Private Year of the Krayt Dragon

[Jun Chiyo]

Tags: Aiden Porte
In the mountains of TATOOINE…

Jun wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand, then brought a pair of electrobinoculars up to her eyes. The haze made the rolling sand dunes appear to dance, distoring her view and frustrating the young Atrisian. She sighed, shaking her head. Jun loathed desert worlds- why would the Masters think there's anything out here? Perhaps it was another attempt to embarrass her. Nearly a year of training and practicing, yet here she was, Masterless and alone on an errand-boy's mission to find old bones on Tatooine.

She'd had enough for one day.

The girl tossed her binocs into the nearby landspeeder, took one final, solemn look at the sandy highlands, then clambered into the craft. The trip back to Mos Motesta wasn't far, but every minute beneath the blistering twin suns felt like an eternity. Even beneath the protective hood she's pulled over her head, she was sweltering. Luckily, the prospect of fresh water, a clean bed, and something to eat made the journey bearable. Within the hour, the sandstone cuboids of Motesta came into view. Jun eased her way by the patrol of local guards who circled the outskirts, avoiding them simply to dodge the hassle of another pat down. She had nothing to hide, and nothing to risk, but the locals were leery of Jedi and had made it quite known upon her arrival.

The speeder came to a stop just outside the cantina, a small watering hole where the townspeople and wanderers alike came to rest. She kept her cowl on and her mask up, leaving only her purple eyes visible. No one paid her much mind, save for the barkeep, who'd been expecting her. Jun hoisted herself onto a stool and scooted it forward.

"You're later than usual," he said idly, not stopping his bartending as he chatted.

"I didn't want to leave empty-handed again."

The man chuckled.

"But'cha did, didn'tcha?"

Jun glared from behind her mask, but she knew the man meant no harm. He was just trying to make small talk, and she actually appreciated his effort. She was alone out here, and he'd been the only person in Mos Motesta to give her the time of day. He placed a cool glass of blue milk on the bar next to her. She sighed as she pulled the mask down and took a grateful sip. The cold liquid was thick and strangely sweet, but it instantly cooled her down as she drank.

"Nothing out there but sand, sand, and- oh hey! More sand..."

The bartender laughed deep, from his belly, and it brought a little smile to the girl's face. He started about a story from his youth, when he was a Rimward Ranger on the hunt for some kind of criminal in the Dune Sea... it was intriguing at first, but Jun's mind began to wander. Her eyes drifted over to the cantina door. All she could think about was getting to her room for the night. Or better yet, her room back at the Coruscant temple... she even, for a split second, yearned for her bedroom on Atrisia.

Anywhere but here.

 

[Aiden Porte]

Tatooine
Jun Chiyo


There were many things that changed in the galaxy recently.

Friends turned on each other.

Innocents died.

Trust was broken.

Loved ones were lost.

Lost....


Tatooine wasn't the greatest place to be. The sand, sand and more sand. The wind whipping around enforcing its will on those that were lost and unfamiliar with the territory.

By outward appearance the young Jedi Padawan seemed to have aged almost four years within the year. Bearded slightly, sullen eyes, lack of sleep had plagued the padawan. Alcohol to drown his senses when necessary.

The faintest of whimpers escaped from his mouth. A small tear rolling down his cheek before he closed his eyes and focused on his task, and before there was feeling of a love lost....

It was replaced with hate ever for a brief moment. And then just like that it was gone, his hand clutched tightly over the necklace given to him by Solenne Abraxas

For when other lights go out....

While it brought him some comfort, it wasn't like it was before. He could feel himself slipping between the void. While he was doing what he must, for the good of the galaxy as well as for his family. This was testing his faith continually pounding on the door to his soul. The door shuddered violently, and his will stood as firmly as it could.

But he was failing....

She would be ashamed of him....

He let out a small grunt in pain as he stood up from the alleyway, he clutched his side gently. Blood slowly seeping through the cut on his side. Aiden mended it as best as he could.

The padawan took another deep breath before he powered through the pain. He moved towards the Cantina door and the cloaked figure made his way inside. He took a seat at the nearest seat at the bar. He placed the last of his credits on the bar and moved them over towards the barside.

"Whatever you got, something strong......." The Jedi spoke in just above a whisper.

The barkeep looked slightly amiss and even concerned before he moved about his business, for Aiden wasn't his concern.

Aiden looked up briefly staring at himself in the mirror on the barside. He remembered the ceremony on Naboo, the burial, what it felt afterwards. That toppled with the Porte's ongoing battle with the First Order Remnants. It was debilitating to the Jedi Padawan. His father put to much faith in him......

She put to much faith in him, and now she was dead.

Because of him....

 

[Jun Chiyo]

Tags: Aiden Porte
In the mountains of TATOOINE…

As she'd done with every cantina patron in the last few days, Jun minded her business. She kept to herself, sipping the rest of her blue milk and studying a holopad that she'd brought with her from the temple. It was gritty with sand from the highlands, already weathering on the corners from being used under the burning suns. Its screen glowed dimly, displaying scans the girl had collected in the field. Many of them were of bones, but among them were also scans of various herbs and other flora. Jun had become fascinated with herbal medicines during her stay with the League on Dagobah, but her knowledge was only rudimentary.

She'd dedicate more time to studying, but the New Jedi kept sending her on rat-race missions to collect seemingly meaningless data from Rim worlds like Tatooine. The girl sighed, setting the holopad down with a heavy thud on the counter. She should keep looking, but the suns were less than an hour from setting and her eyes were heavy.

"One more," she said quietly to the bartender. "For the road." The man shuffled off to fetch his pitcher, when another voice - a familiar one - asked for a drink. Something strong. Jun knew that voice, but what was more telling was the sudden warmth she felt in the Force. It was like being hugged by the ghost of someone you'd lost, phantasmal but so real.

She couldn't help herself.

Jun turned to eye the man who'd sat down the bar from her, trying to figure out who he was beneath his hood. She noticed he was holding his side, that he was injured... bleeding. Perhaps this was a chance for her to finally use the skills she learned on Dagobah. Jun swallowed, gathering her confidence to approach the man and offer her help as a healer.

"E-excuse me, sir," she said warily. "I-I know it's none of my business, but I'm a healer. I could take a look at your wound, if you need help."

 

[Aiden Porte]

Tatooine
Jun Chiyo

Aiden glanced up slowly as the credits were pulled away by the bartender and a small drink placed in front of the Jedi. "Thanks...." Aiden said with a small exhausted sigh. He reached for the small glass and he downed the contents in one go. This would be enough to slightly numb the senses for a brief time while he found someplace to sleep.

"E-excuse me, sir,"

"I'm good." Aiden responded quickly and sternly as to not draw attention, while that was a failure in itself. But as she continued to speak Aiden looked up slowly and he took a deep breath.

"How...." Aiden whispered before realizing who it was that was speaking to him. Afraid to turn around as if it was just a mere dream. "Jun...?" Aiden questioned in an almost desperate plea, hoping to all the stars that it was her.

"I-I know it's none of my business, but I'm a healer. I could take a look at your wound, if you need help."

Aiden then turned around and there she was, extending a helping hand to him. Although she might not have known it was him, that was quite clear now, as he pulled back his hood, revealing more of his face. Which looked worse for the wear.

"Jun....?" He spoke again as he mustered all his strength and he reached out to her, pulling her but more so almost falling into her. Holding on her to her for all he could. Afraid to let go and be pulled back into the mess that he was in.


"Please....tell me this is you."

 

[Jun Chiyo]

Tags: Aiden Porte
In the mountains of TATOOINE…

Jun couldn’t believe her eyes. His presence, that voice - she felt guilty that she hadn’t made the connection as quickly as he had.

“H-hi,” she stammered, confirming that she wasn’t a figment of his imagination.

She wanted to wrap her arms around him, pull him into the tightest hug she could manage, but she didn’t know how injured he was. Her heart pulsed with a sudden flood of emotions. Confusion, joy, sadness… the one that found the deepest purchase was urgency.

“Aiden,” she said, placing a hand delicately on his shoulder, “we have to get you somewhere. I-I have a room, you need to come with me.”

“Need a hand?” the bartender asked. Jun wondered what caused the sudden sense of duty he had, but it didn’t matter.

“If you could spare a pail of water and a few cloths?”

The man nodded, and Jun got ready to help Aiden out to her quarters. She did her best to guide him without causing any unnecessary pain, but without knowing how he’d been hurt, it was difficult.

“We’re almost there,” she told him, trying to smile for his sake. Jun moved slow and steady, keeping their pace comfortable for him until they reached her room.

She tapped the keypad, sliding the weathered door open to see the humble quarters she’d called home for the last week. Jun skipped over any kind of tour, ignoring the boxes of equipment and supplies she’d brought from the NJO. She took Aiden straight for the bed and eased him down as best she could.

“Aiden,” Jun said, her eyes already wet with tears, “how did this- what happened?”

 

[Aiden Porte]

Tatooine
Jun Chiyo

“H-hi,”

Simple words, more than enough to power a range of emotions through the Padawan. The most important one was happiness. That she was here, he knew it wasn't for him. Her story he would have to get at some point if she would indulge. And...his story, that was something else too. If he would speak of it was up in the air.

He just knew, that he was so happy to know she was here. Regardless of what the reason was...

Aiden cleared his throat as he winced slightly as he was maneuvered around to better walk with the help of Jun.

“We’re almost there,”

"No problem, this is really nothing." Aiden whispered before he was led towards the bed and he sat back and finally laid down with her help. He wondered where she was, where she had been. Around the time he got wrapped in this dark plot, she too had also left. She knew she was busy, and he tried to keep in contact with her as often as he could.

“Aiden,”

“how did this- what happened?”

"It's okay..." He spoke almost breathlessly, reaching for her hand and giving it a small squeeze. "Its......" He started to say before he chuckled slightly, delirious almost.

"It's gonna be okay...."


"It, It has to be okay....."

Aiden said with a small smile as he locked eyes with her and his gaze turned towards the ceiling and he couldn't remember much else after that.

Just darkness.....

His eyes closed, he was out.

 

[Jun Chiyo]

Tags: Aiden Porte
In the mountains of TATOOINE…

“Aiden… Aiden…?” Jun pleaded, trying to keep him awake. She squeezed his hand too, holding it tightly until he drifted to sleep.

The hours that followed were the hardest.

Jun was careful not to disturb him too much, fearing that trying to assess his wounds would wake him. But when it became clear that he was in a much deeper sleep than she thought, she took advantage of condition and set to work.

She cleaned away the worst of the dirt on his face and arms. Most of his wounds, at least those visible through his clothing, were not terribly serious - no deep cuts or signs of infection. It was the deep wound in his side that caused her the most concern. Jun knew from experience that such wounds could fester and kill, so that was the first thing she focused on healing. She could tell immediately that the wound was a couple of days old and had not been treated properly. The edges were inflamed, and old blood had soaked through the wrapping.

“Aiden…” the girl whispered to herself.

“What happened to you?”

Jun got to work with fresh water and the softest cloth she could find, cleaning debris and dried blood from the cut. When she was satisfied, she set to mixing some local herbs and plants with a few samples she carried with her on her travels. These, paired with a bit of water and some alcohol from the cantina, made for an impressive antiseptic salve that would help keep Aiden’s wound clean. Jun smeared most of it onto the cut, then dabbed a bit on the other smaller nicks across his body. When she finished, she wrapped his abdomen and took a small breath of relief.

The ordeal was by no means over, and there was much more to endure before Aiden was well again, but for the moment she felt he was safe.

Her tired eyes blinked through sleep until early morning, when she finally found rest. But it didn’t last long. Only a few short hours later, Jun was awake again and dabbing Aiden’s forehead with a wet cloth. She dripped water into his mouth to keep him hydrated, and checked his wound regularly for new bleeding.

It was all she could do, and she hated it.

Jun felt completely helpless, alone on Tatooine with perhaps her closest friend in what was looking to be a coma. She wanted to cry, to sleep, to run back to Coruscant as fast as she could, but none of those were options.

Aiden needed her, and she’d be right here for him until he opened his eyes.

 

[Aiden Porte]

Tatooine
Jun Chiyo

When sleep called to you, it definitely called. He faded in an out, constantly. It honestly felt like he was just floating in space, endlessly. There was scenes unfolding on either side of him. He could see them all....

Family, friends, foes......

Her presence was there too, Solenne, his Master and mentor, the one whom he couldn't let down. Although he felt he had, many times before. And with him in space, the jewel that she bestowed upon him. It felt stronger now, than it ever did. He knew he had to keep going.


Then she was there too, Jun. Her presence pierced the void just as clearly as Solenne's had.

He knew that Jun had saved him, and in return he would have to do what was necessary to ensure no harm came to her.

Protect her, just as she shielded him during these times.

It was amazing, was sleep and rest did for someone.


The Jedi Padawan opened his eyes briefly as they closed again but then he forced them open. He had slept long enough to gain his bearing, but there was still much to be done. He looked up over at her, he couldn't imagine what she was going through. So he did what he did best. He reached for her hand and gently pulled her into to a big hug.

"Thank you Jun, you mean more to me than you will ever know."

 

[Jun Chiyo]

Tags: Aiden Porte
In the mountains of TATOOINE…

The young man's touch startled Jun, but in the best way possible. She didn't have time to speak or to cry tears of relief, though, before she was pulled into an embrace. Jun didn't fight it. She let herself melt into his arms.

"Thank you Jun, you mean more to me than you will ever know."

The girl laughed quietly, pulling away and wiping the silent tears that streamed down her cheeks. Her eyes were red and swollen from exhaustion but she still seemed to glow with hope. She gave a playful nudge to his shoulder, trying to brighten their spirits.

"Don't ever do that to me again," she said with a wry smile.

Jun rose to her feet now and reached for a damp cloth. Even though he was awake, she still felt like Aiden was her responsibility; She gently removed part of his bandaged, allowing the wound to breathe for a moment before cleaning away the salve she'd applied the night before. Such was the case with natural medicines... they worked wonders in the field, but they didn't last as long as manufactured drugs. Luckily, Jun had prepared a fresh batch just before Aiden woke up.

She used her fingers to scoop up a generous glob of the healing paste. "It's a bit cold," she warned him before smearing it over the cut. It felt unpleasant to her, but she hoped the coolness would sooth his wound. After she was satisfied with her work, she wrapped him with a fresh bandage and placed her hand over it. She sighed, her thoughts racing.

"You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to," Jun said defeatedly, "but you have to know that you can tell me anything. I'm your friend, Aiden. I'm here for you."

 

[Aiden Porte]

Tatooine
Jun Chiyo

"Don't ever do that to me again,"

"I hope I don't." Aiden said with a small smirk, a bit of his old self starting to show a bit. Another day or two, and he would be back to normal. There was so much that had to be said, but it wasn't the time. He would rest up a bit more, then he knew she was out here for some purpose. Thank the force she was, so she found him. However he knew now that she wasn't his objective. She was here for some other purpose. And while he knew there were still those dark remnants here on Tatooine.

He wouldn't leave her behind.

"It's a bit cold,"

"Thanks." He said and then he misjudged just how cold it would be. He body shuddered from the cold slightly.

"Jun, truly, thank you so much." He said with a small smile. He only hoped he would be able to return the favor to her.

"You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to,"

"but you have to know that you can tell me anything. I'm your friend, Aiden. I'm here for you."

"I know I can. Its just........" Aiden said as he placed his hand over hers, that rested on the bandage. He then stood up and took a few steps taking a deep breath and feeling some of his strength return.


"My father would call it his sins, his actions is the cause of what has happened to my family." Aiden said with a small sigh, however he knew that wasn't the case. He wasn't the cause for this, it wasn't his fathers fault.

"The light and dark fought, in a lethal clash. The light won, the darkness now seeks revenge." Aiden turned back to look at Jun before walking over to sit back down next to her.

"There was a series of attacks across many different planets. Several factions aligned with the darkside they called themselves the Knightfall Alliance, I wasn't even born yet. My father was on Lothal fighting the Knights Of Ren and the first order and he fought the Supreme Leader and killed him in battle."

Aiden took a deep breath as he looked over to Jun for a moment and showed a small smile. Trying to show some sense of hope and warmth, that this wasn't all a tragedy. Which it wasn't, but well the war was far from over.

"I was sought after about a year ago, some sort of dark being. An entity, turns out to be a member of the Knights of Ren, Remnant of the First Order. They are seeking revenge for the Supreme Leaders death. They want to kill me, and the rest of my family."

The padawan shook his head slightly. "I didn't tell you...." He began as he looked over to her.....

"I didn't tell you, because I didn't want to put any of you, my friends in any unecessary danger because of me."

 

[Jun Chiyo]

Tags: Aiden Porte
In the mountains of TATOOINE…

Jun nodded along as Aiden told her what he was facing, until he got to the last part. Then, she scrunched her nose as if pained by his sentiment of keeping his friends - and her - safe from the Knights of Ren.

"I'd brave the dangers with you because you're my friend," she told him. "There's nothing in this galaxy that you should face alone. Not as long as I'm here to fight with you."

They were big words, she knew. Jun had never faced the Knights of Ren, or any other Dark Sider for that matter. She had no idea the depths of evil Aiden must have witnessed in his life. But what she did know is that he wouldn't face them by himself anymore. Even if she was the only one who brandished her lightsaber and stood beside him, Jun would help Aiden in his fight with the Dark Side. But all that that could wait...

"Why don't you lay down for a bit, hmm?" she suggested in an almost motherly tone. She couldn't help it, having spent so much time taking care of her younger brother, Aiko. Jun caught herself and mellowed her voice.

"Your body needs time to recover before you do anything too strenuous. But we're safe here. The barkeep says we can stay as long as we need, and I've even made a few friends around the cantina. Mos Motesta should be quiet enough to catch your breath before you-"

She pause.

The next word was 'leave,' but it got stuck in her throat. It dawned on the girl that she never asked what Aiden was doing on Tatooine, or whether he'd stay there with her to finish her expedition or leave to someplace else. Where would he go? Would he try to hunt the Knights of Ren? One question ran into another like the currents of a mighty river.

"Try to get some rest," she said after a moment of quiet. Jun placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, giving him a small squeeze. She wanted to stay up and speak with him, but she feared he'd grow tired or delay the healing process if he were to move around too much.

 

[Aiden Porte]

He should have known it. Just as he would have faced anything that his friends were going through. The Padawan knew that they would do the same. This was different though, it wasn't just light against dark. This was a personal vendetta that was against them. However it still stood that he should have known where they stand, he trusted them with his life.

"Thank you Jun, I should've known." Aiden said with an apologetic look. "I mean I do know. It's a lot, I'm sorry."

The Padawan took a deep breath as he felt a small pain for a brief moment with the deep breath. He would heal, heal a lot faster because of Jun. He was so thankful for her.

"Your body needs time to recover before you do anything too strenuous. But we're safe here. The barkeep says we can stay as long as we need, and I've even made a few friends around the cantina. Mos Motesta should be quiet enough to catch your breath before you-"

"Try to get some rest,"

"Your right, I could lay down for a bit longer." He knew sleep wouldn't find him however. Just resting was a good thing. He looked to Jun Chiyo and held out his hand to her. "Will you lay down with me?" Aiden asked with a small smile. It wasn't anything of a sexual nature, just the comfort of having her there and her support. "You can tell me what you have been doing here."

 

[Jun Chiyo]

Tags: Aiden Porte
In the mountains of TATOOINE…

The girl hesitated a bit, not sure it if was the best idea. He truly needed to sleep, but she knew she wouldn't be able to either if their roles were reversed. She shrugged a bit, then joined him laying shoulder-to-shoulder. Her eyes traced the textured swirls of the rough sandstone ceiling overhead as she thought of where to begin.

"It's supposed to be an exciting archaeological expedition," she started with a sigh. "I'm here to study krayt dragons, but I'm starting to think they're just a myth made up by the locals to scare off pirates." She tugged at the fringe on her poncho, frustrated but not wanting to make it Aiden's problem. Truthfully, she felt so silly being upset about a bunch of old bones in the desert, when he had so much more to worry about.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I know this is all trivial compared to- well, everything else." Jun sighed, bringing her hands up to rub her eyes. Lack of sleep coupled with the stress of caring for her friend had exhausted her, but she fought off sleep.

She turned her head to face Aiden and gave him a half-smile.

"I wish I could have helped you sooner," she told him, "instead of digging in the desert looking for legends."

 

[Aiden Porte]

"It's supposed to be an exciting archaeological expedition,"

"I'm here to study krayt dragons, but I'm starting to think they're just a myth made up by the locals to scare off pirates."

"That sounds like a good time." Aiden said with a small chuckle although he grimaced a bit as a small pain shot through him. He took a small breath as the pain left him almost immediately. He remembered the last time he and Jun went on a excavation type adventure, he mused at the memory. How he wished things hadn't turned as they did. That was the way of life though, they couldn't go back. All they could was their best to fight and moved forward.

Grow, mature, learn....

"I'm sorry,"

"I know this is all trivial compared to- well, everything else."

"Hey....." Aiden said in a light soothing voice. He turned his head to look at her, his hand reached for hers. "Your problems are just a big as mine. No matter how you look at it. Life is to precious to diminish anyone else's over the other. You are my friend, and I say we go study Krayt dragons tomorrow." The padawan said with a big smile on his face.

"I wish I could have helped you sooner,"

"instead of digging in the desert looking for legends."

"Stop it...." Aiden said as he moved closer to her, she had no right to feel bad over his situation. He reached around and pulled her into a warm embrace. She was tired just as he was, they both needed sleep. "You don't need to feel bad about this. We all have our own paths to follow. I'm just a stubborn padawan sometimes." Aiden said with a small chuckled, grimacing again as that pain surged through him once more before easing up.

"I'll make you a deal, I'll get some sleep as long as you do?" He inquired as he looked into her eyes. "What do you think?"

 

[Jun Chiyo]

Tags: Aiden Porte
In the mountains of TATOOINE…

"I'll make you a deal, I'll get some sleep as long as you do?" He inquired as he looked into her eyes. "What do you think?"

The corner of her mouth quirked up. The thought of getting rest was irresistible, but she didn't want to leave him unsupervised for too long. Aiden was certainly beyond the fear of slipping away while he slept, but fever could still creep up on him and she wanted to be awake if that happened. She thought for a moment, the met his eyes with her own.

"A short sleep," she said sternly. She gave his chest a light poke with her finger to make her point. "Then, I'm awake to watch over you. That wound's still fresh, I won't let it get infected. You won't die from the cut, but a bad fever can't be stopped with my herbs alone."

 

[Aiden Porte]

"A short sleep,"

"Then, I'm awake to watch over you. That wound's still fresh, I won't let it get infected. You won't die from the cut, but a bad fever can't be stopped with my herbs alone."

"Done." Aiden said with a small smile as once again he couldn't help but give her a strong hug before he relinquished and found sleep. Lucky for him, it was good and well needed. However he did wake before her, several hours later. He sat up slowly, trying not to wake her. He had to stand, he took a deep breath as his strength was starting to return to him. Aiden looked down to his wound that was on the mend.

He knew he would need a bandage change, he was well versed enough to get that taken care of on his own. He wasn't a doctor, but he could change bandages and dressing and such.

It didn't take him too long to get everything squared away before finally taking a seat in the chair opposite of the bed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing his energies and clearing his mind.

Patiently waiting for Jun Chiyo to wake up.

 

[Jun Chiyo]

Tags: Aiden Porte
In the mountains of TATOOINE…

​

Jun of course tried to stay awake a bit longer, hoping he’d fall asleep before her and she’d get to monitor his condition without him being any wiser. But in the stillness of the moment, embraced by Aiden and the comfort of the bed, the girl’s eyes began to flutter. She was so tired that she couldn’t tell exactly when she dozed off.

She wasn’t the one who was sick or injured, but Jun fell into that deep sleep that wraps itself around those who truly need to rest. It was a heavy, dreamless sleep. Something she hadn’t enjoyed for quite awhile now. Between the stress and anxiety of proving herself worthy of a new Master and the frustration of her assignment, Jun hadn’t slept soundly in weeks. It was such a relief that when her eyes opened hours later, it took her a moment to remember where she was and what she was doing.

When it hit her though she felt a jolt of worry shoot through her chest. Jun felt the other side of the bed for Aiden but found it was empty. She sat up fast, dizzying herself a bit but was totally relieved to see him sitting across the room.

“By the stars, Aiden,” she said with a nervous laugh. She rubbed her eyes and face with her palms, then slumped her shoulders under the weight of wakefulness.

“How long have you been up? How are you feeling?”