Knight of the Foliage

[Hylocereus]

Hylo was sitting on the ardent green planet. Tears nearly welling in his eyes as he watched the piratical raid. Who was he going to call? Clearly there was only person he could trust. Okay there was a few, but these were pirates. So who best to trust? Obviously he needed to call the pirate assassin Jedi [member="Kana Truden"].

"Help me Kana Truden you're my only hope," the message read simply. "Pirates are raiding my gardens... again. I don't know why. They always pick on me. Please come and help me."

He sent the message to Kana's address. Who else could he call? [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"], [member="Micah Talith"], and [member="Liam Quez"] were also great fighters! And they were friends. Hylo remembered his times with them fondly. He could call aunty Ashin but he's pretty sure she would give a speech on self reliance. Then of course there was Spencer Jacobs, but that would be awkward since they broke up once upon a time.

Another thought permeated his mind. Family. He dreaded making any call to his mother... his sister... well maybe. But he wanted to do this on his own!

Hylo looked out on his fields and frowned. He picked up his sword of thrones and lifted it to the sky. Today he was to become KNIGHT OF THE FOLIAGE grand defender of this sacred grove!

Or maybe he'd just to back to calling his friends for help....

 

[Kana Truden]

Now that was a name Kana had not heard in a very long time. [member="Hylocereus"] had been, probably still was, that one kid that had tried to kiss her. She had avoided it, of course, and gotten snide remarks in return. It was an encounter she remembered and by the looks of the message, so did the kid. By all means, Kana might have been the kid’s only hope and all, but she very much considered staying at home for this one.

But that would have been wrong and irresponsible. What if the kid actually needed the help?

She had packed her bag, left [member="Damian Starchaser"] and [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] a nice note and went on her way. Within it all would be explained. Or well, not really.

‘A kid needs my help, I am sure you understand.

- Kana’

That was a long while ago. By now her ship would be touching down on the lush planet’s surface and Kana with it.

“Hylo?” Kana called out into the great open. “Hylocereus?”

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

@Hylocereus @Kana Truden

PIRATES?

Mara was a Warden of the Sky. Wardens of the Sky did not like pirates. They were also iffy on planets and gardens, but freeze-dried tomo-spiced Karkan ribenes had probably come from nature at some point, so there was that.

The Bullet Time exited hyperspace in short order and began an in-depth scan of the area, looking for piratical nonsense. Sensors detected a higher-than-average concentration of tattoos, bullion, and cane-sugar spirits. Perhaps that was why they'd raided Hylo's garden: they were looking for rum-making materials and other intoxicants. Mara had little doubt that Hylo would grow ryll kor if he could, on the theory that it made people happy and it grew and all things that grew were in his purview. At the very least there would probably be mushrooms.

Mara's scanning intensified.

 

[Hylocereus]

Hylo stood upon the battlements! In one hand he helf his sword of thorns, in the other a shield made from brylark bark affixed to his arm with vines. The battlements, if one could truly call them that, was a large 'wall' erected with thick brush across the perimeter of his property. Well okay it wasn't his, but he owned a percentage of [member="Damian Starchaser"]s company and they owned the land and let him create gardens. It was a mutually beneficial relationship, although Hylo was positive he got the better of the deal. After-all he got to plant things.

"Jedi Assassin Pirate [member="Kana Truden"]!" Hylo called.

He was exhausted from creating the wall. It covered the entire property a number of acres that Hylo himself couldn't count. Granted most of it was still thick jungle with useless vegetation but he had to be sure they couldn't get to him. A yawn emerged from his mouth as he looked down at the woman. "You came," excitedly his voice cracked and a flower bloomed upon his head. Concentrating he lowered a second of "wall" letting the thick underbrush separate allowing the woman inside his perimeter. Perimeters were important, the holovids said so. That was his latest obsession, holovids though truth be told it was only mildly more entertaining than watching plants grow.

"I made a barricade," the exclamation came as he wrapped his arms around Kana in a hug. They almost dated once, but she was too immature. He wondered if she'd grown up at all. "But pirates have ships. They can fly over my wall, and they raided the south west quadrant the other day. They took some of my plants and left. We have to rescue the plants, please Kana please use your Assassin Jedi Pirate skills to help me."

The sounds of engines overhead roared as another ship began its descent to the surface of the planet. "No, the north east now, that's where the workers are sheltered against the raids."


[member="Kana Truden"]n [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Kana Truden"]

Jacen had plenty of faith in [member="Kana Truden"] after what she had been through. However, he made a mental note when he found the letter to have a stern word about making sure she told one of the Marshals where she was going before leaving Sullust.

 

[Kana Truden]

The wall was lowered and Kana was allowed access into the gardens of @Hylocereus.

“I did!” Kana mimicked the joy that the kid displayed before he hugged her. “Hey, kid.”

Or, supposed kid. Ever since Damian there had been a certain difficulty in pinpointing these things. Her student looked nineteen, yet he was around twelve on a purely physical level. One could argue that him being a clone made things different, but for the disgraced Jedi Master the weird feeling of uncertainty was a thing that would most likely never go away.

The kid wrapped himself around her and despite the flashes before her eyelids she wrangled her nerves together and returned the favor. Her hand grazed the petal on his head, patted at the kid’s shoulder and she smiled.

“Good job, Hylo.” She interrupted as the kid mentioned his barricade. The smile on her lips quickly faded though. “Pirates? Again?”

“Alright, show me the way, kid.” Kana pointed to what she was North-East.

It was South-West.

“This is your home turf, bud.”

[member="Hylocereus"] [member="[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]"]

 

[Hylocereus]

Time was of the essence and Hylo started racing across his garden letting [member="Kana Truden"] follow behind him. "Pirates again, always pirates. These guys, they think they are so great!" As they approached a large crop of trees too thick to move through Hylo waved his hands parting them and allow the pair to pass.

That is when something strange happened. Hylo felt the flower on his head twitch and immediately felt the presence of. Mara! he called telepathically to his friend [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]. There are ships moving to the workers housing. I'm afraid for their lives. Myself and Master Jedi Assassin Pirate Kana Truden are moving there as quick as possible. Can you help?

The light of engines could be heard overhead and blaster fire rang out. There was a battle. "I told the workers not to fight, to just give them whatever they want. Kana there is families there."

Hylo's legs pumped with purpose as he began running through the brush. Like a sprite he appeared to be unphased by the foliage. up and over a fallen tree or under a low branch and all without slowing his pace as he moved with a purpose. When he reached the end of the path, a clearing leading to the housing units he was stopped dead in his tracks. Fire. Fire everywhere. His fields were burning, his garden was smoldering, and the people were suffering. "Did I do this?" he asked looking at a pair of pirate corvettes hovering over the buildings as smaller swoops and speeders ran about.l

 

[Kana Truden]

Being back in the field was still taking some adjusting to. Pray as you may, the surface and the wide open spaces that had become available once Kana didn’t live in a cell anymore was... Well, overwhelming to a degree. Kind of like sitting still for four hours in a cramped holovid theater to watch the director’s cut of that one particularly classic Wendon Tarantulo movie. Needless to say the ability to actually use and stretch your legs again would always have that weird sense of relief to it mixed with the incredible discomfort of knowing you couldn’t leave until the sweaty man next to you made way towards the exit.

In this case, the pirates were the sweaty man. Kana was still just herself, wanting to get out. By the very least the same frustration was there. Manageable as it was.

“No, this is the work of idiocy and greed, Hylo. There is no way this can be blamed on you.” Kana reassured the kid as she looked out over the burning fields. “We will get them back for this, don’t worry.”

Hey, all things considered the kid might not even be worrying to begin with.

“Do you know where they are touching down? My jedi-assassin-pirate-spy friend once taught me the basics of sabotage.” Lies. Damian had not taught her that at all. “We should focus on putting these fires out, or if possible destroy any chance they have of a retreat.” Now that was an idea. Kana arched her brows in a merry surprise of her own ‘genius.’

“Hylo, do you have any means to keep their ships grounded to cut off their retreat?”

[member="Hylocereus"]