Owner	Pose
Athena	The baron looks pensive for a moment. "True," he finally says, "But the era in which he reigned was one of peace. The Republic and the Mandalorians were much less enemies back then. It was only the aftermath that ruined the peace Tarre built. And he wouldnt have wanted that war, had he been alive, I'm sure."
Cayde Alexis	Cayde considers Caine's comments. Well, even if that was true, it didn't change the fact that he'd created strife whether he'd wanted it or not. So does this man think that bringing Tarre back would fix everything?     However, he doesn't really say anything more at this point--instead, he simply shrugs and glances over at his master, wondering when the elder Jedi will finish meditating.
Athena	"You don't believe in it," the Baron comments, "that's fine. It's worth a try. Mandalorians have tried just about everything else to achieve unity and every attempt has failed." Then he smiles. "Alright, tell me, if you think it's inadvisable what would you suggest?" The question doesn't seem derisive. The Baron seems genuinely curious about what Cayde had to say. As for Rykard, he just keeps meditating. The old master isn't finished, it would seem.
Cayde Alexis	[Unity within but not without] Cayde replies, meaning perhaps he could unify Mandalore...but then create more strife with the Jedi.     He considers the question, but is rather unsure what to say. Honestly, he doesn't know enough about Mandalorians. [I do not know] he signs.
Athena	"Look," the Baron says, "if you're caught up on the fact that I'm Mandalorian, don't be. I want a fresh perspective. Current attempts to solve our civil unrest fail because those trying know too much." "Pretend I'm not Mandalorian. Pretend... Pretend I'm a brother that you love very dearly who has unfortunately, hurt you very much. How would you go about reconciliation?"
Cayde Alexis	Cayde immediately thinks of Kuv, although he hasn't seen his brother in a while.     But usually...     [I search his mind] he signs. To understand his intentions and emotions. And vice versa.
Athena	The barons eyes light up. He seems intrigued. "You have a brother," he observes. "how is this? I thought Jedi are forbidden to have relationships with family and significant others." "well this is more enlightening than I thought. Tell me more about this brother of yours. And what do you do when you search his mind?"
Cayde Alexis	Cayde arches a brow at him. He hadn't said he had a brother. [I did not say it] he signs, denying any admission of this. [Right it is forbidden...only just if you were]
Athena	The baron smiles. "Perhaps I misunderstood? You said 'I search his mind,' in the present tense, with no indication of the action being hypothetical," he says. "... do you want one?" he inquires.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde nods. [Yes] he signs. As in, yes he misunderstood. [I mean if him] he attempts to clarify.     At that last question, his gaze wanders off a bit. Partly toward his master, and partly off in the distance before returning to Caine. [I do not know] he answers. [You have a brother]
Athena	Now it's Caine's turn to avert his gaze. "Yes," he says very softly, "you know him." A pause. "He was sent to rehab," he says, his brows furrowed. "Mandalorians don't believe in that," he scoffs. Then his expression becomes pained, and bitter. "Don't overthink it," he says, "no need to wish for one. They'll always leave you, and for the worst reasons. Or perhaps for no reason at all." This might remind Cayde of when Kuv left, to continue his training offworld. He'd never come back, and they'd only seen each other once briefly, since then.
Cayde Alexis	Yes, Kuv had left, but Cayde is pretty certain it wasn't his choice. And maybe the Council's decision had been a wise one...though it hadn't been easy.     [Then maybe I will not] he signs, shrugging again. He looks over at Rykard again. What was taking so long, anyway?
Athena	Rykard's eyes are still closed. He seems unaware of their conversation. Or is he? But then it will become apparent to Cayde that talking about his brother had triggered some kind of repressed sadness deep within him. And now he's fighting to suppress his grief, lest it overwhelm him. Something about the leaving. It had hurt him very much, even though it had been a long time ago.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde stares at the floor, pushing his emotions down as best he can, just the way he has always been trained to do. For fear he'll lose control. For fear someone else will get hurt. Like that family on the farmstead.     He pushes his mind to other topics, looking back at the baron finally and trying to determine if he's less frightened now or not. [Are you still afraid] he asks.
Athena	"Yes," the baron says almost immediately. "I've been afraid my whole life," he says in a vulnerable fashion. "Of this. Of feeling too much, forgiving too little, being too angry. Doing something I'll regret in the heat of the moment. Because that already happened and I don't know, I still don't know how to not let that happen again." He runs his hands through his curly locks, anguished. "What do you do? How do Jedi find that damned, coveted inner peace?"
Cayde Alexis	Cayde shrugs again. [I do not know... I do not have it] he tells the man. Well it was true. Although it may not appear that way. He's just good at hiding it. Pushing it so far down that it barely shows. [I still need learn]
Athena	For some reason, this seems to comfort the baron greatly. That terrible sinking grief threatening to crush him suddenly lifts. The sensation is palpable in the Force. He laughs softly. "What an un-Jedi like thing to say," he jokes gently, through glassy eyes. "But I think I like that about you, very much."
Cayde Alexis	Cayde pouts slightly, somewhat taking offense at this. [I will become better] he continues, a look of determination cross his features. One day, if and when he ever gets promoted.     Again, he looks over at his master. Maybe Rykard was doing this on purpose...
Athena	"Of course you will," Caine encourages, "And I believe in you." "I want you to know that the things I said to you just now were very difficult for me to admit. And that it was probably the hardest thing I've done all year, despite the numerous rabbles I've been dragged into. So I wanted to thank you, for helping me to do it. But perhaps you already know that." "Tell me about yourself," he says suddenly, "why, you must get ignored plenty since you can't speak. How do you spend your time? What do you do for leisure?"
Athena	No response from Rykard. Maybe his Master -is- doing this on purpose...
Cayde Alexis	Cayde stares at Master for a moment. Truly, he must be. He wasn't -actually- meditating for this long. This must be a test. Suddenly, he feels rather nervous, and shifts uncomfortably.     [You were...grieved] he tells the Mandalorian. Yes, he had felt that--it had been rather palpable. He arches a brow at the gratitude though. How had he helped? He hadn't even entered the man's mind yet. At least not to a more intentional extent.     Leisure? The padawan hasn't really thought about that in a while. He has spent much of his life just trying to get his gifting under control. Well...he pulls out a datapad and shows the baron a drawing he'd made of town square in Kublop, days before the storm had hit.
Athena	Maybe Cayde will never know the answer of how, or why what he'd done had worked. But the young padawan will be able to sense there there's an ease about the man's aura now. Comfort, and a kind of peace, too, that hadn't been there before. The tension had dissolved completely. Instead, he seems to be genuinely enjoying being around Cayde. Which is sort of a foreign feeling. Most people, whenever he approached them either felt mildly fearful, neutral, or that he was owed respect and authority at all times. Or they felt stressed. Actually most of the time people seemed to generally feel stress to varying degrees whenever they saw him or were around him. The baron seems delighted by the image. "That's lovely," he tells Cayde. "I do enjoy the arts greatly. However, I'm quite lacking in that area of expertise. Here, I suppose I'll demonstrate the extent of my ability to be artistic," he says, and then holds his hands up in a certain way in front of light being generated by a small lamp in the dim room they're in. This creates a shadow on the wall, one that looks distinctly like the largest building in the drawing he'd just shown him. Then with a flourish of his hands, he transforms the building into a flower with falling petals, and then a bird. The theatrics of the shadow puppetry, despite their simplicity, are oddly compelling and convincing, to some degree.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde watches the 'shadow art' with a level of interest. Well he hadn't thought of that before, but it was neat. He could very easily see the familiar shapes in the shadows.     [Very good] he signs, nodding. [Not afraid any more...good]
Athena	The baron smiles at Cayde, but doesn't comment about not being afraid anymore. He then uses both hands to create a shadow puppet of a little man with a hat and a cane, walking about in a comically cantankerous fashion. "Let's see you try," he says, "I bet you could outshine my theatrics."
Cayde Alexis	Cayde glances about and begins to pull several pieces of broken scrap metal off of the ground, bringing them together into various shapes in front of the light of the setting sun. A boat, a house, a bird like the one Caine had just done. Then some more complex ones, such as a Vector like the ones back at the Temple.
Athena	Holding up his hands again in a particular fashion, Caine recreates the cantankerous little man and makes him part of Cayde's shadow-scape, but this time, making him walk around and take off his hat as if in admiration of the sights around him. The resulting shadow puppetry is a dramatic theatrical display of contrasting shapes against a pale wall, that is both ridiculous and amusing. The baron is pleased. "I haven't done that in so long," he says softly.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde watches the comical display with amusement, and there is the barest hint of a smile for just a moment. Although it fades quickly, and he studies Caine's expression. [You play it as a child] he asks.
Athena	The baron returns the smile, a hopeful light flickering in his sapphire eyes. "Yes," he says, laughing quietly. "do you know how I learned it? Our tutors made us learn both Basic and Mando'a sign, and I thought the homework to be a horrible chore. I had to amuse myself somehow, doing the exercises." "And then it just became a form of play, I guess," he says, "Kass and I would make silent shadow theater with just our hands for hours," he says smiling at the the fond memory, "and then my mother would scold us, for taking such a long time to do our homework." "See," he says, repeating the hand gesture that made the little man with the cane, taking off his hat. "This means 'You are family', in Mando'a sign."
Cayde Alexis	Huh... Mando'a sign. It fit, he supposes. But one single for an entire sentence. It must have just been a very important and common saying.     Cayde studies the sign for a moment, and then does his best to mimic it.
Athena	The Baron suddenly seems very overcome with emotion. Cayde had guessed right, it would seem. He smiles, tears flowing freely now. "Ah," he says, "I'm sorry. It's just that no one's said that to me for decades... Not like that, anyway."
Cayde Alexis	Cayde studies the man carefully, both his outward appearance and his raging inner emotions. Clearly the saying had a deep meaning for him.     [Sorry...I learn the sign...I only meet you in moments] he tells the baron. [But you have pain...and you are open] Not many were so willing to open up to him so willingly. [Better and safer to search the truth]
Athena	"Don't apologize," he says, "I think you don't realize I've been a closed door all my life. It took meeting a mind reader to force me to admit anything. It took removing every mechanism I've used to hide for years, to get here." "This has been healing for me. Thank you."
Cayde Alexis	Cayde stares at him. He barely knows this man. But perhaps he will know him quite well, very soon.     [...you are welcome] he signs. [Happy I have help]
Athena	The baron suddenly gets up and embraces Cayde tightly, wordlessly. And behind him, he'll sense Rykard's mind stir a bit.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde finds himself surprised by the sudden embrace. "..."     But he reaches over and pats the baron on the back in return.     ...Oh, well now was Master done meditating?
Athena	The baron releases him, and sits down across from Cayde, seeming calm and peace. Rykard finally physically stirs and opens his eyes. "Ah," he says to Cayde, "you've finished meditating," he says to young padawan. "Are you two ready now?" But there's a familiar twinkle in his eyes, one that seems to say that he'd not been as unaware as he'd seemed to be.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde arches a brow at his master. [Perfect time...] he signs. Well the Force works in mysterious ways, doesn't it? But Rykard seems pleased, so perhaps he passed the test...