Ask Returning To Basics

[Ezra Thorne]

It was the first time he was coming up for air since he made a big fuss to call the Jedi together. Since then, they had learned a lot more about abominations. Thankfully even the Senate finally made the no-brainer decision to deem Raze as a galactic problem. Ezra could take his foot off the pedal briefly to return to something he had been neglecting - being there for his Padawan. Despite Theia being an extension of the family, he still had his duties to be her Master and train her. He had been far more absent than Zathria had been for him, and he could recall how directionless he felt when she was gone.

Ezra had asked Theia to meet him on the planet Cularin. He originally thought of Ellora, but he wanted her story to be different from his own. Once Theia landed, she would see an Ezra that looked somehow older than the one she saw several weeks ago. He had a tired appearance and his jawline had more beard than he normally kept. It wasn’t like him to not keep up with his perfect grooming, but the weight of everything was finally overwhelming him.

The Force was strong on this planet, so he could feel it right away. He felt lighter on his feet, he felt far more attuned to the Force, and the very galaxy around him felt as if it were an extension of him. For now, he started to walk around till he found a trailhead.

@GABA

 

[Theia Durand]

She could hardly focus or sleep and knew she was going to regret it once she arrived on Cularin. Ezra was finally able to help her with her training again and she was going to meet him there, sleep deprived, but with enough energy to power half of Coruscant. This of course meant there was little reading or researching prior to going, she found she was able to keep some focus if she practiced her brush strokes and sent updated images to her mom, who also was still not answering. It always worried her, but she also knew her mom was smart, strong, and always came back sometimes with a cool gift from her travels. She just hoped she liked her progress so far.

She had her pack, remembering at least to be prepared for whatever Ezzie had planned, and she still carried her vibroblade on the small of her back. Her red hair still popped in contrast to the green forests, and she wore something resembling normal people clothing instead of the scratchy jedi padawan robes. Seeing others wear the robes, she had to wonder if they knew they didn't have to wear them and could be comfortable in something like she wore, which consisted of a tunic, leggings and a jacket. Just thinking about the padawan robes made her itch all over.

Ezra wouldn't get a moment to even process Theia had arrived as he would be abruptly embraced by the redheaded teen. Her arms squeezing tightly around his waist and she took her time before releasing him. Glancing up, she noted he seemed taller, scruffier, and older than she had remembered.

"Jeez Ezzie, you look so old now." she said, clearly her filter was turned off, "I missed you so much." she said burring her face into him before releasing him, "You got all popular and you've been gone so much, I thought something might have happened to you this last time." she sighed, not easily forgetting the moments of what felt like ice dropping into her stomach and a sinking feeling of dread, "That would be horrible, you know? Because you know Uncle Jai would make a big deal out of it every holiday, even when we're like fifty and I don't know if I could handle that, Ezzie."

Theia sighed, stepping back from Ezra, "So what are we doing here? It feels..." she paused, face contorting in confusion as though she was just realizing the Force presence of the planet, "Alive...OH, look at this," she held up the small braid in her hair, "I read about it of padawans from the past, and I thought it was cool, so now I gave myself one."

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra was not a small man by any means, but the force of her hug almost toppled him. He despised random physical contact, but Theia fell within the tiny list of exceptions. The part Sephi managed a faint smile as he let her hug him. However, her words drew out a scoff, “Old? I’ve been getting lots of compliments on this, thanks,” He said curtly as he ran his hand over his jawline.

Ezra was used to Theia’s rambling, so he gave her a gesture to have her walk with him, but he remained silent as she got her word vomiting out. The part Sephi didn’t appear to be listening, though his ears twitched now and then. He even had his EZPhone out at one point to sneak a quick glance at the Limmie stats.

He did, however, look over when she pointed out her braid, “They tried to strongly suggest I get one..I’ll let you guess how that went,” Ezra said as they continued through the trail.

“This planet is strong in the Force,” He explained, glad that she picked up on it, “You should be able to harness the Force easier here. You can unleash outbursts of the Force, but true skill lies in the finer manipulations of it,” He knew she was impulsive, and it worked on many occasions, but learning went far beyond just repulsive attacks with the Force.

Ezra found a clearing and pointed to a hollowed out stump. There were sticks and rocks lying around, “You can connect to the Force easier, but it’s a double edged sword. The Force can also resist you here if you do not focus correctly or have distractions. I want you to take your time and lift a rock and drop it into that stump.”

It sounded like a simple enough request, but Theia would have to have a perfectly clear mind. She would also learn that gripping something with the Force, navigating it, and releasing it perfectly into a destination was far tougher than it looked.

@GABA

 

[Theia Durand]

The padawan gave Ezra a wide grin when he explained his own experience on the padawan braid, she couldn't see him giving in to that. He had patiently waited until she was done speaking, something she had greatly appreciated over the years, there was certainly a time when they were younger that it would end in the two of them crying because she couldn't finish and he wanted her to just stop. He spoke about the planet, confirming what she was able to feel, but there was a reason why they were here: refining her skills.

Everything he said told her that he knew her very well and where she was lacking, she certainly can do very basic maneuvers with her power, but that was about it. She didn't need to think much on it, for now it had been working, but she wanted to be a better Jedi and understood it wasn't about being bigger in her hits. She walked quickly, stepping lightly until they came to a clearing and he gave his instruction to her. Theia frowned, looking from the tree stump to the rocks laying on the ground, it seemed easy enough. She thought she was keeping her mind clear enough, but she down played her own distractions. Glancing to Ezzie she nodded, understanding the task, but her silence clearly meant she was not holding herself too high in her ability to do this task.

The first part to this was just lifting the rock, which she found easy, she often practiced this one skill, but to drop it into the stump, she did not expect the rock to fling itself across the clearing to what she was thinking was a gentle nudge.

The girl sighed and tried again, palm extended, inhaling slowly and then the rock rose, stayed, and she needed it to drop into the tree stump. A squawking from a bird flying over quickly caught her attention and the rock dropped. And so Theia repeated, raising the rock, her palm moved gently but there was a new difficulty to this slowness, just keeping it steady took more focus, and then when she started to think about the task, the rock fell. Theia let out an annoyed scoff, but stopped herself, glancing at Ezra.

After some time, she was uncertain how long it had been since she started, the sun definitely had moved significantly, and sweat was beading on her brow. The stone had touched the lip of the stump's edge and as soon as the excitement bubbled, it toppled down. Theia looked at it with disbelief, fingers gripping locks of her hair before she sat down burying her face into her hands and letting out a yell of annoyance. "It would just be easier to pick it up with my fingers and drop it in there..."

She sat in silence for a few moments, remembering how Ezzie told her to clear her mind, but the more she tried to push out thoughts, the stronger they came, the more she tried to push out the idea she could just pick up the rock and drop it inside the stump, the harder it became. And with all this, it seemed as though the Force knew what was running through her head. Quietly she just allowed herself to feel, the waves of the Force ebbed and flowed, and with each movement seemed to bring more stillness to the teen; and what seemed so simple and mindless, it was just as active as she allowed the Force just to flow through herself. Seeming unconcerned this time about failing or not, the rock lifted with her palm and toppled into the hallowed tree stump.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra sat in silence as she attempted the same maneuver over and over again. To her annoyance, at some point he picked up a stick and started thwacking a tree with it for entertainment. Shortly after, he was yawning and stretching. He didn’t have service out here even with satellites, so he made a point to install some soon.

He said nothing for a moment when Theia complained. There was no sagely advice, “Maybe it’d help if you didn’t look like you’re straining to take a dump,” He said curtly. At this point, he had taken out a granola bar and took a bite, snacking while waiting for her to finally complete the task. After a while, she finally managed to drop the rock into the stump. Ezra nodded in approval.

“What was different that time around?” He asked her. Ezra let her answer, taking another bite of granola while she responded. He finished chewing before he spoke again.

“Do you ever think about breathing? Do you ever think about blinking?” He asked, “The Force needs to become as automatic and a part of you as both of those things. The reason I ask you to clear your mind is to allow the Force to be almost reflexive instead of you overthinking. Trust in it and let it do the guiding instead of the other way around,” He finished so he could continue eating his granola. Ezra gestured towards more rocks, asking her to try again to pour them all into the stump.

@GABA

 

[Theia Durand]

Theia silently wondered if the other padawans had masters who were snarky and sassy like Ezzie. She had not heard many speak about these issues so she assumed she was in the lone on this. However, internally she questioned if she really believed things would be different as Ezzie as her jedi master; his sass was always on point even when they were younger, so maybe she shouldn't have expected him to change too much. Even with her small, difficult accomplishment, he wanted her to explain how she was able to do it, and her face slowly turned into puzzlement.

She had just done it, and now to put it into words...Theia shrugged as he waited for her reply, taking his time with the granola. Her brow furrowed, gaze drifting off slightly, "I...sat in it, like when we used to visit the ocean with Mama, and I'd just sit in the water...I was still and it would wash around me." Theia begun to explain, recalling the feeling of the ocean and the Force, "I just let it be with me..." the redhead paused, finding her own words odd, but she was uncertain how to fully describe a feeling. Ezra continued, rhetorical questions, which the girl internally answered, trusting it though...she had not really thought about it until now. there was no doubt she had heard it many times, but there was something about this moment were it would click for her...

Or it was all her joints cracking at once from tensing for so long...

Unfortunately, the girl would quickly drop this thought of trust to the idea of having to put everything inside the stump now. The girl gave a quick, unamused frown before returning to her previous spot, instead of sitting, she remained standing, and she stood for a very long time, searching, feeling, before the feeling of the ocean of the Force returned. She could feel it in her center, a warmth and glow of the Light. Nothing moved on the ground for a while, but at least she did not look as though she were about to blow a vein in her forehead from straining too hard.

Eventually, not only did a rock start to rise, but also the sticks and the leaves and anything else that was not fully attached to the ground, and from there, it just sat, weightless, but Ezra could feel Theia presence more strongly. It would be a stark difference from the high energy padawan he knew; and she would also notice the difference and open one eye, processing for a moment what she saw before she let out a gasp, both arms shooting up in her excitement and all the leaves and rocks and whatever else was in the air, jetted outward. Some toward Ezra and Theia, who managed to duck right into a branch that wacked her in the middle of the face.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra said nothing to her response. In truth, it was more important for her to hear those words than for him. Everyone had their own reasons for the Force answering their call. Everyone had their own relationship with it that no one else could understand. Ezra watched her focus again and slowly begin to lift multiple items. She got a bit eager at the end, sending everything flying at them. The part Sephi jutted up a hand and everything froze mid-air briefly before collapsing to the ground. It was a display of precision and control with the Force, and it came to him effortlessly now.

“Good,” He said, nodding his approval despite her outburst at the end. He started walking again, continuing on their trail, “Do you trust in your abilities?” He asked after a long moment. He wanted her to think about the question and weigh on it, “Do you understand how your intent plays into those abilities?” It was a subtle nuance people sometimes forgot. It was exactly what teased them into the Dark Side. Emotions were the cornerstone of what it meant to be human, so it was easy to miss when it began to lace Force powers.

“You are distracted, Theia,” Ezra said calmly, “Being a Jedi means learning to find your focus through the storms no matter what,” He turned to look at her, “No matter what,” He repeated. It was a haunting reminder that family, friends and other things sometimes had to be set aside to find purpose with the Light Side.

@GABA

 

[Theia Durand]

He seemed satisfied with her accomplishment despite not necessarily finishing it through. Theia felt herself beam slightly for being able to keep herself in stillness, she usually could pick up a rock or two if she tried hard enough, but a whole group of items was a new first. Though Ezra continued along the trail and Theia quickly caught up, walking beside him as he continued her lesson. She glanced at him with a puzzled look as he asked if she trusted in her ability. Immediately, she wanted to say 'yes' but she didn't because she didn't necessarily believed that answer. She let him continue, her thoughts turning inward before she responded. "I don't trust me." she admitted, "How will I know if what I am doing is the right path?" she questioned.

"What if what I feel is right, you don't feel the same? Or another jedi has a different path?" she asked, thinking how distracted she was with just thinking of the what ifs of being a Jedi. Ezra was right, she was distracted in many ways, and she took a deep breath to calm herself, whispering numbers and letters in an attempt to clear her mind.

"Is it possible to be too focused on a path through the storm? To become too attached to a path so that your journey becomes rigid and uncompromising?" she questioned.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra quirked a brow at her series of questions. They were not the type of deep, intuitive questions he expected from a 16-year old. He thought back to when he was 16 and what an imbecile he was. It made him wonder if Theia was ever really given a chance to be a stupid little kid or if her mother always put her on a designated path to grow up as quickly as possible.

“Sometimes you won’t,” He answered honestly, thinking back to when he ran away upon discovering that Raze was his father. Ezra gave her the space to get all her blurting out of the way. Her verbal diarrhea combined with his calm and silence often worked well because he just stared blankly until she was able to get out her actual intent. There was a pause after her last question when he knew it was the one.

“The only Jedi that experience that are the ones that never leave the temple,” He stated flatly, “Once you go out into the galaxy and face what’s out there, you learn to evolve and adapt. Your commitment to the Jedi will remain, but what you do to stay on the path will be vastly different from anyone else,” Ezra gave her a long, hard look, “You just need to remember who you are and never lose sight of that. You don’t stop being Theia just because you are a Jedi,” He may have differed from other Jedi with that mindset, but Theia would have witnessed it herself. He always maintained his individuality within the temples, never donning Jedi robes and dressing more like the corporate exec he was than a Jedi. And yet, he commanded the Force as well as a Jedi Master.

“A lot of being a Jedi isn’t about the Force at all, it’s more about the choices you make,” Ezra said after a moment of silence, “You can’t save everyone, you can’t fix everything, you can’t make everyone happy. You can’t only think about yourself. That kind of judgment comes only with experience and getting out there. For you, the biggest hurdle will be controlling your impulses with the Force.”

@GABA

 

[Theia Durand]

Theia's eyes widened slightly in surprise to Ezra's response to her not always knowing what the right answer will be. Though when he continued and spoke of the Jedi who never left the temple, she couldn't help but to think of the day Ezra stood ground to rallied the Order. No other masters approached, and wherever they were now, she was certain they would not depart from the safety of their chairs. Despite some of the helplessness others felt about the lack of guidance from the masters, there was a spark of defiance...good defiance in still doing what was right and not following necessarily others who adhered to a set of laws that no longer had use in the galaxy.

The girl paused, looking at Ezra as his features hardened, his tone was different as he emphasized for her to just be...Theia. She opened her mouth to speak, but paused, nodding in understanding; probably one of the firsts where she didn't immediately spurt out her thoughts.

He knew exactly her weakness, she was entirely too impulsive at times. Just like earlier, she got excited, too excited really and everything spiraled out so quickly. "I'll do better next time." she frowned, "I had to learn to slow myself when I started pointe in ballet, my teacher then said I was too impulsive: overshoot spins, jumps, synchrony was off..." she blushed thinking of all her mistakes years ago.

"But when can we do some lightsaber stuff...there are a ton of padawans with lightsabers, some even have two lightsabers." she whined with a huff. "I can't use my vibroblade in practice classes and have to use a staff, and it just all feels...awkward."

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra knew the complaining about the saber was coming. It was inevitable, because she was right - many Padawans did have their sabers. However, many padawans also didn’t appreciate what having one meant. He recalled back when he wore his crystal around his neck for months before he finally crafted his saber. The Thorne walked in silence for a while, not entertaining her concern right away.

“A saber is more than a simple weapon you just wave around,” Ezra explained, “Carrying one also has inherent risks. After the Empire kicked the Sith out and took their sabers, there has been a tremendous shortage. Mercenaries, Sith, and countless other people are on the hunt for sabers,” He stated flatly, “Are you prepared to draw that kind of attention?” It was clear he had given thought to her having a saber, but he also weighed the risks that came with it these days.

He continued walking, “I will considered you prepared if you succeed in today’s mission,” He said simply as he led towards a village in the distance, “I want you to lead the negotiations with the village elders today and execute a plan of action. They have been plagued by attacks from a group that has holed up somewhere in the mountains.”

@GABA

 

[Theia Durand]

It felt good to get her lightsaber concerns off her chest and she let out quiet sigh of relief that he was listening to her. His response was...predictable, more so that she knew he would say she was not ready, but his addition about the need to protect her weapon, she would internally admit he had a good point. She didn't think about the sith without their weapons and the bounties that were out there. The padawan let out a pouting "No..." when he asked if she felt ready to handle such attention, she knew she still needed help and guidance.

Theia remained quiet as they walked, contemplating if she needed to work harder to prove that she was capable as well as ready to handle such responsibility. Ezzie spoke again, mentioning their mission on this world and Theia perked up, especially seeing the village in the distance. She felt some excitement to be doing something other than lifting things into an empty log, but that excitement was short-lived. "Negotiations?" she felt her stomach drop, she didn't think herself good at this. "Are you going to come with me though?" she asked him as they approached the village. She could feel eyes settle on them and Theia opened herself to the Force.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra smirked at her question, “If you have a saber, you’re independent enough to operate alone,” He stated flatly, “I will accompany you, but I will not advise you,” He said. He walked with her towards the village and could see people milling about. It was clear that modern technology had little to no presence here.

Almost right away, a man with a large belly walked over with a sour expression on his face. He glared at the two Jedi, “Who are you and what do you want?” His tone was laced with suspicion and judgment.

Ezra said nothing, waiting for Theia to do the talking.

@GABA

 

[Theia Durand]

Theia frowned, but nodded, understanding the assignment he had laid out for her. This was for her to do, though the closer she looked, she noted the very little technology that was present. It was hard for her to wrap her mind around the idea of not having droids or other tech, especially when your parent owned and created some of the most advanced technology in the galaxy. Even carrying her vibroblade felt as though she was a bit out there with the locals outside being a galactic visiting their world.

She took another deep breath in, remembering what Ezzie said about trusting the Force to guide her, allowing it to be with her as she stepped forward to address the large bellied man who perhaps she hoped was just grumpy for other reasons other than just the two of them showing up. "Hello!" Theia spoke, keeping herself from using her usual over-energetic greeting to avoid stirring anymore tension here.

"I'm Theia and this is Ezra, we're jedi." she paused only briefly, expecting some backlash, but regardless if it happened, she continued, "I am here to meet with your elders and council about the attacks on your village. I am hoping I can help find a solution that keeps everyone safe and hopefully stops the attacks." she explained, waiting for his response, to see if he would oblige and lead them to the elders or if he said no...well, Theia wasn't sure what she would do next exactly if that were to happen.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

The man Theia addressed glared, “Oh just fucking great,” He hissed, “Jedi are exactly what we need right now. The fucking Sith magnets,” He crossed his arms over his chest, “How about you and your prettyboy friend over there just fuck right off,” He growled before he turned and stormed off. Soon enough, he was seen chatting with other villagers and pointed back at the two Jedi. (roll: 3/20)

Ezra didn’t react to the complete mishap, standing there in calm silence. His focus was on Theia and how she handled the situation. It was a scenario Jedi often found themselves in - helping those that didn’t wish to be helped. The Thorne didn’t offer words of reassurance, nor did he critique her approach.

“Proceed,” He said calmly, reminding her to find an alternative route. The village itself was standard in terms of layout. There were small homes scattered across the plains, mills in the distance, a river that cut through. There was a local inn and farmlands attached to some of the houses. Ezra would let Theia lead the way. They could try and investigate the culprits and set off towards the mountains, or she could try gleaning information from the village again.

@GABA

 

[Theia Durand]

Theia was not used to the negative backlash and she was surprised by his response; it didn't help she was feeling the wave of emotions that came from the man, it wasn't just anger, annoyance yes, but he was fearful, and it was emphasized with the phrase "sith magnets". No doubt, Theia fought to hold her tongue though, she was not used to the negative backlash for being a Jedi but she didn't think it was necessary, an overreaction. Plus, she didn't even do anything except be here and greeting him. Not realizing how much she had tensed, she had also been holding her breath and when he turned to return to his group, Theia let out a long sigh, glancing over to prettyboy hoping he would give some low-key hint, but there was nothing.

The girl took in another breath, feeling herself relax, but now feeling more of the tension in the village, but with Ezra's cue, Theia did. She was at least stubborn enough to not give up right away. Despite her own underlying nervousness, she proceeded into the village, it wasn't like this guy was specific on where she could fuck off too, so she needed some answers to many of the questions she was stewing. She remembered her first field mission with Ezra and headed to the Inn, though before entering, she turned to Ezzie, "Please don't get drunk this time..." she whispered, not sure what she would do if she had to help him again and help this village.

It was still early enough that most individuals were still working in their shops or fields, the tables and bar counter in the commons area of the Inn were mostly empty. Theia walked up to the counter, noticing the slice of pie being enjoyed by one of the Inn's frequent visitors; Theia took a seat, "Could I get a slice?" she asked.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra scoffed at her warning about drinking, “Why not? You’re the one in charge. I’m not responsible,” He said curtly as they walked into the inn. He was surprised at how backwards everything seemed here. Ezra grimaced and felt out of place, wondering if anything was remotely up to code. The windows looked old and the rafters holding up the roof looked like they were about to cave.

He looked over right in time for Theia to ask some rando about pie. Ezra fought the urge to roll his eyes, taking a seat next to her.

“New in town?” The woman with a kind face behind the bar asked. She retrieved a slice of pie and placed it before Theia, “You look a little young to be here..” She remarked, glancing over at Ezra.

“She’s my cousin, we’re stopping by town and nothing else was open,” Ezra said smoothly, having had the reply ready to go. It was satisfactory as the woman focused her attention back on Theia.

“We’re known for the best pies in this town! Y’all came at the perfect time since I just made a new batch-” She proceeded to ramble about pies for the next ten solid minutes. Ezra’s eyes glazed over, and he discreetly tried to find signal with his EZPhone to check some Hutball stats.

“So what’re y’all doing here?” The woman asked at the end of her long spiel.

@GABA

 

[Theia Durand]

Ezra seemed unimpressed as she saw him pull his EZphone out from the corner of her eye, but her attention remained focus on the woman explaining her pie enthusiasm. The padawan felt herself drawn into the conversation as she ate the pie, which was certainly one of the best she had and it reminded her much of her mom's baking. Not to mention the pie was still warm in the middle which made it all more delicious as she savored each bite. From filling to crust, Theia probably didn't help by asking questions on how she got it perfectly flakey. Eventually, the conversation wrapped up with her asking what they were doing in town.

Uncertain if this woman would have as much as a visceral reaction as their first guy she encountered, she tried to keep it vague, but not too vague to raise irrational suspicions. Theia scrapped the last of the gooey berries with her fork, giving a nonchalent shrugged as she thought about her response, seemingly more careful of what she said. "Educational things," Theia gently placed the fork down, both plate and utensil clean. "I heard though there have been attacks or something out here..." she frowned, "Do you guys get a lot of raiders out in these parts?" she asked, hoping to gently persuade some more information by being genuinely curious.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

It took every ounce of willpower not to loudly groan in frustration when Theia started asking questions about the stupid pie. He turned to give her an icy look that the Thornes were famous for - minus Jaikus who couldn’t pull it off if he tried - and hopefully that got her back on track. At long last, Theia finally arrived at the point and Ezra looked to see how the woman took the question.

There was a long moment of pause as the woman pretended to be hyperfocused on cleaning a glass. Eventually, she sighed and looked away, “Folks ‘round here don’t like to talk about it but it’s no raider…it’s a monster…comes once a month,” She said quietly, “Lots o’ good men were lost trying to go after it. Its holed up somewhere in the mountains,” She looked around and leaned in.

“I wouldn’t meddle with this if I were you..” She whispered before quickly withdrawing away. Already Ezra could tell some of the other patrons were looking at her. Was she in some sort of danger for sharing the information? Why was it all so hush hush? Between this and the earlier reaction about drawing Sith, Ezra began to have a hunch.

@GABA

 

[Theia Durand]

Theia could tell the woman was uncomfortable, she seemed exceptionally focused on the glass, and she knew from her own personal experience (especially when she was in trouble with her mom) she would certainly pretend to be cleaning extra well. The girl's head tilted slightly, her shoulders dropping some as she tried to decide her next move, but that's when the woman spoke again, explaining what was happening in the village every month. There was death that surrounded it, it seemed odd that she spoke about it so discretely, or at least tried to as the entire room felt as though it were freezing with the tension.

Though telling Theia not to meddle, drew a terrible urge to meddle more.

Theia opened her mouth to speak again, but from the window she caught a glimpse of the round man from earlier spotting the jedi duo in the inn and begun to head over. "Ah, he looks angrier..." Theia whispered. The woman behind the counter also watched him approach the entrance.

"Kevh, he's grieving, his daughter and his father...we think the monster took them. Now he has to hold this village together as chief." she explained, quickly moving to slice up some pie as the door slammed open and he stomped inside, pointing to Ezra and Theia.

"I thought I told you to fuck off, that didn't mean stick around this village." he hollered. Theia quickly dropped some credits for the pie and hopped off her seat. She at least understood the man's anger now, it was not that they were necessarily here, but everything else- he feared what would become of him, what had become of his family, and what will become of his home.

"Ok, we can leave, but we also can help, you can have your men stay put, and we'll go after the monster. We can help you find what happened to your daughter and father, and anyone else who has disappeared." she explained and the room remained tense until Kevh spoke (roll: 15/20).

He let out a long sigh, still not happy about the decision he was to make and having Jedi here, he still feared it would lure more sith to their home, "Alright." he agreed, turning around as though he were about to leave, but paused, turning back to the jedi, "We have been able to track the creature up Arrow's Pass, on the eastside of the village, its full of tunnels and caves, so its perfect for it to hide." He looked between the two Jedi, "I guess if you fail, then you'd fuck off forever, so this works." he waved his hand at them dismissively and Theia's brow narrowed in annoyance.

She didn't stay put and making sure Ezzie followed, she would lead the way to Arrow's Pass.

@Sreeya