By the Sea Shore (JA - Round Robin)

Hi everyone!

As some of you know, this Round Robin has been in the works for a little while, so I hope you'll enjoy it!

Summary: A Master/Padawan trip to the beach.

Everyone is welcome to join in, but please before you do, PM me, as we are following an outline. So here's the first part

******

?Appointed to organise the excursion to Entrus, you have been,? Master Yoda?s words rang in Mace Windu?s ears as he left the Council Chambers. Maybe it will not be so bad. After all, the eighteen year olds would be much easier to look after than the younger students. How hard could it be?

******

Alone in the infirmary, Padawan Tais-Lae Kashar suppressed a sigh. She had been trying to sleep with no success. Her Master had left about an hour earlier for dinner, and her friend Gevan Jask would have finished his shift in the infirmary. Although she was a little uncomfortable with her friend treating her, she was grateful for the company. She had been injured on her last mission with her Master, Master Rumon Zeehan, and had been in the infirmary ever since. Tais had been in the infirmary before, but never for this long. Almost a week! During her other stays, she had always been allowed visitors. But the infirmary was extremely busy due to a mining disaster on one of Coruscant?s moons and visitors had to be kept to a minimum.

Again Tais suppressed a sigh as she rolled over. She couldn?t wait to be released, to be home with her Master, and to see her friends. Hopefully that would be soon. Unbidden tears began to well in her eyes. ?This is no way for a Jedi to act,? she admonished herself, wiping the tears away. A short time later, Tais heard footsteps entering the ward.

?Knock, knock. Tais, it?s me. Can I come in?? Gevan Jask called from the other side of the curtain.
?Yeah sure,? Tais responded, hoping her friend would not notice that she had been crying. He opened the curtain just enough to enter before closing it behind him.
?I thought your shift ended a few hours ago,? Tais commented, wincing as she sat up. Her pain did not go unnoticed by her friend. It was one of the drawbacks of being an apprentice healer. Seeing your friends in pain and not exactly happy to be cooped up in the infirmary. However knowing there was little he could do, he thought it best to try and cheer her up.

?I just came by to visit, and to give you the good news,? Gevan said mysteriously, seating himself in the chair by her bed. After receiving a quizzical look from his best friend Gevan continued. ?Master An-Paj said you could be released tomorrow.?
?Really?? she asked clearly excited by the news, her earlier feelings forgotten.
?Yep, you can even go to Entrus,? he informed her happily, pleased by the affect of the news. ?Oh and before I forget, I?ve got a few letters for you.?
?Letters?? she asked quietly. Gevan chuckled when she all but snatched the datapad out of his hand, immediately skimming it?s contents.
?Are you a little bored by any chance?? he joked.
?You would be too, if you were stuck in here?? She began, trailing of when she realised what she had just said. ?I didn?t mean it like that. I?m so sorry,? she apologised frantically.
?Don?t worry about it. It?s much different when you?re a patient.?
?I?m really sorry, I didn?t mean to offend you,? she replied. Sitting next to her on the bed, Gevan wrapped an arm around her.
?It?s okay. Really Tais, I know what you meant,? he reassured her. He knew his friend would never intentionally hurt someone?s feelings, she was too sensitive herself to do that.

?Some of the others kept coming by to see you, we thought you?d like something to keep you occupied and up to date with what?s happening? he changed the subject, referring to the letters.
?Oh and Kiu was in here earlier. She said to say hi and that she hopes you get better soon,? he relayed the message.
?She was in here earlier? What for?? Tais asked.
??Saber burns. She?s been practicing with Obi-Wan lately,? Gevan answered, with a smile.
?She?ll probably be better

 

?Padawan you need to focus on your surroundings. Feel the Force flowing around you,? Master Qui-Gon explained to his apprentice for what seemed like the thousandth time.
?Yes Master,? Obi-Wan replied dutifully, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice, that and his disappointment. He had been practicing the exercise in connecting with the Living Force for hours, with only limited success. Certainly not at the level he should have. A point his Master?s constant presence only seemed to reinforce. Obi-Wan was beginning to think his Master was loosing his patience. Something he rarely did, and had never expressed to Obi-Wan in relation to his training.

?That?s enough for today,? Qui-Gon said. Packing up their things they headed back to their shared quarters.

?Padawan, I think while we are on Entrus we will continue to work on your connection with the Living Force,? Jinn stated after they had entered their apartment.
?Yes Master,? Obi-Wan once again replied dutifully. He quickly bowed and retreated to his room. Once safely inside, Obi-Wan strengthened his mental shields, knowing he was about to lose control. Over the past few months his Master had been concentrating on the part of his training that focused on the Living Force. Not only did Obi-Wan find it hard, but he found it boring. Everyday he was beginning to feel more exasperated, due to his own failure and his Master?s persistence. In fact Obi-Wan found that his relationship with his Master had become a little strained. He was starting to think that his Master thought the same. Their conversations had become shorter, as had the time they spent together. That was something Obi-Wan was acutely aware of, but his Master didn?t seem to notice.

Steadying himself, Obi-Wan ventured out into the common room, knowing their dinner was ready.
?Ah there you are I was just about to call you. Dinner is ready,? Qui-Gon informed him smiling, the training exercise seemingly forgotten. Seating himself at the table, Obi-Wan tried to look enthusiastic. However he wasn?t really hungry. As they began to eat, Qui-Gon noticed the silence and frowned. He had noticed over the past few days that Obi-Wan was keeping to himself more and more.
?So how?s your practice with Padawan Waurk going?? he asked lightly.
?Fine Master,? came Obi-Wan?s reply. Concerned by his Padawan?s curt answer, Qui-Gon pressed on.
?I?m sure with time and practice she will improve,? Qui-Gon continued. His Master?s words hit a raw nerve. Qui-Gon seemed to think that was the answer to everything, time and practice! But after a month of sparring with Kiu, Obi-Wan was becoming convinced that she was reaching her limits, and that she couldn't expect much more than slight improvement. No matter how long they worked on technique when it came to implementing it, she just seemed physically unable to do it. The same way it just wasn't going to be possible for him to connect with the Living Force in the way that his master seemed to expect. Obi-Wan was doing well in all other aspects of his training, but this just seemed to elude him. In frustration, Obi-Wan dropped his fork.

?Padawan, is something wrong?? Jinn asked.
?Yes Master,? Kenobi responded, knowing better than to lie to his Master. Hearing his answer, Qui-Gon stopped eating and focused on Obi-Wan, waiting for him to elaborate. Jinn frowned when Obi-Wan made no move to discuss what was troubling him.
?Would you like to talk about it Padawan?? He prompted.
?No Master,? Obi-Wan responded firmly, looking at his plate. Confused by his Padawan?s reluctance, Qui-Gon continued.
?Perhaps I could help.? When Obi-Wan continued to stare at his plate, he pressed on.
?You know it might help to discuss it.?
?No thank you Master,? Obi-Wan responded. How could he tell his Master that he was getting annoyed with his training?
?Well if you change your mind,? Jinn concluded. His concern was growing. Qui-Gon began to contemplate the problem. What could possibly be affecting Obi-Wan to this degree? This was probably what was affect

 

Kiusan Waurk trudged slowly down the hallway to her quarters and lifted one hand tiredly to put in the entry code. The door swished open, and she dragged herself inside, wondering if she should use her last bit of energy to steer towards the fridge, or if she should just collapse on the couch. The thought of a nicely cold energy drink won her over, however, and she made her way doggedly to the kitchen.

But the bottle of energy drink yielded only enough to cover the bottom of her cup, and a single swallow was all it took to empty the cup again. Shutting the fridge door and leaning against it, Kiu shut her eyes and opened her mouth.

"MASTER!"

Hachas Tlatilco came through the living room from the balcony and stopped in the doorway of the kitchen."Hello, Padawan. How was your sparring session?"

"If I drop dead right now of exhaustion and electrolyte imbalance, master, it's going to be your fault,"Kiu said, brandishing the empty bottle at him.

"Oh,"said Hachas."Looks like I had one too many after my own sparring session. Sorry, Kiu."

Her shoulders slumping in defeat, Kiu let the water run in the sink for a moment before placing her cup underneath, filling it and draining it in almost equal amounts of time, then filling it again.

"I'll go down and bring up a whole crate after we've been to the Council,"Hachas added.

Kiu nearly choked.

"We've been summoned before the Council?"she spluttered.

"I told Master Yaddle about the nightmares that wake you up night after night,"Hachas admitted."She was very interested."

"Master, you'd have nightmares too if you had to spar with Obi-Wan Kenobi every day,"Kiu protested, then frowned and said,"No, you wouldn't, because you're good with a light saber and you can defend yourself. But if you were as bad as I am, you'd be dreaming about slicing Obi-Wan up, too. It's not a matter for the Council. It's a matter of--of finding--oh, I don't know!"

Feeling tears rush to her eyes, Kiu buried her face in her hands and turned away. She didn't want to have to go before the Council and admit to the masters there just how awful she was with a lightsaber, how she never won a sparring match, how many times she was outmaneuvered by her opponents. Hachas had asked Obi-Wan, the best swordsmen of all the Padawans, to help, thinking that perhaps another teaching method would bring the desired result, but after weeks of private tutoring, she was very little better than when she'd started. And recently she'd started having nightmares about killing Obi-Wan, which she'd interpreted as her subconscious desire to improve and actually win something for once. But why couldn't she simply dream about a sparring match here in the Temple, instead of imagining that she was a Sith?

Moving behind her, Hachas reached out and enveloped her in a hug, rubbing his chin on the top of her head."It won't be as bad as all that, Kiu. It will be all right."

"Master, I'm sure the nightmares will stop once I'm not sparring with Obi-Wan anymore. There's really no need to go before the Council,"Kiu said.

"Master Yaddle thinks there is,"Hachas replied.

"Oh, master,"Kiu sobbed. She was unable to speak for a few minutes after that, but eventually, she stopped crying long enough to ask,"What time do we have to go?"

"In about ten minutes. You can have a quick shower, and I'll have enough time to do something with my hair before we have to leave."

Kiu pulled away from his embrace in horror."Master, no! Don't!"

The last time they'd been summoned before the Council, Hachas had applied some gel to his hair and styled it in a certain way, and and then, right there in front of Master Windu, Master Yoda, and everybody, he'd had the temerity to announce,"As you can see, honoured masters, this unexpected summons has made my hair stand on end."

They'd been sent on a very long, uncomfortable mission after that. Remembering, Kiu stared up at Hachas and tried frantically to think of a way to keep him from doing something similar this time--or even worse--but all she could think of

 

Great job, you guys. It's nice to see a fic with well-developed original characters! I can't wait to see what happens when all those Padawans and Master Windu get to the beach!

UP! Up, I say!

David

 

Wow...just found this! The beach sounds so nice right now...it's like -5 outside

Great plot so far...and I like these characters!

aa

 

I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Great post Jane! Master Hachas is really funny. I think Master Windu is in for a shock!

 

"Stop that, master,"said Kiu as soon as they exited the Council Chamber.

"Stop what?"Hachas inquired in a much too innocent tone.

"Stop that grinning."

"I'm not grinning."

"Master! I can see your mouth muscles twitching. You're grinning on the inside."

Hachas laughed openly."I can't imagine why you're not grinning, too, Padawan. Just think of it. Master Windu in a sun hat!"

"That's not funny,"Kiu shot back, suddenly aware that Master Saesee Tiin was coming up on the other side of Hachas."We should always be respectful towards the Council."

To her absolute horror, Master Tiin was smiling a little, too. But all he said was,"I am pleased to meet you, Padawan Waurk."

"I am honoured, Master Tiin,"she replied, bowing reverently.

"Master Tlatilco."

"Must we be so formal, Master Tiin?"Hachas replied.

"Now, yes. Later there will be time for informality."Master Tiin smiled again."I might even wear a sun hat myself."

Hachas did not disguise his long look at the Iktotchi Master's downturned horns, and said out loud,"Now that is something I want to see."

Kiu squirmed inwardly with embarrassment, struggling to keep her face passive as she stared at the floor. WHY did her master have to do and say the most outrageous things?

"Hey, why don't you come over for dinner to-night, Master Tiin, and we'll get over the formal stage all the faster?"Hachas suggested.

"Perhaps another night, thank you. Padawan Waurk is much too exhausted."With a slight bow, Master Tiin excused himself and strode away.

Kiu's sigh of relief was a bit louder than she had intended, and Hachas looked at her reproachfully.

"I'm sorry, master,"she said."I really am exhausted, and all my muscles ache."

"Go take a long soak in hot water,"said Hachas."Maybe you'll be too tired to dream to-night."

"That'd be nice,"Kiu murmured, though she didn't believe it would happen. It seemed as though the dreams got worse as she became steadily more exhausted."Can I use some of those bath salts you brought home from Tutuapalova?"

"Yes, of course. Take the blue ones, they're the most relaxing."

"Thank you, master. Don't forget the energy drink, master."

Grinning guiltily, Hachas turned away in the direction of Supplies, and Kiu wandered slowly back to their apartment. After she'd run the hot water and added a generous handful of the bath salts, she undressed and slipped gingerly into the blue suds. It took a minute to get used to the heat, but eventually, she found herself relaxing as the warmth enveloped her. Leaning her head back on the rim of the tub, she closed her eyes.

There was Obi-Wan again, not the young man she knew from the practise room, but the older version that was becoming familiar to her in her dreams. Distantly, Kiu found herself thinking that he was still incredibly good-looking, even at the close of his long life. And there he was again, his blue light saber ignited, facing her squarely with a gentle gaze.

"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can imagine,"he told her, but she tightened her black-clad hands around the handle of her red light saber and swung at him anyway--

"Kiu!"

The voice held enough command to snap her out of the vision, and Kiu blinked, staring up at Hachas."Master?"

"You shouldn't fall asleep in the bathtub, you could go under and drown,"he said sternly.

"I wasn't asleep--I--"she stopped in confusion. Had she been asleep? Had she dropped off, lulled into dreams by the warmth and the relaxing effect of the bath salts?"And you shouldn't come bursting into the refresher like that, master!"

"I knew you were decently covered,"he grinned back."I can hardly see your nose under all those suds, let alone anything else. Here, I brought you this."

He extended a glass of energy drink, and she reached for it eagerly, suddenly realising how hungry and thirsty she was.

"Was it the same vision?"he asked when she'd drunk it all down.

Kiu nodded.

"I'm glad the Council has assigned Master Tiin to help,"he said, serious now."

 

Great start guys. I'm still thinking.

 

I love this! Arrange a marriage... hehe.. that was funny! I can't wait for them to get to the beach! I wanna see Mace in a sun hat too!! LOL

Beth

 

After leaving the Council Chambers, Mace Windu had returned to his quarters to make the final preparations for their journey to Entrus. There he sat staring at the holo terminal in front of him, the screen displaying a ?please hold? message. Determined not to lose his patience, he continued to wait. After a few moments, his fingers began tapping.
?How long does it take to look up details on a computer?? he thought impatiently.

Organising the Master/Padawan trip was shaping up to be a larger task than he had anticipated. There were supplies to order, accommodation to arrange, and transport to the planet organise. He had spent the better part of the day in front of the holo terminal. His only reprieve was the earlier Council meeting to discuss Padawan Waurk?s visions. And now with Saesee Tiin joining them on Entrus, Mace?s workload had increased. The Council had decided for him observe Tiin and try to get to know him a little. The Iktotchi Master was being considered for a position on the Council, and this was the perfect opportunity to gauge his suitability. If Mace was indeed to evaluate him for a position on the Council, he would have to see him interact with the other Jedi, and his interaction with the Padawans would be the most telling.

?Perhaps he could assist in the organising,? Mace decided silently.

The communications terminal in front of him came back to life, interrupting his planning. The face of one of the clerks in charge of transport bookings appeared.

?I?m sorry Master Windu. There are no transports available,? the young man informed him.
?What do you mean, there are no transports available? Wasn?t one booked?? Mace tried not to yell into the communications terminal.
?I?m sorry Master Windu, but all the larger transports were required to transport the injured from the mines,? the clerk explained. ?I could arrange for a commercial transport,? he suggested.
?A commercial transport!? Windu was clearly annoyed by the suggestion.
?We could have it privately chartered sir,? the clerk continued. Mace contemplated the idea for a moment.
?Hmm, maybe that wouldn?t be so bad,? he agreed reluctantly. ?Go ahead. Thank you for your assistance,? Windu continued. Closing the channel, he sat back in his chair.

?I should really start packing,? he thought. Standing, he made his way into his bedroom. ?Now, just where did I leave my hat?? He wondered.

 

Oohhh...fantastic story-line with lots of possibilities! Can't wait to read more! (HINT!!!!)

 

I agree with JediCandy more pleaseeeeeee

 

UP!!!!!!

 

"I've got good news,"An-Paj announced to his six wives.

It was evening. The family had already had supper and now they were all cuddled together in the sleeping alcove of Fyrra's apartment. As it was Number Three's night, she was on the right hand side of her husband, and Darste, wife number four, had been quick to take the left hand side. Rubbing her cheek slowly against An-Paj's shoulder, she asked,"What good news?"

"All of us parents are going to the beach."

"The beach?"It seemed to An-Paj that every wife and child spoke up simultaneously, and with the same degree of disbelief.

"But, Vati, there is no beach on Coruscant,"his second-youngest daughter said matter-of-factly.

"And why do you get to go and we don't?"young Paj, the only son, demanded."I want to go to the beach, too!"

"All the children will get to go to the creche,"An-Paj told him.

"Creche, hooray, creche, hooray,"the youngest daughter began to chant. Because they were one of the few families living together in the Temple, the children were only involved in the daytime creche activities. It was very exciting and adventurous for them to be allowed to stay there overnight, and they usually loved every minute of their parents' holidays because of it.

"I'm too old for the creche, Vati."

"I will ask if you can share a room with one of the older initiates,"his mother, Hwaet, put in briskly."Or even have one of your own."

Paj grinned happily."When are you leaving? Don't come back too soon! Enjoy yourselves!"

"We're leaving the day after to-morrow,"An-Paj announced,"and we'll be staying several days. I'll have to be available if any of the Padawans or Masters gets hurt, of course, but otherwise it will be nothing but sun, sand and relaxation."

"What's the name of the planet?"asked Fyrra, pushing her head a little closer to An-Paj's and touching his neck gently with her antennae. He angled his own head and their antennae caught and curled together for a brief moment.

"Entrus,"he replied.

There was a little chorus of delighted "Ahh"'s from the women, and An-Paj assumed correctly that they had all heard of the island-studded planet.

"Padawans?"asked Afor from the far end of the alcove."Which age group are we talking about?"

"The eighteen-year-olds, I understand,"An-Paj replied.

"They should be able to take care of themselves, bar the occasional slight accident,"Afor nodded."All the more time for us."

"Yes,"purred Darste, touching the side of An-Paj's face with her own antennae."Just what I was thinking."

An-Paj purred back, and his mental comment of 'life is good' was echoed by all the women in the alcove.

 

Up, I say!!!!!!

 

Upping this again!!!!!

 

Wots this doing down on pg6
Up!

 

Walking slowly through the corridors of the infirmary, her toiletries bag clutched tightly, Tais was grateful most of the other patients were sleeping. She was embarrassed by her appearance. She walked stiffly, slowly, and seemed to limp. The bacta patches still adorning her body did not make it any easier. Her brown shoulder length hair was still wet and in disarray, she did not have the energy to stand and comb it. ?At least I have my own pyjamas,? she thought. Her Master had brought several things for her from their quarters.

As she approached her bed, she felt a presence from behind the curtain. //Master?// she asked through their bond. The curtain opened revealing the tall frame of her Master.

?Padawan, what are you doing?? Master Rumon Zeehan asked without preamble as he guided her back to bed.
?I just went to take a shower Master,? she replied. She was getting used to his slightly over protective nature, which seemed to have become more apparent since her injury.
?I?ve informed Master Windu that we?ll be joining him on the trip to Entrus,? he informed her as he seated himself beside her bed. He smiled as her face brightened at the mention of his old Master.
?Master Windu is going?? she asked. When he nodded, her smile grew. They were all close. After all Zeehan had been Master Windu?s apprentice.
?He?s actually in charge of it,? Zeehan added, smiling slightly at the thought. It seems his Master had forgotten how hard it was to look after an eighteen year old Padawan, let alone a group of them. Zeehan had a feeling he would definitely be reminded on this trip.
?We?ll be leaving the day after tomorrow, early in the morning,? Rumon explained.

?Time for your medicine young lady,? Healer Ky-Lor said from the edge of the curtain. Beginning to feel slightly nervous, Tais simply nodded. Zeehan nodded a greeting to the healer, which she returned. They knew each other quite well considering their Padawans? were best friends.
?So how are you feeling?? the plump healer asked in her characteristic compassionate voice.
?I?m much better thank you Master Ky-Lor,? Tais answered politely.
?Any dizziness or headaches?? she continued, laying a hand on her forehead to examine her through the Force.
?A little of both,? she replied honestly, glancing at her Master.
?Well, no doubt you?ve heard to good news by now,? she said knowing her apprentice would not have been able to keep the information to himself. ?You?ll be released tomorrow,? she informed her with a smile.
?And she?s still able to go to Entrus?? Zeehan asked.
?I see no reason why not. You will still require some light care for your wounds and possibly some medication as well. Master An-Paj is going and so is Gevan,? she informed them both, her tone slightly changing as she mentioned her Padawan. Zeehan simply nodded, not picking up on it. Tais on the other hand, had spoken to her often enough to tell something was amiss. However she knew it would be inappropriate to ask the Master about it.

Opening a case she had brought with her, Master Ky-Lor took out a needle.
?Well this should be the last of these. From tomorrow I think you can take a milder pain reliever,? she said, trying to distract her. The last few days, after her drip had been taken out, injections were necessary.
?That?s good news Padawan,? Rumon stated, smoothing her hair. Gently pulling up her pyjama shirt slightly for the injection, the kind healer prepared the needle. Unable to look at the patchwork of bacta patches on her stomach, Tais turned her head away, closing her eyes. She knew the scars would heal, but until then she couldn?t stand to see reminders of them.
?Padawan, they will heal. You?ll see,? Rumon whispered.
?Yes they will,? Ky-Lor agreed, regaining Tais? attention. ?The boys will never notice,? she added with a wink as she expertly inserted the needle. Distracted by the pinching sensation, Tais didn?t say anything. Rumon just nodded his agreement. But then when he realised what she had said and did a double take.
?Boys? I don?t t

 

Hooray, you posted! And you're making me wonder just what's going on with Gevan and his Master Ky-Lor.

 

Woooohoooo a new post!

 

Why do I get the feeling our favorite healer is not going to get the vacation he and his wives are hoping for?

 

I was in the middle of writing this when my computer decided to break my internet connection--Grrrrrrr!! Fortunately, I was able to save what I had written, unlike another post I put up tonight on the other thread in my signature. Anyways, here goes:

Analla Phisch tucked another robe into her travel bag and looked down at it and the various items spread out over her bed, wondering what else to pack. If there was one thing she hated, it was being unprepared. She made a face. If there was another thing she hated, it was packing.
But she was glad to be taking this trip to the beaches of Entrus. She had been afraid she wouldn't be allowed to go since she'd just passed her nineteenth birthdate, and the trip was for eighteen-year-olds, but her master had seen to it she wasn't left out since he had been promising to take her on the next planned vacation for months.
Someone knocked on the door into the suite of rooms she shared with her master, Ezwin Halley, and she had to shout to be heard from her bedroom.
"Come in!!"
She already knew that the caller was her cousin and fellow padawan, Selida Phisch; being related made it even easier to detect each other's presence throught the Force, even it they had only really gotten to know each other recently.
They had grown up together in the creche, of course, but hadn't seen much of each other since being apprenticed. Sel's master, Jo-Mi Tang was always taking Sel on missions. Nalla had wondered why Jo was so averse to being at the Temple for more than a couple weeks at a time, especially since she had seemed to fit in pretty well in the several months. About a year ago, she had been injured on a mission, and she had been forced to remain at the Temple to give herself time to recover. Nalla wondered sometimes if there was something more going on than just Jo needing time to heal physically, but she definitely wasn't going to ask. And she figured that it had given her and Sel a chance to become friends, so why question it?
Sel came in, carrying something under her arm.
"Hey, Sel. What's that?"
Her cousin tossed the package onto the bed in front of Nalla, causing a tall pile of underclothes to slide off onto the floor. Nalla decided to ignore them for the moment (but not for long--she couldn't stand messes) and went for the package.
She read from the front of it and then looked up.
"No way, Sel. Is this what I think it is?"
Sel just smiled at her.
"How did you get this?...Come on, Sel, you have to tell me?"
Sel shrugged and then lounged over to a chair and dropped her petite form into it.
"No big deal. I just asked around and got a name and place...and here it is." She sat there looking smug.
Nalla knew better than to try to get anymore out of her. Sel was extremely quiet--which ususally made people think of her as docile and obedient. Nalla knew better. She had discovered the rebellious side of her cousin. Sel might be quiet, and she might be a loner, but she definitely had a wild side.
And since Nalla herself had a reputation for being a goodie-goodie (which she admittedly deserved), Sel hadn't really trusted her with too much information. Most of what Nalla knew, she had figured out herself. She wished Sel would trust her more--she wanted to start tarnishing that perfect reputation of hers a little. Nalla figured she'd eventually convince Sel to help her do that--maybe even on this trip to Entrus. And the fact that Sel was entrusting her with the item she had brought gave her hope.
"I can't believe you actually got this."
Sel shrugged again.
"So does this mean the rumor was true?"
"Yup."
Nalla rolled her eyes. This would be a lot more exciting if Sel wasn't so close-mouthed.
But she couldn't stop a smile from coming to her own face.
"This is going to be so much fun!"
Sel just smiled.


I'm getting about complaints 'cause I'm typing so late, so I'll have to wait 'til tomorrow to finish this post and introduce the masters. Until then!!!

 

Excellent post Princess Sari! You introduced Nalla and Sel very well. I think the trip just got a lot more interesting! *g*

 

Kieran knelt, checking a list of supplies on her datapad, and carefully packing still more stuff inside two already-bulging flight cases. <We'll need the Force to carry these things!>

"Serum. Do you have the serum for the snakebites?"

"Yes, Mistress." <Where in the suns of Ryloth are we going? I thought we were heading back to the Temple.>

"The waterfins. We'll need those. Extra breathers, and make sure to remember the chargers."

Kieran shot a look of annoyance over her left shoulder. Fine for her Mistress to talk! She was serenely editing notes for the report to submit to the Chancellor, sitting in a cushioned chair, sipping hyari juice. It was left to Kieran to scramble around the small spaceport, trying to fill her Mistress's list of supplies for the next mission.

"And sunscreen. We'll need plenty of sunscreen."

<I know. You said that. Four times.> "I got another tube this morning, Mistress."

"Let me see." Mistress Renata peered over the datapad as Kieran held up a large plastic container. It was the largest tube of sunscreen the shop had in stock. "What's the UVF factor?"

"35."

"Hm. We'll probably need something stronger. See if you can pick some up this afternoon. Oh, and flea repellers. For sand fleas. We'll probably need that, too." She turned her attention back to her report. "And coolant blankets. I requested them from the Temple, but they may not arrive in time."

<Sunscreen? Sand fleas? Sith, tell me it's not Tatooine! But no, we wouldn't need waterfins on Tatooine.> Kieran squeezed an extra set of tunics into her flightcase, and leaned on it to close it. Not working. She took a deep breath, summoned the Force, and pushed. She heard a crunch. <Do I want to know what that was? No. Was it something important? Probably.> Guiltily, she looked back at Renata. Her Mistress was frowning at her. <Oh, great. I give up.> And she was getting uneasy. They had enough supplies and equipment for a three-month stay on Yyars.

"Mistress, can you tell me any details about this next mission?" she said, sighing. "It might help me to determine what else we'll need."

Renata sipped her juice. "No, no, Kieran. Everything we need should be on the list. And we're not going on a mission."

"We're NOT?" The girl's mouth dropped open. What else could they possibly need all this stuff for? She was already convinced they were planning to rescue some stranded travellers from Dagobah or some other equally unsavory swamp hole.

"No." The young Jedi Mistress pursed her mouth in distaste. "Master Windu has asked us to accompany him and a group of others on a retreat to Entrus. It's supposed to be-- Force help us--a bonding exercise."

"A bonding exercise?"

"Yes. There's a small, primitive campsite on a beach somewhere. We'll meet them there."

"A beach!" Kieran's eyes shone. She had heard about oceans, had seen them from outside planetary atmospheres, but she'd never actual seen one on a planet's surface.
"Do...do you think--"

"I am sure there will be opportunity for swimming, Padawan. I'm counting on it; I've heard rumors of some possible archaeological ruins in the Bay of Fyassing that I'd like to investigate. Make sure you've got at least three swimsuits, so you have one to wear while the others are drying. And an extra-long robe, but not your formal one. And sunscreen. Don't forget the sunscreen."

"Yes, Mistress." Kieran turned back to packing with a broad grin on her face. Who cared if Mistress Renata was up to five mentions of sunscreen? The beach! She was finally going to see an ocean!

 

LOL! That was great Mistress Renata. You introduced your characters really well, their personalities are already clear. I can't wait to read more about them!