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<blockquote data-quote="The Shadow" data-source="post: 2224351" data-attributes="member: 16760"><p><strong>Background: Jonas and Vanni</strong></p><p></p><p>[This is the material I sent to SP describing Jonas and Vanni, along with a few notes at the end.]</p><p></p><p>Jonas grew up on the hardscrabble colony world of Lorus in the Outer Rim. Farming was difficult there, and one of Jonas' uncles taught him to hunt to help supplement his little village's food stores. (His father had died in an accident while Jonas was a child.) The harsh life bound the people together into a tightly-knit community, a family of families; Jonas was happy there.</p><p></p><p>One day when he was fifteen, Jonas was returning from a successful hunt only to find hideous aliens poking about the smoking ruins of his village's houses. Numb with horror, he could only stay hidden in shock when the aliens looted his people's few possessions and herded a few survivors onto their ship, no doubt to be sold. Once they'd left, he wandered through the wreckage, numb, hardly even able to respond to the corpses of people he'd known all his life... including that of his mother.</p><p></p><p>After a time - he isn't really sure how long - he left, making a dangerous overland crossing to his world's sole spaceport. There he lied about his age to a mercenary recruiter and enlisted. He'd always been bright, and his practice with the village's antiquated computers, along with the practical first aid he'd learned, caught the eye of his squad leader. He got trained by the company's medic, and picked up many of the skills of a spacehand as well.</p><p></p><p>But while he quickly bonded with his mates, almost like a new family - and he was well-liked for the most part in return - Jonas remained a driven young man. He liked the art of healing, and the fact that it made him useful to his brothers in arms; but he especially enjoyed killing aliens of all stripes. (He'd learned that the ones who destroyed his village were Houk, but he was not too discriminating in his hatred.) The jobs the company got against non-humans positively put a smile on his face, which weirded out some of his fellows at times. He was too responsible to ignore his duties or disobey orders, but when he got the opportunity to shoot aliens, he took it with great relish. About the only time he was disciplined, in fact, was for talking back to an officer about being ordered to stay back from combat.</p><p></p><p>But disaster struck the company in the Ithor system. Outgunned by a surprise attack, the ship was badly damaged. Jonas got shoved into an escape pod by an older man, Taren, who'd taken him under his wing almost from the beginning. Jonas was 20 at the time.</p><p></p><p>His pod crashed on Ithor, in the midst of Mother Jungle. Jonas emerged into an alien world, with no idea of where to go.</p><p></p><p>His food quickly ran out, and he simply wandered, delirious, for days. Jonas does not talk much about this period in his life, except to quietly admit that the jungle "spoke to him". It was a profound, life-changing experience. (And it's a safe bet that he did a lot of reliving of those days in the wilderness after his village's destruction, coming to terms with it somewhat.)</p><p></p><p>When the Ithorians found him, he was raving and weak. They took him to one of their communities, where one of their priests, Ivek, healed him and tended him in his fever. Ivek also noticed that Jonas pulsed regularly in the Force, "in time with the breathing of Mother Jungle": A significant omen, and one unheard-of in non-Ithorians. (This strange "pulsing" invariably attracts the attention of other Force-users.)</p><p></p><p>Jonas' first real memory of this time is of the unearthly singing of the Ithorians, which he found oddly comforting. When he finally came to himself, the faces he saw were not "ugly" or "inhuman", but kindly and intriguing. His hatred of the non-human had been burnt out. (The Houk are still a sore spot with him. But he's transferred most of his outrage to people, of any species, who prey upon others.)</p><p></p><p>Slowly he learned the language of his benefactors (as best a man can who only has one mouth, anyway), and was overwhelmed when Ivek offered to teach him the ways of the Force - or rather, the "Lifeblood" as he called it. (Jonas shares Ivek's friendly distaste for the Jedi term "Force". The Dark Side, seldom spoken of, is called the "Blight".) He was inducted into Ivek's herd, and regards the elderly priest as something almost like a father. He rarely uses his original clan-name, Starchaser, for this reason.</p><p></p><p>Yet perhaps that name had something to it after all, for at length Jonas found himself desiring to return to the stars. His reasons were varied and difficult to articulate. He had done much evil, as he saw it, "out there", and he needed to restore a balance. He was tormented by memories of his family and friends on Lorus, some of whom (including his beloved younger brother, Sammel) he was sure he'd seen taken by the Houk. But... perhaps most of all, he had an inchoate feeling that he was needed out there, that there was something important for him to do. Ivek, after much meditation, agreed and sent him on his way with a blessing. Jonas' herd pitched together a grubstake for him, and he agreed to return at least once every five Ithorian years if he was able, to renew ties and share what he had learned.</p><p></p><p>He worked for a time at a number of jobs: Spacehand, bodyguard, others... anything that would let him keep on the move through the galaxy. He's seen a great deal. But at length Jonas realized that he needed more freedom of movement, to be able to respond to the longings within him. With the "reasonable" help of a not-entirely-savory money-lender, Pluvo Two-for-one, he managed to make a down payment on a small, elderly, transport ship. He named it the <em>Starchaser's Song</em>.</p><p></p><p>Since the <em>Song</em> doesn't have a large cargo space, Jonas has specialized in carrying small, valuable goods to places others are reluctant to visit; and in carrying sensitive messages and passengers. He's built up a reputation for reliability, honesty, and integrity, and so far he's managed to make all his payments to the bank and, more importantly, to Pluvo. (The bank doesn't send kneecappers around if you're late...) though at times it's been by the skin of his teeth.</p><p></p><p>Three years ago, Jonas' solitary, peaceful life suffered an interesting intrusion; he found a stowaway shortly after lifting off from Nar Shaddaa. The teenage boy fought like a wildcat when discovered, but Jonas quickly got the knife away from him and pinned him to the deck, noticing as he did so the lad's slight form and ragged clothes.</p><p></p><p>"What's your name?" No response except a snarl and a wholly-futile attempt to push Jonas away.</p><p></p><p>Jonas just waited patiently. Eventually the boy got tired of struggling and spat out, "What do you want!" "I want to know your name." "Fine! Raddo!" Jonas just smiled. "All right, 'Raddo'. If I let you up, are you going to try to fight me again?" Grudgingly, "It didn't do me much good the last time..." Jonas let him up, and the boy backed away warily. "What are you going to do now?"</p><p></p><p>"What do you think I should do?" Completely nonplussed by this answer, 'Raddo' took a while in answering. "Uh, set me down on Corellia. ... I've got family there, they'll pay you." Jonas nodded, scooped up the knife, and went to the cockpit. The lad followed at a distance, still wary. "What're you doing?" he asked suspiciously. "Adding Corellia to my flight plan." The computer verified this, and the boy just stared, eyes wide, breathing shallow. "I'll have to make a stop or two along the way to fulfill my contracts. I hope you don't mind." 'Raddo' finally allowed as how he could live with this.</p><p></p><p>Jonas busied himself about his usual life, giving the boy a cabin to stay in and making him at home, but otherwise not changing his routine. (Other than being a little more careful to keep the arms locker and cockpit secure.) 'Raddo' ate like a starved wolf and kept glancing at Jonas out of the corner of his eye, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it didn't (indeed, Jonas left him strictly alone most of the time), he seemed to get more and more ill at ease.</p><p></p><p>Finally on the third day he crept up when Jonas was meditating crosslegged by one of the portholes. "Uh, sorry to disturb you." "That's all right." "You, uh... kinda glow when you do that." "I've been told that before." "Oh."</p><p></p><p>Then, big, "Don't you want to know why I'm on your ship?!" "Should I?" "You're WEIRD, man!" "I've been told that before too." 'Raddo' threw up his hands in frustration. Jonas just went back to his meditation.</p><p></p><p>Finally the silence got too much for the kid. He blurted out, "My name's not Raddo." "I know." More silence. "It's Vanni." "Pleased to meet you, Vanni. My name's Jonas, by the way." Yet more silence. "Aren't you going to SAY something?!" "What would you like me to say?"</p><p></p><p>Vanni buried his head in his hands. As if speaking to a small child, he explained, "You're supposed to demand explanations and threaten to slit my throat or throw me out an airlock. Lock me up, maybe hurt me if I give you any trouble. If you're feeling mean, you could even plan to sell me as a slave when we get to Corellia." His voice quivered ever so slightly on the word "sell".</p><p></p><p>"I don't like hurting people, Vanni. Sorry if you're disappointed." "No, I..." "What?" "I don't know."</p><p></p><p>Long silence, then Jonas finally looked at him with a smile. "So, what are you doing on my ship?" Vanni stared at him, and they both laughed. At length the lad said, "You already know, don't you?" "I can make a pretty good guess. You're an escaped slave, I take it." "...Yeah." Jonas held his eyes. "I despise slavery, and the Hutts are crueler with it than most. I have no intention of taking you back. Or selling you again." Vanni let out the breath he was holding. "Okay..." "Do you really have family on Corellia?"</p><p></p><p>The boy's shoulders slumped. "No. I don't have anyone." "Still want to go there?" "I guess." "What will you do when you get there?" "I'll think of something." "Tell you what. I'll let you work your passage on the way. I could use a hand around this old girl, and it'll give you a bit of a stake for when you leave." Shaking his head, bemused, Vanni said, "Sure, why not?" They shook on it.</p><p></p><p>Jonas showed Vanni the ropes, and the lad proved a very quick study. At one of their stops on the way to Corellia, Vanni came back to the ship much later than agreed and couldn't meet Jonas' eyes when he did. Jonas guessed that he'd nearly jumped ship, but didn't press him on it.</p><p></p><p>Finally, the fateful day arrived. Jonas counted out Vanni's pay and said, "Well, that's that." "Uh huh." "You've been a great help around here. I'll miss having you around." "Yeah." Awkward silence. Vanni finally said, "So I guess this is it, huh?" "Seems so." Jonas stuck out his hand, and Vanni shook it but didn't make a move to go. "Uh..." "Yes, Vanni?"</p><p></p><p>"I guess I was wondering if you could use a little more help? ... I could stand to make a little more money before I, you know, set up on my own." Jonas smiled. "Sure, Vanni, I'd like that."</p><p></p><p>Vanni is about nineteen now, or maybe twenty - he isn't sure. He's become a junior partner in the <em>Starchaser's Song.</em> He's proved a valuable asset - clever, resourceful, and cunning. Insatiably curious, he's learned a lot, and has even become a better astrogator and pilot than Jonas (he's quite the natural).</p><p></p><p>Vanni is fiercely loyal to Jonas, but has a chip on his shoulder the size of a small moon toward most of the rest of the universe; he pretty much expects the worst from others and is ready to dish it back out at a moment's notice. He and Jonas have clashed about this several times. (Vanni says Jonas is "way too trusting", but gets VERY defensive when Jonas points out that Vanni's lucky he is!) One thing they emphatically share, though, is a towering indignation against anybody who picks on those weaker than themselves.</p><p></p><p>Though Jonas is considerably older than Vanni (he's nearly 30) there really isn't much of a father/son vibe between them at all - if anything, they're more like brothers. Jonas treats Vanni as an equal, and Vanni for his part, though Jonas' opinion of his actions matters to him much more than he'd willingly let on, doesn't feel any sort of debt of obedience to Jonas. (Though in matters affecting the welfare of the ship, it is firmly understood between them that Jonas is the captain and his orders in an emergency are to be followed without backtalk.)</p><p></p><p>Vanni shows signs of being strong in the Force, and Jonas has tried to teach him to meditate and learn its ways. Vanni finds meditation to be unutterably boring but humors Jonas with it now and then.</p><p></p><p>The young man is also something of a heartbreaker, his soulful eyes and charming words winning him a girl in most ports. He also gambles a fair bit, winning rather more often than seems reasonable. Jonas disapproves of these pastimes, and Vanni knows it, but they don't talk about it much. In more domestic matters, especially his flashes of temper, Vanni is more willing to defer to Jonas and sheepishly apologize. In the moody funks he sometimes sinks into, Jonas is the only one who can reach him.</p><p></p><p>Recently a Jedi Master named Insharr hired the two to transport him and his Padawan, Davik Orzo, as they researched Sith relics in odd corners of the galaxy. Insharr was intrigued by Jonas' "pulsing" and they had several interesting conversations about the Force/Lifeblood. Enough of a connection was formed that when Insharr sent Davik to investigate an abandoned Jedi temple ruined in the Sith Wars on his own, he looked up the <em>Starchaser's Song</em> again...</p><p></p><p>And so tells the tale!</p><p></p><p>[A few short notes I didn't manage to work in. Jonas celebrates the anniversary of the day he found Vanni as a "birthday" of sorts, as Vanni doesn't know just when he was born. This embarrasses Vanni to no end, but also pleases him somewhere in there.]</p><p></p><p>[Vanni always gets bemused, maybe even weirded out, when Jonas gets his military-issue blaster rifle and other weapons out of storage. It just seems so incongruous for him, who is ordinarily so gentle, to be carrying around such lethal armament. When he sees Jonas shoot someone (it's happened a couple times) he isn't quite sure what to make of it.]</p><p></p><p>[I'm not sure just how much Jonas has told Vanni about his past - the basics, certainly, but perhaps not the more painful details. I don't think Jonas has yet visited Ithor with Vanni; that should be an eye-opening experience. And of course it's up to you, SP, how much Vanni has spilled about his own past to Jonas.]</p><p></p><p>[SP has since responded to this. Vanni has only recently begun opening up about his past, and rarely at that. In any case, he isn't the kind to dwell on the past; he's very much a creature of the present moment, with a half-eye cocked on the future. He does save a little money for the future, but isn't averse to blowing it on a big gamble or the like. He's used to living with nothing and making things stretch, so it doesn't trouble him much to lose money.]</p><p></p><p>[Anyway, he has let a few things slip in conversation. He was sold into slavery in response to some sort of legal trouble on Nar Shadaa when he was a child. (On the rare occasions they've visited Nar Shadaa, Vanni has refused to leave the ship. He's argued strenuously against visiting the place at all, in fact.) He hadn't always lived there; before that, he'd been raised by his grandmother. He wears a twisted piece of metal under his shirt that she gave him.]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="The Shadow, post: 2224351, member: 16760"] [b]Background: Jonas and Vanni[/b] [This is the material I sent to SP describing Jonas and Vanni, along with a few notes at the end.] Jonas grew up on the hardscrabble colony world of Lorus in the Outer Rim. Farming was difficult there, and one of Jonas' uncles taught him to hunt to help supplement his little village's food stores. (His father had died in an accident while Jonas was a child.) The harsh life bound the people together into a tightly-knit community, a family of families; Jonas was happy there. One day when he was fifteen, Jonas was returning from a successful hunt only to find hideous aliens poking about the smoking ruins of his village's houses. Numb with horror, he could only stay hidden in shock when the aliens looted his people's few possessions and herded a few survivors onto their ship, no doubt to be sold. Once they'd left, he wandered through the wreckage, numb, hardly even able to respond to the corpses of people he'd known all his life... including that of his mother. After a time - he isn't really sure how long - he left, making a dangerous overland crossing to his world's sole spaceport. There he lied about his age to a mercenary recruiter and enlisted. He'd always been bright, and his practice with the village's antiquated computers, along with the practical first aid he'd learned, caught the eye of his squad leader. He got trained by the company's medic, and picked up many of the skills of a spacehand as well. But while he quickly bonded with his mates, almost like a new family - and he was well-liked for the most part in return - Jonas remained a driven young man. He liked the art of healing, and the fact that it made him useful to his brothers in arms; but he especially enjoyed killing aliens of all stripes. (He'd learned that the ones who destroyed his village were Houk, but he was not too discriminating in his hatred.) The jobs the company got against non-humans positively put a smile on his face, which weirded out some of his fellows at times. He was too responsible to ignore his duties or disobey orders, but when he got the opportunity to shoot aliens, he took it with great relish. About the only time he was disciplined, in fact, was for talking back to an officer about being ordered to stay back from combat. But disaster struck the company in the Ithor system. Outgunned by a surprise attack, the ship was badly damaged. Jonas got shoved into an escape pod by an older man, Taren, who'd taken him under his wing almost from the beginning. Jonas was 20 at the time. His pod crashed on Ithor, in the midst of Mother Jungle. Jonas emerged into an alien world, with no idea of where to go. His food quickly ran out, and he simply wandered, delirious, for days. Jonas does not talk much about this period in his life, except to quietly admit that the jungle "spoke to him". It was a profound, life-changing experience. (And it's a safe bet that he did a lot of reliving of those days in the wilderness after his village's destruction, coming to terms with it somewhat.) When the Ithorians found him, he was raving and weak. They took him to one of their communities, where one of their priests, Ivek, healed him and tended him in his fever. Ivek also noticed that Jonas pulsed regularly in the Force, "in time with the breathing of Mother Jungle": A significant omen, and one unheard-of in non-Ithorians. (This strange "pulsing" invariably attracts the attention of other Force-users.) Jonas' first real memory of this time is of the unearthly singing of the Ithorians, which he found oddly comforting. When he finally came to himself, the faces he saw were not "ugly" or "inhuman", but kindly and intriguing. His hatred of the non-human had been burnt out. (The Houk are still a sore spot with him. But he's transferred most of his outrage to people, of any species, who prey upon others.) Slowly he learned the language of his benefactors (as best a man can who only has one mouth, anyway), and was overwhelmed when Ivek offered to teach him the ways of the Force - or rather, the "Lifeblood" as he called it. (Jonas shares Ivek's friendly distaste for the Jedi term "Force". The Dark Side, seldom spoken of, is called the "Blight".) He was inducted into Ivek's herd, and regards the elderly priest as something almost like a father. He rarely uses his original clan-name, Starchaser, for this reason. Yet perhaps that name had something to it after all, for at length Jonas found himself desiring to return to the stars. His reasons were varied and difficult to articulate. He had done much evil, as he saw it, "out there", and he needed to restore a balance. He was tormented by memories of his family and friends on Lorus, some of whom (including his beloved younger brother, Sammel) he was sure he'd seen taken by the Houk. But... perhaps most of all, he had an inchoate feeling that he was needed out there, that there was something important for him to do. Ivek, after much meditation, agreed and sent him on his way with a blessing. Jonas' herd pitched together a grubstake for him, and he agreed to return at least once every five Ithorian years if he was able, to renew ties and share what he had learned. He worked for a time at a number of jobs: Spacehand, bodyguard, others... anything that would let him keep on the move through the galaxy. He's seen a great deal. But at length Jonas realized that he needed more freedom of movement, to be able to respond to the longings within him. With the "reasonable" help of a not-entirely-savory money-lender, Pluvo Two-for-one, he managed to make a down payment on a small, elderly, transport ship. He named it the [i]Starchaser's Song[/i]. Since the [i]Song[/i] doesn't have a large cargo space, Jonas has specialized in carrying small, valuable goods to places others are reluctant to visit; and in carrying sensitive messages and passengers. He's built up a reputation for reliability, honesty, and integrity, and so far he's managed to make all his payments to the bank and, more importantly, to Pluvo. (The bank doesn't send kneecappers around if you're late...) though at times it's been by the skin of his teeth. Three years ago, Jonas' solitary, peaceful life suffered an interesting intrusion; he found a stowaway shortly after lifting off from Nar Shaddaa. The teenage boy fought like a wildcat when discovered, but Jonas quickly got the knife away from him and pinned him to the deck, noticing as he did so the lad's slight form and ragged clothes. "What's your name?" No response except a snarl and a wholly-futile attempt to push Jonas away. Jonas just waited patiently. Eventually the boy got tired of struggling and spat out, "What do you want!" "I want to know your name." "Fine! Raddo!" Jonas just smiled. "All right, 'Raddo'. If I let you up, are you going to try to fight me again?" Grudgingly, "It didn't do me much good the last time..." Jonas let him up, and the boy backed away warily. "What are you going to do now?" "What do you think I should do?" Completely nonplussed by this answer, 'Raddo' took a while in answering. "Uh, set me down on Corellia. ... I've got family there, they'll pay you." Jonas nodded, scooped up the knife, and went to the cockpit. The lad followed at a distance, still wary. "What're you doing?" he asked suspiciously. "Adding Corellia to my flight plan." The computer verified this, and the boy just stared, eyes wide, breathing shallow. "I'll have to make a stop or two along the way to fulfill my contracts. I hope you don't mind." 'Raddo' finally allowed as how he could live with this. Jonas busied himself about his usual life, giving the boy a cabin to stay in and making him at home, but otherwise not changing his routine. (Other than being a little more careful to keep the arms locker and cockpit secure.) 'Raddo' ate like a starved wolf and kept glancing at Jonas out of the corner of his eye, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it didn't (indeed, Jonas left him strictly alone most of the time), he seemed to get more and more ill at ease. Finally on the third day he crept up when Jonas was meditating crosslegged by one of the portholes. "Uh, sorry to disturb you." "That's all right." "You, uh... kinda glow when you do that." "I've been told that before." "Oh." Then, big, "Don't you want to know why I'm on your ship?!" "Should I?" "You're WEIRD, man!" "I've been told that before too." 'Raddo' threw up his hands in frustration. Jonas just went back to his meditation. Finally the silence got too much for the kid. He blurted out, "My name's not Raddo." "I know." More silence. "It's Vanni." "Pleased to meet you, Vanni. My name's Jonas, by the way." Yet more silence. "Aren't you going to SAY something?!" "What would you like me to say?" Vanni buried his head in his hands. As if speaking to a small child, he explained, "You're supposed to demand explanations and threaten to slit my throat or throw me out an airlock. Lock me up, maybe hurt me if I give you any trouble. If you're feeling mean, you could even plan to sell me as a slave when we get to Corellia." His voice quivered ever so slightly on the word "sell". "I don't like hurting people, Vanni. Sorry if you're disappointed." "No, I..." "What?" "I don't know." Long silence, then Jonas finally looked at him with a smile. "So, what are you doing on my ship?" Vanni stared at him, and they both laughed. At length the lad said, "You already know, don't you?" "I can make a pretty good guess. You're an escaped slave, I take it." "...Yeah." Jonas held his eyes. "I despise slavery, and the Hutts are crueler with it than most. I have no intention of taking you back. Or selling you again." Vanni let out the breath he was holding. "Okay..." "Do you really have family on Corellia?" The boy's shoulders slumped. "No. I don't have anyone." "Still want to go there?" "I guess." "What will you do when you get there?" "I'll think of something." "Tell you what. I'll let you work your passage on the way. I could use a hand around this old girl, and it'll give you a bit of a stake for when you leave." Shaking his head, bemused, Vanni said, "Sure, why not?" They shook on it. Jonas showed Vanni the ropes, and the lad proved a very quick study. At one of their stops on the way to Corellia, Vanni came back to the ship much later than agreed and couldn't meet Jonas' eyes when he did. Jonas guessed that he'd nearly jumped ship, but didn't press him on it. Finally, the fateful day arrived. Jonas counted out Vanni's pay and said, "Well, that's that." "Uh huh." "You've been a great help around here. I'll miss having you around." "Yeah." Awkward silence. Vanni finally said, "So I guess this is it, huh?" "Seems so." Jonas stuck out his hand, and Vanni shook it but didn't make a move to go. "Uh..." "Yes, Vanni?" "I guess I was wondering if you could use a little more help? ... I could stand to make a little more money before I, you know, set up on my own." Jonas smiled. "Sure, Vanni, I'd like that." Vanni is about nineteen now, or maybe twenty - he isn't sure. He's become a junior partner in the [i]Starchaser's Song.[/i] He's proved a valuable asset - clever, resourceful, and cunning. Insatiably curious, he's learned a lot, and has even become a better astrogator and pilot than Jonas (he's quite the natural). Vanni is fiercely loyal to Jonas, but has a chip on his shoulder the size of a small moon toward most of the rest of the universe; he pretty much expects the worst from others and is ready to dish it back out at a moment's notice. He and Jonas have clashed about this several times. (Vanni says Jonas is "way too trusting", but gets VERY defensive when Jonas points out that Vanni's lucky he is!) One thing they emphatically share, though, is a towering indignation against anybody who picks on those weaker than themselves. Though Jonas is considerably older than Vanni (he's nearly 30) there really isn't much of a father/son vibe between them at all - if anything, they're more like brothers. Jonas treats Vanni as an equal, and Vanni for his part, though Jonas' opinion of his actions matters to him much more than he'd willingly let on, doesn't feel any sort of debt of obedience to Jonas. (Though in matters affecting the welfare of the ship, it is firmly understood between them that Jonas is the captain and his orders in an emergency are to be followed without backtalk.) Vanni shows signs of being strong in the Force, and Jonas has tried to teach him to meditate and learn its ways. Vanni finds meditation to be unutterably boring but humors Jonas with it now and then. The young man is also something of a heartbreaker, his soulful eyes and charming words winning him a girl in most ports. He also gambles a fair bit, winning rather more often than seems reasonable. Jonas disapproves of these pastimes, and Vanni knows it, but they don't talk about it much. In more domestic matters, especially his flashes of temper, Vanni is more willing to defer to Jonas and sheepishly apologize. In the moody funks he sometimes sinks into, Jonas is the only one who can reach him. Recently a Jedi Master named Insharr hired the two to transport him and his Padawan, Davik Orzo, as they researched Sith relics in odd corners of the galaxy. Insharr was intrigued by Jonas' "pulsing" and they had several interesting conversations about the Force/Lifeblood. Enough of a connection was formed that when Insharr sent Davik to investigate an abandoned Jedi temple ruined in the Sith Wars on his own, he looked up the [i]Starchaser's Song[/i] again... And so tells the tale! [A few short notes I didn't manage to work in. Jonas celebrates the anniversary of the day he found Vanni as a "birthday" of sorts, as Vanni doesn't know just when he was born. This embarrasses Vanni to no end, but also pleases him somewhere in there.] [Vanni always gets bemused, maybe even weirded out, when Jonas gets his military-issue blaster rifle and other weapons out of storage. It just seems so incongruous for him, who is ordinarily so gentle, to be carrying around such lethal armament. When he sees Jonas shoot someone (it's happened a couple times) he isn't quite sure what to make of it.] [I'm not sure just how much Jonas has told Vanni about his past - the basics, certainly, but perhaps not the more painful details. I don't think Jonas has yet visited Ithor with Vanni; that should be an eye-opening experience. And of course it's up to you, SP, how much Vanni has spilled about his own past to Jonas.] [SP has since responded to this. Vanni has only recently begun opening up about his past, and rarely at that. In any case, he isn't the kind to dwell on the past; he's very much a creature of the present moment, with a half-eye cocked on the future. He does save a little money for the future, but isn't averse to blowing it on a big gamble or the like. He's used to living with nothing and making things stretch, so it doesn't trouble him much to lose money.] [Anyway, he has let a few things slip in conversation. He was sold into slavery in response to some sort of legal trouble on Nar Shadaa when he was a child. (On the rare occasions they've visited Nar Shadaa, Vanni has refused to leave the ship. He's argued strenuously against visiting the place at all, in fact.) He hadn't always lived there; before that, he'd been raised by his grandmother. He wears a twisted piece of metal under his shirt that she gave him.] [/QUOTE]
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