and he didn’t really feel like standing around either and he worried if he didn’t keep an eye on his stuff he’d lose it.

@[member="Josiah Denko"]
@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

He watched the boy return with his stuff and sit down some distance from him and Nina. It was obvious he did not fully trust them, which was nothing but understandable; they'd just met, and few times did one reveal everything about oneself to a complete stranger. Nina finally mustered the courage to toss a glance Leith's way while still clutching to Thurion's robes. Things went quiet for a while, with Thurion simply looking at the boy sat on the ground. He tried to get a grasp of Leith's personality like he had so many times before to other people he'd met - a skill of his - but for some reason the boy show few signs other than shyness. Again, understandable.

"Leith, why don't you come over here and sit down with us? I promise you we won't hurt you", he gently asked while patting the soft grass right next to himself and Nina, right by the base of the tree.

@[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

Blue eyes studied him quietly, an adult like measuring look that seemed so at odds with his age. On one hand he used to be a Jedi, but then he said he wasn’t, but the girl seemed to see him as safe and that made it a bit more difficult. She didn’t feel like she was doing it just to draw him in and didn’t Urmen say once that he couldn’t trust people with children cuz they could use them to lie? He knew what lies felt like, a yellowish greenish slimy color/feeling that never went with what people said when what they really wanted was to get you. He really sounded like he really wanted him to be closer, but he didn’t want to be that close.

He moved to sit just out of arm’s reach, a compromise, but it made him feel anxious. He wished he had someone around he could be hiding behind, but he didn’t and he sort of envied the girl. It was a whispery sort of envy, not a mean kind, sort of like a wispy wind, wishful almost. He didn’t really have a word for it.


@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

As the boy moved closer, Thurion inclined his head in his direction, sending a respectful nod his way as he spoke. "A pleasure to meet you, Leith", he said with a boyish smile on his face. He knew full-well how easily children might get spooked by adults' outward appearances, and so he opted for a much more casual and on-the-level behaviour with this one. "Do you mind showing me the comic? When I was your age I could never get my hands on one, despite my own or my brother's efforts. Comic books didn't come easily on Pelagon, so all the other kids always kept them close away from prying eyes like my own." While the boy hesitated, Thurion took the opportunity to fix something for them to nibble on. With a subtle wave of his hand, the tree they were sat against began to shiver, and its branches were shuddering as if struck with heavy winds - except there were none. And so, the red fruits adorning the large tree began to fall all around them in a perfect circle. Yet, before three of them had a chance to touch the ground, they hovered through the air over to the three of them, with one landing in Nina's tiny palm and another one settling itself in Leith's lap. The third one Thurion snatched out of the air and immidiately took a bite. "I thought you might be up for a snack", he said with a sly grin.

@[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

The boy first eyed the tree not really sure what was going on, but was crouched on his knees ready to move. When the fruit started to fall he made a movement towards the girl, to keep her from getting hurt, but then they stopped in mid air and he gaped, shooting a look at Thurion as he was the only one near who might even be able to do something like that. He stood up fully and moved to hand him the book, but kept a wary eye on the tree just in case he made it do something strange. When he sat back down he gingerly picked up the apple almost as if he was afraid it would zip around and do something weird.

He eyed him for a moment watching him take a bite then did so himself “When I came ta live with my father he an his lady took me to a place ta get stuff for me, never had nothing for myself since I could remember, I got these books cuz they was easy to read. I can read good for a bit, but lots of words makes my eyes hurt. I got wordy books too, but these weren’t so heavy in my bag.”

He would have brought one, but he hadn’t wanted to carry around something heavy. Plus out in the sun the white pages would have made his eyes sting more and colored pages were much easier to deal with.


@[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

Thurion nodded to the boy's words before speaking. "You should consider yourself lucky, to be able to read. At your age, I couldn't even understand the alphabet, let alone read." He gazed down at little Nina wrapping herself within his robes. "I suppose that's one thing I'll have to teach you when the time is right, baby girl", he said fatherly while caressing her cheek. Looking back down at the young boy sat gnawing on his apple, Thurion again tilted his head slightly to the side, seemingly staring into Leith's soul. "I'm sure Nina and I would love to listen to you reading for us, Leith. Would you mind?" he asked while smiling. "Or if your eyes hurt, maybe I could it read it to the two of you?"

@[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

Reading to strangers was a scary thought, but he rummaged through his bag and pulled out another comic he’d yet gotten to and gingerly handed it to the man. The apple only had a couple bites in it, he wasn’t really all that hungry, he was almost always not all that hungry. At most, in a single day, he ate maybe only half an apple’s worth of food, because more would make his stomach hurt. He’d been eating better food since coming to live with his father, but it was the quality to it that was more than he was used to. Still, he’d eat what he could because not doing so would be rude and he could always save the apple for later as taking a few bites didn’t hurt it much.

He tucked his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and keeping the apple nearish to his face. He liked the smell of the apple, it was bright and crisp, like a sun bright chilly morning, just slightly warmed by the sun. He fiddled with it in his hands, turning it about and studying the colors and its shape. He wondered if it hurt the tree to get plucked so, but since he didn’t feel anything from it he assumed it probably didn’t. Did trees even feel? He reached out and touched the root that peeked out from the soil, the bark rough to his fingers. While he didn’t look to be paying attention to Thurion, he was, he just didn’t have his eyes on him.

A beetle plodded near his hand and he plucked it up and let it crawl along his fingers. He didn’t really feel much from the beetle, just this kind of dull throb, but it was so tiny that he wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been touching it. He set his hand on the ground and watched it walk off, his blue eyes briefly flicking to Thurion keeping an eye on him. He didn’t really know what to make of the man, he didn’t seem all that bad, but if he wasn’t a Jedi could he still trust him? If someone wasn’t part of something, what did that make them then? What did you call someone who said they were a Jedi at heart, but wasn’t a Jedi? People always seemed to belong to ‘something’ and if they didn’t didn’t that make them odd?

He didn’t ask though, he kept it to himself, what would be the point of asking something that was probably either a silly question or a rude one? It wasn’t his business anyways and who was someone like him to judge an adult anyways? Was that what he was doing, judging him? He watched the girl too and wondered why she seemed so scared of him. He went back to looking at the apple, at least thinking about the fruit was okay, he decided he liked the redish gold color. He wondered what other kinds of food shared the same colors.


[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

With the comic book in his possession, Thurion quickly flipped through the pages to get a grasp of what it was about. He didn't want to upset Nina by it being gratuitous, not that he didn't trust the young [member="Leith Kaerdyn"]. The story seemed basic enough; a young Jedi Knight combatting his Sith arch nemesis after he'd killed the Jedi's parents before he was taken in by the Jedi Order. Thurion couldn't help but smile at the typical and somewhat naïve portrayal of how the Jedi acted and behaved, as well as how inherently evil they made the Sith character look. Even so, he began reading the story aloud while simultaneously making sure to transmitt his words into Nina's mind.

Arriving at the end of the book, the last words uttered by the characters included: "Give it up, Darth Vicious! Your schemes to wipe out Coruscant ends here!" as well as: "Fool of a Jedi! You'll never take me alive! Next time you won't get so lucky, Jedi scum!" Wrapping up the story the Jedi character was granted the rank of Master by the Council, as well as praise and jubilation by the denizens of the Republic. "To be continued?" he read the final words as he closed the book with a sly grin on his face.

Having read the comic book, he could see how his childhood counterparts were so unwilling to share their literary treasures. Being experienced in Jedi buisness he of course could see the appeal of such black and white outlooks on life the book offered, even though the reality was far from it. Looking down at little Nina, he noticed she'd fallen asleep wrapped in his robes, like a bundle of fluff. "Thank you", he said softly as he handed the comic book over to Leith for him to take. "It was an enjoyable read."

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

Leith took the book back and put it back in his bag, he eyed the sleeping girl and then the man again, but didn’t move from his spot. He didn’t know if he should say anything, interacting with people was something fairly alien as he was more used to just doing as he was told. What little bits he had said previously had mostly been because the older man had started it, not him. Quiet didn’t bother him though and he wasn’t squirmy with the usual childish squirminess children so commonly did just because of energy. In fact, quiet, stillness and practically being able to fade from interest was what he’d gotten good to do, a slave was never meant to bring attention to themselves, ever.

While he wasn’t one any longer, it was hard to break that and really, he didn’t really get how bouncing all over did any good. He didn’t ask for more, he just waited quietly for whatever would happen next. It wasn’t patience, it was that staying still was just what he knew best. Occasionally he’d look at the man through his bangs, but never outright met his eyes. In fact, he looked everywhere else, it felt weird looking into someones eyes, made him anxious. He even nibbled on the apple quietly, hardly any sound at all, but his attention was always fully on what was around him. While he was sitting comfortably, he could, at a moments notice spring up and move quickly. If that was to get away from harm or out of the way, it mattered little, just that he was prepared to do whatever it was very quickly.



[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

"Leith, are your parents around at the moment? Or are you out here all alone?" His question came out of concern for the young boy, who so far was the only one he'd seen in the area since arriving there. Could he perhaps be an orphan? A runaway? He could tell Leith was very wary of strangers and that he would probably not speak unless spoken to. This was indicative of... a slave? House servant? His thin shape gave him cause to believe so, except his clothes were too refined for a simple indentured servant. "Do you not have a home to call your own, little one?"

[member="Leith Kaerdyn"]

 

[Leith Kaerdyn]

Everyone knew never to tell someone that they might be alone, it invited trouble. He didn’t know if [member="Josiah Denko"] was around, but he wasn’t going to tell the man that. “I live with my father and he let me out to play, if I call out he isn’t so far away that he can’t hear me.”

His father was actually pretty further down the road, he also hadn’t actually ‘said’ he was going out, he just went out. However since he worked with the Templars and he’d said he’d be safe cuz the city was a Templar city, he hadn’t really thought he’d be worried. His response was mostly just automatic, you never told a stranger you were alone, ever. All he’d lied about was his father knowing he was out and that he was within earshot. Anyone within earshot would come to see what was happening as screaming upset children didn’t seem to be a normal thing, at least not from what he’d seen. He was pretty confident he could raise enough fuss to make him stop if he had anything bad in mind. He didn’t like lying, but if it was a choice between telling a stranger something potentially bad and staying safe, he’d lie as much as he had to. Plus, if the man touched him he'd get a nasty shock and he wasn't in the least bit afraid.


[member="Thurion Heavenshield"]

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

He could tell the boy felt uneasy about branding himself to be alone with him, with no supervision. For a grown-up to talk to and invite over a child could easily be seen as a heinous act, but Thurion had nothing to hide or be ashamed of; his heart and intentions were as pure as they came when it came to most things, above all children. "Don't worry, Leith. I won't give you reason to call for your father. I'm relieved to not have to see yet another lost orphan in the galaxy." Again he made sure there was enough room for [member="Leith Kaerdyn"] to sit down next to him should he wish to. "I've been an orphan my entire life, Leith. I grew up on a planet called Pelagon with my older brother, who was 5 years older than me. When he... was gone, a Jedi found me and took me in. I was 7 years old."

Little Nina squirmed in his arms, letting out an adorable yawn only baby girls knew how to. "Nina and I found eachother on a planet called Umbara many years later, when I saved her from some bad guys wanting to hurt her. I couldn't let that happen, not to anyone. She willingly chose to come with me, since she was alone and without friends or a real family. Now, I'm her only family, and she's mine. This is not a master-apprentice relationship", he said while gesturing between him and Nina. "I'm her father, and she's my daughter. I'd rather die than watch her come to harm, which is why I take her with me wherever I go; neither of us would survive without the other."