Post by Marshall on Apr 5, 2019 13:20:19 GMT -5
When at long last he moved... He took a deep breath. He opened his eyes. There was a glazed look in his expression and in his eyes. At first... He seemed disappointed. He let go of the lightsaber cradled in his lap so it fell. His free hand reached for the glove that he'd taken off, the one he'd wrapped up in a cloth to keep the red dust from touching the inside of it... He slipped his hand away from under the coverings wrapped around his hand and shoved his hand into the glove quickly... As he wrapped the man's neck up, he got another distant look... And he stayed like that, hands on the man's neck for a good... Oh... two minutes. Then he suddenly jerked back to himself. He let go, sending the floating man to spin for a moment. He stood up abruptly, then looked down at Sol. Then back up to the sky. It was black, now, and he was wondering how long he'd been out of it. "Uh. Hey Sol. How long?"
In the time that passed Solomon had done a lot of pacing, most of which was done circling the sleeping forms as much as he could before turning back and moving on to the next. In this, he was careful to give Jeryndi space and consideration, but even so he kept a keen eye on Trander's body language, and on that of the person Jeryndi was currently connected to. He also took slight note of where Dr. Azair was, and Tavv'ari, through out that time. The hours passed and through it, aside from pacing and watching, he rubbed at his right arm with his left hand and watched the sky above as much as he could see it from the enclosure for the changing of color that would bring some sense that the day was passing. It was only when Jeryndi had stirred that Solomon abandoned all of that, and took a step closer to his cousin. The Lazarus once-Jedi held his attention, Sol looking Jeryndi over as he replaced his glove and rewrapped the man. He waited until he saw some indication that the world had returned to Trander before closing that distance completely. Careful stock was taken in the dim light they had provided, "A handful of hours at least. How are you feeling?”
"Tired," he said. "I didn't... I didn't find him... Not really. I... I know they’re here." His gaze shifted and he looked towards the North. "There are more that way. Dreamers."
"We'll talk about that in a moment. Do you need water, or something to eat?" He had turned his head, following the way Jeryndi had looked, but was then quickly focusing back on Trander.
"Both, I think," he said, nodding. He looked a little wobbly on his feet. "I've not been that deep since I came back," he admitted. "Took a lot out of me."
"Take it slow, then," he said, offering his left hand to Jeryndi for support, "And take a seat until you feel more stable. I'll get you rations and water."
Jeryndi gladly took it. "Yeah... That sounds like a good plan... Where's Ren?" he asked.
"Down with Breis, and Ava. He's fine." Sol helped Jeryndi find the floor of the enclosure once more, if a bit awkwardly with needing to use his left hand instead of his right.
Jeryndi seemed to steady on his feet right before he sat back down... He sat down with a -plop- and slid right down into criss-cross apple sauce. (lol). He rested his hands on his ankles and leaned forward a little head bowed. "It was... Weird... What he felt like."
Tavv'ari wrapped back up the dreamer, and said: "I've heard stories from vod we woke up. About how they dreamt they saw others. Renda told us the same."
Azair, meanwhile, had a canteen to offer over (Solomon was closest, so it was held out to him), and quietly offered to give up his evening rations for Jeryndi.
He kept Jeryndi in his focus, making eye contact when Jeryndi would allow it. When Tavv'ari spoke he looked up her way, and then Azair was drawing his attention. He took the canteen and offered it to Jeryndi, "Drink slow. What did he feel like to you?" The rations Dr. Jujanaj Azair offered were taken with a quiet word of thanks and balanced against Sol's right leg, just in front of his right arm which he managed to place across that leg with his hand sitting heavy toward the inside of his thigh.
"Slow. Asleep... But weird. I can't quite describe it," he said, taking a sip of water. "It's a, slowed heartbeat, slowed breathing. Slower than average for a sleeping person, but everything seems perfectly functional... Brain function is actually through the roof in REM."
"And you can't wake them. Did you pick up any signs of toxins? Deterioration of -anything- within him that might be causing this? No marks on him? No connections within The Force that might be the cause?" His questions were swift in coming, one after another and riding on the wave of a handful of thoughts. Slowed heartbeat. Slowed breathing. Everything else seemed perfectly functional, with high brain activity. It wasn't exactly the same, but he couldn't help himself from thinking those thoughts. What if....What if....
"Okay," he said, holding up a hand. "Give me a second... I'm still... Fuzzy." He took his time taking another sip of water. And a nibble of a ration bar. He would sit in silence even if they continued to talk... Finally, he said, "I didn't try to wake him. But there were no signs of deterioration or toxins. Except dehydration, but that's to be expected."
Solomon gave Jer the time he needed, and after Jer answered many of the questions he asked more were given, "And The Force? There are no connections there that might be the cause of this?"
"Not that I could tell," he said. "But it was... A feeling of... Suppression. It was clearly a lack of motion. Like being bound in nothing but air."
"Is that what you meant when you said you couldn't really find him? That suppression?" He asked that, then caught Tavv'ari at the edge of his vision from where she stood. There were connections through The Force that Jeryndi could tell. That put a few thoughts to a happy rest, and took some weight from his shoulders. It was still a minute amount when compared to what still settled there.
"I think he's still here. I think he's in there," he said, pointing towards the body. "But I think he's aware of the others trapped in a similar state... There's something about it. It's all connected."
He let out a small, frustrated sigh. "Look... When I first came back from that, I thought I hadn't found anything useful at all... And then I realized I had. It was a fleeting feeling. I could've told you more, but it's gone now... Like waking from a dream." He snorted with humorless laughter." All I know is that there's more," he said pointing north again. "A - lot- more."
It hadn't been all that long ago that he had heard from Renda about seeing so many others floating out there. Maybe this was that particular group. Maybe Renda's daughter was there among them. Solomon gave a small nod, and offered the rations Jeryndi's way, "Alright. I won’t ask any more for now. Get your legs under you, and when you're ready we'll talk to Breis about going out that way when the sky lightens again." That was said with no more authority than what would come from someone who was concerned with the well-being of another.
Jeryndi nodded go Solomon. "I need to get back to my old skills with practice... It shouldn't exhaust me so much to delve into the body. I'll need to do that before I try to look at your hand," he told Solomon apologetically.
"Don't worry about my hand," His tone encouraging, "And also don't push yourself. It’s been a long time since you did anything like this -- gotta learn to walk before you learn to run, right? I'll be right here to help you along if you need it, just like old times." It was then that he was pushing himself up and looking toward Tavv'ari and Dr Azair, "Can you help me get him down from here so we can talk to Breis?"
Tavv laughed a little. She wasn't sure what she'd just been a part of there, but she heard the joke Solomon didn't realize he'd made regarding Azair. "I'll keep watch over them here," she told the big scholar, nodding at Jeryndi. "You help Tyrantkiller."
Jujanaj laughed and came to the edge of the droplet formations. "Come here, Tyrantkiller," he told Jeryndi. "I can carry you. Your legend outweighs your body."
"Tyrant killer?" he asked, very perplexed.
"Oh." he said after a moment.
"Careful there, guys, you'll make his head bigger than Marcus Thorne's." Sol was stepping back and out of the way to allow Jujanaj the room to get closer to where he had helped Jeryndi sit down.
Jeryndi gave a small pout and allowed himself to be picked up. "You know how embarrassing this is? I'm not two."
Speaking of big....
"I cannot... fully... fit through," Dr. Azair explained. It was true that he had not yet been into that little cave.
Tavv heaved a teasing sigh and ducked so that she came up under Jeryndi's arm on the opposite side from Solomon, lifting Jeryndi... not even slightly, given how short she was. "Come on, Trander. Let's haul your legendary ass into the doc's loving arms."
"I feel really weak... And please, let's not talk about Phobos. Ren doesn't know anything about that. It happened long before he was a twinkle in my eye."
Sol was there to help where he could in getting Jeryndi to Azair, "You're going to have to tell him someday soon. The kid has the holonet. Its best to hear about our family history from you, first hand, than to read the glorified fictions that come from historians." He said, looking to where Dr. Jujanaj was waiting, "No offense, Doc."
Azair had been nodding until Solomon said that. Now he wore a slight frown, and reached out for Jeryndi. "I apologize for pointing out your name, then."
"It's okay," he said with a sigh. "I just... I don't like to think about that time of my life. ... I mean. Don't get me wrong. It was also one of the best times of my life. That's when I met your mother."
"...And also about the time that you met me." Sol reminded, "She'll be happy to hear you think that way. But yeah, it was hard times. Even so, I think you should tell him yourself instead of him hearing it from someone else. Even me. Let him hear how you view the family first, and the stories of your exploits."
Solomon was under Jeryndi's right arm, with his left hand against Jeryndi's back to help Tavv'ari move the fatigued Tyrant Killer closer to Dr. Azair. He moved only as fast as Tavv'ari was going, and was bent to match what was comfortable for the shorter Mandal. He kept his eyes on the opening crevice that Jujanaj was watching from, with every step bringing them closer. His right hand, Solomon let hang with his right arm held close to his side.
When he could, Jujanaj Azair snaked a hard-shelled arm around Jeryndi's back to lift him. Tavv slipped out of the way, trading the weight to the doc. It might not have been the most comfortable of positions to be in, but Jeryndi would see little effort from Azair as he was hefted out of the cave.
From behind them, Tavv said, "Jokes aside... you should be proud. That was brave. Especially if you were not yet a man. You served the many. Even if your name is not on their lips."
"I was 13 and I was a pawn in a much bigger scheme," he said quietly. "It is speculated, because nobody really knows, but I think it was the Will of the Force. I was the youngest. The most vulnerable to it’s... Commands."
Solomon waited until he felt Azair lift Jeryndi's form from himself and Tavv'ari. He took half a step back, slipping himself under Jeryndi's right arm and out of the way. A look went toward the woman, and it came with the words, "I'm sorry I don't remember your name, but thank you for helping."
Jeryndi was oddly comfortable... Or so it seemed. "Maybe that's description doesn't work... It is hard to explain... I have conflicting emotions about that event. It is why I don't like to talk about it."
"Tavv'ari." The suit she'd taken from their supplies, Tavv looked Solomon up and down. "And you didn't forget it; you did not ask. You ranted at our alor about the supplies and then face planted onto your roll." With her hands she practically acted out her version of that first meeting as she spoke, and ended smirking.
"I suppose it did not occur to me that the destruction of such a devil could create conflict. Forgive me," Azair said, turning sideways to descend the treacherous little path.
"Not my finest moment," he said, smiling toward Tavv'ari from within his own suit's hood, the Mando'a easy coming, "Thank you, Tavv'ari." Sol was then slipping out of the enclosure to follow behind Dr. Azair and Jeryndi.
Someone new stood below, talking to Breis and three others, gesturing northward as she did so. Her Mando'a was bright and breathless. "--don't know what they need. Dorara wants the wakeks so they can see what might be salvaged from the graveyard."
Jeryndi, still being carried by Dr. Azair, smiled to himself at Sol being chastised by Tavv'ari a bit. But he told Dr. Azair, "It's okay... It's not like I can just bring it up all casually-- 'Hey, son, I killed a tyrant and by doing so, millions of people when I was just a couple years older than you! Good times, huh?" he asked. It was heavy with sarcasm, but also worry. That was not a topic he wanted to bring up to his son, but he knew Solomon was right. .. As they got down closer to where Breis and the other new person was, he told Dr. Azair," I think I can walk now."
Azair set Jeryndi back on his feet, his own attention riveted by the presence of a newcomer and the mention of wakeks, which thus far meant he would be involved.
Breis looked over as the others came back down, and waved them over. "Hapans sent some kind of ship down and managed to get it smashed to the hells, but they're alive, and if they can get the ship up again, we might just get outta here!" Real excitement in him. Real astonishment. Real relief. A real crack into a possible future he'd discarded. Something else, too, in his voice: a tucked-away pain, a fear.
It was right at that moment that Jeryndi had spoken that Medren walked up from behind from another part of the cave... He held the blaster pistol that Breis had given him... And the look on his face was -priceless- as Dr. Azair set his father down... It was a mixture of shock, speechless, sadness, anger-- and he was stunned into absolute silence... Jeryndi had been about to say something to Breis, but instead, breathed, "Oh, -shit-."
Breis saw, though he didn't understand, and looked from Jeryndi to Medren. "Kih vod (little brother), the Hapans are at Tal-Keb."
There was a moment when Medren caught Sol's attention as the boy walked past with a blaster in hand, but he let it pass and refocused on Breis and the news. His first question was answered, and made room for others. What came out of him, though, wasn't a question but an offer, "If hands are needed at either the graveyard or Tal-Keb, I'd like to help."
Jeryndi and his son were at an impasse... Just staring at each other. Jeryndi didn't know what to say-- and Medren seemed to be still processing.... Finally, he gave his father a definitively -skeptical- look and said, "Good thing Marian wasn't here for that." Jeryndi leg out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and turned around to look at Breis. He didn't seem to bat an eyelash to the fact his son was armed. "We'll help in whatever way we can, of course," he said, looking at Solomon.
"Are you up for it?" The gentle question was directed Jer's way.
With that, Medren proved himself to be his age and nothing more. Breis moved on. "I've no doubt that hands will be needed. We'll get the wakeks to Tal-Keb in the morning, see how they can help. We are low on... everything. Water and pods, especially. We have two wakeks, one speeder, thirteen able bodies, two dreamers and--I'll finish off the straka up there myself." He looked to Jeryndi. "Unless you can learn something from him tonight."
"Straka?" Jeryndi said, glancing to Medren. "Bastard," Medren promptly translated. Jeryndi looked back to Breis. 'I'll be honest-- I'm out of practice... I didn't learn much... I'm not willing to delve into the mind of an alien when I can't get much from a human," he said. "But give me about half hour to eat and meditate and I'll be back on my feet physically to help however you need."
Breis Teimar nodded. "Fari--get word of this to Narion and Azalee. Take an extra pod for each of them when you go." He looked like he wanted to say more, but in the end he did not.
With what Jeryndi had said, Sol gave himself a moment to look his cousin over before looking Breis' way again, and then he found where ever Renda was at that moment, if he was present, "That 'not much' -- he found there are more dreamers to the north."
Be sighed and nodded. "I can't tell how many, but a -lot- more Dreamers... Physically, he's fine. All bodily functions are healthy, just slowed. He's a little dehydrated. They're just... -stuck- in the sleep. I didn't come away with any inkling as to why or how. Or the floating."
Breis was back to frowning, considering how the game had changed now. "Maybe they'll wake up if we can get this Hapan ship going and get them out of the cloud. Maybe they'll be able to tell us more."
Renda was indeed there, broken leg and all. He'd pushed up to his feet, weight almost entirely on his good leg, and his face was as strained as Breis'. "What about finding my daughter?"
"Peace, vod," Breis said, holding out a hand toward him immediately. "We all have family to find. There will be no desertion of the missing until we know there are none alive. But you are injured, and we need water we do not have. We will go to Tal-Keb. We can't roast a hara we haven't yet snared."
His answer to Renda came from Breis' mouth causing him to nod in agreement.
Jeryndi glanced at Renda then. Then at Solomon. He walked towards his cousin, stopping directly next to him. "Do you have any kind of aid you could lend in the Force on this?" he whispered to his cousin.
"Theoretically," Sol answered just as quietly, "Yes. I'll need time to prepare. You know my sense of it isn't as strong as it should be with everything going on. Where do you want my focus?"
"After I get some of my focus back, I'm going to try empathic projection with Dr. Azair on the wakeks... The more we can tame, the more we'll get done in a shorter amount of time... So I guess the better question is: what do you think you can do?"
He grasped at his right arm with his left hand and looked down in thought, "All things considered, maybe I should try the straka up there. If the wakeks get out of control, I'll likely only be getting in the way. That jerk we ran into out there took my blaster, I don't need to be the reason anyone might get hurt if things get out of hand."
Breis had fallen back into soft conversation with the messenger from Tal-Keb, and Azair had joined them. No one was walled out, but the initial shock of the news was eroding away to reveal many questions and much to do.
He pulled his pistol from his holster and offered it to Solomon. "I still have other weapons," he promised. He gave Solomon the smallest of smiles. He gave a nod towards his son. "got one right there."
He let go of his right arm to take the blaster Jeryndi offered while looking toward Medren, "He is -still- a child, Jeryndi. Still innocent. You said not too long ago how awful it was to have killed at his age. Don't put him into that position. Don't take that innocence from him. Let him be young for a while longer yet."
"He's a Mandal," he said softly. "I can't change that and there is a distinctive difference between facing your enemy in a fight with comrades and slitting someone’s throat in an alley way because you know it’s the only way you'll live through the night." He was perfectly calm when he said it. It was still in that whisper only meant for Sol.
"No, you can't change that. But Mandals aren't weapons, Jer. Don't wield him like one."
"I'm not. I won't ever intentionally put him in the line of fire. But I'm not so blind to think he can't or won't fight."
"You just said..." he started, took stock of where they were standing just then and continued after having given a healthy regard to how far away from where they were standing was Breis and company, "You just called him a weapon. Those words came from -your- mouth implying the very thing you also just said you wouldn't intentionally do. So either intentionally or not, that thought is in your head. He. Isn't. A. Weapon."
Jeryndi gave him a sour look. "Thats not how I meant it and you know it... I swear, you hear what you want to hear... He is not -my- weapon. He is his -own-. I'm not going to disarm him. I don't know where you get off telling me how I'm doing things consistently wrong... I gave him to a Mandal to be raised -as- a Mandal... I can't be surprised by what I got ten years after the fact."
"Did I say anything about disarming him?" The question was solid, and now lacking the small whisper that had kept the conversation between them, "No. I told you he is not a weapon. He may be Mandal, but he's not a weapon. Not for himself, or for you, or me or anyone else. He isn't a thing-to-be-used by anyone, including himself. And where do I get off in this by pointing that out?" He reached for his right arm, pressing the blaster he held against it with his left hand, his fingers closing around his arm as much as they could, "I walked away from someone who thought people were weapons. I put her down after having been her weapon. After having been my own. Don't do that to your boy, he needs more than half a life."
"You, I understand, have walked away from -many- people." For the source of the voice, one did not have far to look. Breis Teimar stood right where he had been all that time. Just now, he had pivoted enough to regard Sol. Others watched him, too.
Medren walked past the lot of them and went towards Breis.... "can I talk to you?" he asked in a quiet tone. With Solomon, Jeryndi gave his cousin a glare. "No. I'm not saying you're wrong, Sol. I'm saying it's not your place to tell me what to do with him. This is only about the 3rd time we've had this conversation about what I *can* and *cannot* do with my son. There will *not* be another one."
"I'm not telling you what to do with him," Sol answered, having looked off Breis' way with a soft scowl when that voice had called him, "I'm -asking- you to treat his life with respect. Calling him a weapon, for whatever reason you want to give it, undercuts his life and what it means. That's all."
In response to being blown off, Breis raised his voice. "Look at me."
Medren's approach had not been missed--but yes, the man was ignoring it. He had two adult men arguing in the middle of his camp.
Medren waited patiently... At the raising of Breis' voice, he turned to look at his Paka and at his uncle... He didn't say anything. //. Jeryndi looked up at Breis, taking a step away from Solomon. He didn't say anything, either.
He watched Jeryndi step away, and only once that space was given did he turn to look Breis' way again. The blaster he held was relaxed away from his right arm, Sol slowly directing it to the maglock on his suit.
With a nod at what he saw, Breis said: "I don't understand the two of you. Maybe you don't understand how close we are to being snuffed out on this rock. Do you need to see how much water we have in order to be snapped out of this madness?"
"No," he said, just loud enough to be heard. Medren was silent.
Solomon stood silently, looking Breis' way, for several moments. Did he need to see? "No." His answer was more strongly said than Jeryndi's. Water was a far more precious resource at the moment than food was, but even the rations wouldn't last them forever. All the more reason, he thought, to be careful and appreciative of what they had just then. So many were lost out there in The Red. What they had here, -they had-.
Breis cocked his head to indicate the messenger, who stood nearby watching with the others. "This Hapan ship may need help, but it might be a way out of here. Until we know for sure, death is but a whisper behind all of us, and this boy has no future. Unless you know something I don't."
"You're not wrong," he said, taking a few steps closer to Breis. "So... Yes. We'll go find the ship after I rest a little. Is that okay?"
It was about this time that Ava's steps found her way towards the small group. Out patrolling with a few of their hosts, the Jedi looked a little tired bit well. As she entered, however, there was the noticeable air of tension coming from the group. Brown eyes flickered between each face.
"What's going on?" She asked.
Solomon stayed where he was, standing still. He was watching. Listening. And then Ava was catching his attention, "Two guesses, and both of them are my fault." He told her, not having moved much in the way he had been standing but for to look her way.
"What's going on," Breis put in, "is we might have a way out of here. Or at least a way to send word. We don't know yet. We will head to Tal-Keb in the morning"--that emphasis for Jeryndi, who had first mentioned working with the wakeks--"when we have a little light to at least see a little bit ahead of us. Jetii Azalee, Trander has been with our dreamers. If you and he can do anything for them before tomorrow, or anything with our wakeks that might free up the doc, that would be most useful."
Jeryndi walked over to Ava. "Any assistance you can offer will be welcome, especially Force-related," he told her honestly. "I don't know much about you or what your talents are so maybe we can talk privately about that."
There was a look of unsurprising disappointment from Ava at Solomon’s response. But she didn't say anything. After all, what more was there to be said on an issue that had already been beaten to death. There was only so much that could be said to make them understand how dire the situation really was.
"We will talk about the Dreamers and see what we can do together to help them." She answered to Jeryndi before looking at Bries.
"How far are we from Tal-Keb from here?" She questioned.
"You'll be working with me, then, on the dreamers," Sol put in, looking from Ava toward Breis, "I've offered to see if I can help them in any way while Jeryndi works on the wakeks."
"Three hours, on foot," Breis told Ava. And to Solomon: one nod. "However it's arranged."
Only then did he pivot to gaze down at Medren again. "Now. What do you need, adiik?"
"We still should talk while I rest, if you're up for it," Jeryndi told Ava.
Medren looked a little sheepish as he looked up at Breis. "I didn't miss what you said... I'm sorry. I was... Still am... Processing." processing... - that-. That was a bomb he'd walked in on. "I'm here for whatever you and my Paka need from me."
"A boy does not apologize for being a boy," Breis Teimar said quietly. "But if that boy wishes to be relied upon like a verd, that boy must act like a verd."
Ava blinked at Solomon's announcement. Both Bries and Jeryndi had suggested that it would be with Trander that who would work with her about the Dreamers. The contradiction had her looking to Breis, who was the one in charge of Tal Ruus. With his approval, Ava nodded only once. "We will." Ava said in agreement. "And if there is time and I am able, I will try to help with the wakeks." Then to Solomon. "Whenever you are ready we can begin, Solomon." She replied.
"I'll head back up a while. Have your talk with Jeryndi, and then meet me up there." He told Ava, shifting where he stood to turn slightly, making ready to head back up to where the dreamers were.
Ava glanced at Breis as Solomon began to leave. For a moment the Jedi looked as if she were about to apologize for the behavior of Solomon, and perhaps Jeryndi. And then, thinking better of it, she nodded to the resurrected man. "When you’re ready."
In the time that passed Solomon had done a lot of pacing, most of which was done circling the sleeping forms as much as he could before turning back and moving on to the next. In this, he was careful to give Jeryndi space and consideration, but even so he kept a keen eye on Trander's body language, and on that of the person Jeryndi was currently connected to. He also took slight note of where Dr. Azair was, and Tavv'ari, through out that time. The hours passed and through it, aside from pacing and watching, he rubbed at his right arm with his left hand and watched the sky above as much as he could see it from the enclosure for the changing of color that would bring some sense that the day was passing. It was only when Jeryndi had stirred that Solomon abandoned all of that, and took a step closer to his cousin. The Lazarus once-Jedi held his attention, Sol looking Jeryndi over as he replaced his glove and rewrapped the man. He waited until he saw some indication that the world had returned to Trander before closing that distance completely. Careful stock was taken in the dim light they had provided, "A handful of hours at least. How are you feeling?”
"Tired," he said. "I didn't... I didn't find him... Not really. I... I know they’re here." His gaze shifted and he looked towards the North. "There are more that way. Dreamers."
"We'll talk about that in a moment. Do you need water, or something to eat?" He had turned his head, following the way Jeryndi had looked, but was then quickly focusing back on Trander.
"Both, I think," he said, nodding. He looked a little wobbly on his feet. "I've not been that deep since I came back," he admitted. "Took a lot out of me."
"Take it slow, then," he said, offering his left hand to Jeryndi for support, "And take a seat until you feel more stable. I'll get you rations and water."
Jeryndi gladly took it. "Yeah... That sounds like a good plan... Where's Ren?" he asked.
"Down with Breis, and Ava. He's fine." Sol helped Jeryndi find the floor of the enclosure once more, if a bit awkwardly with needing to use his left hand instead of his right.
Jeryndi seemed to steady on his feet right before he sat back down... He sat down with a -plop- and slid right down into criss-cross apple sauce. (lol). He rested his hands on his ankles and leaned forward a little head bowed. "It was... Weird... What he felt like."
Tavv'ari wrapped back up the dreamer, and said: "I've heard stories from vod we woke up. About how they dreamt they saw others. Renda told us the same."
Azair, meanwhile, had a canteen to offer over (Solomon was closest, so it was held out to him), and quietly offered to give up his evening rations for Jeryndi.
He kept Jeryndi in his focus, making eye contact when Jeryndi would allow it. When Tavv'ari spoke he looked up her way, and then Azair was drawing his attention. He took the canteen and offered it to Jeryndi, "Drink slow. What did he feel like to you?" The rations Dr. Jujanaj Azair offered were taken with a quiet word of thanks and balanced against Sol's right leg, just in front of his right arm which he managed to place across that leg with his hand sitting heavy toward the inside of his thigh.
"Slow. Asleep... But weird. I can't quite describe it," he said, taking a sip of water. "It's a, slowed heartbeat, slowed breathing. Slower than average for a sleeping person, but everything seems perfectly functional... Brain function is actually through the roof in REM."
"And you can't wake them. Did you pick up any signs of toxins? Deterioration of -anything- within him that might be causing this? No marks on him? No connections within The Force that might be the cause?" His questions were swift in coming, one after another and riding on the wave of a handful of thoughts. Slowed heartbeat. Slowed breathing. Everything else seemed perfectly functional, with high brain activity. It wasn't exactly the same, but he couldn't help himself from thinking those thoughts. What if....What if....
"Okay," he said, holding up a hand. "Give me a second... I'm still... Fuzzy." He took his time taking another sip of water. And a nibble of a ration bar. He would sit in silence even if they continued to talk... Finally, he said, "I didn't try to wake him. But there were no signs of deterioration or toxins. Except dehydration, but that's to be expected."
Solomon gave Jer the time he needed, and after Jer answered many of the questions he asked more were given, "And The Force? There are no connections there that might be the cause of this?"
"Not that I could tell," he said. "But it was... A feeling of... Suppression. It was clearly a lack of motion. Like being bound in nothing but air."
"Is that what you meant when you said you couldn't really find him? That suppression?" He asked that, then caught Tavv'ari at the edge of his vision from where she stood. There were connections through The Force that Jeryndi could tell. That put a few thoughts to a happy rest, and took some weight from his shoulders. It was still a minute amount when compared to what still settled there.
"I think he's still here. I think he's in there," he said, pointing towards the body. "But I think he's aware of the others trapped in a similar state... There's something about it. It's all connected."
He let out a small, frustrated sigh. "Look... When I first came back from that, I thought I hadn't found anything useful at all... And then I realized I had. It was a fleeting feeling. I could've told you more, but it's gone now... Like waking from a dream." He snorted with humorless laughter." All I know is that there's more," he said pointing north again. "A - lot- more."
It hadn't been all that long ago that he had heard from Renda about seeing so many others floating out there. Maybe this was that particular group. Maybe Renda's daughter was there among them. Solomon gave a small nod, and offered the rations Jeryndi's way, "Alright. I won’t ask any more for now. Get your legs under you, and when you're ready we'll talk to Breis about going out that way when the sky lightens again." That was said with no more authority than what would come from someone who was concerned with the well-being of another.
Jeryndi nodded go Solomon. "I need to get back to my old skills with practice... It shouldn't exhaust me so much to delve into the body. I'll need to do that before I try to look at your hand," he told Solomon apologetically.
"Don't worry about my hand," His tone encouraging, "And also don't push yourself. It’s been a long time since you did anything like this -- gotta learn to walk before you learn to run, right? I'll be right here to help you along if you need it, just like old times." It was then that he was pushing himself up and looking toward Tavv'ari and Dr Azair, "Can you help me get him down from here so we can talk to Breis?"
Tavv laughed a little. She wasn't sure what she'd just been a part of there, but she heard the joke Solomon didn't realize he'd made regarding Azair. "I'll keep watch over them here," she told the big scholar, nodding at Jeryndi. "You help Tyrantkiller."
Jujanaj laughed and came to the edge of the droplet formations. "Come here, Tyrantkiller," he told Jeryndi. "I can carry you. Your legend outweighs your body."
"Tyrant killer?" he asked, very perplexed.
"Oh." he said after a moment.
"Careful there, guys, you'll make his head bigger than Marcus Thorne's." Sol was stepping back and out of the way to allow Jujanaj the room to get closer to where he had helped Jeryndi sit down.
Jeryndi gave a small pout and allowed himself to be picked up. "You know how embarrassing this is? I'm not two."
Speaking of big....
"I cannot... fully... fit through," Dr. Azair explained. It was true that he had not yet been into that little cave.
Tavv heaved a teasing sigh and ducked so that she came up under Jeryndi's arm on the opposite side from Solomon, lifting Jeryndi... not even slightly, given how short she was. "Come on, Trander. Let's haul your legendary ass into the doc's loving arms."
"I feel really weak... And please, let's not talk about Phobos. Ren doesn't know anything about that. It happened long before he was a twinkle in my eye."
Sol was there to help where he could in getting Jeryndi to Azair, "You're going to have to tell him someday soon. The kid has the holonet. Its best to hear about our family history from you, first hand, than to read the glorified fictions that come from historians." He said, looking to where Dr. Jujanaj was waiting, "No offense, Doc."
Azair had been nodding until Solomon said that. Now he wore a slight frown, and reached out for Jeryndi. "I apologize for pointing out your name, then."
"It's okay," he said with a sigh. "I just... I don't like to think about that time of my life. ... I mean. Don't get me wrong. It was also one of the best times of my life. That's when I met your mother."
"...And also about the time that you met me." Sol reminded, "She'll be happy to hear you think that way. But yeah, it was hard times. Even so, I think you should tell him yourself instead of him hearing it from someone else. Even me. Let him hear how you view the family first, and the stories of your exploits."
Solomon was under Jeryndi's right arm, with his left hand against Jeryndi's back to help Tavv'ari move the fatigued Tyrant Killer closer to Dr. Azair. He moved only as fast as Tavv'ari was going, and was bent to match what was comfortable for the shorter Mandal. He kept his eyes on the opening crevice that Jujanaj was watching from, with every step bringing them closer. His right hand, Solomon let hang with his right arm held close to his side.
When he could, Jujanaj Azair snaked a hard-shelled arm around Jeryndi's back to lift him. Tavv slipped out of the way, trading the weight to the doc. It might not have been the most comfortable of positions to be in, but Jeryndi would see little effort from Azair as he was hefted out of the cave.
From behind them, Tavv said, "Jokes aside... you should be proud. That was brave. Especially if you were not yet a man. You served the many. Even if your name is not on their lips."
"I was 13 and I was a pawn in a much bigger scheme," he said quietly. "It is speculated, because nobody really knows, but I think it was the Will of the Force. I was the youngest. The most vulnerable to it’s... Commands."
Solomon waited until he felt Azair lift Jeryndi's form from himself and Tavv'ari. He took half a step back, slipping himself under Jeryndi's right arm and out of the way. A look went toward the woman, and it came with the words, "I'm sorry I don't remember your name, but thank you for helping."
Jeryndi was oddly comfortable... Or so it seemed. "Maybe that's description doesn't work... It is hard to explain... I have conflicting emotions about that event. It is why I don't like to talk about it."
"Tavv'ari." The suit she'd taken from their supplies, Tavv looked Solomon up and down. "And you didn't forget it; you did not ask. You ranted at our alor about the supplies and then face planted onto your roll." With her hands she practically acted out her version of that first meeting as she spoke, and ended smirking.
"I suppose it did not occur to me that the destruction of such a devil could create conflict. Forgive me," Azair said, turning sideways to descend the treacherous little path.
"Not my finest moment," he said, smiling toward Tavv'ari from within his own suit's hood, the Mando'a easy coming, "Thank you, Tavv'ari." Sol was then slipping out of the enclosure to follow behind Dr. Azair and Jeryndi.
Someone new stood below, talking to Breis and three others, gesturing northward as she did so. Her Mando'a was bright and breathless. "--don't know what they need. Dorara wants the wakeks so they can see what might be salvaged from the graveyard."
Jeryndi, still being carried by Dr. Azair, smiled to himself at Sol being chastised by Tavv'ari a bit. But he told Dr. Azair, "It's okay... It's not like I can just bring it up all casually-- 'Hey, son, I killed a tyrant and by doing so, millions of people when I was just a couple years older than you! Good times, huh?" he asked. It was heavy with sarcasm, but also worry. That was not a topic he wanted to bring up to his son, but he knew Solomon was right. .. As they got down closer to where Breis and the other new person was, he told Dr. Azair," I think I can walk now."
Azair set Jeryndi back on his feet, his own attention riveted by the presence of a newcomer and the mention of wakeks, which thus far meant he would be involved.
Breis looked over as the others came back down, and waved them over. "Hapans sent some kind of ship down and managed to get it smashed to the hells, but they're alive, and if they can get the ship up again, we might just get outta here!" Real excitement in him. Real astonishment. Real relief. A real crack into a possible future he'd discarded. Something else, too, in his voice: a tucked-away pain, a fear.
It was right at that moment that Jeryndi had spoken that Medren walked up from behind from another part of the cave... He held the blaster pistol that Breis had given him... And the look on his face was -priceless- as Dr. Azair set his father down... It was a mixture of shock, speechless, sadness, anger-- and he was stunned into absolute silence... Jeryndi had been about to say something to Breis, but instead, breathed, "Oh, -shit-."
Breis saw, though he didn't understand, and looked from Jeryndi to Medren. "Kih vod (little brother), the Hapans are at Tal-Keb."
There was a moment when Medren caught Sol's attention as the boy walked past with a blaster in hand, but he let it pass and refocused on Breis and the news. His first question was answered, and made room for others. What came out of him, though, wasn't a question but an offer, "If hands are needed at either the graveyard or Tal-Keb, I'd like to help."
Jeryndi and his son were at an impasse... Just staring at each other. Jeryndi didn't know what to say-- and Medren seemed to be still processing.... Finally, he gave his father a definitively -skeptical- look and said, "Good thing Marian wasn't here for that." Jeryndi leg out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and turned around to look at Breis. He didn't seem to bat an eyelash to the fact his son was armed. "We'll help in whatever way we can, of course," he said, looking at Solomon.
"Are you up for it?" The gentle question was directed Jer's way.
With that, Medren proved himself to be his age and nothing more. Breis moved on. "I've no doubt that hands will be needed. We'll get the wakeks to Tal-Keb in the morning, see how they can help. We are low on... everything. Water and pods, especially. We have two wakeks, one speeder, thirteen able bodies, two dreamers and--I'll finish off the straka up there myself." He looked to Jeryndi. "Unless you can learn something from him tonight."
"Straka?" Jeryndi said, glancing to Medren. "Bastard," Medren promptly translated. Jeryndi looked back to Breis. 'I'll be honest-- I'm out of practice... I didn't learn much... I'm not willing to delve into the mind of an alien when I can't get much from a human," he said. "But give me about half hour to eat and meditate and I'll be back on my feet physically to help however you need."
Breis Teimar nodded. "Fari--get word of this to Narion and Azalee. Take an extra pod for each of them when you go." He looked like he wanted to say more, but in the end he did not.
With what Jeryndi had said, Sol gave himself a moment to look his cousin over before looking Breis' way again, and then he found where ever Renda was at that moment, if he was present, "That 'not much' -- he found there are more dreamers to the north."
Be sighed and nodded. "I can't tell how many, but a -lot- more Dreamers... Physically, he's fine. All bodily functions are healthy, just slowed. He's a little dehydrated. They're just... -stuck- in the sleep. I didn't come away with any inkling as to why or how. Or the floating."
Breis was back to frowning, considering how the game had changed now. "Maybe they'll wake up if we can get this Hapan ship going and get them out of the cloud. Maybe they'll be able to tell us more."
Renda was indeed there, broken leg and all. He'd pushed up to his feet, weight almost entirely on his good leg, and his face was as strained as Breis'. "What about finding my daughter?"
"Peace, vod," Breis said, holding out a hand toward him immediately. "We all have family to find. There will be no desertion of the missing until we know there are none alive. But you are injured, and we need water we do not have. We will go to Tal-Keb. We can't roast a hara we haven't yet snared."
His answer to Renda came from Breis' mouth causing him to nod in agreement.
Jeryndi glanced at Renda then. Then at Solomon. He walked towards his cousin, stopping directly next to him. "Do you have any kind of aid you could lend in the Force on this?" he whispered to his cousin.
"Theoretically," Sol answered just as quietly, "Yes. I'll need time to prepare. You know my sense of it isn't as strong as it should be with everything going on. Where do you want my focus?"
"After I get some of my focus back, I'm going to try empathic projection with Dr. Azair on the wakeks... The more we can tame, the more we'll get done in a shorter amount of time... So I guess the better question is: what do you think you can do?"
He grasped at his right arm with his left hand and looked down in thought, "All things considered, maybe I should try the straka up there. If the wakeks get out of control, I'll likely only be getting in the way. That jerk we ran into out there took my blaster, I don't need to be the reason anyone might get hurt if things get out of hand."
Breis had fallen back into soft conversation with the messenger from Tal-Keb, and Azair had joined them. No one was walled out, but the initial shock of the news was eroding away to reveal many questions and much to do.
He pulled his pistol from his holster and offered it to Solomon. "I still have other weapons," he promised. He gave Solomon the smallest of smiles. He gave a nod towards his son. "got one right there."
He let go of his right arm to take the blaster Jeryndi offered while looking toward Medren, "He is -still- a child, Jeryndi. Still innocent. You said not too long ago how awful it was to have killed at his age. Don't put him into that position. Don't take that innocence from him. Let him be young for a while longer yet."
"He's a Mandal," he said softly. "I can't change that and there is a distinctive difference between facing your enemy in a fight with comrades and slitting someone’s throat in an alley way because you know it’s the only way you'll live through the night." He was perfectly calm when he said it. It was still in that whisper only meant for Sol.
"No, you can't change that. But Mandals aren't weapons, Jer. Don't wield him like one."
"I'm not. I won't ever intentionally put him in the line of fire. But I'm not so blind to think he can't or won't fight."
"You just said..." he started, took stock of where they were standing just then and continued after having given a healthy regard to how far away from where they were standing was Breis and company, "You just called him a weapon. Those words came from -your- mouth implying the very thing you also just said you wouldn't intentionally do. So either intentionally or not, that thought is in your head. He. Isn't. A. Weapon."
Jeryndi gave him a sour look. "Thats not how I meant it and you know it... I swear, you hear what you want to hear... He is not -my- weapon. He is his -own-. I'm not going to disarm him. I don't know where you get off telling me how I'm doing things consistently wrong... I gave him to a Mandal to be raised -as- a Mandal... I can't be surprised by what I got ten years after the fact."
"Did I say anything about disarming him?" The question was solid, and now lacking the small whisper that had kept the conversation between them, "No. I told you he is not a weapon. He may be Mandal, but he's not a weapon. Not for himself, or for you, or me or anyone else. He isn't a thing-to-be-used by anyone, including himself. And where do I get off in this by pointing that out?" He reached for his right arm, pressing the blaster he held against it with his left hand, his fingers closing around his arm as much as they could, "I walked away from someone who thought people were weapons. I put her down after having been her weapon. After having been my own. Don't do that to your boy, he needs more than half a life."
"You, I understand, have walked away from -many- people." For the source of the voice, one did not have far to look. Breis Teimar stood right where he had been all that time. Just now, he had pivoted enough to regard Sol. Others watched him, too.
Medren walked past the lot of them and went towards Breis.... "can I talk to you?" he asked in a quiet tone. With Solomon, Jeryndi gave his cousin a glare. "No. I'm not saying you're wrong, Sol. I'm saying it's not your place to tell me what to do with him. This is only about the 3rd time we've had this conversation about what I *can* and *cannot* do with my son. There will *not* be another one."
"I'm not telling you what to do with him," Sol answered, having looked off Breis' way with a soft scowl when that voice had called him, "I'm -asking- you to treat his life with respect. Calling him a weapon, for whatever reason you want to give it, undercuts his life and what it means. That's all."
In response to being blown off, Breis raised his voice. "Look at me."
Medren's approach had not been missed--but yes, the man was ignoring it. He had two adult men arguing in the middle of his camp.
Medren waited patiently... At the raising of Breis' voice, he turned to look at his Paka and at his uncle... He didn't say anything. //. Jeryndi looked up at Breis, taking a step away from Solomon. He didn't say anything, either.
He watched Jeryndi step away, and only once that space was given did he turn to look Breis' way again. The blaster he held was relaxed away from his right arm, Sol slowly directing it to the maglock on his suit.
With a nod at what he saw, Breis said: "I don't understand the two of you. Maybe you don't understand how close we are to being snuffed out on this rock. Do you need to see how much water we have in order to be snapped out of this madness?"
"No," he said, just loud enough to be heard. Medren was silent.
Solomon stood silently, looking Breis' way, for several moments. Did he need to see? "No." His answer was more strongly said than Jeryndi's. Water was a far more precious resource at the moment than food was, but even the rations wouldn't last them forever. All the more reason, he thought, to be careful and appreciative of what they had just then. So many were lost out there in The Red. What they had here, -they had-.
Breis cocked his head to indicate the messenger, who stood nearby watching with the others. "This Hapan ship may need help, but it might be a way out of here. Until we know for sure, death is but a whisper behind all of us, and this boy has no future. Unless you know something I don't."
"You're not wrong," he said, taking a few steps closer to Breis. "So... Yes. We'll go find the ship after I rest a little. Is that okay?"
It was about this time that Ava's steps found her way towards the small group. Out patrolling with a few of their hosts, the Jedi looked a little tired bit well. As she entered, however, there was the noticeable air of tension coming from the group. Brown eyes flickered between each face.
"What's going on?" She asked.
Solomon stayed where he was, standing still. He was watching. Listening. And then Ava was catching his attention, "Two guesses, and both of them are my fault." He told her, not having moved much in the way he had been standing but for to look her way.
"What's going on," Breis put in, "is we might have a way out of here. Or at least a way to send word. We don't know yet. We will head to Tal-Keb in the morning"--that emphasis for Jeryndi, who had first mentioned working with the wakeks--"when we have a little light to at least see a little bit ahead of us. Jetii Azalee, Trander has been with our dreamers. If you and he can do anything for them before tomorrow, or anything with our wakeks that might free up the doc, that would be most useful."
Jeryndi walked over to Ava. "Any assistance you can offer will be welcome, especially Force-related," he told her honestly. "I don't know much about you or what your talents are so maybe we can talk privately about that."
There was a look of unsurprising disappointment from Ava at Solomon’s response. But she didn't say anything. After all, what more was there to be said on an issue that had already been beaten to death. There was only so much that could be said to make them understand how dire the situation really was.
"We will talk about the Dreamers and see what we can do together to help them." She answered to Jeryndi before looking at Bries.
"How far are we from Tal-Keb from here?" She questioned.
"You'll be working with me, then, on the dreamers," Sol put in, looking from Ava toward Breis, "I've offered to see if I can help them in any way while Jeryndi works on the wakeks."
"Three hours, on foot," Breis told Ava. And to Solomon: one nod. "However it's arranged."
Only then did he pivot to gaze down at Medren again. "Now. What do you need, adiik?"
"We still should talk while I rest, if you're up for it," Jeryndi told Ava.
Medren looked a little sheepish as he looked up at Breis. "I didn't miss what you said... I'm sorry. I was... Still am... Processing." processing... - that-. That was a bomb he'd walked in on. "I'm here for whatever you and my Paka need from me."
"A boy does not apologize for being a boy," Breis Teimar said quietly. "But if that boy wishes to be relied upon like a verd, that boy must act like a verd."
Ava blinked at Solomon's announcement. Both Bries and Jeryndi had suggested that it would be with Trander that who would work with her about the Dreamers. The contradiction had her looking to Breis, who was the one in charge of Tal Ruus. With his approval, Ava nodded only once. "We will." Ava said in agreement. "And if there is time and I am able, I will try to help with the wakeks." Then to Solomon. "Whenever you are ready we can begin, Solomon." She replied.
"I'll head back up a while. Have your talk with Jeryndi, and then meet me up there." He told Ava, shifting where he stood to turn slightly, making ready to head back up to where the dreamers were.
Ava glanced at Breis as Solomon began to leave. For a moment the Jedi looked as if she were about to apologize for the behavior of Solomon, and perhaps Jeryndi. And then, thinking better of it, she nodded to the resurrected man. "When you’re ready."