Private Soup for the Soul

[Aida Aquila]

Tikkaloo Village, not far from Silver Rest
Kashyyyk​

The traveling winds blew across the world of Kashyyyk, rustling the leaves of the ancient Wroshyr trees. And with it, came the Jedi Aida Aquila—she went where the wind took her.

With a rucksack on her shoulder and a heavy-bottomed pot in hand, she stood in awe of the idyllic splendor of the forest world. Her traveling companions would likely seek out Silver Rest—and so, too, would Aida—but for now she sought the hospitality of the Wookies. The Sephi woman made her steps with ethereal lightness, traversing the woods like she'd lived there all her life. And while she had never called this world home, she had visited many times throughout the years.

A tall, white-haired Wookie came to greet her at the edge of the village. “Greetings, my old friend,” she said, bowing her head politely. Aida received a greeting in return, the familiar growls and trills of Shyriiwook. She had always been fond of the Wookies, proud people. And they, too, were quite long-lived. Luwaroo, a village elder, was among her longest friendships.

After exchanging pleasantries and small tokens, Aida took to a nearby glade to prepare a meal—a meal that she had planned to share with Wookies and Jedi and anyone passing by. After putting her sturdy cooking pot above the fire, she began. Today, she used as many native ingredients as she could—including the onion-like Chyntuck. And she enhanced the bubbling soup with exotic spices from across the galaxy... and a few secret ingredients. This recipe was special; as if made to order.

The savory aroma would carry on the breeze, traveling far to find just the right person to taste-test. In fact, this scent would flow all the way to Silver Rest...

Caedyn Arenais

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn had been wandering the path for a while now. Not the Jedi Path, but a traveled path connecting the grounds of the Silver Rest to the great trees of the Wroshyr. The days of late had brought with them many concerns and questions, not of those around him but more concerning his personal life and where Caedyn felt he stood within himself.

Much of his time had been dedicated to the training of his Padawan Kyra Perl , and many of the other students within the Silver Rest. He had gone from serving as a vagabond Jedi within the Outer Rim, to living a structured life within the Silver Jedi Temple once again like the old days where he first was getting to know Asaraa Vaashe among many others.

Alas his personal life seemed to be waning under the priorities and needs of the Galaxy and his Jedi responsibilities. While this wasn't at all unexpected, it did make things rather difficult and left for wanting when it came to his relationships with others, both romantic and platonic. In the quiet of his mind, it was safe to admit that he was feeling rather lonely. He didn't have friends, he had students and while Kyra herself had become someone of great care for Caedyn, there were things that he couldn't talk to her about that he might have otherwise shared with a trusted friend like his Sister Loreena Arenais-Valhoun ...

Although they too were so far apart these days.

It was in the distraction and depth of his thoughts, that Caedyn had failed to realize the aroma about the place, at-least not until he'd trekked much closer to the Wookie village. Tikkaloo Village was the closest of the Wookiee settlements to the Silver Rest, and it wasn't unusual to see members of the Order coming and going from the area.

Without any other arrangements in the immediate future, Caedyn decided to pay the Wookiees a visit and perhaps distract himself with the cultural people that were so warm and welcoming to those of good heart and intentions.

Aida Aquila

 

[Aida Aquila]

Aida knelt, her fine silken robes pooled around her as she stirred the pot of soup with a wooden spoon. This particular spoon had been a gift from the Wookies, crafted from their fine Wroshyr wood. It carried with it the energy of the forest-world, and she felt a swell of fondness for this place. But she sensed a change in the air, and there was a feeling within that told her this would be her last trip to Kashyyyk for quite some time.

She would have to make the most of this visit.

After taking a taste of the soup (with a clean spoon), she cradled her chin in thought for a moment. It was missing something. Then, her brows arched as the sudden culinary revelation struck her. Opening the flap of her leather rucksack, she pulled out a hairy brown orb—an Ishi Tib-cracked coconut. The creamy milk would sweeten the broth nicely, but this fruit was tricky to open.

Rising to her full height, the Sephi woman dressed in white stood out against the lush greenery and natural hues of the village. The light crept through the canopy to highlight her fair complexion and golden hair, it only heightened the effect. As she pondered the best way to crack the coconut, something—or someone—gave her pause. There was a pulse in the force, strong enough to make her head turn.

Peering towards the winding forest path behind her, there was movement.

And when the young man came to the end of the worn dirt path, he'd find her waiting with a calm smile. “Greetings,” she offered with a slight bow.

Caedyn Arenais

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn blinked as he found himself being greeted by Aida Aquila, the woman dressed in a white garb whom stood out amongst the Wookiees rather blatantly. As a trio of Wookiee's passed them by on their way to forage the land, Caedyn greeted them kindly, awaiting their passing before glancing back to Adia curiously.

"Hey there..." he responded, a little surprised to find her standing as though she had been expecting him. She hadn't, although it certainly appeared that way to his mind given her stark difference to the local populace of the settlement. Whatever Aida Aquila was cooking, it smelled really good and drew his gaze briefly to the pot she was stirring, soon glancing back to her with a curious eye.

"Have we met somewhere before?" He asked, wondering if he should recognize the woman whom seemed all so very comfortable among the Wookiees, almost as though this was a regular pass time of hers.

"My name's Caedyn Arenais..." he dipped his head in an informal bow, more casual than what you'd expect within the Silver Rest, however enough to acknowledge and bid her respect in the welcome sharing of company.

 

[Aida Aquila]

A quiet smile found Aida's face when the young man looked taken aback by her presence there at the end of the path. And a brow rose softly when he asked if they'd met before. “It is always possible that we have,” Aida replied. After all, the force worked in very mysterious ways, and Aida never questioned it. She'd met a great many people during her lifetime. But of course, her words were more cryptic than definitive.

“Arenais,” she echoed when the young man introduced himself as Caedyn Arenais, and familiarity registered on her face. “Yes, I do know that name.” She stepped to the side to allow him to continue down the path to the glade. “My name is Aida Aquila, I accompanied a Silver Jedi delegation to Commenor—quite some time ago now.”

Yes, it was likely a few years in the past now. Her own sense of time was different than most, so she hoped that she'd approximated it correctly for a human. “I know your father.”

Caedyn Arenais

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Everywhere Caedyn went there seemed to be someone or something connected to his father in some way. In the past, it would have frustrated him to be forever destined to walk under Veiere's shadow, however in the man's death Caedyn had been forced to learn some hard truths and come to terms with the many resentments he had never found the chance to set aside until it was far too late.

The way in which Aida Aquila had spoken suggested that she remained unaware of his Father's demise on Bimmisaari. "Ah...-I'm sorry" he reluctantly apologized for what news he was going to have to share with her; "My father was killed during an attack by the Sith Empire against Bimmisaari, he was part of the responding defense force when they were overrun".

If there was a way to depress someone, this would be about it; Certainly not a great start to her first impression of the lad. Things seemed to grow more quieter than naturally possible having said that. Perhaps it was just his immediate awareness of the moment, or that he was feeling very much out of place out there. To be honest, things had been moving so quickly lately, Caedyn didn't often have the time to think for himself.

"It's uh...Nice to meet you, Ms. Aquila" He added, trying to save face.