Get to Know You Better (Quark)

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

High Councilor Teer Ka stared out the window of the cockpit onto the exquisite gem that was her homeworld, embedded in a perfectly black field. Though she'd only been away from Shili for perhaps a month, its call was a siren song that was very hard to resist, and thanks to hologram communication she wouldn't miss a single session of the Council.

This was, in her estimation, an essential movement to make for the welfare of her newest Padawan.

Felix Astos reminded her deeply of her first Padawan, who had met an ill fate on this very world. However, Teer felt confident she was prepared to keep him from harm. Oresa had fallen due to her lack of preparation, and now she knew the wilds of her birthplace like the back of her hand. For her, there was no place more comfortable, and there were precious few places at less risk for Sith or Dark Jedi activity.

Yes, this was the place to get to know her new apprentice.

So far she had noticed little beyond his size, and Master Ka had only engaged in conversation with him briefly during meals. On those occasions she had made it quite clear that she was going to guide him until he was ready for Knighting, and that he could think of her in whatever way he chose.

Given her frequent absences to study important data, he probably thought of her as the missing mentor. Hopefully their time on the planet would change things and establish a proper relationship.

The Togruta woman walked out of the cockpit, straightening the leather jerkin she was wearing, and tugging a little on the loose homespun pants. Her lightsaber rested on her waist, and the akul teeth in her headdress shimmered resplendently.

"We're landing soon Padawan. Are you prepared?"

[Quark]

Felix sat in the cockpit, his fingers lightly rapping on the console in front of him. They itched to grab hold of the controls, to become one with the vessel. Piloting was one of the gifts that the Force had granted the Padawan with, and he was extremely passionate about it. Flying had always been a thrill for him, but now there hid a dark thought deep within his mind. It had been a constant nagging fear ever since the accident.

It was only a few weeks ago that Jedi Knight Zyrek had died because of a freak speeder collision. Felix was the one driving. It had been his fault, his negligence while chasing a suspect that caused the accident. Because of that, he dared not to touch the controls despite his instinctive desire to do so.

Teer's words broke Felix's train of thought and brought him back to the present. He snatched his hand away from the console he had been tapping on to quickly pat the few possessions that he had on him, ending with the lightsaber which hung from his utility belt. It was a reflexive action, the pattern engraved into the Padawan's muscles from repeated performances. He nodded once at the High Councilor, signifying his preparedness.

It was difficult for Felix to think of the Togruta as his new Master. After all, he had spent the past decade studying under Zyrek, and now he was expected to let go of that relationship. Part of him resented the Order for that. They preached to him that he was to detach himself from emotional worries, even after the person who had been the closest thing to a father had just died. Teer had told Felix to think of her in any way he wished, and the young man often caught himself disliking her.

Berating himself for having such thoughts, Felix took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had to be mindful that his new Master had his best interests at heart. It wasn't her fault that Zyrek had died, or that Felix would now have to prove himself to someone he barely knew. The Padawan took another deep breath, enveloping himself in the seemingly warm presence of the Force. It was a technique that his old master had taught him to cleans emotions; Felix had never been that good at it.

"Yes, Master Ka. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer glanced at the human, visible in the corner of her eye, and her senses told her something that they had often been telling her lately. He had flashes of anger towards her. Based on her understanding of the young man, it was probably more anger at the Order as a whole than her in particular.

It was just that the Togruta woman was the embodiment of the Order to him, a convenient avatar representing it. She was the natural target for his displeasure, which was something she'd understood going into this new relationship.

He said he was ready, and Teer had no reason to doubt him. So she merely sat down and ordered the pilot to begin the descent down to the planet, targeting an area she'd visited once before.

It was an area of canopy forest in the foothills of a large mountain range, about a day's ride away from Corvala. The tribe in the area was friendly, and she was on good terms with them. In fact, she had a standing offer to drop by any time, which she was planning on taking them up on.

Through the canopy, the glow of reentry soon faded, to be replaced with a view of endless scrub lands in a dizzying blend of red and white, which faded into green as the canopy forest loomed ahead. White-peaked mountains were beyond, but they touched down well before those, coming to a stop on a butte with a sweeping view all the way out to the distant buildings in Corvala, and everything in between.

Teer rose, motioned for her new Padawan to follow, and proceeded straight out of the ramp. A knapsack was slung over her shoulder, and her arms were bare, save for a gauntlet on the left arm. On it was perched a large black and white Corellian Banshee Bird.

Her name was Ashla, and she was Teer's beloved pet.

The Togruta woman stretched in the sunlight and the warm air, and took in a deep breath before looking over to Felix.

"Welcome to Shili," She said calmly.

[Quark]

Gray eyes examined the lush green forest which lay outside of the shuttle. It reminded him of his adventures on Carida, the first mission on which he truly got to know his fellow Padawan Emmi. For a long time he resented her presence as Zyrek's second pupil, but it was during that assignment on Carida that he opened up to her, and she to him. As Felix scanned the foothills he frowned slightly, wondering if this was going to a repeat of that experience. He glanced sidelong at his new master, wondering if this had been a plan of hers.

The tall Padawan was quick to follow Teer when she motioned. He was interested to find out what sort of teacher she would be, whether she would focus on his strengths or his weaknesses. What sort of tolerance would she have for failure? That sort of thought would have never entered the young man's mind had it not been for his recent and harsh discovery of just how horribly he could screw up. Flexing his hands and mentally gritting his teeth, Felix once again drew on the Force to try and calm himself. He was sure that the High Councilor could sense his emotions, and as far as he knew he was about to be sent to the corps for showing such obvious lack of control.

As his booted foot touched the ground of this new planet, Felix looked around and for the first time in far too long had one of his usual thoughts: I could climb that... Half of a grin touched his face as he examined the trees that grew around him. The thought was a comfortable one, an old friend which had brought both strife and adventure to the human boy throughout his life. One of his first memories was trying and failing spectacularly to summit the Jedi temple itself.

"So, Master Ka, what is it that we're going to be doing here?" He glanced only momentarily at his master before his eyes flicked back the the forest that lay ahead. A hand fell to the lightsaber that lay at the Padawan's belt as an instinctive gesture. The High Councilor had a bit of a reputation with the Padawans as a bit of an extremist, and Felix didn't want to be caught off-guard by some surprise test.

The Padawan's attempts to sense what was beyond the trees yielded no results, but that did not signify to him that there was nothing to worry about. His skills in that area of the Force were never that good, and he had often relied on Emmi to perform such jobs.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer glanced at the human with a slight skeptical look. Hadn't she briefed him at least a little earlier? It wasn't as if she'd kept him completely clueless. Still, maybe she had been rather... vague.

Details mattered, as she would often tell others. Details were an element of precision, which was vital in her branch of the Order. So she had made a kind of minor tactical error, but one that could be easily corrected.

"Simply put, I plan to get to know you better Padawan. We will train here, and enjoy the natural setting. Possibly I can take you to the nearest tribe or into Corvala if you wish. But primarily..."

The Togruta woman paused, scratching one of her headtails and trying to plan out a schedule for the day. However, another idea came unbidden into her head. It was a simple and subtle change of approach that she had a good feeling about.

Five years ago, Teer Ka would have dictated every instant of training. It would have been rigorous and demanding, both physically and mentally, but now? Now the Councilor was seeking to instill other virtues as well. If she could just pass along her own love of nature, then maybe she would improve the young man in a way beyond mere physical abilities.

"I need to form a bond with you as master and apprentice. I understand you are going through a very difficult time right now. I want you to understand that I am someone you can confide in, and someone who cares about your success. In that spirit, tell me what you want to do. You can set the agenda and pace for today."

[Quark]

Felix frowned as he ran his fingers over his buzzed head, staring off into the distance. It wasn't often that his previous master had given him free reign over what activities they would take part in. Zyrek had always been the one to steer his Padawans' training, to sculpt them as he saw fit. Now that he had the choice, Felix felt both exhilarated and overwhelmed. Perhaps this was a test on Master Teer's part, an attempt to discover the nature of her apprentice. What if he picked wrong? Felix's frown deepened. It wasn't like him to think, to doubt himself.

The Padawan's first instinct was to spar. Training with the lightsaber was something that he always fell back on when he didn't know what to do with himself. It was an old comfort and simultaneously a method to improve himself. His hand fell to grasp his lightsaber, the feel of it calming him with its familiarity. Just as he was about to speak, his eyes fell upon the mountains in the distance. Suddenly he had a much better idea.

"We'll go there," He said suddenly, his hand leaving the hilt of his lightsaber to swing and point at the white-topped mountains. It was someplace tall, an irresistible trait in the Padawan's mind. More important than that, the mountain range seemed in Felix's mind to present an open challenge to the world and any who laid eye on it. He never could walk away from a challenge.

Gray eyes turned to fall on the Togruta, and Felix suddenly remembered who he was addressing.

"I mean, uh, if that's something you're okay with, Master Ka." The young man's voice was slightly shaky as he spoke. He was used to his master being a Knight of the Jedi Order, and while still superior to him, Zyrek was no where near the rank which Teer held.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer followed the human's gesture to the mountain peaks perhaps a week away by foot, and her first reaction was to overrule him and say 'anything but that.' After all, it was very much out of the way and a distraction to real work.

But somehow the Togruta Jedi felt that would be cheating, and that she'd already given her word.

And her word was her bond.

"Very well," Teer said with a nod. "Meet me back here in six minutes. We'll need warm coats to carry with us."

She headed back up the ramp, but not before letting Ashla soar into the air and settle on a nearby tree. A quick command to her in Togruti told the bird to stay patiently.

Once inside, Teer dug through a pile of clothing before finding something that could work with her headtails. She rolled it up tightly and fastened it to her knapsack with a few leather bands. Only then did she march back down the ramp and look for Felix again.

She really hoped he wouldn't have an objection with walking for a solid week. But, it would serve as a test of both his patience and resolve.

So perhaps this really was the beginning of his training.

[Quark]

The tall Padawan rushed up the ramp after his master, veering off towards his compartment located on the shuttle. He snatched up the bulging backpack which lay on the floor of the room, unfastening the clasp to release a deluge of poorly packed gear. Felix hurriedly sorted through the mess, re-stuffing the pack with all of the winter gear that he could readily find before rushing out of the shuttle once more, leaving behind a disaster. The human found himself outside before Teer had made it out, and busied himself with fitting the backpack to himself.

Felix glanced at the mountains that lay off in the distance once more, slightly impatient as he waited for his master. He knew the trip would take around at least a couple days, and wanted to get started as soon as possible. Drumming his fingers on the hilt of his lightsaber, the human closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He filled himself with the Lightside of the Force, reaching out as well as he could.

As he expanded his senses he could feel his master first, a bright obelisk of light. Further out he was able to catch fleeting sensations of the small animals which were carefully returning to the area, having been scared off by the ship's decent. Felix opened his eyes, feeling a small wave of exhaustion fall over him from the strain of using the Force. He frowned at his own incompetence at the more subtle aspects of the Force. Such a feat would have been a simple task for Em, just as easy as if Felix were to try to use the Force to jump an extraordinary height.

A sound from behind him caused the Padawan to turn around suddenly, his hand instinctively wrapping around his lightsaber. His eyes fell upon Master Ka, and he released his weapon with a sheepish expression on his face.

”All ready to go, Master Ka?” The young human adjusted his pack once more, making sure that it was comfortable. He knew first hand the issues that could arise from minor discomforts over the course of a long journey. ”How long do you think this trip is gonna take us? Two, maybe three days?”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer Ka stared pointedly at the hand on the Padawan's lightsaber until it was withdrawn. However, her eyes bored into the young man for another few seconds as she wondered why exactly he had done that.

Did he feel threatened? In danger? And if he did, did he consider her an enemy or an ally? It was still too early in their relationship to tell exactly what he thought of her, and his opinions were still forming. It was too early to know much, but that was why she had come home with him.

Shili was the one place where Teer Ka was at her best, and where she knew she could truly relax. Now all she had to do was share with him.

In response to his question, the Togruta woman stared at the mountains and thought for a few moments as she measured the distance.

"A week to travel there and back. Come along," Teer said as she stepped away from the ramp.

The red-skinned woman let out a very high trilling sound, and her pet came swooping down from the treetops and landed on her shoulder. Teer gave the bird a quick pat before she started walking through a knee-high field of grass that led to a long stretch of flat land, punctuated by the occasional scraggly tree. It was a long area of elevated scrub that was bordered by the canopy forest.

This was a tactical decision, as dipping through the forest would cause much slower progress. This way they would have a full day of easy travel, only dealing with occasional hills and a gently rising elevation. It would also make navigation much easier.

"So..." The Jedi Councilor began awkwardly, trying to think how to address the youth. Ultimately she decided on his name.

"Felix. Tell me a little about yourself."

[Quark]

Several long moments passed in silence while the duo marched through the tall grass, the Padawan frowning in thought as he tried to come up with a concise way to detail himself. Eventually he shrugged and spoke.

"I don't know that there's much to tell, Master." Although Felix's tone was relaxed, his eyes flitted around them, scanning the landscape in a surgical fashion.

"I'm a pretty simple guy. I like excitement. I like challenges. I'm a good swordsman, and a better pilo-" Here the human stuttered over his words. Flashes of his last adventure behind the wheel came to mind.

"Mechanic. I'm a better mechanic." The words came out forced, a correction that he seemed to be imposing onto himself.

"While I haven't succeeded at making a fully functional droid as of yet, I think I'm close. I don't like waiting, or having people wait on me."

Felix snatched at some of the taller stalks of grass, ripping the blades from the ground and dropping them as a child might. His gaze had settled once more on the mountain range in the distance. He frowned, thinking that Teer must have overestimated the amount of time that this journey would take them.

"What about you, Master? I mean, you probably got a nice file on my history, but here I am with nothing but the rumors of Younglings and Padawans." He flashed the Togruta woman a slightly lopsided smile before looking around them once more.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

The change of words did not go unnoticed by Teer, but the Jedi Master found it wise to sometimes let a sensitive subject slide by without further examination. He was, of course, right that she'd had access to his records, but they only told so much. What she was after was learning who he really was, and how he spent his time, how he felt. He needed to become more than just lines of text on a page.

As to her...

"I imagine you know the details as well as anyone else," The Togruta woman said with a soft grunt before sending her gaze up to the mountains, and not on Felix.

"I have served the Jedi Order for 52 years. Much of that was spent as a Jedi Guardian, and one dedicated to combating Dark Jedi. When I was young I received the scar on my face, and it reminds me of the price of being careless."

And then there was one other issue...

The rumors were there no doubt. Upon her elevation to Councilor, it was likely many had discussed the deaths of her first two Padawans. That was a subject Teer was still touchy about herself, but she couldn't simply ignore it. That wasn't a luxury she had, and wasn't one she'd allow herself at any rate.

"I'm sure you know my first two Padawans died. Perhaps later I would discuss that, but for now, know that I have no intention to allow you to die."

The red-skinned woman lapsed into silence and trudged through the tall grass, stepping out into a large clearing of red dirt. It caked between her toes, and she continued to walk in it as she gathered her thoughts.

"If you have questions, just ask them. I prefer the direct approach."