Wistful Nostalgia (Open)

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Master Teer Ka stood in her quarters and looked around at the strangely empty room now. Everything had been packed away, all her small possessions of trinkets and robes. Nothing personal was left, and the room looked as spartan as any unused room.

The light from the window streamed in, with slats showing as shadows on the floor. It was strangely peaceful and still, with no sound coming from the traffic of Coruscant outside.

The Togruta Jedi looked in the mirror and smiled thinly, surprised by just how much she'd changed over the years. Her severe face seemed somewhat weather-worn now, and it was clear she was no longer as young as she once was. Not infirm or feeble, but merely at the end of her prime.

In the business of dueling, it was best to retire before decay brought about catastrophe.

Teer looked very much as she should for the position she'd arranged to take over. Her stop on Shili just a few days previously had prepared her well, and she was ready for the return to her home planet. The leather jerkin she wore over her torso, the homespun pants, and the sole-less leather boots she wore wrapped about her feet all were distinctly Togruti in appearance, and she looked for all the world like any other Togruta.

It would be nice to sink into that description, to become just another face on a world.

54 years. She had been in the Jedi for over half a century, and not as a member of a long-lived species. It was no small feat, and she'd personally eliminated a large number of Dark Jedi. All of that felt a little hollow now though, and she felt a craving inside, a craving for peace and quiet.

It was Teer's belief that a place could help to heal the soul, and she'd learned that place for her was Shili. Going back there would be the best thing she'd ever done.

The new Watchman of Shili stepped out though her door and closed it behind her, walking through the halls of the Jedi Temple in a sort of goodbye tour, knowing she'd probably not see a whole lot of it in the future.

She stopped in one of the courtyards, a personal favorite of hers since she'd come from the Dantooine enclave. This one had plant growth, lovely green ferns and mosses, and a large stone fountain in the center, with stone benches all around. It wasn't like Shili with red and orange tones in the scrubs, but it was quite pleasant, and it sometimes reminded Teer of spring on Dantooine.

Master Ka stepped out through the doorway and sat on the edge of the fountain, dipping her fingers into the cool water and moving her hand back and forth.

Her mind strayed breifly to Sirius, her Padawan. She'd timed her visit so she could witness his Knighthood, and then she'd be leaving him for good, heading back to Shili on her own. She would miss the boy, who had quickly become something of a son to her.

But, it was for his own good. She'd steadily been weaning him off of her, letting him gain independence. People weren't animals that sprung from the womb able to run. People took time to learn, and they took time to learn to leave behind what they knew.

The time was fast approaching where Sirius would shape his own destiny, and it was beyond Teer's abilities to help him further. She was done being his master, now all she could do would be to strive to be a role model for the boy. For the young man.

Teer splashed some of the water onto her face, cool droplets sliding down her neck. It was then she sensed someone coming and she turned to look.

[Dee]

One foot in front of the other. Just keep going.

It was a sad fact that Jia had to practically force herself to move. It was an even sadder sight. Everything about the girl gave away that nothing was right in the world. Her pace was slow, her shoulders slumped, gaze straight ahead with unfocused, dull eyes. Right now there was no hiding it, and she didn't care.

She didn't want to talk to anyone. She didn't want to be surrounded by other people. She wanted, for the first time she could remember, to be left alone. It was why she was wandering now, searching for the most remote, empty place in the Temple she could find. Away from staring eyes, away from looks of concern, away from those trying to give sympathy and advice and guidance, thinking it would actually help.

Her wandering brought her to a quiet courtyard. The surrounding beauty was lost on the teenager as she made her way deeper into it. Her main concern was that it was empty. The heavy steps of booted feet brought her to the fountain that rested in the center. The girl lowered her head, staring into the clear water and her own shimmering reflection.

She was trying so hard not to think at all. To make her mind a complete and utter blank. To forget everything she had seen, everything she had learned, every insecurity about herself and the things she had always believed in. About what, and who, she had lost. Nothing that she did worked. The events of the last few days just kept coming back and hanging heavily over her. As if that wasn't enough, her mind kept replaying the one moment she wanted to forget the most.

Please don't go...

Her own past words stung and echoed in her mind before she snapped out of it, eyes glistening with the threat of more tears. She had come to the sudden realization that she wasn't alone. Slowly she raised her head and found herself staring across at an older looking Togruta woman sitting at the other side of the fountain, whose attention was now on her. If Jia had judged her age correctly by first sight, she was probably a Master.

Her body became forcefully rigid as she stood up straighter. Normally she may have been visibly embarrassed, maybe even startled that she had managed to completely fail to see or sense the other person nearby. Especially a Master. Not this time. All the young Mirialan did was continue to stare for a short moment before she wiped at her eyes and turned, without a word, to head back the way she came.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer took a long and hard look at the girl who had entered. She was a Mirialan, green-skinned and dark-haired, and perhaps 16 or 17, still quite youthful. She was quite short, and had a petite build. Above all though, she was heartbreakingly sad. This girl looked as if her entire world had collapsed around her.

When she looked up and made eye contact with Teer, the Togruta Master felt an overwhelming sympathy because of that gaze.

Contrary to popular opinion among the Padawans and Knights she'd instructed, Teer Ka did have a maternal instinct, just a more stern and formal one than most. Her soft side didn't emerge as often as it should have, but that was a result of the hard life she'd led.

She was at a turning point now, a junction in her life where she had the option to change. And now was the perfect opportunity to let out an aspect of her personality she'd never truly let thrive on its own before.

The severe, older Jedi closed her dark eyes for just one moment and took a deep breath. Here was Teer Ka's attempt to be the kindly grandmother, which was a first.

"Padawan," She called out in her slightly gruff voice, which was a little stronger than she intended it to be. When she followed up, her voice was softer, as she had planned. "Come here Padawan, please sit."

Teer avoided smiling, as her fangs would probably make that expression look a little menacing. She'd simply have to keep that severe aura she was helpless to change, lest she risk alarming the girl.

[Dee]

Maybe the Master wouldn't bother her. Maybe she was busy, and would just let the girl wander off without incident, without trying to talk to her, without--

"Padawan."[/i]

Frak.[/i]

The woman's voice had been stern enough to stop the teenager in her tracks. She didn't turn around just yet, probably to keep the Togruta from seeing the cringe on her face.

"Come here Padawan, please sit."[/i] The second time the Master spoke her voice was much softer, yet Jia still felt as if she was being commanded. That may have been more in her head than it was in reality. She drew in a breath which she released as a deep sigh before slowly turning to face the woman. Regardless of how miserable she felt, and how much she still just wanted to keep walking right back out the door... It was probably a bad idea to snub a Master.

She got a better look at her now. She was tall... well, taller than her, and had a bit of a serious, stern look about her. One that normally may have felt somewhat intimidating to the girl. Jia's gaze couldn't help but be drawn to the scars on her face and throat. It gave her the impression that this Togruta woman had seen her fair share of combat.

Was she about to be scolded? Or was this going to be another talk about how she needed to keep her chin up and overcome, and how everything would be fine? Either way, she just needed to get it over with. Jia slowly made her way back over to the fountain and took a seat on the stone edge. Close enough that her quiet voice could be heard, but also still leaving a bit of space between the two of them.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Master." When Jia spoke it was even clear in her voice that she was not in a very good place right now. It lacked any sort of emotion, very clearly the attempts of someone trying to act like everything was fine by just burying it all under a veil of stoicism.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Half to Teer's surprise, the Mirialan girl did sit.

That had already gone better than expected, as the Togruta had deduced from body language that the girl was not thrilled by her presence. Clearly something was heavy on her shoulders though, and Teer could understand her desire to be in a courtyard, presumably alone. Yet there were things more important than solitude, and a sense of unity was very important as well.

There were many species and individuals, but only one Jedi Order. Sometimes Teer herself needed to be reminded of that sense of unity. Maybe now this girl needed such help.

Teer took a breath and collected her thoughts as she looked at the short girl with as much of a smile as she could muster without her fangs peeking out.

Positive. Stay positive.

"I am Master Ka. What is your name child?"

Teer waited for a response, absentmindedly stroking her lightsaber that rested on her lap, her hands still wet from the fountain.

[Dee]

After sitting down, Jia's eyes had been staring down at the ground, and not at the woman she now sat with. Normally that was something she would have been conscious of, not wanting to be rude. Right now the thought hadn't even crossed her mind. She did eventually force herself to look up and at the Togruta after hearing her speak.

"I am Master Ka. What is your name child?"[/i] The name sounded familiar to her. She had probably heard it a few times... she didn't dwell on it or think on it any further than that.

The girl's brow furrowed slightly as she noted the somewhat strange expression on the older woman's face. She was smiling, but it was... subdued almost? Maybe forced? Jia couldn't tell which one it was, exactly. Or why she was doing it. It didn't really matter anyway.

"Jia." She answered the question simply enough. "Jia Suutrar." After that she fell silent again. She had nothing else to say. She just waited for whatever the next question from Master Ka would be. Only then would she have reason to speak again. She just hoped that whatever it was wouldn't force her to dwell on the very things she had been trying to escape.

At this point, she was actually hoping this was going to be a scolding. At least that would be easy.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"Well Jia," Teer said in as soothing a tone as her gruff voice could muster, "You look like someone trying to flee your problems. But if I can see anything, they've followed you."

Teer gave a sympathetic look, and her stern gaze was as soft as it ever got. For her, it was an immense change. The battle-hardened fighter was being the soft counselor for once, not exactly playing her most common and expected role. But then again, why would she need to treat this problem as if it were a battle of sabers?

Only just now was the Togruta Jedi truly learning the values of nuance and subtlety in interpersonal relations. The soft touch could be every bit as effective.

Or so she was informed.

"Take it from someone with a long history of problems. Solitude can make it worse, can magnify it in your mind. The time you most want to be alone is the time you should be with someone else."

The unspoken words carried in her gaze were quite clear. Let me be that someone else.

After a few seconds of silence, Teer spoke again, in the same soft tone she'd adopted since she'd started.

"What bothers you Padawan Suutrar?"

[Dee]

"Well Jia. You look like someone trying to flee your problems. But if I can see anything, they've followed you."[/i]

Jia made no reaction to that, but she was right. No matter where the girl went or what she did, she couldn't seem to get away from anything. There was no distracting herself, and no forgetting. She couldn't stand it.

"Take it from someone with a long history of problems. Solitude can make it worse, can magnify it in your mind. The time you most want to be alone is the time you should be with someone else."[/i]

She did want to be with someone else... but it was the one person she couldn't be with. But Jia wouldn't voice that. She wouldn't even imply it.

She knew this woman was trying to help her. She understood that and wished she could appreciate it or be thankful. But she wasn't. It brought her no comfort. All that conversations like this were doing were reminding her of everything. Bringing her back to the mocking, amused grin of Elysis, the hate filled eyes of Vorxere, the feel of her lightsaber tearing the life from another living being... The sight of Rin walking away as she watched through her own tear filled eyes.

The girl turned her head away as she felt those eyes begin to water. She refused to look back at Master Ka until they had dried again.

She was actually appreciative of the short silence. It allowed her time to pull herself together, at least as much as she could. "What bothers you Padawan Suutrar?"[/i]

That wasn't the easiest question she could've been asked... But it was the one she was expecting to come up eventually.

The girl shook her head slowly and gave the least detailed answer she could, "There are a lot of things on my mind, Master Ka. With all due respect, I'd rather not talk about them..."

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer widened one eye a little in an expression that, if she were human, would have signified the raising of an eyebrow. It was her suspect look, raised by the phrase 'with all due respect.'

Invariably what followed after that statement was not with all due respect. It tended to be something said with little respect, the casual nonchalance or the scathing criticism that had so little to do with it. In other words, not ideal behavior.

What followed was not exactly criticism or vitriol, but it was a distinct rejection of the question. Why was trying to help someone so hard? Teer could have simply uttered a lecture on the values of detachment and hard work and expected that to solve any issue, but she hadn't. She'd tried to engage.

Engaging was a lot harder than it had seemed previously.

Nevertheless, she was invested in this Mirialan now, and she wasn't about to simply give up because she hit one roadblock. No, she was going to ease this Padawan's mind, even if it took all day to get a straight answer. Luckily she had a tool.

"Come with me Jia, I have a plan."

Teer motioned with her arm for the Mirialan girl to follow her, and she set off from the courtyard to the location she'd left a certain special someone.

It wasn't exactly a short walk or a long walk before they reached their destination, a storage area near the hangars, but Teer found it worthwhile. It was something she'd been planning on doing anyway.

Teer pulled on a leather gauntlet over her bare forearm and opened up a crate, reaching in and speaking soft words in her native language. Out of the crate, perched on her arm, came an exquisite raptor.

She was large, nearly two feet long, and she spread her striped wings wide as she peered around curiously. They flapped a few time before folding up again sedately, and the bird cocked her head curiously at the Mirialan, clearly at perfect ease with Teer.

"Jia, I'd like you to meet Ashla. She's a Corellian Banshee Bird."

[Dee]

"Come with me Jia, I have a plan."[/i]

It was only then that Jia turned back to look at the Togruta with a brow raised... and a touch of indignation that she did a poor job of hiding. A plan? As if getting her to talk about things she said she didn't want to talk about was some kind of goal to reach. She just wanted to be left alone, not prodded at and examined and ordered around and dragged all over the damn Temple like a toy.

The girl realized at that point that these thoughts weren't like her. This wasn't how she wanted to be thinking. She was getting so angry over things she shouldn't have been...

She shut her eyes and bowed her head as she ran a hand through her hair. She looked back up at Master Ka after a moment, and the annoyance in her expression had vanished. As the older woman motioned with her arm for Jia to follow, the girl decided it was best to just go along with this. After all, if she really had to, she could slip away at some point... But for now she stood, and obeyed.

She followed Master Ka through the halls of the Temple in silence, her attention more on the ground in front of her than anything else. She heard some younglings they passed by whispering to each other that the sad looking teenager must've gotten in trouble or something. If only...

Their destination appeared to be a storage area. A weird choice that left the Padawan a touch unsure. She watched, still in silence, as the Togruta pulled on a leather gauntlet and began to open and reach into one of the crates. As the woman pulled out a rather large bird, Jia blinked and her eyes widened in surprise. It was the most animated expression the girl had made so far in the Master's presence.

"Jia, I'd like you to meet Ashla. She's a Corellian Banshee Bird."[/i]

Jia watched the bird, who seemed to be looking at her. After a moment she actually chose to speak, "She's beautiful."

After another short moment the teenager moved closer, so she was within arms length of Master Ka and the bird. She slowly and carefully raised her hand toward the bird. She paused halfway, hesitating for a brief moment, before overcoming it and gently stroking the feathers of the bird's back. Despite the girl's attempted demeanor of false apathy, in that moment she was still as gentle, and curious, as always.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer could tell immediately that Jia was more pleased than before, that her distraction was working. The Mirialan girl seemed curious and interested, which was exactly what the Togruta had hoped for.

There was just something about animals, and Ashla was a magnificent creature. Teer remembered first seeing her on Corellia, months ago in an aviary. A proud and majestic creature, dangerous and beautiful. A predator, like her. Instantly she had felt a kinship with the bird, and it had only strengthened since then. Such a presence in the Force could be imprinted and shaped over time, and Ashla felt almost like an extension of her own mind, only just independent enough for the bond to mean something.

Loyalty. This creature had it.

Jia reached out to stroke the bird's feathers, and Ashla allowed it, with only the slightest of movements. She turned her head to the side and looked around the room as she was touched, as if there were more mysteries lying around just waiting to be seen.

"Thank you," Teer said in response to the compliment. "Normally I don't do this, she can be a little skittish around people."

A genuine smile came onto Teer's face, teeth and all, as she accented one point she hoped would bring some happiness to the Mirialan girl. "I think she likes you. I can tell by the way she stays still under your touch. Trust. That's what she feels right now, and respect."

There was nothing quite as satisfying for Teer as spending some quality time with Ashla, which would only get better as they went to Shili and found more time and journeys in solitude. She wished every Jedi could have this experience, to train another creature and form a bond of respect and trust, to know you were responsible for it. It would be perfect preparation for one day having a Padawan.

[Dee]

"Thank you. Normally I don't do this, she can be a little skittish around people."[/i]

Jia continued to gently pet the bird. It was soothing, and distracting. It was perfect.

"She doesn't seem that way right now." The girl's tone was still quiet, still weighed down by all the heavy thoughts on her mind and feelings in her heart. But at least for right now she was actually talking, and not just to answer a string of unwanted questions. That was a step up.

"I think she likes you. I can tell by the way she stays still under your touch. Trust. That's what she feels right now, and respect."[/i]

Jia glanced up at Master Ka after hearing that. She didn't vocalize it, but the look on her face suggested a reaction of 'really?' She'd been worried that the bird wouldn't take well to her. She wasn't really sure why she felt that way... She liked animals and was normally pretty good with them. Maybe it was just another symptom of her current outlook on herself.

Her attention returned to the bird briefly, then back to the Togruta. After a moment of consideration, followed by a look of uncertainty, she quietly asked, "Can I hold her?"

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer was caught a little off guard by Jia's request, but she saw no reason not to grant it. The logistics of the exchange were just a little tricky to orchestrate, though not impossible.

The Togruta pulled off the gauntlet carefully with one hand, and held it so as to keep Ashla balanced and make it accessible for Jia, though there was a distinct amount of flapping on the part of the bird.

Master Ka took Jia's arm and slid the gauntlet over it, with Ashla on top. As complicated as the whole maneuver was, it was essential. Corellian Banshee Birds had sharp talons, and a little protection was in order.

The exchange was made, and Teer stood back, watching Jia holding her beloved pet.

Now more than ever Teer felt she'd made the right decision bringing the girl here. Clearly it was having an impact, and she was building a bridge here. Patience and an indirect approach was getting her closer into the girl's confidences, and perhaps then she would be confided in.

Then she could see whether or not she could aid in the problem's solution. Teer felt that was a part of her calling as a Jedi after all.

There was a short period of relative silence as Jia held Ashla, in which Teer stroked the feathers on the back of Ashla's head as she spoke soft words in Togruti. Soothing words really, though Ashla seemed perfectly at ease and not in need of soothing at all.

Teer's hand fell back to her side and she spoke again.

"Jia, I may or may not understand what you feel right now. But if you do not tell me, we will never know. I'd like to help you if you let me. But that takes trust, and respect. From both of us to each of us."

[Dee]

Jia leaned back to avoid being slapped in the face with a flapping wing. Ashla seemed to be making things a tad more difficult for the Togruta as she attempted to slide off the gauntlet and transfer it over to her. Jia didn't resist as the Master took her arm and slid the gauntlet onto it, completing the exchange. The extra weight of the bird was a little bit more than the girl had expected, and her arm slumped a bit under it before she adjusted.

Now that all the movement was over, the bird was calm again. Jia reached up with her free hand to run her fingers along the bird's front feathers. Gently petting as she was before, as to not upset the creature. It was an action she repeated again and again. She found it relaxing. It was a feeling she desperately needed.

This, she just figured out firsthand, was why people said animals helped relieve stress. The bird wouldn't ask her question after question. She wouldn't try to analyze her, or try to act like she understood, or give uninformed advice. The bird didn't condescendingly talk of how things would get better if she just cheered up and stuck in there. She would just stay there, allow Jia to hold and pet her, and be a silent comfort whether she was aware of what she was to the girl or not. The Padawan was grateful for this moment, and she voiced it.

"Thank you for letting me hold her. It's... really nice."

She was silent again after that, and for a while, that was all there was. Silence. The entire time she focused on Ashla, on this calm feeling. She wished it could have lasted forever.

"Jia, I may or may not understand what you feel right now. But if you do not tell me, we will never know. I'd like to help you if you let me. But that takes trust, and respect. From both of us to each of us."[/i]

Yeah... She had a feeling something like that was coming... She sighed quietly as her hand dropped back down to her side. It was going to keep coming back to this. Fine.

Trust had little to do with anything right now. Jia was generally trusting as a rule. But there were some things that needed more than just trust. She would not tell this woman everything. She would not even give her all the details. She just couldn't. But fine. She would tell her something. Maybe it would satisfy her and she'd stop asking for more. The thing was... Jia didn't know what to say or how to say it. It would be the first time she had told anyone else anything since returning to the Temple, and this wasn't exactly going to be easy.

Jia shut her eyes. As she opened them again her gaze sunk to the floor. It was clear that this was difficult. "I recently... Had a run in with a fallen Jedi Master. And a Sith Lord. On a Sith battleship." She paused. Maybe to let that sink in. Maybe out of uncertainty if she should continue. Her expression, the look in her eyes, they showed a pain that she was trying hard to hide. "I found out that one of them killed my first master... And I found out a lot of other things I wish I hadn't, and did things I wish I hadn't... And I just... Don't know what I think anymore."

She'd been honest enough. She didn't need to go into more detail. And she didn't need to mention the hardest part, the one thing that even overshadowed all that in the girl's heart. She didn't need to mention Rin... She wasn't even sure if she could bring her up out loud without falling apart right there and then. She wasn't about to risk it.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"You're lucky to be alive then," Teer said candidly.

It was the honest truth. Not many Padawans would survive such an encounter, and indeed most masters would be put to the test. Of course it seemed the girl was taking it a little hard, and Teer's first instinct was to gain more information.

What had Jia done? What had she found out?

Master Ka was hardly privy to all the details of the Jedi Order, but it was a little surprising she hadn't heard any details of this incident. Perhaps it was being kept somewhat secret? Certainly Jia seemed tight-lipped, which was enough to cause one of the Togruta's eyes to narrow in a gaze that was her default look when evaluating whether or not someone was being deceitful.

Teer was not a telepath, but she could still sense something was being held back. Even without the Force.

"What did you find out there that haunts you like this? It isn't healthy for you to bear it so heavily. Unless there's something more..."

The Togruta Master stared intently, putting an emphasis on those last words. She was quite clear in her tone that she had suspicions, and hopefully the message that she needed an answer was clear.

[Dee]

"You're lucky to be alive then."[/i]

Luck had nothing to do with it. Luck didn't stop Vorxere's lightning or push her out of the way of the enraged Sith Lord's attacks.

"What did you find out there that haunts you like this? It isn't healthy for you to bear it so heavily. Unless there's something more..."[/i]

Master Ka was giving her a look now. One of suspicion. It made the girl uncomfortable, and even a touch angry that she felt judged. She had told the truth. She didn't give all the details or tell her everything, but she hadn't lied. Why did she need more? Why wasn't that enough?

"It's personal, and I don't know if I'm supposed to talk about it." Her tone was clearly that of annoyance. She was unable to disguise the emotions she was feeling.

Jia slowly raised her free hand again, and went back to gently stroking Ashla's feathers. After a moment of this and another deep, calming breath she looked back up at the Togruta, and managed the slightest of an apologetic look in response to the tone she had just used. She was lashing out, reacting even more emotionally than she already did normally. It seemed that she was at least self-aware on some level, whether she could stop herself from doing it or not.

"I just... I want to believe that we'll always do the right thing. That we'll always try to do the right thing. But now, I don't know if I do. I don't know if we even know what the right thing is anymore. I don't know if I know..."

Her words may have made little sense to someone who couldn't see what was going on inside her head, but the thought of that hadn't even crossed her mind. She had just blurted it out, as if it explained everything, and would give the Master some sort of clarity or answer. Maybe Master Ka could actually make something of the girl's rambling. Or maybe not, and they were back at square one.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer wasn't sure if she followed exactly what was being said, as it was a little jumbled, but she caught enough to issue a reply.

"No one will always do the right thing. Every single Jedi in this Order has fallen short at some point, but we learn from these experiences. Your failure only becomes unforgivable if you refuse to correct it."

The Togruta Jedi hoped that response was going to be perceived as sagacious and forgiving, and not an indictment that the girl was failing somehow. It was hard to tell how a distraught young girl would take it.

Of course somehow she knew that this was hardly the bottom of it. There were layers to this Padawan's story, layers that had to be scraped away one at a time, and it wasn't all going to happen at once. It couldn't all happen at once.

The soft touch. Teer had to keep using it, as strange as it was to her. And she had an idea.

"You seem to like Ashla a great deal. It gives me an idea."

Very politely, Teer took back the glove and returned Ashla to her crate, apologizing in Togruti to the bird for the continued wait before finally coming to the point she had in mind, though she had every intention of keeping her ultimate goal hidden for the moment.

"I will be borrowing you for perhaps an hour or two, and we will be leaving the Temple. Your master will just have to do without you for a while."

[Dee]

Jia did little more than stare off as the Master imparted her wisdom on her. Whether it was true or not, the words barely reached the girl. She understood them, but they didn't put her doubts to rest. If anyone had experience with such things, certainly a Master did, and yet the teenager found no comfort in what she was told. Perhaps everything was still too fresh in her mind. She wondered silently to herself if she could even apply what the Master had said to the things that had been... 'haunting' her, as the Togruta put it.

"You seem to like Ashla a great deal. It gives me an idea."[/i]

The older woman moved to take the bird back from Jia. An action the young Mirialan didn't resist, but felt an intense disappointment to. She even half-heartedly raised a hand to wave goodbye to Ashla before Master Ka lowered her back into the crate. Yeah... Because the bird totally knew what that meant... She slowly lowered her hand and shook her head.

"I will be borrowing you for perhaps an hour or two, and we will be leaving the Temple..."[/i]

Jia's brow furrowed at that. 'Borrowing' her? Leaving the Temple? Now she was being dragged off on a field trip or something? This was getting out of hand.

"...Your master will just have to do without you for a while."[/i]

The girl's expression could only be described as pained at that moment. She immediately looked away, hoping the Togruta hadn't seen the look in her eyes, and resisting tears with all the willpower she could muster. She swallowed before speaking up, hoping to just move right on past any further mention of her master, "Leaving the Temple? Why? You've been nice to me and all, but to be honest, I don't really want to go anywhere..."

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

The Togruta Jedi noticed a definite reaction to the word 'master,' and deduced that was what was beyond this girl's woes. Perhaps she had lost a master somehow and was fighting off the lingering depression and sadness, which were feelings Teer herself had coped with twice before.

She chose not to respond to that reaction, instead focusing on the girl's subsequent words.

"I know you don't," Teer said in a voice that made it clear Jia's reservations were noted and dismissed. It also carried the general message that she was getting tired of the resistance.

Master Ka was not exactly renowned for inexhaustible supplies of patience, though she was continually improving with age. Her patience was being tested by the resistance she was gaining in exchange for the kindness she was investing.

"Consider this an order from a Jedi Master. We are leaving the Temple now, and you will thank me later. I'm not about to let you languish inside stone walls feeling sorry for yourself all day. Now come along, and don't even think of trying to sneak off."

Teer's husky voice was firm, though not wholly unkind. It was still the voice she used with unruly Padawans or Knights who fidgeted during lectures on combat doctrine, which was far from the most pleasant tone her lilting voice could deliver.

Usually it had the effect of ending arguments and forcing a submissive acceptance on the part of the one being spoken to. Teer sincerely hoped Jia wouldn't be one of the minority who tried getting into a battle of wills with the intimidating, scarred master.

[Dee]

The girl's nostrils flared as she drew in a sharp breath. This woman was ordering her around now? Really? She felt anger growing inside her in reaction to the Master's stern, commanding tone. Anger and an incredible urge to resist her.

What gives you the right? So what if you're a Master, you're not my master! I'm not a damn child, stop treating me like one and let me make my own decisions!

Thankfully Jia resisted actually speaking the words that she was practically screaming in her mind. Though the look on her face right now was probably not a whole lot better. She stared back at Master Ka looking indignant, and clearly not pleased. She even looked as if she was actually considering defiance, and would act on it.

That wasn't how this was going to play out though. The teenager suddenly broke eye contact, side-glancing off and away from the Togruta. It was a silent, but clear display of submission, and a sign that she had returned to her senses. Her expression shifted back to something more neutral.

Maybe it was the severe and intimidating stare of the older woman overpowering her, her brain taking over and reminding her that she should be showing this woman respect, or maybe it was her own subconscious trying to reel her emotions in before she said something she would regret. Most likely, it was some mix of all those things.

"Yes, Master Ka." The girl quietly muttered her compliance, and waited to follow her.