Fantastic Beasts and Where to [Copyright]

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

”The Sith transport them or create them.” Aela said as they wandered. Terentateks were...well abominations simply put. They were Sithspawn crafted to be defensive creatures, killers, and jedi Hunters.

”Usually they’re made to Guard secrets. Bases, tombs, things like that. Sometimes when their Masters die they go wild and generally thrive because they’re Apex predators.” Not even a Drexl could very easily kill a Terentatek. ”As far as I know their lifespan is...well infinite. Terentateks are not natural creatures, and although they can breed they tend to die only when killed.”

It was why they were the chosen guardians of so many tombs.

The Sith knew when they had found a useful tool, and they tended to hold onto those tools as often and as long as possible. The beasts that guarded them were no different than a sword or a lightsaber.

”No. They can’t be tamed, not by us.” That was a lesson she had learned on her own.

”Their minds are twisted.” She explained. ”Sometimes even Sith can’t control them.”

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"So the Sith have tried to overrule the ways of nature by creating their own life that even they have little control over?"

Stupid. Stupid and wrong.

Just another reason to avoid those dreaded monsters altogether. They were actual monsters by design. Created for the sole purpose of killing others. An atrocity in living form.

She sighed, looking out over the water as the two stood at the bank of the river. Here the trees provided enough shelter from the harshness of the sun. Hopefully that would help prevent the further spread of the mild sunburn forming on her face, now that the two had spent two entire days beneath the blistering heat. "This spot looks good." The Padawan slid her bag off her left shoulder, catching it with her hand before setting it gently on to the ground.

"Quiet here too. Peaceful at least." The ambient sound of nature was comforting. It reminded her of home.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

She nodded in confirmation.

”Some.” Aela told Jamie. ”Some Sith can’t control them. The man, or woman, who originally created the beasts had no problems controlling them, but over time others found the...recipe so to speak.”

That was where the problem lay really. The same could be said for the Jedi. Certain people created techniques or developed tricks, then some wayward padawan came along and tried it and everything went to ruin. It was almost inevitable really. There was a reason that things were kept locked and hidden away most of the time.

”Let’s get a fire going.” Priority one.

She really wasn’t in the mood for another cold meal, and even though they would be eating rations no matter what Aela intended to at least heat it up this time.

Perhaps tomorrow they would go hunting, though Cannoks didn’t taste very good and Boma’s tended to be a bit gamey, same with Malraas. She frowned, then shook her head as she moved back towards the edge of the forest and began to collect fallen twigs and branches for a fire.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Alright." Back to collecting sticks.

Jamie wandered slowly off in the other direction, a felled tree a short distance away from where their camp would be would be easy enough to cut a dozen or so small branches away close to the trunk. With a simple press of a button, the yellow bladed lightsaber sprang back to life in the traditional snap-hiss only mere moments before the blonde began to sever a small section of branches away from the dead tree. Luckily the tree was large enough that the two could continue to remove sections throughout the evening if necessary, to stoke the fire when it began to die.

Scooping up a few of the smaller branches Jamie would meet Aela back where their bags were left.

Dropping everything into a small pile the girl looked around for a minute, noting no real measurable number of stones to make into a pit. The river itself looked to have a few washed up on the bank, but not nearly enough, or large enough for that matter, to make a difference. They would simply have to just carefully build the fire and maintain control of the height of the flames so that it didn't catch on any nearby brush or trees and start a much more dangerous fire.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Once everything was finished for their camp Aela found herself standing on the small beach, eyes wandering across the water of the river as though she were searching for something. She frowned after a moment, and then slowly turned towards Jamie.

”If you want to swim nows the time.” She joked to her Padawan.

There wasn’t really much else to do. They could eat, then go to sleep. A part of her wanted to hunt for Malraas still, find where they had gone after the tomb...but she knew that doing so in the dark would be incredibly foolish.

The creatures were dangerous during the day, at night?

They were horrifying.

”Catch me some fish while you’re at it.” She suggested. ”Better than the rations.”

 

[Jamie Pyne]

No need to tell her twice. The girl sauntered over towards the bank of the river, using her feet to kick off each of her boots, socks included, leaving them by the shore as she waded slowly into the cool water provided by the runoff of the mountains far in the distance. Despite the overbearing heat of Dxun, the water itself was surprisingly refreshing. As the blonde reached the point where her hips were level with the water she stripped off her shirt and threw it to the beach. For a moment she lingered to see if Aela was planning on coming as well, or content to stay on dry land.

It made little difference to her either way, as in the next breath she fell beneath the shallow waves, submerging herself beneath the water. The area they were in was shallow enough that even with the occasional current she wouldn't be in any real danger, but it was also deep enough that fish flocked through the area. Almost immediately they began to scatter around her body as she smiled, watching the vibrant colors swim out and around her as they made their way further downstream.

About thirty seconds after the girl disappeared from beneath the water her head would poke up, though about fifteen or so feet from where she had first submerged. A single, colorful fish flew up and out, towards Aela. Fishing was far easier when the Force could simply grab hold of the aquatic animal and effortless capture it.

"Catch!" She laughed as it soared towards the other Jedi.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela did just that. Her hand extended, and the force quickly wrapped around the oddly colored fish to stop it mid air. The thing flopped around for a moment, and then steadily froze in place as it realized that the situation was rather hopeless.

”Oh.” Aela said with surprise.

In truth she hadn’t actually expected Jamie to catch anything. Sure she wasn’t too surprised that Dxun’s rivers had fish...but well she expected it to be harder. Then again, she herself had used the force for fishing back on Naboo.

”Good job.” She said finally. ”I guess we don’t have to eat flavorless meat after all.”

Lucky thing really, she was getting quite tired of the damned things.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Aela thought it silly that Jamie hadn't used her lightsaber to start the fire before, but was now surprised that she caught a fish using the Force. That made the blonde giggle.

Back down beneath the surface she went, searching for another fish big enough to serve as a meal. Not wanting to take more than was absolutely necessary to feed the two Jedi, Jamie saw a perfect specimen as it began to swim towards her. Once again the grip of the Force extended outwards, latching onto the fish and wrestling it from beneath the current. Breaking through the surface of the water once again the blonde proceeded to toss the second fish out towards the Jedi master.

It was at that point that she then proceeded to simply enjoy the refreshing nature of the river. Laying back she allowed herself to be lifted up, lazily floating as she kicked her feet so that she wouldn't be carried downstream. If nothing else her hair would appreciate the rinse out. That single, brief moment in time was the most relaxing bit on their journey thus far.

"Before we head out tomorrow we should fill up the bottles we have with us again." The reminder couldn't hurt, after all.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Yeah." Aela said with a nod. The fish was deposited on a nearby rock to sit for a few minutes.

The flame was already low enough for them to cook over, though they would have to spread out the embers more if they wanted to cook it evenly. She hadn't brought a knife...mostly because who needed a knife when you had a lightsaber? Thus they would simply have to cook the thing whole.

That wouldn't be too bad. She quite liked whole fish.

"Hope you don't mind the fishy taste." Some people did, but they didn't have any spices. "I used to do this with my siblings all the time."

Well...not all the time.

Only when Micah and Maleah had quite literally dragged her from her room.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The girl's nostrils flared. "Not a fan." She admitted. "But it's better than those bars of duracrete we've been eating. So it's a start."

Living a life of luxury meant that when she ate fish it never tasted like fish. It never looked like fish. It looked like art in edible form, a masterpiece of a chef's design each and every time.

"When did you and your siblings split apart and go your own ways? You said you see them now and then, but when did you all start to separate?"

For a moment she lingered on the thought, her mind falling back to her half sister Mariya, a girl of about eleven years old now. Eleven years they should have known about each other, had her father done the right thing to begin with. That was still a lingering situation that needed to be corrected in the near future. Though just how she'd go about it she was still unsure. A scowl passed over her face as she waded out from the water, scooping up her boots and shirt as she headed towards the grass and camp where Aela was sitting.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela watched Jamie for a moment, seeing the slight hesitation on her face. Her padawan had told her a little bit about her family troubles, but not much. Perhaps she was just curious in general, or perhaps she just wanted a bit of...vicarious living.

"That depends." She answered finally.

"We were all together for some time along with some other Padawans and Friends." The Covenant. "We tried to fight Sith...do good...It didn't last very long though. Everyone kind of grew up and did other things. I left to go the Alliance, my sister Maleah went to explore the wilds, my brother Micah...well he just does his own thing, and Kaili...Kaili has a business building droids!"

She was actually quite proud of her sister for that. "We're still a family. We see each other often enough and can communicate when we need to."

It wasn't so much that they had separated...more that they had just grown up.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I see." Jamie pulled the shirt over her head, adjusting it at the waist before settling in. The boots and such would stay off for now, until she dried a bit more. Besides, she preferred bare feet most of the time anyway, more comfortable unless one was stepping over jagged rocks or something. "I grew up thinking I was an only child." Truthfully it had been rather boring, even if she played it off like it was a great thing to not have to share the light with anyone else.

"It was always sort of lonely."

Her hand dragged through her hair, shaking and tugging free the snarls that had built up. Catching a good one her mouth dropped open and eyes squinted, a moment of pain as she struggled with freeing the knotted hair.

"Through coincidence I found out my dad had an affair with another woman from a family close to ours. They had a daughter, my half sister. They kept it a secret. I don't think my dad believed anyone would ever find out."

The fact that he tried, and successfully hid that secret for so many years was what bothered Jamie more so than his infidelity. People made mistakes, but owning those mistakes was the part that mattered. The man was, at least in Jamie's eyes, content to see his daughters grow up apart, never knowing of one another because of a selfish choice he made. It infuriated her at the mere thought that he could be such a kind, generous, and caring person to her all those years while completely neglecting and abandoning his other daughter. It made her nauseous.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"You mentioned that before." She didn't sound flippant, merely pointing out fact. It was an interesting situation, mostly because she could never imagine her own father having children with anyone besides her mother.

That wasn't to say it couldn't happen, he had after all been alive for more than two centuries but...well it was strange to imagine.

"It was why you didn't contact them before coming here." She reminded Jamie, a frown pulling on her lips as she remembered that rather terse conversation. She couldn't blame her padawan of course, the reasoning was perfectly logical. "Do you know this girl?"

Aela asked. "Your half sister I mean."

Just because she hadn't known that the girl was her sister didn't mean she couldn't know her at all. Naboo was after all fairly small when it came to the nobility.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Sorry" Her face reddened. "Didn't think it was a detail you'd remember really." She herself had tried to push it aside so that she could focus on training. "I know her." She affirmed. "Well, not on a personal level. But I do know who she is. Her mother and supposed father lived not far from us, and they frequently traveled together during their humanitarian missions, as well as held similar positions in the courts. Shared similar beliefs as well. Family friends, really I guess you could say." That made things all the worse.

"I looked after Mariya on more than one occasion, while our parents were gone. Looking back on it, I'm sure my father was likely uncomfortable with that."

That surprisingly put a smirk on her face. Unbeknownst to her back that, a small bit of vindication had been achieved for his actions.

"But still, the age gap was so high between us that we really had nothing to bond over, save for me playing with her to keep her entertained."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

”I see” Aela said quietly. She wasnt sure if that made things easier or more difficult for Jamie. The situation was...well not a pleasant to say the least, and she doubted very much that her padawan would be able to find a resolution without more conflict with her parents. It was an unfortunate fact, one that she herself seemed to be well aware of.

”What do you intend to do?” Perhaps she hadn't thought about it yet. ”Does the girl know?

Aela wasn't quite sure if Jamie had shared that before.

She wasn't even going to ask about the true elephant in the room. Jamie was Noble, so was her father and this family likely was as well. That meant this affair would very likely cause trouble for pretty much everyone involved in the situation or even tied to it.

Something best not piled on top of all of this.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The latter question was the easier of the two to answer. "No. She has no idea." Her right hand covered over her face, middle finger rubbing the outer edge of her left eye as if mentally pained by the thought of what would eventually come out of all of this. "She is the only truly innocent party in all of this. I don't even know that she's old enough to truly understand the ramifications of being our father's daughter." The girl did not share Jamie's last name for obvious reasons. That meant her father would have to publicly adopt her, and face the political backlash of his actions in full. That in and of itself could have such a ripple effect that she wasn't sure where it might end. "I don't know what I intend to do. The only part of this I know I have no choice in is telling her. She has to be told. I wouldn't want to live my life never knowing something that important about myself."

Jamie sighed, her head shaking as her hand fell away from her face. "Telling her is the simple part. How to go about it, and what to do about everyone else, including the after effects, that's the part I'm worried about."

Looking upwards as the last flickers of daylight faded from existence Jamie found a way to smile. "At least I got the sister I had always wanted, sort of."

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela smiled slightly. At least Jamie could see an upside to all of this. That was a good thing. Perhaps things would work out with her family, perhaps not, but at least she knew that she had someone out there that she would be looking forward to meeting, properly meeting anyway. She imagined their first conversation after this all came to light would be rather...endearing

”I’m sure she’ll feel the same way.” Siblings could be annoying. They could be rage inducing, but at the end of the day...they were family. Aela knew that better that most people.

She and Micah had often fought as kids, hardly ever seeing eye to eye and almost never agreeing on anything. Yet they had always loved one another, had always worried about one another. They were brother and sister, they cared about each other and that was a bond no one could describe or ever take away. She hoped Jamie would find the same with her sister as well.

”They can be frustrating, siblings.” Aela said with a smile. ”But I wouldn't trade mine for anything.”

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I don't know. I hope. Maybe." Hopefully the girl wouldn't resent Jamie. "She doesn't really know me at all. And it isn't like we grew up together. I was really just an occasional caretaker and distant face to her. For all I know when I tell her, she might believe I knew the whole time. I suppose I couldn't really blame her if so."

She hoped that wouldn't be the case, but she didn't exactly know the girl all that much either. "Thankfully we share my father's DNA. I'd be more worried if it were my mother's." Jamie knew her mother well, loved her to death, but gosh, she was a lunatic. Jamie had inherited some of that as well, but at least she had the wherewithal to admit it. Her mother couldn't see it. She had blinders on or something.

"I guess I'll find out when that day comes, and I figure out what exactly to say."

While Jamie was in a hurry to tell her, at the same time she wasn't. It had to be in person, that was all she knew.

[member="Aela Talith"]

 

[Aela Talith]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Aela nodded.

She could understand Jamie's concerns. This wasn't like she had grown up with the girl, and the truth would likely shock her just as much as it had Jamie, perhaps even more. Still...blood was blood and couldn't be denied, as much as some people, including herself, wanted to.

She frowned a moment.

”I suppose you’ll find out.” Aela said as she finally prepared the fish, slowly sticking it with a large branch and placing it over the flames so that they could actually cook it and not eat it raw. ”No matter what though. I will be here.”

She said it with a smile. ”I'm here for more than just teaching you. We haven't known one another long, but Im your master, and that means ill be with you through thick and thin.”

Even if that mean awkward family time.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I suppose I will." She said, though there was little enthusiasm behind her words. "Thanks."

Her eyes raised up to the stars that dotted the sky, some long since extinguished, others belonging to other planets in the far distance. The crackling of the fire next to her, along with the quiet voice of the jungle carried on by the wind through the trees, fading off into eternity was calming. Next to the fire her skin and clothes began to dry, more so the taller the flames grew. "Do you miss home? Just being a kid again?"

Her upbringing was very likely entirely different from Aela's. No Force to train, no siblings to live with, a mountains worth of classes to study, laws to learn, duty to perform, and a reputation in the public eye to maintain. While both had certainly faced stress and challenges growing up, they were likely very, very different in terms of what those actually were. Aela had seen far more of the galaxy than Jamie could have ever imagined existed outside of Naboo. She was far more traveled and informed.

[member="Aela Talith"]