Private Language of the Flowers

[Jonyna Si]

LOCATION: Ran Dom Kuun​

TAG: Elias Edo Valery Noble

After a long week, Jonyna returned back to the homeworld to simply enjoy herself. Treesurfing across Ran Dom Kuun was about as nostalgic as Jonyna could get these days, but she did so this morning with a purpose. As she flipped through the air, gliding across one branch to another, she had a plan today.

Her fellow council members were coming to visit. She had told him it was under the guise of planning out a new set of armor for the NJO. After all, they had decommissioned the Dooku Armor a while back, and an alternative was needed.

That of course, was on the docket, but it wasn't the real reason they were being invited. Jonyna wanted to take the two of them into the jungle to find a cornerstone of her culture.

To find the Picture of a Lady.

The flower that was considered near mythical in it's beauty. To present it to one's lover was a sign of deep commitment, of utter devotion, and to tell them they are the most gorgeous thing one could imagine. The highest compliment, and a journey to find in and of itself.

First though, she'd have to meet up with them. Jonyna slid down the branch once more, flipping through the air, and landing on the starport pad that they had agreed to meet at.

She had already told Valery Noble the plan, but Elias was left in the dark. He had only been told they wanted to spitball ideas for the new armor.

 

[Valery Noble]

"He should arrive any moment now," Valery told Jonyna Si after making her way back to Cathar. The original plan on its own had been interesting — planning out new armor for the Jedi — but she much preferred their plans to go into the forest. The flower they wanted to collect would be the perfect gift for someone special, and all three of them had found that someone. Valery was perhaps in a different position, having been married to him for a very long time.

But new or old love, it didn't matter.

This gift would mean just as much.

"I'm sure Jenn is going to love it," Valery said with a smile, "She's the romantic type, so a gesture like this will be something she's never going to forget." Kahlil could be romantic too, but sometimes she wondered if she was smothering him a little too much with her affection.

She could barely resist herself when he was in her presence.

Elias Edo Jonyna Si ​

 

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Jonyna Si | Valery Noble
Location: Ran Dom Kuun, CATHAR

Decomissioning the Dooku armor was an understandable choice considering the new challenges faced by the NJO these days, but it was a choice Elias couldn't fully get behind knowing that there wasn't already an alternative in place. Thankfully, though, his new role as Quartermaster of the Jedi Council meant that he was responsible for helping to facilitate a new set of standard Jedi armor for the next generation of Light Side warriors. His mind was full of designs both aesthetic and practical as the Calypso entered the starfield and made the jump from Bogano to Cathar.

Like many of the worlds he'd visited recently, Elias had never been to Cathar. It was a verdant world covered in jungles and savannahs, a much-needed break from the monotony of the desert worlds that had required his attention as of late. The Jedi Master brought his crescent-shaped freighter down in Ran Dom Kuun, the location where his fellow Council members Jonyna Si and Valery Noble were waiting for him.

It didn't take long for Elias to find the pair of Jedi, although it wished it did; the views of Cathar from here were phenomenal. Moving slow and taking in the natural beauty of new planets was a special thing for Elias, but he knew there were more pressing matters to attend to than sightseeing. He approached his colleagues with arms open to greet them. "Good to see you again, my friends," Elias said with a smile. He hadn't worked alongside them yet since he and Jonyna were inaugurated into the Jedi Council. It felt good to make some progress with friends at his side.

"I'm eager to share my plans for the new Jedi armor with you. I've got some ideas I think you'll like." He wasn't much of an artist, but the designs he has pulled together were good blends of traditional armor and new innovations.

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Valery Noble Elias Edo

"Sylvar I hope so." Jonyna chuckled to Val as Elias's ship came down. "Here he comes. Put a smile on, I gotta lead him into the jungle."

As his ship came down, Jonyna gave Val a hip bump as she approached, offering a smile to the Quartermaster. "Hey!" Jonyna smiled, offering Elias a handshake. "You've been busy, eh? Do you mind if we walk and talk? I've got some ideas for the new armor. Been talking with Val about them."

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery dipped her head and offered Elias a warm smile when he arrived, "It's good to see you again, friend." The two of them had always worked well together, so even for something like Jedi armor design, it felt good to cooperate with someone she knew she could trust with anything. The challenge ahead was to design something fitting — something that felt appropriate to what Jedi armor had always been like.

But also something that'd help them in the upcoming wars.

"I'm eager to hear both of your ideas. For the armor or robes we offer, I always prefer more traditional designs. Something that all Jedi can wear and be recognized with. How we precisely make that happen... well, I'm open to ideas." She dipped her head once more, then followed after Jonyna.

They could talk along the way, but it was their secondary objective that really made her eager to get moving.

Elias Edo Jonyna Si ​

 

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Jonyna Si | Valery Noble
Location: Ran Dom Kuun, CATHAR

Elias thought the pair of Jedi were unusually eager to procure a new armor, but he was never one to put down a bright mood. He matched their warmth with a large grin, shaking Jonyna’s hand and returning Val’s nod with one of his own. “Very good to see you both again!” Elias said with a kind smile. “The enclave tour has certainly kept me busy. I’m glad to have some time to slow down and help out with this project.”

He was referring to the circuit of temple visits he’d been making throughout the Core and Mid-Rim. As Quartermaster of the NJO, Elias was responsible for ensuring that the Order’s holdfasts were up to par and well-equipped in the event of an attack from the Dark Empire. That included, he supposed, the adoption and eventual dispersal of new regulation armor. Cathar was on his list of visits to make, and by happy coincidence, it was chosen as the meeting place for him to convene with Jonyna Si and Valery Noble on the project.

With a slight skip in his step, Elias started into the jungle behind Masters Si and Noble, listening to the latter share her thoughts on the direction of the armor’s design. “I agree,” Elias said. “Recognizability is empowering. Seeing the NJO as a cohesive force would go a long way to boost confidence for us, and to demoralize the enemy.”

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Valery Noble Elias Edo

Once they got moving, Jonyna once more defaulted to her natural mode of transportation on Cathar. Gliding, dipping up and down, and sometimes swirling upside down along a branch while she kept eye contact with the other two. She didn't even seem to put any effort into it at times, casually speaking to the two while entirely upside down. "I can think of a couple ideas from my era. Kenobi's armor always looked pretty cool. We could also draw some concepts from our history." Jonyna teased, looking to Val. "Your armor has always been pretty iconic, yeah?"

Slowly, Jonyna led them deeper into the jungle. Away from the branches of Ran Dom Kuun, into the equatorial jungle. Clearly, she had a destination in mind, but she wasn't saying it yet.

 

[Valery Noble]

"Kenobi's armor is along the lines of what I was thinking," Valery agreed, her eyes shifting up and down to follow the erratic movements of her Cathar friend, "It's armored, but it's not overly bulky. It makes it useful for our Jedi Guardians, but also for Jedi who aren't always at the frontlines." Heavy armor could be extremely useful too, but Valery knew a Consular was likely never going to wear it, even if it was the standard for the Order.

They needed something all Jedi could use.

When Jonyna mentioned Valery's own armor, she blinked, "Well, I don't wear my armor often. It might be a little too bulky?" The jumpsuit, on the other hand, was something others would potentially wear. But it offered little armor and she had a feeling that it wouldn't work for some Jedi.

The mental image of her husband in skin-tight jumpsuits flashed through her mind.

"What do you think, Elias?"

Elias Edo Jonyna Si ​

 

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Jonyna Si | Valery Noble
Location: Ran Dom Kuun, CATHAR

"Something akin to classic Jedi commander armor would do quite nicely," Elias said. It wasn't overly bulky, could be used by Jedi of any specialization, and offered an iconic visual to their allies and enemies alike. He knew that some NJO Jedi wouldn't appreciate the uniformity, but personal style matters little when a blaster bolt catches you in the shoulder. As if on cue, Elias' muscle seemed to ache right where he himself was shot but an unseen Imperial during the NIO campaign.

"I personally do not wear armor much myself, but I'm also not typically on the frontlines either. I tend to aid in Shadow work behind the scenes where recognizable armor would only give me away." In truth, Elias looked more like a hermit or smuggler than a Jedi but considering his successes in the Mid and Outer Rim, perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing.

He shrugged, looking at them both. "A mix of comfort, flexibility, and protection is best."

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Valery Noble Elias Edo

"I could have my company make some modified mock ups of the Nemean Armor. That's more or less what the Commander armor was. Just modified Clone armor."

The deeper into the jungle Jonyna led them, the more the rain picked up. Trees became slick, and it became clear why the Cathar used them as highways as Jonyna was. Sliding across them was less about riding the bark, and more a very strange form of surfing. Jonyna was clearly leading them somewhere, though where couldn't be surmised at this point.

"So how's Efret Farr ?" Jonyna asked, looking to Elias, while twirling across a branch at nearly 20 miles an hour.. "Haven't seen her in a hot minute. Heard you two are close."

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery chuckled softly at Elias' mention of Jedi commander armor, nodding her agreement. "Comfort, flexibility, and protection — that's exactly what we need. Something that works for the Guardians on the frontlines but can also adapt to the needs of Shadows or Consulars who prefer to operate from the sidelines." Her fiery amber eyes flicked toward Jonyna as the Cathar mentioned her company.

"If you can create some prototypes or mockups, it would be a great start. We can test it out and see how it fits across the different roles within the Order." Valery's voice carried a tone of practicality, but there was no mistaking her appreciation for Jonyna's willingness to dive headfirst into the project.

As the rain picked up and the group pressed further into the jungle, Valery moved with steady precision, using the Force to steady her steps on the increasingly slick terrain. She couldn't help but marvel at Jonyna's agility, though her attention snapped to Elias when the Cathar brought up Efret Farr.

Jonyna's casual remark about their closeness drew a raised brow and a smirk from Valery, her expression teetering between playful amusement and curiosity. "Close, huh?" she teased lightly, her tone deliberately measured but carrying a spark of mischief.

Her smirk lingered as she glanced between the two of them, clearly enjoying the shift in conversation. But as the rain continued to fall, Valery's focus drifted back to their surroundings, her senses heightened.

"Speaking of stories," she added, her tone becoming more serious as she moved carefully across the slick terrain, "Where exactly are you leading us, Jonyna? This storm isn't exactly making it easy to keep up with your… unique sense of direction." Valery's voice carried no frustration, only curiosity as she worked to piece together their ultimate destination.

Elias Edo Jonyna Si ​

 

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Jonyna Si | Valery Noble
Location: Ran Dom Kuun, CATHAR

Elias was pretty good at remaining stoic, but the way his eyes softened when Efret's name hit his ears was undeniable to anyone looking directly at him.

"Oh, uh... close isn't exactly... she was fine, the last time I saw her," he managed to say. The back of his neck suddenly ached for his hand to rub it, but that would look far too much like a nervous tic. Instead, he focused on his footing. He lacked the agility of Jonyna overhead, but years spent wading through the shallows on Genetia allowed him to move without relying on the Force too much. Coral beds on bare feet were good at teaching you where not to step.

When Val asked about their destination, Elias jumped right behind her, grateful for the redirection, whether intentional or lucky. "Yeah. Not that I mind roughing it out here, but I'm surprised we didn't stay close to Ran Dom Kuun." He was regrettably unfamiliar with Cathar, but with Jonyna leaping from branch to branch overhead, he knew they wouldn't get lost out here. And if they did, he knew that the three of them were more than capable of making it. He and Valery Noble survived for nearly a week on an uncharted jungle world not unlike this one after being ambushed by pirates along the Sanrafsix.

"This must remind you of New Cov," Elias said to Valery as they moved through the rainy jungle. "Minus the hungry plants and all," he added. Thus far, nothing classified as flora had tried to eat him. He could not have said the same were they trudging outside the Covie's domed cities.

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Valery Noble Elias Edo

Jonyna's movements became more art than science as they moved through the rainforest. A dance, practiced by her people for generations. Still, she kept her pace slow to allow the other two to keep up. She could easily trek for another hundred miles like this, faster than either could on foot. "There's a...tradition amongst my people. A gesture of devotion. High on top of the canopy, a flower grows, deep in the jungle. To retrieve it, is the highest form of flattery."

She spoke in a sort of rhythmic way, as if reciting a fairy tale, and yet she never stopped moving. The rain seemed to settle into a heavy drizzle, the crack of thunder overhead filling the air. Still, Jonyna led them further, as the dense foliage slowly began to open up. Thick roots of the city tree finally after miles began to let up, in favor of thinner, still massive, trees that made up the majority of the jungle. The roots of the jungle floor began to thin as well, going from hulking tangles the size of small freighters, to the normal sized roots on would expect from a jungle. Still large, but one no longer had to climb over them like a jungle gym.

The forest was yet, still alive with sounds of wildlife. Elias saw a strange cross between pachyderm and primate walking by a few hundred feet, and Valery could see a snake-like creature just a branch above where she grabbed, seeming to be laying in wait for it's prey, paying her no mind. Insects and arthropods of all sorts hid under leaves and roots to hide from the rain, and the call of avian creatures could be heard hundreds of feet above them.

Finally though, Jonyna stopped, staring at a series of evergreen vines that hung ahead of them. The group of them simply swaying with the wind, dripping water as they searched for the ground. "Here we are." The cathar declared. "Bul dom ii Zerpa'era."

The cathar looked up, and the vines seemed to go all the way to the top of the trees. Hundreds of feet up, with no sign of any other places to grip other than the vine itself. And yet, even this far down, the two of them could smell something. It was faint, but the smell of a sweetness like no other permeated even this far down.

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery couldn't help but smirk at Elias's awkward response to the mention of Efret. She didn't press further — at least not yet — but the flicker of mischief in her fiery amber eyes suggested she wasn't quite done with that conversation. For now, she simply let his words hang in the humid air as they continued through the jungle.

"It does remind me of New Cov," Valery replied after a moment, her voice thoughtful as her gaze swept the vibrant, rain-soaked foliage around them. "The sounds, the smells, even the way the jungle feels alive in the Force... it's comforting in a strange way." Her expression softened as she ducked under a low-hanging branch, the rain pattering against the leaves above. "I've always felt at home in places like this. There's a raw beauty to it — chaotic but balanced."

Kind of like Valery herself.

She moved with steady precision, her footing sure despite the slick terrain. The snake-like creature above her caught her attention for a moment, its predatory patience a quiet reminder of the dangers lurking in the jungle. Yet, even with the ever-present risks, Valery's focus remained calm and sharp.

As they walked, Jonyna's explanation about the jungle flower intrigued her. A gesture of devotion retrieved from the canopy — it had the feel of a legend passed down through generations, something that carried meaning beyond the obvious. Valery glanced at Elias with a faint grin. "Sounds like a good challenge for you, Elias," she teased lightly, her tone playful. "Fetching flowers might win you some points with Efret~"

Oh yeah, she wasn't going to stop teasing him about this.

The smell of sweetness reached her nose as they came to a halt near the hanging vines, and Valery looked up, her gaze following the seemingly endless path of green reaching toward the sky. The scent was faint but unmistakable, even amidst the rain and earth.

"I'd love one for my husband."

Elias Edo Jonyna Si ​

 

[Elias Edo]

​

Tags: Jonyna Si | Valery Noble
Location: Ran Dom Kuun, CATHAR

Well I’ll be damned, Elias thought to himself. His eyes followed the trail of vines that started at ground level and wound all the way up to the canopy. Through the rain that had settled over then and the earthiness of the jungle floor, Elias could smell something strangely aromatic cooking from the treetops. The picture of a lady, a mystical flower from Cathari legend.

And then it dawned on him.

“Okay, I get it now,” he said with a grin. He gave Val a friendly push against her shoulder. “I should have known you two were up to something.” He wasn’t saying no, though. If anything, his body language was thanking them for something he couldn’t say aloud just yet. Elias was a careful person who kept personal feelings to himself, tucked safely inside.

In times like these, when new factions rise and fall like ocean waves, it felt safer not to wear your feelings -romantic or otherwise- on your sleeve. They’re just easier to take away.

But that tree? Elias was going to climb it. He was afraid of feelings, yes, but he also refused to back down from a good challenge.

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Elias Edo Valery Noble

Jonyna wasn't any less quick to grab a vine, and start hauling herself up one handful at a time. As soon as each of them took a vine, looking straight up, it began to dawn of each of them just how tall these vines were, and by extension, how tall the trees of Cathar were. The only thing comparable was those of Kashyyyk, and yet even these dwarfed those massive fauna. Hundreds of meters up, like climbing a sheer cliff bare handed.

Lucky for them, there were several points of rest along the way. Every so often, the vine would tangle with a branch, each full of life. Jonyna stopped to smile and pet a dragonfly-like creature near half the size of a wolf, the creature looking to her with an entirely docile expression, as she sat upon the branch after freehanding near 50 meters of vine. "You really like her, don't you Elias?" Jonyna asking the question as blunt as a hammer to a nail. "Don't think we don't see it. I saw the way you looked at her when you two were given your council positions."

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery glanced up at the towering vines, her fiery eyes narrowing playfully as she grabbed hold of one with a firm grip. The sheer height of the climb was daunting, but that didn't seem to bother her. Instead, a mischievous grin spread across her face, especially after hearing Elias's reaction and Jonyna's rather blunt question.

"Oh, Jonyna," Valery called out with a teasing lilt to her voice, her gaze darting toward Elias, "You're going to scare him off before he even gets a chance to climb halfway." She chuckled softly, her tone warm and full of mirth. "But she's right, Elias. I saw that look too~."

Her grip tightened on the vine, and with a burst of energy and precision, she began climbing, her movements smooth and practiced. "It's cute, honestly," she continued, her voice carrying easily over the sounds of the jungle as she climbed higher. "And don't worry, I'll help you fetch one of these flowers for Efret. I'm sure she'll appreciate the gesture a lot."

Pausing on a thick branch about 30 meters up, Valery perched herself gracefully, one hand resting against the tree trunk. She glanced down at the two of them, her amber eyes gleaming with mischief. "You know, Elias," she called out, her tone teasing, "A flower from this height is practically a declaration of love. Better make it count~"

She leaned back slightly, watching him climb with a smirk, then looked at Jonyna with a playful wink. Yeah, she was enjoying this a lot.

Elias Edo Jonyna Si ​