Ask Adventures in the Crystal City

[Zessel]

Zessel chuckled with Levet’s confession that he didn’t see all the holomovies of his Master. “You are safe. My mouth is a grave.” to show how secretive he was, the half-Arkanian put his index finger over his lips. It would be funny if Knight Pavan really made all his Padawan watch his movies as some type of initiation in his teachings.

“Oh, this would be really nice! I could bring some snacks for us.” he smiled at the idea. Zessel never had watched Pavan’s movies either, so it would be a good memory for the two of them to share. Exactly like that moment, with the two Padawan walking through the sand of the beach calmly. They could pass off as simple teenagers rather than Jedi.

He stared at Levet’s surprised face when the Mandalorian started to talk as if what he said was something otherworldly. “I saw winter, but never one with snow. All the planets that I lived on had cold winters, but not enough to form snow.” the description of it that his friend gave wasn’t satisfactory in the half-Arkanian opinion. It only made him want even more to feel it by himself.

“Yes, the Arkanian dragons. Very rare animals, but it would be awesome to see one of them.” if he went to Arkania some day, Zessel hoped that there would be a chance for them to see one of the dragons. Unfortunately, the Padawan should maintain his expectations very low. After all, these animals were very close to extinction.

Levet’s question about the logistics of the selfie made Zessel scratch the back of his neck. There was a distance between them, in respect to their personal space. They were becoming friends, but the half-Arkanian had yet to feel comfortable with the idea of being touched by the Mandalorian. “I'll set a timer for the picture and use the Force to levitate it.” he said, before getting in position.

The Padawan made several funny faces, mimicking Levet. Then, the floating EZPhone took their picture. Summoning it back, Zessel showed it to the Mandalorian. “What do you think? Are we looking good?”

@Darasuum

 

[Levet Vizsla]

Levet thought about suggesting having an entire movie night with other padawans but thought better of it. A part of him wanted to have that one on one connection with Zessel. Zessel was his first, no, only friend he had made so far in the Jedi Order. To Levet it felt like it would cheapen the experience to share it with others and Levet wanted to be a bit selfish in that regard. He felt he could trust the half-arkanian which was not an easy thing for the mandalorian to do.

"Okay. I stand corrected." He held up his hands to admit his mistake for assuming. "But a white winter is really cool. I don't know if I would want to live around snow all the time though." He shook his head at the thought. "Just foot after foot of pure white powder..." He was getting lost in a memory before pulling himself back to the present. "...you'll see. That's what Cin Vhetin is all about." It literally was represented by a field of fresh snow after all.

Levet nodded at the prospect of arkanian dragons. Mandalorians had a reputation for riding monstrous creatures. The padawan could not help but feel the urge to live up to those expectations.

"Perfect." He gave Zessel a double thumbs up about the camera timer. After the picture was taken he craned his neck to see what it looked like. He chuckled at seeing how goofy the two of them were. "The best. The galaxy isn't ready for us." He flexed an adolescent bicep that was not all that impressive.

His stomach had had enough at this point and Levet needed to find a bathroom. "Um, I'll be right back. I gotta find a freshers." Without waiting for a response he looked around for a sign, a store or someplace for him to have some privacy. He ran down the beach with such speed that his feet kicked up sand behind him. Luckily he found a beach-side cantina open the elements selling tikki style tropical drinks. The bar tender gave him a curious look considering Levet's age but the padawan was headed straight for the facilities in the back. "Gottauseyourbathroomrealquicksorry!" The door closed and locked behind him before anyone else could protest.

@LouJoVi

 

[Zessel]

When Levet started to talk about how it was to walk on the snow, the half-Arkanian unconsciously closed his eyes. He imagined how it would be to run through the snow, his boots making crunching sounds while running through the white covered ground. Zessel could even hear himself laughing while jumping around the snow. Although, he had the strange feeling that the laughs that he was hearing in his mind weren't only his.

He snapped out of that reverie when Levet mentioned Cin Vhetin once again. Zessel nodded, agreeing with him. However, the half-Arkanian wondered why he was now feeling a bit of nostalgia.

Zessel laughed with Levet flexing his biceps. “Be careful, big guy. Our you are going to win my heart with your good physics.” the half-Arkanian smiled, before turning to look at the picture. They looked so goofy there that he would never post that picture in any social media. “Do you want me to share it with you?” it would be fair if the Mandalorian also had a memory of this day.

“Okay.” Zessel said, but Levet had already rushed away. Poor dude, he must be dying to use the bathroom. Now alone on the beach, the half-Arkanian sat on the sand and stared at the sea. After a moment, the Padawan closed his eyes and tried to chase the feeling from early, wondering if he imagined himself back to snow covered fields.

@Darasuum

 

[Levet Vizsla]

Levet smiled, thinking at first that Zessel was joking about winning his heart. Then again maybe he was being serious about the attraction and trying to play it off. No he was probably just kidding around. The padawan's mind silently went back and forth until he believed he was overthinking it too much. Unfortunately for Zessel, if he was being sincere, Levet did not feel that way about the same sex. He was not even sure he felt that way about the opposite sex either.

Zessel asked him a question that brought him out of his internal debate. The matter of the pictures replacing any thoughts of uncertainty with happy friendship. "Yes, please. Thanks." He looked forward to adding more pictures to a scrap book as they traveled to new places. Levet would cherish the picture and the memories associated with it.

Levet would be a few minutes in the bathroom and give Zessel some time alone. When he returned the Mandalorian had a slightly embaressed look on his face. "Sorry about that. I'm lactose intollerant. I should have said something earlier." He looked around and the smile quickly faded.

"Hey um...where's my armor?" The two had walked around the beach a little, this way and that but Levet had kept an eye on his beskar'gam. Someone had stolen his second skin while he was in the bathroom. "Zessel?" His voice was noticably aggitated despite trying to remain calm. His mind spun in a panick. His heart switched places with his stomach and everything felt wrong as he had a visceral reaction to the discovery.

He spotted a pair of teenagers, locals probably, hauling away in the distance what looked like to be his bag. The mandalorian's helmet reflected faintly as it poked out of the bag covering. "There!" But the thieves mounted a small skiff and took off across the water away from the two padawans. "Nonononono NO!" The water craft was too fast and Levet was not that good of a swimmer. The criminal kids were too far away. What would Levet Vizsla do now?

@LouJoVi

 

[Zessel]

Soon Zessel got frustrated with not being able to replicate his ‘vision’ with snow fields and gave up on his attempts. The half-Arkanian still had the feeling that this ‘vision’ could have been real, as if he had already experienced it before. However, he couldn’t remember when it happened.

Perhaps it was a memory from his forgotten past.

His thoughts were interrupted by Levet’s voice. Zessel stared wide-eyed at his friend when the Mandalorian revealed why he had to rush to the bathroom. “Dude! You should have told me!” he said, while rising from the ground in a rush. “I’ll not give you anything with lactose anymore. Next time, I’ll bake something without it for you.” he never made a dessert that was lactose free, but wasn’t going to back down from his promise.

“Uh? It's right there.” Zessel said, while turning to look at the direction where Levet had left the armor. He had seen it moments ago, when he sat on the sand to wait for the Mandalorian to return. However, to his astonishment it had disappeared. “Oh, shit! I saw it only a few minutes ago.” the half-Arkanian turned around, trying to find it.

He saw a pair of teenagers carrying a bag in the distance, moving toward a skiff. It was Levet’s bag! They had found the thieves. However, the two Padawans wouldn’t be able to reach them, because they soon were moving across the water.

Levet started to panic and it was painful for Zessel to see his friend acting this way. He looked around the beach, trying to find something that could help. His eyes fell over a shop that sold fishing equipment and that also rented boats and jet skis. “I had an idea. Follow me!” the white-haired Padawan said, before rushing toward the establishment.

While they ran, Zessel was already calling the local police. In a planet that lived with tourism, they would not be happy in dealing with thieves stealing from tourists.

The half-Arkanian burst through the door of the store, making the owner jump. “We are Jedi pursuing two thieves! We request one of your jet skis.” Zessel said with an authoritative voice, while showing the man his Padawan ID. The owner seemed convinced, but the Padawan didn’t stay around too long. He jumped on one of the vehicles and started it, only waiting for Levet to jump on the back.

Then, he would go in full speed after the thieves.

@Darasuum

 

[Levet Vizsla]

Levet's hands were on his head, ready to pull out locks of blond hair from the stress. This wonderful day had just taken a turn for the worst. But thankfully Zessel was keeping a cool head and pointed out an option. He ran with his friend towards one of the available watercraft and resisted the urge to run ahead. He had never driven a jet ski before.

The mandalorian was too worried about his own valuables to think about the long term consequences or the implications of reporting the crime to the authorities. It would not look good if the public learned that a couple of padawans, or even a mandalorian had lost their armor. That kind of story would make the tabloids and probably be bad for optics. Common criminals get one over on the galaxies guardians of peace. It would be disgraceful.

By the Force Zessel still had his own identification. Levet's was in the stolen bag. His body was full of adrenaline and could barely keep himself still but he waited as patiently as possible for them to get on a jet ski. "Your fastest one!" He added to the request. His voice cracked again slightly, showing his nervousness. The owner pointed towards which one to take and the half-arkanian promptly jumped on followed by his human counterpart.

The thieves already had a lead on them but were not out of sight just yet. Levet knew Zessel was doing the best he could. The jet ski bucked and smacked the waves as it sped after the criminals. He hung on to tightly to not get thrown off.

Levet's mind raced, trying to think of a solution. Then he remembered his training. He tried to tune out everything that was a distraction. He needed to focus on what he wanted.

I need to stop that boat.

First, his eyes closed. The world around him began to fade as he concentrated. He reached out both literally ahead and spiritually to the Force. The sound of the jet ski's motor seemed to disappear. The feeling of the saline ocean spraying on his face dissipated. Levet connected with something and called upon it. He had no sense of time passing, whether it was seconds or minutes.

Ahead, Zessel would see the water underneath the criminal water craft begin to bend for a split second and then burst underneath the thieves' skiff. Rising out of the water, breaching the surface was a huge sea creature, a two horned whale. Its mass sent the skiff flying end over end before crashing back onto the water upside down. The occupants were thrown clear and were now swimming in the waters with nowhere to go. Levet's eyes betrayed his level of surprise at what he had done but he was glad it had been successful all the same. Now he just hoped his armor had not been lost to the ocean floor.

Thank you. He communicated to the whale. The large animal remained on the surface for a few seconds before diving below again and out of sight.

@LouJoVi

 

[Zessel]

Thankfully, Levet remembered requesting the fastest jet ski in the shop. The thieves already had a good distance between them, with the two Padawans needing all the speed that they would have, or the Mandalorian’s armor would be lost forever. However, Zessel would not allow it to happen.

Once Levet was behind him, Zessel hit the accelerator and the jet ski started at full speed. “Is it too late to say that I never piloted one of those?” he said to his friend, when the vehicle started to move from one side to another. The Padawan knew how to pilot a speeder bike. It couldn’t be that different, since a jet ski was nothing more than a water bike.

It took some time, but soon the jet ski was moving in a straight line toward the boat. Zessel could see the thieves now, but there was still a big distance between them. “Hold tight!” the half-Arkanian said, before accelerating even more. He was so concerned with the fact that they had to retrieve Levet’s armor that the white-haired boy forgot that his friend would need to hold on him to not fall off the vehicle.

However, even with them going full speed, the thieves were still far away from them. Zessel was starting to think that they weren’t going to reach them. Suddenly, he felt the Force stirring around them, with the source of this change being Levet. A moment later, a large sea animal hit the thieves’ boat, making it capsize.

“Dude, that was so cool!” Zessel said, while stopping the jet ski near the now turned boat. The thieves were trying to swim back to the boat, but the bag was nowhere to be seen. Then the half-Arkanian remembered that a Mandalorian armor was heavy enough to sink. Don’t thinking twice, he jumped out of the vehicle and went to search for Levet’s stuff before it was too late.

@Darasuum

 

[Levet Vizsla]

Levet had been too focused and stress by the present ordeal to respond to Zessel's question. It seemed rhetorical anyways. Regardless they did not have much of a choice. The Mandalorian was glad he had not taken the controls and tried piloting it or else he would not have had the ability to capsize the criminals' boat.

As they came along side the overturned craft the two teenage thieves scrambled onto the hull of the boat. "Please. We're sorry. Don't let that thing eat us!" They begged, realizing they were in a lot of trouble and would be answering to the Jedi and local authorities. If they had parents they were going to get an earful at the very least. But then again, maybe they were terrified of being eaten by a whale.

Before Levet could dive into the water, Zessel beat him to the punch. "Wh-" The half-akranian was below the waves before the mandalorian could utter another syllable. The two thieves were panting from fear and from swimming fully clothed. Levet looked at them, then the jetski and then back at the criminals. "Don't...move" His tone was intense, a warning that implied that law enforcement would be the least of their worries. Not a second later after saying the words, Levet dove in after his friend.

@LouJoVi

 

[Zessel]

While he never visited the sea before, Zessel had learned how to swim in a pool of the Temple. This was the type of ability that was very useful during missions, since they could happen on planets that were covered by oceans. The last thing that a Jedi wanted was to be sent to a world like Mon Cala without knowing the basics of swimming.

The first thing that Zessel noticed when he jumped on the water was that it wasn’t cold as he had expected. The water was warm, to the point that many would consider as pleasant. The second thing that he noticed was the salt in the water. The half-Arkanian wasn’t dumb, he knew that sea water was salt. However, he was pretty sure that it was beyond the normal salinity level expected for other oceans.

He had to close his eyes immediately, or the water would hurt them. To know where the bag was, Zessel used the Force. It allowed him to briefly detect its presence, since it felt faintly like Levet. Then, he used his abilities to pull it toward his hand.

Once the bag was in his hands, Zessel tried to swim back to the surface. However, the armor inside the bag was too heavy and he started to struggle. If he don’t get to the surface soon, the half-Arkanian risked drowning.

@Darasuum

 

[Levet Vizsla]

Levet wished he had his armor right now or even just his Jedi utility belt so that he could use its rebreather. But the Mandalorian acknowledged that wishing for them was not going to do him any good. The saline waters of Berchest stung his eyes even as he squeezed them shut. The salt filled his nose while the currents buffetted his sense of hearing along with forcing him this way and that. This all made Levet aware that Zessel was experiencing the same thing and it was not fun, not like this.

The padawan had no idea how deep he had swam but he had a feeling that the sea floor was still much further down. He only had made minor progress and lacked gills or any of the equipment to survive. Even if he got his armor, he would be without oxygen and drown. Levet was athletic and a good swimmer but even he was anxious and aware of what that could do to the body. It would sap his strength and be too late.

Emotion, yet peace​

He felt out ahead of him, below and around himself for any sign of where Zessel was. He was more concerned with the wellbeing of his friend than his armor. The second skin could be trolled with a fishing ship later or diving equipment. His beskar'gam did not need to breath. But the half-arkanian on the other hand only had one life.

Ignorance, yet knowledge​

Levet had studied ocean biomes before. He could not see, hear or even smell his surroundings. Seconds ago he had summoned a sea creature to help him. He could do so again. The whale's song reached his ears through the water. It was beautiful and gave him hope.

Passion, yet serenity​

The care he desire he felt to recover his armor was still strong but more importantly he needed to protect Zessel. Panicking would only lead to the both of them literally floundering. Levet was calm and focused.

Chaos, yet harmony​

So many factors, all of it occurring simultaneously was overwhelming. Or at least it used to be. He saw it all as a single organism that cohesively lived and thrived on its own. It would help to all work towards the same goal. Zessel would feel a surface make contact under him and then begin bringing him upwards like a rounded elevator. The same surface caught Levet and the two of them rose up and up until finally they broke through the water line and gasped for fresh air.

Death, yet the Force.​

Levet coughed as he lay sprawled on the surfaced body of the two-horned whale that had saved them for a second time. It let out a burst of air from its blow hole and remained still for awhile as the two padawans recovered. Levet's eyes blinked away the salty water. He looked at Zessel, hoping he had not been too late.

"Zessel!? You alright buddy? Talk to me. Say something."

@LouJoVi

 

[Zessel]

The weight of the armor was dragging Zessel more toward the bottom of the ocean. He was kicking his feet with all the strength that he had, but it was fruitless. The half-Arkanian wondered how his friend could wear that heavy stuff all the time. Levet wasn’t even that muscled.

The half-Arkanian decided that, if he didn't end drowning, Zessel would start to work out.

In the end, Zessel couldn’t hold his breath any longer. Bubbles burst out of his mouth and some salt water filled his mouth, before he could close it again. He knew that this meant that he was going to drown. The half-Arkanian only had hoped that Levet would be able to pick the bag from him.

Suddenly, the half-Arkanian felt a force coming from below and pushing him up. Soon, Zessel felt fresh air hit his face, while Levet started to talk next to him. The white-haired boy started to cough, expelling the water that he had swallowed. “I’m good.” he said, his voice was a bit shaken.

“What happened?” Zessel sat, looking around. They were moving over the water, but it didn’t seem like a boat. The half-Arkanian looked down and saw the same whale from early. They were riding a whale! “Dude! How did you do that? I feel like in that movie, Free Willy!”

He smiled, before turning to look at the other Padawan. “Thank you for saving my life.” then, Zessel showed the bag that he was still holding. “I got your armor back.”

@Darasuum

 

[Levet Vizsla]

Levet saw the signs of life come from Zessel as he coughed up the salty water. His eyes closed in relief as his face turned skyward and made a silent prayer of thanks to the Force and the forgotten gods of Mandalore. His head bowed a moment later before looking back up at the half-arkanian and shake slightly. "You...stupid...you could have died." He said through panted breaths. Despite calling his friend a name he was glad he was safe and it showed on his face. "If you try that osik again I'm ignoring your force ghost." He didn't want anyone dying for his armor. If it was worth sacrificing a life for it would be his own.

The padawan wiped away salty snot from his face. He did not grasp the reference Zessel made. While Zessel had felt the need to work out, Levet could benefit from some pop culture. The Mandalorian was still shaken from nearly dying and also losing the next most precious object to his lightsaber. Oh crap his lightsaber had also been stolen. He had prioritized his armor over the weapon but sure enough it was among his recovered valuables. He let out another calming breath into the Berchest air.

"Oh...ya know. Space wizard stuff." He swung his hand like a mystic at nothing. Levet was not in a state of mind to describe what he had done. He was not entirely sure he had the words for it. "It's an animal thing." His bare palms gently patted the top of the whale's head they were still resting on.

Zessel seemed to recover from the traumatic ordeal a lot better than Levet. The Vizsla looked over to the criminals who were still clinging to the overturned boat. They still looked shocked at the sight they had witnessed and continued to view.

"Thank you." He finally said as he accepted the bag. The padawan did not want to bother the whale and knew they would have a ton of explaining to do to the local authorities as well as their Knight chaperones. "Let's get back to the jetski and let our friend return to their business. I think I've asked enough of them today."

He would take the bag and manuever over to the jetski where they could await the coastal authorities. Thank you, friend. May the Force be with you. He communicated to the bident headed whale. It let out a goodbye of its own in a deep sing song tune customary of its kind before resubmerging. Minutes later a police boat with one of the Knights would eventually arrive to collect the criminals and inspect the padawans. Thankfully, Levet's camera was water proof so he would still have some memories captured. But this experience was definitely not one he would forget.

@LouJoVi

 

[Zessel]

”But I didn’t, so everything is fine.” Zessel said, feeling calm in contrast to his friend’s obvious anxiety. He believed that there was no reason for the Mandalorian to be feeling this way since everything ended well. In his opinion, it was better to think about the good stuff, rather than contemplate about the terrible facts that didn’t even happen.

“What is osik?” Zessel asked, having no idea of what that word means. Probably it was something from the Mando’a. “Dude, you really need to teach me your language or I’ll not understand when you talk.” he said playfully, while slowly sitting in the whale. He wondered if the animal was feeling annoyed by their presence on its back.

Zessel nodded at the end of Levet’s explanation about what he did. “It’s pretty cool.” he said, wondering if the whale would allow him to tap its head. “I don’t know if I would be capable of doing it.” the half-Arkanian never tried to connect with animals, but he wasn’t sure if they liked him back.

“Okay.” he said, before they jumped off the whale and moved to the jet ski. Zessel watched Levet stare at the animal for a moment, with the Force shifting during that time. Soon, the animal dived and disappeared back to the deep. He wondered if it would come back if the Mandalorian called again.

They needed to wait for some time until the police boat arrived. During this time, the two Padawans had been watching the thieves, certifying that they weren’t going to escape. While the sound of the boat approached, Zessel contemplated how he didn’t expect the day to end with them capturing thieves. However, he was happy for having a new friend.

@Darasuum

 

[Levet Vizsla]

Levet just shook his head. Perhaps it was disapproval and maybe it was disbelief. At the end of the day he was glad Zessel was alright.

It was hard to stay mad at someone especially as cheerful as the half-arkanian. "It means shit or crap. Dung, ya know?" He was about to give him a lecture on extrapolating from context but thought better of it. Levet was tired and did genuinely want to teach Zessel his language. He would save the lessons for later.

"Thanks." The mandalorian accepted the compliment. He had always had a fondness for animals. Whether that was a result of his natural affinity towards the force or it manifested that way due to his own disposition was unknown. But today it had saved not only his armor but his friend's life.

The two would be asked not only by the authorities and the Knights but also by their peers. None of the other padawans had quite the eventful afternoon as the two of them. It certainly was a unique experience that was sure to be the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

End thread​

@LouJoVi