Ke barjurir gar'ade, jagyc'ade kot'la a dalyc'ade kotla'shya.

[Alan]

Tracyn's eyes danced over the crowd, all the various faces. He sat down on the bench, feeling it creak and bend beneath his combined weight of muscle and armor. He was getting leaner, more toned in his muscular structure than before, rather than brutishly large like he had been previously. He was glad to be relaxed, running his bare hands over his face. Bare hands. Crushgaunts were no good to touch your face with, the metal was hard and cold, and brought him no relief. He ran his hands upwards through his face, before they both receded to his hair, running his hand through his curly blonde hair. Then, he felt eyes on him. Instincts taught him to look for a shooter, but it was closer. And non-threatening.

And didn't belong to anyone, but an innocent little girl, who he couldn't place his finger on, but reminded him someone or another. Tracyn blinked, before half turning to her. Maybe it was the lightsaber. Maybe it was the Beskar'gam. Maybe it was the hair. Didn't hurt to ask.


"Hello."

[member="Rhiari Saffia"]

 

[Lief]

She had not been on Coruscant for very long yet the journey with Phylis, as lovely as the woman had been, had proven too much for her to handle. For one she had never been on a starship before, nor in so much company. She was out of her comfort zone and needed some space, and Phylis had permitted her time to compose herself. Rhiari did not venture too far away from the Jedi Temple itself, but far enough that she could collect her thoughts and recollect on all that had happened. The heavy hums of Coruscant's busy urban sprawl was all she really heard, her hearing quite poor especially in an unfocused environment such as the city.

It was just a bench, by itself on the side of a busy lane. Yet at that moment in time it was Rhiari's sanctuary. Settling down she watched the air speeders zip by overhead, men, women, children and species' which she couldn't even determine the age or gender of hurried by, absorbed in their own small lives.

Creek.

Someone had settled down beside her, and without thinking she turned her gaze across to him. Something about him drew her in, and she genuinely stared for a good few moments...

[member="Tracyn Ordo"]

 

[Alan]

Tracyn turned away from the girl, placing his hands on his knees. The faded knuckle tattoos creased as he tapped his hands on his armored knee, bringing his eyes around the room. Closing his eyes, he listened. While he was at the bottom of the lake at Vendaxa, he heard the roaring of the water as storms moved, the gentle stirs from fish, the clash of predators above him.

Here, it was so much more to listen for. People talking as they went by. People moving, in their infinitely interesting lives that he would never know the details of. It brought a smile to his face, as he turned back to the girl.

"My name is Tracyn. What's your name?"


He was not unnerved by the staring for some reason.

[member="Rhiari Saffia"]

 

[Lief]

The man looked away, and for a brief moment she worried that she had offended him... But when he glanced back in her direction a smile had settled upon his lips. That relieved her: as little as she was able to handle being around others, she despised the thought of hurting or offending someone. It was only then that she realised he had tried to speak to her, and a very small frown formed upon her lips.

"I'm sorry, Sir, what did you say?"

The confusion on her face made the strain of her hearing somewhat apparent, and her gaze instinctively slipped to his lips while still reading his expression at large.

[member="Tracyn Ordo"]

 

[Alan]

Tracyn picked up on the possible hearing loss, and spoke not loudly, but more distinctly and moved his lips slower to perhaps help her understand the words better. A blinking of his eyes and a smile from his lips marked the friendly nature he possessed.

"My name is Tracyn Ordo."

He felt as though, he knew the girl in a way. He wasn't sure how. Maybe it was because of her padawanhood? Or maybe it was because there was another reason, a reason he couldn't place his finger on.


[member="Rhiari Saffia"]

 

[Lief]

That she understood, and she inclined her head softly in thanks of his considerate form of speaking. "Hello, Tracyn" she said, his name spoken a little oddly compared to how it ought to given both her accent and slight deafness. For a moment she sat there, silent and staring at him, before realising he likely expected her to return the gesture.

"I'm Rhiari" she managed, eyes drifting over his armour. "Are you a bounty hunter?" Rhiari was not familiar with Mandalorians, but Bounty Hunters were common place upon the streets of Saffia. Rich men liked to have their enemies taken care of, after all.

[member="Tracyn Ordo"]

 

[Alan]

Her accent matched his own, and it brought a small smile to his face. Leaning back, he crossed his legs, nodding his head.

"Rhiari..." He repeated, getting the name right. It felt right rolling along his tongue, and falling off of it. Like it meant something more, but he couldn't place the exact definition of what that was.


He turned and gave a hearty laugh."No, I'm not a Bounty Hunter. Never have been." He said, chuckling, before half turning to her.


"I'm actually a Jedi."


[member="Rhiari Saffia"]

 

[Lief]

She frowned ever so slightly, pointing to the armour he wore. "But you're all done up like a bounty hunter, not a Jedi, Mister!" Rubbing at the back of her neck she thought for a moment longer. "Do you have to fight a lot? Is that why you're wearing armour?"

The thought of people being confrontational scared her: she had heard a lot of history regarding wars and skirmishes from the old man back in Saffia.

"I'm going to be a Jedi too... I hope" it depended on whether Phylis meant everything she'd said. While she had no reason to doubt the woman who'd helped her off Serenno she'd been let down a lot in the past. It was simply part and parcel of her existence.

[member="Tracyn Ordo"]

 

[Alan]

[member="Rhiari Saffia"] had heard a lot, but obviously didn't know much. Tracyn leaned forward. Good question. Why did he still wear the armor? Why didn't he make his own? There were equally good materials, and perhaps he didn't need a thick layer of armor to protect him in combat. Jedi typically didn't hinder themselves with such heavy equipment like he did. He found himself, for at least a moment, unable to find a definitive answer for her. But at least, he could give her a reason to why he wore it.

"I fight all the time. All my life, really. I used to be a Mandalorian. I used to be a very good Mandalorian."He left it at that. He turned and raised a brow. He lightly nudged her with his elbow.

"Hopefully, you do alright. I've seen Jedi, and known Jedi, and you seem to have the right stuff for it. At least, I hope."There was a sting of familiarity in her features, something he was beginning to wish wasn't true.

 

[Lief]

She chewed on her lower lip, unbeknownst to Rhiari in a way which mimicked her Mother before her, and allowed her gaze to linger down at her feet for just a moment. "Will they make me fight, too?" she sheepishly asked. Rhiari did not like to fight or to see others fighting... Of course she'd help if she needed to.

"I mean, I'd want to protect people but... Would I have to hurt people too?" It had been gnawing at her mind, especially after hearing some of the tales the Old Man of Saffia used to tell her. "I want to help."

[member="Tracyn Ordo"]

 

[Alan]

Tracyn looked down. The girl could tell he was ashamed of what he had done, what he had to do nearly daily to protect people. He turned to face her. He sighed, leaning forward and running a hand through his hair.


"Sometimes, it's not a matter of what you want to do, it's what you have to do. No one can make you do anything. But sometimes protecting one person or another group of people means that you'll have to fight."


[member="Rhiari Saffia"]

 

[Lief]

[member="Tracyn Ordo"]

She looked up when she saw him moving, just in time to catch his words. She continued to chew on her lower lip for a few moments, mulling it over with her head tilted to one side. "I understand" she said, in that Seren-serious tone - far too solemn for a child of her age. "And if I become a Jedi... Then protecting people is my duty, right?"

She stared right up at him, not at his lips but into his eyes. Her own were like his, only the colouring was a little bit off, almost a blue hint in them. They were like her Fathers, not that she knew as much, but she was very clearly an Epicanthix also, given the epicanthic fold.

[member="Tracyn Ordo"]

 

[Alan]

"A Jedi doesn't have just a singular duty. A Jedi's duty is to protect life. It's a broad term, and it applies to every situation you can think of, really." His voice was solemn, and almost like he needed to tell himself that more than her.



He heard the tone. That tone that he heard many times. It made his gray eyes flicker, his tongue cluck in thought. He didn't outwardly show it. That would give him away. He began to have his suspicions. His own worries about where she came from. Why now? A few moments, with screeching Doppler effects of passing speeders, and the busy footsteps of those around him.


"Where are you from, Miss [member="Rhiari Saffia"]?" He inquired. She could see a very peculiar marking sticking from his neck, something that only a few people had seen, thanks to his tendency to remain armored and protected when he wasn't alone.

It was part of a larger tattoo, a relic of a woman long past that had affected him so much- and would continue to do so.

 

[Lief]

She bit her lip for a moment, being a Jedi seemed very difficult... But the chance to help people was one she could not pass up. "Saffia" she murmured, "that's on Serenno..." Her eyes slipped down to the marking on his neck, and instinctively she began to reach up towards it, unable to stop herself.

"How long have you been a Jedi?" she asked, dropping her hand and lifting her gaze up to him slowly. It would not do to be rude, and besides she could feel a cacophony of emotions flowing from him. Had she done or said something wrong?

[member="Tracyn Ordo"]