In Hot Water (D3, MM)

[Rannek Nire]

The trip into the desert the day before had left Rannek feeling as if his whole body was covered in sand... nobody likes the coarseness of sand and despite his attempt to cleanse himself in the refresher the night before he woke up still feeling a bit off... like he wasn't fully at ease.

He had it in his mind to go check out Jaklu ever since he had been on that transport heading to Bankor and with little on his schedule he figured he'd go and try to relax a bit. He had been feeling something within him for the past couple days... something stirring and itching out as if from within him. Perhaps the stress was starting to get to him... nothing could be better than a bit of R&R to recharge his batteries.

He arrived in town in the morning and found his way to the Tranquility Inn, hearing that they had just the place to stretch out and relax for a moment. He donned a wet-resistant pair of trousers and walked through the little pathways to a relatively quiet spot with nobody currently in that pool. He eased his body into the water, getting used to the heat for a second before slunking down deeper into the pool.

After a few minutes of soaking he propped himself up and sat on the side of the water's edge, his feet dangling in the water. He took a towel and got it damp with water from the hot springs and placed it over the back of his head while facing down towards the surface of the water. He let out a long sigh as he began to feel a sensation as if a door was creaking open within him...

The angry words of his mother echoed out of the office of Master Yoda into the hall where he was sitting patiently.

"It is outrageous! How could you allow his own aunt to pick that Offee girl and not be able to train Juba?"

"Made her choice on padawan she did before it was time for Juba to be selected."

"Then she should have been reassigned. It just so happened that no Mirialan was free to train him when our son.. who we entrusted to you in confidence... when he came of the proper age? What kind of organizational failures do you tolerate?!"

"The boy is being trained by an exceptional jedi... There is no reason for concern." Another voice spoke out.

"This overgrown rodent? You must be joking... I had no idea the standards of the Jedi and the Republic had fallen so low! If you don't surrender my son back to us... I will!"

The door which Rannek had been keeping propped open suddenly shut from a stronger push on the inside.


----

"What do you think I should do master?" Rannek asked as he walked alongside Talon A'kla in the Jedi temple.

"Your path is yours to choose my young padawan... As difficult as it is to put this choice on a man of your age..."

He paused as they continued to walk along, "I will say... that whatever the path may be... you can always be a source for good. Many people dream of being the hero... Of being the Jedi wielding their laser sword in defense of justice and right. But this too can be hubris... To be good... in order to fulfill some personal need or to draw the gaze of others... is in and of itself a potential path towards the darkside. If your own desire is the motivation of protecting others... then what kind of hero are we really?"

"So you think I should go then?" He asked pensively.

"No... I think you fear going. I think you fear leaving this life that you have because it has given you purpose... given you pride in who you are. It is not a bad thing to be confident my young apprentice... or to enjoy what it is you do. But sometimes the path we take forces us to throw away all that which we feel we need... it teaches us that sacrifice is not always easy. But if that is the path the Force directs us on... even if it is not the easy one... We can't run in fear... We must walk forward and change with the Will of the Force. For it lives in us and we in it."

Talon put a three-fingered claw-hand on his apprentice's shoulder, "Whatever path you choose, there is much good for you still to do. If it is at my side I will have joy... if it is on Mirial... I will have joy in the Will of the Force."

Rannek nodded and continued walking down the hall with his former master...


----

Rannek removed the towel from his head as he felt the currents around him blowing on his soul like a calm breeze...

[Delia]

Delia knew that staying in the city this morning was not the correct choice so she came to Jaklu, she needed time away from the escalating madness. A hot spring seemed the best place to relax and although there was someone using the baths she slipped in with a rather conservative bathing suit, maybe she was getting old.

[Rannek Nire]

He felt the feeling in him begin to diminish as his regular senses noticed a person approaching. He took the towel from his head and wiped his face with it.

He glanced up and saw the woman who had the sick grandmother on the flight in... he’d normally have forgotten her but he remembered about the little clinic that they were setting up in Rygor.

He nodded a greeting and said, “Nice morning for a soak, eh?”

[Delia]

"I was surprised such a place even existed, it is beautiful here and relaxing," she said with some warmth. "I hope I did not intrude, you seemed deep in thought."

[Rannek Nire]

"As deep as a shallow man can get... Not much deeper than a puddle I'm afraid." He said with a chuckle.

"You were on the ship coming here a few days ago weren't you?"

[Delia]

“A puddle has an incredible amount of life and activity,” she responded.

“Yes I arrived with my grandmother.”

[Rannek Nire]

He nodded, "I thought I remembered you from somewhere. My name's Rannek. What brings you here to Bankor?"

[Delia]

He nodded, "I thought I remembered you from somewhere. My name's Rannek. What brings you here to Bankor?"

“I am Delia, my grandmother wanted to come here and I did not want her to travel alone. I suppose that is not that exciting a reason,” she offered kindly.

“And you?”

[Rannek Nire]

"Just a petty mercenary running around looking for work. The well dried up on the last planet I was on... So I moved to a new well. This one's a bit more... dangerous than I expected it to be... with all the fightin' and stuff going on."

[Delia]

“I thought danger would be a bonus,” she mused.

[Rannek Nire]

He chuckled, "A fan of danger then?"

[Delia]

He chuckled, "A fan of danger then?"

“I just assumed a man that chooses the life of violence of a mercenary would want danger but maybe that is the romantic in me,” she offered.

[Rannek Nire]

He lifted his head as one does when they realize that they misunderstood and replied, “Oh me? Well... uhh... yeah. Needs to be some danger. But Resistance v. Empire? That’s a bit too high on the risk and low on the reward.”

[Delia]

"Prefer danger that is easily resolved and only gives the semblance of actual risk?" she said looking at him carefully.

"I would think that is probably pretty common."

[Rannek Nire]

“I hope so. That’s how folks like myself try and make it... only having a few skills that all are related to fighting but not wanting to be in the wrong fight means options can be pretty slim. Simple bounties and bodyguard work tends to be the easiest way to get some money.”

[Delia]

She seemed to consider that and then responded, "Is that all you wish to be?"

[Rannek Nire]

He tilted his head, "All I wish? I dunno... probably not. But like... sometimes we just gotta go with the hand we're dealt with eh?"

[Delia]

"I am not sure I agree, but it is the easier path," she responded.

[Rannek Nire]

"Easier? Easier than what?" He asked as his eyes began to narrow just a bit with confusion.

[Delia]

"Easier? Easier than what?" He asked as his eyes began to narrow just a bit with confusion.

"I do not wish to say that you can do better but you seem to have natural talents that seem meant for something more but perhaps I am mistaken," she said brushing water over her shoulders.

[Rannek Nire]

He paused for a second before asking, "Who are you?"

His voice was not one of anger but more of befuddlement.

[Delia]

He paused for a second before asking, "Who are you?"

His voice was not one of anger but more of befuddlement.

"Delia," she said with an amused reply.

[Rannek Nire]

He smirked a bit.

Coy answer to a dumb question. What am I a youngling again?

He chuckled and asked, "And how are you so insightful Miss Delia?"

[Delia]

He smirked a bit.

Coy answer to a dumb question. What am I a youngling again?

He chuckled and asked, "And how are you so insightful Miss Delia?"

"I listen to people, I am very empathetic with people and their emotions," she said in reply. "Does that bother you?"

[Rannek Nire]

"Nah, not at all. Just remind me of some of the teachers I had when I was a kid. You seem to have the same vibe about you for whatever reason." He replied.

"The more people there are with a bit of empathy in the galaxy the better in my book."