Shuttle to Naboo

[Taum Swill]

Taum listened to him describe the hot and humid planet. Alpheridies had been a cool planet with lots of mountains and hills. She'd learn to adapt eventually. He said he was the chief of his clan and she guessed that he was the leader. On her homeworld they had an oligarchy, not whatever they had. Zabraks. She had never heard of that species before. She'd learn a lot of new things on Jakelia.

"What color is your armor?" She looked up at him, wishing she could see it for real and not in the colorless blur that she saw everything. She was always curious about colors, even as a toddler. She'd ask her parents what color the sun was. She never saw it at all because her sight didn't reach into the sky. They had told her it was big, bright red ball way out in space. 'But why is it red, Mama?' Little Taum would ask. 'That's the way it is, Baby.'

She started sniffling at the memory. This time she was determined not to cry. It would be the fourth time today. She nodded when he mentioned getting history books on audio for her to listen to. She was ecstatic about it, but that memory kept resurfacing.

She had been curled up in a blanket on her mother's lap. Gia combed her fingers through her daughter's silvery locks and hummed her a song. Neither of them wore their eye bands at home, as most Miraluka did. "Mama, what color is the sun?" She looked up at the short haired woman. She was blurry and a warm grey silhouette.

"It's red, Sweetheart." She smiled kindly at Taum. "It's a big red ball out in space. Far, far away from us. But it keeps us warm and tells us what time it is."

"But why is it red, Mama?"

"That's the way it is, Baby." Gia leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Serin? Where are you going?" She looked behind her to find her husband leaving the house. He had never left so late at night.

"Out. Goodbye." Those were the only words he gave his family before he left. He never said he'd come back or he'll see them later. That's because he never came back.

Taum pulled her feet up into her seat and buried her face in the crook of her elbow again. She took deep rapid breaths in an attempt to stop herself from sobbing in front of Colton again. She didn't want to be weak. She wanted to be strong.

[Colton Hunter]

Colt smiled at that, gently looking down at the plates he currently wore...

"I have several sets for various missions, stealth or combat, typically... this one is for combat, and my day to day uniform to show my position within Mando Cabure. It's golden, as all officers of Mando Cabure wear, with the blue and purple markings of Clan Sorell, the emblem of Mando Cabure, with the markings of Commander," he explained to her. His eyes fixated on her for a moment, and he frowned a bit, she was pulling into herself... he reached out in the Force, everything was muddled, in the fog of old memories... no, recent memories. She had no old memories, she was far too young.

He did, however, pick up her desire to be strong, and again he smiled gently.

"You don't have to be strong now, you'll get there... and you'll find that there's greater strength in showing your feelings, your emotions, then hiding them... you can do more harm in hiding them, through the Force, and to yourself," he stated. "It's a lesson I still learn, there's much in my own heart and my own head that I keep to myself, and only release when alone... I'm growing stronger as well, by letting those I care about most, know my story... know my heartache, in time you'll learn it as well, but right now... we're here..."

As the words left his mouth, the ship suddenly came out of hyperspace, and Colt took the console over, gently piloting them down to the warm, green surface.

[Taum Swill]

Taum looked up at him, greeted with blackness still. "I'm eight (Alpheridies years) now. I should be stronger than this. I-I-I'm not some child!" She hated when people called her a child or treated her like one, like she was a toddler still.

She felt the ship leave hyperspace as soon as he said they were at Jakelia. She tried to bring back her sight and struggled with it this time. Everything was still black and she felt at the harness at her chest. She quickly grew confused and frustrated.

[Colton Hunter]

Colt studied her as he brought the ship down into the atmosphere... and once again focused on her mind... trying to link the two... it'd be something he'd have to teach her later.

"I don't care that you're eight, you could be a hundred and twenty, girl, your youth is your benefit, for you have more time to learn things... you are young in the Force, small and slight, but those are advantages if you let them... and you'll become strong, we all need teachers, and you agreed to me teaching you, that said...." he'd show her the planet as they entered the heated atmosphere. As red flame lanced across the transparisteel, the black, star filled void making way for bright blue skies, the ground, like a sparkling emerald in the midday light. And then there was a the camp. It was sprawling, with large buildings inside four massive walls, each wall housing a tower, and containing anti-air, and ground turrets.

The ship passed over the camp, touching down gently upon a large, white landing pad.... And then the image would begin to fade once more as he stood, using the console for momentary support...

"Even the greatest Master in the Force knows only a fraction of the Force... it's up to us to determine it's will..." he'd tell her, helping her with her harness so she could be free.

[Taum Swill]

Taum listened to him and continued to get frustrated with her harness. Not having sight didn't make anything better. She eventually gave up. Very soon an image came to her mind. The colors were that of Jakelia as she'd seen before, but much more vivid and she saw a bunch of buildings within a wall. She took a guess that it was the Clan Sorell he spoke proudly of. It was much smaller than the settlements on Alpheridies, but how it functioned was what really mattered.

The image faded and she felt him unbuckle her harness. She felt for something to grab onto and pulled herself up. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. It's been a year since my mother died and I just feel like I shouldn't be sad like I have been lately. Everything just seems to set me off." She held out a hand to him, or rather where she thought he was, in hopes that he'd forgive her.

[Colton Hunter]

Colt studied the girl, as the ramp opened and the sweltering heat rushed in to meet them as he guided her to the door.

"You lost your mother, you have a right to be sad, it can last a lifetime," he explained, "I am currently 35 years old, my dear, I lost both of my parents on the same day, when I was 5... and while I was able to avenge them, I am still sad... being sad is not a mark of strength or weakness, it's a mark of sadness," he glanced toward her, pointedly. "Nothing more, nothing less... my job is merely to teach you how to harness all of your emotions," he explained as he walked down the ramp with her, he let his armored self be her guide.

"Ah, Jensaari, there has been some movement along the-" there was a voice, then a pause, the voice was young, but strong. And the voice sighed softly. "You still haven't found Adara, and yet you keep bringing home vagrant children?" Colt stared at the young man before him, he was sixteen, and donned green and black armor, with golden highlights ,much to Colt's chagrin.

"You're lucky, Darius, you're the only one who can speak to me of Adara in that way," he said simply, "This is Taum Swill, our paths crossed, and she is in need of a teacher, I don't turn anyone away," Colt stated, the man he called Darius made a motion, and then they were walking again.

"When we find Adara, what will she think of all these students you've replaced her with?" Darius asked, though his last word died in his throat as he met Colt's unhelmetted gaze.

"I'm not replacing her, she is no longer my apprentice, Boy Chief," Colt said, his tone clipped, rage threatening to spill out, but he was in control, though he too hesitated, then he sighed, his tone became gentler. "Adara is still the Silver Knight, Darius Cor, she is still my adopted daughter, and still my partner, we will go into Sith space and rescue her, soon... we just need to find a lead, in the meantime, there are many children and other Force adepts in need of teaching, perhaps some will aid me in some way, if not in battle, perhaps in wisdom they didn't even know they had, you don't understand the Force, it works in mysterious ways, Adara still lives, we will find her, and bring her home, she's still my second in command, and the leader of your Kith, is she not?" he asked. Darius cast his eyes downward... Colt knew the boy more now than he had before Adara's capture. He had risked his life to try and fight Krynn and save Adara... he loved the girl, Colt couldn't deny that. And no longer would he stand in that way when they brought her back.

"She is," Darius answered before looking up briefly. "Sid has picked up that signal you sent to him..." Colt paused, then nodded.

"Have him send me the data over the coms, I will get Taum here settled in," he paused, then looked toward the girl, placing his bare hand on her shoulder again. "There's a great deal of history here, I've only been chief for about four years, I arrived with a girl from the Empire, who tried to save her teacher, the former Empress... we had failed our mission, as a result, she had nowhere to go, I brought her here, to my people, to find a Civil War, and a puppet acting as Chief, I challenged him to single combat and defeated him, as is our way," he explained, "I became Chief, and together, the girl and I did wondrous things... Then I met her father, and found him lacking, I tasked her with her Rite, if she wished to become a Mandalorian, she had to venture out, alone, into the wilds with the weapons of her ancestors, and slay a great beast... she had no ancestors here, so, after all we had been through, I claimed her as my own, and with the spear of my mother, the shield of my grandfather, and the knife of my father, she went out, passed her test... in her short time among us, she took on titles, bestowed to her by all Mandalorians who witnessed her deeds..." he explained.

"She became the Silver Knight, Kal be gra'tua," he said, "That's Mandoa for the Blade of Vengeance," he told her, then shook his head, pausing as he approached a quieter area, where a series of small huts, raised from the ground, comprised beautifully of metal and wood, metal stairs leading up to the door. "We tried to save her former teacher again, the Empress tried to capture Adara, defeating her in single combat, but the Empress had failed to get her to turn to the Dark Side, for Adara embraced, fully, the light, even in her defeat, she stole a victory... I fought the corrupted body of a once honorable man turned Sith Lord... and he beat me as well, Adara was able to distract him long enough to push my battered body, and that of poor Darius, the Chief of Clan Kelborn, into my ship, and with the Force, activated the autopilot... we haven't seen her since," he stated, guiding her up the stairs. The building was clean, sterile, it had a kitchenette of sorts, with a single partition, that again split. In there were simple furnishings, a bedroom and a restroom.

"This will be your house, I am next door to all of my students, and I will not be leaving you just yet," he explained, "Right now, we head to the lake," he promised.

[Taum Swill]

Taum let him lead her from the ship and into the heat. Her capelet was great for Alpheridies, but on Jakelia it was not fun. he told her what happened to his parents. 35. He was 35. That was not how old she thought he was. She wondered if it was in Standard years or Jakelian years or something else entirely. She knew the years varied greatly, but never knew how to convert them. She was older in Standard years, but she didn't know how much.

She heard someone speak and felt their force signature lightly. She scooted slightly behind Colton. Vagrant children? Her nose scrunched up at the words. Did she really look that bad? Of course she'd be the last person to know what she looked like. She made sure her eye band was over her eye and watched, in the general direction, of the blurry force signature. She could make out his -- yeah his -- figure in a fuzzy grey silhouette.

She nearly leapt out of her skin when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She had been so focused on the man before her that her surroundings were still completely black. He started explaining who Adara was. She sounded incredibly important to both him and the Clan Sorell. She listened respectfully and then led her somewhere. A house? She had a house to herself? She had only ever had a bedroom to herself. "My own...house?" She pushed out with her small amount of force, willing herself to see the house. She did and a smile split her face. It was so simple, but...hers. It was hers.

She grabbed onto Colton's arm as she swayed on her feet. She removed her little capelet, hoping her dizziness was because the sudden climate change from cool to hot. How did he survive in all his armor?

[Colton Hunter]

Colt nodded.

"Each of my students have one, think of this place as a school, Arruna Lom is my furthest along at the moment, she may be able to help you in your lessons," he stated. "Hanix Bnar is about your age, ideally we'll be able to pair you two up at some point, each of you will be stronger with the other," he said simply.

He watched her for a moment, then stooped to look her over, he'd have looked into her eyes for dilation, if she had any... being Miraluka complicated things medically, he hadn't thought about that. His gaze moved over her face, before he reached his hand out, there was a soft sound from the kitchen area... a soft breeze of cool air wafted in and was smothered by the heat... then he placed something cool in her hand.

"Dehydration can cause serious problems," he told her, "We'll start your health by drinking a lot of water, it'll help," he said, the canister was made of some metal, but the way moisture stuck to it, it signified coolness within, she'd find a cap at the top she could remove to drink from it. He considered for a moment, and led her to a device on the wall, "This also will help, it'll recycle the air and push in cool, your house can stay cooler than outside, but keep in mind, this will weaken your resistances later," he pointed out. "Would you rather rest? You've had a long journey to get here," he pointed out.

[Taum Swill]

Taum watched as he looked over her face. She stayed still, not trusting herself to move too much with how dizzy she was feeling. She grasped what he placed in her hands. It was cold and metallic and when she looked down it was a canister. She unscrewed it and drank the water. It was cold and refreshing. She hadn't been without water very long, but it felt nice to have some water to drink.

She was led towards a small box on the wall and instantly she felt cooler. Colton asked her if she'd rather rest. She shook her head, still holding the canister tightly. "No. I want to explore. I never got to on Alpheridies because of my sight. Mother didn't trust me to navigate myself with how hard it is for me to see."

[Colton Hunter]

Colt smiled, and moved to stand, he'd make his way for the door, then, expecting her to follow.

"Jakelia is a dangerous place for any to travel alone," he did warn, "But you are free to explore within the walls of this camp, as you gain strength in the Force, more of the planet will be open to you, outside the walls, you must have at least one escort at all times, be it myself, Arruna, or any of the Sorrel Guard," he informed her. "There are creatures out there as tall as they are fierce, with razor sharp teeth and claws, predators that hunt warriors, and as you said, you do not wish to be a warrior..." he paused.

"I will still teach you to be a Guardian though, you will not always be able to avoid a fight, but know that I, too, often weigh the decisions before me, if I can talk things out, or convince someone to not fight, I shall, but I'll never run from a fight when there is no other options, I will see it to the end, for there are things in this galaxy worth fighting for, one day you'll find your own line in the sand," he promised. "Come along then, try listening more to your surroundings, perhaps if we can teach you to see without the Force... see, instead, with your ears, feel the vibrations on the wind, smell your surroundings, and paint a picture in your mind," he stated, making his way back outside.