Private Lost in the Lower Levels

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Coruscant, Lower Levels
Outfit: Jedi Gear
Tag: Shan Pavond

Mission to Coruscant's lower levels.

Lily had been assigned the mission for two reasons, one, it was a mission based on Coruscant so she didn't have to leave the planet and be alone so she could contact the temple for support and it would arrive quickly. Secondly, it was a chance for her to use the skills she was developing in something minor, and a chance to experience the lives and lifestyle of those a lot more unfortunate than herself. It was definitely pushing her to the edge of her comfort zone, it only reasons she felt comfortable taking on such a mission was that she knew how to get back to the temple, her training was going well currently with her Master and from what she had been informed, the mission was simplistic yet crucial. Reach her destination point, patrol the area, note any activity related to spice trading and report back to her Master. She was not to engage the criminals and definitely shouldn't go hunting down their base and attacking that. A lot of pressure removed from her shoulders upon hearing that.

When she arrived at the lower levels of Coruscant, she was shocked at how different the city looked. It was definitely not the picturesque view that the surface held for the city world. It definitely did not smell pleasant either. There was a dampness to the air, a feeling of the air being recycled and not recycled well. However, she steeled her own nerves and began her walk through the streets. Lily had a rough idea of the direction she needed to be heading towards. The taxi droid had instructed her well and she was paying attention, it just didn't help that the alleyways and streets were all jumbled and she was never sure if the droid meant this alley to count or that street to turn at.

It wasn't long before the panic settled in. The realisation dawned on her. The fear causing her body to shake and her mind to race.

She was lost. Lost in the lower levels, lost without any idea of how to find her way back to a taxi droid or speeder so she could race back to the temple.

Breathe. Deep. Slow. Breathes. In.... Out.... In..... Out..... Release the fear Lily. She thought to herself as she fought the risk of a meltdown, refusing to cry or suffer an outburst of the Force. She could do this, just had to be methodical and keep a look out for signs or anything that could direct her to some kind of transport.

Moving again, she felt the fear still inside her, but its grip on her heart had lessened and her body was tense but not distracted by her fears. Focused on either figuring out where she was and getting to the mission or getting a way back to the temple. She really didn't want to face her Master and state she failed, but she also figured that Briana Sal-Soren would rather her back safely than lost forever searching for the location of her mission.

Her eyes focused on the signs and attempting to figure out where she was now, feeling like she was deep in the lower levels of this city now.

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan had already been exploring the lower levels of Coruscant, of his own accord, with a small satchel filled with small snacks he had been storing up. Whilst he hadn't been in Coruscant for too long, he was used to the environment and atmosphere that the lower levels gave off from the years in Nar Shaddaa. The various piles of junk and trash littered across the streets actually felt homely to him as he wandered around the streets, looking for those that seemed seemed desperate for aid. Maybe this was something he should have told the others he was doing in case something happened, but Shan thought it was simple enough to just hand out food, water and potential aid to those in the lower levels. It also helped him to build connections with some of the citizens living in the lower levels. It was hard to see some of them, but as long as he knew he was making their lives better, Shan could deal with it.

He was keeping a mental note of where he was going, each and every twist and turn being jotted down into his memory. It helped that he was using the fact he was using the supplies he gave out as navigational markers as well. After the first batch of food, turn left...After giving out the water, carry straight on into the next crossroad. Some might have thought it was strange, but it was his way of mapping things out in his mind. Back in Nar Shaddaa, Shan had an entire mental map of the routes he used to take from when he did this. Having a mental map like that helped him with the disorientation that came from having so many negative emotions down in the lower levels. It was honestly hard for him to wrap his head around sometimes. The atmosphere that Courscant had given him always felt vastly different to Nar Shaddaa but that wouldn't stop him.

He kept wandering around, handing out food and aid where he could. Sooner or later, he'd have to make his way back over towards the temple, but that could wait a couple more minutes. Shan looked down all the various streets he walked past, a smile on his face. Though when it came to one street, the Mirialan stopped for a moment, backing up to take another look down it where he spotted someone who didn't seem to quite...fit in down in the lower levels compared to everyone else. And she seemed familiar...Hm, Shan thought that maybe he had seen glances of her around the temple but he wasn't entirely sure.

Maybe he should just walk away and leave them to whatever they were doing...but at the same time he didn't want to just leave someone who didn't seem to be fully comfortable with the lower levels alone. At least that was how he was seeing it as he shrugged his shoulders and made his way on over to her, breaking out into a little grin as Shan just lifted his hand up towards the stranger.

"Hey there! You...doing okay? Think I've seen you around. I'm Shan, I'm a padawan at the temple. You seem erh...I don't mean this in a rude way...but you don't seem like you're used to be around the lower levels." He shoved his hands into his pockets, taking a quick look around them whilst keeping the smile on his face before looking back over towards her. "If you need some help, I can wander around with you. And I can even show you some of the people down here that think they owe me for helping out. So if you end up getting lost or somethin', they can help out as well."

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Coruscant, Lower Levels
Outfit: Jedi Gear
Tag: Shan Pavond

As Lily was looking around the different signs and attempting to find her way around, she noticed a complete stranger smiling at her and waving towards her. Panic settled back in deeply, did they mean to wave at her? Was she going to be approached by some creep? Or worse, some salesperson that she couldn't say no to when they repeatedly offer her something that she clearly didn't want to buy? That last one happened a lot and she was certain it was a special hell since there was no way anyone would want that experience.

However, it was clear when he spoke that he was speaking to her. Lily's body instinctively tensed up even more as she was prepared to hear a sales pitch or perhaps some stranger telling her she should smile more. Instead, he mentioned that he was a fellow Padawan at the temple, her body relaxed so hard that an audible sigh of relief escaped from her lips. She was freed from the anxieties of dealing with a creep or dealing with salesperson. Now it was someone she could trust to get her either to her mission location or just back to the temple. "Hi, Lily Decoria." She extended her hand to shake his as was the polite thing to do.

Looking around, Lily nodded her head, "I am totally lost." She admitted freely, there was no point in deceiving him with faux confidence in finding her way around. She was lost and she needed help getting around, she found no shame in that. "I was meant to arrive at this mission point to do a patrol but the taxi droid's guidance has not been very helpful, should have written the instructions down... But then it is so easy to get turned around here I find...." Lily sighed again, this time a little despondently.

"I'm happy for you to join me on the mission, not sure I have time to meet the people though, I should really get this patrol done." This was a half truth, she did want to get the job done swiftly, but she was also unsure she could handle more social interactions with strangers in this area at the moment. "Perhaps another time you can introduce me to them? I am sure that I will have to do more patrols around here." Lily admitted, patrol duty seemed to be an easy assignment with few negatives so definitely something she could handle.

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan raised an eyebrow at the sound of the sigh, before shrugging it off as he made sure to give Lily a firm handshake. It was polite to do at the end of the day. "Pleasure to meet you." He just went over the whole polite introduction routine. Though afterwards he shoved his hands into his pockets as he heard Lily admit that she was totally lost and he couldn't help but break out into a little smirk at the confirmation. He waved his hand around slightly, keeping a grin on his face as he decided it would probably be best for him to help with Lily's mission as opposed to just taking her straight back to the temple.

"Don't worry. I can understand people getting lost down here. Everything probably looks the same down here, right?" Once again, Shan raised his eyebrow curiously before shrugging as he tapped his temple with his index finger. "I've started to make a little mental map in my head, every time I come down here so I can try to help with the mission using that. Where exactly do you need to go?" At least now Shan technically have a reason to be down in the lower levels instead of just doing something out of the kindness of his own heart as he just kept the grin on his face. In his eyes, there was no point in him looking down about everything, right?


Whilst he waited to see where they had to go, Shan mostly plucked at his sleeve. "Oh! There's no worries about meeting anyone, I promise ya. I just thought it would help in case you had to come down here again another day. I'm not gonna be here all the time." Maybe he should actually write down the map he had been making in his head for other people to use. Shan stared off in thought for a few moments before shaking his head, glancing back over towards Lily with an awkward smile. "Sorry. I zoned out for a minute there. I'm ready to get going when you are. The sooner we're done with the mission, the sooner we can head back. Don't want to waste your time too much."

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Coruscant, Lower Levels
Outfit: Jedi Gear
Tag: Shan Pavond

Lily shook his hand gently. "What's your name?" Lily asked since he hadn't offered it with his introduction and she would rather know a name before she had the Padawan follow her around. It would help when writing reports and ensuring that her Master knew that she was making an effort to get to know others and forge the friendship bonds that were important. Especially since she hadn't had many when she was back on Eshan, usually keeping to herself to ensure that she didn't make an error that would end up disgrace her family's name.

"Not really the everything looks the same, just the alleys are everywhere and I am never sure which one to take and get turned around a lot it seems." Lily explained, the endless, very similar hallways of the Jedi Temple had been a nightmare to traverse, at least there were more identifiable markers to track your location with here. "I will have to explore here more often to do a similar thing then." Lily stated, curious why a Padawan would be spending so much time here for.

Pulling out her datapad, she scrolled around till she found the information that her Master had sent her about the patrol. "It is meant to be here." She pointed to the address, a location several streets away from their current location and in the direction quite opposite to the one that Lily was heading in.

"I understand, perhaps you can introduce me to them another time, for now I need to focus on the mission. I do appreciate the offer though," Lily stated in a soft, sincere tone as she gave a small smile. Watching him zone out, Lily was puzzled by the situation but waited patiently, then looked at him, "Well, might be best for you to lead the way. I would probably end up getting us lost again!"

 

[Shan Pavond]

"Oh! Shan. Shan Pavond. Forgot I didn't tell you my last name." Shan gave an awkward chuckle at that, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't exactly the greatest at having casual conversations so it was no surprise to him that he had actually forgotten to properly introduce himself to her. He was also used to people already knowing him back home...but he had to realise that wasn't a case here anymore. He was basically a stranger in Coruscant and most people here were strangers to him as well.

Though he nodded when Lily explained that it was the alleyways that were the problem for her. It made sense to get lost because of those if he properly thought about it, though Shan glanced over towards his new friend, if he could call her that, raising an eyebrow when she said she'd explore around to get more familiar with the place. "Y'don't need to explore if you don't want to. I only do it so I can help out the less fortunate. I've never really been in their shoes, but I saw a lot of people like this back home. Wasn't always able to help them out back then, but I can help them out now." He felt like he had to explain why he spent so much time in the lower levels, but it was one of his own ways of training.

Shan took a quick look at the address that Lily had pointed out, as his usual smile faded away into a small frown focusing for a moment. They would have been heading in the opposite direction if they went in the way that Lily had been going. He suppose it was a good thing he came across Lily when he did as he looked back up to her with his face going back to its usual smile.

"Sure! I'll lead the way. I'll make sure to walk, so I don't end up getting too far ahead of you." With that, he stepped off in the opposite direction to start heading towards the address, whistling a small tune to himself before looking back over towards Lily. "Not too sure what your mission is, but if I can help in any other way than just giving directions, just ask. I always enjoy helping people."

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Coruscant, Lower Levels
Outfit: Jedi Gear
Tag: Shan Pavond

Lily made a quick note of the name on her datapad so that she had it ready when she was needed to give a report to her Master. There was going to be little chance that she would remember the name otherwise since she was feeling a little scatter brained with the whole getting lost. She shook her head, "it is important to know your surroundings and I have to be able to navigate myself around new locations. Can't be helpless like this again, though I might try grabbing a holomap with me next time." Something she realised now that she should have done this time around.

"Helping out the less fortunate is a noble action. I tended to do small gestures on Eshan, it was important to my aunt and mother that we gifted back to the communities that helped us rise in rank to nobility." Lily informed Shan as she followed close behind him, easily able to keep in line with him as they walked. "Where is home for you?" Lily asked curious to know more about the stranger that she was working with now. While she couldn't yet adjust the title to friend, he was pleasure and normal enough.

Looking around, she did not want to be too loud with her mission objectives, "I am just to patrol the streets of that district, keep the peace, make observations, not get into trouble and if I see dealings of spice or any other illegal activities, I note them to be reported later on." Lily whispered to Shan as they walked, "I would welcome the company though, with two of us there should definitely be a better chance of promoting a sense of safety to civilians and a better chance of catching something bad happening if that does happen." She offered, happy to have Shan join her on the mission. Briana never stated she had to do the mission alone.

"How are you finding Jedi training?" Lily asked curiously.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"Holo-Maps sound like a smart idea. I was debating whether or not I should make a map to hand out in case I come across anyone lost again." Shan joked around slightly, breaking out into a small smirk afterwards before shaking his head. "You shouldn't have to worry about being helpless though. There's always people willing to help, just need to know who they are." Which was true, or at least that's how Shan saw it. He might have been a bit naïve in that aspect but he liked to believe that there was always someone in the galaxy that could help with a problem.

"I originally come from Nar Shaddaa. My parents were able to get work there pretty easily. Father's a droidsmith, whilst Mother's an electrician. They were able to find plenty of stuff to fix on the moon." He raised an eyebrow at that thought however, trying to figure something out before glancing over towards Lily, giving her a slightly apologetic smile. "I apologise in advance but I don't know much about Eshan. Though it sounds like a nice place. Better than Nar Shaddaa but I'm not entirely sure."

As Lily spoke about the mission objectives, Shan gave a few nods to that. "That's part of what I've been doing, unofficially at least. Giving people the basic supplies they need like food, water and medical aid, makes it less likely for them to fight amongst each other. It's not great but it's better than me just staying in the temple and training by myself." By now at least, Shan had already accepted the idea of helping Lily with the mission, as long as he didn't have to try and fight anything. Part of him struggled to even try to look intimidating but he hoped that he wasn't going to need that at all.

"The training is...well...I've been enjoying some of the theory work. Alongside training with the force and meditation but when it comes to some of the more practical things, like combat...in any form? It's a struggle. I don't enjoy fighting that much, and it's hard for me to work on it." It was always a bit hard for Shan to admit that he wasn't capable in combat. He felt like it caused him to hold people back, and considering Jedi were meant to be guardians, he thought it would be hard for him to guard anything if he couldn't fight.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Coruscant, Lower Levels
Outfit: Jedi Gear
Tag: Shan Pavond

She wasn't a stranger handing out holomaps might go down as well as Shan believed, Lily would hope it would but people had always been unpredictable and unaware of when someone is helpful and when someone is being condescending. Lily did not state her issues or concerns to Shan, it was his decision and he seemed confident in his ideas and determined to pursue them. It was interesting to see someone with that confidence in their abilities. Lily found it curious and brave.

Hearing where he came from, Lily didn't know much about Nar Shaddaa, just that it was a smuggler's moon, full of crime and ruled by gangs. It must have been a hard life to live, in contrast to her own upbringing. "Nar Shaddaa sounds like a hard life to live with." Lily stated, "life on Eshan was nice, but I was also living a very privileged life so I cannot comment that it would be the life that everyone on the planet would experience." Lily mentioned as she clenched her hand behind her back as she walked.

"Well, it is certainly noble intentions but training and growing your skills aren't a bad thing. As we grow, we can do more to help others." Lily stated, she wasn't someone who was keen on jumping into missions or using the Force when she was clearly still not ready to control it. "Have you not been assigned a Master yet? There are Jedi Knights and Masters that are seeking out pupils to teach, maybe they can help you find your pathway?" Lily suggested, having her own mentor had been ideal for Lily since she had the chance to settle and adjust to learning her powers.

Shan was not a fan of fighting, that was curious, Lily's aunt was not eager for fighting but she was still skilled in fighting. "Learning skills that are intending to harm or kill people, it isn't easy." Lily admitted, knowing that the skills you hold are deadly, it is not simple or hopeful, there was fear in doing harm when you were meant to be helping. "I was always taught that fighting, it was just another form of communication, that you can express yourself more purely through the arts of combat than words can express."

Once they arrived at her mission point, Lily looked around and realised how far she got lost. "Thank you for the guidance, I don't think I would ever have gotten here on my own." She gave a small bow in gratitude. "What parts of the Force have interested you most?" Lily asked as she looked around the streets, making mental notes of the activities.

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan just kept his eyes on their surroundings, trying to make sure he wasn't getting lost himself. That would be pretty embarrassing if he thought about it. Luckily, he was pretty sure he knew where they were as he headed through various little streets and alleyways, making sure to check back on Lily to make sure she wasn't lost. He didn't the idea of having to doubleback and find her again as he just put his hands into his pockets, to try and relax a little bit.

"Nar Shaddaa was an...interesting place to live. I can't say I saw the worst of it, since I was able to live decently there...But it helped me to see what the galaxy can be like. Everyone can be in a rough place in life and sometimes they just need someone to help." He nodded, mostly to what he was saying himself. Though Shan did raise an eyebrow as Lily spoke about Eshan and broke out into a small smile. "Well. Either way, Eshan sounds like it was a lovely place to live. In a way, plenty of us live privileged lives, but that also means we can try to use our privileges to help others, right?"

Though once again, Shan tilted his head to the side as Lily spoke about training and he shook his head slowly. "Oh. Don't get me wrong. I still train when I can. I just feel like what I'm doing now is more...constructive for myself. Learning more about people, as opposed to learning more about myself through training." His nose did scrunch up slightly at the mentioning of a master and he shook his head once again. "I don't have a Master, no. I haven't really had much of an idea of who to go with...Do I want to work on my strengths or weaknesses for example?"

The way Lily spoke about fighting as a way of communication was interesting to say the least as Shan tried to wrap his head around it, frowning to himself as his usual smile was wiped off his face. "I just...don't like the idea of causing pain. I think it causes ripples in the galaxy. You hurt one person, and they're then likely to hurt another person. And then that person will hurt another one." He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if he was just sounding ridiculous about his opinion on all of this. "Whereas I like to believe that helping other people will cause its own ripples. If I help one person, they might help someone else down the line."

He returned Lily's bow carefully, trying to be as polite as he could before standing up straight. Though his face lit up into a grin again, as this was a question he was going to find easy to answer. "Honestly? The healing aspects of the Force alongside how it is connected to everything. The concept of using the force to help those in pain alongside having it as a constant reminder that living things are all connected. Whilst that thought is also why I struggle to cause pain...It also motivates me to try harder when I do train. I need to be stronger if I want to help more people."

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Coruscant, Lower Levels
Outfit: Jedi Gear
Tag: Shan Pavond

Lily noticed that Shan was attempting to ensure that he wasn't getting lost himself, it made her smile, seeing the nerves in his body language and the desire to ensure she wasn't getting lost on her own were kind to see. However, she was keeping by his side, not wishing to be trailing behind and missing a turning in the winding alleys of the lower levels. Lily paused once they reached their destination and pulled out her datapad. She logged in and noted the time of her patrol starting with the additional note of fellow Padawan Shan Pavond assisting with the patrol. She then looked towards him. "Sure, using our privilege to help others is a desirable goal. Not one that everyone aspires towards unfortunately. It can be a blinding curse as well, making it impossible to understand the situation of someone who has never experienced such privileges." Lily stated.

"That seems like a good goal, but learning more about yourself, training your mind and body, they are things that will improve your skills with helping others. Can't improve in the Force or any skill without dedicating serious time to it. I am only as skilled with sparring and fighting because I have spent every day since I could stand and hold a weapon training. But that decision is yours of course." She did not want to seem like she was disapproving his choices, they were his, she was merely offering her own insight. "I don't think a Master would neglect either, they are there to helping you grow and improve, my Master is working on reducing my weaknesses while also improving my strengths." Lily pointed out, she would never find words to state how effective her Master was.

Ripples through the galaxy was an interesting mindset to have, it was not one she quite agreed with since she came from a culture of fighting and communicating through fighting. Not necessarily in a violent, painful way but there was fighting. "Sometimes people do not give you a choice in whether you can fight or not." Lily pointed out, she didn't seek out to harm others, or even kill, it was merely that there were no other options. "For some, sparring and fighting, it is an art form similar to dancing, not necessarily sending out ripples of pain. Learning the skills, they don't mean you have to use them, they are there for when it is absolutely necessary. The choice to harm is down to the person."

"My aunt is a Jedi Healer, she spent a long time dedicated to learning the craft. She is very skilled, and she can fight when she chooses as well though she often says that she hates fighting outside of the Echani traditions." Lily mentioned, seeing other Jedi Healers, it was interesting how they all seemed to have a big dislike of violence, perhaps it was seeing the repercussions of such actions that deterred them.

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan glanced around once they reached their destination and leaned against a nearby wall, folding his arms along his front to try and fit in. He didn't want to stick out too much, especially if they were meant to be keeping watch over the area. "Exactly. Not everyone in our position would be willing to help those less fortunate than them, which is part of why I do help. If I can help be the light in someone's life that stops them from faltering, or giving up, then I've done my job. Though I am sure that I am blinded to some people's suffering. I focus on the problems of the "little people", though I don't even think about those who are well off..." He frowned at that thought, rubbing his chin as he clearly didn't like that aspect of himself, but it was something he could work on in the future.

Though his frown only seemed to grow when Lily began to talk about how he wouldn't be able to improve unless he put more time into his sparring. It just wasn't something he enjoyed, but he knew that sometimes you had to do things you didn't like in life. That didn't mean he was going to change his mind any time soon however. Though Shan shook his head, trying to focus on Lily and start talking again to seem casual to anyone watching. "I haven't really thought about having a Master that much. I don't think I'm...capable enough. Not yet at least. There is a part of me that is...afraid. Afraid of being a disappointment to them. I know fear isn't something I should feel but it is." It was more of an irrational fear of his but talking about these issues were always better than keeping them in all of the time.

His eyebrows raised however as Lily spoke, talking about how sometimes people don't give you a choice in fighting and he frowned in thought once more, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say without it seeming like an insult. "...Please don't take this as an insult, but I think you and I both would view a situation where you had no choice in different ways. If there were hostages for example, I think you'd be the kind of person to try and fight the hostage taker to save them. Whereas I would try to talk it out, exchange myself for the hostages, or be a distraction to allow them to escape. Neither way is wrong in my eyes however. It's just our point of view. You speak through your actions whereas I speak through...well speaking. Either way, I've never been a great dancer." Shan grinned at the last part, trying to joke around ever so slightly. He couldn't deny that Lily had a point at the end of the day however. Knowing how to use the skills didn't mean he had to actually use them.

"I personally don't know much about the Echani or their ways. I just saw a lot of what fighting can cause when I was in Nar Shaddaa...and I rarely fought back. Always tried to use my words, even if I knew they wouldn't work. Because to me, it doesn't matter if you lose a fight. As long as you stand to your values." Though he knew he'd have to learn how to fight better sooner or later. Because at Nar Shaddaa, it was mostly him who would have been hurt if he lost. But as a Jedi, plenty more people would get hurt.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Coruscant, Lower Levels
Outfit: Jedi Gear
Tag: Shan Pavond

"Fear is not something that a person can stop feeling. I have interpreted the whole no fear stuff as much, do not let fear and dark emotions control or dictate your actions. Do not let the fear of disappointment prevent you from progressing as a Jedi." Lily shrugged as she did not attempt to blend in, it was not her job to be sneaky, it was her job to patrol. To offer a beacon of light, that was how she ended up interpreting the assignment either way. "If you stop yourself from finding a Jedi Master, then how will you be able to progress as a Jedi. A Master will never be disappointed in you, I came here with no experience in Force training and actually afraid of my abilities, but training with my Jedi Master, it has..." Lily paused and let out a small sigh, "it has alleviated those worries."

When he attempted to interject about how she would approach a situation, a hostage situation without knowing her. It reinforced the traditions of the Echani ways, that no one could know you till they spar with you. Shan was so far from the truth about her actions. "You are wrong. I never rush into a situation, I am jumping into fights, in fact I have only sparred a couple of people in the Jedi Temple." She sighed, her frustrations of being assessed by someone without any information or understanding of who she was, it was grinding a little but she calmed herself. "I would attempt any and all action that was not violent in a hostage situation. Violence leads to hostage death, it would be reckless to take such course of action without attempting peaceful talks or negotiations."

Lily took a step forward, "your assessment of me is way off base. Just because my traditions and culture are done through fighting, sparring, in your view violent, does not mean we are itching to leap into fights." Her gaze looked around the street as she checked out what each person was getting up to and ensuring that she wasn't missing illegal activities.

"What you saw on Nar Shaddaa, that isn't the way of life that is part of my culture. Fighting, sparring, it is a way to communicate. We are a race of people who look all very much alike, we identify ourselves not through appearance but through body language." She decided to attempt to fully explain her way of life, "we express conversations, emotions, courtship, bonding of souls through sparring one another. There is no glory seeking or a wish to dominate, it is no different to this." She gestured with her index finger their talking, for her sparring someone the Echani way was no different to a debate or conversation.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I can see where you're coming from about fear...It's just easier said than done." He was unsure what else to say in that case. It was ironic to him, at least slightly, that in a place where he was safe and comfortable, the Jedi Temple, that he felt more scared than he had when he was back in Nar Shaddaa. It must have been because of how familiar Nar Shaddaa felt compared to the temple...Either way, that wasn't important right now as he shook his head, brushing some hair out of his face before looking off towards Lily.

Shan raised an eyebrow as he listened to Lily. Keeping his eyes open in the meanwhile to look across the area, a small frown on his face as he was mostly thinking to himself. Trying to figure out what he wanted to say without putting his foot in his mouth, for lack of a better term. It was hard for him to try and explain where he was coming from. It was clear to him that he was already failing at that aspect as he sighed. "N-No...That's not what I meant..." He sighed, running a hand down his face as he once again tried to figure out how to say what he meant. "I meant more that...you have confidence in your abilities. You'd be able to get them out easier than what I would be able to, because you have more belief in yourself. Your training has let you know your weaknesses and strengths. Whereas I don't know mine fully, so I'd be holding myself back. But if I saw things through your point of view, and trained more, I'd know my weaknesses and my strengths."

He just let out a frustrated sigh, ruffling his hand through his hair as Lily explained how the Echani communicated. Trying to keep his mind open about it all, at the same time trying to calm himself down. "It just...sounds strange to me. I understand it isn't strange to you, but I've seen fighting used as a tool for pain and violence for many years now. It's only recently that I've seen it been used in a more...helpful light. I've never seen an Echani fight, so I don't understand or know the difference between that and a regular fight. I know some of it now, from what you've told me...but it'll take more than that to change my mind. And I don't mean any offense in that statement."

Though it was something he was thinking about, as he turned his attention off to the side to think to himself....Fighting as a way to communicate was something he had never thought of...Or well, that was a lie. He always thought of it was a way to communicate power and fear back on Nar Shaddaa which is why he always refused to fight. But to think it could be used for other things? Shan just furrowed his brown, frowning off to the side in thought.

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Coruscant, Lower Levels
Outfit: Jedi Gear
Tag: Shan Pavond

"Most things in life are never easy to overcome when facing a challenge. Facing these things, they can define us, shape us for life on how they handle them. Might be that you end up looking back with regret that you allowed your fears." She shrugged, there was no evidence to say that she was correct on the matter, "this is just my view. A life controlled by anxiety, fear and such. It is not a life one is ever happy with..."

That came from experience.

She listened to his correction, it seemed a large leap from what he had initially stated. From the words, he had attempted to box them both in two equal but completely different approaches, to which she did not actually fit the box he had attempted to place her in. However, now he seemed to be stating that a very different point of her self awareness would make her more capable at the task. "We do not know that for a fact. I could be equally terrible. Just because I hold some self awareness does not make me any more skilled in a hostage situation. Till I am in one, I could be a prodigy, good, average, bad, terrible or the absolute worse."

"Do not judge or compare yourself to others, our experiences shape us and make us unique. To the point that there is not way to predict who might come out best in any scenario." Lily stated, she made some notes on her datapad as she talked. These were things her aunt had told her for years as a child.

She looked over to him, "my attempts were not meant to change your mind, just to state that you might wish to open your mind to the understandings of people who are built their lives around fighting, that there are many interpretations of it. The fighting you describe is more aligned to the Mandalorian culture, of the survival of the strongest. That is not the Echani view. Only way to understand it, is to learn it, to see it, to speak it."

"It is no different to learning another planet's culture. Their language. Until you can comprehend it, your mind cannot decipher it or make sense. It is too foreign, too alien. But once you start to learn, things click and make sense and flow." Lily explained.

 

[Shan Pavond]

A small frown grew on Shan's face as Lily spoke. He had never said his life was being ruled by his anxiety and fears. He had already done plenty in his eyes that showed he wasn't that afraid of things. He just kept himself quiet, listening to Lily whilst glancing around the area to make sure nothing was happening. Today hadn't been going how he might have expected and he wasn't entirely sure how to feel about any of this right now. Maybe he'd be able to figure it out in a couple of days but for now he was just going to try and focus on the things said.

Though he blinked when Lily seemed to be focused on the hostage situation and he rubbed the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh. "I just meant it as an example. An example of a problem but just forget it. It doesn't matter now." Shan waved his hand dismissively at the thought of talking about what he had been trying to say now. There was no point in him comparing himself at the very least as he shoved his hands down into his pockets to just lean against the wall and focus on the patrol. It was the only thing he could think of that wasn't going to put his foot in his mouth but then Lily spoke more about how Shan had to open his mind, and once again he just pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I am keeping an open mind." He sighed, trying his hardest not to snap and instead focusing on his own breathing. "It's just a bit hard to see the "appeal" in fighting, when I've been raised around it being a negative thing. All I stated was my values towards it. If that's me having a "closed mind" then I guess it is. Though not once have I said that the Echani culture is "violent." I've said fighting, in general is." Shan rubbed at his forehead, letting out yet another sigh before shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Coruscant, Lower Levels
Outfit: Jedi Gear
Tag: Shan Pavond

Lily looked to Shan, she could see the frustration inside him. Clearly her words were not being understood the manner in which she had intended, which was unfortunate but she also understood that he might feel the same way with how she had taken some of his words. It was clear they were very different people, while not a terrible thing, it meant that they would not see eye to eye on matters that were not just important to her but her entire species. Lily sighed and then looked down at the ground as she thought carefully about what she wanted to say.

"If I had told you nothing of my people's ways, of the importance of sparring and the fact it is our language, our way to express. If all you knew was I was a fighter, someone who had spent their whole childhood learning to fight and enjoyed sparring and fighting. Your view on me would not be what it is now. That is what I meant by opening your mind. It is not to say you were closed off to the idea, but you have no ability to see my side of combat, to see that I could talk a thousand words, a conversation lasting hours or express it all in an hour's worth of sparring with someone special." Lily stated, her words chosen carefully.

She looked over to him, "I understand your views, where your view on combat comes from. It makes sense. However, you needed to hear that fighting, sparring, that doesn't make a person violent or have violence in their hearts, that there are other, deeper reasons for one wishing to do. Reasons that do not send ripples of hurt or pain, but can send ripples of love and bonding."

Lily walked forward and let out a sigh, "I never said you did call my culture violent, I was merely giving examples of the differences, just as languages can be varied and complex, so can sparring and fighting."

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan was just trying to push away his frustration, focusing on his breathing carefully. Letting the frustration out with every exhale. It wasn't his fault and it wasn't Lily's fault that they just seemed to be seeing each other from two radically different view points. Trying to figure out how to word his thoughts once more as he just stayed silent for a couple of minutes, pinching the bridge of his nose as his mind went over all of this thoughts before giving a firm nod since he felt like he had managed to calm down.

"My opinion of you hasn't changed, even from finding out why you fight. I can understand anyone's reason to fight. Just because I personally see it as something violent doesn't mean I think people who fight as violent. I don't see an army as violent, nor would I see someone who fights for money to be solely violent. It depends on the reasoning behind the violence." He pointed directly at himself, letting out a sigh. "I don't see myself as having a good reason to fight. Not right now. If I fought someone, I'd only be spreading pain. I wouldn't be communicating with them, or sending ripples of love. I would just be like the people back on Nar Shaddaa."

It was ironic to him, that if they had been fighting, he might have been able to get his point across but he shook his head at that thought, just running his hand through his hair, slowly starting to relax once again. "I understand your views completely. I understand why combat can be used for communication. I can understand it can be used as a learning experience. I just don't see it like that, yet. I see it as something that is wrong for me to do, because I don't have the right...feeling behind it."

 

[Lily Decoria]

Location: Coruscant, Lower Levels
Outfit: Jedi Gear
Tag: Shan Pavond

It seemed that they were both misunderstanding each other and she was sure that things would be much clearer if she sparred with him, allowing him to see and comprehend the emotions, expressions and values that she was attempting to give. She was not criticizing him. However, it was clear that there were agreements in their views and that he did understand that people were not always violent when sparring or fighting, though Lily rarely fought people, she always viewed sparring as a separate thing, fighting there was usually more motive to do harm. Sparring it was just a way to learn and understand either combat forms or the person you sparred.

"It seems that we are just misunderstanding each other. Perhaps it is best to leave the discussion behind us?" Lily suggested, not sure how she would be able to continue without accidentally stating something else that could possibly hurt or upset Shan. Something that she did not wish to do, while he was a pacifist and there were approaches he had that she didn't necessarily agree with, he was still a decent person in her mind. Looking around, she noted there were several people talking in hushed tones. She wasn't sure what was going on there.

Looking to Shan, she stepped closer, using a hushed voice, "what do you make of the group over there?" Lily asked cautious to not draw attention to themselves nor did she point them out bar a short nod of her head in their direction. She was aiming to avoid giving away her suspicions of illegal activity and cause them to flee.

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan knew Lily was trying at the very least not to offend him so he gave out a soft sigh when she suggested to leave the discussion between the pair of them. "That sounds like it's for the best. I apologise for any offense I may have caused you." He thought it would be best to at the very least apologise. They had both been making mistakes in their communication and so Shan couldn't place all of the blame on Lily. In fact, he placed very little blame on her. He just saw himself as being overly stubborn. Though his eyebrows raised when Lily pointed out a group of people talking in hushed whispers, and Shan just gave a casual yawn as he glanced off in that direction for a moment.

A few thoughts were going in his mind about what the whispering could be about. It could be something personal, but at the same time the way they were being quiet was making the group seem more suspicious. It was possible he can go and talk to them because he was a relatively...familiar face in the lower levels, with how he liked to help people out and give them food and water but it was also a chance that it would ruin Lily's mission so he stayed where he was, leaning against the wall.

Though he did lower his voice into a quick whisper into Lily's direction. "They stand out than most people I see down here...I can't hear them too well...but they do seem a bit suspect." He then coughed slightly to try and clear up his whispering, before shaking his head afterwards keeping a frown on his face as he went back to trying to relax.