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- Age 34
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- Seen Apr 27, 2025
Deep breaths... Clear your mind... Focus on the emotions in your mind, recognize them, and let them go...
Breya heard the words in her mind, let her thoughts come to her like waves in a stream, and carefully plucked the important ideas from them. She had been taught not to fear, that fear would cloud her judgement, and that emptying her mind would allow the Force to fill her and guide her actions. She pushed her doubts away, tried to find the Force, to focus on...
*crinkle*... *crinklecrinkle*... *pomf*
...on the sound of a plastic bag being torn open. She opened her eyes, spotting her Papa Krusk seated nearby and munching on snacks. A bulky reptilian alien from the Trandoshan race, Krusk wasn't actually her father, but he certainly acted the part well enough, raising her and training her how to hunt and survive. Krusk rarely had the patience for meditation, but Breya had convinced him to join her because she felt it would be good for both of them to develop their connection to the Force, the mystical energy that connected all life in the galaxy. Breya had still been young when Krusk adopted her, but she'd received some training from the Jedi Order, while Papa Krusk was mostly self-taught.
Breya sighed dramatically, shaking her head at her Papa's lack of discipline. "We're supposed to be emptying our minds, not filling our bellies."
"Aw, come one, it's just a light snack." Krusk grinned. "It'd take more than this to fill my belly."
"Here, give me those." Papa Pavo, who had been sitting quietly at the table nearby, came over to take the bag from Krusk. Krusk shoved a handful of chips into his mouth before handing the rest of the bag over, chuckling as Pavo started eating them himself.
"Come on, we were supposed to do this together!" Breya pouted, crossing her arms and looking at the floor. "Why can't you two ever take things serious?"
Papa Pavo didn't really understand the Force, less so than even Krusk or Breya. He also wasn't her real father, but he and the rest of his Mandalorian tribe had helped care for Breya back when Krusk first found her, when she was too small and sick to be out on adventures with him. Pavo, though a warrior and a hunter himself, had taught Breya about community, about family, and about The Way, the creed the Mandalorians lived by. Neither man knew much about being a father, but they had both agreed to give it a try, for her sake. Which just made it all the more frustrating when they acted like kids.
"If you guys won't help me, then at least don't distract me, okay?"
Pavo and Krusk looked at her in surprise, then at each other. Pavo nodded, then started heading out of the room. "Sure. Just let me know when you're done, yeah? I'll be outside."
Breya settled back down into her meditative position, pushing her thoughts from her mind. She heard Krusk move slightly closer, but ignored him. She needed to focus.
"You sure this is helpful, Little Fly? 'Cuz you sure seem grumpy."
Breya tried not to smile, and mostly managed to restrain herself. Papa Krusk had given her that nickname a long time ago, and it had stuck even after he learned her name. She didn't answer, so Krusk kept talking.
"I know this is supposed to help 'clear your mind' and help you focus and all that, but it seems like you got something on your mind that you need to work out. Whenever I have a problem, it doesn't help me all that much to empty out my head. Not that I got a lot goin' on up there to begin with."
Breya snorted, trying not to laugh, which got a chuckle out of Krusk. "Ey, there she is! There's that smile! Now come on, tell Papa Krusk what's wrong."
"Well..." As much as she tried to act like an adult, she was still a kid, and finding the right words didn't come easily. "I guess I'm just nervous about my sparring match tomorrow. I know you and Papa Pavo have been teaching me a lot, but this time I'll actually be judged by the Elders. If I lose, or if I'm not good enough, what if they kick us out of the Conclave? Or say you guys can't be my teachers any more?" She pulled her knees up to her chest, curling into a ball.
Krusk put his arm around her, picking her up like she weighed nothing and hugging her close. "None of that's gonna happen! You're way too good at fights for that. Besides, if it does, we'll just go somewhere else! What are they gonna do, tell me I can't leave? Tell me I can't raise my own kid? Heh, let 'em try..."
Breya could feel a low rumble in his chest as he growled, and the air felt heavier for a moment, but it passed and left behind only a slight warmth, the same warmth she could feel whenever he smiled his toothy grins at her, or when he cheered for her success or laughed when they played. Papa Krusk could be intense, but there was a certain joy he had inside him that was simply infectious, and she smiled at his words.
"Well, I'll just have to do my best tomorrow, so they don't have to try!" She tried to leave his embrace, but Krusk simply tightened his grip as he stood, clutching her close to his side. She looked up at him with annoyance, but he simply grinned back.
"How you gonna do that if you can't escape, huh? You let your guard down, and now you're trapped!" He laughed as he started spinning around, trying to make her dizzy.
"Papa, no fair! This isn't training time!" Breya tried to slip free, but Krusk's grip was simply too strong. "Papa Pavo, help!"
Pavo poked his head back into the room, shaking his head at their antics. "Come on, Breya. At least try to escape before calling for help. He's not even using his strong arm."
Breya twisted and squirmed, almost managing to break free, but Krusk simply flipped her over and slung her over his shoulder, leaving her upside down and disoriented. She closed her eyes before she could get motion sick, trying to think of a way out of this.
Deep breaths, clear your mind, think of something... She stopped squirming, reaching out with her senses. Don't think about the match, don't get lost in the stream, just think about... chips? She could smell the chips on the table, where Pavo had left them. Bizarrely, it gave her an idea. If she could just reach out....
Krusk stopped suddenly as the bowl of fruit on the table flew across the room and smacked into his head. He stumbled, and almost dropped Breya, which she used to her advantage and slipped free, rolling when she hit the floor and jumping up to her feet, already holding a piece of fruit to use as a weapon.
Krusk stood there for a moment, as though still processing, then gave Breya a mighty thumbs-up, dropping his ready stance and grinning happily at her.
Pavo laughed at them both. "Great shot, kid! Just like I taught you!"
"Hey, I'm the one who taught her how to throw things!" Krusk protested.
"Yeah, but who taught her that roll? Not your slow hide."
"Yeah, well, I..."
"Thanks, Papas!" Breya interrupted, laughing. "You were right, there's nothing to worry about! Because I have two wonderful Papas who taught me everything I know, and I'm gonna do great!" She took her piece of fruit as her prize, happily taking a bite as she headed outside.
Pavo shook his head, smiling. "She's definitely your kid."
Krusk grinned, holding a fist out for Pavo to bump. "Yours, too."
"Hell yeah, Brother." Pavo returned the fist bump with a grin. "She likes training with me more, though."
"Yeah, well... she likes my cooking way more than your training!"
"Big deal, everyone likes your cooking."
"Aww, you mean that?"
This continued for a bit, with Breya leaning against the wall outside. She took a deep breath, in... and out, focusing on her emotions, and she held onto the memories, the warm feelings they brought, and she felt at peace.
Breya heard the words in her mind, let her thoughts come to her like waves in a stream, and carefully plucked the important ideas from them. She had been taught not to fear, that fear would cloud her judgement, and that emptying her mind would allow the Force to fill her and guide her actions. She pushed her doubts away, tried to find the Force, to focus on...
*crinkle*... *crinklecrinkle*... *pomf*
...on the sound of a plastic bag being torn open. She opened her eyes, spotting her Papa Krusk seated nearby and munching on snacks. A bulky reptilian alien from the Trandoshan race, Krusk wasn't actually her father, but he certainly acted the part well enough, raising her and training her how to hunt and survive. Krusk rarely had the patience for meditation, but Breya had convinced him to join her because she felt it would be good for both of them to develop their connection to the Force, the mystical energy that connected all life in the galaxy. Breya had still been young when Krusk adopted her, but she'd received some training from the Jedi Order, while Papa Krusk was mostly self-taught.
Breya sighed dramatically, shaking her head at her Papa's lack of discipline. "We're supposed to be emptying our minds, not filling our bellies."
"Aw, come one, it's just a light snack." Krusk grinned. "It'd take more than this to fill my belly."
"Here, give me those." Papa Pavo, who had been sitting quietly at the table nearby, came over to take the bag from Krusk. Krusk shoved a handful of chips into his mouth before handing the rest of the bag over, chuckling as Pavo started eating them himself.
"Come on, we were supposed to do this together!" Breya pouted, crossing her arms and looking at the floor. "Why can't you two ever take things serious?"
Papa Pavo didn't really understand the Force, less so than even Krusk or Breya. He also wasn't her real father, but he and the rest of his Mandalorian tribe had helped care for Breya back when Krusk first found her, when she was too small and sick to be out on adventures with him. Pavo, though a warrior and a hunter himself, had taught Breya about community, about family, and about The Way, the creed the Mandalorians lived by. Neither man knew much about being a father, but they had both agreed to give it a try, for her sake. Which just made it all the more frustrating when they acted like kids.
"If you guys won't help me, then at least don't distract me, okay?"
Pavo and Krusk looked at her in surprise, then at each other. Pavo nodded, then started heading out of the room. "Sure. Just let me know when you're done, yeah? I'll be outside."
Breya settled back down into her meditative position, pushing her thoughts from her mind. She heard Krusk move slightly closer, but ignored him. She needed to focus.
"You sure this is helpful, Little Fly? 'Cuz you sure seem grumpy."
Breya tried not to smile, and mostly managed to restrain herself. Papa Krusk had given her that nickname a long time ago, and it had stuck even after he learned her name. She didn't answer, so Krusk kept talking.
"I know this is supposed to help 'clear your mind' and help you focus and all that, but it seems like you got something on your mind that you need to work out. Whenever I have a problem, it doesn't help me all that much to empty out my head. Not that I got a lot goin' on up there to begin with."
Breya snorted, trying not to laugh, which got a chuckle out of Krusk. "Ey, there she is! There's that smile! Now come on, tell Papa Krusk what's wrong."
"Well..." As much as she tried to act like an adult, she was still a kid, and finding the right words didn't come easily. "I guess I'm just nervous about my sparring match tomorrow. I know you and Papa Pavo have been teaching me a lot, but this time I'll actually be judged by the Elders. If I lose, or if I'm not good enough, what if they kick us out of the Conclave? Or say you guys can't be my teachers any more?" She pulled her knees up to her chest, curling into a ball.
Krusk put his arm around her, picking her up like she weighed nothing and hugging her close. "None of that's gonna happen! You're way too good at fights for that. Besides, if it does, we'll just go somewhere else! What are they gonna do, tell me I can't leave? Tell me I can't raise my own kid? Heh, let 'em try..."
Breya could feel a low rumble in his chest as he growled, and the air felt heavier for a moment, but it passed and left behind only a slight warmth, the same warmth she could feel whenever he smiled his toothy grins at her, or when he cheered for her success or laughed when they played. Papa Krusk could be intense, but there was a certain joy he had inside him that was simply infectious, and she smiled at his words.
"Well, I'll just have to do my best tomorrow, so they don't have to try!" She tried to leave his embrace, but Krusk simply tightened his grip as he stood, clutching her close to his side. She looked up at him with annoyance, but he simply grinned back.
"How you gonna do that if you can't escape, huh? You let your guard down, and now you're trapped!" He laughed as he started spinning around, trying to make her dizzy.
"Papa, no fair! This isn't training time!" Breya tried to slip free, but Krusk's grip was simply too strong. "Papa Pavo, help!"
Pavo poked his head back into the room, shaking his head at their antics. "Come on, Breya. At least try to escape before calling for help. He's not even using his strong arm."
Breya twisted and squirmed, almost managing to break free, but Krusk simply flipped her over and slung her over his shoulder, leaving her upside down and disoriented. She closed her eyes before she could get motion sick, trying to think of a way out of this.
Deep breaths, clear your mind, think of something... She stopped squirming, reaching out with her senses. Don't think about the match, don't get lost in the stream, just think about... chips? She could smell the chips on the table, where Pavo had left them. Bizarrely, it gave her an idea. If she could just reach out....
Krusk stopped suddenly as the bowl of fruit on the table flew across the room and smacked into his head. He stumbled, and almost dropped Breya, which she used to her advantage and slipped free, rolling when she hit the floor and jumping up to her feet, already holding a piece of fruit to use as a weapon.
Krusk stood there for a moment, as though still processing, then gave Breya a mighty thumbs-up, dropping his ready stance and grinning happily at her.
Pavo laughed at them both. "Great shot, kid! Just like I taught you!"
"Hey, I'm the one who taught her how to throw things!" Krusk protested.
"Yeah, but who taught her that roll? Not your slow hide."
"Yeah, well, I..."
"Thanks, Papas!" Breya interrupted, laughing. "You were right, there's nothing to worry about! Because I have two wonderful Papas who taught me everything I know, and I'm gonna do great!" She took her piece of fruit as her prize, happily taking a bite as she headed outside.
Pavo shook his head, smiling. "She's definitely your kid."
Krusk grinned, holding a fist out for Pavo to bump. "Yours, too."
"Hell yeah, Brother." Pavo returned the fist bump with a grin. "She likes training with me more, though."
"Yeah, well... she likes my cooking way more than your training!"
"Big deal, everyone likes your cooking."
"Aww, you mean that?"
This continued for a bit, with Breya leaning against the wall outside. She took a deep breath, in... and out, focusing on her emotions, and she held onto the memories, the warm feelings they brought, and she felt at peace.
Spoiler: Judges' Feedback
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