Reunion of the pointy-eared kid and the pink man

[Ellifain Eden]

Laekia

Huckleberry Marketplace

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

The drifter moved through the crowds, looking like an out-of-place child. Golden-lime eyes looked at all the colorful foods and stalls, stomach rumbling. The Nagai-Firrero was hungry...starving actually. The flight out here had been long and far.

Of course, she couldn't complain much as a stowaway.

She didn't see it, but her footsteps left small flowers sprouting up from the dirt in her wake.

"Hey kid, want some free ice-cream?" Elli's head snapped to a muscled, male twi'lek motioning from a stall in the corner of the market. It was a bit removed from the others and enclosed. Her eagerness for sugar muted her practical danger sense.

She didn't know she was about to enter the den of slavers.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Jaxton was walking the streets of the "Huckleberry" District in his 'armor'. Really it was an obnoxiously heavy training suit that he could wear under his clothes and appear normal, but it was a way for Jaxton to help grow in the Force. Or at least he hoped it was, as otherwise he'd be wasting a lot of time and effort. Constantly using the Force to enhance his speed and strength to be able to move was about as taxing as it sounded. Handing a Rodian two credits with the speed of a tortoise he purchased a fruit, before taking a chomp out of it. it's flavor and crunch were well appreciated as the man turned around to return to his run. Or walk rather, as the circumstances were.

But as he turned around Jaxton spotted something, a young girl with a familiar shade of green in her hair. Could it be? His old padawan from when he was with the Jedi? That was some time ago however, and Jaxton wasn't sure how a girl her age could get all the way to Laekia from the Deep Core. Then again, stranger things had happened. Seeing her head over to . . . somewhere, he decided to cautiously give chase, walking behind her at just fast enough a pace to keep her in view. After all, was the worst that could happen if he was wrong? Well, Hrist Canson could pop out and call him unpleasant things, but that was highly unlikely.

[member="Ellifain Verrona"]

 

[Ellifain Eden]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

She felt like a familiar friend was close-by. It was like the touch of warm sun on her skin after weeks of rain and clouds, the welcome presence of something familiar but almost forgotten. She paused in the doorway of the shop. Pointy-eared head tilted to the side, about to look behind her shoulder.

A sharp tug on her wrist whipped her the opposite direction she wanted to go. Fear settled in the pit of her empty stomach as the twi'lek grinned maliciously. "I'm sure you'll fetch a nice price from the high bidders. Young, good skin," a finger trailed down her face as his other hand gripped her chin, firmly, "and fresh. Kentarch, get the cuffs and we-eeOOOWWW!!!"

She bit down on his finger and released a fearful gust of force energy at his chest. He growled in surprise and pain but recovered quickly and lunged for her ankle.

"Wench! Get the stun cuffs, we've got a force user."

She scrambled but hit the floor. The twi'lek's body crushed against her as she tried to kick and squirm free.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

[member="Ellifain Verrona"]

As Jaxton followed the trail he began to feel a familiar presence, which along with the familiar face lead him to one conclusion. Ellifain Verona. He remembered this one specifically because he managed to teach her the Force while just messing around with her. Play a game just right and she had to use the Force to win, had to get creative in what she did, had to be constantly thinking. One of his happier moments in the Order, matching the teaching method to the student.

For a moment he felt something like that, a slight happiness or hope to see a familiar face. But it was only for a moment. A split second later it was replaced with uncertainty, terror. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong. Jaxton attempted to sprint forward, but could only manage a jog in his training suit with the Force enhancing his every step. Reaching to his waist he grabbed the bottom of his fauxranium shirt, putting up quite the effort to take it off before spotting a twi'lek male untop of Elli. Swinging his arms to the side he hurled the shirt at the twi'lek, all 135 kilos of it. It knocked him back perhaps a couple of feet before landing over over the man, who couldn't seem to move with the weight on top of him. It was no wonder he couldn't, Jaxton could barely walk with it using the Force constantly. Ignited his lightsaber he began to run forwards, not fully encumbered anymore and able to manage a normal sprint.

"Elli, are you okay?"

 

[Ellifain Eden]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

Small heart hammered like a hummingbird's wings in her chest and the man's weight was suddenly, gone. Trembling-chin lifted, golden-lime gaze latching onto the face of the familiar voice. "Jaxton," there was a desperate lilt to her voice as she pushed her scraped-kneed self off the floor and threw herself at her old master.

Arms encircled around his torso, face buried into his chest. Though still dwarfed by his size, her head hit him higher than it once did. She had grown.

The snarl of the slaver came to a crescendo as he managed to free himself. The second henchman stood frozen, at the back of the shop, hands slowly raised. The twi'lek stood and seriously thought about going to the blaster at his side as he stared down the force-user and the wench.

"That one is my property," he spit blood from his mouth as he glared at Elli. "Step back and we won't have no trouble."

Elli's grip around Jaxton's torso tightened as if she would be ripped away. "He just said I could have ice-cream," she whimpered.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Jaxton knelt down as the young teen-bop ran towards her, wrapping her arms around his chest as she nearly tackled him with enthusiasm, hiding her face into his chest. Jaxton put an arm around her and stood up, lifting the girl off her feet.

"Man, you've gotten bigger! Look at those muscles! Can you flex for me?" He asked, giving attention to her rather than the problem. Hopefully that'd help reassure her, take her mind off of her would-be captors. After he finished his encouragement the twilek managed to escape the shirt, before waving a blaster in his hand and demanding that Jaxton give up Elli. Like that was ever gonna happen. Elli gripped Jaxton a little tighter and explained she just wanted some Ice Cream. He'd have to have a discussion with her later, but now he had slavers to deal with.


"No, we're gonna have trouble anyways. See, this is Levantine turf. My turf. And I'm not keen on slavers hanging around. So if you don't get gone real quick I'm gonna make you git gone, and I can assure you don't want that."


[member="Ellifain Verrona"]

 

[Ellifain Eden]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

Even in the situation with the mean twilek, she managed a giggle when Jaxton asked about her muscles. But she remained glued to him and only offered a worried glance over her shoulder, then back up to Jaxton's face. Button-nose crinkled in confusion and she whispered, "What is levan-levanteeon?"

The slaver snarled an interruption while his partner offered a warning. "We're leaving. C'mon L'key, ain't worth it."

"The hell it ain't. I'm sick of these gorram forcers ruinin' my income." His hand shook in rage and he fired four kill shots at the pair. His partner, having a little more sense, fled.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

The little elfish girl had an odd wiggle in her nose as she tried to sound out the Levantine's. Before he could open his mouth he heard one of the slavers talk, causing him pause and to shift his attention. While one of the slavers was content to leave the other was adamant about obtaining his cargo, complaining about the 'gorram forcers' before pulling out a blaster and firing at Jaxton. His legs lowered as his upper body swiveled, placing Elli on the ground while putting a shoulder in front of her. His lightsaber came to his hand in perhaps a second's time, and he deflected a trio of bolts, before ducking under a fourth, pushing Ellifain down to take cover as he did.

With a click of a button the lightsaber was deactivated as soon as it had come, and Jaxton chucked the weapon at the slaver as if it were a powerful projectile. With Force Speed enhancing the motions of his arms it traveled faster than a blaster bolt, and hit the twi'lek dead in the chest, causing him to grab at his chest for a second or two, but which time Jaxton had closed the gap between them. His left hand, a durasteel prosthesis hidden under some synthflesh, grabbed at the blaster and squeezed with a mechanical vicegrip, bending the gun into an inoperable state. The slaver yelped as he realized the Zeltron was in front of him. Jaxton's next move was a real fist to the face, knocking the man back. With luck he wouldn't have gotten back up.

Using what little telekinetic might Jaxton had he summoned the lightsaber back to his hand, then placed it squarely on his belt as he turned to Elli. "You alright girl?"

[member="Ellifain Verrona"]

 

[Ellifain Eden]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

A yelp that sounded surprisingly similar to a scared bird left her lips as Jaxton spun her around and moved so fast, her eyes could barely follow him. She ducked obediently but immediately lifted her head to get a better view. Instinct wanted her eyes to close but fascination and curiosity kept them firmly open.

Along with her mouth.

It took the teen a good moment to shake off the bewilderment and realize it was over and Jaxton was speaking to her. Mouth closed. "Wow," she whispered. It took her a moment longer to move and get off the ground. "That was amazing!" Blood trickled down her scraped-up knees and she forgot to answer his question. She was too shocked, scared - but mostly in awe.

Her stomach rumbled and broke through the relative silence.

The young Nagai-Firrerreo's attention quickly shifted. "I'm hungry. Can we get some food?" Hopeful, golden-lime gaze looked pleadingly and expectantly up to Jaxton.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Jaxton looked at the impressed little girl and gave a smile as he walked over before her stomach grumbled in desire. Poor little girl needed some food.

"Lemme look at those knees first." Jaxton said as he crouched down and found where she was bleeding. Jaxton could only manage very very basic healing in the Force, having only an impromptu lesson with Boolon Murr quite a while back, but a skinned knee? He could handle it. Hopefully. Energy flowed through his hands as the wound stitched itself back together, accelerating it's natural process from a few days to a few seconds.

"Now what might you wanna eat Elli? I'm in the mood for burgers personally, but I'm always in the mood for burgers." Jaxton said as he walked over to pick up his fauxranium shirt and put it back on, becoming quite a bit heavier. Once that was done he looked at the girl with a face that spoke of happiness, and an outstretched hand for her to hold.

[member="Ellifain Verrona"]

 

[Ellifain Eden]

[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

She squirmed slightly as Jaxton used his magic to heal her scrapes. She could almost see how it worked before her mind drifted to more important things, like ice-cream, candy, and sweets. Beaming, she slipped her smaller-pale hand into his larger one, fingers curling around his digits.

Button-nose crinkled in thought at her teacher's suggestion. "Sure, I don't think I've ever had that thing before. As long as I can put candy and sprinkles and sugar and syrup on it, I'm sure it will be fine." Voice was very matter-of-fact as she walked along with him, arm swinging his to a silent-tune. The previous trauma forgotten.

But that was Elli, quick to move on, a spirit that hopped around and focused on the lighter and even more impish things to come.

An unusually serious expression drifted across the teen's face as she cast a glance upwards. "But what will happen after hamburgers? Are you going to leave?" The grass around her feet seemed to wilt, just slightly, at least, more than was common for that time of year and in such a particular spot.