First Reply Sandy Walk

[Balru Iolar]

For Balru, this was new. She was walking around Anx Minor, her crystal mass constantly shifting as she kept her humanoid form. She shifted around curiously. It was... weird since she started she training, but this was a simple drop off mission, and now she was just exploring. The young Lervon would find what looked like a cantina. She walked in, though she wasn't quite sure what to do here. Lervon didn't exactly eat or drink. And it wasn't like there was much Jedi business ina place like this right? Still, she could get to see more biological species. Maybe some that were new to her. Or maybe just someone who didn't call her a ghost.

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian had only stopped in to escape the heat—barely a few steps through the cantina doors before the cooler air and low murmur of voices wrapped around her. She was used to being the odd one out in places like this: too quiet, too sharp, too aware. But today, the oddity wasn't her.

She felt the presence before she saw it—
a shifting ripple in the Force, fluid and crystalline, the unmistakable signature of a Lervon.

Her brows lifted slightly in recognition—Ura's people.
She hadn't seen many since Kashyyyk, and even fewer alone.

Xian took a breath, then crossed the room with the kind of calm stride that said she'd already made up her mind. When she reached Balru's side, she stopped at a respectful distance—close enough to speak, far enough not to overwhelm.

"You're a Lervon," she said gently, not as an accusation but as a simple truth. "I haven't met you before… but I knew someone from your kind. Ura."

A small, sincere smile warmed the edge of her usually cool features.

"You walked in here like you weren't sure if you were allowed to be," she added, tilting her head. "But trust me—this place has seen worse than one polite Lervon."

She glanced around at the mismatched patrons.

"Much worse."

Then her eyes returned to Balru's shifting form, softening with a hint of curiosity she didn't bother hiding.

"Are you looking for someone? Or just exploring?"

Balru Iolar

 

[Balru Iolar]

Balru’s cyan eyes widened a little when
Xian Xiao spoke up. Xian might notice compared to other Lervon the young sand person seemed to almost never settle, keeping herself more fluid. Still it was maybe more surprising when she heard her mom mentioned.

“Wait? You know my mom… or….” Balru stopped. Explaining that would be a nightmare. She had somehow found a friendly face in a random cantina though, so that said something right? “Yeah. I’m kinda new to all this.” She admitted, then heard the question about if she was exploring or looking for someone. Balru just shrugged a little. “Exploring. Was on a Jedi transport mission, and had some time to look around. I’m Balru by the way.”

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian blinked once, surprised—not by the shifting sand-sheen of Balru's form, but by the sudden flicker of recognition. That name struck something old and bright in her memory.

"Your mom is Ura?" she asked gently, dark eyes warming. "Then… yeah. I know her. She helped me when I was younger. More than she probably ever realized."

There was no heaviness in her tone—just truth, spoken like a steady note from deep in her chest.

Xian leaned her elbow on the bar, posture relaxed, watching the way Balru's form flowed and never quite settled. Lervon movement always fascinated her; they read like weather made into people.

"You move more than most of your kind," she observed softly. "Feels like you're… listening to everything at once."

Not judgment. Not pity. Just observation—clean, precise, honest.

When Balru introduced herself, Xian straightened slightly and gave a small nod of respect.

"I'm Xian. Xian Xiao." She offered a hand—not too fast, not too formal—just a grounded, friendly gesture.

"And yeah," she added with a faint grin, "first time on Anx Minor's cantinas too. So you're not the only one figuring things out."

She glanced around at the assortment of species, the smoky air, and the dim lights.

"Exploring's good," Xian said quietly. "It means you're not afraid to step out of whatever you knew before."

Her gaze returned to Balru, steady.

"If you want company while you explore… I'm not in a rush to be anywhere."

Balru Iolar

 

[Balru Iolar]

Xian would be able to feel the surprised but happy sense in the Force Balru gave off. Seemed like a small galaxy sometimes, and running into someone her mom knew and helped was definitely a show of it. She’d then notice the comment about how much she moved, trying to think of how to respond and not seem as weird as she was.
“Oh! Yeah. Mom says it might be how I came about being odd.” She said in the odd monotone of Lervonian speech. She then heard Xian’s name, and saw the hand extended. Balru would quickly move to shake her hand, having grown up around organics long enough to know the social cues. “Not really sure what to do in a cantina. Not like I exactly eat or drink like you.”
Then Xian offered company, with Balru’s eyes getting a little wider at the idea. “Yeah! I wouldn’t mind.”
Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian's mouth pulled into a faint, warm smile as Balru's emotions lit the air around them. Lervon didn't exactly broadcast the same way organics did, but the pulse of happy surprise was clear enough for any Jedi-trained senses to catch.

"Your mother helped a lot of people," Xian said gently. "I'm not surprised she helped you, too."

She didn't flinch when Balru's form shifted—Xian had seen Ura do it often, though Balru's constant motion was new. Interesting. Alive. Like the wind never quite settled on her surface.

When the Lervon mentioned how she came about, Xian's eyebrows lifted just slightly—curious, not judgmental.

"I've met enough Force-born, lab-born, and everything-in-between to know 'odd' isn't a bad thing," she said with a light shrug. "And your mom never struck me as someone who'd raise anybody ordinary."

Balru took her hand, and Xian shifted her grip instinctively—firm but not overwhelming. Lervon texture was always strange the first second, but Xian adapted quickly.

When Balru glanced around the cantina, unsure of herself, Xian leaned one hip against the counter.

"You don't have to eat or drink to sit," she said. "Half the people here aren't doing either—they're just talking, hiding from work, or pretending they aren't lost."

A small grin tugged at her mouth.

"I can keep you company. Or show you around. Or… sit with you if that's what you want."

Balru's eyes widened at the offer, and Xian gave a small nod toward an empty booth tucked against the wall.

"Come on," she said, stepping lightly toward it. "You can tell me what brings you to Anx Minor, and I'll tell you what I remember about your mom."

She glanced back with a teasing lift of a brow.

"And don't worry. Cantinas only get weird if you stay too long."

Balru Iolar

 

[Balru Iolar]

Balru was surprised as Xian started to lead the way to empty booth, and offered to keep her company. “Oh! That’d be great.” She said as she almost literally slid into the booth. She didn’t really mind if she was squished or anything. Not like her body didn’t have just enough give for it to not really matter that much anyway.
Once they were both settled, Balru looked at Xian, remembering her wondering about what the Lervon was doing on this planet. “So, I was just supposed to run a little escort for a quick drop off here. Pretty simple, but the crew are out and about, so figured I could check out the planet.”
Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian slid into the booth across from Balru, folding one leg beneath her and setting her arms lightly on the table. The Lervon girl's shifting form caught her eye — a quiet, rhythmic motion like wind humming through glass.

"Exploring's a good use of downtime," Xian said with a small, genuine smile. "Especially on worlds you don't know yet. There's always something strange or beautiful hiding where you don't expect it."

She studied Balru again, curiosity softening her expression.

"And you… definitely stand out more than the average traveler."

Not judgment — fascination.

When Balru mentioned her escort run, Xian's brow lifted faintly.

"I've never been assigned something like that," she admitted. "Most of my 'missions' were just surviving whatever my life threw at me and trying not to get kicked out of the places I landed in."

A hint of humor warmed her voice.

"So you're already doing better than I did at your age."

She leaned back against the booth cushion, relaxed.

"But I'm glad you wandered in here. Exploring a place alone can get… well, boring. Or overwhelming. Or both."

Her eyes softened, sincere.

"If you want company, I'll stay. We can make an adventure out of it."

A beat.

"What do you want to see? Markets? Locals? Strange wildlife? I'm good at finding trouble — or avoiding it. Depends what you're in the mood for."

She tilted her head, studying Balru openly.

"And I wouldn't mind getting to know you. Lervon aren't exactly common where I'm from."

Balru Iolar

 

[Balru Iolar]

Balru would let out an excited feeling at the idea of having someone to explore with. “Company would be nice. I’ve never been good figuring this stuff out solo.“She admitted. The young Lervon would continue thinking about what adventures that could be.

The sandy Padawan thought for a moment, hearing all the options.
“Honestly, I kinda want to see it all.”

Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian smiled at that—not wide or showy, but genuine in the way it reached her dark eyes and softened her shoulders. There was something familiar in Balru's admission, something she understood without needing to think too hard about it.

"Yeah," she said quietly, nodding once as if that settled something important. "Doing things solo is overrated. You miss half of it when there's no one to react with."

She shifted slightly on the booth seat to give Balru a bit more room, resting her forearms loosely on the table. Up close, her tone stayed calm and easy, but there was a gentle enthusiasm beneath it—curiosity answering curiosity.

"And honestly?" Xian added, glancing out toward the cantina's entrance, where the sounds of the street filtered in. "Seeing it all is a solid plan. Markets, alleys, places you're not technically supposed to wander into but do anyway." A small, conspiratorial smile tugged at her mouth. "Those are usually the interesting ones."

Her gaze returned to Balru, thoughtful now rather than assessing. "We don't have to rush it, though. Exploration's better when you let things surprise you instead of chasing a checklist."

She stood, adjusting her jacket and offering a hand—not urgent, not pushy—just an invitation.

"Come on," Xian said lightly. "We'll start nearby and see where we end up. Worst case, we get lost and find something worth remembering."

And if the galaxy felt a little smaller with company? Well, Xian had learned that wasn't always a bad thing.

Balru Iolar