Private Come Hell or High Water

[Starlin Dinn]

Ahch-To​

Unknown Regions​

Krill Fishing Village​

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Sat upon the edge of a fishing dock that had seen better days, Starlin's feet lazed in the cool salty water that covered most of Ahch-To's surface. It had not been long since he had returned from Zaathru alongside a much more receptive and vocal PL-TO3, and a starship that was not blinking its way across the Galaxy. The change in the pilot droid had brought about a sense of sheer relief in the boy and with the figurative child lock removed Starlin had been free to make decisions on where his new ship, Riptide, headed. He had named it in the process, and was quite happy with his choice. It was fitting given the ships visuals, it was sleek and black and fast.​

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Water. That was all he had demanded of the droid,​

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Starlin Dinn needed time at water's edge.​

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He had not expected a world covered almost entirely by it, of course, but fortunately small villages had sprung up along the surface of Ahch-To's great oceans over the last few centuries to provide employment opportunities for those who lacked gills. There were also the volcanic islands, but the droid had enough sense to avoid those.​

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Great landing pads were apparently in high demand, too, how else would their precious resources be exported? Starlin might not have understood it, but Pluto had managed to see them to the starport all the same.​

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It was a relief to be out of the ship, to breathe something beyond recycled air and to feel the water lapping at his feet as opposed to raining over him in the refresher. Quiet save for the call of sea birds overhead and the occasional fishing barge that hovered just above the surface of the water.​

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With a long and drawn out exhale, Starlin lay back on the dock and set his hands behind his head. Overhead the sky was clear save for a small smattering of brilliant white clouds, and the sun was bright and warm. For a moment, just a moment, it almost felt as though he was home again. As though soon enough Uncle Theryn would be seeking him out to reapply sun cream or urge him inside for supper.​

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He wasn't, though that didn't feel as harrowing as it would have a few weeks prior. He knew the way home now, or... a way home, at least. He was here with Theryn's blessing, and that made it all the more freeing.​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Starlin Dinn

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Braze had developed a particular fondness for martinis of late, especially one of his own preferred variations: a filthy, in-and-out namana-tini made with spotchka. The sharp liquor had become an essential part of what he considered his signature cocktail, and finding a bottle of the right sort was not always as simple as walking into the nearest cantina.

Fortunately, liquor wasn't actually what had brought him here....

Braze had come looking to purchase what the local fishing trade might otherwise have little use for: krill shells, discarded exoskeletons, and whatever other remnants could be spared in quantity. Properly processed, those unremarkable heaps of shell could be turned into Krillium Silk, a remarkably useful biopolymer fiber… even if describing the process as making 'shrimp leather' robbed it of some of its dignity.

He intended to pay the local fishers fairly for whatever they had saved, offering credits or useful trade goods where preferred. There was little sense in letting perfectly serviceable material be thrown back into the sea when someone was willing to make use of it.

And, since he was already here… Braze saw absolutely no reason he couldn't take advantage of the opportunity to ask around after a few bottles of spotchka as well. Nothing excessive.... Just enough for a small private stash aboard his ship, tucked away for those occasions when a particularly filthy namana-tini seemed warranted.

Practical errands and personal indulgence could coexist perfectly well.... He disembarked from the little Skipray blastboat once it had settled into its berth, boots touching down upon weathered planks still damp with salt spray. The working docks seemed the sensible place to start this trade venture... If Braze wanted krill shells in any useful quantity, there was little point in bothering merchants farther inland when the fishermen themselves were hauling the creatures out of the sea by the netful.

A few questions and a little gesturing toward the buckets he'd brought along earned him directions toward one of the processing sheds farther down the waterfront, where discarded shells and other remnants were collected before disposal.

That route carried him along the quieter side of the dock yards, where Braze adjusted the empty containers beneath one arm as he went, taking in the briny air, accompanied by the soft sounds of creaking mooring lines. He hadn't expected to recognize anyone out here of all places, yet somewhere between fishing boats, sun-bleached pilings, and the glittering breadth of the sea, a familiar figure caught his attention....

"Good morrow t' ya~"

 

[Starlin Dinn]

He had been laying back, feet still in the water, when the greeting reached him.​

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Peeking open an eye which he shaded with his hand, Starlin looked up first in confusion, then surprise, and finally glee; a smile lit up his face, genuine and bright, as he slipped his other arm out from behind his head and used it to push himself up so he was almost sitting.​

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"Well, I'll be. Fancy seeing you out here." A pause, followed by a chuckle. "What are you doing here? Mister Jasper got you trailing me?"​

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Reaching up, Starlin made it seem as though he was looking for a hand to get to his feet... instead he tugged Braze down onto the dock alongside him.​

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Starlin was in a much more relaxed get-up this go around, utility trousers and long sleeve shirt replaced by pink and blue board shorts and a plain linen button-up that wasn't fully, well, buttoned up.​

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His feet were bare, of course.​

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Braze ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Starlin Dinn

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Braze had been bent down over the other, curiously looking him over as if to tell if he were, in fact, the same lad he'd met previously… The question itself caused Braze to burst out and bubble over with laughter… Jasper Kai'el wasn't the type to put trackers on Padawans. Maybe, in hindsight, he should have learned that lesson himself before trying to put trackers in his own student's boots.

He patted his ribs harshly to stave off the pain from laughing so hard, so suddenly at that curious question. "By the Light, no… Jasper could never keep track of me… I doubt he'd ever try to track down a student unless they were lost or kidnapped… He's far too respectful of others' privacy for that… I came here to score some nice shrimp booze and krill shells for some fine silk like materials I like to manufacture…"

He moved to sit down as he was beckoned next to the blonde, curiously looking out over the slow-lapping wake of the ocean.

"Care to earn some credits and help out?" Braze queried curiously. "I could use a pair of good legs and a strong back that aren't my own… but… I am curious now… why are you all the way out this way, hmmm?"

 

[Starlin Dinn]

With Braze now pulled down onto the dock, Starlin shifted to make room for him. He wasn't trying to crowd the man, but it was nice to see a familiar face.​

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"Were you always so small?" he smirked, clearly he had overlooked it back on Refuge with all of the excitement. It wasn't a mean statement, wasn't even really teasing, no he had a lopsided grin. "I bet you had an easy time hiding from him." Jasper was a tall guy in comparison after all. Tall compared to Braze.​

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Starlin was about equal height.​

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"Shrimp booze..?" He blinked, "and... wait you're looking for just the shells?" Silk made from shells was intriguing, Starlin could not deny, so when the offer to help came the lad shrugged and nodded in unison. "Sure, why not. But we're relaxing after, you and I, I came here to soak up the sun and enjoy the water."

Braze ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Starlin Dinn

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"Yeah… I didn't go to bed when I should have and stayed up through nap time at the Creche… Apparently training all the time and not sleeping stunts your growth… who would've figured that?" Braze said with a sheepish smile.

"Mnn… More often than not, trouble found me when I wasn't sneaking off…But! Between you and me…" Braze looked about as if checking to make sure they weren't being watched before he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Jasper's a softie~" he chirped in the low, playful tone. "I practically got away murder when I was younger."

He sat back and gazed up at the sky overhead, admiring the lazy clouds drifting by. "That sounds kinda nice, actually…" he mused at the idea of relaxation. "And yeah, they call it spotchka here… and yeah… We make some other special material to make it radiative cooling… so, like, in the sun you get cooler~" he explained. "Great for desert attire."

He stifled a yawn, moving a gloved hand over his mouth… then rolled backward and set his boots on the ground, seemingly getting to his feet in an oddly fast martial maneuver that was almost seamlessly performed.

"You didn't even ask how much I was gonna offer to pay you before agreeing~ "

 

[Starlin Dinn]

Starlin could not help but chuckle, looking almost endearingly at Braze as he spoke about naptimes and stunted growth.​

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"Oh, I can't imagine skipping nap time" he said, "I loved to nap as a young'un, but then my Uncles had hammocks everywhere so it was very easy to fall asleep." He flashed a bright smile that softened ever so slightly when Braze practically sing-songed to him about Jasper. He went so far as to lean in closer, to further their conspiracy. "Yeah?" he whispered, "Sounds like you were quite the rebel. What happened?" he smirked, playfully.​

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"Of course it does, it's relaxation, it's supposed to be nice." He nudged Braze then leaned back on his hands to tilt his head toward the sun once more. He was a desert boy, he enjoyed basking as much as he enjoyed bathing... and he loved soaking in water.​

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"I've only ever had a little bit of wine" the boy admitted, "And only ever with dinner. Uncle Darien was very clear about that."​

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Desert attire, now that piqued Starlin's interest. "You'll have to show me it some time" he declared. For now?​

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"Looks like you're still a nap-skipper" he said as Braze yawned. After the stunt he pulled getting up, Starlin whistled appreciatively. "And still training hard, too. Impressive."​

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He reached a hand up again, only this time he intended on being helped to his feet rather than pulling the other man down.​

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"I don't care" he said, "Be nice to just help out."

Braze ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Starlin Dinn

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The smile faded slightly when he asked what had happened. Kahlil Noble had been right to want the youth to grow up free from war and the oppression of the Sith. Braze had known from a young age that peace wouldn't last forever, and he'd trained diligently so others might have the time to rest and appreciate what peace they had while it lasted. More often than not, he'd made it his business to be the one out on the battlefield, or helping wherever he could.

"Eventually… you have to grow up and start taking care of others..." Braze said, his tone carrying something bittersweet beneath it. "I can make you a martini later, if you want to try one, but the fruit juice I use is kind of addictive… so maybe we should swap it for something else."

He trailed off, considering that for a moment.

"Wouldn't want to be accused of manufacturing alcoholic jedi now, would I?"

Braze shook his head and rested one hand atop the little hover cart he'd brought along.

"That's good, though… the galaxy needs more people like you. You're what they call a diamond in the rough, but that also makes you easy to exploit, so be wary." He offered a coy sort of smirk. "There’s an old saying: if you keep feeding every stray tooka you meet, eventually one of them learns where you keep the fish."

 

[Starlin Dinn]

"Hey," he said, voice oh so gentle. He noticed right away the shift in Braze's expression, and he reached out a hand to touch his arm. "It's okay, I was just joking... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."​

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Grow up. Yeah, Starlin understood that. He'd been taken from a land of relative peace and spat out into the greater Galaxy, he had not been prepared well for conflict or hardship but he was doing his best to keep afloat all the same. In his own way he had been forced to grow up faster than he would have liked, though he was grateful for the time he'd spent without worry.​

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"Oh, erm, sure, is there a way to make it citrusy? I like citrus flavours." He smiled, unsure about the notion of trying something more than wine but open to new experiences anyway.​

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"Do I even count as a Jedi?" he smirked, perking a brow.​

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Up on his feet, Starlin tilted his head to the left. "What's a tooka?" he asked, "Are there any here? I bet there's sooo much fish, they'd love it here."​

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He did not wish to be exploited, but nor would he take advantage of a friend either. If Braze would count them as such, of course. Either way the man wasn't a stranger and Starlin was raised to be helpful and kind.​

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Braze ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Starlin Dinn

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Braze shook his head gently, resuming his austure mask with a smile. "It's alright. Today's a fun day... We can try some orange juice, or lemons perhaps..." he chirped lightly as he patted the hover cart and its containers. "Feel free to hop on," he encouraged. "I'd like to get some fresh krill to take onboard the Mud Duck. I brought the Skipray out today since it's a lot smaller.... This is more of a... krill run than a milk run..." he mused playfully.

"Well... I told my Padawans, Leos and Dirk , there are three things they need to do to 'count' as official Jedi learners." Braze chirped with a coy little smirk as he tugged on the hover cart's handle. "The first is to recite the Jedi Code without stumbling. Second is to build a lightsaber that is truly your own. Then finally... pass a Trial of Spirit and prove that all of your dedication is more than words." Braze explained, glancing back toward the blonde. "Can you do all of that~?" he asked with a coy, cattish grin.

"A tooka... is like a small cat. There's tons of them on Lothal. I'm not sure if there are any tookas here... there might be. There's tons of small, fluffy kitties where I intend to haul all this krill back to... a whole slew of them there." He explained as he wheeled the cart up to one of the merchants, pausing to negotiate a deal and haggle over the price with surprising fervor. Once an agreement had been struck, Braze paid the krill monger, then tossed a bucket toward the young blonde so they could help select some of the better krill to take aboard.

They would still need to venture toward one of the little restaurants along the seaside to collect some discarded shells. Braze had a good arrangement with one of the locals, who saved what otherwise would have been tossed away as chum or trash for the peculiar material he intended to have made from it all...

 

[Starlin Dinn]

"You sure?" he said, his voice softening. He wouldn't keep prying after this, of course. "If something's on your mind, you can offload onto me. I can't promise I'll understand a lick of it, but... Sometimes it helps to share, yeah?"

A fun day, he did like the sound of that. "My uncle grows both, I like lemons and oranges but I've never had your martini-thing so I've no idea which works best." He hopped up onto the cart, sitting cross-legged and facing Braze. "Mud Duck... I like that name. That's what, your ship?"​

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Starlin grinned then. "Well I'm sure Krill can run, but milk's not going anywhere unless it's still attached to the -- you know what, nevermind." His cheeks burned and he dipped his eyes coyly.​

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As the trio of objectives were listed off, Starlin felt a small trickle of worry entering his gut. "What's the uh, Jedi Code?" Jasper Kai'el had already mentioned the need to make his own lightsaber, so that was well in hand, and he was fairly certain the Trial had been mentioned too.​

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"I can give it my best shot" he said with a gentle shrug of his shoulders. "You guys'll get my all, and if I still fail then I guess it wasn't meant to be. I'll just go back to playing with water I suppose." He smiled, and to emphasize his point he reached out a hand and watched as briny water flowed up from the ocean below to his palm where it swirled continuously. "Maybe I can join a circus" he smirked.​

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In reality, he'd probably return home to Mercuitie and help the natives there.​

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"Tooka. Too-kaa... Well, they sure do sound cute." As he set about looking through the bucket of krill, Starlin hummed a little song under his breath. Nothing Braze would recognize, it was Zaathri. "Maybe those lil kitties you mentioned would like some of these rejects?" he said, before looking up to flash Braze a smile. "Is larger better with these? I've never had'em before."​

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He knew enough to get rid of the bad ones though.​

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Braze ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Starlin Dinn

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Braze perked up at that and smiled at the blonde. "That's alright, we'll save that for another day." He mused aloud, preferring to focus on the nice time they were already having rather than drag down teh mood with all the worries Braze shouldered.

"Was your uncle a farmer?" Braze asked curiously. He smiled and nodded. "Yes~ The Mud Duck is a biiiig freighter... think like six to nine-ish warehouses' worth of cargo space." He offered lightly. "I can show you around the ship if you like... I'm certain there's a holocron or two you could make good use of." He added, thinking it over, seemingly happy enough to converse as he went about his errands.

He stifled a chuckle at the flustered response, but decidedly didn't tease the blonde about the comment, letting it go.

"You can give it your all and still fail... even on missions where it really counts to get everything right. What's important is knowing that you did the best you could with what you had at the time... and trying not to get bogged down by whatever guilt comes afterward." Braze's voice softened. "It's easier said than done, really... and if you do fail, you need to learn to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and either try again or find another approach."

He wasn't entirely certain whether the unsolicited advice was welcome, but offered it all the same.

"Circus work is tough... if you want, I can teach you to tightrope walk, if you're interested in picking up another skill."

Braze worked on loading the krill into buckets, securing them before switching on aeration devices to ensure they stayed healthy throughout the trip. Little prous stone rocks emminated bubbles once dropped into the buckets. Once they had finished there, he made his way toward another vendor where he could purchase the glowing blue drink, selecting several large glass jars of it.

"I think, in general, the smaller krill are sweeter and more tender if you want to eat them raw... but I prefer putting them in rice bowls with fruit and other ingredients." He offered softly.

"And it's okay if you don't know everything right away... you'll learn in time."

His attention lingered on the task before him while he gathered his thoughts.

"The Jedi Order is a spiritual knighthood, sworn to the service of Balance, guided by Compassion, and rooted in Discipline... A Jedi is a vessel through which the Force may act, and the Order, at its purest, is a sanctuary where wisdom is cultivated, humility is honored, and service is sacred."

His expression tightened briefly as he considered what else to offer the young man.

"The New Jedi Order fell because it mistook inaction for Balance," he said softly.

"They preached harmony, yet turned their eyes from the festering wound of the dark side. In their fear of repeating the wars of the past, they allowed shadows to gather unchecked until they grew strong enough to swallow the Light they claimed to guard... and now there are others making those same mistakes of inaction."

Braze drew a quiet breath, trying to recall everything he had once attempted to impart upon young Leos .

"A Jedi must face the darkness... not embrace it, nor become it, but stand against it. To be a beacon of Light, and where darkness threatens others, vanquish it."

He paused, his gaze lowering for a moment.

"The Jedi Code is a set of guidelines for Jedi Knights, emphasizing emotional control and an understanding of the Force. The mantra goes like this:

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force."

Braze let the words settle briefly before continuing and offeirng soem clarity he found woudl help.

"But it isn't about suppressing emotion. It's about understanding that emotions pass through us, and learning not to surrender control of ourselves to them....

'Emotion, yet peace.'

We all feel anger, fear, joy, and love, but we seek peace within those emotions, not their absence.

'Ignorance, yet knowledge.'

We all begin in ignorance. What matters is that we continue seeking knowledge.

'Passion, yet serenity.'

Passion gives us strength, but serenity teaches us how to direct it.

'Chaos, yet harmony.'

The galaxy is chaotic, but the Force binds life together. Harmony doesn't mean chaos ceases to exist... it means learning to find your place within it."

Then, more quietly and revrantly he added...

"'Death, yet the Force.'

Death is not the end. Through the Force, something of us continues."

 

[Starlin Dinn]

Having already mentally resigned himself to let the matter go if there was any further pushback, Starlin nodded gently. "Okay" he chirped, offering an easy smile, "Another day, then." He watched Braze for a few moments longer, with just the slightest hint of concern, before flowing to the next thought. He hoped it was clear that the door was wide open, however, should the other man wish him to lend an ear.​

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"Uncle Theryn? No," he chuckled, eyes filled with mirth, "He's actually a King, though I only found that out recently myself. No, he can use the, uh, the Force... to grow things. From virtually nothing. He has plants growing out of sand like it's the easiest thing imaginable, and he's always gifting Uncle Darien pretty flowers and fruits." He was gushing, and he didn't care. He loved his Uncles dearly, and their love had been a very good model for him to live by.​

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"It'd be nice to see another ship, but only if you're willing - and only after we've had our relaxing evening post-Krill work." He would not lose his entire day to work, after all, nor did he want to see Braze doing the same. He did, however, scratch at his chin. "What's a holocron again?" Frankly Starlin wasn't even sure he'd ever heard that word uttered before now.​

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As for getting back up again, Starlin tilted his head the other way; at this point he looked every bit the curious kath hound whose head flopped this way and that to try and make sense of words. "If I fail the Trial it's not the end of my journey here?" he asked. "I'm able to try again?"​

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A tiny smirk replaced the brief trepidation he was experiencing. "You're a tightrope walker now?" he asked, "I always loved the aerial acrobatics, clowns freak me out but the silk climbers and acrobats?" His eyes lit up. "I wish I could move like they could, like they're dancing in the air."​

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Rather than trying to sort the large from the small, Starlin went on to focus more on simply getting the bad ones out of the bunch. Thankfully they were few and far between, but not entirely negligible. "Do you think the kitties can still have these, or should I toss'em to the ocean?" Circle of life and all that, something in the water was a bottom feeder willing to eat less-than-palatable meat.​

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What came next was a rather dense deep dive into the Jedi Order. It was more than just the code itself that Braze offered up, he gave context and detail and immersed Starlin into the core tenets and philosophy without treating him like an ignorant child.​

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The problem was, well, Starlin may as well have been in many ways, for all that he understood of this Galaxy of theirs. Still the words themselves were not unknowns, even the Force was more familiar on his tongue at this point, so he made sense of it via context clues and sheer strength of will, and by the end he was ever so slightly nodding along.​

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"Emotion, yet peace," he was mumbling under his breath, "Ignorance, yet knowledge..." So it was the shorter variant of the mantra, but it was something and it would get those critical words flaring in his mind. He didn't cease his quiet muttering until he had uttered "Death, yet the Force" at which point he lifted a hand to rub his forehead.​

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"So it is spiritual?" he went on to add, "The Jedi, the Force, there's religious elements?"​

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Braze ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Starlin Dinn

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The small Echani offered a soft nod at that, having listened to all that Starlin had to say.

"Sounds like a wonderful life," he mused after hearing the young man talk about his family. "A holocron is simply a means for a Force-sensitive to store their knowledge… Usually, they need the Force to be activated. I have a special one I made where I tried my best to catalogue my knowledge on building sabers."

"For the most part, yeah, you can always try again… Yes, actually. I rather enjoy aerial ballet, and I personally practice an intensive training regimen with balance and contortion built into it." He seemed to perk up at that, almost as if he were waxing poetic about the activity in the back of his mind. Braze rather enjoyed the moving meditation it allowed him, and found the art itself beautiful to watch. "I practice Faalo's Cadences on a tightrope or slackline to keep myself sharp."

Braze explained this as he worked to finish up the task at hand.

"I wouldn't mind showing you the ropes if you're interested in learning… Calisthenics is a surprisingly great way of working out and keeping fit. It'll give you incredible core strength."

He offered a genuine smile at the question about feeding the kitties.

"We can give them some of the live ones… I don't think those ones will last the trip. These are setting 'sail' for the edge of the galaxy," Braze offered softly. "There are tons of fishing villages on Veridia, and I keep a few farms out by the Aerie…"

The snowy-haired Echani nodded lightly in reply.

"Yes… I would think it's very spiritual, in a way."

He made his way toward one of the places that cooked and served krill, conducting his business for the saved shells. Thankfully, they had already been bagged, making them easy enough to add to the hover cart.

"Do you think someone can have a destiny without being obligated to fulfill it?" he asked curiously.

"I like teaching philosophy classes for other Jedi to exercise their noodles on the broader perspective of things… It's a good exercise to practice." There was something fond in his manner as his thoughts drifted toward Casaana . "Although I fear it frustrates a lot of students when I pose the inevitable damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situations…"

 

[Starlin Dinn]

"Oh, it is" the boy hastened to say, a small but sincere smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "Or, it was... before everything turned on its head. But they're still there, and they're amazing, and supportive, and... I owe everything to them, really."​

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With the holocron explained, and reassurances made insofar as failing was concerned, focus soon turned to aerial acrobatics, or in Braze's case ballet.​

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"Wait, you weren't joking?" he whispered, in awe. "You... You're really an aerial gymnast?" His heart skipped an excitable beat, and he dipped his gaze to keep the heat from rising in his cheeks. "I mean, I would love to learn" he agreed, "I can work hard, I promise. I won't waste your time."​

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He had no clue what the Cadences were, but maybe in time Braze could explain that too. Starlin worried he was asking too many questions, so he held off for now.​

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"Oh, I misunderstood.. I thought you meant there were kitties here, not where you're headed. Well, I hope you'll let them know I tried to give them more" he smiled. "Hopefully they're happy little kitties."​

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He didn't have much time to think on the spirituality aspect before Braze was turning the questions on him.​

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"I think they technically can" he said, "But they're going to fulfil it in the end, whether they intend to or not. That's simply the way of destiny, isn't it? They can't really be obligated because it simply... is. And for all we know, the way it becomes their destiny is through perceived inaction. There's as much power in what you choose not to do as there is in what you end up doing."​

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The boy frowned.​

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"If that makes sense..?" His cheeks were pink.​

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He liked these sorts of philosophical conversations, he heard his Uncles debate them a lot and as he had grown into himself Starlin had occasionally joined in. He couldn't hold a candle to Darien or Theryn, but he tried.​

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Braze ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Starlin Dinn

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Braze seemed genuinely interested as he listened to the young blond. The insistence that he would work hard and not waste Braze's time earned an almost incredulous smile.

"I offered, didn't I~?" Braze asked lightly. "You don't have to convince me that you're worth teaching."

He shifted a little, settling more comfortably as he started back towards the Skipray.

"Flexibility and acrobatics, along with wind manipulation paired with pyrokinesis, are a few of my specialties. Echani fire dancing is also a fun activity… so if you're genuinely interested, I don't mind showing you what I know and helping you learn how to do something you want to learn... "

His expression turned thoughtful as he walked deciding to once again share too much information on his perception of the world around him.

"It's okay if you aren't immediately good at something, either. Spend ten thousand hours practicing and, sooner or later, you'll probably become good at it. People with talent just tend to find adapting a little easier... Not everyone finds peace in working out all the flaws... What's important to remember is to not let perfection be the down fall of 'good'. "

Braze glanced aside with a wry little grin sharing even more useless knowledge of his world perceptions.

"I'm plagued with the curse of obsession. I can find an interest in something and delve into sheer depths of study with a hunger that knows no bounds until I've clawed my way toward some form of competency. It's almost as though failing fuels me to continue until I've reached whatever the next successful step happens to be."

A faint frown graced his lips briefly as he considered what else to add.

"It's… somewhat an all-consuming mind set.... I can't seem to unburden myself of it.... Like some how there's always a little voice nagging me that I could have or should have done more... The opposing side is that if something doesn't interest me, I have trouble actively focusing on it or paying attention. So I've taken to pairing several smaller things together and working on them simultaneously. Then I can pop back and forth between subjects whenever one stops holding my attention."

Starlin's answer concerning destiny, however, seemed to catch Braze's attention differently as it shifted again. His attention settled more firmly upon him, pale jade green eyes narrowing by the slightest measure in consideration before a smirk started to etch it's way back on to his pale features.

"No… what you said makes sense," he assured. "Although I think you've just made the question more troublesome~"

Braze practically purred before asking him a follow up question.

"If destiny accounts for every choice you make, even refusing to follow it, then does destiny actually mean anything?"

He allowed that to settle for a moment before adding another thought.

"And what happens when you know? Like... If you know what you're meant to do, and still choose otherwise… does that knowledge create an obligation that destiny itself didn't?"

There was a touch of amusement in his expression again.

"Careful~ Keep answering questions like that and I'm going to start giving you homework to pontificate on~"

They had reached the Skipray and Braze moved to start loading the precious krill cargo aboard. " I can also send to some holovids of the kitties enjoying krill snacks if you like. " He added softly as a kind gesture for the thought.

 

[Starlin Dinn]

"Well, I mean, yes, you did offer, but still..." He lifted his gaze just enough to catch sight of those beautiful emerald eyes then hastily looked away again.​

​

"All I've got's water" he said, "Though that's enough for me, even if I never learned how to do anything else with the, uh, the Force." He loved the way it felt, to conduct water through the air like it was weightless. In its own way, it was dancing when Starlin took control. "Yes, Sir, I really am interested. I think it would be wonderful to learn how to have more control over my body. I danced a little when I was younger, my Uncles got me instructors and everything, but I wasn't very good at the performance aspect."​

​

His ears burned with embarrassment as he recollected the recitals.​

​

"I've never been very good with being around people I don't know, or crowds."​

​

He listened intently as Braze spoke on his flaws, slowly nodding his head in understanding particularly when executive dysfunction was brought up. "I understand" he said, "It can be hard to find motivation to do things we're less than enthused about. Looks to me like you do it anyway, though, so you should be proud."​

​

Starlin chewed on his lower lip as Braze smirked and purred his response, he felt a strange twisting in his gut that wasn't unpleasant but was certainly different, and it left him just a little bit breathless.​

​

"I mean, destiny means only as much as we claim it does" he replied, keeping his eyes down to avoid looking at Braze. He was finding the white-haired man rather distracting. "If destiny is real then it means we don't really have a say in the choices we make... that means free will's just an illusion, and doing it or not doing it isn't even our choice. So the rest is sort of.. moot?"​

​

Homework, Starlin mock-groaned and shook his head. "Oh no, that would mean having to see you again" he lamented dramatically, before smirking. "Whatever will I do?"​

​

Then he looked up, brows furrowed in confusion.​

​

"Holo-whats? Is that like the Cron you mentioned earlier..?"​

​

Starlin had not been raised with technology.​

​

Braze ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Starlin Dinn

​

"Oh…? Perhaps you might be so kind as to share a dance with me one day, then… I'd love to see those skills up close." He said it playfully, not at all dissuaded by them potentially being 'not very good.'

"Well, I think it matters in the moment… Destiny be damned, I say. I'm not going to sit idle whilst others suffer if I can make a difference." He mused as he continued his work, loading the krill. An odd IG-88 unit ( Credit Wizard ) was aboard the ship, seemingly attempting to mix some sort of food-like thing in a few bowls…

Braze hefted one of the buckets up and strapped it in place along a wall.

"Being wary of strangers is a good thing… it'll keep you alive. Don't be like me and be too trusting of others… that gets me in trouble allll the time. And as far as crowds go… oftentimes, it's better to be looked over than overlooked."

He offered the advice with a coy little glance as he went about situating his living and not-so-living cargo.

"Yes… having to see ~me~ again… what a travesty. Well, sort of… You can put a holovid into a holocron. It's like visually capturing an image of an event in perfect detail…"

Braze was starting to pick up on the fact that the handsome blond young man might not understand all the familiar technology Braze took for granted. Dirk had a lot to learn when Braze found him, after all.

"Question… have you ever seen a mirror?" he asked curiously.

He finished his work and moved to put the cart away before hopping down to the docks and engaging the ship's doors, sealing them shut.

He offered him a wry sort of cattish grin as if he knew something taht the blonde did not. " As for hoemwork... I want you to ask five people what 'a good person' is. You are not allowed to argue with any of them.... Write down their awnsers and came bring them back~"

 

[Starlin Dinn]

Starlin choked on air at the suggestion, his brilliant blue eyes widening considerably.​

​

"Me? Dance?" he gasped, "Oh you don't want to see that" he hastened to add, "I could do it in private but never when watched..." His cheeks burned as he fully took in what Braze had said though. "Wait... w-with you? Together?" That heat traveled down his spine, and he found himself nodding in spite of everything else he had just said. "O-Okay..."​

​

His heart thumped as Braze spoke more on destiny. "I'd never stand still while someone suffered either" he stated, before he dipped his eyes. "Even if it did get me in trouble with Mister Jasper." His mind wandered back to the Refuge incident, ears burning as he was reminded of the way in which he had defied Jasper Kai'el 's few instructions. "I really did think it was a child" he mumbled. "And either way? I don't regret it."​

​

With holovids sort of explained, but not really, Starlin rubbed the back of his neck. "Like a painting?" he asked, before the question came. That had Starlin laughing softly. "Yes, I know what a mirror is" he assured the other man. "Are you saying I look poorly put together?" A soft pout formed, playful and filled with mock-upset.​

​

He rested his chin on his palm, elbow on his knee, and leaned forward slightly, watching as Braze set the krill buckets into place... Watching the man far more than the buckets, of course.​

​

"Bold of you to assume I know five people, Mister..."

Braze ​

 

[Braze]

Starlin Dinn

“No, not at all. You look quite fetching… though I would be a hypocrite if I told you that a brush might help tame those golden locks.”

“A holo vid... is like looking into a mirror, only you don’t have to remain in front of it. You can watch the same actions over and over again each time you replay it. It shows you a moment in time, perfectly preserved… whatever happened in front of the camera.”

Braze tried to explain as he withdrew what initially appeared to be a large, round compact mirror meant for applying makeup. He opened it to reveal that it did, in fact, contain a mirror; however, the device seemed to be concealing something else. He pressed along its edge, and another compartment sprang open, revealing several tiny buttons hidden beneath.

In truth, it was a highly advanced communications device, complete with a screen and enough functions to place it somewhere between a computer, a comlink, and a datapad. Braze accessed one of its files and projected a holographic recording taken during one of his projects. Blue light gathered above the open compact, depicting Braze performing a small feat of strength as he preformed a hand stand pushup and moving to one hand.

“This is like a holovid, only much shorter,” he explained as he offered the delicate device to Starlin for a closer look.