Private It's Not Over Yet

[Cadere]

Commenor
Some Park

Cas had taken a few days off to visit his former Master, Sakadi, and check on how she was finding the new scenery since her transfer from Kashyyyk to Commenor. That, and he wanted to see the place for himself. The planet itself was gorgeous, just enough metropolitan and the right amount of nature to go with it. Truth be told, he wanted to transfer here too at some point but unfortunately, with a Padawan came responsibilities and so, for now, he would remain on Kashyyyk to support Yenna.

The first few days of his stay were relatively decent, the first day Cas spent being shown around the Temple by Sakadi while the second was spent exploring the city itself. However, being the cryptic person she was - the night before the Sephi had told Cas to meet her at some park in the afternoon and that was all that was said on the matter.

Today, the young Jedi Knight was en route to 'some park', following the coordinates that his dear friend had sent him earlier that morning. On the way there, Cas had thought of his relationship with her and of their bond - he cared for her deeply, as a younger brother would his eldest sister and because of these feelings he debated on whether this was the time to tell her about his former relationship with Tess. He knew it would be the perfect time of course, seeing as they both had nothing going on currently but he cringed at the thought of her reaction to keeping a big secret like that from her for nearly three years.

Regardless, it was high time he told her. Coming up on the large park where he was supposed to meet her, he couldn't help but feel mild nervousness as he sensed her presence grow stronger with every step he took in the emerald region - he didn't need to see the future to know this'd probably end on a low note.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Oh how she had missed this. The traffic, the people, even the smell of a metropolis like Commenor made her reminisce about the past. She had many bad memories tied to the stage and her career, but had always found joy in her walks back to the luxurious apartments of the Sinvala family. It made her wonder if her family still had those apartments on the other metropolis planets among their assets.

The Jedi Master sat on a bench in the middle of the park, hands folded in her lap as she waited for her former student to arrive. The park itself was located in one of the more wealthy districts on Commenor. It was well maintained, and gave its visitors the privacy some of the citizens desperately longed for. To her, it was nothing special. The botanic gardens of the Temple were twice as beautiful, with many exotic flowers and plants from all over the galaxy. But unlike the Temple gardens, this was a place where she wouldn't be disturbed by over eager Younglings, Padawans, or members of the Service corps. No, this was a good place to escape to.

Once she felt the presence of her Padawan nearing, Sakadi rose from the bench, ready to greet him with a warm and welcoming smile. Like her, Cas had been busy. It had a direct impact on their contact, as they rarely had time to visit each other or have a meaningful conversation. But luckily, his most recent visit had given them exactly that. Some much needed time to catch up.

That was why she had, for the occasion, gone out of her way to prepare a picnic. All the essential stuff was in the basket that rested on the bench; a large variety of sandwiches, a mudhorn egg salad, wraps, you name it, she brought it. Special thanks to the Temple's kitchen personnel.

When she spotted her former student, the Master swiftly reached out. "Good afternoon, Cas. Are you enjoying the view?" The park was elevated high above Commenor's ground level, which gave it a beautiful view of the capital city. "I do hope it was worth the trip."

​

 

[Cadere]

A broad smile shaped on his face when he heard the Sephi's gentle yet angelic voice (honestly, she could totally be a singer) in his mind. He would project back to her "Afternoon." after he heard her question, he realised he hadn't actually taken a moment to take in the view yet. Looking around him, he made sure to take in every inch of the scenery, from the freshly cut grass, the flowers, trees all the way to the colossal skycrapers that surrounded the park's exterior. Once he was close enough to her, he spoke with his natural voice "It's amazing. Honestly." he confessed

For a moment, Cas was uncharacteristically silent as he nervously reached to hold the back of his neck. The Kiffar flashed her an awkward smile as he looked down on her, should he do it now? Was it even the right time? He could imagine how completely left-field it'd be if someone had dropped a three year secret on him not even two seconds after saying 'hello, how are you'. Cas subtly parted his lips for a brief second, before pursing them closed - he raised his shoulders high as he took a deep breath and then lowered them to a slouch as he exhaled. Not yet. He needed a better time.

Glancing behind her, he spotted a basket placed on the bench he assumed she was previously sat on, he pointed at it at a low angle as a puzzled smile quirked on his lips "Hey, what's that?" he asked in a slight chuckle. Cas glanced around the park again before returning his gaze to the lavender-skinned Jedi, his eyebrow raised and he calmly folded his hands into his jacket pockets "Why'd you wanna meet here anyway?" he asked "You weren't exactly forthcoming about your vagueness yesterday."

Sakadi was without a doubt an elusive individual, it was times like this where the Jedi Knight wondered if he had actually adapted her tendency for secrecy. Or, if it was completely a trait of his own that he and Sakadi happened to share. Maybe even it was some twisted result of their bond in the Force.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Cas's remark on the view made the Sephi glance at the skyscrapers herself again. It was weird to stand in such a tranquil place, in the middle of a city like this. Gazing at the impressive skyscrapers and the traffic down below distracted her well enough to not notice the awkward silence. It was only when Cas commented on the basket, that she would snap out of her little daydream again.

"Oh that. I brought us lunch. I hope you haven't eaten yet, it's quite packed." The Jedi projected, walking back over to the bench to pick up the basket. In her usual fashion, she ignored the prying questions of the Kiffar. No, instead she would focus on something that gave less clarity. Leaning back a bit to lift the heavy basket, Sakadi turned. Eyes narrowing a bit as she scanned the park. "Let's see, what's a good spot? Near that tree seems nice, what do you think?" A change of subject was almost always a guarantee with the Sephi, and she made no attempts to hide or diminish that fact.

Despite not wanting to share this day's schedule, she had planned it thoroughly. There was a lot they needed to do. Eat first, then meditation, followed by the actual exercises she had in mind. And there were many, for she believed that it was time he advanced in his level of mastery. Starting by honing the techniques he already knew.

"On second thought, there's probably a bit too much shade near that tree...."​

 

[Cadere]

His face lit up in contained excitement as a large grin plastered each corner of his face - he had already eaten but the Kiffar just loved to eat. "Oh, man! You spoil me too much!" he exclaimed, rubbing his gloved and exposed hand together creating an unusual sound from it. The young Jedi was eager to see what was inside the basket, as his mind drifted to a ridiculous amount of bantha burgers inside.

But of course, she didn't answer his follow-up questions - rolling his eyes in a playful manner, his eyes narrowed on to her and he gave smirked with one eyebrow raised "So, that's what you're doing? Okay, surprise it is then." he playfully relented, holding his arms slightly high in defeat. He was half expecting it to be honest, she did it all the time back when he was under her tutelage but now that he wasn't he expected some things to be a little different, however, the Sephi was an 'old habits die hard' kinda person - well, at least that's what he thought.

Back to the current matter at hand, probably the most decision of the day, where would they seat to eat? The location could make or break the entire picnic. He nodded, agreeing with Sakadi "Yeah, you could be right." he replied hooking his fingers to his chin. Scanning the park, he found a few suitable areas to lay down the picnic - a bench and table just a few metres away from them and large portion of the park completely exposed to the planet's sun.

He turned round and pointed to some of the trees in the distance, near the edge of the park "What about over there? At the trees near the pillar, there's a nice amount of space, some pretty bushes and--" he stopped himself as he was about to ramble "Come on." he said chuckling at himself. Like the gentleman he was, Cas reached over to the lavender skinned Jedi and casually took the basket handle to carry it before heading toward the site he had chosen.

During the short walk there, he bit his lip slightly "Sakadi, you're pretty much my family y'know - so, I appreciate this time we have." he stated with a smile, nudging her arm slightly. While he meant every word of what he said, a small part of him was buttering her up before eventually dropping the 'bomb' on her. Finally reaching the small fielded area near the large pillar, he turned to Sakadi "Take your pick."

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

It was decided then. The spot near the pillar was satisfactory for both of them. "I know." she softly responded to Cas's remark. She appreciated it, but it was difficult for the Sephi to think of 'family' in an affectionate way. Her parents had always been cold, dismissive and controlling. The only moments when they weren't, was during her performances or practices. It was decades ago, but she would never forget how their opinions had ruled her life. The harming opinions of those she considered family.

"Right here then." she'd convey, pulling the blanket from the basket that Cas had so kindly offered to carry. With a little telekinetic help of the Force, the Sephi would place the blanket on the park's soft and grassy soil. "You can place the basket over there." She'd absently instruct him, as her gaze drifted to the skyscrapers again. Reminiscing about family made her wonder what had become of her little sister. Was she still living on Thustra? In the hell she had abandoned?

"So how have you been doing as of late? Enjoying the privileges of being a Knight?"

Cadere ​

 

[Cadere]

He nodded, agreeing with her decision before placing the basket down where she had told him to. Kneeling down on the blanket, Cas dug his hands through the picnic basket and pulled out some sandwiches, passing one to Sakadi before unwrapping his own and taking a bite out of it. His ears perked at the Sephi's question, his eyes lit up for a moment, clearly expressing excitement on telling her how he'd been.

Mouth still full, he answered "Yeah! Muchff more freedomff, leth Masterth getting mad at me forff my escapadeth." flashing her a wink. After answering her question, he continued chewing on the sandwich before chuckling "Having a Padawan isn't as bad as I thought either... me and Yen have our rough patches but we're making things work." he revealed with a smile "I think she's got the makings of a great Jedi."

He smiled, she was great. Another thought then occurred to him as his eyes narrowed onto the lavender skinned Master "Hey..." he said, taking another bite and swallowing it in one large gulp "You've replaced me, right?" Cas asked her with a smirk "That Twi'lek girl from the Temple... she was with us during the mass droid malfunction, yeah? How is she? More well-behaved than me?" he continued, quipping in his last sentence.

Cas didn't know much about Sakadi's new Padawan but he knew that she was in great hands - the Sephi was one of the greatest Jedi he ever knew, and... not to toot his own horn or anything, the reason why he was a pretty damned good Jedi was owed all to Sakadi.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

A soundless chuckle escaped from the Sephi as Cas immediately responded."Don't talk with your mouth full! Has nobody taught you manners?" She conveyed, taking small bites of the sandwich Cas offered herself. One of the perks of her disembodied voice was that she could actually speak properly with her mouth full. "But I'm glad to hear things worked out between you two. And her becoming a great Jedi? That'll fully depend on her Master." she teased, her eyes following the small bird-like animals that flew through the park. They settled back on her former student as he mentioned Mi'la

"Replace? No one can be replaced. I took her in because she has the makings of a great Jedi, if taught properly." She responded with a calm tone. "But if you really want to know, yes, she's more well-behaved than you were. Probably stronger in the Force as well." She'd pause for a few seconds. "I'm kidding, don't worry about it." she continued with a playful smile.

Cadere ​

 

[Cadere]

Even though Sakadi was teasing, she was right - he snickered and began fiddling with his sandwich, picking off bits of the bread "No such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher, right?" Cas agreed with her, but also gave her a smug smile as a way to playfully dis her for the way he turned out. He never thought of himself as a good student, but, that was most definitely his own fault.

"You wound me, old Master." Cas exclaimed at Sakadi's joke about Mi'la being stronger in the Force than him, dropping his sandwich and clutching his heart as he dramatically fell onto his back. He had to commit to the bit. Laying on the blanket, motionless for a few seconds he decided to sit back up "I know, I'm not worried. Just..." he paused, picking up his surprisingly still in tact sandwich "... being nosy." Cas would conclude, taking another bite into his sandwich.

The Kiffar took the next few moments to finish off his sandwich, Sakadi's joke did make him wonder how strong he actually was in the Force. It was difficult to theorise his potential when he hardly studied its aspects - could his connection just meet the criteria required to be considered Force-sensitive? Or maybe he was much stronger than he thought. Sakadi's joke may have unintentionally struck a nerve to the Knight's ego.

His lips formed into a thin line as he squeezed them against each other tight, Cas slouched his shoulders and sighed "Come on, Sakadi. I know you, no way you'd invite me out here without some kinda plan in mind." he urged her, a hint of both impatience and desperation in his voice - desperation to figure out what the hell's happening today.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

"I know." she replied as her former student sat up again. Unlike him she still kept her perfect posture, even while sitting on a blanket. It felt only natural, and she even caught herself doing so whenever she was on her own. Even back on Shili, she had done her best to somewhat maintain her posture, manners and protocol. Despite everything on that world being so... free. Feral, even.

Her ears shot up as Cas asked her why she had called him over. The desperation in the man's voice was taken note of by the lavender woman, who immediately replied. "What, can't a lonely lady ask for some company now and then? Don't you do this quite often?" It was a subtle jab at how little she knew of his personal life, leave for the few flings she had found out about.

"I invited you here because you'd benefit from mastering more advanced skills. And as your former Master, it is my duty to aid you in mastering them." she calmly explained after her jab.

Cadere ​

 

[Cadere]

Noticing her perfect posture, Sakadi unwittingly revealed a lot of her personality - or in Cas' case, she reminded him. Still unaware of her past, over the years he speculated that she must have come from somewhere high class, due to her mannerisms, the way she talked and other things. For years he'd waited for her to actually reveal everything to him, even now he hoped she'd just get it over with, what was her deal? Didn't she trust him? Was she ashamed?

Returning to his initial question, she met it with a subtle jab which prompted him to frown at her "You're lonely? I could never tell." he calmly fired back, jabbing at her own illusiveness. Finally, she revealed her true intentions of calling him down to the park - it seemed his old Master had some more tricks up her sleeve to pass onto him.

Following her reveal, he smirked at her "Why all the cloak and dagger? You women and your cryptic mentalities." he paused for a moment "I'm kidding. Okay, well, what else do you think you could teach me?" he asked, genuinely curious. It must have been something Force related, seeing as it wasn't a secret to the both of them that he could do with some more improvements. Also, in terms of lightsaber combat, he was closer now more than ever to reaching her level - maybe even surpassing her. At least that's what he told himself.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala