The Heart of the Guardian

[Ral]

Indupar
Mid Rim
0600 Hours
​

The early morning sub was just starting to peak over the horizon casting long grey shadows across the Jedi Master's room which opened out onto a small terrace where Kai Sera was currently meditating calmly. He always enjoyed this part of the day when things are still quiet. Between the quiet beauty of night with the twinkling of stars and the cool light of dawn, Kai really wasn't sure which he preferred more. No reason you have to choose, I suppose. He often found himself thinking. The young Jedi Master had been up all night meditating, letting the Force rejuvenate him and sustain him so he didn't need to sleep; he had something pressing on the edges of his mind and he was sure what it was. So, he had chosen to meditate all night, letting Saana study and practice on her own. But now, he had just received a sort of revelation. Tatooine, he needed to go there, more importantly he needed to take Saana there. It was where they first met, and had a lot of meaning to her. Kai wondered if the young Togrutan female also shared this vision. The Force worked in mysterious ways, and even the Councilor didn't know everything. In this case he was more than willing to take a leap of faith.

Standing up, Kai basked in the cool orange sunlight for several long moments. Wishing he had longer he opened his eyes and moved to his closet. Taking out a new set of robes, Kai quickly showered and cleaned himself up before getting dressed and exiting his private quarters. As he made his way down the corridors, Kai wondered what it all meant, the vision of Tatooine, the Force, Saana. They were all intertwined somehow, though how exactly and why still eluded him. Perhaps Saana would know. Making his way down the corridors of the outpost, Kai ended up shortly to the entrance of his Padawans room. Knocking on the door firmly so that she would be able to hear him even if she was asleep he called out rather softly. "Saana, Saana, are you awake? I wish to speak with you on an urgent matter."

@CJ Solo

 

[CJ Solo]

It was more frequent now that Master Kai left her to her own means for training and studying, supervising her less. Since they had first met, Saana had learned a lot of things from Master Kai and other Jedi, she had gone on a number of missions that always had something to take from them and she had spent a fair amount of time reading what she could in the archives of the Jedi. These things have given her a lot to work on and to consider. When she was left on her own, the Togruta Jedi never did do quite the same thing. Sometimes it would be a little lightsaber work, sometimes she would work on her abilities in the Force, sometimes she would read about the Jedi of the past and their accomplishments, but most often it was a combination of any of these. She had come a long way since meeting Master Kai.

Dawn was breaking now and Saana was already awake in meditation; an activity she had come to enjoy. It was not to the point that she wanted to meditate over all else, but it was perhaps one of her favorite times of the day. It was at the start of the day that she meditated to bring her mind and body into focus after sleeping and at the end of the day when it was time to relax and wind down for sleep. It was also the time when she felt most connected to the Force and all the life around her. It was a rejuvinating feeling; the feeling of being wrapped in a warm blanket and being washed with cool and refreshing water all wrapped up into a single sensation. Saana was aware of Master Kai in her perception as well as other Jedi and the life outside the compound. It was also the time when she could listen to what the Force had to say.

One thing that had been pulling at the back of her mind for a short while now was the thought of Tatooine. Before, there had been no real substance to the thought; just a thing lingering there. This morning, though, as the first rays of sun washed across her floor it was something stronger. Saana felt, now, the need to go to Tatooine. The desire was something she did not quite understand as the world typically was crawling with criminals, slavery and other less t han savory things. It was, however, where she had met Master Kai; an encounter that was most certainly a defining point in her life. If it had not been for him, she may still be out there wandering the galaxy searching to find herself. Whatever it was, she needed to go there; there was something for her to do on Tatooine. Maybe Master Kai would know more.

As though the thought was her Master's cue, the knock came to her door and she could sense and hear him outside as he called her name. First, she cracked open one eye and glanced towards the door. Urgent? A brow lifted slightly as she moved to her feet. "One minute, Master Kai." Saana moved to her own closet and dawned more appropriate clothing before she opened the door for him. Her first concern was that something had happened. "Is something wrong?"

 

[Ral]

"Urm..." Kai said as the door opened and Saana appeared before him clad on what seemed like a basic robe over some sort of night coverlet or underwear. At least she was decent, which is more than he would have gotten with Asheek who would have stripped naked in front of him like it was no big deal and act like he was the weird one for getting flushed for it. Still, Kai's cheeks tinged pink a little as he looked at his Padawan. "I'm sorry, did I come at a bad time, Saana? I can come back in a few minutes if you need some time to dress yourself. It's not strictly speaking pressing." Or he could walk in and explain why he was there. The choice was hers, as it was her own comfort he was thinking about. Whether she chose now or in a few when she was ready he was ask if he could come in and take a seat across from her.

The rooms for Padawans weren't very large, nor were they particularly cluttered; they were aimed to he spartan. Even as a Jedi of the New Order, one shouldn't get too attached to material things. In fact not all Padawans had separate rooms, many chose to sleep in a communal dorm or barracks. Kai, however, kept his own quarters, and while any of his Padawans were free to call upon him at any hour, there was an understanding that he wasn't always free, but if he was and decent they were more than welcome to join him. So, because Kai didn't want to seem hypocritical, he let his students choose their own rooms or to sleep in the dorms. It didn't matter to him as he could still teach a lesson either way from it. But for now, Kai wasn't going to teach Saana a lesson about sleeping alone, he had more pressing things.

"No, nothing is wrong, my young student," Looking into the yellow-gold eyes of the young Togruta woman, Kai was mildly struck by how aliens could always appear so attractive and still be so foreign to him. Clearing his throat after a few seconds, he wanted Saana to reach out with her senses and get a feeling of what had been pressing on him. As he looked at her he probed her slightly, got a feeling for what was on her mind. It wasn't a deep probe, just sensing her surface thoughts, but he could feel heat and see twin suns, and a smirk formed on his face. They were both thinking of the same planet. That was good, she was becoming more in tune with the Force. She was slowly becoming more like a Jedi Knight. And now she was going to do something to take her one step closer to it. "I feel we've both been dwelling on the same thing, lately."

Watching her face for her reaction, but more importantly sensing her reaction through the Force, Kai continued. "It's Tatooine, isn't it? Your thoughts keep taking you back there, huh? Your dreams even? Whenever you meditate?" Kai would wait for her response. "You're becoming stronger in the Force, Saana. This is good. I think you're ready to take another step forward. What do you think is the next step?"

 

[CJ Solo]

Master Kai's initial reaction to the door that was between them opening gave Saana momentary pause. For a moment, she felt self-concious and if her skin was not already red aside from the white stripes that decorated it, it might have shown. "No, it is not a bad time." She offered him a light smile, pulling her robe closer around herself as it occured to her that she might have made him uncomfortable. The Togruta then stood aside. "Come in, please."

The room did not boast much in the way of furniture, or decoration. In this one, there were a pair of beds, a pair of small desks and a pair of chairs. One of the beds was made up, having been unoccupied or its occupant having left and taken care of it already. Light from the rising sun came in through the pair of narrow windows in the room. Saana sat in one of the chairs, allowing Master Kai to choose wehre he sat; her attention on him regardless.

Saana studied him carefully, even as their eyes met briefly. He said that there was nothing wrong, but it still struck her as though something was on his mind; that his visit was beyond casual or a training lesson. Oddly, in a way, she felt that it was a lesson, even if not directly so. She studied him, his expression, his body language, the tone of his voice and the impressions of him in the Force. Her head tilted slightly, almost unnoticeably in a thoughtful manner. It was when she was about to ask him if he had been thinking about Tatooine, that he spoke.

Again, she smiled. "I have been. I suspect you have been too." She had not been certain of the meaning or significance, but now it seemed whatever it was it was more so since it had been on his mind as well. "I feel that I need to go there again, that someone or something is there waiting for me. I do not fully understand what. I do not feel that it is anything dangerous."

 

[Ral]

The young man realized that he might have unintentionally made the young Togrutan uncomfortable with his own hesitancy, which gave him a slight pause before walking in, wondering if he should apologize again, but he decided to let it drop. In his mind there as no need to draw attention on something that didn't need to be discussed. If it had been, Kai would have been sure Saana would have said something or done something to make it clear she needed to discuss it. Grabbing the chair across from his apprentice, he sat himself down in it. It was interesting to notice that Saana gave him her absolute attention.

Finally he spoke, and then when he finished Saana replied. Listening to what she said, Kai nodded thoughtfully. "Very good, so we're both agreed. We're going to Tatooine!" He smiled as he stood up. Reaching out he placed a hand on top of Saana's head between her twin montrals. "Remember, the Force is guiding you to Tatooine for a purpose. Trust in the Force to guide you and you'll take another step towards becoming a fully-fledged Jedi Knight." He smiled as he patted her head like an older brother to a younger sister. "Just bring what you need, we'll make a lesson about self-reliance out of it, too!" He made his way to the door. "Hanger, my ship, five minutes."

Kai grabbed his lightsaber and a few credits for fuel and docking fees and headed down to the hanger where his light freighter, Tarja's Hope, sat waiting. It was already fueled up and ready to go, so he walked up the ramp and started the activation sequence. Once Saana walked on he had another idea. "Your turn to fly. I'll fly copilot this time."

 

[CJ Solo]

It was an interesting thing to muse over how they had been thinking about the same thing. Had it been due to a bond of sorts forming between the two of them as Master and Apprentice, with the extensive amount of time they have spent together. Had it simply been that the Force was trying to communicate that one thing, the force projecting to the both of them so that at least one might hear. It occured to her that it could very well be a combination of both or it was simply as he said. She was becoming stronger, and more attuned, with the Force. The day was coming when she would be a Jedi Knight, a time when her training would take on a new form. The thought made Saana smile a little and Master Kai's touch, and his words, made that smile broaden.

"Five minutes. I will be there." Saana watched him and stood as her Master exited with new purpose. Most of that five minutes was spent changing into clothes appropriate for travel and collecting what she would need for a trip to Tatooine. This happen to include a pair of soft leather boots; Tatooine was one of those few instances where she did wear something on her feet. When she finally arrived at the ship where Master Kai was waiting, she still had a minute or so to spare.

The Togruti Padawan stepped up onto the loading ramp and moved inside. Her movements through the ship's corridor were quiet as she first stopped by the cabin she normally slept in on long trips on board the vessel. It is there that she sets down her travel pack on the bunk and heads for the cockpit where Master Kai would undoubtedly be waiting. Saana was not disappointed as she spotted the Jedi Master upon entering. When he declared that she would be flying, and he woud be copilot, she froze for a moment. Piloting a ship was not something she had focused a lot on. "What?" Saana blinked. "Are you sure? Master I have not much experience in piloting ships."

 

[Ral]

Kai could feel a sort of connection between him and Saana, and what more he realized that she sensed it too. It was still new and forming, but it was the sort of bond that often formed between student and teacher. It brought a small smile to the edges of his mouth when he realized it. As he touched her, he could feel her happiness; sense that little bit of pride in her from the words he spoke to her just as she smiled at him. Nodding when she confirmed that she would be at the ship in five minutes, Kai exited the young woman's room. If he was being honest with himself, Kai was actually quite excited for this next part in their journey together. He felt that they would make an excellent team in the future, he only hoped

Once Saana had arrived and entered the cockpit and Kai told her she was flying a grin formed over his face as she blinked. Waving his hand through the air to dissuade her of her doubts he motioned for her to sit down. "C'mon, sit down," he remarked as he patted the pilot's chair. "I'll fly copilot for you. I'll run you through the basics, and I have my own set of controls so we won't crash, but I have faith it won't get that bad. C'mon every Jedi needs to know the basics of handling a starship, especially with a war going on. What if you go on a mission and you're the only one left who's not injured to fly? Will you want to have to tell everyone else that you can't fly? Best time to learn is the present, plus I'm here!"

Waiting for Saana to take her he started explaining to the Togruta what buttons she would need to press and what switches she would need to flip to start this flying business out. Once he had gone through the basics he'd make sure she had everything, repeating anything she needed as many times as it took. When she was ready he'd go, "Alright, ready? Start the repulsors there," he motioned to a control, "And pull up." He did the motion with her so she would get the hang of it and if needed she could always reference him.

 

[CJ Solo]

Saana's skepticism did not leave immediately as Master Kai initially patted the chair with encouragement. Then he continued speaking, putting it that way. Her brow furrowed at the scenario that he put before her. It was a situation that she did not want to find herself in, or put others in. "No I would not want that to happen." The words came quietly as she lowered herself into the chair.

"As long as you are certain that we will not crash. I would not want to damage your ship my first time." As Master Kai pointed out each of the controls that she would need to use during the flight, she studies each one. When he was done, she went through and pointed each of them out for herself and repeated back to him what they were for. It took her a few times of doing this, and being corrected by him, before she seemed to finally have an idea of how the console was laid out.

She was more than just the slightest bit nervous when Master Kai said it was time. Saana's gaze shifted between the thruster control and him, then back again. "Alright, here we go..." The Torgruta padawan reached for the controls and brought the system online and after small shakey beginning, they were on their way to Tatooine.

 

[Ral]

"I knew you'd see reason!" He teased as she sat down into the pilots chair. Kai made sure to be as encouraging and helpful as a teacher could be while going over the controls. Laughing when she said as long as he was certain about this, he simply nodded. Smiling as he looked at her he replied, "Don't worry you won't. I trust you. If you get worried just trust in the Force and it'll help take care if the rest."

Saana took the controls, her anxiety and trepidation was obvious not only in her body language but through the Force as well. Extending his own presence to help calm her down, Kai reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder tenderly, hopefully to give her some confidence. "You've got this, just relax, let it come naturally." Slowly, the ship lifted up off the ground and into the air. "Alright! And now we push it towards space!" The young master exclaimed as he motioned for Saana to push the accelerator down. Once she had done so and they were up and away, safely in space he would grin at his apprentice. "Good job! That was excellent for a first time!" He reached over and pulled her over into warm embrace. "You should be proud of yourself! Any questions?" He asked releasing her. After taking care of any follow up questions Kai would proceed with showing Saana how to plot a hyperspace jump. Since they didn't need to do anything special or tricky for this jump, Kai made sure to keep it simple and simply have her call up the coordinates in the navcomputer and put them into the hyperdrive computer. Once it was all done, Kai let Saana have the honor of engaging the hyperdrive engines.

"Now, we get to meditate on the Force, and try and get an idea of what it is we're supposed to be doing on Tatooine."

The time passed quickly and uneventfully. When they were finally ready to come out of hyperspace, Kai had Saana go through the motions of disengaging the hyperdrive. As the ship dropped out of hyperspace and Tatooine came into view, Kai looked to his apprentice. "Alright, landing will be a bit trickier. I'll take the lead and you just follow me and do as I do."

Flying the small freighter down to the surface, Kai landed in an available space port in Mos Eisley. Standing up, he stated, "Well, time to get out there and see where the Force wants us to go!"

 

[CJ Solo]

Saana had flashed Master Kai a quick grin in response to his teasing, but had still been tense with nervousness. She listened carefully to his advice, giving a slight nod from time to time. A lot of concentration was put into the task by her, more than was likely really needed, but she did slowly relax. She could feel his reassurance, and his confidence, through the Force and through his hand on her shoulder. The left the planet smoothly, for the most part, and again she smiled as Master Kai congratulated her. His embrace was a little unexpected, but she returned it after a moment and she blinked back memories of her early childhood.

Entering hypespace was a lot easier, and a lot less nerve wracking. The navicomputer did most of the work once the coordinates were put in. All that was left, once it was ready, was to push the levers. With that, it was done. It had not been as bad as she thought it would be; perhaps she would be able to get the hang of it. "I suppose, I thought it would be more difficult somehow to pilot a craft."

The time spent in hyperspace was more time spent with her Master; casual conversation, training of previously learned skills and meditation. It was these times with Kai that she enjoyed the most. There were always things that needed to be done, people that needed protected, but in these times there was no stress, no pressure. Focus had been put on meditating this trip, however, to gain further guidance from the Force on what waited for them on Tatooine, where they needed to go. There was never anything finite that came to her, images and feelings, but it was as though the discovery itself was part of what was meant to be.

When it came time to exit hyperspace, Master Kai had had her take the controls again. Like entering hyperspace, exiting was not that difficult. However, as Kai said, the landing was the tricky part. It relieved her that he would be taking the lead, she needed to simply do what he did and so she did. It was not long after that that once more the pair was set down on the desert planet. "I am ready. When we meditated, I saw images of rock and mountains. Are there rocky places on Tatooine?"

 

[Ral]

"Ah, flying's not that hard, really. I mean, flying well, being an ace pilot or an expert, yeah, that can be hard, but just flying isn't too bad at all. If you want to become an amazing ace, just watch your master!" Kai winked at Saana as he leaned back and relaxed a little, giving her a few tips on flying and a couple of stories before they started their meditation. Much like his Padawan, Kai enjoyed spending this time with Saana. He enjoyed strengthening their bond through sharing and communication. And he also just enjoyed spending time with her; he liked her company and how she was when they talked or discussed philosophy or lessons. Plus they didn't always have to be Jedi, they could just be Jedi, they could be friends. Then they started meditating and Kai shared some visions with Saana, and then he had other visions, things that were happening both near and far.

After landing, Kai stepped out under the hot suns and looked around listening to Saana as she described what she had seen and felt. It was intriguing to Kai, and the truth was that such places were quite common on Tatooine. Humming he nodded, "There's a nearby mountain range. The Judland Wastes are a rocky patch of high ground near here. We can start there, but first we're going to need some transportation, we certainly don't want to be walking across the Dune sea with not but our feet! I don't think either of us would make it that long with what we have."

Motioning for her to follow him, Kai visited a nearby vendor and bartered to get them a cheap speeder that wouldn't break down. At this time Kai looked to Saana and had an idea. "Saana, dear, come here. New lesson. Time to use those looks of yours," he said as he telepathically gave her the basics of what to do to use the Force to alter this man's mind. He told her for the first time to just make the man focus on her, use the Force to subtly alter his perception. A man would be more susceptible to a beautiful woman playing with him, and with the aid of the Force she might be able to get the proprietor to give them a discount on something working and reliable. To Kai this was the first step to tricking someone with the Force, instead of making a suggestion that would be more likely to be rejected, Kai made his students try and convince their targets of something they wanted to do.

Once they had their speeder, Kai told Saana to use the Force and feel their way to where she was being directed. So under her direction Kai would pilot the speeder and head towards where they felt like they needed to go. On their way there he asked, "How do you feel about being back here?"

 

[CJ Solo]

"You are an Ace?" Saana had looked at him skeptically, but could not hold back a light smile. Though they had not been in a situation where Master Kai had to show off fancy flying skills, but she still believed him. Later, when he began sharing with her his visions, she posed him a question. "How is it you can see these things? I understand it is by the Force, but how is it you see it when you want to?" The visions of Tatooine, the urging feelings to go there had not been expected, she had not been looking for them during her meditations, but they had come anyway.

Saana stepped off the ship with Master Kai, her yellow eyes glancing over the bay they had landed in. "Mmm.." Her attention turned back to Kai. "No. I agree that travelling too far into the desert on foot would not be a wise choice." She did consider the description of the place he spoke of. "How far is it from here? Will we be safe at night?" Any other questions she had were held as they approached a vendor from which they might be able to acquire a speeder to use temporarily.

When she felt Master Kai's presence strengthen around her mind, and heard his words in his thoughts, she shot him a quick glance that could only say something like 'really?'. Her brow furrowed a little; using the fact that she was female was not something she had thought of before to get her way or what she wanted. Tentively, she steps up to the vendor's counter as she focused on him in the Force. 'The speeder is for me, my friend."

"HMm?" The vendor looks her way. "Is it now?"

Saana nodded slightly. "It is my first time here and we are in need of a working speeder. A first time discount would be.. motivation for our return business." She smiled at him, leaning a little closer as she focuses on doing what Kai instructed her. "Most importantly, I would be personally grateful."

"You would?" The Vendor grinned toothily.

"Yes, I would." Saana rested her elbows on the counter lightly, thinking that Zabnic would likely be much better at this.

The vendor was quiet, seeming to think about it. "Yes, fine, alright then. An additional 10 percent for lovely first time customers."

Satisfied, they had gotten their speeder. It looked a little beat up on the outside; worn and sand blown, but there was no issue with it start up. Saana sat in the passenger seat as Master Kai had chosen to drive. As they sped away, and eventually out of the city, she watched the landscape almost as though she was looking for something. When Kai asked his question, she looked at him. "It is strange. This is not my favorite world to be on between the heat and the sand. However, right now, it feels... right, like I am supposed to be here. What about you? Do you feel anything?"

 

[Ral]

"I can't make the Force show me things, Saana, sometimes it shows me things, images, feelings, scents, colors, sounds, whatever... when I'm meditating... other times I just get sensations from far away, or I feel familiar presences far in the distance," Kai became quiet as he thought on the many friends whom he hadn't seen in a long time. "Anyways, when you get there you'll receive visions, too. Just... don't try to force it, if you'll pardon the pun. Let it come to you naturally. When you're ready the Force will show you."

As they walked out of the speeder rental with the keys to the landspeeder they'd be taking, Kai gave Saana a friendly pat on that head. "Good job there, Saana. That was your first step to learn how to affect someone's mind with the Force. Whenever you are out in the field now, think about using it from time to time. So long as you're not going to cause undue harm, or strip them of their free will of course. As Jedi we can't control other's lightly, it's important we take into consideration what our actions might mean, and what other consequences might occur if we use the Force in such a way. This is one thing that separates us from the Sith, so it is important we do not use our powers for selfish reasons, or if they'd cause more problems than they'd solve. Only the Force, and your own instincts can answer that for you, though. Just something to remember for the future." He smiled as he gave her one last pat before they got to the speeder. No matter what happened on their trip today, Kai would always be proud of how Saana was improving as a Jedi.

Once they were on their way, Kai listened to what his apprentice was saying, how even though Tatooine was a hard and hot planet, that it felt right for her to be here. Nodding his agreement, Kai looked at her and replied, "Yes, I feel something. This feels right to me, too. All I know is that it's the Force, though. I think I had a vision of an old cave, so we should probably look for a valley in the mountains. I don't know if that's where we need to go or whatever it is we're looking for is there, but it's a good start. Just reach out in the Force and try and sense what is out there, see if you can get an idea of where the Force is leading us."

 

[CJ Solo]

Saana could not help but flash a quick grin at the pardoned pun, but she nodded a little. "I will be patient." She had then only smiled at him again, almost shyly, as he gave her a friendly pat after they acquired the speeder. Using her own appearance, the simple fact that she was female, as a tool to effect another individual's mind was not something she had thought of. Her attention remained on Master Kai as he talked about the matter of effecting others' minds and their free will. "Is simply everyone able to be influenced in that way? Or only some?"

"A cave?" Saana gave that some quiet thought. A cave would seem to make sense upon comparing it to the images she had seen that had not been entirely clear. With a slight nod, she lapsed into more silence as the speeder rushes over the landscape. At one point, she closed her eyes, focusing on what her senses were telling her physicall and through the Force; the warmth of the suns, the rush of the wind around them, the feeling of life even on a planet covered in desert. Every once in a while, she would get the sensation that their forward direction was the wrong way. Her eyes would open, she would look around and then turn to Kai to let him know what direction felt to be the right one before once again focusing on the task at hand.

Sand eventually gave way to hardened rock. Peaks of outcroppings provided some semblance of shade, from time to time. At last, she reaches out a hand and places it on Kai's arm. "Up there." Saana pointed out the steep slope that rose up to their left. It would be too steep for the speeder to manage, the ridge high enough that they would hve to peer upwards to see the top. "That is where we need to go."

 

[Ral]

"Good," he smiled at her in return. Kai was always appreciative and approving of effort and dedication, two qualities Saana had in abundance. So, Kai was almost never displeased when it came to Saana, for even when she tried and failed, which seemed very rare to Kai, she didn't give up, and she always was working to improve herself, even with powers she was not very good with. It was things that like which made Kai happy to be her master, or the master of anyone with a similar outlook and work ethic. "No, not everyone. Some species are immune to mind tricks, like the Hutts, others who have strong wills won't be easily persuaded, just like without the Force. Though, remember if several Jedi focus on the same suggestion at once, you might be able to eventually overcome a person's mental defenses. This is why it's good to start small, make a suggestion that the target would be much more likely to be agreeable to. That's why I wanted you to use your looks to start. Many people find female Togruta as exotic, like Twi'leks, so it's a good thing to remember to play on. Especially with most men, or woman who might swing that way..." Kai chuckled a little. "All I'm saying is use what you've got. Sometimes you won't even need to use the Force if you've already been dealt the right cards for the situation."

As they drove on, Kai made the minor course corrections whenever Saana felt like they needed to change directions. They carried on like this for hours, often in silence, though Kai would try to bring something up, mention a lesson or pose a philosophical question to Saana to get her to think a little while they followed the Force's lead. Eventually, as the terrain changed and they got deeper into the Judland Wastes, the suns got lower in the sky, though not quite to the horizon yet. Finally, Saana touched his arm and he looked to her. She pointed to a nearby slope, which would be impassible in the speeder. Parking the hovercraft, Kai hopped on out. "Alright then, let's see what's up there for us, huh? Hopefully before night falls and it gets cold."

Kai could feel they were on the right path, though he had no idea where the path would go, and what they would encounter on the way. Today, Kai put his trust in the Force, and his Padawan, that together they might both find the right course, and discover something new.

 

[CJ Solo]

"Night?" Saana glanced in the direction the suns would set on the horizon after they tucked the speeder somewhere and had gotten out. "Do you think we will be out here that long? Is it safe?" They were out in the wilderness, even if it was a desert, which was not the same as being on the streets of a city at night. Her gaze shifted to the slope and up it's face. They were going to have to work for whatever was waiting for them it would seem.

Saana stepped up to the rock, placed her hands on it and tested her grip on it. The ridge was some fifty feet or so above them; a fall would not be very pleasant. Taking a deep breath, trusting herself and trusting the Force, she started a slow ascent of the slope. From time to time, she glanced down or at Kai, perhaps reassuring herself that he was still there. When they reached the top, the other side sloped down again into the crater of what was likely a long since extinct valcano. Its bottum lay further down than the ground they had been standing on and the wind howled and whistled in odd ways around it. On the far side, where light currently touched, yawned the dark opening of a cave.

 

[Ral]

"Safe? I should think not!" Kai laughed at his apprentice's question. "Between the wild desert animals and the Sand People, I would think we're far from safe. Not to mention that the desert can get cold at night if we don't find shelter and are incredibly unlucky. And as a general rule, I like to plan for the worst case scenario. I hope we won't be out here that long, but it's a definitely possibility, so we should be careful about how we spend out time. Always think ahead, sometimes one can get so enthralled in the moment, in living with the Force, they don't stop to think two steps ahead of them. Many a Jedi has fallen victim to his own nearsightedness, make sure you are not one of those Jedi, Saana dear."

Stepping up behind the Togruta, Kai waited for her to place her hands on the rock face and start climbing. The climb wouldn't be so bad, especially for someone like Kai who was used to free running and climbing without a harness; he just hoped that Saana would have enough experience to know which hand holds would be good. Following his apprentice up the rock, Kai used the Force to sense which grip to choose, and plotted his way up carefully. Whenever Saana would look down at him he'd look back up and smile and say, "I'm still here. Don't worry about me, this is easy. Just focus on what you're doing, and you'll be fine." Of course, Saana was doing fine, Kai didn't have to even really worry about her. Once they reached the top, Kai clapped his hands together to knock some of the sand and dirt off of his palms. Below them was the caldera of an extinct volcano. "Well, would you look at that..." he whispered. Ahead of them on the far side was the opening of a cave.

"C'mon, race ya down there!" He called out as he took off at a light jog, not wanting to give himself too much of a headstart with his surprise challenge. By the time they made it to the entrance of the cave, Kai had started breathing a bit more heavily, though he wasn't panting. Touching his hand to the smooth stone, he hummed. "Can you feel it, Saana? This place is alive with the Force. Open your mind, and follow your instincts. You might receive a vision or something here. Who knows!"

 

[CJ Solo]

Rock climbing, with or without a harness, was not something she did frequently. But Saana managed alright, if a little slowly. She glanced back at Kai one last time when he spoke to her, giving his usual reassurances, which she smiled lightly at. Even at her inexperienced pace, the climb did not take that long. With a few brushes of her hands, she brushed away what dust and sand she could from her hands. "What?" Then Master Kai was off running down the slope. Her eyes narrowed just a little a split moment before she gave chase. Saana was a natural runner, swift and accustomed to long stretches of sprinting. Getting to the cave was not challenging for her.

Saana grinned at Master Kai again as the two Jedi reached the cave opening. "You almost had me, Master Kai." For a few moments, she peers into the opening, then back to him as he spoke. With a slight nod, she placed her palms on the warm stone and reached out with her senses in the Force. It was never any less amazing to her that a place that appeared to be so lacking in life could be so vibrant with the presence of the Force. The Togruta just stood there as though she was waiting and listening for the stone to talk to her. Her hands finally dropped away from the stone, her brow furrowed. "There was a fight here once. A beast."

 

[Ral]

Saana was a naturally fast runner, Kai couldn't deny that for one moment, so it was a no surprise to him that she edged him out at the end. Chuckling once they had reached the cave, Kai gave her a congratulatory pat on her back between her shoulder blades. "Yeah, I know, but you Togruta huntresses are just too stinking fast. It's those big booties you all have, bunch of muscle for running down your prey." It was pretty obvious Kai was playfully teasing with Saana, he had long learned of the Togruta's ability to hunt and rub from Asheek who was, as he often said, similar enough to be Saana's sister or cousin. He figured he'd just tease the girl for having large muscular thighs which probably helped with their natural swiftness of foot. while he was at it. "Just mark me glad you nor any of your cousins have marked me for your next prey."

As Saana stretched out with her senses, Kai did the same, though he also focused more on the tactile sensations he received from touching the rough, warm stone. The master let the student make the discoveries for herself. Finally, after several long, quiet minutes passed, her hands dropped away from the stone walls of the cave and came back down to her side as he brows furrowed in thought, it was a look Kai had often done himself when deep in thought. When she spoke, Kai nodded in response. "That would make sense. Could have been a Krayt Dragon, a Bantha, Dewback, womp rats, maybe something like a Rancor... I'm not sure, you're the huntress, what do you think?" He asked as he took another step forward, feeling as though that was the right thing to do. "Do you get the feeling you want to go deeper in? Like it's what were supposed to do?" Kai looked back at the red-skinned Togruta. "I'm going to go further in, you gonna join me?"

 

[CJ Solo]

Saana had let out a short laugh at his teasing. "Perhaps."

The thoughtful crease remained for a few seconds more as Master Kai put out the possibilities. "They looked big, but not a thing I have seen before." Her yellow gaze studied the yawning entrance as though it just might speak to her. Soon enough, she nodded again to Master Kai. "Yes, I will come with you. I still feel that this is the place." Staying to one side, Saana began to move into the cave slowly. For a moment, she looked to Kai to ensure he was coming, then looked ahead again. Her progress forward was slow as she let her eyes adjust to the growing darkness.

When the outside light became no longer viable to see what was ahead, she produced a small handheld light source, much like a flashlight, from her belt. The soft light illuminated the way ahead, casting strange long shadows over the rough stone. It is a few minutes more before Saana came to a stop. There, just feet away, the floor was split by a chasm; the cave continueing on the other side. Saana's brow furrowed at the turn of events. Of course this would not be easy, when had anything they had done together turned out easy.