Ask Tatooine The Cost of a Crystal

[Atris Tharen]

Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. That was the only thought running through Atris' head, repeating itself over and over as she sat there, waiting for a sign. Any kind of sign would do. Movement, a groan- it didn't matter. Anything, so long as it meant the young Togrutan boy was not dead. Seconds dragged into an eternity.

Suddenly, Ruzaan clutched at his chest, wheezing for air. Blood dripped from the boy's nose as he stumbled over to the speeder bike. He looked terrible, but he was alive, and Atris couldn't have been any more relieved.

"Stars' end!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking. "You're alive! Quickly, hop on. We're sitting mynocks out here." With an outstretched hand the Jedi Knight assisted Ruzaan as he climbed atop the speeder bike, and not a second too soon.

Zirga's henchmen had recovered from the explosion and began to fire on the two Jedi. Blaster bolts bombarded the sand around them.

"Hold on tight," Atris charged, leaning forward in her seat as the speeder bike raced away from the blaster fire. Blood and tears stained her back as the two Jedi rode away from the danger, and Atris' heart sunk with guilt. Had she made a mistake by allowing Ruzaan to carry out such a perilous task? Yes, he was a Jedi, but had she put him in too much danger too soon? He was only fifteen years old.

He's only been with the Order for a year. What were you thinking? she scolded herself.

As soon as they were safely on the other side of Brunnox Chizz's sail barge and out of the line of fire, Atris wasted no time dismounting. The Jedi Knight knelt down in the sand beside the speeder bike and examined Ruzaan's wounds, both through the Force and by running her eyes over the young boy. His ribs were bruised, and it was possible that he had a small head concussion. Nothing too serious, and nothing she wouldn't be able to heal within a few minutes. She had more experience with Force healing than any other power of the Force.

She wanted to wrap her arms around Ruzaan and comfort him, take his physical pain away and tell him how brave and valiant he had been, but there wasn't time for that. With the enemy's mounted deck gun disabled, they would attempt a boarding, and Atris needed to get back onto deck before Chizz's men were overwhelmed.

"You're going to be alright, Ruzaan," she comforted him softly, reaching a hand up to gently wipe a few of his tears away. It wasn't much, but it was all she could do for him for the time being. "Just stay here, alright?" With that, Atris turned toward the sail barge and hurried up the rope ladder, trying to ignore the burning in her left arm.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

By the time Atris parked the speeder on the far side of Brunnox's barge, Ruzaan had more or less regained his composure. His bruised ribs protested as he hiccupped once or twice, but the emotional release had served to help stabilize his mood. "Sorry for getting blood on your robes" he said, his voice raspy. In the back of his throat he could feel the sand he'd swallowed some moments earlier during the crash. Yuck.

Atris made him lie down in the shade of Brunnox's pleasure barge and knelt beside him, quickly examining his wounds. It was obvious to Ruzaan that she'd done this countless times before, and the Jedi Knight's practiced eye missed nothing. She gently wiped away the last of his tears before ordering him to stay put and sprinting back to Brunnox's barge. Ruzaan had to admire her bravery and dedication; although the blaster wound on her arm was clearly painful, give up didn't appear to be in Atris' vocabulary.

It shouldn't be in mine, either a voice nagged in Ruzaan's head, as an internal battle began. On one hand, Atris had told him to stay where he was. He was relatively safe here, and Atris could focus on finishing the mission instead of looking after him. After all, hadn't running interference for him gotten her injured? He needed to trust Atris' judgement.

But what will you tell the other Padawans? came a second, more selfish voice. They all have cool stories from their missions. All you've got so far is a bloody nose.

The sounds of combat grew louder, heralding the unwelcome arrival of a boarding party from Zirga's barge. Battle cries and blaster fire echoed across the dunes of Tatooine as a life-or-death struggle took place on the deck of Brunnox's pleasure yacht. As the debate raged on in Ruzaan's mind the lifeless body of a Trandoshan plummeted over the side of the barge, a lightsaber-sized hole smoking in their chest. Ruzaan briefly paused his inner struggle to mentally cheer on Atris.

In that moment, he heard the Jedi Knight cry out; whether in pain or in triumph, Ruzaan couldn't tell, but hearing her voice galvanized him into action. Ignoring the complaints of his battered body, he unclipped his double-bladed training lightsaber and began climbing up the rope ladder to the deck of Brunnox's barge.

Edit: Text coloring

@llamalove

 

[Atris Tharen]

The deck of Brunnox Chizz's ship was in a state of absolute chaos. His men were quickly being overpowered and overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity of Zirga's thugs. They pushed their way toward the quarters of Brunnox Chizz, and Chizz's men wouldn't be able to hold them off for much longer. Outgunned and outnumbered, they were fighting a losing battle. Atris hoped to change that.

"Stop!" she yelled, a foolish move if you didn't fancy a blaster bolt to the head, but she was a Jedi first and foremost, and Jedi were supposed to be peacekeepers. Her conscience urged her to at least try to put a stop to the fighting, especially since Chizz's men were no more innocent than Zirga's were. "Let's just talk this out! I'm sure we can come to a reasonable-" her words came to an abrupt stop as she ducked, narrowly avoiding a blaster bolt aimed at her head.

I'll take that as a no then, she concluded, drawing her lightsaber and igniting the yellow blade. She deflected one blaster bolt after another as she pressed her way forward into the fight.

"I'm going to gut you like a ghest," she heard a raspy voice say directly behind her. She spun on her heel and came face to face with a Rodian, an unsettling grin spread across his face as he brandished a vibroknife in his hands. Atris took a step back right as he lunged toward her, narrowly avoiding the blade. "Come back here, Jedi Scum!" He lunged at her again, but Atris drove her golden blade through the alien's chest. A sharp final breath escaped his lips, and as the Jedi Knight pulled her blade from his corpse, he fell from the side of the ship to the sand below.

Atris directed her attention back to the fight. Some measure of confidence had returned to Chizz's henchmen as they pushed their enemies away from the stairs leading into the belly of the ship and back toward their own vessel. The Jedi Knight took a step forward, intending to throw herself back into the fray, but instead let out a small cry as a twi'lek swung across from Zirga's ship and collided with the left side of her body. The Jedi Knight and twi'lek tumbled to the floor, sliding to an abrupt stop when they hit what was left of the deck's railing.

Atris hissed in pain, clutching the blaster bolt wound on her left arm as she kicked the male twi'lek off of her with all of the strength she could manage. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone climbing over the side of the deck. "Ruzaan? What are you doing here?"

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

This has to be the least impressive reinforcement mission in history thought Ruzaan as he hauled himself up the rope ladder one rung at a time, his body protesting with every step. He was aware of the fact that he had little in the way of a plan to help Atris, but he wasn't going to let such a minor detail stop him. So what if his training lightsaber couldn't effectively damage the attackers? Trust in the Force!

As triumphantly as possible given the circumstances, Ruzaan reached the top of the rope ladder and poked his head over the damaged railing of Brunnox's ship, taking in the chaos raging across the deck. It was difficult to differentiate between the two crews, but Ruzaan guessed that the smaller, grungier group making a stand at the top of the staircase belonged to Brunnox while the well-equipped, numerically-superior forces pledged loyalty to Zirga. He didn't have to look far to find Atris, who was just to his left against one of the few remaining sections of railing on this side of the ship. The Jedi Knight kicked off an assailant and fixed Ruzaan with her intense, dark brown eyes. "Ruzaan? What are you doing here?"

Ruzaan's confidence deflated rapidly in the face of her question. "I'm sorry! I... I just wanted to help!" he said, pulling himself up and onto the deck. "What I mean is, you don't have to do this all by yourself" he said, finding his voice. With a snap-hiss , Ruzaan ignited his double-bladed lightsaber and did his best to stare down the Twi'lek. It may have been locked on a low-power mode, but none of the attackers knew that.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

"I'm sorry! I... I just wanted to help! What I mean is, you don't have to do this all by yourself," Ruzaan said, drawing a small smile from Atris. She appreciated his concern and his honest heart. He was sweet. Impulsive and a little bit reckless, but sweet.

"Thanks," she replied, using the distraction of his double-bladed lightsaber to Force push the twi'lek. The blow of the Force sent the twi'lek flying into a support beam on the nearby sail barge, the wooden beam splintering with the weight of him. He slumped to the deck, unconscious and still.

Atris pushed herself to a standing to position and turned toward Ruzaan, running her eyes over the young Torgrutan boy. She wondered if this would be his first real fight. If it was, he could probably use a confidence boost. "Well, I'm glad you're here. Two blades are always better than one." She offered him an encouraging and energetic smile as she reignited her yellow lightsaber. With her left arm out of commission for the time being, her second blade remained clipped to her belt. "Stay close," she added at the end, a safeguard for the young Padawan.

The two Jedi rejoined the fighting, each watching the other's back as they deflected blaster fire and held off the few men foolish enough to charge them straight on. A dozen or so men lie dead around them, most of them Chizz's men. Although still outnumbered, they began to put up more of a fight, pushing back with more vigor than before. Whether it was the fear of death driving them forward or the two Jedi fighting along side them that gave them more confidence, Atris did not know. Perhaps it was both. All she knew was that the small skirmish would soon be over, and they would drive Zirga's men back to their own barge.

Or so she thought.

"He's got a frag!" someone yelled, and men began to disperse in any direction they could in an attempt to escape the blast radius. Time seemed to stand still as Atris watched one of Zirga's men roll two frag grenades across the desk of the sail barge. The first grenade was rolling directly toward her, and the Jedi Knight only had a few seconds to react. She lost sight of the second grenade in the crowd of fleeing feet. Reaching a hand out, she propelled the first grenade from the ship, and it exploded mid-air, small bits of metal and wire scattering to the desert sands below. Frantically, her eyes searched for the second grenade.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

To Ruzaan's relief, Atris didn't scold him for disobeying her previous orders., welcoming him aboard with an inspiring smile and a reminder to "Stay close".

Ruzaan didn't need any encouragement to follow that command. He and Atris fell into a rhythm together, their lightsabers flashing through the desert air to intercept and deflect blaster bolds aimed in their direction. As they fought their way towards the hotly-contested staircase leading down towards the lower decks, Brunnox's few remaining men rallied alongside them, pushing the attackers back toward Zirga's yacht.

"He's got a frag!"

The shout caused several of Brunnox's men (and some of Zirga's) to scramble hastily towards whatever scant cover they could find on the ruined deck of the pleasure yacht. The attacker in question had two frags, actually. Ruzaan spied one of the deadly spheres rolling across the deck and reached out with the Force to give it a little more momentum, causing the grenade to roll off the deck and over the side where it detonated harmlessly. A distant BANG in the opposite direction told him that Atris had been successful in averting the other frag grenade.

A cheer went up from Brunnox's remaining fighters, and Ruzaan turned to see the attackers retreating back towards Zirga's yacht. The two sides exchanged a few more blaster shots as Zirga's yacht pulled away, but for all intents and purposes the battle was won. More than a dozen bodies littered the deck, many of them concentrated around the top of the staircase where the fighting had been the fiercest. Several of Brunnox's guards sported fresh wounds as well, grim reminders of the harrowing ordeal they'd just survived.

Ruzaan hurried over to Atris' side, deactivating his lightsaber as he did so but not putting it away. He still didn't trust Brunnox not to betray them, and something felt off about this mission. The wary eyes of Brunnox's remaining crew did little to assuage his fears.

As Atris checked him over for injuries (again), Ruzaan did his best to control his nerves. "I don't think we should wait around to see if Zirga comes back; the sooner we can get this lightsaber, the sooner we can get out of here."

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Atris breathed a sigh of relief as Ruzaan guided the second frag grenade away from them, rolling it off the deck where it could do no harm. Cheers erupted across the sail barge as Brunnox Chizz's men drove the last of their enemies back to their own vessel and back to Zirga where they belonged.

The two Jedi stood next to one another in silence, deactivating their lightsabers as they watched Zirga and his men pull away toward the setting suns. The brief skirmish was over, the fighting done. The Jedi and Brunnox Chizz had been victorious, but as Atris stared at the corpses of dead men scattered across the deck, she wondered what this battle had even been about and why it had been necessary in the first place.

Brunnox Chizz's pleasure yacht had not been in the best of shape to begin with, but it was an absolute wreck now. The Hutt would be lucky if his crew ever managed to repair it. It would be a long time before it could sail again.

"That was excellent work, dispatching with that frag grenade," Atris praised Ruzaan, turning to the young boy. She examined him again, concerned that he might have acquired more injuries during the fight. Thankfully, he had not. "Your reflexes were fast. You saved our lives."

Atris could feel the fear that radiated from the young Togrutan. Hushed silence had fallen over the remaining crew as they leered at the two Jedi. "I think you are right," she answered him quietly, her brown eyes running over him once more in a final inspection. Tending to his wounds as well as her own would have to wait just a little while longer. She didn't like the idea of hanging around here any more than Ruzaan did.

Leading the way, Atris walked confidently across the deck toward the stairway, gingerly stepping over two or three bodies that blocked the path. She would not allow the crew to sense any fear.

Below deck, right where they had left him, was the Hutt himself: Brunnox Chizz. The Hutt looked none the worse for wear apart from a few scorch marks across his tail. No doubt from one of the explosions. He had faired better than most of his crew.

"Jedi, how can I ever thank you?" the Hutt exclaimed as Atris and Ruzaan approached. "You have saved my life!"

"We do not ask for your thanks," Atris replied. Nor would we ever want it, she thought to herself, disgusted with the idea that they had saved the Hutt. Although she had no concrete evidence, it didn't take a genius to know that Brunnox Chizz was involved in more than just a sibling rivalry with his sister. In Atris' experience, all Hutts were as deep in crime as they were fat. "All we ask for is what you promised us. The lightsaber."

"About that..." the Hutt faltered, his eyes shifting from one Jedi to the other.

He doesn't have it. Of course he doesn't have it, Atris surmised angrily. He's relying on the "forgiving nature" of the Jedi. He knows we won't kill him.

"Sadly... Well, there must have been some sort of misunderstanding."

"You don't have the lightsaber, do you?"

"Well... no. I am afraid I already sold it. To a wealthy antique dealer a few days ago."

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan tried to match Atris' confident air as the Knight led them down the staircase to where Brunnox Chizz was waiting, apparently no worse for the wear despite the ordeal his ship and his crew had just been through. The Hutt's eyes flicked over the two Jedi as well as his remaining crew members, as if assessing his negotiating power.

Atris, however, quickly put the Hutt on the defensive. "You don't have the lightsaber, do you?"

"Well... no. I am afraid I already sold it. To a wealthy antique dealer a few days ago."

"Already sold it?!" Ruzaan squeaked, unable to contain his indignation. He could feel the frustration rolling off of Atris as well. "Then why-?" his tirade was interrupted by the astromech serving droid offering him a drink. Ruzaan angrily shoed it away, but the distraction was enough for Brunnox to interrupt as well.

"I sincerely regret any... miscommunication" the Hutt said, his tone dripping with poorly-practiced sincerity. "Since we have no further business here, perhaps you'll be on your way, then? I would hate to waste your time".

That's all you've done, you greedy slug! thought Ruzaan, but a warning look from Atris convinced him to stay silent. Instead, he pursed his lips and looked to the Jedi Knight for clues as to what to do next. No wonder Atris has a complicated relationship with this planet.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

"A miscommunication?" Atris repeated, arching an eyebrow at the Hutt, something inside her snapping unexpectedly. Old memories resurfaced, flooding her mind, and they brought with them long suppressed emotions.

Resentment. Longing. Fear. Anger.

Mos Eisley was a lawless spaceport, thanks to slimeballs like Brunnox Chizz. Hutts like him had paved the way for crime syndicates to gain a foothold in the city and flood its streets with spice. The city had more fugitives and smugglers than it did honest, hardworking citizens. What chance did anyone stand growing up in such a wretched environment?

Brunnox Chizz might have been small potatoes compared to Hutts of old such as Jabba the Hutt, whose infamy had outlived him even to this day on Tatooine, but he was still a part of the problem. Hutts had always been a part of the problem, part of the disease that ate at this planet until there was nothing left but thieves and liars.

The Hutt nodded, either oblivious or indifferent to the fact that the question had been rhetorical in nature.

"You're even more of a sleemo than I thought," Atris remarked, directing the common Huttese insult toward Brunnox Chizz.

The Hutt laughed heartily, his sluggish form jiggling with the force of his laugh. "I would have thought such insults beneath a Jedi."

Atris took a step closer to the Hutt, her right hand reaching toward her belt and resting on the hilt of her lightsaber. Her voice lowered, her tone suddenly dark and threatening as she stared Brunnox Chizz in the eyes. "I'm sure there's a lot of things you thought were beneath a Jedi."

The Hutt's eyes shifted under her intense gaze, glancing instead toward Ruzaan. He found no solace or comfort there either. "I promise you, Jedi, this is all a misunderstanding."

"A Hutt's word is worth less than bantha fodder," the Jedi Knight stated matter-of-factly, subsequently leaning in closer to the Hutt. "Try again."

"I... I don't know what you mean."

Atris laughed, though there was no real mirth in the sound. "Stupid as well as fat I see. My companion already asked you, but very well. I shall repeat the question. Why drag us all the way out here if you had already sold the lightsaber? What did you hope to gain? To capture us and sell us off to the highest bidder?"

Chizz exchanged a knowing look with his goons, a desperate look in his eyes as they began to close in around the two Jedi. That had been his plan, initially. The surprise assault from his sister must have made him reconsider.

"I suppose Jedi would fetch a fair prince among certain circles, wouldn't they? I'd be curious to know how you planned to take us hostage with so few men and so few..." She looked around the beaten up sail barge with disgust. "...resources."

"Please, I beg you!" the Hutt cried, looking back and forth between the two Jedi, hoping one of them would show compassion on him. "Do not harm me!"

Atris ignored his plea. "The name of the antique dealer you sold the lightsaber to."

Brunnox Chizz did not hesitate. "Oran Typho, a Mon Calamari from his home planet."

Atris tilted her head in thanks. She would report back to the counsel, and they would decide if this lightsaber was worth further pursuit or not. "Goodbye, Brunnox Chizz. Perhaps our paths will cross again." The Jedi Knight turned toward Ruzaan and winked at him before walking over and and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, urging him toward the door. It was time for them to leave.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan watched with a mixture of fascination as well as concern as Atris questioned- no, interrogated- Brunnox Chizz. He wanted to believe that this was just a ruse put on by the Jedi Knight in order to gain the information they sought, but there was no denying the edge in her tone as she cut through Brunnox's defenses and exposed his plan, mincing no words as she told the Hutt exactly what she thought of him.

As Atris verbally eviscerated Brunnox, Ruzaan did his best to support her by staring down the Hutt's remaining goons and generally looking pissed off; not a difficult act considering he was parched, tired, and sore. It must've looked convincing because none of them met his gaze, but behind his stern outward demeanor his mind raced. Atris had taken several steps towards Brunnox with her hand on her lightsaber, and for a moment Ruzaan prepared himself to intercede; not out of any love for Brunnox, but concern for Atris. The Knight was currently walking a very fine line with her emotions.

Just as the tension in the room reached an unbearable level, Brunnox relented and gave up the name of the dealer he'd sold the lightsaber to. Apparently satisfied with his answer, Atris turned on a dime and marched towards the exit, winking at Ruzaan as she did. Bewildered, Ruzaan allowed himself to be led up the staircase and into the late afternoon sun(s). Minutes later, the two Jedi were racing across the dunes back towards Mos Eisley, Ruzaan riding behind Atris on their sole remaining speeder.

As Brunnox's ruined yacht vanished from view behind them, Ruzaan tapped Atris on the shoulder and asked for a halt. Atris obliged and throttled down, turning to face him.

"I've got 2 questions, actually" Ruzaan said, holding up a pair of fingers. "One, what do we do next?" He took a heavy breath, reluctant to ask his second question. "And the other question... um, when you were interrogating Brunnox. That was a side of you I've not seen before. Is everything... ok?"

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Mounting the speeder bike, the two Jedi raced away from the sail barge of Brunnox Chizz and toward the city of Mos Eisley. It was a relief to be rid of the Hutt and his crew, for them to be reduced to nothing more than a spec in the distance, obscured by the sand and dirt that the bike kicked up in its wake.

Atris could feel her emotions beginning to level out once more. Memories of the past faded away as she looked forward to the horizon, and the feelings of resentment and anger they had brought with them blew away with the wind. She tried not to dwell on what had happened aboard the yacht, but she knew she would have to face it sooner or later.

Sooner came rather than later as Ruzaan tapped her on the shoulder, signaling that he wanted to stop. As much as she might like to forget what had happened back there, it would not be an option. She would not refuse, and as soon as the bike had powered down, Atris turned to face the young Togrutan.

"We head back to Mos Eisley and catch the transport ship the Order has arranged for us," she answered, reaching for her canteen to buy herself a little more time. The second question was not as simple to answer as the first.

Eventually, she found her words and met Ruzaan's gaze, willing to own up to what she had done. She did not strictly regret what she had done or the emotions she had experienced. Considering the fact that the Hutt had intended to smell both Jedi on the black market, Atris considered that the Hutt was fortunate she had not plunged her blade through his slugish gut.

She did, however, regret that she had lost control of her emotions in front of Ruzaan. She regretted that she had been a negative influence on him, even for just a few minutes.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," she stated, choosing her words carefully as she placed a hand on the Togrutan's side. She held her hand in place and began to heal his bruised ribs. "I know that must have been... confusing. Tatooine pulls out the worst in me I suppose." Unsure of what else to say, her voice trailed off. "I'm sorry, Ruzaan."

Atris shifted her gaze to the horizon and watched the fading sunlight. Then she chuckled, smiling a little bit sadly as she wiped some blood from the young Togrutan's face. "I'm not a very good influence on you, am I?"

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Over the course of their mission together, Ruzaan had come to know a few things about Atris Tharen. The Jedi Knight was competent, empathetic, and resourceful. She was a patient mentor and a willing teacher, and throughout the day she had gone out of her way to include Ruzaan in the mission; without coddling him, as some Masters did to those in their charge. Finally, she was willing to admit when she'd made a mistake, which in Ruzaan's eyes was perhaps the most admirable quality about her; it spoke to her wisdom and self-awareness... which was why Ruzaan couldn't believe the Knight's next words.

"You? A bad influence on me?!?" he spluttered, barely noticing the receding pain in his ribs as Atris healed him with the Force. "Just today, you've taught me so much... not to mention, I would've died how many times without you here?" he said, his voice raising in indignation. His nose had started bleeding again and he supposed his outburst was immature, but he didn't really care. "Atris Tharen, I've learned a lot from you about what it means to be a Jedi. You have been an excellent influence on me, thank you very much!"

His point made (or so he hoped), Ruzaan crossed his arms and frowned at Atris. She shouldn't be questioning herself over this! he thought.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

It was easy to forget how young Ruzaan still was. He was only a teenager of fifteen, and yet sometimes he seemed so much older than that. His mature reasoning, his bravery and resilience, his eagerness to do the right thing. All of these were characteristics rarely found in someone so young.

As the Togrutan sat there with his arms crossed and frowned at her with disapproval, Atris was reminded that he was young, that he was only fifteen years old, that he had only been with the Jedi Order for about a year. She smiled softly at him, suddenly more fond of him than ever before. Even if he was frowning at her.

"Just don't forget that you're the one who blew up the mounted deck gun," she replied, unwilling to allow him to give her any more credit than she deserved. "Well, Ruzaan Kai," she continued, employing his own tactics, "You were brave and resourceful and nothing short of incredible today. You surprised me at every turn, I am very proud of you. You should be, too."

Atris retrieved a cloth from her bag and gently dabbed at the blood beneath his nose. She didn't say anything for a moment or two, simply concentrating on her task. Then she laughed, her eyes sparkling. "You certainly do have a temper, don't you?"

Their mission over, their time together would soon be over as well. It wouldn't be long now until they were on the first transport ship off of Tatooine. The Jedi Knight was eager to leave her home planet of Tatooine, but she didn't mine admitting that she enjoyed the moment she found herself. Ruzaan was one special teenager.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan's face reddened as Atris switched tack from apologizing for her actions to praising his. Although his brain buzzed with pleasure to hear that she was proud of him, Ruzaan also couldn't help but feel a twinge of embarrassment at the Jedi Knight's praise. Did she have to do this right here in front of him? He smiled to try and hide his bashfulness, and allowed Atris to wipe away some of the blood underneath his nose.

Suddenly, Atris laughed. "You certainly do have a temper, don't you?" she said, her eyes brimming with mirth.

"A temper?!?!" Ruzaan could hardly believe his ears. "What do you mean, I have--" his face reddened again, and he clamped his mouth shut. Atris looked like she was bruising a few ribs of her own trying not to laugh.

"Humph. Maybe you are a bad influence on me" he said, trying and failing to come across as sincere as a smile broke out across his face. "But in all seriousness, thank you for today. I don't currently have a Master, so I can be really flexible; let me know if you want another lightsaber along on a mission."

Another thought occurred to him as he stood and stretched his stiffening limbs. "Is there anything you want to do on Tatooine before we leave? It's not every day you get to go back to your home planet."

Edit: text coloring
@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

"Maybe I am," Atris agreed playfully, allowing herself to laugh heartily. She dabbed the rest of Ruzaan's blood away and stuffed the cloth back into her bag to be thrown away later. Ruzaan's face was red, his mouth set firmly in place. Not only did he have a temper, but he was stubborn too. A powerful combination.

"You know something else?" the Jedi Knight asked, unashamedly goading him on now. "You're awfully cute when you're angry." She started laughing again, throwing her head back. When she couldn't laugh anymore, she patted his back and offered the young Togrutan an encouraging smile, still chuckling. "Don't take it too hard. I'm only teasing you."

She listened carefully to Ruzaan's next words, touched that he would think enough of her to want to go on another mission with her, should she ever need him. Especially after the bruised ribs and bloody nose he'd gotten. "Thank you, Ruzaan. I will take you up on that sometime." Smiling seriously, she made a promise to the Padawan. "And if you ever need me for anything, anything at all... just let me know."

At Ruzaan's last question, her thoughts inevitably drifted to her aunt and uncle. She wanted desperately to go and visit them, but perhaps that was a visit she ought to make alone for the time being. It wasn't fair to drag Ruzaan into her past. She took a roll of bandages from her bag and began to wrap her left arm. She would apply bacta spray to the wound later.

"You know what I would like to do?" she suggested instead, her tone lighthearted. "Eat a pallie. I haven't had one in a long time. Would you like to try one? It's a type of fruit, and it's delicious."

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

She's got to be pulling my leg Ruzaan thought, mortified at Atris' description of him as 'awfully cute when angry'. Would that make it into her report to the Council? He hoped not. Positive feedback to the council was important for unmastered Padawans like him, and this was only his second mission!

Mercifully, Atris was indeed teasing him. Peals of laughter rolled across the dunes, and Ruzaan couldn't help but join in. Atris' laughter was infectious, and he had to admit that it felt good to laugh after the trials of the day. Plus, he didn't sense any malice behind Atris' teasing.

Moments later, his fears about making a poor impression were assuaged when Atris reciprocated his offer of future missions together and her support going forward. Although Atris was still smiling her eyes were honest and sincere, her dark brown pupils turned honey-gold in the light of the setting suns. Ruzaan smiled and nodded his thanks, inclining his head in a small but reverent bow.

At the mention of food, however, Ruzaan perked up again. His stomach growled, reminding him that it had been a while since he had eaten anything except Tatooine sand. "Uh, sure!" he replied to Atris' question. Although he preferred meat like most of his species, he'd try just about anything once. To tide himself over, he broke a ration bar in two and offered the other half to Atris. By his estimate, they had a few more hours to go until they were back in Mos Eisley.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

"I thought that might peak your interest," Atris chuckled, noting the hungry growl that emanated from Ruzaan's stomach. She wasn't surprised to find that he was hungry. So was she. The pair had not eaten all day, after all. She did not know what types of food Togrutas preferred, but she found it hard to believe that anyone could resist a fresh, juicy pallie. Pallies were one of the few types of fruit Tatooine could produce that Atris was actually fond of. It was difficult to grow anything in the desert, let alone anything that actually tasted good.

Ruzaan offered her half of his ration bar, and she thanked him before taking a bite. Always thinking ahead, Atris thought to herself as she chewed silently on the ration bar. It was dry and tough, but at least it was something to eat.

Atris could not wait to eat a warm meal and take a hot shower, to wash away the dirt and sweat of the desert and perhaps wash a few memories away with them. She felt guilty about not visiting her aunt and uncle when she was so close, but she reminded herself that she had obligations and duties that came first. Obligations that she had signed up for as a teenager. She couldn't just let Ruzaan travel back to Yavin 4 alone.

It wasn't that he couldn't handle himself. He had proved over and over today that he was a very capable and resourceful fifteen year old, but Atris still had responsibilities. She needed to report back to the Order as well, inform them that the Hutt had already sold the ancient lightsaber to an antique collector by the name of Oran Typho, its last known destination the planet Mon Calamari.

Atris had had her reservations about a Padawan tagging along at first, mostly reservations about herself, but she was glad the council had seen fit to send Ruzaan along with her on this mission. She enjoyed his company, and he had a bright and promising future ahead of him within the Jedi Order. There was no telling what he would accomplish in the years to come, and she looked forward to seeing his growth whenever their paths might cross again. Whatever the future held, they had both gained a friend that day.

Her half of the ration bar finished, Atris swung a leg back over the speeder bike. "Ready to go?" she asked Ruzaan. It was beginning to get dark, and the last thing the Jedi Knight wanted to deal with was a Tusken Raider ambush.

The two Jedi sped across the desert sand into the distant horizon and toward the spaceport of Mos Eisley, the last remnants of daylight fading into night.

//End of Thread

@SlagathorTheUnknown