Private Of Liberty and Security

[Ko Vuto]

Tag: Braze

Ko was feeling a little misled now. There weren’t that many of them and fewer that were in any need of his help. At the current moment he was perched up on a rock by a gentle creek watching the water fowl enjoying themselves in the stream. Especially since it was much fuller now during the rainy season. Giving them plenty of space to bathe and play.

Insects buzzed and chirped through the evening air. Many of them are flying over the creek itself in search of food or shelter for the encroaching night. Ko himself was tense even here. Guilt continued to gnaw inside of him for the time being until a distraction came in the form of a wet stirring noise in the wet, muddy soil next to him. Where one of the ducks had waddled out of the water and was drilling with their bill. Getting fresh grubs and minerals from the mud.

Ko reached over to give the duck a gentle pet but couldn’t. Reminded once more that there was no arm on his right side anymore. He hadn’t really had the time to fully cope with much of anything lately. So busy hoping between systems. Moving between different fronts and theaters. In this calm land the only turmoil was what he’d brought within himself. ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Ko Vuto ​

Braze wore a smarmy grin as he padded up beside Ko. "How's the little ducklings?" he asked, stopping a few steps back and planting his hands on his hips while he surveyed the waddling flock.

He stretched, spine cracking faintly, then let out a wide yawn and covered his mouth with one hand. "Any luck with the ones that walk funny?" he asked, voice still lazy with sleep.

He'd built them a special coop suspended above a diverted stream that flowed down toward the ocean, a little ways beyond the lake. Reaching into his satchel, Braze produced a small cloth bag and offered it to Ko. "Brought treats for them," he said, shaking the bag lightly with a grin.

 

[Ko Vuto]

Tag: Braze

“You know I thought that there were going to be a fair few more ducks with leg problems here. Given the way you brought it up earlier. But I think they’ll be fine. Poultry can have a tendency to persevere over such complications. Especially if they have plenty of water to play in as well.” Ko replied as his eyes shifted towards one of the said ducks that had a noticeable sway in her walk.

The Kel Dor looked back at Braze as they shook the small bag. The familiar sound and item signaled a treat for the ducks causing some of them to quack out loudly to the flock before many of them began to rush out from the water and onto the shore over to where Braze was. Swarming the young Jedi excitedly for some treats. Wet feat paddling around the ground where Braze stood.

However, Ko’s keen eyes noticed something odd in the flock. Something subtly stood out to him. With the speed and precision of a praying mantis Ko launched his clawed grasp out towards where the ducks had begun to bunch up, startling many of the birds before pulled out from it some bizarre looking creature from the group. Holding it up with his one arm by the scruff and it flailed it’s finned arms around in panic.

“What is this?” Ko questioned as he got a better look at the strange creatures. Looking like a strange amalgamation of various other animals he recognized. It had a bill on its face like one of the ducks. Despite how alien it looked the rest of the flock didn’t seem to be alarmed by it.​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Ko Vuto
​

Braze was taking out little handfuls of cold peas and gently tossing them about to feed the small ducklings. The little flock waddled through the grass, their soft chirps rising like bits of laughter between the rustle of reeds. He crouched lower, scattering a few more peas, letting the ducklings chase after them, he offered his fist full of peas to a few, making them work a little to nudge each one free. It kept their tiny minds busy, and he found himself faintly smiling at the sight.

When he glanced over, he caught Ko holding up a strange little creature. Braze blinked once, then let out a quiet chuckle.

"That's a mud duck," he said simply. "I don't imagine he likes being held like that… and the males are venomous, so you might want to put the little puggle down."

He reached out again, offering another handful of peas to the water's edge where the ducklings had gathered. "They're semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammals," he added in an easy tone. "Rare little critters, to be certain."

Braze scooped one of the ducklings up next, turning it gently in his hands as he checked its small wings and soft down. Satisfied that it looked healthy, he set it back beside its siblings. The little group crowded together, peeping softly as they searched the grass for more peas. The moment felt quiet and good, the kind of peace he didn't find often.

Braze smirked faintly. "You planning to keep it as a pet, or just testing how long it takes to bite? They look cute till they remember they've got spurs."

 

[Ko Vuto]

Tag: Braze

“A mud duck?” Ko questioned, he’d never really heard of such an animal before. He was decently knowledgeable in zoology but he wasn’t sure what to make of the ‘mud duck’ while scrutinizing it. “So like… You’re ship?” Ko said before gently lowering the bizzaro creature, and setting it back down onto the ground.

“A venomous aquatic-mammal. Strange. Especially for a world as temperate as Veridia. I would expect something like this somewhere like Felucia where the biosphere is far more extreme.” He commented before the mud duck got back to what it was doing. Moving itself through some of the ducks and running its bill through some of the mud in search of easy worms and similarly succulent bugs to gobble up.

“I’m not really looking for extra pets. I still worry about what may have befallen poor Daisy. I wish I could’ve gotten her to Bogano.” The Kel Dor lamented. Mentally kicking himself for dragging his feet on such a responsibility now that I may have very well been too late.

Taking a deep breath Ko shifted his focus to something he’d been meaning to ask Braze about. “Hey, I wanted to ask how you built up this place. Did you use something like a plant surge for your tree mansion?” If so it was a novel idea he hadn’t really given much thought to before. ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Ko Vuto
​

Braze kept an easy smile on his face when Ko questioned the ship's name. "Yeah, one in the same," he chirped with that playful tone he used when he knew something the other person didn't. For a second he even looked proud of himself.

But when Ko mentioned his worry for the little pet Braze had given him, that smile dimmed like someone turned his inner light down.

"Oh… yeah… I'm sorry about that." His voice dropped, softer and a lot more tired. "I've just been kinda worn raw from the never ending wars of who owns what and all the needless, senseless destruction and death. I have been worn thin by all of this. The fighting. The arguing over land and borders. The endless cycle... Sometimes it feels like the whole galaxy is caught in a storm that never stops." He tried to offer his condolences, but even he wasn't sure how to say it right.

He reached out, setting a hand on Ko's shoulder, then hesitating and almost pulling back… before deciding to follow through anyway. He offered the comfort gently, uncertain if Ko even wanted it from someone like him anymore.

When his brother in arms asked what he had been doing, Braze managed a weak smile.

"Not the trees, per se, but I could probably do that…" he said with a little huff. "Mostly the gardens I've been building up. Been… kinda just throwing myself into it. Using the Force like this... meditation to shape everything. And honestly it feels kinda dirty and arrogant if I think too hard about it… using some ancient gift to build a palace of luxury."

He rubbed at his arm, eyes drifting off like he was watching something far away.

"But… it lets me breathe. The artistic creation part. The quiet.... It lets me be alone with my thoughts for once... like really lets me just be me and exist without everything crashing in. I've been hoping that by the end of it all I'll have a beautiful home my friends and family can stay in. Somewhere I can keep them safe and sheltered from the galaxy's storm, tucked away from all the strife."

He swallowed lightly, the movement small but noticeable.

"And the farms… I wanna build a lot of those. Feels like a more direct, immediate way of offering relief. No blasters, and no battles. Just something good, you know? Something that helps without me having to bleed or die for it."

 

[Ko Vuto]

Tag: Braze

When Braze would set their hand on Ko they’d still feel much of the residual tension his body still had. Not yet fully relaxed and calm even here. He was out of the fight, but the fight wasn’t out of him. Ko listened closely to what Braze had to say. How creating this new home almost seemed like a kind of moving meditation. Akin to how snipping his old bonsai tree functioned for him. “I understand what you mean. I’m no architect but I would say that your method is paying off. If you let yourself get too hung up on it things may begin to look out of place. Perhaps gaudy even.”

At the last thing Braze mentioned about the agricultural ambitions they have here Ko chuckled some. “It seems you’ve begun to rediscover some of the ancient wisdom shared by the Council of Reassignment all on your own. Using the power entrusted to us by The Force to aid in ways that aren’t so confrontational. It's something your Master knew well I’m sure. The sentinel of harmony was sort of like the modern equivalent to the old council.” Ko explained, finding some historical parallels to what Braze was talking about.

”I agree, regarding how tiring the cycle of conflict and violence is within the galaxy. We were fortunate to have grown up when we did. It wasn’t perfect but relative to how things can be, we had it good.” It was part of why Ko felt the kind of guilt and shame that did. Those that came before and those that will come after are likely to have it much harder than he did, and that ate him up on the inside. ​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Ko Vuto ​

"Nothing is ever perfect, Ko. I learned this the hard way." Braze chirped softly. "Come with me."
He beckoned and scattered the rest of his peas for the ducklings before padding off through the grass.

He led Ko toward the stretch of land he and Aiden Porte had been working on. Terraces had been carved into the long, rolling hills, each level smoothed and reinforced with walls of stone. Morning light spilled over everything, catching on the new cuts in the earth and turning them gold.

"I want these to be the orchards," Braze explained, gesturing across the terraced slopes. "To the north are the open fields. Off to the east will be the rice paddies, since the ground dips down and the water collects there naturally. To the south and west I left the land more wild. There is a mix of shallow pools, swamp reeds, and rural forest patches for mushrooms and acorns, and beyond that the ocean side farming stations."

The breeze carried the scent of fresh soil, salt air, and young plants just beginning to take root. The entire landscape felt alive. "I found something odd on an island not too far from here.... there's little caverns with crystals in there if you head south east along the shore line..."
He trailed gently as he took in the fresh air... He looked at Ko then looked away as an uncomfortable thought resurfaced.

" I want to work on something but... " He paused uncertain how to give voice to some vulnerability that was plaguing him. " I don't think I can trust any one with helping me... "

 

[Ko Vuto]

Tag: Braze

Getting up onto his feet Ko followed along away from the ducks and the creek. Once they got to the proposed space for orchards. Ko paused to look at the terraces. The view taking him back to his homeworld. The way the local farmers would carve into the hills and mountains within the river valleys Ko always found inspiring. Many of the terraces had been hundreds of years old and passed on through the generations.

“Woah, seems quite ambitious for such a small team to work on. But I’ve also seen small crews manage a great deal of land too. Keeping parts wild is good too. Keep bio-diversity robust and the natural resources neigh-endless.” Ko recalled being in the agricultural corps needing to convince some farmers how it could be worthwhile to keep some of their land mostly undeveloped while still allowing for decent revenue for much longer than tearing everything down for lumber.

"What kinds of tools have you been working with for everything? I know agricultural equipment can get extremely specialized.” Ko asked before Braze mentioned something about a crystal cave.

However, they seemed a little upset with another task they wanna work on but couldn’t seem to. But giving no clue as to what it could be. “There’s no one you can trust? Then I presume it hasn’t got anything to do with tending to the land. It better not have anything to do with Sith.”​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Ko Vuto
​

"Well, you know... not much, if I am honest. There are a few old tools I was able to buy off the local farmers, but nothing like tractors or anything like that," Braze admitted simply. "I'm not really sure what I should get. I figured you'd be the one to help me sort that out. I've mostly just been using the Force and my own work with the tools.

No, it has nothing to do with the Sith... not really, not anymore. I want to de-condition myself from that code phrase, but I feel like I'd need to do that with someone who knows what it is and wouldn't, like, take advantage of it, you know?"

 

[Ko Vuto]

Tag: Braze

“I believe that vibro-hoes can be invaluable for smaller scale subsistence farms and the like. Not hard to come by either. The force is great in a pinch. But its difficult to use The Force repeatedly for hard labor. At least I find it to be so. One… maybe two small tractors could work. But not for everything, the terraces would be terrible for tractors.” Ko spoke, thinking back to his own knowledge and experiences. The land here wasn’t as flat and gentle as the fields and valleys of Nubia. So big heavy machines could prove too cumbersome for much of the work that was required. “For the more wild parts of the land I would recommend some other tools as well. Perhaps even a vibrosaw.”

Ko finally looked back towards Braze, pulling his gaze away from the farm they’ve got going. Listening to what was shared and the nature of what they were concerned about. “Oh I understand, I think.” The Kel Dor brought his hand up to the bottom of his mask where it met his chin and thought. “In a venn diagram of people who are knowledgeable and trustworthy enough on the matter, the overlap would be very narrow. I wouldn’t really know where to begin.” Ko admitted, acknowledging his limits on this particular issue. Jasper was likely just as in the dark as both of them were as well.

“Hmm… It could be that the person who can help you isn’t someone you know, yet.” Perhaps in time someone could come along in Braze’s life that could help in overcoming such a problem.​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Ko Vuto ​

"I intend on making fairly big farms." Braze chirped simply. "That is why I set the terraces the way I did. The sloped sections on the ends let a larger machine move up and down without trouble. I tried to make the shift wide enough to give plenty of room."

He paused, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Maybe it is something I need to sort out on my own. I am not sure how yet, but I will figure it out."

His tone softened. "I heard that a distribution network becomes even more important during war. I have been building one for the last several years." His eyes brightened a little. "With that in place, we can move a lot of food almost anywhere we need. That part is good, at least."