Private Two is Company

[Yondir Fenn]

Music OOC

Spoiler

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Yabati. Outer Rim. Tat’tchyanh system. One sun. A fistful of terrains. Mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers. One man sees them and more through the ship's viewport, a window that was once a mirror. Drifting downward, flying in from outer space, the transparisteel became transparent, and it was no longer a man’s reflection that could be seen.

Words. They mean nothing and everything. In his mind, the Jedi reflects on more than thought. The Force is more than feeling, though like iron wrought, wrapped in vines of truth, not lies. It moves throughout his being, his soul and spirit, like sand gripped in a cold fist.

Words. They’re more than wind. A current wraps around the ship as it makes its descent, a sapphire sea below, sunlight like a lamp to the feet, wisps of misty smoke in the distance. In the forest yonder, a village, and that was the target.

One sun, one son, Yondir Fenn, bereft of blood brothers so far from home, but he isn’t alone, he has come with a brother. Eliphas Dune, a Padawan beside the Knight, though of him Yondir is not versed. He will learn, they will become acquainted, and liberate that village from a factory tainted.

Almost half the planet was covered in water, but by the ocean of brilliant blue was the verdant sea of tree and shrubbery. Woods engulfed the flank of mountains on one side, water’s bank at the right, stretching for miles while the starship covered the far distance under the sunlight.

Bak’ak’ra was the name of the village, leagues east of the capital city of Ya’tatachna. The native Yabati dominated that city, while the immigrated Human species made up a larger element of the village. It made sense given their presence had been sponsored by the Brave Core corporation, an industrial entity that had set up a factory.

The rest was history, or would be, if left unchecked. Something went wrong with the facility, malfunctioning machines with the odd report of sabotage and more. There were no deaths yet, but there was illness as a result of noxious fumes spilling into the village too.

It wasn’t a mission deemed fit for Masters or galactic champions, but there was still the need for investigation so a Knight and a Padawan were called in. Queue two Jedi, Yondir and Eliphas, as wind from their ship surrounds the forest crowns, bending treetops, gently dying off as the ship landed.

They were expected as the ramp descended, the village of Bak’ak’ra a short distance from the forest clearing. Guards stood on the grass, blaster rifles in hands, six in all, Humans standing tall save for a native Yabati centering in between.

Descending the ramp, Knight Fenn betrayed no emotion on his countenance, lightsaber hilt clipped to belt if hidden within his grey cloak. What was visible was the plasma bow on his back, arrows slivers in the quiver, amid steel armor; upon whose breastplate was carved a face no less stoic.

Grey eyes gaze, sizing up the village sentries sent to greet their guests, whether expected, and their looks are more solemn than of solace. That much, the Ranger could appreciate, Yondir Fenn, not hesitating but patiently waiting as Padawan Dune stands at his left.

“A quiet land, a peaceful people,” the Sephi speaks to his partner about the Yabati and their planet, less certain of the Human element, whether they represent the foreign corporation or are more sympathetic to the natives. “Let us try to keep that peace.”

The Knight’s tone of voice matched the manner of his personality, impassive, but as soon as his words dripped from his tongue the one Yabati stepped forward, both eyes upon both Jedi.

"I am Chief Falro Marok." He looked between both males, but not as one looks between two men, before his gaze centered on Yondir's left. "You look young for a Jedi, boy. I expected at least two knights."

Lief

 

[Lief]

Slowly but surely he'd been rebuilding his strength, yet even with that in mind he was far from recovered. Still, being stuck within Bright Knight or the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was proving detrimental to his wellbeing in more than just his physical state, it was clear that the boy was restless and in need of something more. A break from the bustling ecumenopolis, and the ever present focus on his recovery.​

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Though admittedly Starlin Rand had been a little reluctant at first, when Eliphas pressed to be granted permission to fill the role sought out by a fellow Jedi he ultimately gave his blessing. There had been rules in place, of course. No pudding, he'd have to eat properly while he was away, that meant the right amount of protein and vitamins and the like. A continuation of the methods he'd learned during his physical therapy to keep working on his muscle buildup, including actual steps taken. His commlink present and accessible at all times, with the same going for his lightsaber.​

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And, of course, that he listen intently and do as he was bid by the Jedi Knight in question.​

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Even with all of these requirements, and more, Eliphas had agreed. He'd never actually been so far out into the Outer Rim before, and he'd watched intently as they drifted through hyperspace, as stars flecked by like streaks of rain and spatial anomalies lingered on the edges of the void. Theirs had been a quiet journey from the off, names had been exchanged, ground rules laid, and no doubt a little disappointment hidden when it was revealed that the Padawan the Jedi had sent to assist was hoverchair bound.​

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He'd done his best to stay out of the way, to use the time spent en route to further his studies, and take those rigorous steps.​

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Soon they pulled from hyperspace, however, and despite himself he drifted into the cockpit to watch as the world formed before them. A blip to begin with, just another sphere lost within the abyss, but soon landmasses and oceans, then mountains and forests, and finally the view of a village a little ways off. As the trees bent and billowed outward from them, Eliphas admired it all and didn't even try to conceal his awe.​

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Then it was time to disembark. He followed after the Sephi as he descended the boarding ramp and approached the accompaniment of sentinels flanking the village chief. His hoverchair quietly halted at the Knight's left, and when words were uttered he inclined his head in respectful understanding. "Yes, Master Fenn" he softly responded, just before the chief stepped forth and began to address them.​

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After his name was given, Eliphas found himself stuck beneath the Yabati's gaze as though he were being sized up and weighed. In a way he supposed he was.​

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"Even the smallest stone can divert the course of a river, Chief Marok" the boy uttered, his tone filled to the brim with propriety, and respect, and his Tetan accent shining through. "I hope that I might prove such to you before the day is done." Perhaps he ought not to have said anything, perhaps that would have been better left to Yondir, but Eliphas' upbringing led him toward responding to those who addressed him so directly. He was a noble born, it had been expected that he'd lend himself more to politics than peacekeeping... And yet the Force had clearly had different plans for him.​

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Yondir Fenn ​

 

[Yondir Fenn]

Music OOC [Recurring]

Spoiler

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A man, a boy, a Jedi Knight and beside him a Padawan, gaunt, bound to a hoverchair, but he moved as well as one could walk. Back in the ship, in transit, back up in the stars above this world’s arc, neither Jedi had spoken much in the way of tongues.

The Force tethered them together, a bond of two men on a mission, for the greater good, even amid what some would consider a lesser quest for two Jedi. That was when the Jedi were at their best, however, helping those in need and giving into simplicity.

The simpler things, Yondir valued those, so had mostly kept his mouth closed after meeting Eliphas for the first time. The Knight wasn’t much for conversation no matter the situation, giving into silence and solace, and had not thought it right or proper to bring up the condition of his sitting Padawan companion.

From there to here, here and now, there and back again after finishing this mission somehow. One way or the other, the two Jedi would see to the village and the factory, find out what was the matter, what bothered the air, where the Force itself whispered to the Knight to beware, though he was not scared.

The faces of at least three of the armed sentries, however, were another kind of mystery. To Knight Fenn, they seemed tense; creased countenances, shifty eyes, taut lips, as though ever wary of Jedi. Is it something else? What does the Force see that the eye cannot tell?

The thoughts passed as Yondir returned his gaze to the Yabati man. The chief had presented doubt upon the Padawan and the latter had responded with neither defense or offense, but with respect, as one unmoved; despite the hoverchair, that was no pun. Before the day is done. The Knight had a feeling his companion was quite right.

“Wise words,” Chief Marok returned, not taking his gaze away with his reply. “A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.“ If there was hidden meaning within that statement, whether a rebound, somehow it did not seem to be challenging like chess; rather, rewarding, as if the young man had passed some test, whatever that meant.

“I don’t pretend to know the ways of the Jedi,” he admitted, easily if uneasy, looking between both. “Yet I am glad you have arrived. There is much to be done in the village but this…factory…has begun to make things a tad bit complicated.”

He shrugged. “That will be explained. Follow me, if you’d please.” Without waiting, Chief Marok turned to walk with two guards on either side. To Yondir, there was nothing left worth saying until they headed into the village, so he held his tongue where it was.

The other four guards of six would pace either side of the pair of Jedi, appearing to be even more uneasy, but as Yondir walked without putting them off he sensed that it may not be just the two of them that gave them cause for concern.

It was a short distance to the village from the clearing, relatively speaking, considering the trees were too dense to have landed the ship in the thick of the forest.
Bak’ak’ra, as the settlement was named, opened its gate; its walls were not so tall, bound in steel, but inside was revealed the amalgamation of wood, stone and metal buildings.

Stationed inside were more guards, few and far, for the village was no military fortification. Still, the faces and those of its residents were anything but pleasant; not unfriendly to strangers per se as they gazed but no less glum, as though their entire lives were being sucked away and they wondered if two Jedi might yet sustain them.

“The air is so close here,” Yondir commented while walking ahead.

“This forest is old. Very old.” Chief Marok replied. “Full of memory…and anger.”

Yondir heard the whispers of the villagers.
“Who are they?”
“Strangers.”
“Jedi.”
“Knights.
“Dangerous.”
“And a grey mist in this forest…it lingers.”

Like smoke from the mountains, steam from the sea, but not actual, not so poetic really, not so natural.

“Fumes from the factory.”
A guard coughed beside his chief.
"Let’s move along. Into the hall. You may eat and drink from your journey, master Jedi, and we shall talk.”

Yet, Yondir Fenn was neither hungry nor thirsty, except the hunger and thirst to learn answers, unearth truth and lie, and discover how two Jedi can help these villagers.

Lief

 

[Lief]

Chief Marok responded in kind, his words as philosophical and boundless as Eliphas had intended his own to be. Neither a reproach nor praise, it kept all of the possible cards on the table, and frankly the boy was grateful for that.​

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He said no more as they were bid to follow him further toward the village, keeping pace with the Jedi Knight at his side and thus remaining a respectful distance from their hosts.​

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Words were whispered around them as they crossed the steel-clad threshold into a far more earthen settlement beyond. It reminded him of Kashyyyk, the amalgamation of wooden, woven huts set high within the trees, and stone formed recluses down in the underbrush below where danger lurked. He did not feel the same sense of imminent danger here as he had back on the homeworld of the Wookiees, but there was still a sense of dread creeping up his spine.​

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Something was definitely off, and as the air became thicker and the darkened mists crept in he was provided with an answer for why precisely that was.​

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Fumes. Toxic fumes from a nearby factory. The idea of such a structure existing here seemed diametrically opposed to all he'd seen so far. Chief Marok and his people seemed more nature-forward than industrialist, and despite the fact that they were promised answers in the near future he could not help but ponder on such.​

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"This factory, Chief Marok... forgive me for saying, but it seems out of place; is it belonging to you and your kin, or is there another set up close by?"​

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If it happened to be the latter, then no doubt there'd be the potential for further threats than just the toxicity it produced.​

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Still they came upon the Hall, though much like his learned companion Eliphas felt no pull toward sustenance. Furthering their discussion, however, seemed most prudent. The sooner they had the details, the sooner things could be remedied.​

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Yondir Fenn ​