Star Wars: Common Ground (Phobos & Juumbled)

[Phobos]

Jedi Knight Stian Lyro put down his tools and set the halfway-rebuilt probe droid to the side of his workbench as soon as he sensed his former Master and best friend coming up the corridor to his current room at the Temple. Crossing to the door, he removed his microscanner goggles and opened the room just as the wizened Togruta stepped up.

"Master Tal," the tall Zabrak grinned and bowed, "have you found me a Padawan?"

"Good morning to you, too, Stian," Tal Brodi chuckled. "Yes, we've finally come to an agreement. Your Apprentice is a Human named Madlyn Droum. She was on track to become a Healer, but her Master was killed in a Mandalorian raid on the field hospital on Muunilinst just a few weeks ago. We'll find her up in the Solarium, since she should have finished her duties for today."

Stian kept his face stoic at the mention of the death of the girl's first Master. "Duties?" He asked, "shouldn't she have been put on furlough after her master was killed?"
Master Brodi grunted his agreement as he began to lead his old Apprentice down a corridor and to a turbolift. "Special case; she's highly Empathic and very good at healing wounds both physical and mental. The other Masters thought it best to keep her busy, rather than soak in all that greif. "

"I see. How is she as a fighter?" The younger Jedi asked the elder. He was used to battlefield assignments, or at least agressive negotiations, as he was strong and had turned the tide of countless conflicts in his short carreer as an instrument of the Republic.

"Not bad, but nowhere near yourself at her age. That said, she's also much more centered than you were, so it's not as easy to catch her off guard. At least, that's how she was before Muunilinst. She might be a little distracted now, but not by much. Master Torr'ka thinks you two will ballance each other out, and i tend to trust his judgement."

By then, the two had reached the uppermost level of the Eastern wing, and the turbolift door opened into a garden of greens, pinks, whites and browns with a glass roof showing the skyline of the city world of Coruscant. The Solarium currently played host to a handful of younger Jedi and their nurse droids, the only person over the age of 11 being a pale-skinned Human, practicing the art of un-wilting a tree. Her focus seemed total, until Master Tal said her name in the gentle tone commonly used to interrupt another Jedi's meditation.

"Madlyn, i've someone here who would very much like to meet you."

At the que, Stian stepped forward, palm-over-fist, and gave the young woman a bow.
"Pleased to meet you, Madlyn Droum. I'm Stian Lyro. I'm to be your new Master."

As he introduced himself, the Knight made sure to leave himself open to be read through the Force, keeping his attention on the Padawan in turn.

 

[Jumbled]

The gardens had been a place of peace and solitude after the death of her Master. It was nearing the conclusion of the day and the sky, as seen through the glass dome above, danced in lovely colors of oranges and pinks. The room smelled fragrant from the flowers while the air was just a little fresher and damper than in normal rooms; it felt much easier to breathe among the plants for Madlyn.

There were younger children working around the garden, practicing their healing. They weren’t as adept as she was— though perhaps their age gap was enough of a reason behind that. She was a 15— uncommon for a newer Padawan. She wore the simple robes that the others wore with simple browns and tans. The colors of nature looked good on her, complimenting her nutmeg hair that had been tied in a knot on top of her head with a singular braid behind her ear.

She’d been working on healing a plant. She could have done it faster, in all reality. But she was trying to connect to the force or perhaps magic that laid dormant within the spirit of the tree— attempting to communicate with it on a spiritual level just to test her own limits and understandings.

There was a voice that cut through her concentration. As she shifted her head to the side, only enough to suggest she was lending an ear, she finished mending her plant with a swift motion of her hand and a soft aqua aura that flowed from within her palm outward to the once shriveled sapling. Her discoveries would have to wait for the next plant.

Madlyn turned around, away from the surface that held the potted sprig with new life. She gazed upward at the men, Master Tal, and the other beside him she could tell was also someone of significance. She bowed the way she’d been taught to do, while her eyes— a crystalline blue— studied the new man that said he’d be her master. Stian Lyro. Her head tilted as she looked at his features, trying to settle on an opinion.

“You’re not an Empath or Healer.” she said quietly. She wasn’t displeased in anyway, her tone more curious and flat. She glanced back over to Master Tal, then to Master Stian. “It’s very nice to meet you.” she added quietly. There was an underlying sadness about her, no doubt from the loss of her former master, but it wasn’t ruling her.

 

[Phobos]

Stian's mild surprise hit him just hard enough to raise an eyebrow and the corner of his lip.

"Not primarily, no." At that, Master Tal snorted and scurried away, struggling to contain his infamous cackle.

Symied for only a moment, Stian returned his leaf-in-the-sun green eyes to that of his Padawan. Over the next decade-or-so, this young woman was his responsibility.

The first thing the young Knight realized was that dual-edged blade of a favor Master Tal had pulled for him. To take on a Padawan was usually a guaranteed ticket away from any of the action that Stian felt most comfortable doing, but the being before him was no child. She could be made into a warrior within a few weeks, the same way he had been these last few years.

"If healing and empathy are your talents," he started with a gentle, friendly smile, "then the only advice i can give you is to persue those with your own methods. Use a holocron, read an ancient scroll, find a tutor... I will probably be learning from you."

Watching his pupil closely, the Zabrak crossed his arms and took a wide, relaxed stance.

"But what i can teach you, is how to survive and how to keep the Republic and all it's ideals alive and safe from the chaotic and dark forces of our enemies... at least, that's what they pay me to say."
With that, Stian flashed his teeth in silent laughter before unfolding his arms and gently slapping the girl's shoulder.

"It'll be fun, i promise. Now, come with me to the chow hall. I want you to tell me about yourself over dinner, and ask me anything you want."

 

[Jumbled]

The teen shifted her head to the side, her braid falling against the side of her neck as she observed her new Master further. He also wasn't human, though that was obvious enough to anyone that looked at him, so she hadn't felt the need to mention that. She watched his expression shift and then Master Tal leave them quickly as if he'd been trying to flee the scene of a crime. She wondered why. Was it her? It seemed Master Stian was distracted by the other Jedi rushing off, too. His eyes finally refocused on her and she took in the bright green hues that stared back her way.

He spoke genuinely enough to her. She appreciated his honesty, unsure if others would have been so quick to give her a blunt response about her talents versus their own. "You would wish to learn from me?" she asked him. She was truly curious. Was he joking or did he really want to understand. Not that she could picture him doing what she did. It was more of a natural talent she'd had for so long that it felt as though it had always been something she could do.

He shifted, folding his arms over his chest, standing there-- perhaps proud-- in front of her. She straightened her posture, placing her hands together in front of her body. She smiled at him, looking a little nervous as he told her about her future training. It wasn't what she'd been out to do. She was going to have to fight. Fighting got her last Master killed. The plant behind her began to slowly sag and the Padawan flinched and turned around to look at it with concern. She didn't mean to slip into such thoughts. The garden helped her to better focus her feelings. She shifted her hand, bringing forth a light, healing energy from within herself, allowing the potted tree to stand a little taller. It may have even grown an inch or so.
"Sorry," she said quietly. It was unclear if she was talking to the plant or Stian.

She turned back to him, catching his smile. He patted her on the shoulder, and her body shifted a little far forward, though her footing did not falter. She winced a little, looking up and over at him with an awkward smile. He hadn't hurt her or anything, she was just small compared to him, and perhaps his touch sent more than a physical response, but also a wave of emotion into her that was a bit much at once. "Okay," she said, beginning her walk with him.

She set off at her normal pace, not trying to rush to the chow hall. She wasn't sure if Master Stian was going to appreciate such a smaller stride than his own, but it would be good to get a better read on what bothered him and what didn't starting early. "Did you want a Padawan? Did you want... me?" she asked him as she walked.

 

[Phobos]

"Of course i want to learn from you! This teaching-relationship is far from one-way, if we're doing it right."

The tall Zabrak did his best to use warm and open body language as he fell into step with Madlyn. He thought back- as he had done many times in the past few days- to his early few years as a Padawan, trying to guage how much of what he remembered feeling and thinking at that age might be echoed in this young Human.

Stian was definitely not prepared for the kinds of questions she asked him right there in the middle of the hallway. "Well," he laughed in cautious surprise before answering.

"I wanted a Padawan, yes." Stian breifly met Madlyn's eyes. "I wasn't totally sure that i was ready to care for a Padawan, but i wanted one anyway. I didn't know your name until a few minutes ago, but the Council decided that we should be partners, so here we are."

Stian let that answer sit for a moment before glancing around and then back down to Madlyn. "Honestly," he said in what could be called a conspiratorial whisper, "i'm just glad you're not twelve. What about you, were you looking to find another Master, or are they just pushing you along because we need more Knights?"

If nothing else, Stian liked how forward this little Human was. That would save a lot of time and stress in the field.

 

[Jumbled]

She could see she'd caught him off guard as she asked her inquiry. Madlyn was keeping him on his toes so soon, but he adapted well, which was a good sign for her. She considered his answer as they continued walking down the hall. "So, then I am your test subject." she said quietly. "A random human thrown your way, already damaged and partially trained. So what's the harm, right?" her words were more as-a-matter-of-fact than they were insulting.

He was glad she wasn't younger and she eyed him from the side, wondering how old he was. Certainly no where close to Master Tal, but he'd already gave her enough information for her to understand he was a newer Master. He did seem younger, and had never had a Padawan before. The rest was easy to piece together. "It wouldn't have mattered to me where I went or who I served. I was helping with the wounded here, which I thought was useful enough. Perhaps if I have to be more mobile with you, I can still serve that purpose for the Republic. I like to help people get better." Perhaps her words were just those of a young girl, but at that time she'd meant what she said.

"You want me to be a fighter?" she asked him, peering up at him once more. This Master had a lot of expectations she wasn't sure she could uphold. She would have to try her best.

They neared the chow hall, the smells of average foods wafting in the air around them. The ambient chatter of those around broke the quiet they'd been moving through. "We're here," she'd told him, though she really didn't need to say such a thing. It was all quite obvious.

 

[Phobos]

Stian hummed aloud thoughtfully and eyed the girl as they walked. "If you insist upon such self-deprecation," The Knight spoke in a dramatic tone that sounded like a self-important politician, "I'm afraid i may have no recourse but to resort to sarcasm." He switched to his regular Core Worlds accent and continued, "Seriously, you musn't speak of yourself like that. Only to the Darkness will that sort of thinking bring you."

He listened to her answer to his counter- question, and liked what he heard. "You certainly have drive, Padawan, but don't worry, your talents are exactly the kind of thing we need more of out there in the 'verse. And try not to worry too much about the fighting. I'll never be more than a shout away. Besides, by the time i'm through with you, it'll be whichever fool that attacks you who will need backup."

Stian gave his new Apprentice his most charming grin as they entered the incredibly spacious dining hall and said, "I hope you're hungry, Madlyn. You're going to need to get a good meal in for tomorrow's training."

 

[Jumbled]

"I wouldn't mind the sarcasm, really. It's a bit stuffy around here, honestly." she joked before her master took a more serious tone with her. She paused, her foot barely off the ground and into her next step. "I-- I'm sorry." she looked a little timid then, perhaps even worried. Her expression reflected her youth as she stared up at him. "I didn't mean to make it sound that way."

It was a comforting thought to know that he didn't intend to stray far from her. She wasn't sure she'd be very good at fighting compared to her healing. But, he looked very capable of holding his own as well as helping her out of a tough spot. Though, he seemed convinced he could bring out her inner warrior. She wondered how. "Okay." she said, sounding as though she was agreeing to some terms he'd just set out for her. "Teach me."

The entered the hall and she caught a glimpse of a smile she found a little attractive. She smiled, looking down as though to hide the faintest blush that had crossed her cheeks. What was that reaction? She supposed he wasn't that much older than she was. And even so, he was handsome in his own right. She shook her head as if to free herself of whatever those thoughts that plagued her were hinting at. "Yeah, food sounds like a good idea." she said with a nervous laugh that nearly came out sounding like a cough.

 

[Phobos]

-Upward wipe-cut to a green, brown and blue moon in orbit over a swirling orange gas-giant. A medeum-sized and shiny-new freighter enters realspace just outside the moon's atmosphere and the camera cuts to the cockpit. Three wookiee pilots are sending credentials and configuring the ship's peripheral systems for landing as the forward viewport glows orange from re-entry friction. One of the tall creatures, brown of coat and vest heavy with tools, stood and left the bridge without removing his headset.-
​

Stian stood in the galley, sipping a cool, green juice as he scrolled through personnel files and field reports from the front lines. He didn't even look up from his datapad when Grrollir let him know that they'd be landing in a couple of minutes.
"Thanks, will you find my Padawan and send her this way? Thanks." When Grrollir asked where she was, he glanced into the pilot's eyes and smirked. "She should be in her quarters, putting a stun-core into her lightsaber, but she probably went someplace with a view to do it."

The Jedi laughed at the pilot's sarcastic answer but watched him go off to fetch Madlyn before returning to his reading.

 

[Jumbled]

After being around one another long enough, Master Stian had discovered Madlyn's habits first hand. She loved looking out into the worlds, the skies, the ever expanding galaxies painted with their stars and moons. No two scenes were ever the same when they traveled and she wanted to soak every bit of it in. It was so peaceful at times, feeling so small in such a vast black sea of glittering lights of dying stars that wouldn't be there the next time they ever passed through. It wasn't that she had a strong fascination regarding life and death-- such things simply were the very start and end of things. To ignore them was to close one's mind, and she wasn't in a position to do such a thing.

Madlyn sat on the ground, toying with her weapon idly, caring more about what lay beyond the confines of the ship they'd been stuck inside for so long. She sighed. She didn't like being so cooped up. There were always so many people wandering about, lost in their own feelings that tended to seep out and reach her own mind, causing her to swat them away like tiny bugs trying to invade her space.

A throat cleared behind her, but she already knew he was there. She tilted back, nearly bending over backwards with bangs falling down, away from her face. "Ye--eesss?" she asked. She wondered how long it had taken this one to find her. He didn't feel overly impatient or bothered, so she suspected he was at least pointed in the right direction, likely by the hand of her Master. "Does he wish to see me? Alright." she said as she straightened again. "Let's go, then." she said as she stood up, though not before properly putting the core into her saber. She could have done that ages ago-- it wasn't really very hard. She just tended to get distracted.

 

[Phobos]

As the Wookiee left the room, Stian remembered that he hadn't yet swapped out his own core, so he set down the datapad and sat at the galley table. With expert speed, he began to disassemble his blue lightsaber. He removed the outer casing, disconnected the power and finally pulled the central crystal from it's chassis before replacing it with a smart little device he'd got from the Temple.

The module would significantly reduce the damage possible to do with the weapon. The best part about it was how it fed the excess power to the magnetic field that contained the blade, meaning that it could still be used (perhaps to even greater-than-usual effect) for defense against other lightsabers as well as blasters.

By the time he finished reassembling the weapon, Madlyn was rounding the corner with Grollir in tow, but really on his way back to the cockpit.

"There she is!" Stian stood up just as the freighter touched down. A Wookie voice came over the ship's intercom and Stian looked up for a moment before refocusing on his Padawan. "Alright, Madlyn, we're finally here. Now, i know you're itching to get off this ship and back to the open-air of a planet, but i must remind you, this place won't be any less dangerous than the lines just because it's full of friendlies. Anyone we meet could be a spy from Korriban or Mandalore or Nal Hutta or anyplace. I don't want to discourage you from enjoying yourself, but, well, i worry. That's all."

The Jedi put a hand on his pupil's shoulder and gave her his winning smile. "You've come a long way in the last couple years. But you aren't ready yet. This is a hard time to be a Jedi, you know this. Even so, the Masters are all pushing for me to return to the war. But i won't, not until I'm sure that you can handle it, okay?"

 

[Jumbled]

"Here I am, indeed. Hello Master, Stian." she greeted him with a calm, cool tone. She'd been with her master for some years now, but she tended to keep formalities around him for her own reasons. There were far too many emotions involved if she allowed herself to think of him as anything other than her mentor. "You should not worry so, you're going to get wrinkles." she teased him. Madlyn feigned a smile as her master's hand landed steadily on her shoulder. She knew he wanted her to do well. She wasn't sure fighting was really her thing though. Still, this is what they all wanted from her. She wasn't awful. Her reflexes could be better, of course. There was no denying that Stian was more agile and strong than she was physically. She supposed that was the good thing about the force. Having strong fortitude and a good grasp on one's mental state could level many playing fields.

"Yeah, okay. I know." she said quietly. Her voice was calm and collected. She'd taken to such a way of speaking ever since the death of her first master's death. She glanced around at the ship's crew as they busied themselves for their landing. Her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned into her left side instead of maintaining a straight posture. It'd be fine. What was the worst that could happen during training? Well, realistically anyway--

 

[Phobos]

"Wrinkles?" Stian feigned a hurt look, but his eyes glittered with silent laughter. "Kiddo, I am not that old and you know it!" With that, he clipped his weapon back onto it's home on the front-left of his belt, right beside it's older and slightly bulkier partner. "If you're done hurting your poor Master's feelings, let's get off this old boat and go see what fun we can get up to."

The tall Jedi Knight led his Padawan from the galley to the ramp at the back of the ship, where two of the crew were unloading carts of ammunition and rations while a droid took inventory. Grollir waved and Stian returned the gesture while striding across the stone hangar toward the daylight and greenery outside. Soldiers and pilots and mechanics and droids bustled about a few dozen starfighters and shuttlecraft, and when the Jedi pair reached the mouth of the cavernous building, a stocky Twi'lek woman in a crisp white Navy uniform saluted them.

"General Lyro," the green-and-yellow-skinned woman sounded off. Stian returned her salute with a gracious smile. "Major Kifah, it's good to see you again! Please, relax." The Major let a small grin onto her face as she spread her stance and held her hands behind her back.

"You're certainly a sight for sore eyes, General," she replied. "If i had half a credit for every time one of my men asked about your return, i could have bought the whole damned Mando fleet by now."

"Excellent strategy," Stian said, "Keep the war on one world. Get right on it."

"Yes, sir," the Officer replied with a laugh before shifting her yellow eyes to reguard the younger Jedi. "You must be the Padawan who's stolen our fearless leader these last couple of years." She snapped back to attention and raised a sharp salute to Madlyn. "Major Aisha Kifah, at your service, Commander..."

 

[Jumbled]

"You're plenty old if you insist on calling me 'kiddo,' I'm afraid. It's just the way it is. You're an old man, master." Madlyn insisted as she shot a glance to her side, taking note of how he stood and the glint of amusement in his eyes. She smirked, returning her attention to what lay in front of them. "And although I'll likely never be done stomping around on those feelings of yours- delicate as flowers really- you know I'm quite good with caring for plants..." her voice trailed off as she turned her head to the side, opposite of Stian. Her brow furrowed for a moment before she was able to compose her thoughts again. There was clearly an inner struggle that had smacked her so suddenly in the face. She wasn't sure why she'd worded her retort like that. More and more her teasing left her with such odd feelings lingering after words were said. She wondered if her empathy was somehow to blame, but knew it couldn't be the case. She wished she had something solid to point to, to openly accuse for her words turning into a twisted form of open flirtation she hadn't ever meant to have. Why did her master have to be him? With a soft sigh, Madlyn rubbed the corner of her eye with a fingertip, scratching at it as she shook off the extra baggage of emotions that clung to her back like a feeding ghost.

"I'm ready to get out there, anyway. It's stuffy in here. I obviously need the fresh air." she said, hoping those words would be enough to distract from the previous ones. She didn't want some heart-to-heart with him about her emotions. She'd die of embarrassment- both as a Padawan and a girl.

They walked through the busy scene of moving crates and other cargo, droids hard at work with the rest of them. She followed behind Stian carefully, though her focus was off of him and instead on the scenery of the background, far beyond the hangar. Upon hearing someone address Stian more formally, Madlyn's attention became locked to one, Major Kifah. Her greeting was odd, there were underlying emotions there that she was trying to hide. Madlyn knew those well. She remained quiet as she absorbed the information around her, reading the area like a book, filling in the blanks with careful thought. She hadn't missed the grin the Twi'lek gave her master, or the own heat in her chest from a singular flame of jealousy. She wasn't sure she liked the display of familiarity she saw, not that she had the right to object. She listened to their banter patiently until that yellow gaze acknowledged her. "I'm no theif," she said quietly. "You can have him back. He's quite the bother in his old age. Always nagging me." she said with a soft smile. "Though, he's been kind enough to take me on after the circumstances regarding my previous master-" she finished, her tone kinder and more serious. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Madlyn. That's fine enough for me."

 

[Phobos]

When Madlyn had made her retort even more teasing, Stian couldn't help smiling. Not only was he amused at his Padawan's gentle jabs, but he was glad for them. In the two years he had spent with the girl, he had watched her slowly grow out of the shell of greif that he had found her in. Though he had lost friends in the wars of the last decade- many of whom he considered brothers and sisters in the Jedi order- he couldn't imagine what it had been like for her to loose her Master.

It was such a tragedy to loose a parental figure, but Master Tal still lived, so Stian had never felt that he could quite relate. For that reason, he still had never really broached the subject with Madlyn. He hadn't known her original teacher, as he hadn't recognized their name the one time that it had been told to him by Master Tal. All he felt he could do was to do his best to make the girl feel welcome and loved by her new Master.

He ignored what she said about flowers, though, as he wasn't entirely sure of the implications of the odd comment. Plus, he didn't really have the time. He had already planned a pretty full day of training.

* * *

Major Keifa dropped her salute and resumed clasping her hands behind her back at Stian's gesture while Madlyn spoke. Both the warriors raised their brows and cracked matching grins in amusement. Master Lyro spoke first; "My my, what's got you so spicy today? Are you so eager for me to wear you out?"

"I like her," said the Major. "She's got the fire of a great warrior under that gentle face."

"That's what I'm hoping, Major. I just have to channel that so she can get to be as good a warrior as she is a healer."

"I'm sure we can manage, General."

"Good," the Zabrak said, "because you get to teach her how to shoot. Madlyn, i have to go hit the latrine. Do you want me to join you two on the range or will you bring me your scores after?"

 

[Jumbled]

"I don't much care for fighting. Violence makes my healing all the more busy, you know." she complained halfheartedly at the two of them. Madlyn hadn't ever had an interest in the battles, but she knew there was a need. She had no doubt in her capabilities. She could be agile, smart, flexible. She'd been working with the force for a while, but the energies of nature and the natural healing aspects were what drew her in the most. Wielding a Lightsaber wasn't something she'd ever thought strongly about growing up.

"And if you wear me out then I don't know who you expect to heal those tired, old bones of yours." she said, making another jab at him. Stian wasn't old at all. She knew he was very fit and healthy. When he did feel pain, he rarely showed evidence of it. He was strong like that, she knew.

As he asked her if she wanted him to join, she felt her face grow just a touch warmer and she looked away, out toward the direction of the range. "You don't need to come. I'm sure we'll get on fine without you." she said. She didn't need anyone thinking she needed him around all the time. She wasn't so dependent on him that he had to stay with her, watching her growth and progress. But maybe that wasn't the real reason. She sighed softly out of her nostrils, a sound masked by the noises all around them. "I'm ready to go whenever you are." she said to Major Keifa.

 

[Phobos]

Major Keifa grinned and said "Well, my medics get the same combat training as any other soldier here, but we do try to keep them in reserve. I'm sure it's the same for Jedi, right?"

"Exactly right, we just want to make sure that you never get caught with your pants down." Stian laughed again and clutched at his hearts as Madlyn called him old again. "Gah- Keifa, go on without me! I guess i can't keep up with you kids anymore... You young ladies have fun without me!"

"We'll catch you later, old-timer," the Twi'lek laughed as Master Lyro moved away toward a group of pilots who all looked excited to see him.

The Major turned her attention back to the remaining Jedi and didn't drop her smile. Well, looks like we get to make friends, Madlyn. You can call me Aisha, if you want to stick to first, names." She turned her head toward the shooting range at the tree-line and started to lead the way. "You know, you must be the luckiest little Jedi to get assigned to Stian Lyro. I couldn't hold it together being around him all the time." She put two fingers on her cap and glanced sidelong at Madlyn with a lacivious grin as they walked. "But you know the temptation better than me, don't you? Tell me, does he even realize what he does to you?"

 

[Jumbled]

Madlyn couldn't roll her eyes any harder at Stian's comment about being caught with pants down. He was so dense at times. He was always stumbling into idiotic phrases that had double meanings and it could be painful to listen to at times. Not to mention embarrassing for her-- the girl stuck traveling along side him and typically the butt of his jokes. Her fingers rubbed at her temple as she avoided looking at him. She glanced up at Keifa as if to silently say, "He knows not what he says."

"I appreciate formalities being dropped. It's a bit more personal. It helps with the way that I work, though I'm not sure how long we'll really stay. How long do you think it takes to make a true friend?" she asked. Her curious questions only became more complex as she aged; things that often focused around the empathy that surged through her.

"Lucky?" she repeated, confused as Keifa began to ramble nonsense about Stian. She met the woman's glance with a side glance of her own. "Those are strong implications coming from you, but I think you know that." she said, her tone nearly scolding the Major for such a statement-- or was it an accusation? "I mean, I can understand your part, at least. Your hormones went off the charts when we walked up, and I know it wasn't from me. I've never met you. Stian doesn't do anything to me." she said flatly. "Please don't project your own feelings onto me. He really is old compared to me, even if I weren't following the path of a Jedi."

 

[Phobos]

The Officer stared at Madlyn for a second after her reply and cleared her throat without breaking her stride. "A thousand apologies," she finally said. "I suppose i shouldn't presume to know the feelings of another woman. After all, you Jedi are cut from a different cloth than the rest of us. I only thought that you might appreciate a little girl-talk after being stuck in a ship with only men."

By that time, they had reached a pile of weapons crates beside a small line of tables all facing a row of targets fifty meters away.

"All right, so, shooting! I guess you haven't spent much time with blasters. Most Jedi don't, but as General Lyro so eloquently said, sometimes you just have to do with what you have, and sometimes a blaster really is better than a lightsaber. Let's start with this."

Aisha looked at the Human trooper who seemed to be in charge of the range and after returning his salute, accepted the blaster he handed her. "Thank you, Tyson. This is a Blastech DL-44 blaster carbine. It uses standard plasma-charged flechette rounds, tibanna gas catalyst, fourty shot power packs, and is accurate up to 200 meters. Red-dot reflex sights are zeroed out to a hundred meters and ironsights to fifty."

Saying all this, Aisha moved over to one of the tables facing a target that was propped against a tree that must have been three or four centuries old. "I'll show you the technique. Feet planted, not unlike a sword stance. Load up," here, she inserted the power pack and clicked a red button that made the weapon produce a sharp whine. "Now, you can put your front hand wherever you find most comfortable, but i like to keep mine pretty much on the power pack. These don't have a buttstock to brace on your shoulder, but they don't really kick much, either. Just try to keep the barrel along your centerline, like you're going in for a stabbing thrust. Keep both eyes open and breathe out as you squeese the trigger..."

She fired three shots, all burning the heavy durasteel target within a few centimeters of the bull's eye. With practiced grace and speed, she hit the switch to remove the power pack and set the blaster on the table. "And that's it. No frills, no fuss. Your turn."

 

[Jumbled]

"Right- well. It's no hard feelings, really. I'm honestly not accustomed to 'girl talk,' at all." she admitted sheepishly with a hand nervously playing with the braid behind her ear. "We just- We aren't supposed to really think like that. It's not the way." she said quietly.

The rest of their time was spent on the range. It took Madlyn a few times to truly understand how to efficiently work the gun in the same motions that Aisha used so effortlessly. "You- ah. You make it look easy." she said as she fumbled about several times. She wanted to be sure to only use her hands and memory to really understand the weight of the blaster in her palm and the subtle jerk as it fired. She tried a few different positions with her hands until she found something comfortable enough to also set to memory. "Okay, I think I've got it." she said quietly.

Her aim wasn't anything to write home about. It didn't improve until later in the day. She was at least hitting the targets though. Madlyn huffed a breath as she stared at the weapon in her hand. She didn't even want to do this. She wanted to train with her Lightsaber. But her true irritations were clearly with herself and her inability to be perfect on her first day. She expected a lot from herself.

She left the range with heavy footfalls and light streaks of dirt smudged across her forehead from where she'd wiped sweat off of her brown. She was on the search for her Master, wondering what had been keeping him so busy. She wondered if she would have preformed better if he had been the one to teach her. Madlyn wasn't entirely sure. Her fingers ruffled through her hair as she pulled the top-half back, tying it back out of her way.

 

[Phobos]

After a few hours of teaching the younger woman with total patience and encouragement, Aisha decided to call it a day.
"Well, Madlyn, you got your shot-grouping within a half-meter. That's a parsec better than my first day on the range. I can pull up the scorecard, if you don't believe me."

As they stepped away from the ad-hoc shooting range, the Major pulled Madlyn aside and said "Hey, i didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just don't really have anyone i can talk to all the time. I am in charge of this whole battalion while our ship is getting retrofits and... i'm sorry, i shouldn't be dumping by stress on you. I mean," the Twi'lek took a deep breath and pushed it out, standing straighter and trying to give a friendly smile. "You probably have better things to do than be my diary. I'll... see you later, Commander. Good job today, seriously. I'll let your Master know when i see him in the mess. Unless you want to wait with me? They just started baking sweets again and your ship brought us more sugar!"

 

[Jumbled]

Madlyn scratched the back of her head, nervously ruffling the mess of hair that stuck to her neck. "Ah, naahh. That's okay, I trust you." she said assuredly. "It's not easy, though." she admitted. She still didn't care for physical weapons. There were times that her Master had to fight with her just to use her Lightsaber. She sighed softly and dropped her hand by her side. She wasn't sure she wanted any of this, but it was nice to have her connection with Stian. He was-- something.

Madlyn had been feeling waves of emotions boiling over from the Twi'lek throughout the training earlier. Even so, she was still quite surprised to be pulled aside by her. "Hmm?" she sounded curiously. "I'm not used to much talking at all, honestly. And certainly not about my Master." she said, her own tone sounding a touch embarrassed. She was still a young girl, empath or not, emotions were hard to sort through. Especially when her training was focused elsewhere, like battle. She sighed a little and looked around feeling lost.

"N-- no. I'll stay with you. Don't worry about it. I really wouldn't know where to go anyway. Sweets sound really good, actually." she said with a grin.

 

[Phobos]

Major Keifa brightened with a sharp-toothed grin when Madlyn agreed to eat with her. "Brilliant!" She spun on a heel and said "Follow me!" With a little wave of her hand, they were off to the mess. It was across the open courtyard between the massive stone ziggurats that made this ancient city in the forest.

The afternoon sky was almost totally filled by a gas giant planet that swirled with puce and amber storms, but Aisha scarcely looked up in her excitement to get into the next building. This one had a great room inside much like the hangar, but it was filled with bunks and tables. The people inside were in various states of dress from full dress uniforms to sleeping clothes, and most of the ones who weren't near their bunks were eating.

"Here, you can go ahead of me," the Major said as she stepped into the serving line behind a red-skinned Zabrak who was too busy with his datapad to look up until it was his turn. "Hey Dex," said the Major when Madlyn got to the front, "give our new Padawan here double dessert, she's earned it."

"You got it, Ma'am" came the Besalisk's reply as he quickly assembled a plate of hot food. When one of his four meaty hands hovered over a clear container of cakes he asked "Which ones you want, kid?"