Happiness comes in Saltwater | The Je'daii Order

[Esis Nas]

Southern Coast, Ceto.

​

After a few weeks of intense training and the arrival of a large contingent of new younglings, rescued by [member="Jyn Lorr"] and [member="Arekk"] Daesharacor from Kaas City, the teachers and mentors at Padawan Kesh decided to gift the children with a day of relaxation and fun. With everything organized and an invitation to join them extended to all members of the Order, a group of Je'daii parted from the Silent Academy, taking the children to visit the southern beaches of Ceto.

The sun shone brightly and the breeze provided a comfortable relief from the heat of the tropical planet, decorating the day with a perfect atmosphere for the little ones to enjoy until the light of day disappeared behind the ocean. White sands and smooth waves received the younglings, as though the beach had been waiting for their arrival.

They had a day of building sandcastles, riding waves and soaking up the sun ahead of them. The children would be visiting different neighboring islands throughout the day, moving from one to the next in an ancient-styled ship, always under the watchful eyes of the Je'daii. Joy was buzzing among the group of younglings. After all, happiness was said to come in saltwater.



The transports halted to a stop and the excited voices of children took over the atmosphere. A full smile drew itself onto the lips of Esis, who -having been one of the mentors to support the idea- was to accompany the younglings during their trip to the beach. Esis stood up from her sit, turning to look at the rows of smiley faces that had not yet left theirs.

"Okay, is everyone ready?" She asked, amusement quirking her features. She was sure the transport was vibrating with the enthusiasm of the young ones and knew that they would try to fly out of it and into the beach as soon as they could. It warmed her heart to see them all so cheerful and eager. "Everyone's got sunscreen on?" An vaguely frustrated, immediate 'yes' was her response. "Insect repellent?" Esis had made sure before they left that all of them had applied both things and was just building their anticipation while basking in their anxiousness.

Upon her second question -coupled with the entertained look on her face- the children realized their teacher was only playing around with them and the infantile crowd broke into many different expressions that basically demanded they be let out.

Laughing, Esis opened the transports doors and exited, asking the children to keep a line behind her. It was certainly the most exhilarated queue she had ever seen in her life. She turned her head, seeing how more children exited from the other transports, guided by the respective mentor assigned to their group for the travel. In no time, younglings were spilling onto the white sands of the beach like wild creatures freed from captivity. The bright smile in Esis lips would not budge as she looked at them. Their cheerfulness was very contagious.

Spoiler

[member="Saok Mahl"] [member="Sobaan Palle"] [member="Emberly Carrick"] [member="Damien Imura"] [member="Atefeh Lorr"]
[member="Adiara Drelas"]

 

[Lief]

It had not been long since the agonizingly long journey across the Galaxy had brought him from Kaas to Ceto, throughout which the little pupa had gone without so much as a hint of nature and was surrounded by durasteel and filtered air. He was immensely grateful to be free from the place he had known for the entirety of his life, of course, and this new home was beyond beautiful and full of life. He was such a lucky Ithorian!

He had been more than surprised to see little [member="Atefeh Lorr"] on the ship which brought them across the planet, though his nerves had gotten the better of him and rather than speak to her he had purposefully shied away and hidden in the shadows to avoid detection. She had left them back on Kaas, and he had not seen her since the woman had come back for the rest of them. What if Tefie had forgotten him? What if she didn't wish to know him any longer?

When the shuttle landed he realized his patience was greater than most among them. He was of course very eager to leave and see the wonders this place had to offer, he could feel his eyestalks twitching with anticipation, but he was able to refrain from wriggling around in his seat. In fact when the time came for them to depart the youngling was among the last to rise and he carefully stepped down the ramp and into the glorious day beyond.

The sun hurt his eyes at first, though he knew that he would soon adjust. After all, Kaas was a dreary place with very little sunshine. Compared to that Ceto was like a desert.

[member="Esis Nas"]

 

[Lief]

For the past few months now Adi had been quietly working away in the medical center of Azar City, among the Je'daii he had joined up with following the fallout of the Silver Jedi when the former Grandmaster and Master of the Order pairing stepped down. The rush for power, and the fluctuating member base, had left a bad taste in his mouth, and so he fell back to something he had once opted to be apart of. Were these Force Users perfect? No. But they did not impose their way of life on others the way the Republic and their Jedi had, nor were they destructive in nature like the Sith. They held very little in the way of judgement, and seemed content with merely learning.

Whatever they chose to do, it provided him with a chance to get away from the greater Galaxy. Situated on the very fringes of space, it was perfect for a man such as he who was sick of all that the Galaxy had to offer. The wars, the superiority complexes, the oppressive governments.

And of course it still allowed him to participate in runs to make a little extra money on the side, close to a couple of hyperspace lanes.

So why was he here, on Ceto, surrounded by Younglings of all things? That was simple: The Je'daii had needed an experienced medic on hand for a field trip. The Academy on Ceto was still relatively new, and while they had the manpower to run the medical bay they didn't quite have the experienced in-field staff that would prove helpful out and about. A field medic, he believed the term was. And that was exactly what Adiara had specialized in during his time in the Medi-corps.

He instinctively reached into his jacket pocket at the thought of it, though where his gabaki typically lay he found only air. It didn't seem responsible to smoke around children, and while if it had been anyone else he would not have cared he wasn't in the habit of harming little people.

To be fair he wasn't in the habit of harming anyone.

When all of the youngsters began to file out, he rose up and waited for the last of them to head down the ramp before following them out into the sun. He turned, giving the interior of the shuttle a quick sweeping glance to ensure they weren't missing anyone, and then looked across to [member="Esis Nas"] as much to ponder over the curious woman as to figure out what their next step was. He hadn't even introduced himself yet, how frightfully improper of himself(!), and yet his presence as medic was noted by the patch on his jacket arm.

That was, of course, for the sake of the children. It helped for them to have visual cues.

 

[Sobaan Palle]

Hehehehe. Stay in line. Right.

Almost as soon as the hatch opened, and not long after Esis had exited, a whirling blur of green and purple motion shot right past her. Freedom! If he had a sword and a shield he could have been all braveheart and actually shouted it. Alas, all he had was the strange ball he always carried around with him, and it was busy bouncing around in the pouch on his back. No weapons. Well, not weapons other than himself. His mother had taught him well enough how to use his surroundings to his advantage that he could make a weapon out of a coconut that was just as lethal as a blaster if he had the time to use it. Not that he had any intentions of doing any such thing, but he could.

To the trees he went running. The first one he got to he shimmied up so fast it looked like he might as well have been living in trees. Into the lush foliage he disappeared, easy to do when you were green, but he wasn't gone, just hiding inside and poking at a couple of fruits that were growing on the tree. This was the life for him. A nice forest on the beach and a bunch of people to play with! New people at that. He peeked out of the leaves and wondered if any of them were going to follow him or if they were all too enthralled with the water.

It was always the water.

[member="Esis Nas"] [member="Saok Mahl"] [member="Adiara Drelas"] [member="Atefeh Lorr"] [member="Emberly Carrick"]

 

[Atefeh Lorr]

Since she had been lifted from the sadness that plagued her life in Dromund Kaas, Atefeh had become a happier, healthier child. Her thin frame had gained mass, the bony structure she used to display now having flesh to cover itself with, giving her the appearance of a little girl and not of a little walking skeleton. She had more energy to use and her mood had taken a high jump into a pool of happiness and eagerness. Finally, Atefeh could open herself to a world of curiousness, laughter and unbridled innocence, just like every child should be able to do.

But she did not forget. Many nights thoughts of the past would haunt her, the images and experiences still too fresh in her memory. Stardust had learnt to not let them sadden her, to not let them sink her heart to the dark place they came from. Of course, some nights she failed. Not even adults found it easy to face their past without letting it sink teeth into old wounds. Yet now her heart was armed with love and gratefulness. Just a glimpse out the window to the beautiful planets she now knew, just a thought of her mommy's smile or her daddy's hugs, Kipo's oo's and even Ignis' cooking and the shadows of Kaas city disappeared as soon as they came.

Today was one of the happiest days so far. Tefie had seen the immense beach when she arrived to Ceto, but she had never gotten the chance to run on the sand or test the water of the sea. Excitement had gotten a hold of every living cell in her body, and she exited the transport with the group of kids, moving sporadically as though her own anxiousness would make the rest move faster.

A blur of green and montrals, and head tails passed her by. The slightly slit pupils of her eyes dilated, the instinct to run after him about to push her forward had she not caught sight of a familiar face. The Ithorian boy was nestled among the others, almost hidden. Tefie moved, trying to get a better look at him and the brightest of smiles stretched her lips when she confirmed her suspicions. Careful not to push the other younglings, she run to him. "Saok!" She shouted, those surrounding her giving her weird looks. She did not see them, for as soon as she had caught up with her objective, she engulfed the Ithorian in a hug. "How are you?" Was her next question, happiness flooding her voice.

After breaking from the hug, continuing walking so they didn't fall behind from the group, her keen eyes once more caught sight of movement in the canopy of a tree. Since leaving Kaas City, Tefie spent more time out in the open and had started to use more frequently her senses. Apparently she had inherited a good eyes and nose, from whoever her biological parents were. She saw the a boy, recognizing him as the green blur, sat atop the tree's branches. "What is he doing?" She asked, question directed at Saok. The togrutan boy seemed to be years older than them.

[member="Saok Mahl"] [member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Valgærd]

I was nervous beyond belief.

Sitting in the transport as we approached the beach, I sat with my hands clasped in my lap. My heart was pounding in my chest and my head was kind of spinning. I had only been with the je'daii for a little while and I still didn't know them very well. This place was new, and scary, just like everywhere I'd been since Zeph had rescued me. I squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath and counting to five before I let it out again. That seemed to help calm my nerves sometimes. With the sigh, I felt a little better, and managed to look around.

The scar on my neck didn't hurt anymore, but I was still extremely conscious that it was there. So, my chin was tucked in, my head raised only a little as I listened to the lady called Esis.

Although... as the promise of sand, salt, and sunshine grew closer, the general din of excitement in our transport seemed to increase, and it even started to seep into my mind. Today was about fun, something I didn't have a lot of experience with. We lined up, all of us insisting on Esis's questions that we were prepared. I still didn't completely understand. Why were they doing this? What were we expected to learn? When I had asked, my answer had been that we were here to have fun. But... could that truly be the only reason?

My thoughts were hushed as the transport doors opened and other children began to spill out onto the warm, bright sand beyond. I hung back, feeling a lump rising in my throat. Was that... really for me? I hadn't earned it, I hadn't done anything worthy of a reward. My breaths became a little quicker and shallower, my feet didn't want to move. Part of me couldn't let myself believe this wasn't some sort of test. Was I supposed to shun the unearned reward? Prove that I was a good girl?

I glanced around, looking to the grown-ups for some sort of cue. I wanted so desperately to enjoy the sun and the beach, like the other kids, but... something held me back.

 

[Esis Nas]

Just as she had expected, there had to be at least one child not able to restrain itself. She saw a green togrutalian running straight for the beach and managed to recognize him as [member="Sobaan Palle"]. Esis was about to call out to him, but decided against it in the last minute. Today was their day, she could overlook some mischief. As he climbed onto the tree her eyes followed him, relaxing only when she was sure he wouldn't lose his footing. That boy was a little hellion, albeit one that amused her.

Soon enough, very few of the children had stayed back, most of them the ones she recognized as the shyer or more reserved ones. She offered them a confident smile and bid them to go look for their friends, her reassurance being enough for them to finally rally the courage to trot into the beach. Je'daii Padawans and Journeyers had already taken their positions, scattered through the beach and looking after the kids as they started to disperse. The group she had led onto the beach had already dissolved completely, and her bright green eyes -only indicative of her true species- fell upon the man that had accompanied them.

She had been glad to know a medic would be coming with them. Of course, some of the Je'daii present would have been able to perform minor Force-healing, yet it was always better to have a true expert at hand. Children were delicate things, wonderful in many ways, but delicate. It had taken a big weight off of her shoulders the presence of [member="Adiara Drelas"] among them, in case anything happened. Esis approached him, a friendly smile decorating her lips.

"You must be Adiaras, right?" She said, her voice smooth and calm. "I'm Esis Nas, Steward of Padawan Kesh. I'm very glad you could come with us today." Esis was naturally an approchable and quite sociable person, albeit lacking the more energetic social skills of the truly extrovert.

 

[Lief]

Adiara had noticed one particular young girl - Echani, no... Umbaran in heritage, there was no mistaking the ethereal appearance - had yet to disembark the ship. She was staring outside as though she had never looked upon daylight before, and her whole demeanor screamed guilt and insecurities.

He recognized PTSD when he saw it, he'd suffered with it for many years during and after his time in the medicorps, and had treated it in both his fellow medics and the Jedi they had been tasked to look after back then. It was awful enough to see grown men go through it, but knowing that something or someone out there had caused such grief that a child was throwing off the telltale signs of it was enough to make even the craven that he was enraged inside.

His attention was torn away from the Youngling to Miss Esis Nas, the one who had sent for a medic in the first place. Of course he could not keep the little one from his mind and seemed genuinely distracted because of this fact. Not enough that he was going to forget himself, of course.

He reached out for hr hand when the woman approached, and should she offer him it he would lift it to his lips to kiss her knuckles by way of greeting.

"Pleasure to meet you, Sweetheart," he said, with his typically smooth accent that couldn't quite be pinpointed to one place or another. His formative years had been spent constantly on the move after all, once the Jedi had gotten their hands on him. "I daresay I hadn't expected so many children... I wasn't truly briefed beforehand. Still I doubt anyone is going to rue a day at the beach."

Then and there his eyes drifted back to [member="Emberly Carrick"] and a small frown pulled at his lips.

"What's her story?" he asked, before shaking his head and thinking better of it. "One moment, Miss Nas..."

Breaking away from the woman he stepped back up the ramp to approach the timid child. He could practically taste her anxiety, and that wasn't fun for someone who was anxious themselves and typically fed from the anxiety of those around them. He really wished that he had some gabaki to hand right now.

Lowering himself to a crouch, remaining several feet from the girl, he tipped his head gently to the left and offered her a hand.

"I won't hurt you," he said, voice quiet so as to only really travel toward the girl, "I'm Adiara. You can call me Adi, if you like." That in and of itself was remarkable, Adiara despised it when anyone called him anything other than his true name and yet somehow... He knew better than to seem unapproachable.

He had healed many a child before now, and every single time he had to it broke his bitter old heart.

"What's your name, Sweetheart?"

[member="Esis Nas"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts-"

Sobaan was singing to himself now as he reached over to pull some of the ripe nuts from the tree. He checked down below and then started throwing them down to the ground. Everyone could enjoy a good coconut, and there were plenty of them for all the younglings. It was also a thing which allowed him to be up in the trees where he liked to be. Well, one of the places he liked to be. He was definitely going swimming later.

When he had a bunch of them down, he climbed back down the tree and started gathering them up. He wasn't able to hold them all, so he levitated some of them with his recently found attenuation to the Force. It came more or less easy to him. He figured it was mostly Sprouts doing that he had figured it all out so quickly. He couldn't have done it on his own. As he approached the others he dumped the coconuts out.

"I brought coconuts!"

He seemed rather pleased until he realized he didn't have a way to open them. So he ran off again to look for a nice slivered rock.

[member="Atefeh Lorr"] [member="Emberly Carrick"] [member="Esis Nas"] [member="Adiara Drelas"] [member="Saok Mahl"]

 

[Valgærd]

I stood kind of awkwardly just outside the transport.

The sun was warming my skin, the cool breeze ruffling my hair. The sound of little waves gently lapping at the shore combined with that unmistakable aroma of sea salt seemed to excite something in my tummy. There was a part of me that was excited to be here, that wanted to run towards that big glittering blue pool and leap into it.

But I didn't dare.

Rewards were for the strong. As I'd proven time and again, I am not strong. I am weak, pathetic. I was lucky father even bothered with the effort of raising me. My fingers moved to touch the scar on my neck. As I felt the bumpy, uneven flesh, I closed my eyes and pulled my hand away. No use letting myself cry in front of all these other kids. That might disappoint Zeph, and even though he was nothing like father... I wanted to try and be good for him.

A man spoke, lowering himself to one knee a little way off. He looked at me, but his outstretched hand seemed... inviting, rather than demanding. I bit my lip, eyes fixed on his hand. He said he wouldn't hurt me, saying his name was Adiara. I took a step towards him, my heart pounding. Zeph had been showing me that it was okay to talk to people, that it was okay to be a little bit scared sometimes. I shuffled a little closer again, keeping my head down.

"Nice to... meet... you... Adi." I began, stuttering just a little, "M-my name... is Emmie."

Emberly was the girl who was almost murdered by her own father. Emberly was the weak little thing that was nothing but a disappointment to him up until that point. She was weak, pathetic, useless. Emmie, on the other hand, was the girl that would grow up strong.

At least... that's what I hoped.

[member="Adiara Drelas"] [member="Esis Nas"] [member="Sobaan Palle"] [member="Atefeh Lorr"]

 

[Garza]

I felt completely out of place. So many of the other children that were here were much younger than myself. I having just turned thirteen felt... aloof. It seemed like at the moment, I was really the only one who wasn't so keen on running around grabbing coconuts, or playing in the sand and water. I saw no point in creating a sand castle by hand. It took time and a dedication that was not necessity. I could easily create one with my abilities. Ever since Ignis had picked me up from mom, I was thrown into groups with others to learn of the force and meditation and how we were to make sure that we didn't fall to the dark side.

However, I already knew some of it. What perplexed me was the need for a field trip. I leaned a little on my bo staff. Using it much like a walking stick, the end dug into the sand under my weight, but soon came to a stop with the sand compacting into a harder surface area. It seemed like the adults were talking for a moment about something when the man left to speak to a girl who had been keeping to herself the entire ride here.

I looked around. Not really sure what I was required of here. Walking up to the woman who was taking care of us, Esis, I began to ask her questions.

"Uh, so what am I supposed to do here? I mean, I have never been to a beach before."

[member="Emberly Carrick"], [member="Sobaan Palle"], [member="Adiara Drelas"], [member="Esis Nas"], [member="Saok Mahl"],

 

[Lief]

Just as he was adjusting to the strange feeling beneath his feet, after all he never, ever wore shoes(!), Saok was ambushed out of nowhere by first a voice and then a warm embrace. The young Ithorian let out a tiny yip of surprise, his eyes widening when he realized just exactly who it was that had wrapped their arms around him.

Of all the people, it was little Tefie!

Well, of course he was hard pressed to ignore the girl, not that he would have anyway, and very hastily brought his own hands around her and gently squeezed.

"Atty!" he said, utilizing his own little way of saying her name, both of his mouths smiling in the way that only his kind could manage, "Saok has missed his little friend! Very glad she is not angry with him."

Glancing over toward the boy that she had mentioned, the Ithorian squinted his eyes, stalks still twitching slightly, and let out a bellowing laugh from the depths of his stomach as he heard the song and saw a couple of the hard nuts drop to the ground.

"That one... Always wanting snacks!"

It was true, too, every time Saok had seen him - even from afar - the funny green boy was stuffing his face with some sort of sweet food. At least this time he had chosen a fruit!

"Atty and Saok help him, hm?"

Reaching for her hand he urged her on toward the trees, careful to avoid the falling fruits. No doubt that would hurt him a lot, though the impact on little Tefie would probably do far worse than simply hurt...

[member="Atefeh Lorr"] [member="Sobaan Palle"]

 

[Esis Nas]

Esis offered his hand at him too, initially expecting a handshake. When he lifted her hand to his lips, she had to admit she was a little surprised. It had been a long time since anyone had greeted her in such a manner, but the change was welcome and she looked at Adiara with an amused, happy look. However, Esis could see he was distracted, and immediately started to search for the reason why. The answer was provided when the field medic looked at a young Umbaran girl who had lagged behind, unwilling to join the rest.

The smile on Esis' lips faltered, she had hoped Emmie would catch some of the kids enthusiasm on the ride here. The teacher had been keeping an eye on her, she wanted to see her grow and develop without interfering so much. Esis was trying to make her discover on her own that she was just as special and as loved as all the younglings under their care. She gave a nod to Adiaras, he didn't need to excuse himself to go help a little girl. She would have gone too, but feared that the presence of two adults might overwhelm little Emmie.

Instead, she offered the child a kind and reassuring smile, reaching through the Force and sharing with her a bit of what she saw in her: hope, beauty, warmness and as much worth and potential as all the little ones than ran around her. Esis knew the young one wouldn't know that the feelings instilled on her where in truth feelings of her teacher for her, but she hoped they would have just the same effect.

Her attention was then distracted by another voice and she turned her head to set her bright green eyes upon the shape of a familiar apprentice. Damien was already taller than herself and about the age to become a padawan soon, so she didn't felt it was at all fitting to call him a youngling that often anymore. The empathic perception within her showed her he was feeling a bit out of place. After all, he wasn't only older than most younglings but also, at least as far as she perceived him, more mature. "Hi, Damien." Was her first response, an open and friendly demeanor displayed on her person.

"Well, if its your first time on the beach I'd recommend you explore and enjoy it. The coast is a beautiful place, there are lots of things to see here." She knew he could end up having fun even if he didn't feel like interacting a lot with the younger kids, but she didn't want to refrain from stating that was an option too. "You could also get to know a little better some of the other kids. For example Tefie, over there, she met your brother a few weeks ago if I remember correctly." She said, pointing him on the direction of little Saok and Atefeh, who seemed to be making their way towards Sobaan and the coconuts he had gotten off of the tree. "I know they are a lot younger than you, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun." And that was the purpose of today, fun.

Only once Damien had decided what he'd like to do and proceeded to leave in order to do it did her attention return to Adiaras and Emberly. The little girl seemed to have accepted his greeting and this filled Esis with joy. It was good that she was finally starting to open up around the adults in charge of caring for her and every little step was an advance. She remained nearby, waiting to see -hoping even- if Emmie would be willing to greet her too. Esis gave her the full power of decision, allowing her to chose to greet her, stay with Adi or continue on and meet some new friends. She was already happy with her willingness to talk to Adiaras, and saw it as a great jump forward for her.

[member="Adiara Drelas"] [member="Emberly Carrick"] [member="Damien Imura"]

 

[Lief]

"Emmie?Such a lovely name."

He smiled, keeping the and extended out toward the girl in invitation, and glanced over his shoulder in hopes that she might follow his line of sight out into the land beyond. Already there were plenty of children running around, basking in the sun, fetching coconuts of all things, and taking off their boots to step into the sea surf. Everybody else was having fun, doubt didn't even remotely come to their mind because they had never known a life that wasn't at least a little carefree.

Well... Some of the children had come from an orphanage in Kaas City, so he supposed they had known hardship, yet not so much that they could not appreciate the day for what it was, unlike the little one in front of him.

"Do you think you could accompany me out there, Snowflake?" he inquired, naturally looking back toward her at that point, "I get a little nervous in new places, but I know that having someone as strong as you by my side will make that all better."

By this point he had noticed her habit of keeping her chin down, and though he hoped it was simply her insecurities presenting themselves he could not help but worry over other possibilities. What else would cause a child to be so broken with trauma? He had seen some horrific things in his time, and he could feel his pulse quicken with barely concealed rage at the mere thought of any of those things having happened to a child so innocent.

"What do you say, Emmie?"

[member="Emberly Carrick"]

 

[Valgærd]

I drew in a deep breath, and let it out.

With that breath out I began to feel... calmer, almost... warm. Glancing around, I noticed Esis smiling at me. I smiled back, only slightly, but... it was genuine. Already, I could feel my heart rate beginning to slow a little as I started to calm down. It was okay to be here, okay to have fun. It was okay to enjoy this place. It was difficult to believe at first, but as the moments passed, I felt myself relax a little.

Adi spoke again. He called Snowflake. I had never seen snow, and only heard of it once or twice in my life. Snowflake... what did those even look like? I knew it was white. Were they pretty? Were they delicate and breakable? Still, the name sounded nice. I even managed to lift my chin and smile at him. He asked me to keep him company out on the sand, because he was nervous. Could it... could it be? He thought I was strong? I lifted my chin a little more, nodding at him as the tiny smile on my lips seemed to grow a little wider.

He wanted me to keep him company because I was strong. My chest puffed out a little. I even forgot to hide the scar on my neck. I tore my eyes from the man kneeling in front of me to stare out at the beach, as if for the first time again. This time, I could see the sunshine, the warm sand, the cool, inviting water. I just wanted to run and jump into it. Turning to Adi, I replied,

"Yes, sir." I nodded, reaching out to take his hand. "where do you want to go first?"

[member="Adiara Drelas"] | [member="Esis Nas"]

 

[Garza]

Esis turned to me. I did notice that the little girl who kept to herself, Emberly I think her name was, needed a little convincing to open up a little more. My attention came back to our caretaker. Steward of Padawan kesh. The place where they taught all the younglings and the newcomers to the Je'daii Order. I listened to the woman. Making eye contact with her as she explained that Tefie, had met with my brother Ignis. I do remember him saying something about watching a child while his own mentor and friend had gone out on a mission. However, I did not know it was the person who was with us now. Nodding my head,

"Thank you, I'll... I'll see what I can do."

I stayed a moment more to see that the man who traveled with us was attempting his best to calm and even cheer up the little Echani girl. I waved to her for a moment but just as I did so, she was starting to lead the man. Lowering my hand, I shrugged my shoulders and walked away. Turning towards the two that were walking towards the other child that was playing with coconuts. Currently, he was letting them drop to the ground. As the two closed the distance, I decided to help the young man out who was up in the trees.

Breathing in and out like my brother had taught me, I did the best I could to raise a single pillar of sand. Slowly flowing from around the tree like a wave that collected into one spot only a couple centimeters from it. Flowing upwards to be right underneath the young one. It was intended to act like a stepping stool. Even weight bearing should he want to use it.

"You uh... may want to be careful when climbing trees."

Why is it that children always had to climb trees? The height of being in the air, and then the trees were not as stable as any kind of grounded structure. Even my sand was more formidable than a tree swaying with the breeze.

[member="Emberly Carrick"], [member="Adiara Drelas"], [member="Esis Nas"], [member="Saok Mahl"], [member="Sobaan Palle"], [member="Atefeh Lorr"],

 

[Esis Nas]

The Zelosian's eyes lingered on Damien for a moment as he left, she hoped he found a way to have fun and spend a good day. It was always more difficult for the older ones to found entertainment, it was the moment when most of them started to abandon Padawan Kesh to follow to the next step in their path: becoming padawans. Even then, Damien was a special case since he had recently joined the Order.

Her gaze then shifted back to Adiara and little Emberly. She was surprised by his ability to calm her down, he seemed caring and understanding of children. Those qualities were rare, and she knew she had only met a handful of people that could successfully put them into work. In her opinion, he looked like someone who would do very well in Padawan Kesh. She'd make sure to mention it to him later.

Emberly looked more calm as she started leading him onto the beach. This brought a bright smile to Esis' face, a joyful and proud expression. She looked at Adiara, not daring to interrupt the moment but trying to convey in that look how surprised and happy she was to see his words inspire such confidence in the little girl. She nodded slightly, the smile apparently unmovable from her lips. "Its the first time she reacts like this to someone." Esis voice extended trough the force into Adiara's mind, some form of gratitude and admiration laced in it. There was nothing that brought greater joy to her than to see the children under her care happy, pulled from the shadows that plagued them.

[member="Adiara Drelas"] [member="Emberly Carrick"]

 

[Sobaan Palle]

"Why?"

He asked, looking at the sand with curiosity. Reaching out his foot, he pushed against the sand and then shrugged and chopped some more coconuts down with the sliver of stone he'd found. When he was satisfied he'd knocked down enough of them for everyone to have some, he rolled so he was holding on with his legs and was leaning backwards off the tree and looking down at the boy who'd said something about climbing trees. Clearly he didn't know who he was talking to. This was pretty tame for Sobaan. He grinned at the boy and completely ignored the pillar of sand. This was nothing for him, and he was in perfect control of himself. Well, there were a couple of younger younglings heading their way. An Ithorian? He thought that's what it was, at least. And a girl.

"Watch out!" he exclaimed before reaching back and pushing off the tree, somersaulting through the air to land on the sand near Damien.

He only stumbled for a second on the landing before righting himself and heading over to the coconuts. Using the sliver of stone, he chopped the top off of one and offered it to him.

"Drink? It's very tasty if it's like the ones I'm used to. And when you're done, you can eat the inside, too. Very good for you."

[member="Damien Imura"] [member="Saok Mahl"] [member="Atefeh Lorr"]

 

[Lief]

"Attagirl, thank you so much Snowflake."

With her hand now in his he allowed her to lead him down from the ship and toward the sand and surf. Her chest had puffed out, head lifted, and it was at this point that the still fresh scar across her throat made itself known to him. Rage boiled within him, just below the surface, yet he did a very good job of making it difficult for anyone else around him to notice. Anyone except for [member="Esis Nas"] that was, given that the woman decided to speak to him telepathically around the same time.

What sort of monster does that to a child? came the man's response, somehow managing to keep a smile upon his lips as the sun fell over their skin. Inhaling through his nose in hopes that it would keep his voice from betraying him, he looked down to her after a few steps.

"Have you ever played with the sand before, Emmie? It's fun to get your hands messy and make towers, though the Force can help with making them too..."

Adiara very rarely used the Force, he saw it as a burden, a hindrance, to himself. It was the Force which had led to him being dragged from his home on Morellia after all. But if he could use this moment to teach her something as well as have some fun? Well then wasn't that a perfect afternoon! It was surprising, the difference in the man depending on who he was around. Were these Je'daii even a little bit older his whole demeanor would have been different.

His eyes drifted back to the scar on the girl's neck, and he had to bite his tongue to avoid asking about it. Maybe when he had gained a little more of her trust he would, it wasn't as though he didn't have his own war wounds to show. Make her realize that it was okay to speak about it.

[member="Emberly Carrick"]

 

[Valgærd]

I had noticed a boy, a couple of years older than me.

He waved. I lifted my fingers and waved back a little before he turned away. I'd noticed him on the transport, he seemed a little quiet as well. Maybe... maybe if I had a chance later on, I would even say hello to him. But right now, with the sun warming my face, I listened to Adi's question. As we walked along the sand, I could feel my feet sinking into it a little bit. I shook my head as I stopped for a moment, leaning down to unbuckle my shoes and pull them off.

"No, sir." I replied quietly, placing my shoes neatly on the sand, tucking my socks into them.

I walked a little further down the beach, to where the sand was wet enough to hold its shape, and dropped to my knees. The sand felt soft and warm between my toes, and without even thinking, the first thing I did when I dropped to my knees was to dig my hands into it. It felt warm, the little tiny grains seeming to massage my skin. I dug my hands around in the sand a little, forgetting for the moment why I was there. It felt so... nice, like diving my hands into a pair of warm gloves that moved around my fingers when I wiggled them. I'd never felt anything like it.

I giggled.

Moving my hands around in the sand, the tickling sensation grew a little stronger. The giggling turned into laughing. A broad smile had found its way onto my face. It felt like ages went by as I just dug my hands around in the sand, giggling all the while. The scar on my neck had begun to itch a little, and I dropped my head to rub my chin against my collarbone, trying to soothe it without getting sand all over myself.

Finally, I glanced up to Adi. I had almost forgotten he was there. My smile faltered somewhat as the shame and guilt crept onto my face, burning into my cheeks,

"S-sorry, Adi." I murmured, "how do we make a tower out of sand?"


[member="Adiara Drelas"] | [member="Damien Imura"]