Private The Quiet Strength of True Friendship

[Balun Dashiell]

THE QUIET STRENGTH OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP
Location: Balun Dashiell's Cottage, The Dashiell Estate on Joiol
Present Company: Kellan Dashiell & Vesha Daruun (x)
Tags: Iona Starchaser​

"I'm just voicing my thoughts with a friend, that's all," Balun said gently, his words accompanied by a subtle shrug and an inquisitive glance in Iona's direction. There was no defensiveness in his tone—just a quiet curiosity, a trace of uncertainty flickering behind his eyes. Had he come across as venting? Did she think he was complaining, rather than confiding?

He tilted his head slightly, searching her expression for a sign, then continued, his voice steady but sincere.

"Believe it or not, I've always had a lot of confidence in your opinion," he admitted, offering her a small, honest smile. "It matters to me. I guess I figured I could lean on you with this kind of stuff… in ways I can't with my family."

There was no edge of sarcasm, no hint of bitterness—just truth, quietly spoken. Whether she shared the sentiment or not, he couldn't be sure. But he trusted her enough to say it anyway.

"I like to think you see me as more than just some overly aggressive dumbass from the field," Balun added, the corner of his mouth twitching with faint humor, though his eyes stayed earnest. "I've always wanted to keep growing in my training. But I want to do it right—staying true to the Light. Not just for power, but to serve. To help."

He shifted slightly, leaning back with a quiet breath, as if trying to ease the weight of the past from his shoulders.

"Venting sounds like I'm ungrateful. And I'm not," he clarified. "I've been lucky. Truly. When I left the New Jedi Order, I didn't have anything. I didn't even know who my family was, let alone what they were… or what they had."

His gaze dropped for a moment, his voice softening.

"It wasn't until my father found me that things changed. Judah… he reached out first. Everything I have now—the cottage, the company, the support—it came from that moment. And I don't take any of it for granted. Not one bit."

He let that truth sit between them before circling back, refocusing on the thread that had started it all.

"As for Holocrons…" he mused, his brow creasing thoughtfully. "No, I haven't really considered them. I wouldn't even know where to start—how to find one, which to use. There have been so many Force users through history, but figuring out which of their teachings align with who I am… that's the hard part."

His gaze lifted back to Iona's, more reflective now.

"Besides, I always imagined an apprenticeship as something living. Shared. There's something wholesome in learning directly from someone—not just their technique, but their perspective, their flaws. A Holocron can't challenge you in the same way. It can't walk beside you."

He paused, then smiled faintly again.

"Still… maybe it's something worth looking into. I just haven't known where to begin."

"Speech".
'Thought'.

 

[Iona Starchaser]

Location : Joiol | Weapons : Force Pike | Interacting With : Balun Dashiell , Kellan Dashiell
​

Shoulders lifted slightly in a shrug. As if to say, she was unsure about it all. Younger than Balun,she didn't have many of the experiences he did. Two different paths and all that. Which made it hard for her to get a bead sometimes on his thought process. Nothing bad, they just viewed the world in two very different ways.

"Believe it or not, I've always had a lot of confidence in your opinion," he admitted, offering her a small, honest smile. "It matters to me. I guess I figured I could lean on you with this kind of stuff… in ways I can't with my family."

"I personally wouldn't take much stock in my opinion, but I'm glad someone does. Maybe if nothing else works out for me then I can become a professor. Or hermit. Both visited often for advice and opinions. Those who can't do, teach, eh? Something to mull over.."

Drifting along, she didn't have much of a backup plan yet. She was young. There was no rush.

"Holocrons are merely another suggestion. Of course a living being would be preferrable. Just seems so many are closed off not wanting to teach these days. Just spit balling thoughts and such."

She paused, she was unsure enough herself left along to guide someone in their own thought process.

"So this found family...is good?"

 

[Balun Dashiell]

THE QUIET STRENGTH OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP
Location: Balun Dashiell's Cottage, The Dashiell Estate on Joiol
Present Company: Kellan Dashiell & Vesha Daruun (x)
Tags: Iona Starchaser​

"You make it sound like teaching is some kind of fallback," Balun mused, a thoughtful tone settling over his voice. "But some of the teachers I've known… they've done a better job than I ever could've imagined doing myself."

His gaze drifted for a moment, caught in memory—faces of old instructors flashing through his mind. The ones who had endured his rebellion, his sharp tongue, his tendency to push against every boundary set in front of him. They'd been patient—far more patient than he thought he could ever be.

"I gave those poor people hell," he added with a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "And somehow, they still showed up for me. Every day. I don't think I could've done the same."

He turned to Iona then, a sly grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"But you? I can absolutely see you teaching," he said, his tone lightening. "Can't be all that different from dealing with me, right?"

A short laugh followed as he added, "Just… with kids who are naturally stupid and probably less frustrating."

It was phrased poorly—intentionally so. The words were meant as comic relief, laced with self-deprecation, playing off her earlier "dumbass" remark. He wore the joke easily, as if trying to draw out a smile from her at his own expense.

But when the subject shifted—when she asked about his family—something in Balun changed.

The humor softened, giving way to a quieter, more reflective expression.

"My father finding me… it was the best thing that's ever happened to me," he said plainly, the words carrying a gravity that didn't need embellishment. "In my whole life, honestly."

His voice dipped into something more personal, more vulnerable.

"I think I resisted the Jedi as much as I did because I carried this chip on my shoulder for being abandoned. By my mother. I blamed a lot of people—especially myself. But my father… he never even knew I existed. And once he found me, he didn't hesitate."

Balun paused, a trace of a smile forming again, this time tinged with quiet pride.

"We're close now. Really close. And my brother—Makai—we've come a long way too. We're building something together, both in business and in family. That kind of connection… it's rare."

He glanced down for a moment, his hands folding loosely in his lap.

"There's never been a Force-user in the family before me, though. So, when it comes to the sixth-sense stuff we deal with… they don't really get it. And I don't expect them to. That's the only place where I feel the distance."

He lifted his gaze again, his voice steady but warm.

"But even with that… I'm incredibly lucky. I started out with no one. Just me, the Order, and a lot of unanswered questions. Now I've got a family. A home. A son. It's more than I ever expected."

"Speech".
'Thought'.​

 

[Iona Starchaser]

Location : Joiol | Weapons : Force Pike | Interacting With : Balun Dashiell , Kellan Dashiell
​

Teaching was still her fall-back plan. Iona couldn't see herself just staying on one planet for months at a time, droning on and doing it class after class. Of course she appreciated the vote of confidence from Balun, but perhaps it would be something she could do in her older age. Much older age. She was young and wanted to do a bit of exploring and living before having to settle into something more mature.

"My father finding me… it was the best thing that's ever happened to me," he said plainly, the words carrying a gravity that didn't need embellishment. "In my whole life, honestly."

"Its great to see your family has welcomed you. I mean, I don't see why they wouldn't have but people can be fickle. Families can be fickle. I'm pleased to hear yours was not."

Iona listened to Bale weave a tale about his found family and newfound peace and nodded. It was great to see her friend perhaps find a little bit of stability. While she didn't quite think it had been wise to get a girl pregnant, the Mirialan also hoped it would give Balun a more mature nature in time. A more stable nature. Something he needed in her opinion, but Iona was keeping that to herself.

"Our roles are to be reversed then. You'll be the one in a good spot and I'll be the one wandering the hyperlanes. Who knows when the last time you'll be seeing me."

 

[Balun Dashiell]

THE QUIET STRENGTH OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP
Location: Balun Dashiell's Cottage, The Dashiell Estate on Joiol
Present Company: Kellan Dashiell & Vesha Daruun (x)
Tags: Iona Starchaser​

"Just… keep yourself safe out there," Balun said quietly, a thread of genuine concern weaving through his words. His gaze lingered on Iona, the usual casual tone replaced by something more grounded—protective, even.

"I've been hearing some strange things about the hyperlanes lately," he continued, voice lowering slightly as if discussing something not yet meant for open broadcast. "A few ships from Dashiell Incorporated have gone dark—completely vanished. No distress beacons, no wreckage. Just... gone."

He leaned forward, forearms resting on his knees as his eyes narrowed with unease.

"There are rumours on the holonet. Reports of ships getting spit out in the wrong systems—whole sectors off-course, like the lanes are folding in on themselves or rerouting mid-jump." He shook his head slowly. "Could be holonet paranoia, or something more. I don't know yet. But the missing freighters? That part's real. And it's enough to make me wary."

Balun had spent enough time in deep space to respect its unpredictability. Even on a good day, the void was indifferent. But now, with trade routes faltering and whispers of anomalies growing louder, the stakes felt… different. More dangerous.

He looked back at her then, his voice steady and earnest.

"If you ever need anything—anything—don't hesitate," he said. "If things go sideways, if there's trouble, or if you just need backup… you call me."

His words weren't dramatic, just absolute. He didn't care how sharp Iona's tongue could be, or how stubborn she might act. None of that ever mattered to him when it counted.

"I know you like to handle things your own way," he added, offering a slight smirk. "And I know I'm not always your first call. Hell, maybe not your fifth. But I'm good in a fight, and I'll show up without question—no matter what's going down."

He leaned back again, expression softening into something more familiar—a quiet smile, unshaken in its sincerity.

"Hopefully you'll never need it. But if you do… I'm there."

"Speech".
'Thought'.​