Gala - Jedi Praxeum Ruins

[Scorp Jedi Knight]

He had been locked away in the ship for who knew how long. Perhaps it had been a few hours, but he knew it had been days if not a week or two. Yet he felt the need to naturally try to complete all of his work before emerging out.

 

His daily routine inside of the ship was actually quite interesting to a degree. Emerge from either meditation or actual sleep, which ever he had decided on, and grab a ration bar, to get a few things going. Open up various files he had been keeping on his compounds, for a quick look amongst the special piezoelectric composites he had created. Find the one that he would work on for that day. Pull out a sample, and begin to modify it in such a way so it would be able to be applied as he needed it.

 

Granted he didn't have a full chem. Lab aboard his ship, but he had what he needed. After which he would then begin to build the application's device, for storage and dispersal.

 

After which he spent at least an hour or more practicing enclosed space lightsaber fighting, using both single handled and his double bladed style. Making sure he could make small precision strikes in an enclosed space. It was more or less his physical activity, to make sure he didn't become nothing more than a brain on a stick.

 

Following which if he had any weapons ready for testing, he had built a small screen of sorts that allowed him to see the effects of many gadgets. Once the testing phase was over, he would build the application for use, and add it to his ever increasing arsenal and then work on something new. Sometimes it took a while before he could get all of the bugs out of various gear. Only once did he make something far two sensitive.

 

He crafted various things of course, yet the last things he crafted were an old fashion looking shield made out of some sort of plastic, which he latter refined to be an armed guard, that had retractable plastic plates inside of it, that deployed at a moment's notice. He used them to counter balance the shooters on his arms.

 

As well as various boxes made of the same special plastic. Now the only real test that remained would be an actual sparring test with one or more jedi. He popped open the hatch to his ship and stared out. A tired yet excited looking man. If there was one thing he was going to do above all else, was find food that wasn't a ration bar.

[Guest]

Sirius nodded to the young hopeful. This was certainly an excellent analysis of what he hoped the Jedi would become. "I'm glad you feel that way. Coming to know yourself more is certainly an important part of becoming a Jedi. But now I will begin your training. I am not permitted to actually train you to the status of a full Jedi Knight, but until you are chosen by a master I will get you started."

 

Finishing, Sirius pushed his tray back and stood up. "I'm going to go on a little trip. Finish up your meal, then come find me. There are a few catches though. You aren't allowed to speak with anyone, or to use any kind of technology. Just yourself, and the Force. As my Force signiture is not very strong, I will not be easy to find, but it will give you some better practice."

 

Leaving the mess hall, Sirius began down the hallway at a brisk walk. He found his way down to the sparring room. He found the weapons rack and picked out two wooden rods. Holding one in each hand he moved behind a pillar and waited in the shadows.

 

((Alright, Grimo, I'd like a fairly long post. Adventure around the Temple then post walking into the room. I would like it if you wouldn't find me, just enter the room, as a personal prefernce...))

[Davi Quinn]

Hiding aboard a supply ship wasn't the most...glorious way to get to the temple. Nor was it Davi's first choice, but when push comes to shove, and you have to improvise, well...you attempt. He didn't mind much though, he had managed to shove himself in with a bunch of plants being shipped to the Jedi. Davi had always liked plants, made him feel more at peace, and more in touch with the force, or at least, that's the the Jedi who had passed through the town had told Davi it was.

 

Not much happened in that little farming community on Dantoonie. They had been having mercenary troubles, so they hired out some help. Sadly, that help also became a very expensive problem, so they hired out further. With luck, they managed to convince a wandering Jedi to solve the problem. Davi was entranced by the Jedi, who managed to fix the problem, without ever drawing his weapon. He simply made a show of power, and the problem was solved. This had so intrigued Davi that he was compelled to talk to the man. After a few minutes of chatting, the man informed Davi that he was force sensitive and to attempt to be accept into the order. For several more days, this Jedi explained to Davi the basic principles of being a Jedi, no formal training persay, but more of a history lesson. With that, Davi set out as soon as he scrounged up the money and made his way slowly to Gala, through various stowaway attempts and what not.

 

The hatch to the cargo storage opened, and suddenly the cargo box Davi was contained in shook back and forth as it was being unloaded. He waited until the shaking stopped, and he was sure he was off the ship to make his escape, no good escaping into a space ship only to be carted off to the authorities. No, he had made it this far, he was going to become a symbol of justice and light to the galaxy.

 

Davi slunk out of the hangar, until it was safe to assume he was one of the many people bustling around the temple. He threw his bag over his shoulder, and began looking for a place to sign up. He had no idea where to begin...

[Syn]

((So sorry that this took so long. I just got net access back. I'm really sorry!

 

BTW, Iniera is around three or four.))

 

Xae-Lin turned from her niece and considered the Zabrak's answer for a moment. ”œTrue that in the past your encounters with children might have been a bit uncomfortable, but more often than not children go by their feelings, they are the best indicators as to a person's character.”

[Ary the Grey]

((I'm not waiting. PM me when you're ready to pick up.))

 

Aryian walks off, leaving the question hanging. EDIT- He simply returns back to the Alliance base and to his wife, oddly having a brief twinge where he thought he did something he never did.

[Grimo]

((Sorry I take so long, I just like to think things out first...))

 

The tray before him was loaded with the most delicious herbs and greens one could find this side of the Core, so Widdimur decided to take the man's offer and enjoy every last bite. Dessert wasn't much worse, and he enjoyed that, too. Once his meal was finished, as dropped his dishes off to the now impatient-looking dish boy. He mumbled his apoliogies and set the tray on the counter. Now, to find that man.

 

He noted with curiosity that neither he nor himself had given the other a name to refer to each other, making asking someone useless, even if it had been allowed as part of his task. A clever ploy by this mysterious "trainer", or simply an oversight? Time will tell I suppose...he thought as he padded through the corridors, reading signs and faces, he tried to get a sense of the building. Unfortunately, he hadn't been trained in any such use of the Force. Good reflexes had been on his side throughout his life, but they were with all members of his species, as they had evolved from rodents. So, on the verge of giving up, a thought struck him.

 

Shame on him for trying to use tthe Force when a perfectly good alternative was available! He hurried back ot the cafeteria and found the two seats they had occupied only moments before. Crouching on the bench, he pressed his nostrils to the seat across from his own, taking in a huge sampling of the man's scent. He set off again, but this time, the scent led him towards the opposite wing of the building. He smiled to himself. Always think simply. If nothing works, think more simply. The old adage his father had repeated to him so many times rang through his head. The scent lead him to some sort of training room, but there the trail ended. Or rather, it was lost in the smell of blood and sweat that permeated every inch of the room. He sighed. While his sense of smell was acute, it could easily be drowned out, and he had so little experience tracking humans...

[Guest]

((Davi, post wandering around the temple a bit, then arriving at the training hall, and I'm seeing what I can do about getting both of you a master.))

 

Sirius spied the Widdimur jedi-wannabe enter the training hall looking for him and smiled. This one was resourceful, that was for sure. Stepping out of the shadows with the two staffs in hand, Sirius approached the new recruit. "Very good. You did well. Now we will begin combat training. Nothing to extensive as I'm definitely not the one to be training you in lightsaber combat, but we can get you farther than you would have been had you simply been chosen by a master. Now, tell me what you know of combat before we start..."

 

((Grimo, sorry bout the short post. Its midnight here and I'm tired and still have stuff to do. Just post telling me a little about your characters background in fighting, then when Davi finds us the two of you can mock duel for the practice. I'm working on getting you a master so you can go get your training started.))

[Davi Quinn]

Davi sighed. It was odd enough being bigger than most of the folks around him, but it felt even odder to be so out of place with all the people around him. And sadly, not one of them could help. It was impossible to find anybody who knew any bit of helpful information.

 

It's like a farm with no farmers. Can't find a useful one out of lot of them...

 

But Davi refused to give up. Sure he was horribly lost. Sure he was on a foreign planet. Sure he was light-years from home or anyone he knew. But he was here, and he'd be damned if he'd let a jedi-less Jedi temple stop him from at least becoming a padawan.

 

Davi tilted his head to one side, cracking his neck, shrugged his the bag full of his belongs back over his shoulder and went on down the next hall. He turned left, and came upon what seemed to him to be a mess hall. He smiled, least he now had a starting point to create a mental map of the place. He began wandering again, slowly creating a familiarness with the temple. After a while, he realized he was on the opposite side of the building from the mess hall. He opened up a door and saw a man and a very strange looking creature.

 

"Uh...hi, I'm just looking for a place to join up. A Jedi told me to look round here, I'm assuming I'm in the right place, I just can't find, well...wherever it is you join up..." he mumbled, scratching the back of his head, attempting to hide his embarrassment.

[Malcolm Derrial]

Malcolm woke up in a stand of pines. The morning mist had beaded the outermost layer of his initiate's robes. He stood stiffly from his meditative position, leaning on a gnarled trunk while stretching. Drops of dew sprinkled to the soft forest floor as he arched his back, popped his sternum, and shook like a hound. After a long yawn, he spied the trail back to the Temple. As he strolled briskly back, he quietly berated himself for falling asleep during meditation”¦ again.

 

Soon the pines gave way to the Temple's clearing, and the gnawing in his belly was joined by a new sensation, like tiny mynocks were persistently attempting to escape his throat. Today was the day he was to be assigned to a master!

 

Malcolm returned to his room with a small bowl of rice from the mess hall and retrieved his latest acquisition from the archives: a hardbound copy of Objectivism, Free Market, and the Doctrine of the Sith, with attached commentaries and Klaff's Notes.

 

His superiors would send for him when he was needed. Seeming over-eager at this juncture would only serve to make him appear childish. Malcolm began to skim the preface, bypassing the obligatory disclaimers about ”œDarkside Power Fallacy”

[Guest]

Before Widdimur had a chance to respond, the pair were interupted by a new recruit. "Alright, we'll work with this." Sirius tossed the rod in his hand towards the new man.

 

"Fair fight, don't go for the kill. Go."

 

Sirius stepped back and watched as they moved forward.

 

((Again, sorry bout the short post, but really nothin' else to do. 3 posts each. By the end of this, I'll have at least one of you a master. Sorry bout the wait. I'd train you if I were allowed to, but I'm not...))

[ObliviousKnight]

A Lambda-class shuttle christened as the Journeyman descended towards the Jedi Temple of Gala, piloted by Armiena's mother, Misal Draygo. She was no stranger to this Temple or its denizens, so the sight of the gray-clad Miraluka drew nothing more than idle curiosity. She didn't even have to endure the typical comments about her often sour demeanor and cantankerous attitude towards many of the Jedi's highest Masters, notably Ara-Lai Kaipi and Aryian Darkfire.

 

They knew who she was. True, she had thoroughly breached most of the Jedi's security, but it was apparently all in good intentions towards the Jedi, or at least her daughter.

 

With a purposeful stride, the elder Draygo walked headed for the mess hall, privately wondering why the Force had drawn her to this Temple. Her only real interest was in preserving the well-being of her daughter... and her nerves were growing with every passing hour until her instincts were practically screaming at her to help Armiena, and she had no idea why she felt that she had to be here.

 

Even more so, she wondered why her attention had suddenly been commanded by one of the Hopefuls, a brown-haired boy in his middle teens. From the very instant she entered the mess hall, her Sight became fixed upon the kid, studying him as he read from a thick volume that connected economics and the blind ideology of the Sith. He was undoubtedly a student at this Temple, had probably been a student for all his life, and his excitement.... he'd clearly felt it. He knew that he was soon going to be chosen for a full-time apprenticeship.

 

Misal decided to do what she did best. She watched him, standing eerily and silhouetted by one of the doors to the mess hall, and let the kid decide if he wanted to approach her.

[Davi Quinn]

Surprised at the man sudden reaction and statement, Davi quickly dropped the bag on the floor, and grabbed the rod as it came to him. A little too light for his tastes, but it would have to do. It reminded him of a a farm tool. His father had always had droids do the hard work in the fields, but Davi got to cultivate with his own hands and tools, like they used to.

 

He was a little taken aback with this being his first...well anything to do with Jedi, but if this is how they were gonna start, he was going to flow with it and learn as much as he could.

 

Cracking his neck again, he looked at his opponent. Davi had strength, where the small furry thing that Davi did not recognize probably had speed. It also had size on him, although, Davi surely had arm length and height. If he could keep the creature away from getting inside his sweep, he may actually win. But this was a fair fight, and he would not let the Jedi see that he was eager to win. No, he would wait for the first attack, see how it reacted, and strike accordingly...or at least he hoped.

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

Xae-Lin smiled and nodded, it would be nice to have some company again, well company that didn't beep, whistle, or throw Cheerios at her, anyway. And it would be good to have a sparring partner once more. Though peace was the optimal path of a Jedi, she knew that there would soon come a time where they would need to fight, such was the Guardian's path, a defender of peace. One couldn't afford to allow their fighting skills to dull during times like these.

 

”œOf course it's alright, I'd be glad for the company and happy to begin your training as well. I have a feeling we'll need all the help that we can get soon. I'll just leave word with Master Darkfire that we'll be gone a short while, but be back shortly.”

[Malcolm Derrial]

"”¦ In summation, the complication with contemporary capitalist economics arises from the notion that competition breeds strength. This is grossly parallel to the Sith maxim...”

[Syn]

An-Dur beamed brightly before his new master. His life-long dream was no beginning and the lad couldn't help but feel a sense of elation and pride in it. The Zabrak politely nodded as Xae-lin excused herself for what he could only assume was some Jedi thing or another. In time, he knew he would ask and knew that he too would have his own version of 'Jedi things' which only furthered to brighten his mood even more. His dancing gaze passed between his master, the droid(?) and the surroundings at her back.

 

His eyes fell upon the rolling Landscape of Gala and he felt peace wash over him, true and untainted peace. Perhaps this was another gift from her Jedi master? He watched the clouds roll by against the pale-blue backdrop, marveling at its simplicity of beauty and for a time became lost in gentle musing. He was forcefully returned back to this plane of existence when he heard Xae-lin continue from across the void. His ears perked up at the mention of his ship, An-Dur had never considered leaving it docked at Gala. Hell he had never considered being far from it; after all it had been his home since he left his homeplanet. It had provided all his necessities and comforts, hell he had been through more adventure than he had without it.

 

Dread momentarily crept into his eyes at the thought of abandoning it, yet he quickly mastered such trivial thoughts but weighing his future against a vessel of bolts, wires and metal. After that the choice was easy.

 

"...I will leave my ship here. Will it be in good hands?" An-Dur asked, despite his resolution his voice still held concern and his eyes worry. He had truly become attached to the vessel.

 

Yet a short while later (presumably after Xae-lin answer's his question) An-Dur was consumed by a new thought, what to take and what to leave. He'd never been known to travel heavy, often times taking the clothes on is back and a small satchel of supplies and tools. But, for a journey like this, new dangers loomed ahead of him and he found himself with the delicate situation to pack a lot or next to nothing at all. Finally he resolved to take his traveling back pack, placing in it spare change of clothing, at least one pair of winter garb and one with summer garb, spare blasters with ammo, rations, base necessities and his spare swords. He decided he would wait to do so, until his master released him, he was not on to be impolite.

 

Eventually he could sense that the time was nearing for him to freely roam back to his ship and leave her side, his anticipation growing with each new word she spoke. When she finally did end their conversation, she had left it to him to question her. Impulse took over however and he shook his spiked head vigorously before he jogged back to his light freighter. Once he had typed in the passcode and ascended the ramp to his vessel, the Zabrak instantly sprinted for his room, feeling that time was of the essence.

 

Once inside, he bean to throw clothes about his tiny confines looking for the clothes he sought. Before the found them all he had ransacked his room, leaving it in a state of disarray. With all of his clothes fitted into the lightweight flex-alloy pack, he moved towards his armory, proceeding to throw in extra ammo, various modifications and the like. He withdrew two WESTAR-34 pistols and placed them in his shoulder holsters. An-Dur then withdrew two stock vibroswords and their sheathes and strapped them to his hips and exited the even smaller room. He then moved for his cockpit and upon reaching it placed everything on lock down, set his droid crew into sentry and standby mode and headed for the exit. The Zabrak then watched as the exit ramp fell before him a sense of finality overwhelming him. With his ramp descended, he disembarked from his ship and waited for the ramp to raise. He then typed in the passcode, placing it as well on 'lockout'. With everything ready he confidently marched back to Xae-lin's side and nodded to her.

 

Finally he responded to her final question, "Master Ardel, I do have many questions, but they can wait. After all we do have a long time to get to know one another, don't we?" An-Dur stated, smiling warmly towards her and all else present. As an afterthought he added, "Besides, I'm anxious to get going!"

[Grimo]

The staff clattered on the floor beside him. Widdimur did not make a move to retrieve it. He turned his head towards the master. "I have basic combat training, as I was a member of our village watch for the better part of three years. I can defend myself well enough." He gazed at his opponent, sizing him up, estimating speed and strength. Picking up the staff, Widdimur opened with a simple slash at the feet of the taller being, a quick motion not intended to actually hit anything, but more to gauge the reflexes of his opponent...

[Davi Quinn]

The swing came as Davi expected. He was sure he was being sized up as well. He wasn't a fast man, far from it, but such a small short movement was within his ability. With out moving, he lifted his foot up so the rod his the bottom of his foot. It hurt, but only a bruise, and this way he could gauge the strength of his opponent, without letting the furry little thing know too much about him.

 

He bent his knee to create better balance and power. He was so glad his dad had taught him basics on balance, no use falling into a machine and getting mangled if you lose footing. Davi swung the stick vertically up, using his leverage and height to overpower his shorter opponent. With this stroke, he could understand how much blocking power, and weight the little guy had.

[Grimo]

The block came unexpectedly, as Widdimur had thought the man would jump over the attack, rather than blocking it outright. The moment of surprise passed though, as Widdmur's reflexes took over. As the man brought his rod up in a vertical stroke, Widdmur released his own rod and grabbed hold of the rod flying towards him. His slight weight was nothing the rod couldn't handle, though, and the attack carried him up and over the head of his opponent, flinging him into the air. At the peak of his ascent, the diminuitive creature twisted around and came diving headfirst at his opponent's face...

[ObliviousKnight]

"And yet, the free market is the economic embodiment of free will. It's an imitation of survival in the wild. The strong survive and pass on their legacy; the weak are consumed or exploited by parasites; species that can function only in a specific niche die out when their source of sustenance is depleted. For lesser creatures, it's not evil--it's merely the natural state of existence."

 

That said, Misal watched the kid for a moment, weighing the possibilities for the next words she would choose. She stood, silent and still as though she'd been carved in granite.

 

"What I want..." she began, the level of her useless, unseen eyes and her Sight firmly fixed on the young Hopeful. "And what your Master will want, is to know who you are."

 

Despite her determination to seem as quietly judgmental as possible to the kid, her stony visage was irrevocably marred when her lips widened into an unrestrained, content smile. She'd been watching the shifts in the Force around her daughter for some time now, and now Misal knew that what she'd seen on Naboo was not a comforting lie. Whether they were prepared or not--and no one was prepared for something like this--Armiena and her husband now had a future. Tenuous, fragile, perhaps, but it now existed.

 

It was very possible that so much in life had ever been as right for her as they were now.

[Davi Quinn]

This little guy was fast and light, and doing some very unexpected things. Davi saw the creature grab the stick and ride it over his head. There were few things Davi could do at this point.

 

He could drop to the ground and bring up his legs, hoping he was fast enough for the kick. He really doubted he was.

 

He decided to just lean back, as he'd rather have his stomach exposed rather than his face. However, as he did this, he twisted on his one foot that was still on the ground and brought his arm around to smack the creature out of the air. He was sure he would take some form of injury to his stomach, but the furry thing was going to get a big head ache from a smack upside the head. No twisting and twirling out of the way while he was stuck in the air. Even if he didn't connect, he was still aiming to roll away on his stomach, crush the little guy as he rolled if he decided to cling on.

[Malcolm Derrial]

”œAh, but as you say, that is for the lesser creatures. Is it not our obligation to distinguish ourselves from the animal, and from the bestial Sith? Charity”¦”

[Xae-Lin Ardel]

The Jedi Knight sensed her Padawan's slight hesitation about leaving his ship behind. Something that she knew well herself, after having to have left Kyp's ship Redemption back on Ossus when she'd left with John to complete her training. It seemed so long ago that she'd had to leave the ship that had been her home for six years, the happiest time that she'd known until John came along, but in reality it had only been about six months. She nodded, understanding his concern, ”œIt will be in good hands with the Jedi, and I do not plan on lingering on Concord Dawn, as we are needed here.”

[ObliviousKnight]

”œChoice isn't evil””as I heard you reciting, a true command economy is far worse than pure capitalism. It not only reflects a lust for power in the government, but often”¦ those in control are completely inept at deciding how the economy is best run. Inefficiency is an inevitable companion of bureaucracy; the only time that a government can be trusted to act decisively is in a time of war. A business is perpetually in a struggle to survive””those that aren't, will soon be.”

[Onderin Starlisk]

A small vessel arrived from hyperspace. It was a courier ship. It immediately opened a comm to the surface.

 

"This is Alliance courier vessel C-113, coming from the Paragon," came the voice. "The Empire has opened fire on Alliance forces. The Admiral has requested the dispatch of Jedi volunteers to help end the fight before the Arach'tar learn of it."

[ObliviousKnight]

A quartet of long-range sensor probes appeared out of hyperspace and began to orbit Gala. Given the possibility of an Imperial or Arach'tar attack, the Grandmaster had ordered the construction of a such a network of corresponding satellites so that any base that came under attack would have some small amount of warning, and be able to alert the others.

[Malcolm Derrial]

”œYour daughter is the Grandmaster?”

[ObliviousKnight]

”œEven Jedi have mothers, though the Order might have done its best to deny that in the past.”

[Malcolm Derrial]

"I was born on Correllia. To traders, I think. I remember... Space docks. Public houses with good bread. Street performers. Flashes of color and sounds I can't place. I was taken in by the order and brought here late in my second year. I suppose that's fortunate, for I'd likely have been planet-side when..."

 

Malcolm's voice trailed off. His tone was more contemplative than sad. It wasn't really his home, so it's loss was more abstract than personal.

 

"So yes, I've been here. Not here precisely, mind you, I've probably spent more time on the surrounding grounds than in these somber halls."

 

Malcolm glanced around briefly, eyeing the rafters with a dismissive gesture.

 

"I know it serves a purpose, but the problems I would fix; the people I would help are out there. No amount of hiking will take me to them, so I need a master to get me off planet and into the company of those in need."

 

Something she had said was stuck in his mind. What was it that had escaped so casually, yet implied so much...

 

Oh yes!

 

"You said that you were no Jedi, yet the force is clearly with you. Your daughter is the Grandmaster, so there is no doubting you are equally blessed. Yet if you were a Sith, I'd like to believe that I'd have noticed by now. Or be dead. At any rate, if the force is with you, and you are neither Sith nor Jedi..."

 

It would seem that it was Malcolm's turn to ask a personal question.

 

"Does that make you one of the Gray?"

[Guest]

Sirius watch the proceeding battle with interest. Each of the two had their strengths and weaknesses. A small jedi padawan made his way into the training hall and handed him a message. It was time for the two to seperate. He stopped the battle and nodded to the two. He turned to the widdimur and spoke. "Apparently there has been a situation on Ossus and we have a master who is willing to train you with his other apprentice. Head there immediately. You will also need this..." Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a small holocron. It contained enough information to teach Grimo how to do a few simple tasks with teh Force, such as lifting small objects. "Go now, and good luck."

 

With that, Sirius turned back towards the second man. "Now, I don't believe I know your name..."

[Davi Quinn]

Davi saw the man nodded, though oddly enough he knew exactly what he meant with it. He stopped his arm short of contact with the creature and threw his own foot from under himself. He hit the ground with a resounding thud and rolled away from the small furry animal. He was sure his shoulder was bruised, but oh well, first mark of training.

 

Davi sat up, and then pushed his way to his feet with the rod. He bent over and picked up his bag ready to be kicked out for sneaking it. He waited as the man talked to the small creature.

 

He interested Davi. He was small and furry, much like other random creatures one could buy as pets, yet he seemed to be quiet sentient and rather civilized. This galaxy was a strange place, not at all like the farm. Davi was going to have to accept that the farm was not the only reality. It wasn't going to be an easy concept to grasp, but from the first few moments here at the temple, he could tell that if any place was liable to teach him that concept, it would be here.

 

He listened to the man's question, and braced himself for the reaction of his story, hoping they would at least not through him in confinement. He began, scratching his head again, "My name is Davi Quinn. I come from Dantooine, where this Jedi stopped by, and told me I should come here for training, so I snuck here, and I was hiding in a shipment of plants, and I hope I don't cause too much trouble, it's just that the Jedi told me to, and I hope that's okay, I'd really like to join up, but please sir, I was just doing what was suggested, that's all." Davi stopped and caught his breath. It all started here...