Ask Yavin IV Wants and Needs

[Vren Mallick]

Vren was outside the temple, standing at the edge of the training ground and specifically where the dummies were stationed. The sun shone brightly, rays of it piercing through the broken pillars and arches, illuminating his silvery-white hair as thin lines of sweat carved down his torso. He was by himself and shirtless, letting his back soak in the rays as he stared across from him and right into the painted eyes of the dummy that he was sparring with. Whenever the padawan wanted to think or clear his mind, he always went to the grounds.

The two stared at each other for an intense few moments, both of their faces unchanging until Vren did the first move. His right came out lightning quick, committing a jab to the sternum before he pulled and ducked, another jab in the same area once more before he stood to his full height quickly and gave an uppercut with the other hand to the chin. The Echani would step back after, dodging invisible strikes that he conjured in his mind as he would dip left, right, low, and even jump above a kick. When the dummy finished his invisible flurry of attacks, Vren stepped back up to the dummy, striking near the head while also deflecting any of the pegs that stuck out from the fake humanoid.

After a few minutes, the consistency of the strikes slowed as did the impact. Vren's breathing grew louder but not to the point where he was absolutely fatigued. Eventually, the last strike would come in the form of another jab but would crumble once it made a connection, the Echani stepping back afterward and staring at his opponent almost in defeat.

There was no movement, no reading, no connection to what he was fighting. The dummy just accepted whatever he threw out and Vren could dodge whatever it "threw" at him. It was harder and harder to find fellow padawans to spar with, most of them want to train with their lightsabers in preparation for when they became Knights. That left Vren to work with the dummies and it was able to sate him at first but the effect was wearing off quickly. The same grin was plastered on the wooden face and would never change, making the Echani feel like he was just fighting with one arm tied behind his back.

With a soft exhale and out of nowhere, Vren suddenly spun in place and delivered a devastating kick right into the stomach of the dummy, making it slide back a foot or two as it rocked back and forth in place once it settled. The padawan stood back to his full height as he watched the grin swing back and forth, an air of disappointment surrounding him.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn had slept in longer than he should have this morning and when he finally rolled out of bed to start training, many of the slots were already filled. Rather than practicing in isolation as he'd have preferred he was going to have to train near someone. Eww.

As he perused the training ground looking for something somewhat secluded, he noticed the way the other guy... really seemed to have it in for that particular dummy. He'd already savagely beaten the thing and now kicked it backward, causing Varyn to quirk an eyebrow and smirk ever so slightly.

Whoa there, what'd that dummy ever do to you? he asked, trying to defuse the situation at least a little bit as he looked at the dummy that still looked like it might topple over from the force of the kick.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

The stare-off continued between the two until a new voice interrupted the easing creaking of the dummy. Vren turned around to face the newcomer, his golden gaze quickly seeking and meeting the brown one of Varyn. The direct contact only lasted for a brief moment as the padawan's gaze would scan the rest of Varyn's body. It wasn't as if he was sizing him up whether he could take him or not but more of taking an assessment of his features, picking up how he stood and other tidbits to be remembered.

After his first meeting with Knight Marr, he tried to remain vigilant of his surroundings a all times but it was clear that it still needed some practice by him. Despite that, Vren's eye line would return to meet the fellow padawans as the tension in his shoulders and the rest of his body disappeared, slowly exiting out from his combat state of mind.

With a soft exhale to control his breathing, he ran a hand through his matted white hair as he casted a quick look over to the dummy who indeed had been put through the ringer, a tired voice following it, "It's not about what it did." Walking over to the wooden and gleeful opponent, Vren gripped its collar before beginning to drag it back to its original spot. The Echani let go of it once it was back in place with the rest of them, taking a few steps away before returning his attention to Varyn, "It's about what it didn't do."

"There is no conversation between me and it, nothing to retort, judge, predict. It's a blank wall that will just accept my shit." His tone almost appeared to be blaming the dummy for the predicament that he was in, like it was indeed personal between the two, a battle between an immovable object and an unstoppable force. There was a chance that Varyn had no clue what he was talking about, at least in the sense that he was speaking of.

Vren peered back at Varyn, willingly distracting himself, "And your name?" It was the first time he had seen the padawan in this area. The rest usually stayed away from the ruins.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn, he said with a smile and single wave as if saying "that would be me." And you? he asked. The other guy may have looked like he was sizing him up a little, but he didn't give off any hostile vibes that Varyn could pick up and in the temple he didn't usually think of others as "out to get him" per se.

Yeah, that's because it's not about overcoming an opponent, it's about ensuring your own technique is proper and building muscle memory, he said. He immediately shrugged, smiled, and almost laughed. Or something like that. That's what people tell me at least. Makes sense well enough, he said.

Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. Just looking for some space to get some practice in, he said. Then I'm off to an assignment one of the masters gave me, he said with a shrug. Something about locating an old Jedi transponder or something. He wasn't really sure.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Upon learning his name, the padawan was given a brief nod followed by a hand running through his white hair once before answering, "Just V." A small smirk was pushed out by his lips by their rather normal under the circumstance meeting after the introductions were made. "Pleasure."

When Varyn tried to explain the frustration that boiled between the padawan and the dummy, Vren let out a sort of mixture between a scoff and a grunt, throwing one of his open hands half-heartedly toward the other after hearing the answer. It wasn't like he was completely ignoring the other padawan's advice because it was wrong or he thought he knew better, it was more his reasoning to be out with the dummies wasn't for practice or for memory muscle but for something else entirely that was personable to him. It would've been hard to explain and he didn't want to dive into it.

After an apology was offered, Vren chuckled in response, "Don't be sorry. You most likely prevented murder from happening, either the dummy's or mine if I pulled out my hair anymore." With a quick peek over to the dummy, the shit-eating grin was still plastered on the wood, pretty much agreeing to the Echani's words in his own mind.

Varyn revealed why he had decided to visit the training grounds and that piqued Vren's interest heavily as it earned a sort of arched eyebrow. "Then let's get in some practice quick. I would hate to make you late for your assignment." The need for combat still hadn't been sated for the padawan and this way, it was knocking out two birds with one stone.

Vren stepped away from the dummies and toward the center of the grounds, ample space provided between them and the edges of the arena. "Up to you." He threw the proposition out there, actually understanding that sometimes being alone was more preferred than working with or against someone else.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn shrugged and assented. Sure, let's do it, he said, pulling the lightsaber from his belt. He activated it, double checking that it was set to its training mode before taking a step back.

Training mode is on, he said aloud to ensure that V could hear that the blade was not set to lethal anymore. It was simply a wise and courteous precaution. No one wanted a limb or worse chopped off because of a training accident.

He took his footing, raising his blade up in front of him, pointing in the general direction of his new friend as he awaited an attack.

I could use some help if you're bored of sticking around here. I'm sure no one would object if you wanted to join me, he offered.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

A half-smile appeared on the Echani's face when the padawan agreed to a little sparring. The trip to the training grounds still had a chance to be proved worthwhile for him. Vren glanced at the ground as he shifted his stance until he heard the whirr of a lightsaber, his golden gaze immediately snapping to it with curiosity. One of his eyebrows arched slightly as he relaxed his stance, his attention on the weapon.

The Echani still only had training sabers for himself but his appreciation and want for a lightsaber growing. But, Vren still knew there was progress to be made before he handled a weapon of that caliber reliably. Despite the training mode being declared on, both his arms raised in the air jokingly when the weapon was pointed at him. A soft chuckle escaped from, "I meant we spar..." Both his hands shaking softly at his own beckon, "the old-fashioned way."

While clashing sabers would sate him, what he really wanted was a traditional fight, a call-back to his people, and an aspect of his lifestyle that he desperately missed. "No actual damage, just enough to get the adrenaline flowing." It was to ease any worries that this would be a full-out brawl between him as it wasn't what the Echani desired.

At the suggestion of helping, Vren cocked his head slightly, "Make you a deal? You spar my way and then I'll help you out with whatever you need?" It was a worthy compromise in his mind if Varyn didn't really come to the training ground to practice hand-to-hand combat.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Oh... he said, realizing what the other man had meant. He wasn't sure about that, but the offer of a deal seemed too good to pass up.

Alright, he said with a shrug, swapping power levels, deactivating his saber, and putting it away.

I have a feeling I'm about to get my butt handed to me, he said. Not sure I'm going to be much more useful than the dummy, he quipped. He was not an expert at hand to hand combat, but he supposed that was all the better reason to practice. If he ever did lose his saber - his much more preferred weapon - better to not be defenseless. Though even then his preferred tool was the Force. Still a tertiary option was good.

Uh... your move then, I guess, he said, raising his eyebrows and appearing far less than comfortable with this. It'd be fiiiine.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

It was clear to Vren that the suggestion to spar hand to hand had not been the first thought for Varyn. Impressing the Echani, the human agreed to switch it up either way as he deactivated his saber and switched to his fists. While this wasn't a full-on fight, a punch to the face was still less appealing than crossing blades and he had to respect the human's flexibility. Or this meant his task was much worse than he thought. Vren burrowed it into his mind afterward that this wasn't a real fight and to get ahead of himself for both their sake.

As Varyn prepared himself, Vren witnessed where the padawan's apprehension developed from. The way he held his fists and stood stated that this type of combat wasn't the human's prime choice, highlighting the uncomfortableness for the perceptive Echani. At first, he didn't respond to Varyn as his golden gaze intensely studied the other fighter, the way he balanced his feet, held up his hands, breathed, spaced himself. After a couple of seconds, Vren finally returned his gaze to meet the others, "Trust me, you've already proven more useful than you could know."

Before he got started, Vren wrapped his hands once more quickly, cushioning his knuckles more to stop any harm to both of them. When that was done, the special tape was tossed over to the human to do the same.

With that done, the Echani would face towards Varyn as he lowered his stance slightly, his hands brought up with his knuckles resting just underneath his eyes, his hands not fully closed. His body was tight but loose at the same time, his limbs close to him but his torso and head swaying slightly to not give an immobile target for his opponent and allow him to flow with whatever happened.

This is where Vren felt most comfortable, more than with his friends or in the temple. It was a small portal back to his old home, his experiences and memories from long ago. As he controlled his breathing, his mind and gaze honed in on Varyn before he finally moved in.

Vren stepped forward, his steps short and precise as he closed the distance between the two. When there a respectable separation between them, the fight was started off simple as he launched a front-facing kick straight to Varyn's gut. There was enough force behind it that if it was blocked, it would make him stumble back a few steps.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Mm, smart, he said as he caught the tape and mimicked what he'd just watched the Echani do. Yeah, he was definitely about to get thrashed. If he could avoid taking a bad blow to the head, though, he'd count it as a win.

He took his position again and watched as the Echani came in toward him. He made no particular move to advance, clearly opting for a more defensive position in something he was less experienced in.

In a flash, the Echani lashed out with a kick and while Varyn may not have been great at countering such moves, he still had the Force speaking to him. That carried over from saber duels. Without it he likely would have taken the kick fully to the gut, but with it he managed to leap back, just outside the range of the strike before quickly springing once again off of his now bent legs.

As the Echani's foot was coming down, Varyn body-checked the other man with his left shoulder to the Echani's chest, looking to knock him fully off-balance. Varyn had both a height and weight disadvantage, but he hoped that he could catch his opponent before he fully regained his balance to gain an advantage.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Vren discovered that Varyn was quite quick as he maneuvered out of the strike in order to counter with his shoulder. The Echani's kick was aimed at the other padawan's lower stomach and left a short distance for his foot to touch the ground as it struck through the air. Both of his hands were still up and in front of him and as the shoulder came in, he extended his left arm out slightly and in the shape of an L as it would take the force of the blow instead of his chest.

Despite the size difference, the use of the force in the leap was enough to make the Echani stumble back a step if it fully connected but possibly instead of letting that happen and be an opportunity for his opponent, he used his opposite free hand to grip onto the collar of Varyn's robe with the distance closed between them. Basically pulling on the fabric to act as a counterbalance, Vren would simply throw the human past his right shoulder and towards the ground, using his frame to his advantage as he intended to separate the two once more.

If it worked, the Echani would simply spin on his feet and face toward the other padawan, both his hands returning to their original spot and state as a few feet would be between them. His feet spaced themselves evenly once more as he lowered his stance too. Varyn would be able to see Vren's golden optics flick to different parts of his body, noting each little movement as he waited this time.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

The other padawan was quick, countering and avoiding the worst of the blow while transitioning Varyn into a throw that sent him tumbling along the ground. Varyn tried to go with the hit, slamming into the ground a bit harder than intended and rolling along to a stop several feet away.

Fortunately, the dirt of the training area was softer than concrete, but not as soft as the sparring mats in the temple's main training area. The bruise that would no doubt form over the next few days barely registered right now as Varyn half-rolled, half-leapt into a crouch to prepare for another attack.

It seemed that his sparring partner at least was going to give him some space and he leapt back to his feet again.

You're Echani, right? he asked.

He wasted no time before moving forward once again, his left fist lashing out to strike in a quick jab at his opponent's chest before quickly withdrawing. It was a measuring move more than anything, and his opponent would know it, but it served for another set of first contact.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Vren didn't mind allowing Varyn to recover after the throw to prepare and launch his own attack. It had been apparent from the start that this wasn't the human's first choice when it came to sparring and he wasn't going to try and swarm the padawan unless it was called for. It was just their first time meeting each other after all.

A question was asked of him but before it could be answered, Vren's gaze flicked to his left hand and watched as the skin across the knuckles became taunt as he prepared to strike with it, the whole scenario like reading a page from a book. When Varyn stepped forward so did the Echani with his right foot but dipping at the same time to let the jab go over his shoulder and nearly graze his ear.

With the distance momentarily closed between them, Vren would perform a quick jab with his right hand into the torso but it would quickly transform into a feint as he returned it into a defensive manner as Varyn took a step back. When that step was taken back in order to withdraw, the Echani would step forward with his left and kept the distance the same between them but this time, he would throw his left hand in a true strike in the form of an uppercut that would hopefully connect after attempting to draw Varyn's defense away with his feint and that he was in the middle of trying to withdraw himself. With Vren's body also in tight to his and raising with the uppercut, it would act as a sort of obstacle and likely prevent the hand he used for the jab to be used for a counter as well.

If his uppercut landed, it would cause a slight daze but nothing serious with the extra cushioning provided to his knuckles and that it wasn't the most powerful he could throw. Vren would step back whatever the result of the strike was as he would return his left hand by his face to react to anything that came out quickly.

"Correct but some... may say different." It was a source of contention in his past. While he was Echani, Varyn would be able to see he wasn't like the other one at the temple, his skin tanned and his eyes a molten gold. "Let me guess, you a Rhodian?" It was a quick joke to take away attention from his previous comment.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

As his opponent sent his own jab at him, he let it strike his forearm which had fallen back into a semi-defensive position. He only narrowly managed to move his head aside to avoid the strike that would have landed on his chin. He continued to retreat backward but listened to the other man's reply.

That was an odd answer, but one that gave him the impression the other guy didn't want to talk about it.

Yeah, definitely. I'm going to take that as a compliment about how my eyes pop, he said. Not how they pop out of his head like a Rodian's eyes do.

He stepped back in again a moment later, sending another jab with his left followed by a right cross with his other hand. Whether it would connect would remain to be seen, but likewise if it did it was hardly a knockout punch. He was a tiny bit scrawny, after all.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Vren chuckled softly at Varyn's remark, glad that his comment went over smoothly and that it had done its job of taking attention away from his previous comment. After a little cock of his head, Vren murmured jokingly as best he could, "Could really make your eyes pop like a Rhodian if you want." It would certainly have made him appear interesting as he picked up the stray thought that went through Varyn's mind.

Before they could continue on with their conversation more, Varyn stepped up once more and performed a little combo with a jab first and then across. Vren's eyes flicked to each of his limbs and accounted for what was about to happen and before each one could connect, the Echani decided to avoid them all.

With incredible speed and practice eased, Vren shot forward and under both of the strikes aimed for his head. He closed the distance instantly and before a step back could be taken by his opponent, he would wrap both his arms around Varyn's legs to lock him in place while his shoulder slammed into the padawan's stomach. If it worked, the Echani's grip would become iron tight around them before he would lift the human up slightly and slam him down in the dirt with Vren still on top and using his weight to him keep him pinned.

If they remained on the ground, Vren would slam his forearm into Varyn's chest to keep him on the ground and to knock the air out to make the entire experience uncomfortable. The Echani would push down on that left arm to sit himself up while priming back his right and dominant hand in the air as he launched it Varyn.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn hadn't seen it coming and was lifted and slammed into the ground with a terrible thud, feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He let out a pained and strangled groan as he just kind of... lay there for a second. He didn't even really bother fighting against Vren being on top of him anymore.

Okay... you win... I gotta... get to work before I'm... too crippled to finish the job, he said, sitting upright after Vren got off of him.

Well... that was educational, he groaned before pushing to his feet once again. Already taken a beating and hadn't even left the compound. The Masters would have been so disappointed. Either that or they'd yammer on about humility. It was really a toss up.

He rechecked his lightsaber to make sure it was back to full power again before sheathing it and turning to Vren.

You wanna come with? No hard feelings if you don't, he said with a shrug. For all he knew, the other Padawan was terribly busy the rest of the day or simply wanted some time to rest and relax.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Vren's fist would be closing in on Varyn's cheek but when he called out and admitted he won, his knuckles stopped instantly but still hovered a few inches from his skin as momentum carried it forward slightly. Because of the padding, it would have been a good bruise but without it, the damage could have been been a little more significant.

The padawan would see Vren tilt his head slightly so their gazes could meet past his hand, a slight humorous glint in them. Not intending to drag it out, he withdraw his hand and stood to his feet that were on each side of Varyn's torso before taking a couple of steps back. The Echani would then offer a hand to him and lift if he wanted to take it, whether he did or not, he said with some respect in his tone, "You held up well there. You're quite quick." For being put on the spot like that, the little spar was a good fight.

"Sorry if I got a little carried away. Been a while." It felt good, to actually stretch his muscles and use them in a sort of combat manner. Ever since he arrived, it's been about reading, philosophy, force practice. Of course, there was time for sparring but it was very little and Vren was appreciative of the little window he was afforded to today by Varyn.

Vren would walk over to one of the nearby crates and peel of the tape on his hand, listening to the satisfying crinkle as cold air blew across his sweaty knuckles. At the comment about there being no hard feelings if he rejected, the Echani turned towards the human but with a slightly arched eyebrow, "We made a deal. I'm not going to go back on my word." His word and honor were both highly important to the padawan and he didn't offer them freely.

As his shirt was slipped back on, he walked over to the fellow padawan and gave an upward nod, "You want to lead the way or tell me what the job is here?" The Echani had a free schedule and wondered how this activity was gonna fill up his day.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn waved off any apology, deciding that not only had he learned something, but hopefully he'd helped out a new friend as well. A win all the way around basically.

Nah, you're all good, he said, taking the offered hand and getting back to his feet.

Vren seemed almost a step away from being offended at Varyn's offer that he didn't have to come on this particular trip so he certainly didn't object to having company along.

All right, let's do it, then, he said, getting his things together and heading for the exit to the temple.

It's not anything terribly exciting because let's be honest, we're Jedi Peons, he said before continuing, But apparently some wild animals have been harassing one of the farmer's nerf herd, he said. There weren't many who lived here on Yavin 4, but some support staff including farmers and the like had come along with the Jedi to provide support. Evidently, one of them was being harassed. It was probably something simple like foxes that were causing the problem, but that was their job to figure out.

 

[Vren Mallick]

With Varyn realizing that the Echani wouldn't drop from the responsibility he really heaped on himself by offering his help, both of them made their exit from the temple. At the padawan's comment that it wouldn't be terribly exciting, Vren smirked slightly before responding, "There's always a chance it can be exciting. The galaxy doesn't care that were Peons." His words came from personal experience, albeit speaking on the darker side of the galaxy not caring but it was masked by his tone.

The task didn't sound too difficult once it was shared. From his time on Yavin, Vren hadn't found any massive or apex predator that seemed particularly threatening. They would just have to see what the extent of the damage was at the farm. There weren't that many of them around the temple, one being Gru's farm from the stories he heard and the other that was unknown to him. If Gru's had been attacked, he most likely would have heard about it and assumed it was the other.

Walking down the dirt path, both the padawans would be able to see the farm on top of a small hill. Fenced pastures surrounded the house, animals bleating and galloping around in the presence of newcomers. The closer they approached, they would be able to notice one of the pastures was strangely empty of any animals. Vren's gaze tracked along the fence until he found a massive hole in it, pieces spread out along the ground and clearly shattered apart. At the mouth of the break, multiple small pools of blood gathered there, a trail breaking off from each one and leading to the forest.

Vren stopped for a moment, nodding toward the sight before directing his attention to Varyn, "I assume this is the place." A few moments after he spoke, a new voice broke out, a woman's, "Hey!" It came from the house and when he looked that way, he found a middle-aged woman watching them both, "Kark, you're both kids. Are you supposed to be the helping hands?" A new voice came from inside, "Who the hell is out there?!"

The Echani stopped where he was and remained silent as he offered a quick glance over to his new friend, the assignment given to him and more likely informed of who they could be speaking to.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn saw the blood and hole in the fence immediately and with it the realization that they might be in for something interesting or exciting after all. They probably should have gone back to get a Master or Knight, buuuut, Varyn figured they'd be fine.

Yeah, looks like it, he said to Vren before the farmer came out, apparently less than thrilled about the help they were getting.

Are you Billbury? he asked, making the guess that was the case. I'm Varyn. We're both members of the Jedi Order and I assure you we're perfectly prepared to help with your missing livestock, she said, trying to reassure the woman that they were not just little children playing with fire.

What can you tell us about what's been going on? he asked.

The Jedi sent... some people to help, the woman shouted back to the man inside, clearly still uncertain about the competency of the two Padawan.

It started about a week ago. Animals getting injured by what looked like claws or teeth, then yesterday several of them were gone completely and that hole was there. I've had to move the rest of them over to the other side of the barn, but who knows how long until that fence is broken, too, she said, standing there was if expecting them to fix it just by existing in the general area.

@Orbit