Private Water And Lightning Never Mixed

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

Glee Anselm​

Under the moonlight, the sound of footsteps was soft and swift. The tropical trees did well to hide anything beneath, with tall winding roots allowing individuals to parkour above the swamp waters. Thank the Manda, the beskar'gam she wore had air conditioning! The masked individual remained cloaked, using the Force to jump from root to root. Up ahead, both the Force and the tracker on her vambrace 's computer told her that her targets were up ahead.

Two smugglers had escaped Enclave space, seeking refuge elsewhere in Galaxy. They obviously had no clue that this dedicated Karjr was willing to follow them. Of course, usually the half Arkanian was satisfied to let the rest of the galaxy deal with any problems officially outside borders, but these two had a strong connection with black market dealings, specialized in the theft and illegal trade if beskar'gams. This alone was barbaric, leading Gwyneira Krayt to seek these monsters out. The Mandalorian Armor belonged to Mandalorians alone! Furthermore, however, she saw an additional benefit to this chase. Her beloved, Jac'Eli'Zirum, was searching for the beskar'gam he had lost long ago. Gwyn was optimistic that these smugglers might have a clue as to its location.

Aquatic fish swam below, looking up to see nothing though the huntress was very much there. Finally, she saw two lifeforms in the distance. They had set up a makeshift camp, fishing while trying to light a small fire. Gwyneira considered her options. She needed these two alive, so sniping from a distance was not an option. She jumped to another tree, trying to keep as quiet as she could despite the groaning of the wood. If she tried sneaking in close, despite her stealth tech they could easily hear her. No good...

Then, she realized. Watching the branch they were sitting on, she noticed how it was weak enough. Setting her rifle to the sniper mode, she knelt down and aimed carefully. Gwyneira had become a brilliant shot in her time within the Enclave's ranks. She pulled the trigger. A charric shot rang out, shattering the branch and causing her targets to fall into the mud below. Decloaking, Gwyn turned on her jetpack and flew towards the end two panicking criminals. She extended her arm and shot a cable from her vambrace, tangling the two together. She landed above them, grunting as she pulled the weight of two full grown men towards the trunk. She grinned beneath her visor. She finally had them-

-A snapping of wire was followed by the weight going limp. The Force warned her, and she jumped aside as a vibroknife embedded itself into the bark of the tree. She watched the second one pull himself up towards another tree. Gwyneira gritted her teeth. She took aim and fired a second fibrochord. The man groaned as he was tied to the tree. Gwyneira pulled her cyroban pistol out and aimed where she saw movement in the mud. She fired, the cryobolt causing the first to be quite restricted. She wasted no time. She leapt up, activating the electricity of her crushgaunts. Blue sparks eliminated in the night. She descended upon one, then two using her jetpack. She promptly zapped both unconscious, then finally tied them up. Securely this time.

As night life cricketed within the swampy tree, Gwyneira called upon her astromech, telling him to come in with her ship, the Tauntaun, to escort the scum she caught to Enclave security. She sighed, looking out from beyond the canopy of ferns. A wide, black ocean was opened before her. Through her sensor arrays, she could detect everything from the temperature of the water to if lifeforms were beneath. She could see quite well. Yet, through the Force she sensed every fish and reptile as well. And most peculiar of all, she sensed a Force Signature that was actually quite similar... the Force signature of a person.

"...Jenn???"

She gazed out, scanning the seas. How in the galaxy was the vode here?!

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

It had been far too long since Jenn last enjoyed some time away from people. How was she to embrace what she had become on Hefi? There were too many people, too many distractions, and not enough water. What she needed was a vacation, a chance to stop worrying and allow herself a chance to relax and mull things over. So it was that she had made some arrangements and borrowed a small craft, hid it beneath the canopy... and enjoyed the tropical world's climate for the days that followed.

It was easy for the Mandalorian to lose herself, really. A warm, relaxing bath was one thing, but swimming in open seas was another altogether, allowing all of Jenn's worries to slip from her mind. At last, she had found what she had been looking for all this time: true freedom. She was at peace, finally able to let her thoughts drift away, and to truly enjoy what she had in life - to see the joy being with Sam brought her, truly feeling whole when she spent time with her. But, for all of the affection she felt for the mechanic, she valued her time swimming in saltwater, all by herself...

For a time, at any rate. The fierce warrior enjoyed the planet's swamps: the water was deceptively deep, and it lacked the stink normally associated with such a location, which made it a perfect spot for her to stash away a few supplies whenever she had to gain her legs back... a prospect she found less and less enticing by the day, if she was honest with herself. Just as she was about to enter the swamp proper, the familiar sounds of battle reached her ears... and, rather than filling her with delight, she found the notion that she would have to get her hands dirty to be impossibly annoying. The one time she wanted to be left alone, trouble found its way to her-

Hold the vox. A Mandalorian?

And ooooh, there was something undeniably familiar about her, something that made her... deeply curious. And oh, that mysterious vode sure knew how to handle herself! Just as she wrapped up her handling of the two scoundrels, she made sure to dip her head back under the water, hoping to see her leave with her prize and allow her to return to her tranquility, when that voice reached her ears through the water, all thanks to those sharp new aquatic senses of hers...

And so it was that Gwyneira Vizsla would see the familiar sight of Jenn Kryze slowly emerging from the water with effortless grace, little else than her bust visible as she crossed her arms and rested them against the edge of the water lazily. Slowly, almost gently, she finally spoke.

"It's good to see you in one piece, Gwyn."

The warmth of her voice was a far cry from the biting words thrown in her face in their last encounter.

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

Beneath her visor, Gwyneira lifted an eyebrow at the sight. Jenn Kryze, in full Mandalorian armor, was popping her head out of the water and saying hello. For a moment, she just sort of stood there, frozen. With no clue how to react. Gwyneira did know, however, that it was probably a good idea not to remove her buy'ce. Jenn followed The Way, afterall, and believed that she should never remove her helmet in front of others. After a moment of internal com static, she cleared her throat and responded to her… friend's(?) greeting.

"Er, yes, same to you."

What was ironic was that Gwyneira was not exactly in one piece. Beneather her visor, she had cybernetic eyes. And one of her legs was clearly cybernetic, not covered with beskar'gam armor as it was beskar itself. Gwyneira balanced on a tree's roots, walking to the edge of the swamp and closer to Jenn. Standing only a couple steps away from her, Gwyneira balanced on the large root, "My astromech is returning with my ship so I can take care of these guys." She jerked her head towards the unconscious bandits, "Want to catch up inside, or are you busy?"

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Lifting a brow beneath her buy'ce as she noticed the oddity that was Gwyn's prosthetic leg, Jennfound herself wondering just how much she had missed since the two of them had spoken to one another. Patiently waiting for the younger girl to speak up, the Mandalorian remained perfectly cool, merely cocking her head to the side as she was approached. "Oh, I would be glad to catch up with you here", admitted the warrior. "It's... more comfortable for me."

It was in the wake of those words that she inhaled deeply, propping herself up... and, with a fluid, graceful motion, her tail came rising out of the water behind her, water dripping from that splendid silver fin of hers, its majesty brought out by the moonlight. The portion of the harness that hugged the end of her tail and protected the section where this graceful, yet powerful limb of hers turned into such an elegant fin served as a reminder of her martial prowess, even in such a... limiting form.

"Why don't you load these two in your ship, then join me back here? I think it's about time we had a chat."
There it was again - that calm, collected tone of hers, soothing to the ear... and capable of entrancing those caught unaware.

Gwyneira Vizsla

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

The beams of the Tauntaun's lights were starting to shine down from the sky. Gwyn looked up as it descended, Mini beeping at her about the other lifeform. Gwyn looked back down to Jenn. If she wanted to stay out here it had to be for good reason. Of course, it was then that Gwyn noticed the karabasting tail Jenn sported! She just about choked, "Alright, I'll be out in a moment."

Gwyn pulled the two captives off the tree and drug them into her ship. In the back of the ship, she properly bound them and tied them up. Gwyn also unloaded some of her pistols before leaving the Tauntaun's ramp again. She jumped down, off the hovering ship. Landing on a root close to Jenn again, she looked up to the ship as its hanger bay closed. Gwyn told Mini to cloak the ship and stay nearby. As the lights flickered off and the ship disappeared and left, Gwyneira sat down on the root. Below her, water ebbed and flowered freely. She looked back to Jenn, not sure what to do or where to start. So much had happened to her and her loved ones since they last met. So much sorrow, terror, and trauma. She looked to Jenn and shrugged. Both to keep from remembering and due to genuine interest, Gwyn decided to ask her about her adventures first. Obviously, with the karking tail there was a lot that must have happened! Looking at the waters surrounding Jenn, the cyborg asked, "Why don't you go first? What have you been up to lately? What's with the tail?"

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

"Take your time, Gwyn. I'm not going anywhere."
Clearly amused, the Mandalorian hoisted herself out of the water with a grunt of effort, sitting by the water's edge as the younger girl left to secure her two prisoners. Clearly, Jenn seemed rather uncaring about the whole ordeal, her gaze turned towards the water, a wistful sigh escaping her lips. Oh, how she longed to feel the caress of the water against her tail once more... but it had been so very long since she last ran into the eager Arkanian, and there was much for them to discuss. Besides... she felt a certain sense of pride as she looked down to her tail, rather excited about the idea of showing off that new limb of hers.

It was only when Gwyn began to ask questions that he turned her head to face her, a warm chuckle escaping her as she lifted her fin and waved her hand in its direction. "Well, as you can see, I've... changed a little since our last meeting. Some forgotten Sith lab I was running through whilst escaping Coruscant was filled with a strange liquid, and... well, here I am!" Laughter escaped her at that, a pleasant and downright musical sound, her joy easily conveyed through those new vocal chords of hers. Smiling to herself, she rested a hand against the harness that hugged her tail tight, marking the transition from her piscine half to the beskar covering the rest of her body. "I have a home for myself on Hefi now. I live with my girlfriend there - we run a vehicle repair shop, which doubles as a forge for those who need work done on beskar."

Her voice grew warm and gentle at the mention of Sam Sheridan , the Ersansyr leaning back against the root Gwyn was sitting on, making herself comfortable. There was a pause, and then... she spoke once more, her voice truly angelic, carrying a softness that was uncharacteristic of the woman who had been so confrontational in the past. Jenn was yet to use her newfound powers for nefarious purposes, and her grasp on them was fickle at best - but she wanted to make up for how harsh she had been with Gwyn, and so she gave in to the temptation to use that enthralling voice of hers, to let her know tranquillity.

"I am so very proud of you, Gwyneira."

Gwyneira Vizsla

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

Jenn had most certainly changed.

Not just because some Sith alchemy liquid caused her to morph, but because of how she talked, carried herself. The Jenn Kryze Gwyn remembered was stern, disciplined, and strict. She was a tough talker who seemed to carry a superiority complex. But now... She was elegant. The way she moved was far more graceful and gentle, feminine. The way she spoke too was a stark contrast. Her laughter was almost unnerving, the way it echoed with a light happiness. It was something she was unused to. How could a valve of fish oil change her so much?

Gwyn gripped the root with one of her crushgaunts, causing the bark to crumble in her palm and between her fingers. This was... very foreign. She literally could only recognize Jenn through her armor and, of course, Force Signature. Force Signatures gave just as much identity to a person as physical appearance and voice did, if not even more. And that Force Signature was very much Jenn Kryze.

Her discomfort faded into the background, however, when the last words spoken pierced her starved little heart. Jenn was... proud of her.

Proud of her.

Beneath her buy'ce, Gwyn's eyes widened. A blush tinted her dreadfully pale cheeks. She froze, some of the bark in her loosened hand falling into the water below. She remembered how desperate she had been to be acknowledged by everyone. Her parents, her college professors, her fellow students. Her cyare, her buir, her alor. Her clan, her people, her family. Her rival. She was nearly crying. The words of approval by someone who had branded her a weak outsider, below her, cut deep. For a long moment, she sat there. Tears fell, that approval finally reached by one.

After the long moment of joy, however, her doubts kicked in. She remembered how Jenn treated her before. Why the change in attitude now? All those previous walls flew up again. The fear of being used and abused, manipulated by words. She had fallen victim to her heartstrings being played before. She would not let it happen again so easily...

"Wait," Her voice was bitter and distrusting, despite Jenn's supernatural efforts, "Why are you being nice to me?"

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

There was a long pause in the wake of Gwyn's words, as if the Mandalorian was having an inner debate. Each act she performed that went against The Way was akin to having something ripped out of her, filling her with a terrible sense of shame and betrayal... as well as freedom and relief. Slowly, the siren's hands moved to her buy'ce... and, after a moment of pause, Jenn braved the fear and doubt that preceded such a monumental gesture and removed her helmet with a hiss of depressurization.

Carefully laying it down on the ground next to her, she looked deep into Gwyn's visor, her gaze just as intense as one would expect. Underneath the helmet, she looked like... well, like some kind of warrior princess, a certain sense of majesty radiating off of her. She had fiery hair, an intense gaze, and a rather... elegant air about her.
"Because you deserve such praise, Gwyneira", declared the Ersansyr. "Because you have become one of us. I am proud of you, Gwyn, because you have proven yourself worthy, and I am privileged to call you vod."

Gwyneira Vizsla

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

Gwyneira could hardly believe it when Jenn Kryze, so dedicated to The Way and Death's Hand's Sect Traditions, removed her buy'ce. She set it aside, looking up to Gwyn with piercing eyes. Thanks to her H.U.D. and cybernetic eyes, Gwyn saw Jenn perfectly in the dark. Her short, red hair was like fire against the ocean blue. The masked, fiery warrior fit the face quite well. Beyond anything though, this was a sign of respect and trust. By removing her buy'ce, Jenn was admitting something Gwyn never thought she'd see, that they were equals as vod, as Mando'ade, as Mandalorians.

Tears doubled in her eyes. Falling down her cheeks and dripping below her helmet. Gwyneira had been so proud when she passed her Verd'goten, and so happy to finally have proven her worth. This was one of those moments where it truly sunk in. She had a home now. And this home truly cherished her.

Gwyn sniffled, reaching up. Her throat throbbed as she answered, "Tha-ank you-ou, Jenn."

She decided to return the favor.

Jenn had seen Gwyn's face before, but she had been different then. This was back when she still dyed her hair; and her biological eyes had been an Arkanian pure white. Now, Gwyneira no longer dyed her hair, and her eyes were now cybernetic amber. She pulled her buy'ce off. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun, always was when Gwyn wore her helmet. She carefully placed her buy'ce aside and reached for the bun. She pulled it out, allowing a waistline length mane of white locks to dance in the tropical wind. Her pale face had glistening tears still streaming down. Gwyn looked Jenn in the eyes, returning the respect as a fellow vode.

This was a groundbreaking moment.

Her cybernetic eyes glowed in the darkness of the night. She swallowed the lump in her throat, speaking again, "You don't know what this means to me. Thank you."

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Jenn's stern and severe expression melted into a small, but gentle smile as Gwyn removed her own buy'ce, her gaze far more gentle than usual. This was a side of the fearsome warrior seldom seen by others, and the young Arkanian was one of the privileged few who were allowed to see Jenn in such a light. "Oh but I do know", spoke the Ersansyr in that melodious voice of hers. "I know how it is, to be alone in the galaxy, without family. But that is what we are - a family of families. You are Mando'ade, Gwyn, just as I am, and as my mother was before me. You are not alone anymore."

And, in the wake of those words, the siren placed her hands on the edge of the water... and gracefully jumped back into the water, the practiced of her tail as she disappeared beneath the water simply captivating. She resurfaced a few moments later, her features betraying just how much she enjoyed the feeling of water against her face. "Sorry", said the mermaid with a grin. "The water feels... relaxing. And if the two of us are going to catch up, well... I might as well make myself comfortable, right?"

Gwyneira Vizsla

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

Already, Gwyn was getting sweaty. She reached back and started pulling her hair into a bun again as Jenn enjoyed the water. As Gwyn tightened her bun, she looked to Jenn through her tears. Jenn knew what her loneliness was like? But did she not just say she had a mother? And Jenn had also treated Gwyn... less than kindly before. It all confused her. Gwyneira had never earned her mother's love...

Still, being treated as an equal and being praised was something she soaked up like a sponge. She craved approval and thirsted for attention. Her family and clan helped her to feel so much better than the black hole she once had been, but she still felt the pangs of her vacant and hostile childhood. In moments like these, she was overflowed with the feeling of being good enough she always chased. It made her so happy.

Looking down at Jenn, she smiled. Jenn truly was at home in the waves. It was quite fun to watch, and soothing. Gwyn nodded in agreement at her and reached up, rubbing her eyes. She looked back down at Jenn, her cybernetic eyes glowing Mandalorian amber.

"Yeah. So... um..." She tried to focus on the good that had happened to her, through the overwhelming onslaught of trauma she had endured, "I passed my Verd'goten! And I started my own company on Kestri, the Iron Heart Forgeworks. I'm a Karjr too. Um... what else?"

She had lost the love of her life, Eliz Krayt, thought he was dead.

She had been captured and tormented for months on end by her biological father.

She watched her buir, Kranak Vizsla, ebb in and out of depression.

Her alor and mother figure, Shai Krayt, had defected the the Maw.

She had melded with the Force at Tython, fading into it and finding herself in the Netherworld. What had been two days in the Galaxy had been six months for her.

Eliz was back, thank the Force, but did not remember her well.

She suffered so much, lost some of her own body, and lost loved ones as well. She had to watch her own misfortunes effect Kranak and her little brother Vulcan Krayt, so negatively. Her mental health was borderline non-existent. Her emotions had shattered with her body, and her mind was sick from all her suffering. Gwyneira had been going through the worst season of her life. Even worse than her childhood or college. And that... was saying something. Would Jenn notice how weary Gwyn was?

Gwyn tried to fish for more good to tell Jenn, but found little. On the root she was seated on, she looked up at the sky. "Um... also... a-also..."

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Jenn could tell that there was more to it than what Gwyn let on, and in a surprising display from such a strict figure, the Ersansyr reached out to take the younger girl's hand into her own, squeezing it as she gave her a tentative smile. "Gwyn? Please, look at me." She waited patiently for the poor girl to do as she asked, meeting her gaze with her own, her eyes betraying just how deeply she cared. "It's okay to cry, Gwyn", spoke the siren gently. "There's no shame in being vulnerable, and I would much rather see you bend than break."

With these words, the Mandalorian drummed her fingers against her discarded buy'ce, her other hand still holding Gwyn's. "You are strong, Gwyn - stronger than you realize. You are so much more than your scars." After a meaningful break, she finally let go of her hand, resting her arms on the water's edge, bobbing up and down with each idle motion of her tail.

Gwyneira Vizsla

 

[Gwyneira Vizsla]

Gwyn sniffled, reaching up and rubbing a puffy eye as Jenn once again was strangely kind. Gwyn nodded, "I-I know it's okay to cry, it's just..."

She slumped, "I've been through a lot. Lost loved ones, been betrayed by loved ones. If loneliness is cold, then losing the love you finally gained burns like a sun."

She looked up to the star filled sky, listened to the waves below. She closed her eyes, "I just don't know how to handle everything. I think I've gone crazy at times. I started an entire company to distract myself, and that's not very responsible." She chuckled sadly, "You say I'm not my scars, but I've carried scars for so long, I can't separate myself from them anymore. They make me who I am."

She looked back to the mermaid, "My buir has always been honored to carry the scars he earned in battle. When he lost his arm, he lost it in combat, but me?"

She lifted her cybernetic leg for a moment, then lowered it in shame, "I was chained in a lab, pathetic prey. My leg was sown off, piece by piece, humiliating me, every time they needed another DNA sample."

Red faced, she lifted a hand and touched one of the cybernetic eyes, which dilated in response but felt no pain. She shyly muttered, "How can you fix a defective machine, broken from first assembly and only damaged more as time went on?"

Jenn Kryze