Private Daybreak on Dorin

[Ko Vuto]

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Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze | Valor the Forsaken

“You need to let the tea settle and soak into the water at its own pace.” Xojo replied, he didn’t really reply to the boy’s second question however as they all got ready to eat. As the four of them sat down at the table Valor and Braze would see what their food was. For the most part it looked like some sort of meat, an eggy looking substance and likely some sort of vegetable. Ko eagerly began to chow down since eating proper food without an antiox mask in the way was pretty uncommon for him. He would probably need to hold back from eating his meal too quickly.

As Valor asked his question Xojo glanced over at them. “Well of course. Did your master not explain to you who I am, or was. I’m the former senior combat instructor of the Baran Do Sages. I was the most deadly person on this entire, and probably still am.” Ko’s uncle explained to the echani teen. “So yes, I am plenty well versed as you say.” Even though he has seemingly fallen pretty far from grace, Xojo tone suggested his was still pretty confident in his abilities even after years of disuse.

“Hmm, and you? You two are eh… Echani, right? Are you good fighters. I know those who seek out training in Echani martial arts mean business. Like Teras Kasi practitioners.” Perhaps the boys and the elder had something in common that they could bond over. A general appreciation and knowledge of martial arts and fighting.​

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[Braze]

Ko Vuto



Braze perked up, his enthusiasm evident. "I'm a martial artist," he declared with pride. "I study many schools, including Teräs Käsi." A grin spread across his face. "I even got a renowned bounty hunter to train me—a true master of the craft."

"That sounds like something to be proud of," Valor replied, his curiosity piqued. "But tell me, is this the retirement you envisioned?"

As Valor spoke, he watched Ko devour his meal with great enthusiasm, while Braze seemed to eat at a normal pace. In contrast, Valor picked at his food slowly, his interest in the meal noticeably lacking.

 

[Ko Vuto]

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Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze | Valor the Forsaken

Ko took note of Braze’s sudden surge of enthusiasm. ‘Smirking’ some to himself. Thinking that perhaps martial arts would be a good way for the boys to develop some sort of friendship or mutual respect with his uncle. “A bounty hunter teras kasi master? I guess that isn’t all that hard to believe. Some famous mercenaries have committed themselves to arts like that to get an edge in their professions.” Xojo said back before turning his attention over to Valor over their question.

“Eh more or less. It’s not like I had any high expectations after distancing myself from the Baran Do.” Xojo replied, listening to it Ko paused for a moment and considered his Uncle’s words. There was a brief moment of mournfulness between nephew and uncle before Ko continued to eat.

“Well I hope you two are excited about training with my Uncle. I know we’re here to pay a visit to a slag summit but I can kill two birds with one stone as the saying goes.” Ko added.

“Who the hell says that? That’s awful…” Xojo replied, not understanding the popular Basic saying. Causing Ko to let out a sigh before turning his attention to Valor.

“I figured the hike here would’ve built up more of an appetite. I hope you’re not looking to train here on an empty stomach.” Ko said. “Rest and meals are just as important as the workouts themselves, you know.” ​

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[Valor the Forsaken]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Valor sighed, rolling his eyes and casting a sidelong glance at Ko. His expression was a mixture of frustration and mild irritation as he leaned over, waving a hand dramatically in front of Ko's face. "Great, do you want mine? You certainly seem hungry." There was an edge to his voice, a subtle undercurrent of sarcasm.

He sat back in his seat, nearly huffing in exasperation. Valor's words lingered in the air for a moment before he continued, his voice quieter but laced with bitterness. "Maybe I don't want to train," he muttered, trailing off as his eyes shifted to Xojo, then to Braze. A moment of comparison flickered in his mind, stoking the fire of his discontent. "I'm not some overachiever try-hard," he added with a half-hearted mewl, his fork aimlessly pushing food around his plate.

It was clear he wasn't interested in eating, much less in the conversation. His food remained largely untouched, merely a distraction as his thoughts churned elsewhere. A part of him wrestled with the expectations placed on him, not just by Ko but by the unspoken comparison to those around him.

 

[Ko Vuto]

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Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze | Valor the Forsaken

Ko instinctively flinched a bit when Valor suddenly started to wave their hand around in front of him. His shoulders sagging some over the sarcastic comment. Taking in what his padawan said. But he didn’t really say anything. So Xojo chimed in with a sigh of his own. “I think you’re master’s just eager. It’s not often my nephew gets to chew his own food, let alone eat something familiar.” He explained on Ko’s behalf.

The two both reminded Xojo of Ko in certain ways. When the Kel Dor jedi was young they were very eager to prove themselves. Not wanting to live in the shadow of their more accomplished older brother. Xojo wasn’t enough in the know to understand the drama between the two pale boys.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to train. I just wanted to offer the two of you a bit of time away from what was familiar. To experience something new and foreign. Like I said before, we can accomplish multiple things during our time here.” Ko explained to them. After a moment added. “But Valor try not to play with your food too much. If not for your stomach, then for your lungs as well? Can’t take your breath for granted here.” Ko explained, reminding the boy that they had limited time to spend without their masks on. ​

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[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

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Braze frowned and kicked Valor in the shin under the table when he saw Ko flinch away from him. Valor squeaked, pulling back from the table as he shot a glare at Braze.

"Quit being a jerk," Braze huffed at Valor, his frustration clear.

Valor took a deep breath, sighing slowly to steady himself. After a moment, he turned his attention to Ko. "Nothing feels familiar," he said simply. The statement was as much about Ko as it was about his own life—everything felt different now, nothing like what he'd known growing up. He often found himself withdrawn, observing the world from a distance, unsure how to connect with the changes around him.

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[Ko Vuto]

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Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Braze | Valor the Forsaken

Seeing the two pale boys seem to argue a tiny bit and be frustrated with one another Xojo couldn’t hold back and let out a rather hearty laugh. He didn’t seem to like it when they were annoying to him. But if they were annoying to each other he found it within himself to be amused by it. “Huh, maybe having you two around won’t be such a terrible thing. Perhaps I do miss having little hellions around. If only to be entertaining.”

Xojo then glanced over at Valor. Recognizing a seeming restlessness in the teen. “Well I can see that you’re a young man of action. Why don’t we get to put that energy to something better than whining.” The old man said to the teen. Partly because he wanted to do something he suspected would be more “familiar” for Valor. Also to get back at the little brat for turning down his food as a host.

“And you can come along too if you want, little one.” He added, his white eyes looking over to Braze. “Just meet me out in the courtyard and be sure to wear your masks.” With that Xojo looked over at Ko who’d almost devoured his entire meal and scooted his half eaten plate over to his nephew to enjoy before stepping out of the kitchen to go to the courtyard. ​

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[Valor the Forsaken]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Valor perked up at Xojo's suggestion, raising his brows with a hint of curiosity. "Better?" he asked, considering the offer before nodding. "Alright." He set his plate aside, gently sliding it over to Ko.

Braze, however, shook his head with a small smile. "I think I'll stay here with Ko. We can go over our plans," he said softly. "Thank you, though."

With a final glance back at the table, Valor rose, straightened his attire, and smoothed out his collar. He reached up, pulling his hair back and tying it neatly out of the way before stepping outside. Once he joined Xojo in the courtyard, he tilted his head with a mix of intrigue and skepticism. "So, what exactly did you have in mind that's supposed to be so much better?"

 

[Ko Vuto]

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Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Valor the Forsaken

“Exercise…” Xojo replied plainly answering Valor’s question now that they are out in the courtyard. “And you got your mask on. Good. Warm yourself up some, or do some stretching and let me ask you. After that put yourself into a solid horse stance.” The old Kel Dor said to Valor before turning towards him

Held within his clawed hands was a small tea cup of the brew that Braze had made for them earlier. Bringing it to his alien mouth Xojo took a sip of it. “Hmmmm…” He hummed to himself as he tasted the warm drink as though he was trying to mentally discern and diagnose its quality.

“Now I must ask you, are you familiar with the ability commonly known as breath control?” Xojo didn’t think that his nephew may have gotten to teach the teen. But he figured he would at least ask and not assume.​

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[Valor the Forsaken]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Valor nodded lightly and moved to stretch, beginning with a few slow rotations of his arms, bends at his hips, and twists of his back. He shifted into low lunges to the left and right, then reached down into a pike stretch. Rolling his neck and shoulders, he stretched his arms, lacing his fingers together to press the tension away.

Drawing in a deep breath, he let it out in a quiet sigh. He cracked his knuckles, pulled up his pant legs at the knees, and then stepped into a horse stance, pressing his hands into a low chamber. His back was straight, feet pointed outward, gaze fixed forward.

"I do, yes," Valor replied simply. "What of it?" he asked.

 

[Ko Vuto]

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Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Valor the Forsaken

Xojo visually reviewed the teen’s posture before taking a few steps closer. Hearing Valor’s answer, Xojo would talk back. “Good, that means we can skip the actual exercise. Now, take in a deep breath and hold it just as you would with breath control.” The Kel Dor said as he began to step around Valor. “The mask over your face will make it easy to tell if you try to sneak any breaths in too…”

Silently scrutinizing the echani teen’s stance. Once more he brought the small tea cup to his maw and drank the brew that Braze had prepared. Discerning in it too what could be improved on as well. He didn’t mind that the younger boy had chosen to stay inside. Xojo knew that while here, insight for the boy would not come from him or Ko, but rather Dorin herself in due time.​

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[Valor the Forsaken]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Valor did as instructed, drawing in a deep breath, feeling the weight of it fill his lungs. He held it there, eyes closed, using the darkness to shut out the distractions around him. His brows knitted tightly as he fought the instinct to bend the Force to his will, to seize and mold it through sheer intent. Gentle request was foreign to him, a concept frayed at the edges by years of control.

Still, focus came naturally, and discipline—rigid, unbreakable—allowed him to maintain this unfamiliar approach. He steadied himself, forcing his mind to relent, coaxing the Force to come to him without demand, like a mountain unmoving in the wind.

 

[Ko Vuto]

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Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Valor the Forsaken

After closely scrutinizing Valor’s stance and lack of breathing Xojo continued to pace around the teen. “Nice… Do not allow yourself to take the ability to breath for granted and push through the lack of life sustaining air. Focus on the discomfort and push yourself past it. Recognize it for what it is. A distraction, a cry for your body to take a path of less resistance.”

Xojo continued to explain. Both to add a bit of context to the exercise and also to be a verbal distraction himself. “Make your body make full use of the oxygen you have given it in your last breath. Do not spoil your lungs, don’t listen to its demands. You control your actions, not your lungs.” Normally too this is when the elder Kel Dor would then urge the echani teen to begin drinking booze to further compound the difficulty of the exercise. But Xojo had enough sense to know that Ko would not be happy with his uncle giving his pupil booze.

All the while brief breezes of the wind rushing against the mountain side blew old wind chimes that hung in the courtyard. Adding unpredictable tones that pierced through the air. Along with the idle fluttering of old prayer flags.​

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[Braze]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

Valor held his breath, stretching each second past four minutes, then five. His lungs burned, the edges of his vision pricking with shadows, but he let the discomfort linger just a moment longer before finally exhaling. He drew in a sharp, deliberate breath, feeling the rush of oxygen pulse through him, a quiet reminder of control reclaimed.

Tilting his head, Valor cricked his neck, his eyes rolling as a faint flicker of impatience shadowed his face. "And what's the point of all this?" he asked. Yet, despite the ache radiating through his muscles, he held his stance, unyielding. He wasn't so green as to abandon form under pressure.

 

[Ko Vuto]

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Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Valor the Forsaken

“The point?” Xojo repeated to Valor. “The point is control and mindfulness. Mindful of the situation, and your body as well as its needs. Also simply to make a straightforward exercise more difficult. You don’t need fancy equipment and gyms to get a good workout. A few minor adjustments can make a big change, such as limiting your breathing. Turning your energy stagnant and forcing your body to make the most of what it has.”

All the while Xojo spoke the windchimes continued their unpredictable tunes. His expression towards Valor changed some as he saw the teen continue the stance. But their alien features would make it difficult to read the old Kel Dor even as he nodded approvingly. “You never know when air may become the most precious resource. Never allow yourself to take it for granted. Don’t waste it on things like winning or saying things you may come to regret. Cherish your breathing and what it is you can breathe. Not everyone in the galaxy is as privileged as you.”

After a brief pause Xojo chuckled softly to himself. “Plus, if I wear you out enough, maybe you’ll actually have the appetite to eat my cooking later and be a good guest. That is, unless you wanna deprive your body of nutrients as well as air, heheheh..."​

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[Valor the Forsaken]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

"You know, for someone who waxes poetic about the value of air and words, you sure do talk an awful lot," Valor remarked simply. He could feel a dull ache creeping into his muscles as the strain of holding his position began to settle deeply within his limbs.

"I'm not hungry, so what? It's not like I was trying to insult you; I just don't feel like eating. If I was hungery I would eat. I ate some of it to be polite. " he practically huffed.

 

[Ko Vuto]

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Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Valor the Forsaken

“Uh huh, that's pretty observant of you. But I’m also not the one with a mask on right now.” Xojo replied to the echani teen. “I suppose that’s all I could really ask of you. What is the expression that you people use? You can lead a nerf to water but can’t force it to drink.”

After a few moments with the only noise to be heard being the wind chimes and the breeze hitting the side of the mountain Xojo spoke up again. “Okay you can relax now and we can move onto another exercise. Also I’m curious, so could I ask how you end up as my nephew’s apprentice? I didn’t expect that he would jump into the mentor role so soon after getting knighted by the Jedi.” Xojo asked, expressing some of his own opinions regarding Ko.​

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[Valor the Forsaken]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

He rose with a languid stretch, easing the creeping stiffness with a soft sigh. "I doubt Master Ko Vuto appreciated me running off to join the Sith Academy on Jutrand," Valor remarked, his tone casual yet carrying a hint of self-awareness. "Truthfully, I don't think he wants the responsibility of watching over me. But I suppose he finds it preferable to leaving me to my own… devices."

 

[Ko Vuto]

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Location: Dorin, Vuto Estate
Objective: Field Trip
Tag: Valor the Forsaken

Xojo raised a brow over the teen’s words. “Oh… Did you fancy yourself a Sith aspirant?” The Kel Dor asked, surprised by the revelation that Valor had seemingly wanted to join the Sith in their capital world. He was also surprised to hear that Ko had gone after them. Practically running into the belly of the beast to retrieve Valor. “Here on Dorin resentment for the Sith still runs deep even hundreds of years later.”

“Although my knowledge of Ko after joining the NJO is a bit spotty. I imagine there’s a reason if he’s taking a more relaxed approach to his mentoring. Maybe he’s just trying not to be like his old uncle. One thing I know for certain is that he’s a mindful person and often considers many angles when presented with a problem.” Likely a side effect from Baran Do training principles and their history in the service corps making Ko always try to consider the bigger picture. “Could also be that he is having his own doubts about being a Master. It’s a big responsibility, trust me, I would know.”​

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[Valor the Forsaken]

TAGS: Ko Vuto

"Admittedly, it was a more familiar environment than the NJO," Valor confessed, his eyes distant, lost somewhere in the past. "There were things I recognized more easily. I like to think I was doing rather well for myself. Blending in wasn't all that difficult."

He paused, shrugging as he gathered his thoughts. "It seems my opinions aren't too different from those of Darth Carnifex," he added, his voice calm, unpretentious. "But I wouldn't claim to really understand what the Sith are, not in any real depth, nor the History of this planet. My Education has been severely lacking as my Lady prefered her worker bees to do as they are told and not ask questions."