Luminous Creatures

[Dutch]

Explosions rocked the area around them. Broken and bloodied bodies lay littered around the ground. White plasteel of Republic troopers, and the blacks of Sith intermixed. A great machine lay smoking and disabled within the sea of bodies. Like a great metallic war beast taken down, it was covered in scorch marks from blasters and bombs alike. Scattered among the corpses was the occasional robed figure, members of both Orders having lost their lives at the great wall that rose like a sheer cliff above them. It's face was missing massive chunks, and one entire section was crumbled and fallen, a great many bodies crushed and visible within and around it. Despite all the dead everywhere, pockets of fighting still existed. Brutal trench battles and open melees. Death was everywhere, and it permeated the Force around them. It was a slaughterhouse, and difficult to see which side was winning. It only spoke of loss, either way, there was loss. Loss of life, loss of innocence, loss of faith.

Halli's eyes would flutter open before they blinked the vision away. Her arm fell from the canvas and pink lips would tug into a saddened frown. The painting before her was of some battle, one she had not heard of or seen in the holonews yet. Yet it was not the first of its kind. Halli made a note to send it to the Prophets for review. They would get it one way or another, she figured she would make it easier for everyone and just send it to begin with. Plus, if it helped the Republic in any way to prepare for these skirmishes, Halli was more than happy to help. She just wished there was more she could do to help out- besides joining the Blades. A few had asked her to join them before, but each time Halli respectfully declined. She was a Peacekeeper, not a Warmonger. Her black eyes would scan around the garden she was in. It was a quiet afternoon, the Temple felt emptier when she had woken up than normal. That wasn't uncommon these days though.

It had only been a few weeks since Halli had began to venture out of her quarters again. She still took a couple hours to get used to being around people again, hours she usually spent with a morning run, breakfast, followed by a meditation session. By then her little heart normally calmed down, and she would spend the afternoon painting in the Coruscanti sun. Except for yesterday, when she had helped Master Fu with one of her classes. Oh what an anxiety attack that had been for Halli, to face down two of her heroes at the same time. They were both so warm and friendly to her, yet the little blonde was still terrified by the pillars of the Lightside that stood before her. Halli sighed and went to brush her bangs from her face when she felt cold spread across her cheek.

The girl long ago learned to ignore the feeling of paint as it smeared or spattered onto her, and thus paid no mind to the bright orange streaks that now covered the spatters of blues, tans, blacks and whites from the painting. Near the entire front of her cream colored Jedi garb was similarly spattered, but a Halli Price without paint on her was a rare sight indeed. She tilted her head at her painting again, and the perfectionist in her led the girl to lick one of her thumbs and swirl a plume of smoke to look hazier and hazier. The bright flowers and foliage of the gardens around Halli were a stark contrast to the stone and dust landscape of paint in front of her. She hoped never to be in a place like that. Yet she knew one day she would have to be. Halli had painted herself and Karon standing side by side there weeks ago. It was only a matter of when the Force took here there...

[Dee]

Jia 'oof'ed quietly as she suddenly seemed to have stumbled onto an obstacle in her path. Or perhaps 'into' was the better word. As she took a couple of steps back she raised her eyes from the floor of the Temple they seemed to have been glued to, to meet the gaze of a much taller, aged looking Jedi. He looked down at the girl with very little change in expression, save for the slight raising of an eyebrow at her demeanor.

She hadn't even managed to sense the fact that she was about to collide with another being. That was apparently how deep in her thoughts she had been. It was a bit embarrassing to have been that oblivious to the world around her. "Sorry..." The Padawan muttered quietly with a bow of her head before she slipped past him and continued on her way without waiting for a response or a reaction. Or a possible scolding...

Booted feet carried her more quickly to her destination, a garden where she had been told the Knight she was looking for had been seen in only a short while ago. Both hands carefully, yet firmly, kept held of the item she held at her side. A painting that said Knight had left behind the day before. Her name, if Jia remembered it right, was Halcyon Price. She had been one of the Jedi who showed up to Aeia's class to assist with her lesson.

Yesterday had been the most people Jia interacted with at one time in quite a while, without counting the younglings she often helped her master with. She knew it had been good for her, but it had been strangely jarring. She had started to become used to keeping to herself lately, and to go from that to having to interact closely with a group, of her betters no less, including the former Grandmaster, and not embarrass her master... The Padawan would be lying if she said it hadn't shaken her nerves a bit.

But she hadn't been the only one with discomfort hanging over her. The blonde Knight was practically radiating it the entire time. It was not only obvious in her words and movements, but Jia could feel it strongly. It traveled to her through the Force with no effort and it was as if the older girl's emotions had been her own. In a way, they were. She'd found herself wanting to reach out to her, to let her know she wasn't alone in her feelings, but there hadn't been a good moment to do so. At least, not without seeming weird and awkward, the girl figured.

She had no real plans to do so now, either. All she intended to do was return the painting to her and then leave her be. The Knight had brought many with her to the classroom to use in the lesson, but when it was over she had left only a single one behind. Neither Aeia or Jia assumed it had been intentional, so the young Mirialan offered to return it to her. And so... there she was.

Quiet steps brought her from the enclosed walls of the Temple out into the open air of the garden. Jia paused as the warm sunlight hit her green skin, deep blue eyes slowly gazing at her surroundings before settling on the exact person she had been looking for. After a shuffle of her feet and a brief hesitation, the girl began to cross the garden and made her way toward the seated Knight.

Even though this had been exactly what she came for, Jia found herself feeling a touch shy now that she was there, and the other was right there in front of her. She looked busy, and absorbed in her painting... was she going to be bothering her by showing up here? Either way... She was there now, and it was a bit too late to change that. She stood off to the side before her subdued voice barely broke the silence, "Master Price?" She shifted slightly, offering a respectful bow whenever the older girl's attention focused on her. "Sorry to disturb you. I don't know if you remember me. I'm Jia Suutrar, Master Fu's Padawan."

She shifted her feet again and as a result, her body as well, as she raised her arms a touch to show her the painting she carried. "You left this painting in the classroom yesterday when you left. I just wanted to bring it back to you." The girl paused as she glanced at the canvas, and the paints. The older girl was clearly busy with what she was doing, and here Jia was interrupting her for something that probably could have waited. She glanced away from a moment, looking unsure of herself before she spoke again, "I can bring it to your quarters for you instead, if you'd like."

[Dutch]

Halli didn't even notice as Jia sidled up to her. With a furrowed brow she worried at that painting a little bit more, completely oblivious to all around her. When the younger girl spoke, Halli jumped visibly with a squeak and looked back in time to see the little Mirialan girl bowing to her. She half-laughed half-sighed at the sight of Jia, and stood to give a return bow. Halli could feel Jia's anxiety in the Force, and for a brief moment wondered if that was what it was like talking to her. She remembered the Padawan, very sweet and kind, a kindred spirit of sorts. Halli had hoped to talk to her a little bit more after she showed interest in her paintings, but the lesson had left little time for that sort of thing. The blonde tilted her head slightly to smile warmly at Jia before she spoke.

"Of course I remember you Jia! And please, just Halli."

Her tone was light and playful as the initial shock of being surprised melted away. Halli's hands would take the painting from Jia, and she held it to look at it. Many figures filled an ice and snow covered courtyard. Robed figures in Jedi browns and Sith blacks wielded lightsabers against one another. A deadly choreographed dance, the Sith clearly overwhelming the Jedi. Though a few familiar faces did stand out, a couple members of the High Council in particular. Rhen Var, where many Jedi lost their lives against a sudden Sith ambush. An ancient temple of the Jedi now in the clutches of the Sith, a terrible loss to the Order. Halli placed a hand on the piece, and moved it slowly over it to feel the textures of the dried paint. She offered a sad smile to Jia.

"Thank you, that was very kind. I was such a mess yesterday."

Halli said with an embarrassed laugh. Her cheeks would be touched in pink at the memory of her reaction at seeing both Master Beleren and Master Fu. It just figured that two of the people she idolized would both be there at the same time. And there before her now, was the protege of Master Fu. Halli looked the girl over curiously, surprised to note that she actually looked her in the eyes straight on, instead of having to look up like normal. She smiled and placed a gentle hand on Jia's arm.

"Oh don't be silly Jia, it's too nice a day to spend inside."

She breathed with a gentle squeeze before she turned to walk over to a couple large boulders. Propped up against them were three other paintings she had done since she had started that day. One was of the freshly flowering Elindra Tree across a small stream, another of two younglings as they meditated with a master near the exotic vines that crept up one of the garden walls, while the third was an abstract piece of swirling and stuttering colors. It wasn't uncommon for Halli to warm up with a couple pieces before letting the Force take her for an affected work. Halli knelt down to prop the Rhen Var piece up with the others before she stood and looked down at them. Her left hand came up for her to gentle bite at the tip of her thumb as she looked them over.

[Dee]

A hushed sigh of relief was breathed as that worry and anxiety that had gripped Jia dissipated almost as suddenly as it had hit her. Halli's reaction to her presence was welcoming, her demeanor nothing but friendly. It put her almost instantly at ease. She nodded once to show a silent agreement to call the Knight by her first name. She accepted the idea fairly easily... somewhat strange, as it was something she still struggled with when it came to her own master's similar request.

When Halli approached to take the painting Jia handed it over to her and remained silent as the older girl looked her creation over. The young Mirialan only spoke again when it was in response to Halli's own words, "You're welcome." She paused for a moment as she noted the blush that crept into the blonde's cheeks. She said nothing about it and drew no further attention to it. She didn't want the other to feel any more uncomfortable about the memory of the day before.

When the older girl smiled and placed a hand on her arm it was certainly clear to Jia that she wasn't intruding or being bothersome as she'd worried. "You're probably right about that." The girl quietly conceded to the Knight's words. A touch of paint was left behind on her sleeve as Halli retracted her hand, but Jia paid it no mind.

It seemed that without all that nervousness and anxiety and pressure hanging over them that they were both fairly comfortable in the others presence. Jia could only figure that for her, it was the Knight's entire disposition. She was friendly and kind, but that wasn't all. She couldn't have been all that much older than Jia herself, and she wasn't looking down on her. Neither figuratively or literally. Jia was used to being towered over. Something the Mirialan had learned on many occasions was that height could be intimidating when paired with a forceful personality. Halli had neither.

Jia only watched at first as Halli moved toward the boulders where she had set up more paintings and began to intently look them over. The Padawan silently debated if she should excuse herself and take her leave now. She had done what she came to do. Yet every time she convinced herself she was about to go she found herself hesitating, and her feet wouldn't move.

When they finally did it wasn't back inside to the Temple where they brought her, but over to where Halli was standing as she inspected her work. Jia stayed standing nearby in silence as she glanced aside to the very focused Knight. After a moment her gaze instead shifted to the propped up paintings. She didn't recognize any of them from the day before but they were all Halli's style, the one she clearly remembered from the paintings shown in the classroom. Jia was no art buff, but even she could see the impressive detail and incredible skill that went into creating these works.

"Did... you paint all of these just today?" The teenager's signature curiosity showed itself as she asked, the tone of her voice giving away how impressed she was by them, and by the idea that Halli had created them all in what couldn't have been more than a few hours. Her head canted to the side slightly as her gaze rested on the painting of swirling colors, almost seeming mesmerized by it. "These are amazing..." Her last few words were quiet and a little distant, as if she didn't even realize that she had spoken them aloud.

[Dutch]

Halli glanced at Jia quickly when she asked her question. The blonde would nod a couple times as she continued to nip at the tip of her thumb as the other hand crossed and grasped her tunic. She watched with her black eyes as Jia began to examine the paintings further. Halli was entertained that it seemed the piece that drew the Mirialan's eye the most was the warm up piece, done to see what colors were striking her and to warm up her arms for the marathon ahead of them. The older Jedi would offer a sweet smile to Jia at the compliment she gave.

"You're sweet Jia, thank you."

The blonde said softly. She stepped forward again to kneel in front of her paintings. Daintily she plucked the piece with the flowering tree on it off the boulder. Dark eyes examined it as memories drifted lazily through her mind. Not that many years ago, that same tree had been where Bellinda and herself had sat for hours on end. Whether it was while Halli painted, or when they would listen to music and brush each other's hair, it would always just be the two of them. No one else allowed for those moments. Halli sighed gently and set the piece back down before she shifted to plop down on her rear onto the grass. She peered over at Jia, her eyes squinting slightly against the sun that shone down on them both.

"It helps that I'm often drawn to the same subjects. The Elindra Tree and other Jedi are most common it seems. I often see the same Jedi, at the same times...

Halli started before she pointed a slim finger to the younglings on the canvas. Her smile widened as she glanced over at it.

...Those younglings I've been painting for six months now. They're already so much bigger."

She finished with an almost proud smile. Halli rolled back onto her feet before standing up fluidly. Her feet padded over to the easel where Halli picked up the painting there. The blonde moved it over to sit with the other paintings, facing towards the sun to help it dry. She paused a minute before one last smudging of smoke was done with a pinky finger. A quick nod of approval would be followed by Halli spinning to grab Jia by the wrist. Halli tugged on her arm to follow her back to the easel where she would place her hands on Jia's shoulders to plop her down on the stool. A step led to a stack of blank canvas, and Halli grabbed a smaller sized one. With a big smile the blonde slid the canvas onto the easel.

"It's really not hard, I'll teach you!"

Halli said with a light giggle as her palette was nabbed off the grass. She slid it into Jia's hand, and worked hers over Jia's fingers to get the grip on it right. Once she was sure, Halli nodded and grabbed a brush off the easel to thrust it into Jia's free hand. The blonde made sure she was holding it right with a focused look before nodding again in approval. She plopped down into the grass next to the stool, and looked up at the canvas.

"Every piece begins with one strike. My Master used to tell me this all the time. Choose a color, whichever speaks most to you, and make your mark Jia. After that, begin to explore the shape. Trust your body, trust where it wants to go. Listen to your mind, it will form what your body starts, then work with your body to reveal what your heart wants you to see."

[Dee]

Blue eyes shifted away from the painting they had been so intently focused on and back onto Halli. Jia didn't say a word as she watched the older girl more closely examine one of them. The Knight seemed distracted and almost distant as she stared down at it. Jia was about to ask if she was alright but the words never made it past her lips as the other began to speak again. The teenager stayed quiet instead and listened attentively to her.

The way Halli talked about her painting sparked Jia's curiosity further. It sounded as if the subjects she painted came to her naturally, like being inspired was hardly difficult. She made it sound easy. The teenager had a hard time comprehending it. Then again, it wasn't a hobby she partook it. Maybe if she did, she would understand better. Or maybe not. Halli had a talent that the Mirialan thought that many others couldn't come close to.

Jia watched as Halli stood and retrieved the painting she was working on before Jia arrived from the easel and brought it over to place it near the others. That was the first time the Padawan was able to get a good look at it, as the older girl touched up some of the details. What she saw was enough to make her eyes widen a touch in surprise. It wasn't like the others. There was nothing bright and colorful or comforting about the war-torn landscape that was presented on that canvas.

It was just a painting... yet Jia swore she could feel all the emotions one might have standing on that bloodied battlefield surrounded by all that destruction and death. It wasn't even real, and yet she felt the sting of loss, the pain of watching others suffer, as if she were right there among it all. It was enough to make her turn away in discomfort.

Just in time for Halli to take hold of her wrist and start to pull her away. The Padawan blinked a few times as she was dragged along across the garden toward the now empty easel. She was clearly confused, but at no point did she offer any sort of resistance. Hands were placed on her shoulders and she had little choice but to go along with being guided down to sit on the stool in front of it.

This is starting to become a trend... She silently mused to herself as she watched Halli place a new, blank canvas onto the previously empty easel.

"Um... Alright." That quiet response was all the little Mirialan gave in reaction to all of this as Halli fidgeted with fitting her hand properly into the palette and getting the grip just right. The next thing Jia knew a brush was being put in her hand and there she sat, looking all set and ready to paint. Mentally, not so much. She gave a glance to Halli, looking completely lost even as the older girl explained how she should start.

"It's uh, been a really long time since I tried anything like this. I think the last time I painted was when I was a youngling. These..." She gestured to the tattooed pattern under her eye with the paintbrush. "Are really the most 'artistic' thing I've done in years. But, I... Guess it can't hurt to try?" She sounded unsure but wasn't unwilling to make the attempt. She didn't like the idea of disappointing Halli by turning down her impromptu lesson either.

She turned back toward the white canvas and just stared at it with uncertainty. Even despite Halli's guidance she was at a loss. Her mind was as blank as the surface in front of her. "I don't even know where to start..." She quietly admitted, but gaze remained in front of her. Ok, start with a color. She looked down at the different shades of paint on the palette... and couldn't even decide on one of them. This was becoming way more complicated than it should have been and she wasn't quite sure why. Maybe the most important thing was to stop over thinking it...

Maybe she could try to treat this like she would treat meditation. Just relax and try to let the inspiration come naturally. She closed her eyes and drew in a quiet deep breath as she tried to focus on something, anything. When that didn't seem to work she tried to clear her mind, hoping something worthwhile would drift into her thoughts. Nothing seemed to be working. No inspiration from inside her, or guidance from the Force came to her. She just felt like she was floating in nothingness. As her eyes fluttered open again she was staring at a canvas now marked by a few erratic, meaningless swipes of paint. All a dull, sullen light gray. She doubted any sense could be made of them at all.

Jia's shoulders slumped with a sigh. It wasn't as if she went into this expecting much of herself, but she was still disappointed by the outcome.

[Dutch]

"They're lovely."

Halli said with a small smile as Jia gestured to her tattoo. She nodded energetically as the Mirialan moved to begin. The blonde looked at Jia with endearment as she struggled to begin, but Halli had full faith in the Padawan. Black eyes watched with curiosity as Jia followed her instructions. The younger girl's features went from relaxation to serenity. She couldn't help but feel her heart flutter as Jia's arm began to move seemingly on its own. Her head would tilt as the brush was dabbed into the light grey only to place what seemed like random lines. Until they began to connect. Halli narrowed her eyes slightly as her lips pursed gently. When Jia stopped, she blinked in surprise as it was clear the younger girl wasn't finished. The blonde slowly slid to her feet, and looked at the canvas with interest. Once more Halli turned her gaze to Jia as she sighed in obvious disappointment. Halli's fingers gently took the brush back from Jia before speaking.

"Jia... you have a talent for this."

Her tone was a mixture of comforting words and wonder. With a steady couple drags of the brush over the canvas, Halli connected the seemingly discordant lines. Two large letters looked back at them. A 'K' and a 'B'. Halli looked back to Jia and held up a slim finger, motioning for Jia to wait. The blonde bounded over to the other side of the boulders that the paintings were propped on. She returned clutching her two lightsabers, and a large smile across her face. Halli plopped onto the ground right next to Jia. Almost hesitant at first, the Knight handed Jia her lightsabers, first one, then the other. Shiny and light grey in color, the guard shotos gleamed in the sun. Halli used a finger to point to one handle and then the other. Etched into one was the letter 'K', and the other the letter 'B'.

"Ardent and Reverie... The K stands for Karon, one of my..." Halli hesitated as certain damning words were nearly spoken. "Friends. And the B, stands for Bellinda, she was my closest friend..."

Halli's voice would crack on a tone of sadness as she mentioned Bells. It had been so many years since she had seen Bellinda. The Jedi had declared her dead, but certain paintings and visions told the blonde otherwise. More often than she felt her sanity could take. Halli looked from Jia to the painting, where the two letters looked back, both perfectly mirroring their small etched copies. She was fascinated that Jia had lain down those letters, few knew of their existence, and Halli never showed them to anyone. But Jia had surprised her. The Force for some reason had lead the Mirialan to open Halli up to her, something very few people experienced. Halli smiled at Jia, and tried her best not to look depressed. It was far too beautiful a day to dwell on the lost after all.

[Dee]

"Jia... you have a talent for this."

Jia blinked as she turned to Halli, giving the older girl a perplexed look as she reached out and took the brush from her.

"...Do I?" The question was asked with a disbelieving tone. It was clear she didn't understand why Halli would think that. She watched curiously though as the blonde brought the paintbrush back to the canvas and with a couple of small strokes had turned Jia's seemingly random lines into very clear letters. The teenager canted her head and stared with a touch of uncertainty.

"KB?" She asked questioningly, before giving a slight nod in response to Halli's gesture. The Knight wandered off to the boulders and then returned before retaking a seat, and offering the two lightsabers to the girl. After placing the pallet down, leaned against a leg of the stool she sat on, Jia reached out and carefully took them from her as if they were fragile objects. She looked over the shined metal of the hilts with interest before she followed Halli's gesture to the etched letters. She blinked as she looked them over, then up at the letters on the canvas, then back down to the lightsabers. "...Oh." Was the only thing Jia said at first in response to this realization. She was a bit too surprised to say much else.

Jia's gaze again raised onto Halli as she explained the reason for those letters' existence. Only after the Knight fell silent did Jia again stare down at the lightsabers, blue eyes focused on the etchings as she began to silently dwell on what she had been told. They were a very thoughtful touch. One the girl hadn't heard of any other Jedi doing before. It left no doubt that the friends Halli spoke of were very important to her.

But Jia had taken careful note of Halli's words. 'Was'. The emotions she felt stirring inside the other girl confirmed that it had been more than just a misuse of past tense wording. The Padawan looked up again, a silent gaze of sympathy offered to the blonde. She wasn't entirely sure what to say...

After a moment of hesitation, Jia carefully offered Halli her lightsabers back, before she slowly reached to her belt to take her own from her waist. The Knight had shared something clearly important and close to her heart with the young Mirialan... and she thought she should do the same. After another few seconds of uncertainty she offered it to Halli to either take from her or look at. The weapon was small, fitting to the diminutive teenager's hands, and fairly plain save for the simple patterns formed onto the outside of the hilt. Though hardly beat up looking there were a couple of slightly visible light scratches and scuffs here and there on the outside of the metal.

"Mine doesn't have a name. I never gave it one. It's actually the first I ever made on my own. I used a lightsaber given to me by my first master for years. He uh, never really thought I was ready for my own." Her gaze sunk to the ground briefly before she continued.

"This one, though... I made this one. After my last master told me it was time to." She reached over to run a hand over the silver colored hilt, fingers lightly tracing along the simple patterns on it as her mind began to wander. Her voice became somewhat wistful as she spoke again, "I made it the way I did to look similar to her lightsaber. It was a, um..." She paused, trying to find the right word to use. "Tribute... to her. I wanted to show her, and others, that I respected and honored her."

Her tone seemed to become strained the longer she spoke. As if behind each word was emotion she was struggling to keep controlled. It had been a while since anything about her former masters had been spoken aloud by her. They were still on her mind often. Jia thought about Rin more than she knew she should ever admit. But they stayed as just that: thoughts, and she'd spoken to no one in great depth about the incident aboard the Sith ship or the effects it had on her. Not even Aeia, after that first conversation they had the night they met.

Jia took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before looking back to Halli. She hesitated again, worried about the next thing she thought to say to the blonde. She knew the question might be a dangerous one and she had no desire to cause Halli any pain, and yet the want to ask continued to tug at her. Though it wasn't for the usual reason of uncontrollable curiosity. Jia had found that despite her earlier thoughts, she actually wanted to stay. She wanted to spend more time with Halli, to talk to her more, and to know and understand the older girl better. For a girl who had kept mostly to herself and been followed by an unshakeable despondence for many weeks this was an unexpected - and welcomed - feeling.

"Can I ask... What happened to your friend?" The request was made quietly, with no hint of coercion or obligation in the teenager's voice. It was clear in her tone, her expression, in every emotion the girl was giving off, that the last thing she wanted to do was upset Halli; If that meant that her question would go unanswered, then she would accept that.

[Dutch]

Halli took Reverie and Ardent back wordlessly. A light nod was given in thanks as she gingerly slid the two lightsabers into their belt loops. They clinked lightly, a familiar sound that had come to bring comfort to the girl. Ever since she had forged the pair, she never felt quite right without them nearby. She looked up again to see Jia pull her lightsaber, and smiled softly at the return gesture. Her hands gingerly took it into them, gentle fingers moving over the cool metal in appreciation. A light shudder would touch the blonde as the residual emotions tied to it flowed through the Force into her. Halli listened to Jia as she spoke, dark eyes taking in every notch, scratch and curve to the handle. It was clear that Jia was sincere, both her tone and the images conjured in the Force by the item validated her. She would nod in understanding, and her left hand would move forward to slide into Jia's. A soft squeeze was given before she spoke.

"It's beautiful Jia..."

Another squeeze was given as the emotion was clear in Jia's voice. Halli gently slid Jia's lightsaber back into the Mirialan's hands, her own paint spattered ones cupped over Jia's. She wanted to say something to comfort her, something to show her empathy for the girl. It amazed Halli how much Jia mirrored herself, and yet was completely different all the same. Halli never really thought to ever take a Padawan, though like many Knights it was expected. However if she ever did take on a learner, she'd want them to be just like Jia. Her eyes found Jia's as she could feel a wordless desire bubble up from the younger girl. When she spoke, Halli looked away. She had a feeling that question would be asked. Rarely though was there an opportunity for it to be asked though. Halli nodded and slid her hands out from Jia's. Slim fingers locked together, and she hugged her knees to her torso. Black eyes stared across the small creek at the tree her and Bellinda had spent so much time under.

"Sh-she disappeared. Karon and I went looking for her in the Undercity here. We searched for days and days. The Force works in mysterious ways..." Halli glanced over to Jia for a second. "...But once my father heard I was in his territory, he sent his people to kidnap me. Karon and I were nearly killed by him..."

Halli snuffled as she felt the backs of her eyes begin to burn. She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. The blonde rested her chin on top of her knees and stared almost blankly at the tree once more.

"We couldn't find her... and the Masters recommended we let them take over the search. We were still Padawans after all. They-they declared her..."

Once more she fought to swallow the lump in her throat, Halli's chest tight as the memories seized her very core.

[Dee]

The teenager's hand was limp in Halli's at first until slowly, she weakly gripped the older girl's and gave a gentle squeeze in return, a silent sign of gratitude for the comforting gesture.

"Thank you." Jia replied quietly to Halli's complimenting words about her lightsaber. The Padawan took it back from Halli as the older girl slipped it into her hands. The moment the cold metal hilt was in her grasp again she felt thoughts of times not very long ago flooding back into her mind. Of long conversations aboard the Vigil with the backdrop of endless space behind them, of moments of brief relaxation under the Alpheridian sun between duties, of every smile that broke through that normally reserved expression that she always felt accomplished to have earned.

She hadn't gotten much time with Rin, but that time had been the happiest she'd been in a long while. It hadn't been all that long since the Miraluka left. The memories were still so fresh in the teenager's mind and that only made her miss them all the more. After another deep, shaky sigh the girl slowly slipped the lightsaber back onto her belt before raising slightly glistening eyes back onto Halli to give the Knight her full attention.

Jia listened in utter silence as Halli spoke. Even if she had wanted to say something, she didn't think she could. The emotions Halli was feeling - the emotions that Jia could feel shared through the Force almost as strongly as if they were her own - were overwhelming and would have silenced her voice. The girl felt a tightening in her chest the more the Knight spoke. She had a feeling she knew what this was leading up to.

The girl glanced up in brief surprise at one point in Halli's story... Her own father would do that to her? What sort of man was this? She was clearly missing a large part of the story but she wasn't about to place more weight on Halli's heart by asking her to explain. That was a conversation for another time, on the older girl's terms, if it was ever going to be had at all.

Jia's heart broke for Halli as she couldn't bring herself to finish that last sentence. She didn't need to, the teenager already understood. Halli's entire demeanor and the emotions she was sharing had explained everything. She looked sadly over at the blonde as she struggled to keep her composure. Jia knew it was a difficult thing to do. There were few things that hurt more than losing someone you loved.

A pain that Jia sadly had the misfortune of experiencing first hand in her own ways. She understood the heartache and she wished there was something she could do to lessen it for Halli, but she also knew there was only so much that could be done. Still... empathy was a powerful thing, and understanding could be profoundly comforting; another truth the young Mirialan was fortunate to experience herself since Aeia had come into her life.

She slid off the stool she had been seated on to instead kneel down next to Halli. She sat closely next to her as if to silently reassure the older girl that she wasn't alone, to possibly give her some solace in the fact that the teenager was still there with her and sympathized completely. After a moment of hesitation, uncertainty about how Halli might react, Jia wrapped her arms around the blonde's shoulders in a gentle hug. Her own silent gesture of attempted comfort. The Padawan said nothing at first but after a moment of silence she finally spoke, her voice hushed and almost a whisper, "I'm sorry, Halli."