Private Old Friends and New Faces

[Vulpesen]

Field trip. That was the word that came to Vulpesen's mind as he settled his ship down on the Ach-toan landing pad. As a child, it was a luxury he had always looked forward to. Zarro's extracurriculars to his education had involved dashing through the forests and plains of his home on Amar, searching for ne'er-do-wells who might attempt to take game that was not theirs. Later, as a jedi, Vulpesen had gone on various trips with his teachers to learn the ways and techniques of the order. Then there were the trips to the battlefield alongside his master. There had always been an anticipation that filled his being, no matter where he was going. Behind him, he could feel that familiar anticipation buzzing, barely contained in the two younger lives behind him. It was hard to believe that he was into his forties now. It seemed just yesterday that he was travelling the galaxy with nothing but a weathered jacket, a little bit of force knowledge, and a plucky attitude. Then again, given all he had seen and done, it also felt like it was four hundred years ago, and in a life galaxies away.

"Who are we meeting, dad?" The voice behind him came from a serene white haired girl, now deep into her teens as she stroked a furred creature in her lap who's entire being seemed to inflate and deflate with its drowsy breathing.

"An old friend of mine. She was one of my masters when I was a kid. Even knew my master who you were named after. Be respectful, both of you. She's done a lot for me, and rest assured, she's not someone you wish to annoy."

"Did she fight in the war?" This time, the voice was deeper, coming from Vulpesen's son who sat opposite his sister. He fiddled with a lightsaber in his lap, his fingers dancing across the controls, buttons and switches as he quelled his nervous energy. Vallen, while no doubt his father's son, seemed even more restless than his father had been at that age. Then again, Vallen had grown in the Valde's palace, pampered and trained against his will in the ways of statehood and politics. Vulpesen had been fighting sith lords and jumping out of ships onto blasted ground. Now that he was finally going somewhere to meet someone from those rough and rowdy days, his excitement was as understandable as it was palpable.

"She fought in multiple wars. Some before I had touched my first saber. Again. Be polite." Rising up form his seat, Vulpesen extended a hand for Ace to run up his sleeve and towards his shoulder before he walked to the exit ramp. "Now come on, its impolite to make your host wait on you."

Matsu Ike

 

[Matsu Ike]

Vulpesen

The world of Ahch-To was something else and when they had arrived they were just in search f the temple... following a compass and the texts. It gave the Jadeite something that they would be able to use but she hadn't been certain about many of the things here. The jedi master herself though was overlooking the island from what was made into her office... the walls filled with scrolls on parchment... ancient ones they had managed to recover from a gree world that was about the prime jedi. She presented it as a means for many others before she was feeling something she hadn't felt before.. a presence that was.... Her eyes darted towards the lower docking area where ships could come in.

"Interesting." She said it and turned around walking as her long black hair was done up and folded with kyber crystal bells in her hair... small beads that enhanced the force with pontite and kasha crystals that gleamed and added sparkles of gold, greens and flecks of blue to her hair that looked simple enough. Small jingling sounds as she walked and wore the white kimono with an outer robe of jade colored skylar material. She started down the stairs where they were checking out some parts of it.. she was checking out areas of the temple that were being worked on and the artisans were shaping kyber into crystals for sabers as well as small figurines or testing out and experimenting with such tools.

"Welcome." She said it standing at the stairs and looking at Vulpesen and the two children that were with him and she had a raised eyebrow for the moment. A smile on her face though that was warm but tight lipped and it reached her eyes letting the black pools show humor as she clasped her hands behind her back. She had her sabers on her but she rarely needed to use them but Vulpesen was not one to bring children into possible danger. "it has been some time."

 

[Vulpesen]

Striding into the temple, Vulpesen beamed up at his smiling friend, his hands resting in front of him while his kids stood just a step behind, flanking their father. At the sight of his old compatriot, he allowed his tail to wave joyously, though not quite at a wag. Forgoing his usual coat, Vulpesen had worn his more armored attire in the form of the Varos cloak. Of course he expected no hostilities from this figure from his past, but given his intentions, the amplification to his abilities and general lack of tarentatek leather that the armor offered would most certainly come in handy.

"Too long I think. Its wonderful to see you again, Matsu." His head turned slightly to his children while a hand in an introductory gesture. "Daella, Vallen, meet Master Matsu Ike. Master Ike, meet my kids, Daella and Vallen Torrevaso." Even with their different affinities for politics, the valkiter were synchronized in their movements, both of them placing a hand over their heart in a clawed position before offering a small bow to the jedi. Despite the respect they showed on the outside there was an obvious curiosity which blazed like stars in the force as they rose back up, while and brown eyes boring into the elder master, trying to gleam any information from her, whether that be about her, or their father's past.

"I've been learning a few things back home. Figured you'd have some thoughts to improve my technique on some of them. Also figured you'd like to see some of our more.... exclusive abilities." For all his research, there were some things the Veran Wilders did that few if any other force traditions showed even a capability of. Truth be told, he felt a bit guilty for not coming for to his old teacher sooner given all she had helped him learn.

Matsu Ike

 

[Matsu Ike]

Vulpesen

She looked at him and continued to do so... finally moving and looking at the children with a kind smile when they saluted... that was what they did right and greeted her. She bowed her head to the pair of them and moved forward with quiet steps before she was checking out some parts of it and she had a nod. "If there is anything that could be used to help we are more then able to. The jedi here are artisans and the more experimental of the orders... they like refining and finding new ways for the force to function." She looked at the two children for a moment and held a hand out as two of the saori candies appeared in her fingers from her sleeve. The small slips where she could keep tools or her saber was always helpful and she had had seven children... she knew the value of treats.

"Come with me." A smile remaining on her face while she led the way and slowed at one of the rooms of the temple where two fo the artisans were working on a shadex. The lithe golem like figure able to move with the power of a shard but it was more animalistic in its design. She pointed to one fo the rooms and spoke. "That is the experimental Jenoshi chamber. We have managed to create temporal alteration with the force at least in there." She kept going and there was another chamber with slabs of stone and jedi running around with Jianzhu Scout Robes as they moved through it and focused. A few jedi wearing Leo Ge Robes were along the sides and practicing with jedi fighters in Karvoss Warrior Robes.

"We have also been expanding our knowledge of enhancements... ranks and classes get distinctive robes suited for their position as opposed to just the simple ones. THey are also meant to be and designed to be more protective. Not like what others were in."

 

[Vulpesen]

Even in their teens, the Valde's children were powerless to resist the offer of candy from a friend and both of them quickly reached out, causing the treats to shoot into their palms with a minor display of the force. "Thank you!" they both said in unison before their hands started on the wrappers.

Following after Matsu, the trio all looked into each of the chambers, taking in the sights of Sasori's jedi innovations. knowing smile touched Vulpesen's lips while Vallen and Daella marvelled at the displays. "I see you've been busy. I might have to draft up another contract." He'd have been lying if he said his eyes hadn't lingered on the Shadex. While not one for technology, the beastial shape was certainly something which appealed to him, and judging by the way he had to remind his son to keep following as they passed, it was apparently a hereditary interred.

"Contract?" Daella asked, quickening her ace for a moment to stride by her father's side.

"Sasori provides us with medical supplies which go into our med-kits. Sakura foam has actually been quite useful for our men in the field."

"Everything in here looks awesome!" Vallen looked almost dumbstruck as he continued to gaze around. To his credit, the VSF was a mercenary company and arms manufacturer. While his children might have grown up learning about the force, the Wilders were a traditional group, not as inclined to innovation as the company that Matsu kept.

"And with luck, we might be able to help you improve your enhancements, or perhaps find new usages. The wilders are masters of alteration and enhancement. With them, I've learned things I thought possible only with extensive rituals with the Dathomiri." To display his first point, Vulpesen lifted his arm, displaying the slight luminescence which danced along his form in the shape of small runes, each one carefully etched and imbued to provide lasting protection.

Matsu Ike

 

[Matsu Ike]

Vulpesen

She was listening to him and nodded. They had a great amount of improvements since the foam including well some of the most advanced jedi healers. The power armored healers with staffs and bacta micro-grenade launchers... yeah it was worthwhile. They were able to fly iinto combat... jump out with patients or deploy a field kit which could heal faster thanks to the nano tech they had been developing. It also helped that they were stationed on a ten kilometer medical ship that was filled with the most advanced facilities. "We have made some improvements, the foam is good but jedi healers able to project nullification fields for weapons and get people off of the battlefield is important."

She was looking at more and stopped in one of the chambers while looking around at it.. they had renovated it.. The ancient library itself was well old and it had moisture in the texts which ruined a lot of them. They worked to preserve them while also setting up fields that would keep the library itself secured. The thousands of scrolls that were encased in uneti wood and preserved on parchment was something to be seen. There was even more when she went to a table. "Welcome to one of the libraries, the largest collection of scrolls and parchments the jedi have collected. We recovered it from a gree world that had preserved them along with much more."

 

[Vulpesen]

"Unfortunately, most of my men haven't been blessed with such skills. Though, perhaps I should think of a few compensations for my men." There was always something about seeing another's innovation that sparked Vulpesen's imagination for possibilities. Upon entering the library, Vulpesen's eyes widened in unrestrained wonder, and all three of the Verans took a moment to gaze around at the untold knowledge around them. "I should come visit more often." Daella and Vallen both nodded to their father's words.

Shaking himself out of his amazement, Vulpesen refocused his attentions to Matsu Ike . "These texts might be old enough to have avoided the purges that took our records out of the galaxy. That being so however, I'm a little worried about doing any demonstrations in here. The techniques I had in mind to show you are still relatively new to me." Even as he spoke his reservations, Vulpesen cast his eyes towards the texts around him, getting a quick glimpse of any open contents around him to learn just what was around him.

 

[Matsu Ike]

Vulpesen

"Ohh." She said it and nodded going towards the back doors of the library into an open platform that overlooked smaller islands where they had set up different platforms and courses. Bridges that could be used with poles, ledges and platforms to practice and physically exercise. She was looking at it and motioned so that the three of them could be in a position. "Alright Vulpesen." Her hands were in front of herself and she looked up at him for a moment or two but she was rather excited and wanted to see what he could do... what it was that was bringing him all the way out here to her. a new skill or use of the force was always thrilling.

 

[Vulpesen]

Looking at the ledges and platforms, Vulpesen quickly started to plan his demonstration. There were a few things he ha learned, some of which were variants of skills he had no doubt that Matsu either knew or knew of. This in mind, it would do well to focus on some of his more interesting skills, starting with the ones that while not overly flashy were certainly unique as far as he could tell. "Well... here we go." Dashing forward, Vulpesen made his way towards one of the towering poles, his eyes locked on it as he flexed his fingers. Then with a leap, Vulpesen flung himself at the pole, slamming into it and sticking to the object as his nails elongated and sharpened. Vulpesen had already shown his claws to be sharp and durable, made to dig into the bark of the trees of his home. But now, they were wicked veritable weapons, thick and pointed like climbing spikes as he made his way up the pole to a nearby ledge.

Steeling himself for the coming pain, Vulpesen jumped from the pole towards the ledge not bothering to face it as he lifted his arms up, Then, with a splash of crimson, a white blade, shaped like a hook extended from arm, latching onto the ledge to allow Vulpesen to pull himself up with his momentum. A macabre tool, it was one of the Wilder's more advanced forms of what was called minor shifting. Limits though there were, and painful though it might be, it was quite good in a pinch. Flipping onto his feet, he turned to face downwards towards his spectators.

Figuring that now was about as good a time as any for the final show, Vulpesen reached inside of himself. The next skill took study, not only of the technique, but of the required subject. It was knowledge, combined with the trust in the force, and an attunement to the wilds. Thankfully he'd been taking a lot of time to study nature's denizens. Focusing now on one of the creatures of his homeworld, Vulpesen dropped to all fours and felt his body shift, rise, and elongate while muscles rippled up under his skin. His flesh and clothing melded together and the surface of his form bristled out into short brown fur. From his head, he felt the bones on is crown launch out and branch like a tree before curving forward like an incomplete halo which suddenly started to tingle with energy. Within seconds, the Valde would be gone and standing on the platform above Matsu Ike would be a gairthix, its antlers crackling and arcing with electric energy.

 

[Matsu Ike]

Vulpesen

She waited for a moment and was looking at him as he started. moving so she would be able to watch and stood next to his kids to gauge their reactions as well to get an idea of this skills visibility. If they knew about it and didn't react well then he would have likely been teaching them and passing it along.. if he was doing it in private and they had surprise could show some things... could also mean that he acted out of character rushing here once he had a new skill without much in the way of practice. Still she watched him move and jump with a wicked looking hook as she nodded her head in agreement and was curious if making weapons from your body was the skill but that didn't seem as impressive as when he started to transform. She watched it and recognized it... maybe she had encountered and trained with witches from Dathomir but their talismans were hard to get and hard to make.

"Interesting." She said it with a look on her face as she nodded and moved quickly towards the platform holding one hand out and focusing the force energy below their feet so the three of them could go up there. Her eyes and face remaining mostly blank.. but she wasn't disinterested or bored with it more impassive as shape shifting like that can lead to a few things. "Most impressive." The jedi master said it and walked around looking at him for a moment or two. "But how conscious are you of what is happening? Transformation talismans cann mess with tthe head and make them channel the animal they transformed into... also has a large chance to rip the clothing." She said it with a look on her face while waiting to see how he reacted and silently clapped towards him. "Though kind of surprised you didn't go for a fox."

 

[Vulpesen]

Vallen and Daella watched, not quite passively, though not impressed either. Their Father was certainly skilled in the ways of the force and his near mastering of major shifting in just a short ammount of time was certainly impressive among the wilder sects. However, he had years o experience and practice in shifting with aid, and he wasn't the only one that had learned the skill that they had met.

As for Matsu's reaction, If Vulpesen's ungulate face could have smiled, no doubt it would have ben a wide one. As it was, he simply regarded his with large brown eyes as she asked her questions. It was every query he hoped to come from her lips, and he was only disappointed that he couldn't speak her answers in his current shape. Once Matsu had lifted herself and his kids up to the platform, Vulpsen shifted back, chuckling a bit at the somewhat shocked reactions of his kids as they found themselves lifted up not through a grasp, but more as if standing on a rising floor. "I'm fully aware while in my shapes, though I haven't quite learned how to alter vocal chords in form just yet. As for talismans and vulpine transformations," Vulpesen lfited up the amulet around his neck, a mark of his station as well as an item which obviously held a heavy presence in the force. "That's what this is for, so I figured it would be cheating to turn into a Veran fox. No, the Wilders had perfected this art without assistance. No talismans, no rituals, just a heavy knowledge of what we're doing, and what we want to be."

Taking the amulet off for a moment, he continued his explanation. "Whenever I call on Varos, the spirit of the amulet, I can feel him take over. Its less like I'm changing, and more like I'm being possessed by the spirit and my body is accommodating to change. The main body of the force acts as a conduit between me and the aspect. But with Wilder shifting, its more like I'm dealing with the force directly. no other spirits, just me getting in touch with the living force to turn myself closer to another creation within its view."

It was certainly an interesting differentiation, or at least, it was to him. Unfortunately, his children's eyes seemed to have glazed over as he lost them. Having not reached that level in their training and having never shifted through dathomiri magic, it was an area that neither of them had any experience in. "As for my clothing, I find that having certain imbuements and attunements can avoid such embarrassments as that."

Matsu Ike

 

[Matsu Ike]

Vulpesen

She listened to what he was saying and checking out the different thigns there... where they would be able to go. "Interesting." She said it and a possible new application of the force if not to use then something to understand and work on method to see it. She had observed it and she could remember it. "Transformation skills are dangerous Vulpesen so as long as you are careful in its use won't risk leaving these children without a father." She said it and was around the platform. She didn't add that she knew what that was like but then she rarely spoke about life outside of when she became a jedi master for surviving a battle against a fallen jedi.

"Still it is something that can bring up my interest. These beings who use it are on your homeworld?" She said it and raised an eyebrow but was motioning for them to come while she went towards the edge of the platform and she pointed towards one opf the smaller island. "Oh this might be of interest." She said it and pointed letting them come and look. "It is a pair of Kaitusatek going to fight over one fo the sirens that they managed to catch." She said it and the tail bladed creatures were slashing at each other as the waves crashed against a hydrostatic shield near the water. "We have shields in place to prevent them from getting here but they still get close."

 

[Vulpesen]

"Minor shifting is common enough and even they have been learning it," Vulpesen said, motioning to his children. "But major shifting, even in its easier applications, is reserved only for master wilders and those that have trained hard in the ways of the shifter. I assure you, I'm quite careful in my shifting." Her concern was touching, but Vulpesen was well aware of the dangers of his abilities. Never-mind the risk to his sanity and mental capacity, rewriting one's entire DNA in an instant was a tricky and potentially lethal process. "And yes, the Wilders are mainly found on Veradune, though we're split into various sects, each of which specialize and practice different aspects of our teachings. We're not exactly as organized as the jedi... though even that may not be saying much nowadays."

Seeing Matsu's change in interest, Vulpesen shifted shapes again, this time imploding on himself as his clothing rippled into black fur and his arms shifted into leathery wings. As fast as he had taken on the deer-like form of the gairthix, he had now shrunk into a Pythros, much like his daughter's pet, though with pitch black fur as opposed to snowy white. Jumping up from the platform, he followed after Matsu as she went over to view the sparring creatures. It may not have been the most practical form of travel, but practice was a must. Skilled as he was, the way of shifter was still a relatively new addition to his skills.

Watching the dueling beast, Vulpesen rose back into his original form and stretched out his muscles. It was often an odd sensation to be compacted in a smaller form. "They seem a bit big for me... a Carmuuth is probably about as big as I can get right now... maybe a Reek if I studied one enough and pushed a little."

"Are those things common around here?" Vallen asked, stepping a bit closer for a better look. Watching the tails swing and attack, he occasionally spared a glance back towards his father's own swaying appendage. While not common, he had seen the older Torrevaso training to strengthen and attack with it on the few occasions he had walked in or snuck off to watch his father's personal sessions.

Matsu Ike

 

[Matsu Ike]

Vulpesen

"They are attracted by the force energy here. Which is one of the reasons for the shielding and some defenive droids that keep them away." She said it and was looking at Vulps with a moment of curiosity. "The best ways to proceed with such endeavors like documenting your transformation abilities to understand it is more observation, tests and most importantly it neds to be replicated by others." She looked at him and there was a challenge to adding and showing new methods of using the force. "Experimentation is also important but one needs a control before trying to figure out the limitations and strains this can have upon the body."

 

[Vulpesen]

Vallen nodded in understanding of her explanation, and with Matsu's talk of tests and observations, Vulpesen smiled and turned a moment to his kids. "Unfortunately, at the moment I am the only full shifter here, though these two are capable of some minor shifting." Giving his kids a hand wave, he they watched as they set about some minor transformations. Lifting his hands, Vallen displayed his nails, now growing into talons much like his father's had earlier. Daella pushed back her hair as her ears extended and lengthened, the flesh warping to a more tented shape to better catch the sounds around her.

"Vallen and I are about to take our trials to become full Wilders. Dad said its kind of like your knights," Daella explained. While most knowledge was open to all ranks of the Wilders, there were quite a few abilities where practice was highly discouraged at lower levels due to the dangers of their use. Turning one's self into an entirely different being was solidly in that category.

"The bigger the being, the more dangerous the transformation. Its more work to generate mass from the energy of the force. A gairthix like you saw was probably one of the easier creatures to shift into. Small ones like the pythros," he waved to Daella's pet which had curled around her neck like a scarf, "are easy to go into, but sometimes difficult to shift back from. As for replication by others, I'd be happy to help teach you and your people. The Wilders may be a fairly secluded, but we have no problem sharing our teachings with others with the aptitude to use them."

Matsu Ike

 

[Matsu Ike]

Vulpesen

She looked at him and at them with a nod of her head. "If it is possible then perhaps though I don't make it a habit of experimenting on people. It is easy to replicate some of the applications of the force but when it comes to people it can be a little dicey." Still though she was observing them as she looked at it. "Is there anything about different species of humanoids being able to do this? They are your children Vulpesen and physiologically you are different in some aspects to other humans. It could be something in your genetics that makes it easier that otherspecies can't fully replicate like vahlas and their ability to resist fire while also controlling it or neti's natural plant surge which aids in growth."

 

[Vulpesen]

The idea of Zorren physiology having an effect on his force abilities was a novel one that he hadn't considered yet and for a moment, Vulpesen was quiet, his brow furrowed in thought as he occasionally sent glances towards his kids. "Interesting point. The Wilders are fairly secluded on Veradune, and almost the entirety of our population is Zorren. I'm sure there were times in our history when we were more inclusive in terms of races, but I wasn't really around for such times. Still, I don't think its exclusive to us. Maybe certain things will be easier, like an kath hound, or the veran fox due to our genetic code, but I don't see a reason for other humanoids to have any trouble. Honestly, the only limitation to full shifting that was really given was turning into most other sentients. Apparently the details from evolution create something of an uncanny valley."

"Arch Wilder Uvarek showed us once. It was kind of terrifying," Vallen piped up before moving his eyes back to the dueling beasts.

Matsu Ike

 

[Matsu Ike]

Vulpesen

She listened and well that was also another part of it... there was a lot of uncertain aspects but she listened when the kids spoke and gave a nod of understanding. "It will be something to look towards.." Walking back over she looked at Vulpesen and spoke with a more analytical look on her face. "And your metabolism is not altered? I don't need to get the kitchen to make you some food. I know the energy expansion can be a powerful way to burn calories." She said it and was looking at him while she walked around. "Everything looks normal, skin looks a little flushed but if you are transforming it then it could possibly be a genetic reset. The cellular make up refeshing and leaking out the acids that cause cellular decay. Could have adverse effects in other areas. How has your perspiration been since you ahve been doing this... any odd odors?"

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen rose a brow as Matsu started to question and I him. To be honest, he was starting to feel like some sort of lab rat, though he didn't really mind. Knowledge, even if odd in its acquisition, was always a worthy goal in his mind. "I feel slightly hungry, but that's probably because of my natural metabolism. The force does well to sustain the transformation. No odd odors, no abnormal perspirations. I feel a little fresher and I've found that minor wounds tend to go away as if I'd healed them through the force. But my body doesn't do a factory reset. It seems there are some limitations to returning to my original form. Sort of like I revert to a save state of what I was last like."

Matsu Ike

 

[Matsu Ike]

Vulpesen

"I see." She said it and was looking over it more as her hand came out and the chevron brought up a hardlight screen she could record the information on. "There are a dozen other things that could be a factor or could be altered with this. Chemical reactions and always a chance of it possibly creating sterilization or increasing hormones and dopamine.... or decreasing it." She was partially speaking to herself and him more so he could get an idea of what went into observing more and she didn't need to experiment just yet. "We would have to see what could happen with it maybe by trying different creatures that have more functioning organs... extreat some slime with a slug."