Vroom, Vroom. Mazda (Open to Je'daii)

[Ignatius]

A U R U M
Anil Kesh - Hangar Bay

Walking down the hallways, I wore my typical clothing attire. Even my vest with it's various patches upon it. I was told that whoever came to Anil Kesh would be test driving a new set of speeders that had recently been made. I only knew about this ahead of time because I had helped Emberfall with the CNC mill to create the pieces that were required for the vessels. We had been funded by the Dai'Jey Shipright to create speeders for them, as well as giving us quite a large number of them for our own Je'daii.

I also had with me some riding gloves that would allow a much better grip upon whatever was given to us. Seeing as how they wanted to test these speeders, I wanted to push them to their limits. Use them to their fullest. Walking through the doors of the hangar bay, It looked like I was one of the first to arrive. I saw various speeders that had tarps over the top of them. I knew they were the speeders we would be riding as I saw the man himself. Jal Som. Master of Anil Kesh, as well as known by many as the fabricator of various technology here, as well as the nickname of "The Innovator."

Walking over to the man, he turned around as he heard my footfalls. What I assumed the pained look upon his face, was his attempt at a smile towards me. I smiled in return and bowed fairly low in respect for his rank and his prowess with technology. Already he began talking.

"No no. No bow. Just simple work need to be done. Yes? Ignis. Prized student of Thorv. Hear you help with making parts for speeders yes?"
"Yes sir. Enjoyed it as well."
"Good! Take your pick, Wait till more see though."

I smiled and nodded my head. Looking over to the speeders that the man had fabricated for us, his hand then flicked up. Revealing the number of speeders available for me to choose from. I smiled a bit as I walked over towards a dark black one. Completely blacked out, I knew I would be taking this one.

I took my time looking the machine over as others would be welcomed in. Each and every one of them would be met with a handshake from the Master of Tech himself. He even walked closer to the door just to do so. I however, looked at the various parts. How the handle bars were built much like a bike, yet the frame itself was just a bit bigger for a support craft or even large enough to be an air speeder. I went and took my time to look at the engine as well. The oil was already covering the engine as it was tested before hand to make sure it would run. I smiled as I reached inside and felt around. Even seeing the Turbothrust intake on the side of the engine.

Standing up, I turned around and looked at the main door to see if anyone else was coming in.

 

[Thasiktux]

[member="Ignis Imura"]

The small Jawa would enter Anil Kesh with what seemed to be his own forging and engraving equipment carried by a small droid behind him. He'd have a small bar of phrik and crystallography equipment to make a synthetic crystal.

He'd be proudly wearing an armor weave robe and gloves laced with phrik.

 

[Lief]

Asha had a little bit of downtime, something she hadn't expected would ever be a thing given all of her newfound duties. Steward of Qigong Kesh, Master to a Padawan, it was somewhat mindboggling in truth and yet she had managed to remain afloat while also tending to her own studies. She was still a Journeyer in her own right, after all, and that came with a lot of work. Not that she regretted taking on [member='Caedyn Arenais'], far from it the boy revealed in her areas where she needed work, and also illuminated those places where she was doing somewhat stronger. It made her grow as an individual just as much as it did the boy. And beside that he was a pleasure to teach. Very much like his Father.

A pang of grief ran through her for a moment at the thought of Vei. What had happened to the kindly Jedi Master she had met back on Svivren? She knew that a discussion with Caedyn was in order, but the boy had just gotten back from Stav Kesh with [member="Ignis Imura"] and she wasn't quite ready to rain on his parade. A few more days couldn't hurt.

Stepping into the Hangar Bay on Aurum, from which a mechanical bay could be seen through some large doors, Asha was surprised to find out she was not alone. Others had already arrived. When Master Jal Som had invited her out here she figured it would be for a control group of sorts, and it seemed she was correct. Spotting Ignis from across the room she waved a hand toward him in greeting and smiled. The pair had not seen much of one another in recent weeks, through no fault of their own. They were simply living their lives, such things happened.

"Hey there, Iggy, how have you been my friend?"

There was a wonderful orange model of the speeder, almost as if it was made for her fiery self to utilize. As bright as her hair. Oh, she practically jumped up onto it and grinned. It had been a while since she rode a speeder, she was so used to the Prophet these days. It would be good to feel the wind in her hair.

Of course around this time she noticed the other individual, much smaller than the fireshaper of Kro Var, a Jawa of all things. That certainly piqued her interest, and Asha raised one slender brow in curiosity.

"I haven't seen you around before" she remarked, as she settled into place and found a comfortable spot upon the speeder.

[member='Thasiktux'] [member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Looking up, I got the sight of two individuals. One was the Jawa that I had introduced to the Je'daii. His small stature and frame walking in to test one of these vehicles. Honestly? I wasn't sure if he could reach all of the right tools. Maybe they could take that into consideration for the speeders. Making them usable for those like Thas so he could ride upon them. However, I did see one familiar face. A young woman with her bright ginger hair. I smiled as she waved to me. Asha was the very woman who had introduced me to the Je'daii. I guess this showed three generations of the Je'daii here today. She walked over and began to speak. Asking how I have been.

"Doing really well actually. Just completing a bunch of the trials. Got only a few more to go."

She then looked quickly over to an orange speeder. One that wasn't nasty in color, but just the right tone and shade. I smiled a little bit. Even as she began to speak to the Jawa that was with us. It was new to me for this. Gaining such a rather quick study of the Je'daii. Getting my own apprentice, as well as becoming a Steward of Vur Tepe. All of it was so fast, yet felt so good. Never would I have ever thought that a man who was intent on destroying everything, become who I am today. How... selfish I was when I first met Asha.

Even then, I indicated him and semi-introduced him to Asha.

"He's a student of Vur Tepe. I was honored with introducing him to the Je'daii and to Emberfall."

However, I would allow the being himself introduce the rest of what he wished.

[member="Asha Hex"], [member="Thasiktux"],

 

[Thasiktux]

"Actually I am a student of Anil Kesh AND Vur Tepe, but that only means you're half wrong," the little Jawa would say, with his trademark bass voice. That statement would be said so powerfully that it would boom through the ears of those listening.

"I have not seen you either, red-haired girl. I am Thasiktux of clan Embrix."

Pause

"Where can I put my equipment? I want to craft my lightsaber as soon as possible."

[member="Asha Hex"] [member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Lief]

"Yeah? No chit, nice work Iggy!"

She was genuinely happy to hear the progress he had made in his trials, a beaming grin extending over her expression as she finally settled into a comfortable position atop the speeder and waited for... Well, truth be told she didn't know what they were waiting for. Other people? Didn't really need to wait in order to test it out, did they? A few laps around the building, out into the Jungle to test its terrain-scaling abilities. But then again this wasn't her test group.

When the Jawa spoke she blinked in surprise. She had never actually heard of one speaking Basic, much less witnessed it with her own ears, so to say she was in shock was an understatement. Still, her Father had not raised a rude woman so she inclined her head toward him by way of greeting.

"Greetings, Thasiktux of Clan Embrix, I'm Asha Hex."

Soon enough though he was informing them of his true intentions for being here, not to test the speeders at all but to use the workshop for his lightsaber.

"This is the hangar, but if you follow the door around to the right you'll find the workshop. There should be a free station in there for you to work at."

Then she looked back to Iggy, eyes glistening for a moment as a cheeky grin came to life.

"Hey, Iggy... Race ya!"

And then, without so much as a moments warning, she kicked the speeder into life and set off from the hangar out into the world beyond, the sudden rush sending her hair in every which direction and knocking the air from her lungs. But it was worth it...

[member='Thasiktux'] [member='Ignis Imura']

 

[Thasiktux]

[member="Asha Hex"] [member="Ignis Imura"]

"Very well then. Let's get to work!"

Thasiktux would begin to sit at the crystallography station. He'd very clearly be forming a synthetic lightsaber crystal, with an emphasis on creating a very distinct shape he believes will better conduct the lightsaber blade. He seems utterly enthused with his work.

 

[Ignatius]

The moment of time it took for the little Jawa to express his desire to build his lightsaber instead of racing speeders perplexed me. Why would you work on that when speeders were here and ready to be tested? Surely, of all the things he could be doing, would be to find a way to fit his tiny structure onto a vehicle? I shrugged my shoulder and just looked over to Asha as she began to explain where to go. When the young being answered back, she returned to my attention. Saying very quickly, that she was going to race me.

No desired stopping point, but just to race me out of the hangar. She zoomed out quickly without a second thought. I still had to turn on my engine.

Well this was a great start...

Turning it on, the rumble between my legs felt natural like any speeder would. The roar of the engine as I threw it into gear, and speeding off after her in just a mere second or two. I already knew that my rather long hair for a guy, would be flying everywhere and would look like a bird's nest after I slowed down or stopped. However, I didn't care. I wanted to feel the wind in my face, and ripping at my clothing. I wanted to feel the adrenaline as the speeder would reach top speeds attempting to reach up to Asha.

The thing is, it's not the speeder that makes you the best, its your skill at driving. I had long been taught how to drive and pilot vehicles. I rode my fathers bike when I was eight years old. I think, no I knew I was a better driver than Asha was. Leaning my chest heavily against the tank of the speeder, lowering my center of gravity and making my body and frame more streamline, I noticed I would slowly catch up to her as she too was likely trying to stay ahead of me.

Turns and twist were likely in my future to get me off of her tail. that much I knew, but she would have to try much harder than that to get me.

My smile said it all.

[member="Thasiktux"], [member="Asha Hex"],

 

[Lief]

The sharp breeze caused by the speed of the vehicle sent her hair spiraling behind her. Had she been a little more wise she might have actually bothered to tie it back, but thankfully it didn't even come close to flying in her face and so her vision remained unaffected.

A few seconds after she dipped out of the garage she heard the telltale sounds of another speeder and knew that Iggy was gaining on her. While she had not inherited the Hex genes where starships were concerned - she was a much better pilot than her Father was at her age - speeders were not a thing she had made much use of. Sure she had learned how to drive one, it was necessary when you spent so much time exploring worlds, but she had never tried to push them to their extreme.

It seemed as though [member="Ignis Imura"] was used to doing exactly that.

She put a little more pressure on the gas, so to speak, feeling the effects of it almost immediately as her body lurched uncomfortably, and resisted the urge to let out a yelp of surprise. By this point he was practically at her side and still gaining ground.

Not that she minded, in all honesty, if he won. No parameters had been set for the race, she had more so been trying to get them out of the workshop and into the wonderful day Aurum had to offer. A grin replaced the nervous frown on her face which had come about when she cranked up the power a little too much for her own liking, yes... It was a lovely day out. Perfect for this kind of excursion.

[member="Ignis Imura"] [member='Thasiktux']

 

[Ignatius]

I was catching up to her. Still leaning down heavily into the seat of the speeder, I was nearing up along her side. Righting myself just a bit as I could barely hear the yelp that came from the lass as she hit the gas suddenly. Jerking the vehicle forward just a bit too much. I smiled and shook my head. Having to advert my eyes just a bit as the sunlight was reflecting off of the bright amber color that was her speeder.

She was having fun. The pure emotions rolling from her signature were powerful and well felt. I smiled brightly as she then pushed the throttle a little harder. Pulling slightly ahead of me. I released my throttle, and then turned to the right, then gunned it. Moving to be on the other side of Asha. That way the light wasn't reflecting harshly into my eyes.

I just stayed along side her. Closing my eyes for a moment and letting the wind rip past me. Clawing at my clothing and almost yanking on my hair. However, I felt a twinge, like something was wrong. Opening my eyes, I saw one of the trees that we were speeding past coming deadly close. I swerved hard to the right to avoid it, then left again to avoid a second tree. Leaning with the vehicle as I turned to make the transition much faster, I then got very close along side Asha's speeder. That I could have reached out and touched her own handlebars. I righted myself quickly to avoid us crashing within mere moments of using them.

I shook my head. Why was I always so stupid with actions like this. I looked at her and just kind of shook my head as an apology.

Man could I really mess things up.

[member="Asha Hex"],

 

[Lief]

Unlike Ignis, Asha actually kept her eyes on the path ahead of her. Mostly out of fear of losing control, truth be told, she hadn't traversed this type of terrain on a speeder since she was much younger - likely on Teth during one of her Father's many journeys back there to pay homage to her namesake - and all of the trees fluttering by proved almost enough to make her nauseous. She grit her teeth as they continued on at breakneck pace, until she heard the secondary speeder in the vicinity veer off.

She couldn't help herself.

Looking over her shoulder she watched as Ignis swerved to miss a tree. In the moment during which she looked away her own speeder clipped a branch, knocking her straight from it and sending her several feet back. The speeder itself continued onward for a few yards before it slowed to a halt, bumping into a tree trunk at the last moment. There in the dirt Asha could only stare on with wide eyes, trying to catch the breath which had been so forcefully knocked from her lungs.

They burned like nobody's business.

Already she could feel a bruise forming on her chest where the branch had struck her, as well as down on her coccyx.

What a fool she must have looked like.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

After righting myself, I looked over to Asha. She was still level with me for a moment. I pushed the throttle a little harder when I heard a loud snap beside me. A quick glance saw that Asha was no longer to my side, and the speeder was slowing down with no rider. I hit the break hard. Pulling back on the throttle and sending the speeder to spin around. Almost flinging myself off if I didn't use the force to clamp hard upon the handles and planting myself with telekinesis upon the vehicle. Looks like the decided to keep seatbelts off of the list of things to add. Likely so someone could drop off the speeder if necessary to save their life, but that was so small of a chance.

Either way, I brought my speeder around and slowly came to a stop towards Asha's speeder. Getting off, I looked at it for a moment when I could feel pain through the force. Pain that couldn't be described. Literally in this case. I rushed over towards her as she was trying to gasp for air. Likely got cloths-lined by a tree branch. Kneeling down by her side. Instantly, I went into control mode.

My arms reaching out to her sides to aid her off of the ground and to stand upright. Since she was winded, I knew her chest was injured, but I didn't know if there was any more damage that had been done. Since she had been winded, laying down or sitting down would not open up the lungs as much as they could have been. Standing would be better. I was by her side, helping to prevent her from falling over. Even as I saw that she was gripping herself in pain.

"Don't speak, but show me where you hurt."

[member="Asha Hex"],

 

[Lief]

She barely even realized he was there at all.

One hand continued to clutch at her chest, the other was planted firmly on the ground to try and keep her balanced where she sat. Of course she did not remain that way for long as she was pulled to her feet by an unexpectedly strong grip. Air rushed back into her lungs, and she could feel tears streaming down her cheeks though she didn't actually seem to be crying at all. It was more a natural bodily response to the shock of being struck so hard in the chest.

Panting through it for a moment or so she finally reached a point where his words made sense. Gesturing back to her chest she shook her head and looked up through the canopy, leaning against his his support for a few moments.

"D-Damn... Tree...." she laughed, though the grin didn't fully reach her eyes. Instead they were met with a twinge of pain. "Nothing I can't... Walk off..."

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

After standing her up, I could notice the tears on her cheeks. While they were small, I didn't press on why they came out. Instead, I allowed her to lean on me when necessary. Even as she started to get a bearing on her stance and the area around her, she looked up to the sky and shook her head. I wondered if this was just the adrenaline running through her body, or if she really was getting a little loopy from the hit. I took a step back to give her some space as she said that she could just walk it off. I chuckled a bit and just shook my head.

"Sure you can walk, but you are not getting back on the speeder any time soon."

Even if she would try, I was more than willing and able to take her off of it by force. She wasn't going to put herself in danger like that again. Unlike myself who can harden his skin and bones to resist massive impacts, she couldn't. At least, as far as I am aware she couldn't. Resting my hand on her shoulder to keep her still and not to move so much,

"You need to take a second. Getting hit like that can give you a concussion. So unless I know you are fine, you aren't going on the speeder. I don't want a second wreck on the way home."

I then realized how over protective I was. Demanding and telling her how things were going to go down. Ever since I had found this place as my home, I wanted to keep it safe and to protect it, and all the people who came here, with my life if necessary. Asha would be no different. I licked my lips and disapprovingly shook my head at myself.

"Sorry, I just don't want you to hurt yourself again."

[member="Asha Hex"],

 

[Lief]

It felt as though the floor was moving under her, like dunes of sand shifting in the breeze.

Reaching out she grabbed the nearest tree for support and almost missed it entirely as her hand slipped against the bark of the trunk and grazed her palm. Nausea hit her next, and she dropped to her knees and heaved; all the while her head throbbed unbearably from having hit it when she fell to the floor.

Had her mind been a little more there she'd have known her own symptoms, instead she closed her eyes and leaned her head to the tree in fatigue.

"I'm... Fine," she said, with a very slight yawn, "Just... Tired."

She shouldn't fall asleep, she knew, for one thing they were out in the middle of nowhere with a busted up speeder... Nevermind the medical issues.

The Speeder would be great in the hands of those who knew how to use it, but if this test had proven anything it was that amateurs such as Asha were definitely not the intended audience. Perhaps this would encourage her to go and relearn how to ride a traditional speeder before she tried such a thing again in the future.

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

She started to stumble and even ran into a tree. I took paces towards her to try and catch her, but she found herself fairly well. Still, I had my hands hovering over her shoulders and her back. Kind of being there and just in case she started to move again, I could help her. I shook my head as her words seemed to be a little slurred even as she spoke of being fine. I chuckled as I expected as much from her. She was a person who wouldn't say no to herself or anyone else. She always pushed herself to work for the Je'daii. She was someone who just couldn't back down when she set her mind to it. While that was a good work ethic, it wasn't good for her health.

"No. Hun, you are not fine."

I couldn't believe I said hun to her as though she were like a daughter. I confused myself over it for a moment. I felt like she was a sister of mine. I felt that way about a few people here within the Je'daii. Jyn, and her love interest? Arekk were like family to me. Even more so, Sahna was my own interest. Despite this, I knelt down next to her. I was not quite sure what to do. Part of me wanted to throw her onto the speeder and take her back, and the other part said that she wasn't in any state to be on the speeder. I decided what might be best is to do a mix of both.

I remember a time when I was a kid that Caleo had smacked her head while we were training. She was dizzy and could barely stand up. So we had to take her to her room. Lay her down and let her rest. For like the next week mother wouldn't let her do anything other than normal house chores because she was worried that she might get a second one or worsen her condition. Thinking back too this, a concussion was a head injury. So pain relief might help. I didn't know much about that, but I think just taking it slow on the ride home should do fine.

Extending my open hand towards my black speeder, I brought it towards us so that it hovered just behind me. The engine was on already. Slowly, I helped her stand as I spoke.

"So here is what I need you to do. I need you to sit backwards on the speeder. Get as far up on the seat as you can."

It would seem weird to do so, but having her sit behind me would be difficult with the speeder. if she were to fall off, it would worsen her condition. And I couldn't trust her to even hang onto me. So having her face me, and hug me from the front was the best option. Have her close her eyes, and if she did want to fall asleep like she was saying she was tired then that would be fine, because then she will be resting on my shoulder.

As for reducing the pain, I really did not want to use any of my force healing that I knew. I didn't want to heal incorrectly, or over extend on her. Doing that would really injure her. So no force for now.

[member="Asha Hex"],

 

[Lief]

Asha knew she wasn't in any position to really resist as she was led over to the speeder that Ignis had chosen back in the workshop hangar.

He had drawn it toward them with the Force, which seemed to fascinate her in that moment for she stared at it as though it was the strangest thing she had ever witnessed in her entire life. Hoisted from the floor, she listened as best she could to him but found herself distracted at the slightest sound. Her eyes drifted to a close for a moment, head pounding.

"Didn't mean to crash it... Jal's going to be angry..."

With his assistance she made it up onto the speeder, it felt odd to sit on it this way as it wasn't designed for the rider to be facing backwards but she managed it all the same. Forced her eyes open, and looked up at the treetops which lay overhead.

Perhaps she had inherited the Hex gene, only where [member="Jericho"] crashed starships was it to be her curse that she would crash speeders instead?

[member="Ignis Imura"]

 

[Ignatius]

Sitting her kind of awkwardly upon the speeder, I made sure she was comfortable first. Putting myself down into the seat, I moved her arms to be up around the back of my neck and upon my shoulders. I laced my arms underneath hers so I could operate the vehicle with little to no hindrance from her own arms and body. I will say, it was a little awkward at first. While we had been close friends and we have been in close proximity to one another, it was never this close, or like this.

I was not a hugging person. The only people I have ever hugged in my life was my mother, my sister, and Sahna. Now it seemed, that I also, inadvertently hugged Asha. While I was not opposed to this, I just felt... weird. Like I was invading her personal space. However, I kind of had to do that considering I was attempting to keep her from getting to injured.

Attempting to keep her up, I thought that the best course after putting her on, was to keep her talking to me.

"You know. you are the fourth person I have ever hugged? What do you think of that?"

Since my mind was on it, why not ask her about it? Thrumming the engine, I slowly started us off so we could both get used to the speeder. Only slowly speeding up so that we could make it back to get better medical attention than just what I had done.

[member="Asha Hex"],

 

[Lief]

He joined her on the speeder and leaned her against himself so that she wasn't going to tumble from the seat.

That forced her to look away from the tree tops as she set her head against his shoulder and allowed the fatigue to wash over her. She was nearing the sweet release of rest when he spoke, asking her some sort of question she didn't fully understand at first.

What did she think of what?

Back tracking in her mind she realized that he had just shared a personal snippet of information. Not only that, but the two of them were..hugging? In some sense of the word, at least. It wasn't as though it meant anything, more like how a brother might support a sister. She could live with that.

"You're... My second..." she retorted, with a very slight laugh to accompany it. Asha had never been this close to anyone before, truth be told. [member="Jericho"] had raised her in typical Jericho fashion, and while he was becoming more affectionate toward her these days, and while he had hugged her as a child, for the longest time that connection simply wasn't there. A pat on the head or shoulder was as much as she'd gotten for the most part, but that had always been enough for her.

She'd never needed more than that.

[member="Ignis Imura"]