The Starving and the Blind

[Onith Trill]

Yurik was a bit annoyed at the term 'little one' but decided not push the point.

"I'll meet you later then." Yurik said, and left the woman. He knew she could see now, at least in some capacity, so his services as a guide were no longer needed. Finding his ship he rifled through his things, finding that the only things he had of any need were his yellow lightsaber, few sets of clothes, and the general hygienic items of course. Once he had everything tucked away and packed he prepared to leave, but took one last stop at the garden, examining the wild-life he'd taken care of, and was a place he weaned his ability to be around beings he could sense were in harm.

After spending a moment there, he headed off, into the town and into the docks. He didn't remember which ship @[member="Xeni Kraylu"] said was hers, but he'd find it eventually. There only so many mute Miraluka's the dock workers had to deal with everyday, so asking one of them to sort it out likely wouldn't be difficult.

 

[Xeni Kraylu]

She watched as the young man said his temporary good byes, and left her to herself. She tilted her head in contemplation before concluding that Yurik was just stiff like that. Perhaps he'd loosen up once he left the Temple. Anyone would feel pressured to act with utmost strictness in a place like this.

Shrugging her shoulders, she made her way down quickly and out into the markets. This time it was easier to maneuver around than her first. After purchasing some hygienic products, a few food packages, and a desperately needed pair of gloves, Xeni took off towards her the docks.

Hopefully by now, the mechanics had finished their repairs,and Yurik and her could leave almost immediately for their destination. Having another set of normal eyes would sure come in handy! She grinned as she recognized the young Jedi near her ship. She reached Yurik's side and gestured to the humble ship hovering near them. 'Ready to go, Yurik?' Xeni smirked before activating the hatch to let them in.
A new adventure with a new face! Towards Barth Qella and the mystery known as the Teljkon Vagabond!
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@[member="Yurik Rodecken"]

 

[Onith Trill]

"Well you're . . . cheery I suppose." He said to the Miraluka @[member="Xeni Kraylu"] as they pair boarded the woman's freighter. "I'm ready to get going personally." He said, as he made his way to the cockpit, and began prepping the ship. He figured she'd found some odd way to pilot the ship herself, after all she did have a ship, and she'd seemed a bit lost in Coruscant, not knowing where the library was. Which meant she wasn't a lady born on Coruscant trying to leave, she was a lady making a pit stop at one of the more notable planets in the Republic, the galaxy even.

But, Yurik had the capability to see and speak, so he figured while he was here he'd try to make things easier for her. Considering he'd be living in this ship for the ride to Brath Qella and the ride back at least, he'd wanted to pitch in where he could, help things here and there.

"So you said you were a Jal Shey Mentor? Can you tell me a bit more about them? What being a Jal Shey and a Mentor entail?"

 

[Xeni Kraylu]

'Hmm?' She had tossed her stuff in the storage space in the cock pit before turning back to Yurik, who was already at the controls. she chuckled. 'No need to prep manually. Just activate autopilot. I've already set the course.' She smiled at the young Jedi and plopped into the seat next to his and buckled up. Her ship wasn't a junker, but liftoff was far from smooth.

'The Jal Shey? Oh.' She mulled over the inquiry. Xeni assumed that most would know what they were, but I guess that's a big ego for you. ' The Jal Shey is an organization dedicated to learning and diplomatic endeavors in the most objective and peaceful way to be had. You have the students at the bottom of the food chain. Then, after passing the Jal Shey's judgement on your competence, based on your skills and desires, you can either become a diplomat or a Mentor or both within the organization.'

She relaxed against the seat as the ship began to whir to life. She turned her head towards Yurik. 'I am a scholar within the Jal Shey, and recently, became a Mentor. So should they need me to take up students to teach their ways and knowledge then they just call on me.' A small smile graced her lips. 'Took a bit but I made it! As of now, I have no students so I've spent time examining and researching various wonders of this galaxy, scouring for new knowledge and to test the boundaries of my own intelligence. Quite fulfilling.'
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@[member="Yurik Rodecken"]

 

[Onith Trill]

Over all, the Jal Shey sounded a bit like the Jedi, albeit more with a scholarly and diplomatic focus, shying away from the more militant aspects of the Jedi Order. Which, come to think of it, was not a bad thing, considering the actions of Matsu on Metalorn and the lives lost due to the 'justifications' and 'legalities'. As Xeni did not have the gift of a shrewd tongue, he supposed she was more the scholarly type, which was confirmed by her mental speech shortly enough.

She seemed to be one of the higher ranking of the Jal Shey, a Mentor as it were, as she said that she was expected to teach students, and she was trusted to go out and alone into the galaxy, despite her . . . hindrances, so she must have proven herself rather capable in other manners.

"So a set of Force using Scholars then? That sounds an intriguing lifestyle. What have you managed to study thusfar?" He asked to the Miraluka @[member="Xeni Kraylu"].

 

[Xeni Kraylu]

' Not all Jal Shey are Force users, though some specialize in making Force-imbued items,' she corrected, making sure she didn't sully her elders' accomplishments. 'It is quite...,' she fiddled with her scanner device, undoing it and plugged it from the back into the dash. It had to charge for her next time she wanted to leave the ship. The only downfall to the otherwise flawless machine,'.. intriguing. One meets all sorts of beings through this lifestyle. But I assume that can be said about several occupations.'

She kicked her legs onto the dash and turned back to Yurik, and chuckled when he ventured to ask what she had studied. 'That, my friend, could take a while to cover. Mainly, I spend my days studying scripts and such to discern any holes or missing data. Then, I go out and fill it. Or, if something I've never heard of comes across my path, I spend sleepless nights learning all I can about it. A bad habit at times.'

A small pause before she took her chance. 'May I inquire on how and why you joined the Order?'
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@[member="Yurik Rodecken"]

 

[Onith Trill]

Yurik laughed a little bit at the Miraluka's response. His story wasn't exactly standard but it certainly wasn't grand or special. "Truth be told, I lost a fight. I wasn't, shall we say, the best of men, but the man who beat me, the first man who beat me thought I should be spared. That I had potential to redeem myself. I thought him a fool for a while but eventually I decided that his little club might be a good decision for me, and hence I joined the Jedi." And have been starving myself ever since. He thought, but didn't project or mention.

"Truth be told, I haven't been a part of many other interesting stories." He said, a lie, but one he was used to telling. He didn't think she'd notice, though he supposed her Miraluka heritage might have given her some sort of odd perception that he wasn't used to hiding from. "You said, or you implied rather, that you've learned a lot running around. Care to tell me any of your more interesting tales?"

@[member="Xeni Kraylu"]

 

[Xeni Kraylu]

Pffft. Xeni snickered at him calling the Order a 'little club.' She wasn't one for correcting people, but she could've sworn that the Jedi Order was more than some little book club. It amused her though, so she left it be. His eyes were distant when he concluded his response, making her wonder if it was the truth. Once again, Xeni shook it off to either her imagination or his privacy.

She was only worried about the type of person he was today and cared for naught about his past success or troubles. T'was up to him whether he told or glossed over, just like she did from time to time.

His inquiry brought back a plethora of memories, some ridiculous, some deadly, and others just out-right strange as hell. 'Let's see. Ah, right my first time to Coruscant was memorable. I got lost for two days. Two. Days. I had gotten separated from the Jal Shey elders and had been dragged around by the crowds. Needless to say, I've never realized how many things I couldn't see.' She huffed in amusement as she remembered her nineteen-year old self running frantically from a group of droids. 'The elders were probably amazed at my ability to gather that many droids. Yeah. Never again.'
------
@[member="Yurik Rodecken"]

 

[Onith Trill]

Yurik chuckled a bit. Droids must have been an odd thing to deal with with the Miraluka's unique vision. Yurik can't of said that he liked droids either, or at least that he didn't like them in the past. They were annoyingly impartial, not vulnerable to his biological telepathy, not something he could feed on. Truth be told he viewed that as a plus now, as their was no temptation to eat a droid. Although he was committing something of a cardinal sin now, traveling alone with a blind, mute force sensitive. Then again, he hadn't had any incidents since joining the Jedi, and she could likely handle herself, he hoped.

"Your vision, how does it work exactly? What do you see and not see?" He asked @[member="Xeni Kraylu"], a bit curiously.

 

[Xeni Kraylu]

'It'd be easier to list what I can't see, even though that is a decent-sized list as well,' She joked, biting her lip in thought. 'Let's see. Items that I absolutely cannot see whatsoever: letters, holograms, mirriors, colour, shadows, droids, Yuuzahn Vong, and some forms of sentient life forms not connected to the force. However, everything else is pretty clear.'

'Our vision relies completely on the Force. Anything connected to it exudes this...aura, which varies based on how connected a person is and nature. Buildings, because they come from organic things, still have a vague trace of the Force in them. But, they're more outlined. No real details, like letters. Unless it's raised or cut in. Think of physical things in this world as molds. Then the Force as the clay you pour in. It conforms when placed in a mold. That's how my eyes work,' Xeni explained, her hands moving in a exuberant manner as she did, attempting to explain how simple yet complicated it could be.

Turbulence began to effect the ship as it started to leave the planet's atomsphere. Xeni gripped the chair's arms, hoping to not jiggle as much. She always hated turbulence.

-----
@[member="Yurik Rodecken"]

 

[Onith Trill]

Yurik listened as the woman conveyed how her vision worked, describing it in a way that felt . . . geographical almost. Her perceptions were of shapes, contours, missing colors, letters, contrasts. It must have been an awful way to live, yet at the same time she could see life through and as the Force, which perhaps had shapes and colors he'd never understand. The two had very different views, he supposed he couldn't claim one was right or wrong. He considered this for a moment, before the ship shook a bit and @[member="Xeni Kraylu"] noticeably gripped at her chair tightly. It seemed the woman did not enjoy the ups and downs of leaving the atmosphere. As Yurik was quite used to roaming from world to world in the past sixty or so years of his life he was more than used to it, but he assumed the Miraluka did not have experience that belied her appearance.

"It gets easier as you travel more and more." Yurik said, with a comforting voice that probably sounded oddly experienced. He didn't know how well she could perceive age with her abnormal vision, but didn't guess she thought him more than mid-to-late twenties. "I think I'm gonna put my things away. Would you like me to get you some food or caf while I'm gone? Something to calm your nerves?" he asked, trying to see if he could comfort the woman any.

 

[Xeni Kraylu]

Her eyebrows furrowed. She's been traveling for quite a while and still has yet to make peace with the motions of this contraptions. How much longer would it take? A grimace as that thought entered her mind. Hopefully, not long at all.

'Make instant long-distance teleportation? Please? Without the chance of motion sickness possibly,' she joked, a laugh echoing in their minds as she too got up when the air craft finally reached space, calming down as the systems began to turn and navigate the ship towards the destination. 'I am actually pretty hungry. I do have this wonderful tendency to forget to eat from time to time.'
She stood next to him, her neck craning a bit. Good god, was she really that short? No! She pursed her lips. Everything was just reproducing giants, that's what!

-----
@[member="Yurik Rodecken"]

 

[Onith Trill]

Forgetting to eat, haha. He thought, though he made no smile, no alteration in his posture to indicate the words meant anything to him other then the miraluka forgetting to eat.

"I'll get on that teleportation." He said, as he went over to a room that looked unused and tossed his bags in. He took a moment to get a few rations, and then went to find some sort of cooking implement, which he used to prepare some propotatos, synthsteak, and some energy pudding. To many Yurik's traditional 'diet' of synthesized food and rations seemed a bit tasteless, but as all food was tasteless to him it made little difference. Once the food was ready he put it on a plate, gathered a few utensils and brought them to his Miraluka companion.

"Will this do?" He asked as he presented the plate to @[member="Xeni Kraylu"].

 

[Xeni Kraylu]

Her eyebrows quirked in surprise. He had teased back. Small canines appeared as her lips widened. She watched on in gratitude as the man cooked. It was slightly difficult for her to cook at first, but she had begun to adjust to it. Although a good portion of her diet probably wasn't good for her system anyways. Grabbing the plate and utensils, she headed towards her seat again, swinging her legs over the arm and relaxing that way.

She popped a forkful of potatoes and moaned quietly. The taste was much better than hers. She relished it before giving Yurik a thumbs up. 'Nice job, and thanks!' She smiled softly and went back to eating the delicious dinner. She glanced over at Yurik and pondered her new companion. How long was he going to travel with her? She's had several companions since she's become a Mentor and some people she had grown attached to. While the excitement of another adventure grew, the thought adding yet another individual to her growing list of 'friends' was terrifying and refreshing.
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@[member="Yurik Rodecken"]

 

[Onith Trill]

Yurik smiled as the woman seemed to enjoy his food. He was not the best of cooks, but messing around with traditional food had been a slight hobby of his, making him seem more normal, more attuned to natural hungers. He began to carve into his food, noticeably a small plate, as Yurik did not force himself to consume much, but he finished it all the same.

"It's the least I can do for you allowing me to join you." Yurik said in reply, as he gathered his utensils and cleaned his plate. "I think I'm gonna head to the spare quarters, and not force you to stay in my boring company any longer." He said, before putting the dishes in their appropriate area, and heading to bed.

@[member="Xeni Kraylu"]

 

[Xeni Kraylu]

Xeni's Travel Log #654: Hour 15
Yurik asked something quite silly and intriguing. 'Do you feel safe with me?' Of course I replied with 'Yes'. I mean, it's not like the man has done anything but help me. Was I supposed to be cautious and wary of him? If so, why? Perhaps he does not think i'm used to traveling with strangers (which is very far from the truth)?

Which reminds me, why did he want to come? He still had training. Did he find the Order boring? Or, did he too want to find something on this journey? Maybe I'm prowling into things I shouldn't be...
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@[member="Yurik Rodecken"]

 

[Onith Trill]

Date of Xeni's Travel Log #654: Hour 23

Earlier today I asked Xeni if she felt safe around me, to which she replied with a yes, but seemed quite confused. I elected not alert her of my concerns. He could keep himself under control, for a few days at least, and then get out if things were getting more difficult for him. She'd never have to know.

But tonight, I saw her again. The two of us went to the cargo hold, looking for some doohickey or another to fix things. I looked at her, and a smile went to my face, one I couldn't control, and I lunged at her, grabbing the Miraluka's throat. Proboscises extended from my face and I began to consume her soup, as she attempted to scream but could not in my grip. I could feel the life flushing away from her, until the meal was nearly done, and then like a candle being freshly exstinguished she-

Was no longer there. I leapt out of my bed, examining my surroundings, and examined my surroundings, no body in my quarters, though the tentacles of my people still extended throughout my cheeks, hungry and waiting. I spent about fifteen minutes calming myself, as I sensed the Miraluka in the Ship with the Force, before my probisces finally retracted, and I went to the largest room I could find, ignited my yellow-orange lightsaber, and began practicing Makashi, if only to get a more healthy, although violent pursuit in. I wasn't sure if my practice would awake @[member="Xeni Kraylu"], but if it did she'd find me focused, working, and perhaps with a little healthy fear.

This would be harder than I thought, but I'd manage. I had to.

 

[Xeni Kraylu]

Xeni's Travel Log #654: Hour 32

After a light nap, I found the Jedi practice with his lightsaber with quite a devotion! Perhaps I too should learn how to use one. But only really for recreational or survival uses. I interjected, inquiring about where he learned and I guess I startled him since he whirled around. He seemed unnerved. Then again I can never tell with people how they feel. I can only guess.

We are approaching our destination with excellent timing. I'm not quite sure where on the planet this vessel had landed but it was a giant ass organic ship containing an entire population of almost extinct species. It couldn't be that hard to find, right?

 

[Onith Trill]

Yurik made a note to offer to teach Xeni the basics of lightsaber work. He we not a skilled bladesman in truth, being only a padawan and more a healer but still seeming to know a bit more than she in that regard. It was a useful skill to have, not only for encounters with pirates and brigands and the like, but also incase his nightmares ever became a reality. As the ship dropped out of Hyperspace Yurik exited his quarters, electing to try to find the company of a certain mute miraluka. He'd guessed she'd be in the cockpit, or heading to it if she wasn't already there.

"I don't see the Teljkon anywhere on the scanners." He said, as he arrived, or she arrived. Whichever came first. "Wait, I think I see something coming from-" He said, before the ship shook, and Yurik slung towards one of the walls of the ship from the hit.

@[member="Xeni Kraylu"]

 

[Valik]

Unknown to Yurik Rodecken, the Mute Miraluka Jal Shey was not the only person that had an interest in finding the Teljkon Vagabond. A certain scientist Warren Valik, disguised of course, with a hint of a Force Disperser disguising his force signature and a hint of sith alchemy altering his molecules, had found the prize of a living to enticing not to study. Thus he had came with an unmarked freighter, not endorsed by any government or organization, but merely spacers and mercenaries in general, and had come to Brath Qella to hunt for the ship. When another ship had come for his prize, he was sufficiently displeased. He could sense the members aboard, persumably a Jedi and something else in in the Force, though not as obvious a signature from a merely light/dark perspective. Electing to eliminate any potential threats, he opened fire on the vessel, starting his attack.