Ask Kashyyyk Four Leaf Clove(r)

[Layla Tamm]

Kashyyyk​

The Jedi convoy, on its way to destinations unknown to her, had made a brief detour to Kashyyyk to drop off supplies and healers on the Wookiee homeworld. Layla had somehow let Basher talk her into getting off the freighter that was supposed to take her home, and walk around a bit while the ship was refueling. And as usual, following the droid's advice had resulted in nothing but getting her into trouble. She had wandered around the Wookiee city for a while, entirely awestruck by everything she saw, and ultimately made her way back to the spaceport. Only to find the ship gone.

For once she did not panic, because there was a simple solution to the problem. Contact the ship, explain her unsanctioned expedition, and ask them to come pick her up. But, she had forgotten her comm, and much of everything she owned, on the freighter, tucked away in the back of a service hatch for safekeeping. She did panic then, she panicked her heart out.

Another ship showed up to land in the slot her ship had vacated, and as it started unloading she was forced to move. She started walking aimlessly through the spaceport, a tiny figure among the sea of giant Wookiees, easily lost, and barely noticed. But not completely unnoticed, as a Wookiee did spot her wandering aimlessly and approached to check on the obviously lost child.

But Layla, already worried, and completely incapable of understanding Wookiee speech, expressions, or body language, heard the growling coming from above her and jumped. Basher, just as quick as her to assume the worst, rolled back immediately and then charged to slam into her from behind. The padawan found herself scooted into the air as the droid used its momentum and smooth dome to land her atop its spherical frame and rolled away. Layla clung on for dear life, hands wrapped around its ball head, eyes slammed shut, till the droid hit something and sent her crashing to the ground.

Realizing that the droid had crashed into someone and not something, buried her face in her arms, shielding herself from whoever it was.

"Puh...please, a soft whimper escaped her lips, "don't eat me!"

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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Kashyyyk became familiar ground to Clove. After the glassing of the Sith she showed her face regularly, aiding wherever she could such as at refugee camps, lending a hand in some hospitals while also earning credits for her medical studies, and visiting undamaged cities to see if anyone needed assistance. It kept her busy on top of her already loaded schedule, and it also allowed her to scout for potential locations for the second hospital. Convincing the senator and finding the funds would be a nightmare, and it was a long way off, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't already planning ahead.

Clove wandered through the space station, her hands wrapped around the leather straps of her trusted old bag. She had just finished another visit and was eager to get back into her trusty Sundrop and get some sleep before flying off to the next task at hand. But before she could reach her ship, the half-Annfyn's fluted ears twitched. She heard a commotion somewhere. And sure, some commotion wasn't uncommon in space stations, but this was different. The Wookiee's speech didn't sound angry. Mostly just... concerned and worried, with a touch of irritation.

Or so she assumed; her Wookiee Speech wasn't the best, in fact, it was dreadful, but she'd gotten pretty okay at understanding some words and how different their growls and huffs sounded with different emotions.

The Wookiees were looking from left to right as if they were following something moving, and Clove approached them with her head tilted to the right in curiosity. But perhaps it wasn't something, but someone. Wait. Sugar! It was someone! Clove barely had time to register the small blob of red, white, and blue on top of a sphere object coming straight at her with quite the speed. She felt the sphere collide with her legs, which was enough for her still-fragile muscles to give up and send her crashing to the ground.

Clove, a bit dazed by the hit, planted her hands on the floor and pushed her upper body off the ground, her gaze darting around to find out who had just hit her. Then a small whimper reached her ears, and she melted as quickly as the winter snow on Dantooine's springs. The voice came from the small Togruta, who was lying on the floor with her face buried in her arms. Any daziness disappeared, and she sprung into action.

"Oh! Hey! Don't worry, I'm not goin' to eat you!" Clove said with a gentle tone in her otherwise bubbly voice, scooching closer to the ground for a better look. "Are you an' your..."—she paused, looking over at the sphere to see what it was—"droid alright? That was a big hit."

After taking another look to make sure she wasn't bleeding out on the ground, Clove crawled up on her feet, although admittedly it took a little more effort than usual due to her now whining legs, and extended her hand to the short girl. "Here, let me help you up."

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Tag @Wit ​

 

[Layla Tamm]

Layla was scared, a few scary holovids too many having convinced her that everyone was out to eat her, so she did hesitate to take Clove's offered hand, but then she noticed the slight limp to her step and the kindness of her voice and felt a bit of guilt, guilt pushed down some of the nervousness that was making her act in such a shameful manner. She was supposed to be a Jedi, wasn't she?

"Thank you. She said meekly, letting herself be helped up back to her feet. Once up she quickly patted away at her clothes, doing as good a job as she could to make herself more presentable, and then straightened up before Clove. She gave a bow, and the droid besides her also dipped its ball head in an imitation of the gesture.

"I am Layla," she said after rising for the bow, "this is Basher. We are sorry for.." She tried to continue but noticed a few Wookiees giving her concerned looks and that made the reality of her situation dawn on her, and she broke down. Her feet seemed to melt beneath her, and she slid to the ground, sobbing.

"I..I think I'm lost, and I just know the Sith are going to find me and corrupt me like everyone says. They carve away your montrals and use them to make potions, and you have to watch." She rambled on, her fear and paranoia overcoming her normally shy demeanor and allowing the words to flow freely between sobs. All the while Basher rocked back and forth besides her, alternating between tooting comforting to her and hooting apologetically at Clove.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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"Of course, it's no problem!" Clove replied, ignoring the girl's brief hesitation. She couldn't blame her; Clove was, after all, a stranger, and at her age, she was also cautious about whose hand she accepted. While Layla patted her clothes, the half-Annfyn couldn't help but look at her again, just to make sure she wasn't hurt. But she seemed fine, and Clove's expression had softened by the time she finished patting down the fabric. Especially once she noticed the bow.

Clove bowed back as far as her spine would allow after the impact with the floor, before gracefully straightening herself again. She was about to tell the girl that she shouldn't apologize when Layla crumbled to the floor, sobbing and rambling about the terrifying Sith. She blinked at Layla before slowly taking a seat next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She'd heard those same stories in the Jedi Order, where the r rumor that Sith would corrupt anyone they encountered was very much alive in the hallways. Although, she had never heard of the montrals part before.

With the horror story and the bowing, she began to wonder if Layla was a Jedi Padawan. Was that why she was lost? Did the Jedi leave her behind? "It's all right. No Sith will harm you here, because I and those very sweet Wookiees will protect you." She gave a soft warm smile.

"You are lost, hmm..." She hummed for a few seconds. "Where do you have to go?" She looked at Layla, her head tilted to the right. "How would you feel if we went to a restaurant? There's a very cute restaurant at this spaceport. If you'd like I can get you a big hot cup of chocolate milk an' maybe somethin' yummy to snack on, an' then I can help you get there? Cause, see, I have a little secret..." Clove leaned closer to the girl, lowering her voice. "I used to be a Jedi Knight!" She smiled and put her finger to her lips, as if to say, 'our little secret.'

It was no secret that Clove used to be a Jedi Knight. At this rate, the entire Galaxy was well aware. But being a little playful hurt no soul.

Truth be told, on top of being exhausted, Clove was starving, so the thought of rewarding herself with food didn't seem like a bad idea. And seeing that sweet Togruta sobbing broke her heart; she needed to do something to cheer her up, and what child didn't enjoy hot chocolate and snacks?

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Tag @Wit ​

 

[Layla Tamm]

Layla, as young as she was, didn't take a lot of convincing that the Wookiees meant her no harm, and Clove's words seemed to be getting through to her. The offer of food definitely didn't hurt.

"Do they have candyfloss? I.. She stopped, eyes widening when she heard Clove's whisper about having been a Jedi Knight. "Okay." She said simply, nodding, and giving Basher a glare to remind him to keep his mouth shut as well. Everyone knew that droids were no good at keeping secrets, and the little BB-unit was no different.

She let Clove lead the way to the restaurant, staying behind her most of the way, hand clutching the hem of her dress, too scared to lose her in the sea of Wookiee knees all around her. She opened her mouth a few times as if to say something, but it was only as they were about to reach the restaurant that she had a thought that made her stop, stand still holding onto Clove's dress and tugging her back. "You.." she said in a soft voice, scared, "are you a Sith now?"

She had heard the stories, seen the holovids, about Jedi who went bad, who lost their way. Became Sith. Why hadn't she thought of that before? Her hand started shivering, as fear started to take hold once more.

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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Layla's hand clutching firmly around the hem of Clove's skirt awoke feelings she didn't know she had. Motherly feelings. Dear lord. Almost 20 and already wanting a child? No, no, no no. She shook her head, as if trying to push those feelings away, feelings that were starting to bubble into existence. But no matter how much she shook, she was unable to hide the cheerful smile that was drawn across her lips.

That was, until Layla abruptly stopped walking and began tugging at her dress. Clove came to a stop herself and looked over her shoulder with a blink as the girl spoke in a tone laced with fear. A Sith? Did she... dress like a Sith? Was it the black trousers? No, it wasn't, was it? But then Clove started to remember the stories she had also been told by the Jedi, stories younger children would've heard as well. Of fallen Jedi who embraced the Dark Side and became Sith.

Ah.

Clove let out a soft laugh and kneeled in front of the girl once again. Force mighty, her legs were going to regret this the next day. "No, I'm not a Sith. Here... I can prove it." It was one thing to tell the girl she wasn't a Sith, or even a darksider. But anybody could tell lies. So she decided to prove it.

Clove began digging around in her leather bag with her right hand, looking for a small pouch. When her fingertips touched the pouch, she grabbed it and pulled it out of the bag. "So... you know how a fallen Lightsider begins to lose their connection to the Lightside? It becomes harder an' harder for them to use the Lightside the more they turn into a Darksider or a Sith." Clove's fingertips reached inside the pouch while she was speaking, grabbing two seeds. "These are seeds from a fruit plant native to this planet, which is found in the area hit by the Sith's attack, specifically the northern forests. I just collected them. Now... close your eyes an' use your Force to feel."

The half-Annfyn also closed her eyes and began channeling the Force through her own body. When she was ready, she slowly released that same Force into the seeds in her hand. This warm Force began to swirl around the seeds before seeping into them, and instantly, without missing a beat, they began to grow slowly but steadily. The seeds slowly opened, allowing small green leaves to crawl out. "See?" She whispered as the seeds continued to grow, small roots slivering across her palm. If Layla were to reach out with the Force, she'd feel nothing but brightness, there wasn't an inch of darkness or coldness in either Clove's aura or her Force. "Nothin' but the Lightside of the Force!"

With the visible proof out of the way, Clove withdrew her Force from the seed. "I'm a Star Guardian."She paused, realizing she was addressing herself as a Star Guardian for the first time ever. It felt... strange, and it would take some getting used to. "Soo... basically... a healer of sorts!"

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Tag @Wit ​

 

[Layla Tamm]

Layla's eyes widened as Clove explained how a fallen lightsider started losing their connection to the Light, and a figurative light flipped on in her head as her understanding of the Force grew a little. Suddenly she knew why Maura had sent her that that old hologif of Han Solo from that documentary they had made about the second fall of Palpatine when she had asked about grey Jedi. (@lizziie) What Clove had intended to have a reassuring effect on the young Jedi had instead turned into an educational moment, a motherly moment where she calmed the child while also teaching her something.

"Okay. She said as she closed her eyes at Clove's request, and did as she asked. She couldn't really see it like one of the Miraluka girls in her class, but she could sense it. Warmth, comfort, and the smell of grass, the smell of home, of Shilli. Those were the memories the Light side invoked in her, and she felt them resonate with whatever Clove was doing. She nodded, eyes still closed, when Clove made the comment about there being nothing but the Lightside, and her small figure relaxed.

"A healer?" She asked, having connected with Clove in some capacity through the Force helping to overcome some of her natural apprehension with regards to talking with strangers. "Are you also working on making the insecticide? Master Ludwig said all the healers were tied up with pest control and no one could help with his sted problem, but he told me not to tell that to anyone about that. Do you think you could help him with his sted? And why is it spelled S T D, shouldn't it be S T E D?"

@LilyNion

 

[Clove Vanhoop]

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Clove had no idea that her attempt to calm the small adorable child had turned into an educational lesson. But it seemed to work because Layla calmed down and her entire body relaxed. Thank the Force. The last thing she wanted to do was terrify a child.

"Mhmhmm! A healer!" Clove's eyes shone just a little brighter, clearly full of pride. It took a lot of work for her to be able to call herself a healer and a doctor in training, but it paid off. And being able to call herself one felt incredibly rewarding. Sure, she didn't do it for the titles, but it was a nice bonus. "I get to fly all around the galaxy an' help whoever I find!" That same sparkle in her eyes she had just a second ago slowly began to fade the more Layla spoke about Master Ludwig.

She knew Master Ludwig.

She also mentioned an STD.
Sugar.

How was she going to explain that to the girl?! Clove's cheeks turned a slight violet pink, contrasting with her brown freckles. "Errr... Weeell... No, I'm as of yet not helpin' Master Ludwig I'm afraid. But no healer has managed to help him so far?" What kind of STD did he have?! Was it some kind of Force-resistant pub lice?! Why would he tell a child?! Master Ludwig was known among the older Padawans and Knights for his wildness, but this?! "But. Uhm... I'll call him an' see if he can tell me what kind of problems he's having. Maybe I can find a cure." Or tell him to not bother kids with STD's. She gave Layla a soft smile, deciding she was not in the mood to give her the talk.

"Come on, let's get you some hot chocolate milk." Clove gently took Layla's hand in hers after carefully shoving the seeds back into her pouch and the pouch back into the bag, and forced herself back to her feet. If not stopped, she cheerfully continued on until they came across an outdoor restaurant attached to the spaceport. It was a small nook carved into one of the massive trees, with wooden beams spanning the roof structure. There were a lot of relatively large chairs in front of the counter and bar, all covered in the softest-looking pillows. Natural plants and short trees native to Kashyyyk decorated the space throughout. "Here we are." Clove said with a bright smile, admiring the place.

Clove sat down and grabbed the menu after finding an empty two-person table and sliding the chair for Layla backward so she could take a seat. "Aside from the hot chocolate, what would you like to eat?"

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Tag @Wit ​