Private Throwback Thursday

[Yenna]

Silver Rest/Training Grounds​

Afternoon/Partly Cloudy​

It was a heavy day for the little green Jedi as she went through her forms in the training yards. Every now and then a padawan or youngling would ask for her help and she was glad to aid them. But in truth, she wanted to be left alone. It was that day of the year again. The day she heard the news that rocked her world harder than anything else she'd lived through. For almost a year, she was a ghost. She rarely smiled or laughed, barely tended to her duties as a Jedi, and the only thing that seemed to lessen the pain, even for just a moment, was the bottle. She knew he would be disappointed... but he would also likely understand.

Even now, three years later, she was still angry. At him... and at herself. She was angry at him because he didn't trust her enough to let her help him with whatever he was going through. And she was angry at herself because she didn't realize what was going on until it was too late. She never got a feeling that he was in danger. She never knew that he disappeared and the mystery of it plagued her for a long time... until she realized the issue. In the wake of his struggle, their bond had deteriorated to the point where she could only feel his presence and that was it. She never knew what happened, but she felt his essence in the Force disappear. She thought it was her imagination at first. Then it all came crashing down when she was told that he died.

She was busy with form IV. His preferred form. The day she heard about it was the day they were supposed to practice together. She never got to say goodbye, or have one last journey with him. It hurt to think of it, but she couldn't stop herself. Now she made sure that, whatever happened, she would have this day open for training in the exact spot they usually utilized. More than simply training. She used it as a moment to meditate as she moved like water with her training.

She knew the dangers of fear and grief for Jedi. That she had to avoid dwelling on it for too long. She liked to think that she had moved on... but it was simply a lie. Her heart was still heavy. The biggest issue was the fact that she had no closure. She didn't know how to move on. Even now, tears threatened to roll as she jumped, rolled and flowed with her cyan lightsaber. Everything around her reminded her of him. Her master. Her friend. Her brother. The shattered crystal in her hilts belonged to him. The little trinkets and oddities in her room were either stolen from him or brought back from their missions together. At least when she outlived someone, she could say goodbye and know what happened.

With him, there was nothing. Only pain, confusion, and a sudden loneliness that she wasn't prepared for.

To make matters worse, there was the boy she brought back to the temple after he was found by a group of younglings stranded on a desolate planet. He looked rough and abandoned when she found him, so getting a good look at him was hard. But she couldn't shake the fact that there was something curious about him. She never got the chance to properly welcome him to the temple or get to know him when they arrived. She hadn't even seen him again yet after their separation.

Elryn Freestar

 

[Elryn Freestar]

He'd been here for a few days, the boy with no name or... as he affectionately called himself, Eleven, was struggling to adapt to his new surroundings. Having spent a year on the run, unsure of who to trust, who to let in and now... Eleven was expected to trust a group of monks carrying laser swords? To feel safe? What if they were just biding their time, holding him until the guys chasing him arrive?

That wasn't even the worst of it, Eleven couldn't shake the feeling that this place felt so damn familiar. He felt it in his bones and he didn't know why. Occasionally touching things that'd trigger old fragmented memories, remembering familiar smells - had he been here before? Images of him carrying a yellow laser sword, fighting with a beautiful lavender skinned woman with pointy ears ( Sakadi Marathi Sinvala ), laughing and joking with a mountain of a man ( Mathieu Brion ) and many more. Eleven clenched on his dreads and let out an exasperated sigh, being holed up in this room was driving him nuts.

Eleven hoped he wouldn't encounter that small green lady again, whenever he was around her he'd feel moments of familiarity, safety. Were his instincts trying to tell him something? The teenager threw his hood up and zoomed out of his doorway, shoving his hands in his pockets, Eleven trekked his way down the eerily familiar halls of this... 'Jedi temple'. Passing by a window he spotted a group of the monks with their laser swords swinging them about in the courtyard, training most likely. Without a clue as to why, he felt drawn to the grounds and before he even realised, his feet directed him toward the outside courtyard.

As he exited the temple, Eleven stopped in place and took in his surroundings for a moment. His face was inquisitive, curious about this planet and its inhabitents, also why a group of monks would settle here. The teenager's shoulder elevated and he took in a deep breath before exhaling deeply, his brown eyes quickly caught a glimpse of the small green one that brought him here - though he was in no capacity to speak to her or anyone right now. Eleven simply ignored her and wandered over to a bench, content with watch the monks train.

Yenna

 

[Yenna]

After what felt like more than an hour or two, she extinguished her lightsaber and wiped some sweat off her brow. The training helped to dull the pain a little. It was a way of still feeling connected with him, even with him not being there anymore. Her eyes opened and she wiped some stray tears off as she clipped her lightsabers to her belt. She needed a drink... and a glass of water. Likely a shower too. She felt like a Hutt left out too long on Tatooine with how her robes clung to her. Perhaps that was also due to her neglecting to wash them after a week. She had neglected to take any care of herself after a week, short of a shower and brushing teeth every other day.

He would be disappointed. She knew that for a fact. But she would have given him a piece of her mind as well if he dared to say anything, were he there now.

With a sigh she adjusted her robes and made her way to the temple's entrance... then stopped as her eyes caught sight of the new face on the grounds. Standing only a few meters from him, her golden eyes were locked onto the boy for much longer than they should have. Now she knew why he bugged her so much. But it was impossible. There was no way that a random kid could have such a spitting image of him.

"Cas..." she muttered involuntarily as tears welled up in her eyes. This couldn't be real. She was just seeing things. Yet, even after wiping at her eyes and massaging them, she could still see the spitting image of her master in his younger years. The only difference was his eyes. Probably the only reason why she still believed that this was just some sort of enormous coincidence or her grief-stricken imagination.

She finally snapped out of her trance with a shake of her head. Clearing her throat, she composed herself and approached the boy from the side with a gentle smile. It felt like each step closer was only making it worse. When she reached him, she cleared her throat once more to draw his attention. "Good afternoon." she greeted as she came to a halt in front of him. Her eyes were glued to his face for a second or two, now that she had no way of thinking up some sort of excuse. "For staring, my apologies. You... it's just... like someone dear to me, you look." she admitted, forcing herself to not jump onto his lap and touch his face. "Rude, I am. Knight Yenna of the Silver Jedi Concord, at your service." she introduced herself as she gave him a small bow.

"Your name, what is?" she asked him gently as she approached the open spot on the bench beside him. "Join you, may I?" she asked him with a smile as she gestured to the open seat.

Elryn Freestar

 

[Elryn Freestar]

Eleven simply sat and watched the wind flow through the trees above, mesmerised by the planet's beauty as well as the incredibly large scale of the trees on this planet. For a moment, he allowed himself to relax and gently shut his eyes, taking in his surroundings - he smelled the leaves, felt the wind kiss his face and listened to the hypnotic hums of the laser swords. More flashes entered his mind, the lavender skinned woman, the tall man, a brown haired woman smoking a cigarette, and a beautiful woman with curly brown hair and blue eyes - who are these people? He repeatedly asked himself.

Before he knew it, some time had passed and he opened his eyes to see the courtyard nearly empty. However, he wasn't quite ready to leave yet and remained seated and watched as the green woman that brought him here moved toward the exit. She suddenly stopped, prompting the boy to raise a confused eyebrow. Eleven grew more uncomfortable when she stared at him for some an uncomfortably long time, Eleven averted his gaze and simply glanced down at his hands, twiddling with his fingers unsure of what to do.

He continued to stare at his hands, hoping she'd eventually stop staring and go away until a... unique odor attacked his nostrils. Eleven let out a small cough and covered his nose before hearing someone clear their throat, the boy gasped in surprise and jumped back in his seat slightly. "Oh! G-good afternoon." he said nervously, averting eye contact from the lady and trying his best not to react to the smell.

Then she started speaking, Eleven had forgotten how strange her speech patterns were and hadn't fully adapted to it yet. Spending most of the time trying to decipher what she said, he simply responded to her with "It's okay..." El said softly, visibly tense and staring away from her. The teenager said nothing when she requested to join him, merely scooting over slightly to indicate he was fine with it.

More images flashed in his head, images of fighting or... training with the little green person, sounds of laughter as well as emotions of comfort, pride and love? As he processed these images, he realised he may have been silent for a little too long "Oh! Uh... I don't-- I don't know. I can't remember." Eleven answered honestly. For some strange reason, he felt like he could trust her and presented his left arm and rolled up his sleeve. It revealed a black tattoo in an ancient language "It says eleven. So I just call myself that." he shrugged.

Yenna

 

[Yenna]

The boy's involuntary reaction to her odour didn't go unnoticed, and a pang of humility brewed in her heart that she was put in this position. Still, he offered her the seat and she hopped onto the bench. She made sure to sit on the far side of it, to avoid any more embarrassing situations regarding her personal... image.

She could feel something from him as well. Confusion and uncertainty for the most part. She chalked it up to him not being used to his new environment and she wasn't going to start probing his mind to figure out what was going on. She would give him time and space to ask questions on his own accord. He admitted to not remembering his name and instead produced a tattoo on his arm, using that as his identification. For a moment she felt bad for him, that he only had a number for a name... then she paid attention to the tattoo. With wide eyes she scooted closer to inspect the numerals for a few seconds. "Well... to meet you, it's nice, Eleven." she said warmly as she looked up at him and scooted back to her spot.

She recognized the dialect of it in an instant. Sith language. However she didn't want to make him uncomfortable, so she merely let it slide. Though it made her wonder where he came from that he had a Sith tattoo on his arm. Perhaps he was an escapee from some sort of Sith experiment or special unit training. There would be time down the line to figure all of that out.

"Call you El, may I?" she asked him gently as she turned in her seat to face him. "Still confused, you are. Feel it, I can. If, any questions, you may have... feel free to ask. Help you settle in, I want to." she offered. "My first days, I still remember. Fifteen years ago, that was." She snickered softly as she thought back to her introduction into the Jedi Order. "The temple, to steal expensive things, I broke into. Not happy, the master who found me was." she admitted as she stared at a spot in the distance.

Her golden eyes looked back to him, her smile genuine for the first time. "Help you get familiar, I hope I can."

Elryn Freestar

 

[Elryn Freestar]

This was unbearable for him, not because of Yenna but because he struggled so much with conversing with other people if it didn't have anything to do with being in danger. She seemed nice though, despite her smell, and he didn't want to come off as rude - finding people that genuinley want to help you was a hard thing to come by he discovered. "Uh, yeah... you can call me that." Eleven confirmed with a shrug. He listened to what the 'Jedi Knight' had to say next although his gaze was focused on the rustling trees above them. Fifteen years ago she said? She still looked relatively young... Eleven pondered why that could be.

She offered to answer any questions he had, which was a relief because he had a lot. Getting some answers for once was a nice change of pace. Fiddling with his fingers, Eleven glanced at them as he cleared his throat "Why did you bring me here? What do you plan on doing to me?" he asked with fear in his tone, as well as it pounded from his signature in the Force. "What is a Jedi?" Eleven still had no clue what they were despite hearing the term thrown around this temple "Y-you said you could 'feel' my confusion? How?" the boy was genunley confused about that, but he wondered if it was linked to his own ability to feel whenever he was in danger.

Eleven paused for a few seconds, eyes wide, his familiar brown eyes would glance side long at Yenna. His fidgeting fingers ceased and his mouth slightly hung agape in surprise. The teenager had quickly realised that he had probably asked too many questions at one time, getting a little too carried away with his racing thoughts "I-- sorry..." he said meekly, almost physically retreating into himself.

Truth be told, he wanted answers for everything - the teenager had been on the run for a year, with no memories of who he was, random images of a life he couldn't remember periodically popping up, being chased by dark figures without knowing why. Eleven was filled with questions and these Jedi weren't any help, he'd been here for days while they, he guessed, tried to figure out what to do with him. However, he was glad Yenna was willing to answer what she could.

Yenna

 

[Yenna]

Yenna would be lying if she said that she didn't see the barrage of questions coming. The boy was force sensitive, no doubt a bout it. The issue, however, was that he wasn't aware of his own powers. She felt sorry for him, a boy this strong in the force with no clue on what was going on or what he was capable of. Coupled with his unnerving looks, Yenna was feeling slightly intimidated with the whole ordeal. After this meeting, she was going to have to look into this boy's origins on the planet he was found on... and why he bore such a striking resemblance to Cas. A DNA sample could also help out a lot. There was the chance that he was a relative, but it was too much of a long shot. From what Cas did tell her, he only had his sister and the rest of his family was on Kiffu.

"Um... from the top, let's start." she stated softly as she looked up at him. "Jedi are... warrior monks, for lack of better terms. Peacekeepers, we are supposed to be. Help innocents, defend them, stop evil... a shield for good, we are supposed to be." she started slowly. She tried to keep it as simple as possible, not wanting to overwhelm him. "We, as Jedi, use the Force. An entity, the Force is. In two parts, it is split. The light side and the Dark side. On the light side, Jedi focus. On the Dark Side, the Sith focus. Power, the Force grants us. A sixth sense to keep us safe, visions of present, past or future happenings, a connection to the world around us... even more." She gave an example by using her lightsaber. With a gentle wave of her hand, her lightsaber floated up and ahead of them. It ignited and spun around a few times with Yenna's hand movements. It extinguished and returned to her hip before she turned her gaze towards him once more.

"Talk without talking, you can even." she projected to his mind with telepathy, merely giving a toothy grin at him instead of speaking. "In the Force, very strong you are. This potential, not many people have. A chance, the few of us with this gift have. Corruption, suffering and death, the Sith enforce. For power and selfish gains, the Sith use the Force. Help others, we Jedi strive to. Stop the Dark side, we hope to." she paused to make sure he was still following. "A lot, I know this is. But... an offer, I have for you. A Jedi, you can become. Make a life for yourself, you can. Help others, protect the galaxy, blossom your potential. Teach you, I can as well. My master... a lot, he taught me. To pass that knowledge on, I hope I get the chance." a sad smile formed as she looked down at her lap.

Her gaze shifted to the training yard where only a handful of younglings were still busy. "A huge choice, this is. At all, not easy, this is." she admitted as she looked up to him. "Time to think, you have plenty of. Join, if you do not, we can take you to a planet of your choosing." she rose and placed a tiny hand on his forearm and gave a gentle squeeze. "Join, if you want to... tomorrow morning, meet me here." she offered him with a bright smile before hopping off the bench. She gave a wave goodbye and left him as she headed for her chambers.

She kept a calm and relaxed composure as she walked. Once she was in her chambers and the door was locked behind her... she collapsed to her knees. She clutched her head and pressed her forehead into the ground as tears streamed down her face. "No... no..." she squeaked out before her room was filled with crying.

He was a clone. His memory was a bag of shattered fragments, but she got a clear enough picture when she peered into his mind. The biggest piece that stuck out to her was the profile of the donor. "Impossible!" she screamed as she curled into a ball. The Force must be pulling a cruel trick on her. Or this was some kind of test... there was no possible way that he could have a clone that miraculously found his way to her.

Elryn Freestar

 

[Elryn Freestar]

Eleven uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck, guilty for making the Jedi answer so many questions for him. He was nonetheless grateful that she was willing to though. Finally, Eleven locked eyes with the golden-eyed Jedi and nodded along with her words to show both enthusiasm and that he was paying attention. Warrior monks, peacekeepers, a shield for good, Eleven's mouth hung agape in wonder at the values the Jedi stand for. It sounded very admirable, something he felt like he could get behind. Eleven always had an odd desire to help those in need, despite sometimes going against his own best interest. He wondered though, how would one come about being a 'Jedi'?

Then Yenna explained 'the Force', some kind of energy that gave the Jedi and something else called Sith their powers. With what she described, Eleven wondered if the feelings he felt were a result of the Force? Eleven continued nodding as she explained about the concepts of the Force. The boy gasped in wonder at the sight of Yenna making her laser sword actually float, a broad childlike smile spread across his face "Wow..." he whispered. When it ignited, he winced, covering his face slightly as memories of yellow and red laser swords clashed together in the midst of a battlefield. Realising they were just memories and that he was safe right now, Eleven released a sigh and calmed down.

Yenna's voice inside his head was a complete shock to him, causing the teenage Kiffar to jump in his seat slightly. The capabilities of the Force seemed immense... he wanted to learn. If he could. "Thank you, Knight Yenna... for showing me all this." he smiled nervously, the little green Jedi had left him with a lot to think about... for whatever choice he'd make, it would change his life forever. Eleven waited on the bench for a few more moments, taking in his surroundings some more before finally making his way back to his quarters.

When he arrived, Eleven strolled to his bed and sat at the edge of it. The teen sighed to himself and then begun weighing his options - he'd been alone for so long, Eleven wanted nothing more but to have people close to him, to have relationships, being surrounded by people like him could give him that. The Padawans he'd met seemed like a good start... maybe. He wanted to be able to stop running too, Eleven felt like there was no place safer than being here, maybe this was his chance to finally rest. There was also the satisfaction of learning how to use the Force and using his gifts to help others, something about that sounded very appealing to him. Yenna training him also sounded pretty good, he felt comfortable and safe around her for some reason.

After a night of deliberation, Eleven realised that the pros definitely outweighed the cons and the moment he saw the sunrise, he jumped out of bed and dressed himself. Eleven made his way out of his room and searched for his prospective Jedi master's quarters, after about half an hour of searching, he finally received directions from a Jedi... Padawan? They showed him where her room was. Standing outside her door, Eleven gathered the confidence to speak up "Knight Yenna? It's Elev-- it's El! I-- I just want to say... I've made my decision!" he called out from outside her door "I want to learn the ways of the Force, I want to be a Jedi! I-- I feel like this is where I'm meant to be!"

Yenna

 

[Yenna]

Yenna was a crying mess as she laid on the floor in a ball, all alone in her quarters. Frumpy had moved on, almost a year after Cas. It was amazing for him to have lived for as long as he had, given where the two came from. Regardless, time was a cruel fate and the room was simply never the same without him. Her mind was a wreck. In the moment she peered into the boy's mind, she didn't just see fragments of his memory... she saw fragments of Cas' as well. Memories that didn't make sense and others that simply rekindled the pain in her heart. No matter how hard she argued against it, there was no denying that the boy was a direct clone of Cas.

She stirred awake in the small hours of the morning, her face in a dried up puddle of her own tears. She had stopped crying... but the pain didn't go away. Half a bottle of brandy later and she still didn't feel any better. She stripped out of her messy robes and pulled her sleeping shirt on before she curled up on her mess of a bed. With bottle in hand, she fell victim to her own thoughts. A part of her screamed to hate the boy. He was a thing, a copy of her master who didn't deserve his memories or face. She would do everyone a favour if she took him into the woods and simply ended him. And yet another part shouted back at her that he deserved a life of his own. That he had every right to exist. In constant conflict, her mind besieged her aching heart while fiery alcohol egged the crippling thoughts on. There would be no sleep for her in this state, so she gave up on her attempt to seek the relief of fatigue.

Her alarm blared and she quickly shut it off before she dragged herself out of bed. She convinced herself to freshen up properly and throw her robes into the wash. Luckily she still had her proper Jedi robes that she only wore on important occasions. Still that was more often than when she used her ceremonial robes. She only used them once and that was for her knighthood.

Emerging from the refresher, she glanced around her pathetic excuse of a room. Empty bottles, dirty sheets and an odd smell didn't help her emotional state for even a moment. None of it bothered her, though. She couldn't find the willpower to actually do something about it. She sat on her bed as she thought about what to do with the boy. Knocking and incoherent words called from outside her door, prompting her to meet the person by her door.

Opening the door, her bloodshot eyes went wide as she looked up at none other than Eleven. In that moment, everything washed away.

She gazed into the familiar brown eyes, studied the familiar soft features, felt the warm and familiar presence. In that moment, her thoughts disappeared and her heart called out to her. He never asked to be made, to be some experiment and a parody of someone dear to her. He was a boy, young and innocent with nobody to shine a light along his path. He wasn't a thing. No, he was a being that deserved as much a chance as she did. In the moment her mind finally processed what he said, the heavy pain in her heart washed away as a bright smile formed on her lips.

Not a single word left her lips as she closed the distance and gave his leg as strong a hug as she could muster. She let go and looked up at him with a brightened expression, likely the first one in a very long time. "To hear it, I am glad." she finally spoke. Cas might have been gone, but she could still hear his voice. A joke he would make, and then the sincere advice that followed immediately after. She might have missed her chance in the past to help her master when he needed it... but perhaps she could help this boy to the best of her abilities for the future.

She glanced behind her to her dark and messy room then back to him. "Um... one moment." she excused herself as she disappeared into the room and shut the door. A few moments later she emerged with her lightsabers and a flask in hand. The door was quickly locked behind her and she gestured for him to follow. "A long path, a Jedi's path is. Harsh training, boring studies... years of work to become a knight. Sure of this, are you?" she asked him as she stopped to look at him with sincerity.

Elryn Freestar

 

[Elryn Freestar]

The wait for a response felt like forever, whether it was impatience or nerves Eleven had no clue. The boy tapped his foot repeatedly on the ground until he heard movement coming from inside Yenna's quarters, suddenly he felt butterflies aggressively in his stomach. The moment she would open that door, his life would change forever.

Her door opened and being so used to having to look up at people, his eyes naturally looked upward but his gaze quickly shifted when he remembered who he was talking to. Eleven looked down at the Jedi Knight and took a slight step backward, realised he stood too close to the door - there was a bit of an awkward silence between them, Yenna looked up at Eleven as if she wasn't looking at him but through him. He wondered if it was some kind of 'Force' thing but his thoughts quickly evaporated when she went to hug his leg.

"Oh-- uh--" Eleven stammered... she was... hugging him? In all his life, or, since he could remember, the boy had never received physical affection from another sentient. He'd longed for it for so long and now that he'd received it, he simply didn't know how to process his feelings. "I-- thank you..." Eleven said softly, unsure of how to respond. When she pulled away, he simply offered her a genuine smile just before she disappeared into her room again. Eleven felt a bit awkward again, glancing around the area and rubbing his neck, when she returned he raised an eyebrow at the flask she was carrying. Didn't she know that stuff was bad for her?

Eleven followed close beside Yenna as she explained what was expected of a Jedi trainee, warning him of its hardships. He stopped when she did, once more looking down at her as she asked him if this is what he wanted "I--" he paused, questioning whether he was cut out for this. Something inside him, he didn't know what, assured him that he did, Eleven's fingers curled into fists as his otherwise nervous expression shifted into resolve. "Yeah, I want this."

The teen paused again, his eyes darted left and right before landing on the Knight's golden eyes "So..." did they need to inform any higher ups? Was there a ceremony? Did he need to get fitted for robes too? Could he get a laser sword? All his questions resulted in an inquisitive "What now?"

Yenna

 

[Yenna]

There was a moment’s pause as she waited for his answer. She wasn’t in a rush, she knew exactly how he was feeling. It was a huge choice to make, and it still felt overwhelming even after she thought long and hard about it. Standing in the hallway, she made sure that he had all the time in the world. Eventually he gave his final answer and she responded with a big smile. ”The best, I hope I can give you.” she said gently as she gave his leg another hug.

He was understandably a bit confused about what should happen next, but she waved the concerns off. ”About nothing, you have to worry. Tomorrow, sort your joining out, I will. Robes, classes, everything, take care of, I will. For today... talk, I want to. More about each other, we can learn.” she reassured him calmly before jumping up onto his shoulders.

With a graceful and near-weightless touchdown, she landed and balanced herself on him. ”Mind, I hope you do not. A long time, walking can take for me. To the courtyard, let us go. Guide you, I will.” she explained. Calmly and patiently she directed him around, throwing in a few comments on where other things are in the temple as they walked past.

When they finally reached the courtyard, she hopped onto a bench and gestured for him to join her. ”Without my bandages, rather naked, I feel. Out of place, these robes also feel.” she admitted with a chuckle as she patted herself down and sat cross-legged, making sure to face him fully.

”The standard attire and routines, I will take you through tomorrow. But like this, you don’t always have to dress. Very welcome, personal and unique flares are.” She gestured to herself as she spoke. While it was a harmless and understandable reassurance, she had another motive behind it. Hopefully down the line it would prove to help him out.

”Any questions, feel free to ask. About me or the order, anything is fine. Comfortable with me, I want to make sure you feel.” she offered him with a warm smile.

Elryn Freestar

 

[Elryn Freestar]

Eleven was once again caught off guard by Yenna's affection, leaving the Kiffar at a loss for words. Though he said nothing, he felt a warmth well up within him and experienced a sensation of security with the minute Jedi Knight. She then went on to assure him he had nothing to worry about, that everything about his joining would be handled the day after. Eleven nodded in acknowledgment, still thankful at Yenna's willingness to go out of her way and answer his concerns.

"I don't really think there's much-- huh?" she had proceeded to jump and gently land on his shoulder. Yenna was surprisingly light, although this was a new experience for him Eleven reassured her "Oh, its okay... weirdly, this feels..." Eleven paused, staring into space before retreating back to reality "It's nothing. Don't worry." the boy refrained, laughing a bit nervously. What he wanted to say was that her being on his shoulder felt oddly familiar but, that would've been weird... right?

As instructed, the Kiffar made his way toward the same courtyard the two had encountered each other at yesterday. Arriving at the courtyard, Eleven followed his prospective Jedi master to the bench and sat down beside her. A nervous chuckle escaped the Kiffar as he proceeded to rub his neck "I-I think you look nice without the bandages." he reassured her, hoping that what he said wasn't inappropriate or would be misinterpreted differently.

Yenna explained to him about the Jedi's clothing customs, how robes weren't a requirement and all - Eleven felt slight relief, robes weren't really his thing. "Its... weird, Knight Yenna. Whenever I'm around you, I just feel... I don't know, safe? I can't explain why." Eleven let out a heavy sigh, glancing down at the floor before plastering a shy smile and looking at the small Jedi "I guess its just a Force thing, huh?" he shyly chuckled.

The Kiffar would remain silent for a few moments, racking his brain of the millions upon millions of questions he had, questions he was certain Yenna could answer at least. His brown eyes stared at the duracrete floor while he tapped his left foot before abruptly asking "Why did you become a Jedi?"

Yenna

 

[Yenna]

His compliment was greatly appreciated by the little green Jedi as she glanced off for a second or two. ”Much worse, I’ve been called. Though, still my favourite, ‘gremlin’ is.” she admitted as she looked back to him.

His next comment, however, made her tense up for barely a second before she gave a warm grin. After what she saw in his mind, it was uncomfortable to hear from a stranger. But it was understandable, there would likely be many more of those in the future. ”Glad, I am. Perhaps, find each other, the Force willed us to.” she quipped before taking a sip of her flask.

She was in the middle of another sip when the next question dropped. Immediately she put her flask away and gave a heavy sigh. At least it was easier to answer than his “feelings” and “visions” while they were together. This was going to be a long story.

”For my kind, young I am. But, very old I am, for standard years. In a hundred and fifty-five years... two families I lost... and a husband... to old age and disease. In the gutters of Coruscant, I lived.” Her smile was gone as she looked past him at some younglings training their forms. ”A petty thief... a beggar... nothing, I was. Even... even a life, I took once. Set up for life, I wanted to be. To satisfy all my urges, I wanted to be able. Into the temple, I broke, to steal everything I could... then a master found me in the kitchen.”

She looked back to him with gentle and sincere eyes as she scooted a little closer to him. ”Instead of being angry, a meal he gave me. And a choice. Leave the planet without the loot... or join the order. A meal, a warm bed, even a life, to me he promised. At first, for a sucker, I took him. After the benefits, I was, without a desire to do anything. But... over time... in love, I fell with the order. To help people like me, to do good, to protect others... my calling I felt it was.” She took another sip and regained her thoughts for a moment. ”Inadequate, I felt in the beginning. Inferior, to be more exact. But... he told me... not for one bit, your past does matter. Irrelevant, your origins are. A chance to begin anew, the path of a Jedi is. To find your identity, the order gives a chance.” She reached out and placed a hand on his. ”Nothing, I was not anymore. A new life, I found with the Order. For that, forever thankful, I am. Short of getting married, the best choice it ever was for me.” she finished with a bright smile as she sat back beside him.

”The same results, I hope you can have, El.” she stated as she gave him a gentle nudge with her shoulder. It would likely not even be felt, but she figured that the principal was the important bit.

Elryn Freestar

 

[Elryn Freestar]

Eleven watched with concern as the Jedi drank from her flask "Are you--?" he was going to ask if she was alright, although opted not to, her drinking wasn't any of his business. Apparently his question was heavy handed enough for Yenna to put her flask down, Eleven adjusted his slouching position and sat upright accordingly, preparing for whatever she was about to tell him.

She revealed that she came from a species that aged slower and live much longer than the average person, Eleven was shocked to hear that she had two families and a husband before she'd even become a Jedi. The boy couldn't help but think how horrible it would be, he knew that a lot of people sought eternal life... or longer lifespans - but even the amnesiac teenager knew that wasn't a good thing. Having to lose those you loved over and over again sounded like a torturous existence. Eleven couldn't help but feel sympathy for her, he wanted to show her that he did but wasn't quite sure as to how.

His lips parted in shock as she continued explaining the hardships she had to go through before joining the Jedi. Yenna's story then turned hopeful as she explained how a Jedi Master gave her the choice of joining them or going about her life, despite trying to steal from them, it reminded him of the offer Yenna had given him herself. It probably wasn't a coincidence.

"To find your identity, the order gives a chance.”

A small, audible breath escaped him. Eleven had no idea who he was, no memory of his past, he didn't even have a name. The Kiffar had been in hiding, fleeing from place to place, so focused on surviving he never even had a chance to really get to know himself. A gleeful smile unknowingly crept on the boy's young features, he really had the chance to find himself now - to forge his own path. Turning to face Yenna, his smile only increased "Thank you..." Eleven said with childlike happiness "Thank you so much for--" he stopped, Eleven's voice was shaky as tears welled up in his eyes.

They streamed across his cheeks as he hung his head low, Eleven tried to speak but it came out as incoherent words "S-sorry-- I'm just--" The boy started sobbing quietly, his whole body shook as he tried to contain all of his emotions. It was overwhelming, he'd been so alone for so long, constantly fearing for his life and now... now he could just rest. He could now make friends, he was secure, he had a space to find himself, Eleven was just so grateful. "T-thank you..." he sniffled quietly.

Yenna

 

[Yenna]

The reaction from him was something she wasn’t prepared for. To see him break down and start sobbing made her worry that she said or did something wrong. But watching him revealed that it was the polar opposite effect she had on him.

She felt the emotions from him. He was happy, relieved and overwhelmingly grateful. She realised what it was that made him break so badly. Likely for the first time in his life, he didn’t have to fear for his life or look over his shoulder. Her words had the desired effect on him concerning his past and his shattered memories, though she underestimated the severity of the reaction. Regardless, she felt that she needed to do something.

Rising from her seat, she stood next to him and wrapped her arms around him... or attempted to, anyway. Even a kid was too wide for her to hug effectively. But she held on and hugged as hard as she could. ”Safe, you are, El. Be scared, you no longer have to.” Her voice was soft and gentle as she spoke, a tiny hand caressing his back.

Elryn Freestar