Bring The Wayward Ones Back Home

[Lief]

The Edge of Azar City​

Aurum​

​

The sun had barely risen as she reached the edge of the City and set her gaze toward the Jungle which surrounded it.

Life swirled here in magnitude, a stark contrast to how it had been when they first arrived, when the trees were still suffering, and life was just returning. The Force had not forsaken this land, not yet at least.

"Immortal in the Force..." Never had those four words been more perfect than in this moment. No matter how terrible things got, no matter how much hope was lost, there was always a chance for redemption and growth. That made her smile.

A gentle breeze made its way through the brush.

Inhaling slowly she turned to face the City which was finally growing against the tranquil backdrop, stark white buildings that glistened in the rising sunlight. So much work was finally being paid off, the Togorians who roamed the streets no longer cowered, they walked with pride... With homes to return to.

Infrastructure had returned. At least to Azar City.

Jyn was not here to admire the view, as beautiful as it was. No, there had been rumours of another Sol in the vicinity, and though she was not sure if he would answer her call, she had sent him a message all the same, asked to meet him in this very spot.

But would he come?

Would she see another of her kin'?

 

[Sebas Stronoff]

He stood toward the end of the jungle walking out with just a backpack over his shoulder as he walked towards the city.

Making sure no one saw him he made his way into the city. He wasn't much of a city dweller as he used to be but he had to visit there for supplies every so often. He understood that he needed provisions to survive, but that wasn't his goal today.

This time he traveled to the city to visit after being called, specifically by name to come and meet with someone who claimed to be his sister, he wanted to believe it, but he didn't need to get himself into any trouble.

A finger went towards the small blue frog on his shoulder.

"It'd be nice to not have any trouble today, huh bud?" He said softly to his small companion as he tickled the underside of it's head rubbing it a little bit as he continued to make his way through the streets turning corners making his way to the spot that this woman had arranged for them to meet. To him it seemed a little weird, but he was curious.

The city looked especially grand this morning.

Finally making his way to the spot they had arranged he spotted a woman standing there, beautiful by humanoid guess but he definitely wasn't there to admire his journey.

"Are you the one who requested my presence?"

His voice called, standing a little ways away, for his own sake.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

She heard footsteps approach before the voice which accompanied it spoke out.

Emotions swirled within him, doubt the most dominant, yet there was a control which came only with the path of the Je'daii too. Serenity mixed with raw power... He was a Sol, alright.

Turning around to face the man, she gave him just the smallest of smiles and inclined her head. They were so close to the Jungle at this point that most of the City had melted away, and just the occasional building remained. Truth be told Jyn would have been happier if they were all the way inside the Jungle, with nothing but greenery around them as they made this reunion. Alas... She knew he'd have never agreed to such.

Her gaze lingered on the little frog, and for a moment she could think only of the fat monkey she had lost, her Fuz. Her heart felt heavy, before she shook it off, her skin had already begun to turn ashen... She could not afford to scare him off with fiery skin.

"Brother..." She let out a small sigh at the sight of him, and took a few steps forward. By this point Jyn knew that she was not of blood relation to the Sols, but they were the only family she had known, and adopted or not that didn't matter. Kyra, Jiaa, Levia... They were her siblings.

"I did send for you, yes... Did you know... There is a village here on Aurum named after you?" Her smile turned somewhat sad for a moment, that poor village had been through so much, she had seen their refugees passing through during their initial arrival. "My name is Jyn, Jyn Sol..."

[member="Levia Sol"]

 

[Sebas Stronoff]

He felt her emotions inside her, it was unusual, yet familiar.

Standing there with a slightly dominating presence about him, but also a very calm demeanor, he liked to have control but he didn't want to force anything that wasn't going to happen.

As she made a few paces toward him he didn't move. He stood his ground a little bit, a little guarded, he wanted to believe this woman with all his heart but he wouldn't know until they spoke. But in the back of his head a resonating feeling seemed to spark within him, the feelings he read from her was giving off a familiar vibe, touching his senses, like a name long forgotten. The feeling kept pinging in his head and through his body as he stood there, almost telling him something his mind could not.

His gaze lingered over her, the emotions he was feeling spilling out on her face showing him a glimpse of the inside of her, he sense the feeling of, hope, of sadness, of anger, all swirled up inside her.

She took another step towards him, and still he remained still, guarded. He knew nothing of this woman but he could feel more and more information pouring through his head, and the pinging seeming to resonate throughout his body. His eyes continued to scan about a little but mostly kept on her, and his senses were ranging out as best as possible.

"Yes, I was aware of the fact, I came from near there to arrive here, city life is no place for a man like me. I've begun to watch over the remnants of the small village during my time here." His voice came out softly as he looked her, seeing her expression, he knew of what happened but he wondered if she knew, then he heard the name. "Jyn.... Kyra told me of you..." His eyes looked at his feet as he rubbed his chin in thought before looking back up at her.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Sister."

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

At first he seemed a little standoffish.

The way he held his ground made it seem as though he expected things to come to blows, but that simply wasn't her way. Not with anyone, but especially not family. She slowed her advancements and halted a few feet from him instead, she wasn't here to make anybody uncomfortable.

He responded to her mention of Levia Village in a way that was honestly surprising, and she could not help but smile softly to him.

"The good people of this World have faced much hardship, to know that there is one among us who is looking out for that Village is heartwarming to say the least. It was to be our next focus, but there was so much to do here in Azar City that it was difficult to delegate the workforce to it. Anything that is needed there, we will happily send, and now that construction is almost complete I'll send people back that way."

Thankfully the inhabitants of Levia had all been tended to medically during their initial weeks here, the Je'daii had led those capable of walking back to Azar City, while shuttles had ferried the incapable. All had returned home in peak physical health, aside from one or two dire cases who remained in the hospital here in the City even now.

At the mention of her name he seemed skeptical still, glancing at his feet in such a way that she was worried he wouldn't believe her.

But when his head lifted and his gaze fell on hers all of that concern melted away.

"I am glad to finally meet you, Brother. I have heard so much, read so much... You knew Master Qae... That's quite the honor..."

As an afterthought she gestured to a small basket which had been brought out with her.

"I thought you might be hungry after your journey. I figured you might prefer to stay outside of the City for now, it's a little overbearing at first especially now it's no longer in ruins."

[member="Levia Sol"]

 

[Sebas Stronoff]

He knew he must have came off as a little reserved.

That was a lesson he learned early on his life, that no matter how good something seems or how simple it seems there is many layers behind it and that to take it you must take it one bend at a time. To be cautious is how to survive, to use whatever he had at his disposal to protect himself, even if it seemed like the most simple of meetings.

He didn't want to make her feel like he wasn't excited to meet his sister, because that wasn't the case, he just wanted to make sure that he was still safe.

"Defending the defenseless is a core belief I have made for myself, I do not doubt the good work you have done here, but you still have a lot to go before anyone can feel safe. This is just the first drop in the stream to come, and it is a very good place to start. You and the rest of the people working are doing very good, this... used to be very broken down, and since you all have taken your hand and helped these people they have gotten something that has been lost here for a while.... hope."

Seeing the work they had done for the people of "his" small village and for the people in the city here was good to see, he was glad to see these people, these good people, be able to have hope of a brighter future where they didn't have to worry about their next meal or if they're homes would be loss as they slept, that was a good feeling to have.

He did feel bad that he was being so guarded towards her but he hoped that she would understand that it wasn't her fault.

As he looked at her he talked of Master Qae and a few memories popped into his head before he repressed them.

"It has been quite a while since I've heard that name, it was quite an honor to know Master Qae."

His voice trailed off a little as he continued to think before she started talking about eating.

"If you wish, I do prefer a more... quite life than a big bustling city. You lead the way, we can find a nice spot and eat a little bit, I don't know of too many spots around here though."

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

His skepticism and doubt was likely a good thing.

It meant that he wasn't going to turn over the Village to just about anyone, that he was willing to defend its interests. Not just that, but his own. In a Galaxy growing as dire as this one was, it wasn't wise to be naive or let your guard down without due cause. Not at all.

But she knew who he was, even if he doubted her. She had heard the stories, from the annuls of Je'daii time. Recent history told of Qae and the first settlers to Aurum, the old Enclave that they had hidden away in the Mountains, the work they had done as an Order. She had found the datacrons, and holocrons, in the Silent Temple on Teth, with no signs of her Brother or the Nautolan who had trained him.

Until more recently, when word had come from beyond the Jungle of the half-Aquar.

"We will continue to render all the aid necessary to bring this world back to life. There are blackened areas of land which remain scorched from the Vong bombardment, there are likely smaller settlements of people who require our help, outside of Azar and Levia. We will do all that we can, this I swear to you my Brother."

Picking up the basket with one hand, Jyn began to lead the way away from the City and into the Jungle beyond; a mile or so in a Sanctuary had been constructed by she and [member='Ar'ekk'] to house some creatures they had freed from Nar Shaddaa. They had been bred in captivity, and would no doubt die in the wild, so they had taken it upon themselves to give them a home. Just as they had done for the Togorians who lingered within the ruins this City had once been.

She could not help herself.

It was toward this conservation that she led him, it was vast, ridiculously so, each animal having been given enough space so that they did not even notice the non-invasive parameter which was set around them, and the correct plants and fauna had been slowly introduced into their relative zones so that they could hunt and survive naturally.

The fence they approached was tall, and strong, and just beyond - with a significant body of water for wallowing - a bergruufta roamed. He was one of the few animals that actively came up to the fence, at least when he sensed activity, he was a very personable creature and at the sight of them his colossal ears began to quiver with excitement.

They were sociable animals, she had discovered, typically they existed in large herds, and while she couldn't provide that for him she visited each day, sat with him for as long as she could without shirking on duties, and she had been looking for others of his kind born to similar captive circumstances with no luck so far.

Perhaps one day. For now she'd have to be enough.

"Good afternoon, Louie" she said, her tone fond as the creature neared the fence in anticipation of her arrival. She was not sure what Levia would make of it, so she handed him the basket incase he wished to eat here rather than inside.

"He's a big softy" she told him, glancing away from the bergruufta for a moment, "We rescued him from an animal smuggler on Nar Shaddaa... We had him checked over, and it was concluded that he wouldn't be able to survive if he was reintroduced to the wild." She frowned at that, and let out a small sigh, "So we brought him here. The Jungle is close enough to his natural habitat, and he seems to enjoy the leaves and berries which grow here."

[member="Levia Sol"]

 

[Sebas Stronoff]

He knew that he was being skeptical, but he was opening up.

He had been watching over the village for sometime now, when it was just a remnant of what it was and as people continued to flow back into the town as they got better. What had happened to this planet still plagued it but now people were trying to fix the problems that had happened here.

Remembering his past in the Jed'aii was hard for him, such a good period in his life, all seemed to slip away like an object down a flowing stream, his happiness was turned and for a long time his mind has been left to flow, and figure out what to do next. That led him here, and to many other planets in his journey to find himself.

Somehow she had managed to find him still.

"I know you will take care of all the necessities of this planet and leave it better than you found it, that is the way your stream has chosen to flow, twisting and turning as it might be, it still leads down a welcoming path, a path of righteousness and hope. You and those who work alongside you have your hearts and minds in the right place."

Fixing his bag on his shoulder he began to follow his sister into the depths of the jungle. Stretching his senses out to feel for any other sentient minds or any other presences that could be following or watching them. He felt safer with his sister now but he was still a wary individual, and wanted to make sure that they were safe, not just himself. Although they had been doing well in making it a safer place to stay the jungle still held some untold surprises, even if they didn't travel in very far.

He felt a plan inside her head though.

As she continued to lead him into the jungle he thought of some of the projects they had out here in the jungle, he had seem some of these in passing but hadn't paid much attention to them. He had known that they were introducing foreign environments into the planet for the foreign creatures they had brought to the planet.

They approached the fence finally realized what she was doing. She was going to show him one of the conservation that they had created, perhaps to see a beautiful rare creature or just one of her personal favorites. As he followed behind her he looked to see what exactly they were going to see, wondering what the creature was.

When it finally came into sight it was one to behold. A large bergruufta came into view and he just stared for a minute as he stood there as he watched his sister walk up to the fence and greet the large creature. He just stood back for a moment taking in the sight of the large creature, it was definitely unique.

He was definitely Unique.

"You named him Louie?" he said as he looked at her raising a brow slightly as he stood behind her after he finally decided to walk up behind her to get a little closer to the animal.

"I think he needs a nobler name or something grand, he's might be a big softy but his name must strike fear into those who wish to hurt him, because this thing can't be terrifying with the name Louie." He said to her as he stood behind her looking at the bergruufta. "Have you ever thought of bringing some more of his kind to him? Or perhaps clone some more so he could have a family or a group to roam with?" He asked looking down at her raising a brow slightly questioning her with his face.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Focus was swiftly turned from talks of the City and the Natives, and instead to the creature which lazied its way through the newfound sanctuary, happy to spread its legs after so long in a cage, yet also a little timid of all the space it had been given. Soon enough he would learn to roam freely, and Jyn made a point of going a little further along the boundary line each day to encourage him.

"Would you like to meet him up close? He's harmless right now, I promise."

Apparently her brother had not approved of the name she had settled on, but all his words did was make her grin, a very light chuckle escaping her lips. It was funny to her, the very thought that Louie could be in any danger here. Unless the planet was glassed, she doubted anyone would even know he was here, much less be able to get to him.

"The sanctuary is patrolled," she informed him, "there are drones, and cameras connected to holofeeds. Nobody would be able to get close enough with malintent to get at him, much less do him harm. Don't get me wrong, as much of a softy he is with me, if anyone tried anything... Well... His kind are known for being territorial in the eyes of a threat. They wouldn't last two seconds."

Stepping toward a small gate inset in the side, which required several codes and scans to get past, she looked back to Levia.

"Besides, he likes his name. He's already so receptive of it."

His question was, of course, something she had considered. Something she was actively seeking to remedy. But she wouldn't stoop to the level of the black market animal traders, she would not take them from their home, and so she gave him just a light shrug.

"I have sent my information to numerous wildlife rescue charities. If another of his kind is found in a state that means they cannot be sent back to their home? They will inform me, and maybe we'll find Louie a mate. In the meantime, I give him all the attention I can. They're herd animals, after all, though Louie hasn't ever been apart of a herd."

[member="Levia Sol"]

 

[Sebas Stronoff]

He knew that she probably didn't want to talk about all the work she had done, and all the complicated mess that had come in fixing the planet and start on a path of growth and renewal. He didn't mind speaking about the big creature that stood before the two of them, she seemed to be doing well here, and a very good person to Louie.

"If you think it'll be okay then sure I'd like to."

It wasn't that he disliked the name that she had chosen for the beast, it was just the fact that he thought it should be something with more dignity for such a creature as him should have. He knew that Louie was well protected but that really wasn't the core of his argument, it was more or less that he knew that this creature had lived a long and horror filled life.

"I don't doubt that you have this area patrolled and protected, for the sake of him and because of the pirates I don't doubt that you want this place protected. Also, I don't doubt that he could protect himself, I just feel that he deserves more than an area on this planet, a family. I understand that isn't possible but the boy has g0ne through much."

He followed her to the gate and stood behind her as she put in the codes.

"As far as you know you mean."

Looking over at her he gave a light chuckle as he said this before he stopped and thought about it. Louie had been through a lot in his life, more than most creatures ever have to endure, he wishes that life on nothing.

"You can give him all the attention in the world Jyn, but not until he has a family can he ever truly experience the life he was meant to live. He is a great majestic beast but he can not be so alone, he needs his herd, he needs his family. What your doing is kind and very honorable but it'll never be as good as it can be if he's all alone. Sadly, you'll not be here always to watch him, he has to have someone else to be here when you can't."

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Slowly but surely she opened the gate which led into the sanctuary, a series of codes and even a scan of her thumbprint required in order to do so. As it swung open, Louie let out a triumphant trumpet and began to make his way toward her. Stepping into the area, she sidestepped so that Levia could do the same and when he was inside the confines she closed the gate behind them. Then she settled the basket down and peered up at the lumbering creature.

"I brought you a friend, Louie, this is Levia, my brother,"

Surprisingly enough, when she said this the creature turned its beady gaze toward the newcomer and lifted his short trunk in greeting. That made Jyn beam, and she took a few steps toward him and rested her hand against his flank.

"As soon as another of his kind is found in similar circumstances, they will be brought here. Though... Honestly? I hope that no other has been put through what he has."

Reaching into her pocket, she produced what looked to be a bright red fruit, and immediately Louie took it up within the grasp of his stunted trunk and brought it to his mouth, happily munching on the juicy fruit.

"He is more happy now than he has ever been," she informed Levia, "Were we to bring him a full herd, he would be overwhelmed. He has never experienced life outside of captivity, and while this is technically one glorified cage it has given him much more freedom than he has ever known. There is enough land inside his enclosure to allow for all the exploration he needs to do each day, enough vegetation for him to devour. I know that he is happy, because I can sense as much. I'm an empath, and more so than that I garner a connection with animals such as he."

She smiled toward her brother, and Louie rested his trunk atop her right shoulder.

"It is true, I cannot give him all the attention he requires, but he's got more here than he did back on Nar Shaddaa. There's only so much progress which can be made at once, without me stooping to the level of the poachers who captured him at birth in the first place."

Perhaps he wouldn't understand, but that was fine, he didn't have to. As long as Louie was happy with his situation, that was all that mattered. The sanctuary was for him, and the others she had rescued, after all, not for her Brother or the other Je'daii.

"How goes the Village of Levia? Would you like me to send some builders your way?"

[member="Levia Sol"]