Private I Stand Alone

[Pitie]

The young-looking woman was actually several hundred years old. This did not mean she acted that old. Her soul was old, and her body was young. She had been through life, death, and life again. She had traveled the Netherworld agelessly for 400 years and, for the past 50 or so, had lived in solitude in the forests of Veradune. Now, she wanted to learn about the Galaxy beyond her home.

Even though she was not a social creature, she was able to hire transportation to H'ratth. On the flight there, she had secluded herself to the best of her ability and sat alone at the rear of the ship. Growling like a feral animal whenever anybody got close, her message was clear, and she wasn't disturbed.

When the transport landed, she rushed off, and the sounds of anger followed her out of the spaceport. Pitié didn't care, and she kept moving. She would likely try to bite at them if anybody tried to get in her way or stop her from moving. At the very least, she would growl and continue on her way.

Little did the teen know, but these people were paying attention to where she was going. They gave her the room she needed and wanted while alerting the Jedi. None of the people here could easily care for the wild child hiding in their forests and stealing their livestock. They didn't know for sure if Pitié was the thief, but they suspected it. Either way, they wanted to be rid of the girl.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

Valery looked up from her datapad and perked a brow. The forest up ahead is where the locals had reported the child going into, but all of it felt a little strange. A child had taken transport on her own, growled, and nearly clawed at people to disappear into the woods alone? Where were her parents? Why did she come to this planet of all places? Too many questions and she had no answers just yet.

She had to find the kid.

Knowing she wasn't fond of being near others, Valery stepped into the forest cautiously and made a quiet approach. She didn't want to startle the girl and get her to run, nor did she want to provoke a more aggressive reaction. All she wanted was to talk and be able to understand her.

One step at a time, Valery drew closer.

Pitie ​

 

[Pitie]

While Valery might have had many questions she wanted answered, the girl only had a few. They mainly dealt with where her next meal was going to come from. Having a high metabolism meant Pitié needed to eat quite often. For the people keeping the livestock, she was a pest. Paying more attention to what the chickens were doing, she did not notice Valery's approach.

Grabbing the nearest chicken before it could escape, she broke its neck and ran back into the forest with it. Getting far enough away from the coup to not be seen, the teen started eating the raw bird. One of the steps made by Valery was heard, and an ear turned in that direction as she chewed on the food she had stolen.

Finishing her bite, she set the chicken on the ground and turned to look toward the approaching Jedi. Not yet startled or scared, Pitié stayed in place, she also remained silent.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

"A curious one, aren't you?" Valery asked as soon as she made her approach. The girl had noticed her, Valery could tell, so rather than trying to make it seem as if she was sneaking up on her, Valery changed her approach and wasn't hiding herself. She stood in the open, her posture relaxed and her hands where they could be seen. No weapons drawn and nothing in her eyes that suggested the girl should feel threatened.

She wanted her to remain calm.

"But you shouldn't steal, even if you're hungry." She glanced down at the remains of the chicken and softly sighed. "I'm Valery, a Jedi Master from the New Jedi Order."

"What's your name?"

Pitie ​

 

[Pitie]

Tilting her head as Valery spoke, it was as if the girl didn't entirely understand everything. Watching the body language of the Jedi, Pitié could see she had no weapons in her hands and didn't seem to want to hurt her. Her hand stayed near the chicken and appeared to be guarding the food.

"Curious?"

In the years since she had died and then been brought back to life, her interaction with people had been minimal. So, the teen had somewhat lost her ability to speak much and understood less. When she was asked what her name was... she understood. Pointing a dirty and bloody finger at her torso, she said one word.

"Pitié."

It sounded like she had said pity, and this was the only name she knew for herself.

Lowering her hand, she returned it to the chicken, which she picked up again to take another bite. Holding it up as an offering, she blinked her eyes a couple of times before trying to talk again.

"You want?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

"No, but thank you," Valery said when the girl offered to share her food. While it wasn't something Valery was interested in at all, the fact she was willing to share was a good sign. It meant she had a certain level of trust in Valery, and that she wasn't afraid or worried that she'd be harmed.

A small step, but an important one.

"I'd like to know more about you, though," Valery continued, as she crouched down to bring herself at eye-level with the girl. Through the Force, she felt the girl's Force sensitivity and everything she was seeing now, made that quite a dangerous thing. The Force when uncontrolled could cause severe harm to people, and Pitie here seemed rather wild.

She needed someone to help her.

"Are your parents anywhere? Or other family?"

Pitie ​

 

[Pitie]

Lifting the rejected chicken to her mouth again, Pitié took another bite while listening to the other woman. Finally getting to the bird's meat, she focused on that while Valery spoke. One ear remained tilted at her, and the other twitched at the various sounds of the forest around them.

"Dead. Gone. Just me. Pitié."

Finishing off the chicken, she threw it away into the woods. Anything she hadn't taken from it would continue to feed others after she left.

Looking at Valery, they were sitting at the same level, and Pitié did not feel like she was being challenged. This was good, and it put the girl at ease. There was still a feral sense around her, though.

"Do you have family?"

The words were spoken slowly, carefully, and mostly clear. A sign that maybe the wild child could become a part of civilization.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

She was alone.

Valery frowned at the idea and briefly looked around, almost as if she hoped that someone would show up for the girl anyway. But there was nobody there. Valery's gaze returned when she was asked a question. One that brought a gentle smile to her lips, "I have a very big family. A husband and 7 children." Some adopted, but they were as much her children to her as the others. One big, happy family.

Both her tone and smile revealed just how proud she was of them.

"Would you be okay coming with me? I can get you some good food and maybe find you a nice place to rest. This isn't really safe, not for you or the people who live here."

Pitie ​

 

[Pitie]

Pitié slowly blinked her eyes at the pause from Valery. Maybe it was a sign of not wishing to be perceived as a danger, or maybe it was a sign she wanted to be friends. Perhaps it was a bit of both. In the end, she sat down on the ground in a manner that indicated she was comfortable. Flat on her rear end and in a position that would take a few seconds to get up from.

Listening as Valery answered her question when the number was given, she raised a hand and counted seven. It boggled her mind, and she shook her head.

"I am safe."

While it was a simple statement, there was some confidence in her tone. As young as she appeared, she had spent the last half of a century in the wilds of Veradune. This planet was not a threat to her, or so she thought. Ashen hair fell as Pitié looked at the ground before returning her yellow gaze to the other woman.

"Go where?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

"You're safe now," Valery agreed with a smile. "But the people here don't know who you are and you ate an animal that belongs to them. It can scare those people and when people are afraid, they won't make you feel safe anymore." She was trying to explain it in a simple way, but the reality was that she was concerned. If Valery didn't somehow help her out, the locals were surely going to take matters into their own hands.

Perhaps even get violent if they felt it was necessary.

"You have a very special connection to something we call the Force. Maybe you've felt it before? It can let you move something without touching it. Or you feel something happen before it really happens." A lot of Force-sensitives would have used the Force long before it was officially discovered.

Maybe the same applied to her.

"You can use that gift to help people if you'd like."

Pitie ​

 

[Pitie]

The young woman nodded almost sagely when Valery agreed she was safe now. Her eyebrows furrowed together as the Jedi continued.

"It was free food like wild food. Pitié caught and ate as you saw me eat. Will they hunt me, too? That happened before. Pitié lost."

One of her hands lifted slightly and motioned to her back. On it were scars from her death. Not raising her shirt, all she could do was give Valery a hint about something that happened to her when she was first trialed. Bringing her arm down and resting her hands in her lap again, she was silent while Valery explained her connection to the Force.

Shaking her head, she had yet to touch the Force.

"If Pitié could have felt her death before it happened, she would have stopped it. No Force here."

Something she hadn't considered was her speed. While the Zorren were trained in martial combat, her ability to avoid most capture attempts and catch food...She used the Force without knowing it.

"Why help when they do not help?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

There was a hint of pain in Valery's eyes when the girl explained she had been hurt before. It wasn't uncommon for people all across the Galaxy to lash out against those they do not understand, but it was a terrible shame. The mere idea that someone had struck her made Valery's skin crawl, and all she wanted to do was shield the girl from more hurt. But the Jedi life was a path that was chosen. She couldn't force Pitie to become one.

She couldn't force her to do anything, but she almost desperately wanted the girl to accept, or at least consider a choice that'd bring her away from here. Away from potential danger.

"I'm a Jedi," Valery finally explained. "We're all people who can use the Force, and we choose to use it to help others. So, I want to help you, too. Whether you want to become a Jedi or not, I care about you being safe and staying safe."

Pitie ​

 

[Pitie]

"Why you look hurt?"

As they talked for a few minutes, Pitié started trusting the other woman. Since Valery had not made any fast moves or tried to grab Pitié, she was relaxing more. Tilting her head in confusion, she wanted to hear more from Valery.

"How do you help?"

Her tail swayed back and forth behind her as she waited to hear the answer. Around them, the birds were chirping, and if there were any loud noises, Pitié jumped a little.

"Safe is good. Pitié wants to be safe."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

"Because I understand what you've been through," Valery explained with a soft smile. That and she despised the idea of someone so young being hurt just for who she is. If there was even a small chance for her to take away that pain, she'd do it. But in reality, Valery knew so many others were suffering, and it was simply too much for her to stop on her own.

Even all Jedi combined couldn't end this kind of suffering in the Galaxy.

"Well, first I'd like to bring you with me. To one of our Temples, where you can eat and drink as much as you'd like. We'll get you new clothes and you can freshen up if you'd like," Valery said.

"After that, the choice is all yours. You can stay but I can also help you find a different home you might like."

Pitie ​

 

[Pitie]

While Pitié, for the most part, was very friendly, she could still have her moments of anger. When Valery said she understood what she had been through, anger flashed across her expression quickly. Even though the Jedi tried to soothe her nerves, the girl felt the emotion rise. It didn't linger in Pitié long and was gone as quickly as it had come.

Breathing in and out of her nose, Pitié calmly listened to what Valery was saying. Nodding slowly, she was accepting what was being offered.

"That is nice. Thank you."

Smiling slightly, Pitié got up and walked over to the other woman. She kept a hold of her dead bird but seemed ready to go with the Jedi.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

Valery didn't respond to the emotional reaction at all. She was used to it, having raised a large number of children. What mattered most was that calmed back down again and seemed open to joining her, "Leave the bird here. I have much better food at the ship and dead animals aren't very healthy to bring along." The last thing she wanted was to get sick because the kid dragged around a dead creature.

She could eat chicken on the shuttle if she so desired.

"I can also get you a very comfortable bed. Maybe a warm shower?" She had no idea if the girl would enjoy that or not, but she at least wanted to expose her to her options.

She wanted her to feel at ease.

Pitie​

 

[Pitie]

Pitié tilted her head as Valery told her to leave her food behind. Even though there were reasons stated, she gripped the bird a little tighter. Clutching it to her chest, the girl was reluctant to give it up quickly or easily.

"Mine."

Standing up to her full height, she was much shorter than Valery if she had been standing. Moving to seem to hide the chicken behind her, Pitié didn't let go of it.

"Sleep is good. Is it safe?"

Golden eyes glanced around as if she expected an attack to happen to her.

Valery Noble