Faction Troubled Waters [Jedi Outcasts]

[Braze]

༺Troubled Waters༻
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Tags: Leos Dirk | Open to Jedi Outcasts

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Shiomura, known more fondly as the Tide Village, was the closest settlement to both the Tidewatch Aerie and the Veridian Jedi Temple. It rested along the distant shoreline, near enough that its lanterns could be seen after dusk from several of the Aerie's higher terraces and watch towers. Those warm pinpricks of golden light, scattered between the darkened sea and the coastal hills, had helped in giving the hidden refuge its name.

The village itself was a pleasant little port town, sustained by a respectable fishing trade that kept its markets crowded with the day's catch. Silver-scaled fish hung beneath striped awnings, shellfish stirred in shallow water troughs, and heavy nets lay drying along the piers beside rows of colored glass floats. Yet wherever fish gathered in abundance, so too did Shiomura's other famous feature: Cats.

Shiomura's cats wandered nearly everywhere throughout the little bustling village. They slept beneath market stalls, and balanced along tiled rooftops. Many often could be seen gathered at the docks whenever the fishing boats returned. Most were remarkably friendly, having grown accustomed to gentle hands and easy meals, though they were equally accomplished beggars and shameless little thieves should the need for a quick meal arise. An unwatched basket of bream rarely remained unwatched for long.

The villagers considered these furry little creatures beings of good fortune. Small ceramic cats with raised paws sat beside shop doors and household shrines, beckoning prosperity inward and misfortune back toward the sea. Fishermen sometimes tied bright colorful satin ribbons around the necks of familiar dock cats before setting out, believing that a well-treated cat would guide its favored vessel safely home. A common local saying warned that one should never refuse the first cat seen at dawn, lest the tide refuse them in turn. Because of this, bowls of fresh water and scraps of fish could be found throughout the village, set beneath shaded alcoves for any wandering feline that happened by.

Braze had passed through Shiomura often during the ongoing construction of the Aerie, traveling back and forth through the vast stretches of wilderness separating the village, the Temple, and the hidden palace. During those journeys, he had come across a narrow river descending from the mountainous interior towards the coast line where it let out to sea. Years of unchecked growth had nearly swallowed it in large swaths of foliage. Reeds crowded its banks, whilst thick weeds choked the shallows, and fallen branches trapped silt until the water ran brown and sluggish. Although the water was murky and full of silt and mud he had noticed often enough that several of Shiomura's cats drank from it.

That alone had been enough to earn Braze's attention, and today was the day he had decided to do something about it. He had placed a simple notice at the Temple requesting volunteers for a community service project, inviting anyone willing to help clear the river so that fresh water might once again flow freely through its channel, and the village cats might have somewhere clean and safe to drink.

Braze, of course, had specifically asked his students, Leos and Dirk , to join him in this endeavor. The meeting time, however, was quite early; they were meant to gather at the edge of town around five in the morning, just before sunrise.

Braze stood upon a nearby pier, watching the slow, steady waves wash along the shore as the village stirred around him. Early risers prepared to set out for the day's fishing, while those returning from the night hauled their catches ashore to supply the town's markets. The tide stood high, and fresh salt air swept across the sandy shoreline, carrying the briny scent of the sea and the muted clatter of boats being secured along the docks.

 

[Vohm-Raet]

Vohm-Raet strolled along the paths linking Tide Village, struggling to accept that his people now lived beneath the occupation of the Sith Covenant. Returning home would place innocent civilians in danger, yet knowing that did little to ease the guilt of abandoning his family and friends.

They had shaped him during a childhood spent in a galaxy constantly ravaged by war. More importantly, they had been among the few who never treated him like a monster or mocked him for his immense size. His fellow Jedi were different. Their acceptance came with an expectation that personal attachments be kept at a distance, lest emotion cloud their judgment and open the way to the dark side.

Vohm respected that teaching, even when following it proved difficult. He pushed thoughts of home to the back of his mind and reminded himself why he had come to Veridia. He had a clear purpose here and that was to assist Braze in his mission.

To some, sending Jedi to help the native creatures of a distant world might have seemed wasteful when thousands of refugees went hungry across the galaxy. Vohm understood the criticism, but he also knew the Jedi could not measure every act of compassion by the scale of the crisis surrounding it.

That mattered now more than ever. Division had begun spreading through the High Jedi Order, threatening to draw its members into conflicts with one another while the Sith continued to tighten their hold elsewhere. If the Jedi hoped to restore the faith people once placed in them, they would have to do so through small, meaningful acts, one world at a time.

For Vohm, that effort would began on Veridia.

"It is good to see you, Braze," he said softly as he approached the pier, careful not to disturb the nearby villagers.

Many of them had watched his shuttle land beyond the village, but he had not been given the opportunity to explain himself before they fled from the sight of what appeared to be a giant whale walking on two legs. Their fear was understandable, though that did little to keep his spirits from sinking.
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