Beyond - Legends Tionne's Yavin System Tour (EU, Tionne, Pre-The Golden Globe) PG-13 (Status update 3/19/2012)

GrandMasterKatarn - There will be plenty more coming.

-DDR- - Good to see you again in this fic. You learned one of her secrets last time - Suvam Tan's lightsaber.


Yikes! I sure got bogged down this time. Writer's block for a part of this post and AGOL. Tying to find a reference source I thought I had lost for this fic, which I fortunately found, so I didn't need to go on-line to buy a new copy. It's also fortunate that there was nothing in the JATM that would have made me make some serious revisions to this story. Then DRL slammed into me and my wallet big time. Anyway, here's the next post, and now we find out what the big secret is.


Later in the afternoon, Tionne, Artoo, and Threepio were in another reception area waiting for the next meeting. Tionne thought about her lunchtime conversation with Suz Tanwa. During their meal, they exchanged tales of their past exploits in archaeology, or as Suz Tanwa put it ?treasure hunting?. She recalled smiling as she told her about her encounter with Luke on Exis Station all those years ago and receiving the Arca Jeth Holocron from the Arkanian archaeologists. When they were finished with their meals, they returned to her office so that Tionne could have Threepio upload something from Tanwa?s computer files. After that was complete, she and Suz Tanwa said their farewells, and Tionne promised to inform her of how things went on Yavin Twenty-Two. Before she left the university, she accessed the computers in order to download into her datapad all known information about Yavin Eight, Yavin Thirteen, and Yavin Twenty-Two. She spent part of the trip from the university reading the information she obtained about the moons and searching to see if someone was on Coruscant. Regretfully, the individual wasn?t on the planet, but Tionne knew where to find the individual. She spent the other part and the time in the reception area thinking about what Tanwa had revealed to her about Yavin Eight ? information that wasn?t in the databanks on Coruscant.

Her introspection ended when the aide spoke up. ?Excuse me.? Tionne shifted her attention to the aide. ?She will see you now.?

?Thank you.? As she made her way into the next room, Artoo and Threepio accompanied her. When she entered the room, the other occupant immediately greeted her.

?Tionne. It?s good to see you again,? Leia Organa Solo said.

?And it?s good to see you as well, Chief of State,? Tionne answered as they clasped their hands.

?You don?t need to be so formal with me, Tionne,? Leia said with a smile. She then pulled her into a hug. Tionne returned the gesture and then released her.

?And hello to you, Artoo,? Leia said while giving Artoo an affectionate pat on his dome. Artoo twittered a happy tune.

?Artoo said that it is good to see you to, Mistress Leia,? Threepio said.

She smiled at Threepio. ?And I take it you were able to assist Tionne??

?Actually, my services weren?t required, as Professor Tanwa was able to speak Basic.?

?It?s true that your services weren?t required today, Threepio. But I think I will be in need of your services soon.?

?Excuse me, Mistress Tionne??

?I will explain that later, as well as why I asked you to learn ancient Rodese.? She then shifted her attention towards Leia. ?But first, I think I should tell you how things went.?

?Yes, but first?? She looked at her aide. ?Can you bring in the others now??

As the aide left, Tionne asked, ?Others??

?Considering what you said to Han, I thought that I would invite two others.? The doors to her office opened again, and Leia smiled at the new arrivals.

Tionne could sense that one of them seemed somewhat familiar. That one shared some similarities to Cilghal. The current representative for Mon Calamari in the New Republic Senate, Cilghal attended the Jedi Praxeum at the same time she did. As for the other one, she recognized her presence right away. Turning around, she was able to confirm her sus

 

Good to see Ackbar and the others not to mention Leia. Liked the point about Jacen and his jokes, those were good times. As usual plenty of interesting information and background worked in. Goodjob.

 

I just received word that this has been nominated for the Most Underrated Award. Surprise, surprise. I thank those of you who nominated me. Now I need your help - choosing an excerpt. You can tell me here or PM me. I have until the twelfth to send a submission. So get in touch with me and offer any suggestions. I'll let you know which one I choose when I make my next post. I'm about half way done with the one for AGOL.

 

great post, can't wait for more. On another note... I think the excerpt should be where Tionne tells Luke and the other Jedi about her decision to learn more about the Yavin System.

 

-DDR- - Though this story focuses on Tionne, I like to bring in a good number of cameos in order to help show the kind of relationships and bonds Tionne has with other characters. As for Jacen - the YJK was when the Solo kids and their friends and romances were at their best.

GrandMasterKatarn - Thanks, and I was thinking of that scene myself. Fortunately, they said I can use ..., so I'll be able to make certain I get in the good humor at that point.


In light of the announcement that I've been nominated, I decided to hustle a little and get the next post up. I wanted to start on her tour, but I decided to add this in beforehand. In addition, I wanted to celebrate the Fourth of July.

-DDR-, look for some more cameos and a reference to I, Jedi. They'll leave you laughing. And consider this post to be a slight spoiler for my other story - A Gathering of Light.


Early the next morning, Tionne brought the Lore Seeker out of hyperspace at the edge of the gravity well the gas giant projected. Once that was complete, she turned to Artoo who was in the copilot?s station. ?Okay, Artoo. I?d like you to plat a course that would bring us to the gas giant and Yavin Eight, Thirteen, and Twenty-Two in the least amount of time. Yavin Eight will be the last moon we visit before we return to the Praxeum. Also, I?d like to swing by the gas giant at some point before we arrive at Yavin Eight.?

?Excuse me, Mistress Tionne, but why would you want to do that??

?If we do find a student on Yavin Eight, I?d like to do what I can to prepare the student for the forthcoming training.?

?I can understand that, but how do you plan on searching the gas giant??

Tionne turned the seat around to face Threepio, who was sitting behind her. ?If you?re asking if I?m going to fly into the atmosphere, the answer is no. Even with letting the Force guide me, the trip would be quite turbulent. And don?t forget the atmospheric pressure. Not only that, consider how Professor Tanwa managed to retrieve the pod. She hired a corusca mining trawler to help her, and they succeeded. So the pod had been kept aloft in the atmosphere by the winds. It never made it down to the core, where the atmospheric pressure would have crushed the pod instantly. After four thousand years, the pod could very well have travelled all across the atmosphere.? She then turned to face Artoo. ?While we?re at the gas giant, I?ll reach out in the Force to scan the gas giant. I don?t expect to sense the dark side in the gas giant or Yavin Thirteen, but I want to proceed carefully.?

Artoo twittered an affirmative as he began calculating the route. As she waited, Tionne recalled how she had left Coruscant early last evening, intent on beginning the search as soon as she could. Once she engaged the hyperdrive, she contacted Luke and gave him an update. She then contacted the Errant Venture. As she had hoped, Mirax was aboard. She and Corran had brought their children to visit their grandfather one last time before Valin would attend the Praxeum.


?Tionne!?

Tionne smiled as the holoprojector displayed Mirax?s image before her. ?Hello, Mirax. It?s been a while, hasn?t it??

?Yes it has. Hold on a minute.?

A few moments later, two more individuals came into view ? a man standing to Mirax?s left and a much larger man standing behind them. ?Greetings, Corran, Booster.?

As she looked at them, she reflected her history with each of them. She and Corran were among the first to attend the Jedi Praxeum. She had seen him as an example of what a Jedi Knight should be. She also found him attractive and intriguing, given how he had been mysterious with his past. Her interest became more like an infatuation after he rescued her from being boiled to death in an underground grotto. The infatuation became a crush, but before she could explore a possible relationship with him, he had left. His sudden departure had left her surprised and s

 

Great post. Hope all goes will in the BEYOND THE SAGA AWARDS.

 

GrandMasterKatarn - thanks.


Well, it's definitely took me longer to get back here than I expected. First, there was the release of the Rebellion Era Campaign Guide, so I needed to make certain if any revisions were necessary. Fortunately, that didn't happen. Next, I had a case of writer's block in that I had trouble writing this post and the next post in my AGOL. Then there was TYST being nominated for the Most Underrated Story. Thanks for the nom, but I didn't win. And finally, I have been asked by LukeSkywalker_2001 to participate in his Notes series. I have taken over the task of being Lama Su, the prime minister of Kamino in AOTC. I have made my first entries to two threads. Here are the links:

Jango and Lama Su - Prequel Trilogy Notes AU
Dooku and Lama Su - Prequel Trilogy Notes AU

Now that that's all cleared up, here's the next post.

Journal Entry #4: It?s a little after 1300 hours and it looks like we?re approaching the first stop on my own ?treasure hunt?, to use Suz Tanwa?s words, in this system. I can see the moon through the viewport right now. The sensors read it has an average diameter of nine hundred fifty-four kilometers. But I don?t need sensors to tell me it?s really an asteroid that got captured by the gas giant?s gravitational field. Yavin Twenty-Two does have a gravitational field, though it?s very light. It has no discernable atmosphere that the sensors can detect. I?d like to call it an airless rock in space, but I remember how the Han and Chewie flew the Falcon into that so-called tunnel in that asteroid while hiding from the Imperials after fleeing from Hoth. There was an atmosphere in the tunnel, or rather the space slug. Not much, since Han, Leia, and Chewie had to wear rebreather masks, but it was there. I have the landing coordinates for not only this moon but the others as well from Suz Tanwa?s records. While landmarks on the latter two moons will hopefully orient our landing path, there are no discernable landmarks on this moon. Fortunately, the wreckage of a space station should stand out like a glacier on Tatooine. Once we get closer, we?ll run a scan of the asteroid to locate the wreckage.

Supplement: We?ve located the wreckage of the station. Artoo and I have plotted a landing trajectory.

Supplement: We?re over the site now. I circled the site a few times, using the Force to amplify my vision as I searched for Suvam Tan?s gravesite. I wanted to make certain we didn?t land anywhere near the gravesite and desecrate it. Artoo also ran a scan of the station. It looks to be the same size as one of Coruscant?s orbital mirrors. I wasn?t expecting a particularly large station, like the size of a Golan Defense Platform, but it was definitely smaller than I expected. Especially if it had been associated with the restoration of Yavin Four after Exar Kun?s defeat.

As expected, the station had been exposed to the vacuum of space. In addition, the generators and batteries on the station have been drained dry of power. Fortunately, Suz Tanwa said that all the doors and hatches were open when she first searched the station years ago. Presumably, Suvam Tan opened them all before impact to prevent them from being jammed or warped upon impact. I?ll be taking a gravsled with four portable generators into the station. There should be outlets where I can hook up a generator and provide power to the local area.

With that, Tionne deactivated her recorder and initiated landing procedures. Once the ship was secured, she left the cockpit and made her way to the cargo bay. Waiting for her were Artoo and Threepio.

?The gravsled is ready, Mistress Tionne.?

?Thank you, Threepio. You can go to the cockpit and man the comm. system now.?

?As you wish, Mistress Tionee. Please be careful out there.?

Touched by his concern, Tionne gave him a grat

 

Good posts. Tionne and the droids make a great team, and I sure hope Artoo can retrieve and repair those files for her. She's one determined lady when it comes to finding artifacts

.....so what's the deal with Mirax and mara? Have I missed something or is this a reference to some book I haven't read?
I like Booster's nickname for Tionne. Bet she brought him in quite a bit of dough.

 

-DDR- - Tionne is passionate about history, but she has learned to temper her passion, not allowing it to become an obsession. Booster's giving her the same name I had several patrons give Tionne in my other fic A Gathering of Light. As for Mara and Mirax, if you recall, Mara mentioned that she knew of Mirax in I, Jedi. Later in that novel, Corran and Luke remarked how similar Mara and Mirax were and resolved to make certain they never meet. Obviously, that didn't happen, as the two went to that beauty spa with Tionne, Winter, Iella, and Leia in the Union comics. I can see an exchange like this between Corran and Luke sometime after Luke got married:

"And I get worried enough about Mirax whenever she leaves before. Now that she and Mara are out on one of their adventures...," Corran said.
"I know. You have any advice?" Luke asked.
"I've given up with looking for a solution. I just settle on drowning my worries with Whyren's Reserve. Care to join me?"
"With pleasure, but make it lomin ale for me."


Well, this is a special day - my birthday. As such, to help celebrate it, I decided to make a new post. It's not very long, but it's something. It'll also help build up a little suspense and give me a little breather while I go through some source material for the next part.

Journal Entry #5: It?s 1830 hours, and we have finished our work for today. Whether or not one could call the trip to the productive would depend on the point of view. If one had hopes of salvaging components or hoping to find something to sell for profit, then the trip would have been a great disappointment. The station itself wouldn?t even be sold for scrap, considering the exceptionally poor quality of Tatooine ore, which was part of the alloys used in the construction. And while Professor Tanwa was wrong in her belief that the wreckage had already been looted, most of the equipment have been smashed and are probably unsalvageable.

As for my reasons for coming here, I have no way of determining that yet. I managed to stay another two hours while Artoo continued to shift through the computer, recover and/or repair damaged files, and transfer all possible files to the Lore Seeker. Regretfully, he had been unsuccessful in recovering any of the lost data. When my suit alerted me that I had thirty minutes of air left, I told Artoo to stop so we could return to the Lore Seeker. Threepio told me that Artoo wanted to continue because he had gone through eighty-seven percent of the damaged files so far, which would account for seventy percent of the entire memory present in the computer core. As much as I appreciated his effort, I told him I wasn?t willing to take any unnecessary risks on this trip. Though he wasn?t happy, Artoo complied with my request. After disconnecting the power generators and placing them on the gravsled, we returned to the Lore Seeker. I?ve already hooked up the generators, the space suit, and the oxygen tanks to the ship for recharging and replenishing respectively. They?ll be ready before I turn in for the night, which will be between 2100 and 2200. I?ll have Artoo put the sensors on passive scan and program the computer to issue an alert should it detect any meteorite or ship approaching the moon. I plan to get an early start in the morning and return to the station tomorrow morning at 0800 hours.

 

First off, I want to apologize for taking so long to get back to this. DRL hit me with a sledgehammer. Now add to that a case of writer's block trying to figure out how to proceed next with both fanfics. Couple this with the fact that I haven't had a chance to reinstall KOTOR onto my computer, so I was left with trying to remember how the visits to Yavin Station went in the game. I tried searching on YouTube for this, and all I got was the takeoff and departure scenes. But I consulted with the Wookiepedia, and I also managed to recall them from notes I made in other files. Together, I was able to come up with this entry.

Next I had to look through the Essential Atlas and the Luke Skywalker bio in case anything needs to be revised. Fortunately, that didn't happen.

I'm also surprised that no one bothered to review my last post. Maybe because it was a filler and not much happened insofar as Tionne finding anything. Well, that'll change in this one.

Journal Entry #6: It is 2000 hours. An essential part of being a Jedi is being able to master patience. Not only does this form of self-discipline apply to the Jedi, but to ordinary life as well. Often, it is very easy for one to give up rather than persevere. I have been guilty of that early on in my Jedi training. Sometimes, it takes the reward from persevering to help teach one, or to remind one, of the value of patience. In this case, to use a phrase often used by Lando Calrissian and professional sabacc players across the galaxy ? I?ve struck pure sabacc.

Artoo didn?t have any luck restoring the lost data until he reached the last five percent of the damaged files. Combined with the information copied from the undamaged files, Artoo was able to retrieve twenty-four percent of the files from the computer core. Fortunately, the retrieved data began during the Mandalorian Wars.

I know for a fact that the planet Taris was attacked and conquered by the Mandalorians. I?ve also learned of several other planets that had been attacked by them. I placed these planets on the star charts, and assuming the Mandalorians started their campaign from their home planet of Mandalore, their conquests proceeded primarily in a coreward direction, which makes sense since Coruscant has long been established as the galactic capital. If one were to make the attempt to overthrow the current galactic-spanning government, one must eventually head for Coruscant, just as the New Republic had done years ago. Mandalore is coreward of Yavin, so because of that fact, combined with the system?s remoteness and lack of anything of obvious value, the station and Suvam Tan managed to escape the Mandalorians? interest.

I also found fragments of his personal journal within the files. While most of his early life remains unknown, I have learned one thing that would be of interest to Professor Tanwa. As Professor Tanwa indicated, Suvam Tan was apprenticed to a Baragwin weaponsmith, and he used his skills to construct blasters. But he constructed more than that. He also crafted blades, armors, droid plating, weaponry, tools, combat gloves, breath masks, and apparently cybernetic implants. I know this because contained within his journal were technical schematics of various weapons, armors, and other devices. Suvam Tan stated that the Baragwins were able to take various weapons and items used by the Republic military and enhance them, making them superior to established Republic standards for these items. I cannot tell if Suvam Tan was telling the truth or not about that, since I am not a weapons expert like Kyle. But I am aware of the Baragwins? reputation as skilled weaponsmiths, so there may be some validity behind his statement.

Suvam Tan not only sold his wares to smugglers and Trandoshan slavers, he also apparently sold them to something called the Exchange. He didn?t provide a definitive description, but from what he did say in his journals, and from reading between the lines, I believe this Exchange might have been a galaxy-spann

 

Yikes, not only have I been away for a good while, but no reviews? What happened? People getting bored with academic details? Well that'll change in this post. And I'm sorry for the delay, buy I got hit with a big dose of writer's block for this post and the new one for AGOL. Then I had to pry myself away from an addicting game.

That being said, let's see how Tionne handles things on the next stop of her journey.


By midday the next morning, Tionne found herself walking towards the coordinates where the second pod was supposed to have been located with Artoo and Threepio. Once she was there, she would let the Force guide her to the burrow where the Gerbs had kept the pod for millennia. After she had rested for the night and an early breakfast, she spent two hours in meditation before she arrived at her next destination ? Yavin Thirteen. The weather wasn?t too hot, but she knew that there were infrequent sandstorms on the moon. So in addition to her usual work clothes ? a silver bodysuit with black boots, brown gloves, and a synthleather overdress and cloak that offered her some protection ? she also wore a polarizing visor to shield her eyes from the glare and any potential sandstorm that might occur. She also had her hair tied up in a bun and wore a cap with a visor to provide additional shade for her eyes. Fastened to her belt was a breather mask and a holoprojector with several images programmed into it.

?With all due respect, Mistress Tionne, couldn?t you have landed closer to the designated coordinates?? Threepio asked.

?No, Threepio. Just as the landing sensors on Tanwa?s ship Reeko revealed to her, the Lore Seeker?s sensors detected a network of caves beneath the surface. If I had landed there, the ship might have fallen through. Even if the ship sustained minimal damage and no lives were lost, I didn?t want to risk destroying their homes.?

Thankful that Threepio decided to remain silent, she continued reaching out the Force. Ever since she brought the Lore Seeker in for a landing, she had been reaching out in the Force to sense if there was a dark side taint left behind by the Sith holocron. So far, she hadn?t found anything, but she wasn?t feeling reassured yet. There might still be a taint, but it was too faint for her to detect at the moment. Only when she searched the entire area would she gain some sense of reassurance.

As she surveyed the area, she saw that it definitely wasn?t a desert. She knew that a vast ocean covered most of the southern hemisphere. Clouds of fog regularly rise up from the ocean and drift over the rest of the moon, creating brief, swift, fierce torrents. The coordinates of the second pod were close enough to the ocean that the terrain was more like a savannah than a desert. Though she could see cacti, she could also see what almost looked like crop fields in the distance. I?m a little surprised Professor Tanwa didn?t notice that. Then again, she was looking for the pod, and she had been pressed for time. Then again, those fields might not have been here twenty years ago.

She soon saw a patch of dirt and sand amongst the grass. ?Okay. Based on her notes, I believe this is the original coordinates of the pod.? Tionne reached out and sensed the ambient life in the area. She also sensed something else. ?Wait a minute.? She kneeled down, closed her eyes, and stretched her right hand towards the ground.

?What is it, Mistress Tionne?? Threepio asked.

She held up her left hand towards Threepio to forestall any additional questions he might ask. She spent a minute concentrating on the area before opening her eyes. ?As I feared, the Sith holocron had left its mark here.?

?But Mistress Tionne, besides the sand, there?s no mark on the ground.?

?That may be true, but only to optical sensors. But in the Force, I can sense a wrongness here. It would be like a spot of rust on your chrome plating that can?t be removed by any conventional means and would unde

 

DRL caught up with me, before the previous post. Iv now had a chance to read it and have a sudden urge to play KotOR again. Both posts were excellent.

 

GrandMasterKatarn - nice to see I managed to provoke that response from you. Like I said, the records Tionne found about the purchases were based on my playthrough on the PC. One must be insane not to purchase at least one item from Yavin Station, and only after you tromp Suvam Tan at Pazaak so he give you a discount. As for the crystals, since there were two of them, I had Revan go the dual saber path rather than a single saber or double-bladed path.


Granted, it's Halloween, but there's no sense of horror or evil in this post. That was in the previous one with the dark side taints Tionne sensed. But I got this done, and I planned on releasing a Halloween post for AGOL, so here we are.


Tionne was still meditating when Artoo chimed from the pilot?s station.

?Excuse me, Mistress Tionne. But Artoo wished to inform you that we have achieved a low orbit over the northern pole.?

Opening her eyes, Tionne exited her meditative trance. ?Thank you, Threepio.?

After they had taken off from Yavin Thirteen, she put the Lore Seeker into a low orbit. She then stretched out in the Force to encompass as much of the moon as she could. Even after her meeting with the Gerbs, she wasn?t certain if the Sith holocron had had any influence on the natives. She felt that the only way to make certain would be to search the planet with the Force and sense if there were any lingering trace of the Sith holocron. If there were, it would most likely mean that the inhabitants had been affected and had been a part of their existence for millennia. If that were the case, she wasn?t certain if she would be as successful in cleansing the taint from the inhabitants as she had been with the two areas.

So starting at the southern pole of the moon, she flew the Lore Seeker in a spiraling ascending orbit that took her steadily across the moon until she reached the northern pole. While she was flying, she expanded her consciousness to take in as much of the moon?s surface and subsurface as she could. Once she found the limit of her reach, though, she had to lower her angle of ascent, since the current angle she had initially set could have caused her to miss several areas. Between flying the Lore Seeker and reaching out to search the planet, it had taken her nearly two hours to complete the search. When she was finished, she collapsed for a few minutes at the controls. Fortunately, Artoo was at the co-pilot?s station, so he took over immediately. She came to a few minutes later, perspiring heavily and completely exhausted. But it had been worth the effort ? she found nothing in her search. The Gerbs and the Sliths were now completely safe from the Sith holocron?s influence.

Realizing how taxing it had been for her, she told Artoo to take control of the ship and head for the northern pole of Yavin while she went to recover. She also told him to proceed there at half speed and to begin plotting a similar search pattern for the gas giant. As she went back to rest and recover, she knew at the time that it would take substantially longer to search the gas giant because of the difference in size. When she woke up eight hours later, Artoo had informed her that traveling at the optimum path he had calculated, it would still take nearly an entire day to perform the search.

They were still eight hours away when she learned that from Artoo. She then decided to have Artoo fly the course he had calculated while she reached out and searched the gas giant. This presented its own advantages and disadvantages. The cargo pod had been trapped in the atmosphere for millennia. It had never dropped far enough into the atmosphere for the atmospheric pressure to crush it. Though the gas giant had a deep atmosphere, life existed within a narrow region; thus, she didn?t need to search the entire atmosphere. Unfortunately, she would have to push her senses further than she had at Yavin Thirteen.

However, she had found a way to simplify her search at Yavin Thirteen, and

 

Nice to see Tionne using her powers. I can't recall the last time she ever used them in profic.

 

GrandMasterKatarn - I think the only times we've seen Tionne use the Force were in Champions of the Force, I, Jedi, the latter half of the JJK, Darkest Knight, Jedi Under Siege, and Conquest.


Gah! Did I get tied up. I'm working to get certified in Microsoft Office, hoping it'll increase my chances of getting a job. The classes are over, but while I'm at home, I'm taking practice tests over the net to get ready. I'm allowed two minutes per question, so I have at least two hours to take each practice test. Then I have the option of taking practice tests in the classroom before I decide to take the certification test. I'll be going for Microsoft Word 2007 on Monday. PowerPoint should be next, followed by Excel and Outlook. I'm still struggling with Access at home. Don't know if I'm going to bother with it. Then I got to consider the fact that I can't practice Outlook at home because 2003 is available, but not 2007. In any event, I?m hoping to get this done with before Christmas. And I wanted to get this out a few days ago before or during Thanksgiving. Gah!!


Here's a short filler as we get ready for Tionne's final stop.


Tionne opened her eyes, briefly disoriented from the trance she had been in. When she looked around her cabin and didn?t see Artoo or Threepio, she knew that no emergencies had occurred during her slumber. She was thankful she managed to spend the entire thirty-two hours in the hibernation trance. Her body felt rested, and her mind was clear and sharp.

Just as well, she thought. We should be in orbit around Yavin Eight ? our last stop before returning to the Praxeum. She didn?t expect to encounter any problems at the site of the final cargo pod. The Melodies, on the other hand? This wasn?t going to be like her encounter with the Gerbs and the Sliths. Before Suz Tanwa, the Melodies probably never thought that there might be life out amongst the stars in their night sky. This was going to require a delicate touch, similar to and yet different from her meeting with Suz Tanwa. A part of her was also hoping she wouldn?t be in need of Threepio?s services. Part of it was because of the delicate nature of this part of the mission. Another part was because she would be dealing with children at first, and she heard a few stories of Threepio?s attempts at child-care with the Solo children.

She was about to exit her cabin when the door opened and she saw Threepio?s frame in the doorway.

?Oh, good morning Mistress Tionne. I was coming to see if you had awakened from your trance. How are you feeling this morning??

?Good morning to you, Threepio. I feel fine and well rested. I guess I needed that trance more than I realized.?

As she stepped into the corridor, Threepio said, ?Artoo has completed the scans, and they?re ready for you to read. He has plotted a landing vector to the coordinates provided by Professor Tanwa.?

She smiled at Artoo?s foresight. ?I wouldn?t have expected anything less from Artoo. How?s the translation going??

?I am ninety percent complete. I estimate I should be done by the end of the day.?

?That?s good, Threepio.? Tionne then had a sudden thought. ?Threepio, when you were translating, did you do an exact translation??

?Why yes, Mistress.?

?I mean a direct and exact translation. Even if it?s a very inappropriate comment.?

?Well? I am a protocol droid, and I thought??

?Threepio,? she said while holding up a hand to get him to stop talking. ?Accurate details are the key to many things, whether it is a school lesson, a diplomatic affair, an intelligence report, or a battle plan.? She then gave Threepio a stern look that she rarely showed. ?Now go back and undo those edits.?

?Yes, Mistress.?

As he started to go back, Tionne said, ?Threepio.? Once she saw she had his attention, she said, ?I know you were doing what you thought was best and right. But I don?t want to risk losing an impor

 

No responses? I hope I'm not losing my readers. Then again, I guess everyone getting the winter or holiday version of DRL - college finals, Christmas shopping.

Well, so far I got certified in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. I was hoping to get certified in Access and Outlook before Christmas, but the system went down. They said it'll be fixed by Monday at the latest. Looks like I'll be aiming for before New Year instead.


Let's get back to the story. It's time for the encounter that we all knew was going to happen.

Journal Entry #9: As the sensors indicated, traveling across the tundra would be akin to traveling a mountain pass at a high altitude. It was a little difficult at first, but it was just a matter of pacing myself accordingly. I managed to find the location of the final pod. Or rather, where the pod was before it and Professor Tanwa fell underground. I found nothing. The main objective of this search has been achieved ? all the former locations of the pods have been located and examined. The only taints I found were on Yavin Thirteen, and I have removed them. These locations and the planetary bodies on which they?re located are now safe.

I am now searching for the colony of Melodies within the area. I am certain that I sensed where they might be. More specifically, I sensed a cluster of life forms in a certain direction. This cluster doesn?t seem to be a cluster of native fauna, but since this will be the first time I encounter a Melodie, I can?t be completely certain. That is one of the difficulties in my search. The other difficulty is getting to this ?cluster?. If I were to take a direct route to them, I would have to go through this mountain that I am next to. Fortunately, I do not have to consider that option. Professor Tanwa said in her journal that she found a series of caves and tunnels in the mountain, and she eventually managed to make her way back to the surface. I now know that she made her way back thanks to the Melodie children who accompanied her as her guides. She told me the route she took from the tunnel entrance back to the Reeko, so I am backtracking that route to find the tunnel in question. This is most likely going to be the easy part. Making my way through the tunnels to find the Melodies ? that might be more difficult. She also provided me with the route she took while following the children; however, she wasn?t completely certain about the distances she travelled between taking the turns. And there?s the possibility of additional tunnels. Once I find the tunnel, I?ll? Wait a minute. I think I see the tunnel ahead.

Supplement: I?m in the tunnel now. It?s a maze down here, but I?m not in danger of getting lost. I?ve been reaching out in the Force to sense the cluster I sensed earlier. Using that as a destination point, I?ve been navigating through the mountain, leaving markers as I go along and creating my own map. The tunnel is definitely large enough for me to walk through without any difficulty, but this raises a question. If I can get through, then some of the native fauna can as well. I need to be on my guard.

Before I entered the tunnel, I informed Artoo and Threepio that I would be out of contact for a few hours. I can?t rule out the possibility that the mountain might interfere with my comlink. More importantly, I don?t want Threepio contacting me, asking about my wellbeing, while I?m talking to the natives. Things will be tense and delicate enough between myself and the natives without Threepio chiming in and inadvertently scaring them.

With that, she turned off her recorder and placed it back in her tool belt. She then shifted her glowrod back to her right hand and proceeded down the tunnel. She split her concentration between sensing the cluster and searching for any potential danger. Though she had no difficulties in doing these, she did encounter difficulty in making her way to the cluster. There were many side tunnels, and she had to backtrack several times when s

 

Great two posts.. DRL hit me hard. I have no job, but I am continuing to search for one.. the holiday mad-sales/hiring weeks have left me alone again as i face yet another xmas drawing my own xmas cards to give to my friends and family

 

GrandMasterKatarn - I hear you about having no jobs. Does that mean you're not going to spend Christmas with your family? That's sad. Hope you're using a computer to make those Xmas cards.


Well, I said I hoped to have the next post up before Christmas, and I did it. And this one isn't a tie-in. This one got action and a couple of tender, tear-jerking moments. The latter would be rather appropriate for the Holiday Season.


For several minutes, Tionne was inundated with gawking and curious faces from the nearby children. The children who came out from the tunnels on the far side of the cove, however, remained where they were. At first, she thought those children might be shy, but when she considered how they reacted when she first arrived, she felt they were cautious, but not shy. She could also sense from their demeanor that the children on the far side were guarding something. But what, she wondered.

Eventually, most of the children went back to where they were around the pool before she arrived. The only exception was the red-haired girl who greeted her. ?So, why are you here?? she asked.

Tionne gave her a friendly smile as she looked down at her. ?That?s something I?d like to talk to your parents and the other adults about.? Tionne looked around the cove and saw only children were there. ?Where are they??

The girl hesitated before answering. ?They?re further in the mountain.?

Tionne didn?t need the Force to figure out why she hesitated. Trust issues, and she?s worried about her parents. Completely understandable. ?Well, can you take me to them? Or perhaps one of the other adults??

?No. We can?t. We need to be here now.?

?Ah. You?re doing your daily chores right now,? Tionne reasoned. She noted the confusion on the girl?s face and guessed it might be a translation problem. ?Can I help??

The girl looked around the cove. To Tionne, it was as if she were taking a count of the children. When she turned around to face her, the girl said, ?I suppose we can use your help. Thank you.?

Tionne followed the girl as she made her way around the pool. ?By the way, my name is Tionne. What?s yours?? Tionne asked.

The girl turned stop and turned around. In a bubbly voice, she said, ?My name is Lyric.?

Smiling, Tionne said, ?That?s a pretty name.?

Lyric blushed slightly as she said, ?Thank you.? She turned around and made her way to a nearly boulder. She reached behind it and grabbed another spear. She held it to Tionne and said, ?Here, you?ll need this.?

She knew that with the Force and her lightsaber, she didn?t need any other weapon; however, choosing to continue being diplomatic, Tionne approached and took the spear.

Lyric reached behind the boulder and grabbed something else. ?And this.?

Tionne saw it was a bag of stones. She noted that it had a strap attached, presumably so the Melodie children could carry it on their shoulders. Though it was a little small for her, it wasn?t inconveniently so.

?We need to head back to where we were,? Lyric said.

As they made their way back, Tionne reached out in the Force. Again, she could sense fear and caution from Lyric and the others. However, she could also sense alertness and determination. Considering the spears and bags of stones, Tionne had an idea what the children were doing. Once they arrived back at the spot where they had met, they sat down and Tionne said, ?So, you and the other children are on guard duty. Protecting your food from the local wildlife??

?Our food?? Lyric asked while looking at Tionne with a confused look on her face.

Tionne pointed towards the pool. ?Yes, the algae that?s growing in the pool.?

Understanding coarsed through Lyric?s face. ?No. We don?t eat the algae. We eat a paste made from the trico plant and the silver-backed fish that we catch in the mountain pools.?

?Ah, then this is one of the pools containing the fish yo

 

Normally I wonder why I got no responses, but I chalk it up to the holiday season.


Well, I said I hoped to get this out before New Years, and I made it. It's a short one, but it's also a tear-jerker. Also I made some references which would merit the PG-13 rating. Like I said at the beginning, I decided to play safe with the rating.


With the crisis now over, Tionne shifted her focus to recovery. ?Lyric? are you? okay??

?I?m not hurt. The reel ignored me, and the avril went after the reel after it let you go.?

?I know. I saw the avril carry its prey away,? Tionne said. ?What about the others??

She saw Lyric look around as she started to get up. A moment later, Lyric said, ?The other children are all here. And a few are going to check on the changelings.?

Grateful that the others were unharmed, she got her arms under her and started to push herself up. Her arms strained from the effort and the trauma, but she managed to get herself on her arms and legs. She then began crawling towards the wall of the cove.

?Here, let us help,? she heard Lyric say as the girl grabbed her right arm and put it over her shoulders. She then felt another pair of hands on her left arm and saw a boy there doing the same.

?Take me over to the wall, please.? It took a little effort on their part, but the children were able to drag her to her destination. Once there, she got herself into a sitting position. She shrugged off her backpack and placed it to her right before leaning her back against the wall. She then took stock of her injuries. Though it was uncomfortable for her to breathe, the fact that she had no difficulty in breathing meant neither of her lungs were punctured. The pain in her sides wasn?t blinding either, so that probably meant she didn?t suffer any broken ribs. There was one way to check.

?Lyric, can you come here for a second, please?? When she saw Lyric get closer, she asked, ?Come down here.? After Lyric knelt down, Tionne said, ?Now, raise your left arm.? When she saw Lyric do that, she shifted her position so she could press her right hand against her ribs. ?Do you see and feel what I?m doing? It?s a way of checking if the bones along here are broken. I don?t think the bones in that area of my body are broken, but I?d like you to check for me.?

Lyric nodded, and Tionne raised her left arm, though she winced when she did. She felt Lyric?s small hands press against her ribcage, but thankfully not too hard. She did feel pain at times, but Lyric?s probing confirmed her suspicion that her ribs weren?t broken. Considering the stress inflicted upon them, the bones probably sustained hairline cracks, but nothing too serious. She was also certain her upper arm bones were similarly stressed. Obviously, it would be smart for her to avoid strenuous activity for the rest of her visit here. Of course, she should avoid any further encounters with the local wildlife.

Just as she was about to ask Lyric to check the other side, she heard the boy ask, ?Do you want me to check on this side??

Tionne looked at the dark-haired boy who was kneeling next to her. She could see concern on his face and in his eyes. However, she couldn?t help but feel a little uncomfortable about his request. She might be a Jedi, but she?s also a woman. She knew it would probably be inappropriate for her to allow the boy to touch her around that area. Fortunately, she managed to find a polite way to refuse his request. ?Thank you, but you only saw what I did to Lyric. She felt how hard I pressed against her ribs. You didn?t. If you pressed too hard, you might hurt me by accident.?

The boy looked down, and Tionne guessed he was feeling a little bit ashamed. Tilting the boy?s chin up with her right hand, she gave him a small smile as she said, ?I know you want to help. I appreciate it. Remember ? always be willing to help others before asking for help yourself.? Her smile widened as she saw the boy?s face brighten. Her smile turn

 

Wow. It looks like the economy had caused DRL to hit my readers like they've never been hit before. I'll keep posting, but I have to say I'm eager to hear from some of my readers. And those of you who are lurking, speak up.

Also, I've gone back and added in Callista's encounter with Anakin and Ahsoka in the novel No Prisoners.


When Lyric seemed to have calmed down, Tionne released her, but Lyric didn?t move to return to where she was. Tionne looked at Lyric, only to see Lyric looking at her. More precisely, Lyric was looking at her face.

?Tionne??

?Yes, Lyric.?

?Thank you for? for just now,? Lyric said shyly as she looked away.

?It?s alright, Lyric.? She then saw Lyric was looking at her again. ?What is it, Lyric??

?Your eyes. I?ve never seen eyes like them before. They?re the same color as some of the stones in the pool where the elders live. They look? pretty.? Again, Lyric turned her face away shyly.

Tionne couldn?t stop herself from smiling at the compliment. ?Why thank you.? Tionne knew that they needed to put their attention back on the changelings. ?But I think it?s time we retun to keeping an eye on the others. Now go.?

As she shooed Lyric back to the edge of the pool, she used the spear to get off the floor. Once she was up, she went to stand next to Lyric.

An hour later, she saw one of the children go into the pool again. But before the girl did, she put on some kind of mask and stuffed some algae between it and her face and sat on the edge before going under. And I thought they were able to hold their breaths underwater for a longer period of time. She turned to look at Lyric. ?I understand why she put on the green mask ? to keep out the water and to keep the algae in place. But why did she put the algae in her mask??

Lyric looked at Tionne. ?The algae allows us oxygen underwater for several minutes.?

Of course, Tionne realized. The algae takes the carbon dioxide they release and converts it into the oxygen that they inhale. Any further musings ended when she saw the changelings begin to emerge from the pool. When the children started to pull them from the water, Tionne saw the transformation. Their tails shimmered and came in a variety of colors ? blue, green, purple, pink, orange. She was certain there might be other colors, but she shifted her attention towards a changeling that was emerging nearby. Her healing session dealt with the pain in her arms, but her ribs were still hurting. But she couldn?t focus on healing at the moment. Ignoring the pain, she bent down and helped pull the changeling, whom she could see was a girl, out of the pool. ?Rest easy, child. You?ve had a busy day.? She looked around to see the children supporting ten changelings, including the one she was helping. ?All of you have. You?re all lucky to be in one piece.?

She saw two children standing near a tunnel, and they were each holding a torch. Ah, so they know how to make fire. That?s good. Seeing Lyric was supporting the changeling on her shoulder, Tionne asked, ?Where are we taking them??

?To the crystal waters where the elders live. But we have to hurry ? they?re weak and can?t be out of the water for long.?

Again, ignoring the pain in her ribs, she knelt down and shifted the girl into her arms. Her right arm was under the tail, while the left was across her back. The girl?s right arm was over her left shoulder, against which the girl?s head was resting. ?I got her. You lead the way. I?ll follow.?

For several minutes, Tionne followed the children and the torchlight as they made their way through the tunnel. She could tell the tunnel shifted upwards, so she knew the elder?s pool was higher up. The pace the children were travelling was akin to brisk jog while travelling over rocky terrain. Fortunately, she could keep up with that pace, even while carrying the changeling. The pain in her ribs flared from the strain, but she rema

 

<"Hello! Hello!" My calls echo through the chamber.> I feel like Shaeeah calling into the escape pod wondering if anyone's there. Where did all my readers go? What, like first the economy and now the snowstorms are keeping my readers away? I decided to hold off on making this post to give you all time to catch up, but I held off long enough. So here's the next one. This is another pivotal point - like Tionne's learning about Suz Tanwa, her meeting with Tanwa, her visits to the other moons, and her meeting the Melodies.


About ten minutes had passed before she saw Gyle reappear and said that the elder would meet with her. Pleased that the elder would meet with her, Tionne went back down the tunnel with Lyric. She thought she saw a side tunnel when she carried one of the changelings up here. When she did, she turned to Lyric and said, ?Could you stand here for a few minutes??

?Yes, but why??

?I need to change out of these clothes and into something else. And I don?t want any interruptions,? Tionne said. Taking one of the torches Lyric was holding, she made her way down the tunnel, reaching out in the Force to sense any potential dangers. When she turned around a corner, she decided she was far enough from any curious eyes. Setting the torch in a crack in the tunnel wall, she shrugged off her backpack and got undressed. She then reached into her backpack and pulled out a slicksuit she had once purchased. It shifted in color from a light blue in the front to a dark blue in the back, and it had a silvery sheen. She chose the color scheme for camouflage from predators while she was swimming underwater. Like all slicksuits, it was skintight, and she was certain if her old friend Zak had seen her wear this back when they were in that underground grotto, he would have had a heart attack. She had also packed an aquata breather, but she decided to leave it in her backpack. All that was left was her hair, but she had an idea for that. She packed her clothes into her backpack and made her way back up the tunnel.

When she saw Lyric, she saw she still had her bag of stones. ?When we go down to talk to the elder, will you be bringing your bag of stones??

?No, I?ll be leaving the bag and the stones on the rocks.?

?Well, can I borrow the bag? I?d like to bring the stones down with me.?

?Why??

?You?ll find out soon enough.?

?But the stones will fall out while we?re swimming down.?

?Not if I do this.? Tionne took the bag from Lyric?s shoulder. She pinched the opening together, looped the strap around it once, and tied it off. She then looped the strap around her belt, which still had her lightsaber attached to it, and tied it to her belt. ?There. Now the stones won?t fall out, and it won?t affect my swimming.?

Moments later, she was sitting at the edge of the pool. She took several of the trico masks, wrapped them around her hair at various points, and then tied the straps.

?Why do you want to tie your hair like that?? Lyric asked.

?So it doesn?t block my vision,? Tionne said. She then held the algae-filled filter to her face while Lyric tied it behind her head.

?It may be difficult for you to breathe at first. You need to relax and let your body get used to breathing oxygen from the algae. Until it does, it will be as though you are struggling for air. Wait a moment before you enter the water,? Lyric explained.

Tionne nodded, and once the filter was secured, she let go of the breath she was holding. When she took her first breath, Tionne felt as if her lungs were struggling to pull in the air. Fortunately, she drew on her Jedi training and breathing exercises to keep calm. Soon she was breathing normally. She then helped Lyric put her filter on. Once that was done, they both dove into the pool.

She saw Lyric look at her, as if wondering if she needed any help. But Tionne was able to swim through the water with perfect ease. A part of her was concerned that she might lose

 

Auugh! Almost halfway through college term and already I am behind in several things. DRL, I curse you!

Excellent three posts about the Melodies. I'd almost forgotten they'd existed in Star Wars. I can't remember which series it was they were in, but the VAST majority of the EU ignore them and that's just wrong. Great posts, can't wait for more.

 

Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to give my readers time to acknowledge my PM's and catch up. Unfortunately, I can see that plenty of my PM's remain unread. So I can only send very few messages to my readers. If any of my regular or semi-regular readers are reading this, can you please check your PM box and read my messages?

GrandMasterKatarn - The Melodies made their debut in Lyric's World of the Junior Jedi Knights series, and both Lyric and Sannah made cameo appearances in Conquest. Unfortunately, thanks to the Vong, as of the end of the NJO, the Melodies are extinct. If the Jed managed to bring more Melodies to the Praxeum, my impression is that unless they return to the changing pools on Yavin Eight, they won't survive the changing ceremony. By LOTF or FOTJ, these children might be dead or confined to live in artificial aquatic environments like aquariums. Not exactly a pleasant outlook.


This might be a short post, but it's moving. Consider it a supplement to the previous post.


Upon breaching the surface, both Tionne and Lyric slid off their filters and took in huge breaths of air. As she breathed in, Tionne felt her heart slowing down. That was cutting things a little close, she thought. She looked to see if Lyric was fine. ?Lyric, how are you doing?? When she saw Lyric coughing a little, but was breathing fine otherwise.

?I?ll be fine. I just need to catch my breath.?

Nodding, Tionne said, ?Let?s get to shore so you can rest a little.?

Tionne took brief strokes while swimming towards shore. She used the Force to deaden the pain from her ribs while she swam down to the meeting, but they weren?t completely healed yet. And unfortunately, the deep breaths she had taken weren?t helping. The pain was starting to flare up again.

?Is there something wrong??

Tionne to see it was Lyric?s mother who asked the question. ?My ribs. They?ve been hurting since my encounter with the reel.?

?You said that you were alright, though,? Lyric said.

?My ribs weren?t broken, otherwise I would have been in even more pain and I might even have trouble breathing. Any pain that I might be feeling isn?t important to the task at hand.? She reached the shore and began climbing out. ?A while ago, the task was to ensure your safety, the safety of the other children, and the safety of the changelings. Then it was to talk to your parents and Aragon.?

?And now?? Gyle asked.

Tionne gave a brief chuckle before answering. ?For the moment, I suppose it?s to recover my breath just like Lyric is doing.? She joined the others in their laughter at her response. ?Actually, right now, my task is to wait.?

?Wait?? Lyric asked.

?For what you and the others decide about my offer.?

?Oh.? Tionne saw Lyric?s face become serious and tense. ?Tionne??

?What is it, dear??

?What you said about the? the dark side. And about my fear and anger. Can? can you??

Tionne looked at Lyric with compassion and understanding. I was afraid I said too much. ?Are you asking if I can use the Force to remove your anger and fear? If there?s something I can do to prevent you from falling to the dark side??

Lyric didn?t say anything, but she gave a nod.

?Lyric, look at me.? When Tionne saw she had her full attention, she glanced over at her parents. It?s just as well they?re here so I can assuage their concerns as well, she thought. ?When I started training, Master Skywalker quoted something one of his Masters, Master Yoda, said to him: The path of the Jedi requires the deepest commitment, the most serious of minds. The Force is something that cannot be taken lightly. It can be used for good or evil, but only you can decide how you wish to use it. The dark side can call those who can use the Force, offering terrible power. Those who serve the dark side can try to persuade you to embrace it. However, it will have no hold on you unless you embrace it and allow

 

Ah, the hard-to-find JJK series then. Can't find them at my local second hand bookstores, but I do have the majority of the YJK (only missing Delusions of Grandeur and Crisis at Crystal Reef).

Nice to see Tionne getting a grip on her teaching skills. I have a feeling those will come in handy at a later date

 

GrandMasterKatarn - Tionne seemed to have had the enthusiasm to teach others from the beginning. That was something Luke lacked at the beginning. And they did come in handy during the JJK and YJK.


Sorry it took so long to get back to this. First I needed to pry myself away from Final Fantasy XIII. Then there was a small delay as the computer techs put in a new video card to replace the one that burned out on me. Finally, there was my other fanfic. This may be short, but it's the culmination of the past few posts.

Journal Entry #10: It?s been about twenty minutes since I presented Lyric with my offer. She had surfaced once since she went back down to participate in the discussions. I won?t deny that I thought I was afraid that I said too much and scared her off, so as to speak. But I saw her resolution when I eased some of her concerns. When Luke was considering what he could do to help Master Kenobi with Artoo and Threepio all those years ago, Master Kenobi told him that he must do what he felt was right. Lyric is in the same situation, from a certain point of view. She will know what to do. My only concern is the welfare of the other children. If there are any other changing ceremonies taking place between now and when it?s Lyric?s time, there will be one less defender. Regretfully, I do not see any possible means of resolving the quandary other than to rescind my offer. If I were to do that, I fear the possible impact that would have on Lyric. But what?s done can?t be undone. As Master Thon said to Nomi Sunrider, ?There is no going back. There is only going forward, or there is darkness.?

In regards to Leia?s wish to offer aid to the Melodies, Gerbs, and Sliths, I need to inform her that wish will not happen. The Gerbs and the Sliths are content with their lives and have no need or want for help. As for the Melodies, there?s no way the New Republic can provide assistance to the children without endangering their lives in the process. My offer is the only one left.

It?s also just as well that the other children have left since I had first gone down to speak with the elders. After spending some time catching up with their parents, they returned to what they would normally be doing ? harvesting trico, protecting the eggs and babies, teaching the younger ones. If they knew about my offer to Lyric, others would probably ask if they had potential as well. Normally, I would welcome the chance to bring yet more prospective students back to the Praxeum. But if I were to do that, there would be even fewer defenders. For the moment, it?s probably best for just Lyric to come. The future might always be in motion, but if Lyric were to accept my offer, I?m certain she?s not going to be the only Melodie to come to the Praxeum. However, for the near future, I believe it would be best if only one or at most less than a handful were to come at a time.

I?ve been concentrating on healing myself while keeping alert for any further dangers. I haven?t detected any, but I do sense someone, probably Lyric coming to the surface again. I?m signing off right now.

She placed her recorder back in her utility belt a few moments before Lyric and her parents broke the surface. ?Tionne, Aragon and the others have made their decision,? Gyle said.

Nodding, Tionne sat down at the edge of the pool and stuffed algae into her filter. ?Just give me a minute, and I?ll join you.?

Several minutes later, they were underwater again and before Aragon and many of the Melodies. ?Well, Tionne,? he said, ?you presented us, or rather Lyric, with a most unusual offer.?

Tionne nodded and waited for him to continue.

?And we are concerned about some of the things you?ve said. But we are all in agreement on one thing. You?ve seen how our children defend themselves.?

?I have seen some of it,? she admitted. ?They were smart enough not to throw their spears at the avril. However, I spent most of my attention on getting the avril?s atten