Star Wars CLOSED Legacy of the Guardians (Always Accepting New Players)

OOC:

 

IC: Jaal Volmiir & ID10
Upgrading

Jaal pulled at the armor plate covering his chest and stomach, one hand reaching for the release until the panel finally clicked free of its flexible frame. Underneath, a smooth layer of dark grey fiber material and attachment points covered Jaal’s torso. The armor suit was a bit of a custom piece and was sized to fit him like a glove, while still offering protection and the versatility to add and remove individual pieces as needed. The panel he had removed was only one piece of the puzzle and joined many other pieces that were piled on a table between Jaal and the Temple armorer.

The armorer, a blue-skinned Duros, picked up one of the armor pieces and rolled it over in his hands, looking it over carefully.

“What’s wrong with this one? It looks just fine “, he said, looking back up at Jaal, who shook his head.

“Nothing’s wrong with it, really. Just a bit too rigid for me. This edge right here was digging into me when I tried to crouch down or sit the wrong way.”

He indicated the spot in the armor he was referring to, as well as where it rubbed his stomach and ribs. The Duros watched, then looked back at the armor plate with a nod.

“Well, we can definitely rework that, unless you had another idea. After all, that piece wasn’t exactly made with crawling around in the dirt in mind.” He smirked at Jaal, referencing the lieutenant’s habit of going prone for marksman jobs.

The Duros, by the name of Tarl, was one of Jaal’s older friends at the Temple, having studied with each other until Tarl had taken a spot with the Logistics division. Lately, Jaal had been helping him with an R&D project, working on different armor systems for Jedi and Security teams and acting as a field tester.

Tarl took the waist plates from Jaal and put them with a pile of other pieces to rework, then grabbed a set of plates arranged in a segmented form and gave them to Jaal to try on.

“Here, try this. The spaces should give a bit more flexibility, though it won’t protect you as much as a solid piece will. Don’t go testing the durability with blasters or lightsabers while wearing it. I hate looking for new test subjects.”

Jaal smirked at the sarcasm as he clicked the pieces into place and removed the carved Loth-wolf from his pocket, then began stretching and moving. Overall, the fit was much better and didn’t appear to jab him like the other plates, though the white that covered the raw pieces made him think of a stormtrooper. Not the look he was going for, but then again, a fresh coat of paint would solve that issue.

Meanwhile, Tarl picked up the carving and looked at it.

“Huh, I didn’t know you were into sculpture. Reminds me of a trip to Lothal I went on once for materials. Never saw any of these wolves, though. I always wanted to go visit what was left of the Temple there.”

“The Guardians had a Temple there?” Jaal looked at Tarl curiously. He wasn’t aware of a temple on Lothal. Then again, he’d never had much reason to head out that way, and wasn’t as familiar with the nearby hyperspace lanes.

“Eh, well, not a Guardian Temple, but just a Jedi temple. Read in a book somewhere it was partially sunk in the ground and took two Jedi to raise it. It used to be a popular pilgrimage spot.”

Tarl shrugged and pulled a wad of black magazine pouches from a small crate and handed them to Jaal as well.

“Here. Also, for what it’s worth, I hope you get that spot back with a master. I think the Council will see it’s not a bad idea.”

Jaal turned to him with a confused look.

“How’d you hear about that?”

Tarl shrugged. “What can I say, I’m nosey.”

“Says the guy with no nose…” This time, it was Tarl’s turn to smirk at Jaal.

“Hey, I may not be a Jedi since my training ended, but I can still sense what’s going on sometimes. Maybe more than I’m supposed to. Like maybe there’s a reason why Master Grovaak gave you that carving.” He smiled as Jaal looked impressed that he’d discerned the source of the carving. Then again, very few people made carvings like him, so it was easily as much of an educated guess as a sense. “Maybe you should go check out that Temple, or at least research it. I sense you may not be the only one interested in it.”

Tarl shrugged. Jaal took the carving back and looked at it, then looked back at the Duros and gathered up the rest of his gear to head out.

“Hey, and if you go to Lothal, bring back some doonium and shielding components.”

Jaal, not stopping, waved back and smiled. “Thanks, Traveller!”

Rather than head back to his quarters, Jaal made his way over to the library, his curiosity now piqued. Walking in, he wandered his way over to a terminal and sat down, a short distance from where Semajj Nosrep was digging into his book. As he sat down, he placed the carved Loth-wolf on the desk next to him and activated the terminal.

Scanning through the data sets, he absentmindedly muttered “Lothal” to himself as he searched for and opened the planet’s data file. At the same time, his ID10 droid came floating in and perched on the desk, chirping at Jaal.

“Hey there. Hey, pull up the hyperlane charts, please. Grid U-7, Dominus Sector. Highlight Lothal and all connected lanes.”

The droid chirped back and suddenly projected a star chart from one of its lenses, while Jaal watched the small holo map zoom over to the indicated sector. Lothal was marked by a red dot, and suddenly lighter hyperlane routes lit up. Jaal wasn’t sure what he was looking for, or what he’d find, but he figured it was worth educating himself, if nothing else.

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @ConservativeJedi321 Anyone

 

IC Liuna Iotasi

A Padawan was sorting some texts at a small table, a nod of greeting enough as Liuna passed by. One of the librarians had pointed her towards the history of the Guardians of Light, and she might as well start at it now, since she had so much time on her hands. Hand.

Like meditation, the reading was slow. Boring. Written with absolutely no flair for drama. It was light on details, perhaps as some sort of security measure, but there was some information about the split of the Guardians from the Jedi Order some centuries ago. And none of it was what she was looking for.

As she tossed another datapad aside at the table she had taken over, Liuna sat back in her seat and sighed her frustration. She didn’t even know what it was she was looking for, just that there was some information she was missing. Something that might explain why she was here.

“You look like you’re having some trouble,” a quiet voice intruded, and she spun in her seat to spy the same Padawan as earlier approaching to gather the datapads she’d so carelessly tossed aside. “Anything I can help you find?”

She considered her response for just a moment as he reached for the latest target of her frustration, almost hanging off the far edge of the table. He was a Mirialan like herself, not too much younger and yet still wearing the Padawan’s braid in his greyish hair that she had removed so many years ago. And then she saw the hand that grasped at the stack of datapads, metal and inorganic like hers. Perhaps that was why; or perhaps he was simply a late bloomer. Or maybe they just did things differently here.

“I don’t really know what I’m looking for,” Liuna admitted, tucking her hair back with her one hand. “I’m just feeling a bit out of place here, and I thought learning more about the Guardians of Light might help.”

The Padawan gave a small smile, and picked up the datapads with one hand. “As much as I’ve come to enjoy working here, the library isn’t really the best place to get to know us Guardians.” She raised her eyebrows questioningly, and he continued. “There’s a lot of us here, you could just… ask.”

That was… way too obvious of a solution. Her problems and questions were her own, not to burden others with, especially not these Guardians that she barely knew.

“I’ve been on my own for a while,” she acknowledged, strangely at ease with the Padawan. “I don’t know anyone here very well.” There had been the few Jedi she’d fought with, the Mandalorian security that seemed very competent but unlikely to answer questions, but none of them she’d consider going to for assistance. None of them were friends, they were barely allies. None of them were the Jedi Order she was familiar with.

“I may be a Padawan still, but I could give it a try,” he said, sitting down at the chair next to her. “Jedi claim not to gossip, but we all know how quickly it travels in a place like this.”

His smile was infectious, and she found herself grinning back. “That’s a Padawan tradition, eavesdropping on everyone and everything.” It was unlikely he’d know what she needed to figure out, but it might be a place to start.

“I’m Liuna Iotasi, by the way.” She reached her hand out and was met with his mechanical one in a gentle shake.

“Fen.” He quickly corrected himself. “Onduri. Fen Onduri.”

--

The Initiate demonstration was unusual, from what Liuna was used to. The librarian Padawan Fen had suggested she go, to see what similarities the Guardians had rather than focus on the differences. The sheer size of this Temple must require these sorts of demonstrations in order to pair up students and teachers, as her enclave had been so small it was an easy pairing. Every student knew every teacher, every master. It was small, and safe, and a long way away. She missed the warm summer nights, the strict teachers, the friends she’d left behind. But she knew, somehow, that she could not return, not without facing the Masters’ accusations. They didn’t understand, but maybe these new ones would.

The small crowd of Jedi were mostly engaged in watching the demonstrations, some electing to entertain themselves with conversation and food also. There were a few faces she recognised: Master Kasumi, the Mandalorian Taab, and not too far away was her invitation, Padawan Onduri.

While he’d said little about himself in their conversation the previous day, Liuna gathered that he possibly didn’t have a Master. It seemed a sensitive subject, so she avoided further questions, but his face was set as he watched the Initiates perform.

With half an eye to the demonstrations -- the Togruta seemed capable, handling a number of remotes that some Padawans struggled with -- Liuna moved carefully through the small crowd, carefully choosing her path to be as unassuming as possible, not bumping any of the other watchers. That was her skill, one that, if demanded, would be difficult to show in such demonstrations as the Initiates had. Combat and acrobatics looked good, but she knew as well as anyone those were just the flashiest of the skills a Jedi could develop. After all, that’s where she had begun her training, all flash and little substance.

“Envious of our Initiates?” Liuna whispered in Fen’s ear as she approached from behind. He didn’t seem surprised, but presumably he had sensed her arrival. “You could join them, if you wanted. I’m certain you have skills that would draw the attention of a skilled Master.”

He barely glanced over as she spoke, arms crossed stubbornly. “Few would want a student who got his last Master killed.” Ah, so it was a sensitive subject. “I don’t have anything like these young ones any more, I’ll stay in the archives if you don’t mind.”

It was strange, how his stance changed watching these Initiates from when they’d spoken in the library. Here he was stiff, arms crossed like he was holding himself back. Liuna had noted the two lightsabers at his belt, yet they hadn’t been there the previous evening.

“A Jedi doesn’t bring two lightsabers to a demonstration without some intent to use them,” she commented idly, then pulled one off his belt with the Force to examine it. There was a surge of annoyance from him, and then it was replaced by an air of calm.

“I can’t do anything like that any more,” he indicated the acrobatic Ryn with one hand, finally relaxing his crossed arms and letting out a sigh. “It’s fine, I’ve accepted that I won’t ever become a Jedi Knight. It’s just hard to watch those succeed where I’ve failed.”

Liuna looked up from her examination of his lightsaber-- the construction was solid and light, excellent assembly, especially if it was his first-- and met his dark eyes. “I don’t think you’ve failed, you just need a push to get back on the path again.” She hefted the weapon, and flipped it over to hand back to him. “You should go out there, while you have the chance.”

He accepted the lightsaber and reattached it to his belt. “I don’t think so,” Fen said, shaking his head. “Not today, at least.” Some of his mood seemed to lift, and he continued. “But I’m glad you decided to come.”

She smiled, accepting the change in topic. “Now that I’m whole again-” she flexed the new left forearm and hand that had been attached that morning, stronger and more flexible than her old one had ever been- “I’m looking to get back into action and test myself again. Maybe not rock climbing this time, though.”

While her hand and arm were covered, Fen recognised the cybernetics for what they were, and bumped his own mechanical hand against hers. “At least one of us is back at it. Maybe you can show me how it’s done.”

Strangely, that felt like a challenge, and she wasn’t sure how to respond. “May the Force be with you, Fen,” she said at last.

“May the Force be with you as well,” and he bowed shortly and left, a slow limp out the exit towards the Padawan quarters.

TAG: Any at the Initiate demonstration

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GM approved secondary character!

Secondary (or NPC) Character Sheet:

General Information:

Character's Name: Fen Onduri
Species: Mirialan
Gender: Male
Rank/Affiliation: Padawan
Languages: Basic, Twi'leki, Iridonian
Residence: Saridona Prime
Home Planet: Thune
Age: 22
Approved Special Features:

Character Traits:
Personality: Underestimates himself, prefers to take things slow, plans and strategizes before making a decision, sensitive to criticism, afraid of pushing himself too hard in case he fails, used to be far more adventurous but cautious now
Habits/Mannerisms: Often watches for a while before speaking, speaks softly, usually found reading or in the library
Likes/Dislikes: Quiet, slow days and an in depth conversation with a few friends, dislikes any sort of tension, too much noise
Racial Traits: None
Strengths and Weaknesses: Persevering, avoids tense situations, overly trusting
Physical Strengths and Weaknesses: Severe damage to left side, including limp and a cybernetic arm that did not take well to the nervous system alongside extensive scarring. Excellent pilot, but reflexes are slow now.

Looks:
Appearance: Young, average height, green skin typical of his species. Geometric tattoos on his face, scarring visible even when in Jedi robes.
Picture:

Eye Color: Brown
Hair/Fur: Black-grey
Skin Color: Green
Clothing: Plain Jedi robes in browns and tans, darker clothing for the rare occasions he goes on missions.

Brief Biography:

Brought to the Guardians at a young age, Fen's sure path forward to knighthood was brought to a halt after a pirate attack while on patrol left him with serious injuries and killed his Master. While bacta and Jedi healers can do a great deal, some of the damage was permanent, including an unexpected difficulty using the Force. With no Master and little success in reconnecting to the Force, Fen works primarily in the archives while deciding whether or not to continue his Jedi path.

Miscellaneous:

Lightsaber:
--Blade Type: Two single blades
--Blade Color: One green, one purple
--Saber Amount: Two, mismatched
Combat Forms: Shii-Cho
Strong Area of the Force: Sensing and calming emotions
Weak Area of the Force: Struggles to reconnect with the Force after his injury

 

Combo With @Bodhran777
IC: Semajj Nosrep, Jaal Volmiir & ID10

Semajj Nosrep eyed the image carefully, he had travelled a lot in his youth but that was so long ago now he doubted any of those memories would be of use to him. Looking closer, his hand brushed across the stars on the image. This was clearly a grounds eye view, he could make out some distant formations, a constellation or two, and what may have been another planet in the extreme distance.

Master Octaris might be able to identify it, the Ongree considered after a moment. He had explored hundreds of planets in his day, and far more recently than the Ongree's childhood travels.

"Lothal." The voice was quiet, but it caught his attention for some reason. He turned around to see a Human man in a flexible armor, and a droid perched near his desk.
“Hey, pull up the hyperlane charts, please. Grid U-7, Dominus Sector. Highlight Lothal and all connected lanes.”

"What did you say?" The Ongree asked, the questions was rhetorical, he heard just fine. But for some reason the planet name stuck out to him and he hoped maybe there was an answer to at least one of his questions here. The force was known to work in mysterious ways.

Jaal sat back and looked around for the source of the question, caught off guard by the suddenness of it. As he turned around, he spotted the Ongree looking over at him.

“Lothal,” he said, somewhat confused. “Out by the Calamari Sector. Why?”

Jaal turned his chair a bit to better face the Jedi, in the process giving him a better view of the holomap being projected by the droid. The planet was still bright and obvious, with the sector boundaries outlined. The red dot that was Lothal was barely inside its sector, connected by a light hyperspace line to two neighboring planets. Not too far away, the sector ended in unknown regions.

"It could be nothing." Semajj shook his head, as he wasn't very good at star maps quite frankly, the Ongree was more of a historian at heart. A part of him still thought to consult Master Octaris, but as his eye's absorbed the image before him his instincts told him he was overlooking something.

"The council asked me to look into a vision of sorts, and my information has been leading me in circles..." He moved the book he was reading to the others desk.
"Do you think this star map could be related to Lothal somehow?"
Jaal looked over the image as the book was moved closer, his brow furrowing a bit as he studied it. He was generally pretty good with star charts, by virtue of being a pilot and the necessity of knowing routes to and from different sectors of the galaxy. This one, however, was outside his experience. It didn’t take him too long to assume, like Semajj, that the perspective was a ground view, rather than an above-view like most maps. Regardless, he often found that printed maps were harder to read because they were not 3-dimensional like a holomap, and perspective was key in these cases.

“ID, take a look at this and see what you can figure out. Look for patterns and see if a planet matches up.”

The little droid tilted his head as a red beam of light emitted from his scanner, moving over the page several times. It took him a minute, but the scanner finally switched off and ID10 straightened up. Almost immediately, the projection of the map began twisting and turning into different angles as the droid was thinking, trying to line up the different angles and placements of stars and planets.

After a moment of this, the image finally came to a stop, and Lothal once again lit up, along with a string of numbers to the side.

“Are you sure?” Jaal asked, before looking back to Semajj. “He says Lothal is the closest match he can find, if you take time into consideration and how things tend to move slightly. Depending on when that diagram was drawn, it lines up, though we'd likely have to do a manual check to be 100 percent sure.”

He looked back at the map and Lothal, which now had some lines coming from it linking to images of a capital city, and a couple points of interest, including the Jedi temple that Tarl had mentioned before.
"Thank you friend." Semajj offered a thin smile of satisfaction. "You made my work much easier." He took the book back in his arms, thinking briefly to scan the image for future reference before returning it to its place in the cultural isle of the library. "I will be sure to get this information to the Jedi council at once, and if possible stop by the Padawan tournament while I'm at it."

Tags: @Bardan_Jusik, @Ananta Chetan

 

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GM Update:
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IC: Beskaryc Taab/Knight Troi (NPC)
Leaving the Central Gardens, Temple of Light

Watching Knight Troi and Goran (Knight Cora) leave the initiate demonstration together before it had finished did nothing to brighten Commander Taab's already sour mood. It was clear to him why the pair had left, the deteriorating situation on Mandalore had the three of them on edge. The pair had gone off to discuss things. Frowning behind his faceplate Taab considered what to do. The troubles there bothered him, indeed he was deeply disturbed for what they might mean for the family he left behind, but he didn't want the Jedi to know how bothered he was. Still, there seemed to be little choice. Without bothering to excuse him self he spun on his heel and left the gardens, in pursuit of the pair of Mandalorian Jedi.

They weren't hard to find, indeed they seemed to have waited for him out in the corridor outside the Central Garden. His frown deepened to a scowl. Had he been that transparent and predictable? shab. "Good of you to join us al'verde (Commander)." Troi said, sounding genuinely pleased the more traditional Mandalorian had decided to follow after them. "We're concerned, as I'm sure you can tell about Mandalore." Taab shrugged, trying to hide his own discomfort, but he didn't fool the Jedi who could feel his unease. "I'm aware of the situation," was all he would allow himself to say.

"I'm worried the sector may be on the brink of another civil war." Taab stopped as his head snapped over to look at Troi through his T-Visor. "Three members of clan Vizsla were killed on Concordia just yesterday. Assassinated" Taab nodded his head, he'd heard the news. "Rumor has it that it's in retaliation for a bombing in Sundari two weeks ago that killed 17, including three from Clan Kryze." Taab again nodded. Eye for an eye was an old Mandalorian way of doing things. If Clan Kryze thought the Vizslas were responsible for killing three of their own in a bombing, then taking out three Vizslas in response would indeed be the norm. "And that's just the latest, assassinations on the streets speeder bombings, the fabric of society is beginning to unravel there."

Taab responded by nodding again and again before giving a shrug. "Mandalorian society is always on the brink of destroying itself, some always survive and are made stronger by it." Troi looked at him aghast, it seemed too close to a Sith mindset for his liking, but Taab was undeterred. "This is the way."

Troi looked to Knight Cora, looking for some help in convincing Taab, even as he continued his own efforts. Force tricks would do no good against his well disciplined mind Troi knew, so he pushed on the one thing that Taab might care about. "You still have family back on Mandalore, don't you?" Taab stared hard at the man, his eyes unblinking behind his T-Visor. His wife had died just before he had come to work for the Guardians of Light, before he had become cuy'val dar (those who no longer exist). As far as his remaining family back on Mandalore knew, he was dead, and he had no issues with keeping it that way.

"Clan Taab is unimportant, we won't get caught up in the fray." He finally responded, trying to derail Troi's line of thinking. Still, he had doubts. Doubts that could certainly be sensed by the pair of Mandalorian Jedi before him. Clan Taab might be a very minor clan, unaffiliated with any major house, but his one of his sons, Atin, was a high ranking designer at MandalMotors, it was possible he could become a target. "And Mandalorian politics will take care of themselves," he finished sounding as unsure about that as he felt.

At that Knight Troi folded his arms in front of his chest and looked again to Knight Cora, hoping she could help convince Taab that something should be done. Then he looked to the Mandalorian security chief. "Are you so sure about that?"

TAG: @TheSilentInfluence

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IC: Knight Al'kesh (NPC)
Central Gardens, Temple of Light

Standing next to Knight Cora, Knight Al'kesh could not help but notice as Knight Troi spoke softly in her ear, whispering something that changed the Mandalorian's Jedi's demeanor significantly. The pair then soon departed together, followed a moment later by the Mandalorian security commander, Taab. Something was clearly afoot, and the naturally curious Devaronian wondered idly what it could be. Something Mandalorian no doubt he thought, which dramatically lessened his interest. Such an odd people the Mandalorians, the Devaornian scout thought to himself as he returned his attention on the initiate displays. He had no plans for taking on a padawan, an apprentice would only slow him down, but he wanted to encourage the ones here. Besides it gave him something to do as he waited for his next assignment off world.

The Devaronian scout had recently been given a clean bill of health (both physical and mental) following his harrowing ordeal on Eventide, and now he was eager to get back to doing what he did. probe the galaxy for potential dangers. Still, the Council had not yet seen fit to give him any assignment, though perhaps they just had no where to send him. That, he was sure, would just be temporary. there was always somewhere in the galaxy that seemed ready to blow it's top. Perhaps Mandalore, given the dismay he felt from the Temple's own trio of Mandalorians. He shrugged to himself. The mission would come, sooner or later, no matter what it was.

Turning his attention back to the demonstrations he saw that Initiate Cinali was just finishing her own routine. Very impressive, showing off both skill with a blade and her work with the force. She would make a fine padawan for whomever decided to take her on as an apprentice. The Devaronian smiled, he was just glad it wouldn't be him. The Togruta was followed by a young Ryn girl, Sanchari. Al'kesh knew she was a more recent arrival to the Temple of Light, and this would be her first chance to impress many of the Knights and Masters. He was surprised she was bothering, so soon after arriving, especially if the other rumors he had heard of her power were true. if so, there was no need for a demonstration, she would soon have Knights and Master's lining up to complete her training.

Al'kesh held back a grimace as the Ryn began. It was a standard training kata, form IV if he wasn't mistaken, and while it was well done, her performance seemed wooden, contrived and without flow. Strange he thought, she seemed so graceful taking up her opening stance. Suddenly she stopped, “Apologies, Masters, there be... something wrong...” Al'kesh arched an eyebrow. it was clear she wasn't talking about her performance. She moved to the nearest bush, and after a moment brought forth a semi stunned tooka cat. She cradled the creature, soothing it as it fell asleep in her arms. the slight scorching of it's fur was well evident. A previous demonstration must have knocked a training bolt into the feline, stunning it. Al'kesh smiled as he shook his head, it was in many ways a better demonstration than simply performing a kata would have been. It was too bad he had no desire for a padawan.

As Sanchari steppe doff the demonstration platform, sleeping tooka still in her arms, Al'esh looked about the crowd, wondering if any others would step forward. He didn't think so, that would after all be a tough act to follow. Glancing about the garden he caught a glimpse of padawan Anoti. Curious, she already had a master, though perhaps she was here just to support a friend. Her fellow Togruta, Cinali immediately came to mind. He also now took notice that sometime recently Knight Nosrep had entered the garden. Perhaps the Ongree was on the lookout for a padawan of his own. Al'kesh knew that he had just delivered some report to the Council, though just what he had been researching was unknown to the Devaronian. A few moments later his comm link chimed as Al'kesh was summoned to the Council chambers for a mission. Looking to Nosrep still gave the Devaronian no clue as to what was going on, but Al'kesh had a feeling he was about to find out

TAG: @ConservativeJedi321 @Bodhran777 @Ananta Chetan @Coffee_Ninja @galactic-vagabond422 @Mitth_Fisto @Sarge @Rebecca_Daniels @TheRynJedi @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @Siara_Skywalker22

OOC: And welcome to the game Siara!

---

IC: The Council of Light
Council Chambers, Temple of Light, Saridona Prime

"Thank you, Knight Nosrep, for that enlightening report." The words were delivered with a gentle tone by Master Vetruvious. "You're excused, we have much to deliberate on. Go enjoy yourself at the initiate exposition while we discuss what you have presented to us." The dark skinned elderly Master bowed his head, sensing when the Ongree Knight had departed through the chamber doors which closed behind him.

"An enlightening report indeed," said Master Alyn now that the Council was alone in Chambers. They had remained mostly silent throughout as the Knight had briefed them on what he and the others had uncovered, but now they discuss it openly among themselves. "Lothal seems to be a nexus of some sort, for this World in between." Opined Runa as he stroked his chin deep in thought. "Clearly a mission should be mounted there..." Master Zey began, eagerness in his voice.

"I advise caution," Master Rand now spoke up, his voice calm and measured. "There have been no reports of any disturbances on Lothal, no hint of anything amiss there." The other Jedi on the Council inclined their heads at that. "The world seems to be the very definition of peace and quiet." Even Zey had to concede that point. "Sending in a full sized mission to tromp about the planet is bound to cause upset the meiloorun cart." Zey glared at the soft spoken Jedi Master. "Then what do you suggest?"

"Simply send a scout, a single Jedi, perhaps with his or her padawan if applicable and nose around a bit. If something is amiss, they are bound to see it and can call for reinforcements." Zey grunted. "And if all is well, then they can return and report." He turned to the rest of the Council. "It is the course of action that has the least chance of disturbing what is by all accounts a tranquil world." The others on the Council, it was indeed a sound strategy.

"Who then?" Zey relented, it was clear he was outvoted here. "Knight Nosrep would appear to be well on top of things, and he is an accomplished Knght and researcher who is already familiar with the situation." Rand said advocating for the Ongree. "Though first he should be given some time to attend the initiate expo."

The others nodded again, as did Zey though he gave instead an alternative idea. "Knight Nosrep is indeed an excellent choice, but I suggest someone with a bit more experience as a scout." Master Rand leaned forward in curiosity. "Given the potential importance here, I suggest Knight Al'Kesh go, alone." Rand leaned back now as he thought that over, though the suggestion seemed to garner the immediate support of Master Runa. "He is recently returned to duty after his experience on Eventide," the Mon Cal breathed inward as he spoke. "And if anyone can get to the truth of the matter, it is Al'kesh." Master Alyn seemed also to agree.

Master Vetruvious now looked to Master Rand with unseeing eyes, though he could sense in the force the diplomatic master's begrudging agreement. Al'klesh was indeed the best scout the Guardians had, it made all the sense in the world to send him to Lothal. If there was something there, he would quickly get to the heart of it. "Very well, we are in agreement. Send word to Knight Al'kesh that he is to go to Lothal and make sure he has a copy of Knight Nosrep's report to us. He leaves within the hour." The others nodded, signaling their official agreement. "And I suggest for us, that we take in what we can of the initiate expo. They are the future of the Guardians." The others smiled now. "Meeting adjourned."

TAG: None/all

OOC: To the folks tagged here in the second part of the update. Just keep doing what you're doing with the exposition and demonstration. We'll get padawans and masters paired up here officially in my next update, where of course things will also get a bit more interesting for you all.

 

IC: Bonaventure, Sanchari​

Just Browsing At the Padawan Market​

I could see Sanchari was tense as she began her demonstration. Some Jedi would call that a weakness; to me it was a good indication that this was a real person with normal hopes and fears, the kind of person who wouldn't lose their empathy for common people with all their everyday strengths and weaknesses. After a few moves, she settled into her kata, losing herself in the dance, moving more smoothly, more naturally. But then something changed. She seemed distracted. And then she was retrieving a tooka from under a bush, soothing it, and rushing away to find help for it. I glanced at the remaining candidates, saw nothing that held my interest, and followed Sanchari. A nearby medic had joined her and was demonstrating her healing skills. I stayed out of the way until they were finished, then quietly spoke to the Ryn.

"The tooka seems well now. And how are you?"

Sanchari had been examining the sleeping animal’s quickly-healing skin. It had been amazing watching the medic work, Sanchari thought she had been able to ‘see’ how the healer had done it.

“I...” Sanchari looked up, suddenly anxious, edging towards panic. “...I did not finish my performance. Do the Masters be mad at me? I be supposed to be performing, I got distracted...”
​

Sanchari’s eyes darted around, her breathing becoming rapid as not-quite-so-buried emotions and bad memories from years past resurfaced: I be in trouble

"Whoa there, slow down, nobody's mad. You noticed something that was more important than a performance. That's a good thing. The Masters here are reasonable people, and I'm sure they're impressed that you were willing to forego an opportunity for your own advancement in order to care for a creature that was hurt. Maybe it didn't work out as a demonstration of skill, but it's a great demonstration of your character. You're the kind of person who should be a Jedi, someone more interested in doing good than in looking good."

Sanchari nodded and let out a deep breath.

“Sorry, I still be needing reminders sometimes that things here be very different than how I grew up.”

The little animal in her arms purred as Sanchari scratched it behind one pointed ear. She looked around, things looked to be winding down.

“What be happening next, Knight Bonaventure? Do the Masters be choosing their padawans today, or do they be needing time to decide?”

"Some may have decided already, others prefer to take some time and meditate on their decisions. Relax, this is your first cycle through the choosing process. Most initiates go through several cycles before they're paired with a Master. Just think of the first cycle as a learning opportunity.

"That tooka seems taken with you. Do you have yourself a new pet, or do you think it will it go back to the wild?"

Sanchari considered the little ball of fur in her arms.

“That be up to her, I do not be wanting to keep a creature that do not want to be kept.”

The animal, sensing the attention, lifted its head and regarded Sanchari with sleepy eyes. It gave a little ‘mew’ and purred. It stretched, reaching out a clawed foot that caught on the string looped around Sanchari’s neck. The tooka’s retracting claws pulled the pouch holding the rescued kyber crystal out from beneath her tunic. Sanchari laughed quietly as the cat squirmed over onto its back and started batting the pouch around.

“But, she feel like she be very happy where she be right now.”

Watching the feline playing with the pouch reminded Sanchari of something she had been meaning to ask.

“Most of the other initiates who have found their kyber crystals have built lightsabers for them to be in. I do not have much experience with technology, and especially not this kind. You be helping me learn to take care of BeeZee and you have that flying pack that I felt be using a kyber, though it be broken in the fight-“

Sanchari realized she was starting to ramble nervously and slowed down, looking up at the human Jedi beside her.

“Could you help me to build a lightsaber, Knight Bonaventure?”

"Sure, lightsabers are easy. Well, I thought it was, anyway, but I'm an old mechanic since way back. Looked to me like that training saber wasn't the best fit for you. Hold out your hands a second... spread your fingers... make fists... rotate your wrists as far as they'll go, like this... I'd say you'd be better off with a narrower hilt than a typical human's saber, and if I had your flexibility I'd want one with a curve to it. We ought to try some different things, see what works for you, and you just keep your eyes open to see what the Force sends your way."

Sanchari nodded, feeling a bit less worried about figuring out how to build a lightsaber. She had been worried she would have to wait until she got paired with whoever decided to take her as a Padawan, and had no idea how long that wait might be.

“Thank you for being willing to help me Knight Bonaventure. I think one of the Council Masters be coming up to speak, though, I should be taking my seat now.”


TAG: @TheRynJedi

 

IC: Ananta Chetan
Temple of Light

May I borrow your droid?

My neighbor Jedi eyed me suspiciously.

I need to make a holo-recording.

What happened to yours?

A levitation training exercise last week with the new padawans gone wrong.

OK, but bring it back as soon as you’re finished.

I nodded in consent.

Escorting the shiny mech to my study, I discreetly closed the doors taking a seat at my desk before activating its recording device.

Greetings Commander Taab...

I spoke in a casual but official tone.

I am sending you padawan Floki, to be placed under your command on an indefinite 'work assignment'.

Use him at your leisure for any odd jobs you see fit. No duty is too mundane!

Contact me if you have any questions…

and no need to inform the Council, of our 'little arrangement'.

And a good day to you sir.

Finishing the message, I ordered the little droid to seek out the Mandalorian before returning to its owner.


TAG @Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Jaal Volmiir, ID10, & Master Grovaak
Temple Gardens

As Jaal was in the process of diving into star charts and drawings with Knight Nosrep, Master Grovaak had wandered off to find a bite to eat, then settled back into a seat to watch the remainder of the expo.

The displays of saber skill and Force control were impressive for the young ones and reminded him of himself a long time back when he was in their shoes. Even though he had been a bit older than many initiates, considering he was found a bit later than many and Wookies aged somewhat differently, he had still been plenty nervous to show off his skills.

He remembered it had been his soon-to-be master, Ryoth, who had helped him balance his nerves and confidence, a thought that made him smile. The Human had also been the one to teach him to craft lightsabers, after a series of crunched hilts had led to the necessity. He had much to thank Master Ryoth for, and truly missed him.

As Grovaak came back from his thoughts of times past, he sensed around the garden, observing. He could sense the Ryn girl’s emotions like a beacon at the thought of being in trouble, before it gradually lessened thanks to Knight Bonaventure’s reassurances. Equally strong was the tension radiating from the nearby Mandalorians as they huddled to talk. Though he couldn’t hear the conversation, Grovaak knew it was not a pleasant topic, leading him to believe it was related to their people. Nothing quite stirred a person’s energy quite like family, particularly if there was worry.

Eventually, Jaal Volmiir wandered back out into the gardens. His armor was still on him, and he would occasionally tweak the fit here and there or adjust the suit as he adjusted to the new fit and feel. To him, wearing his armor was part uniform, part break-in. The last thing he needed was to be fiddling with connections while out on an assignment. Behind him, the ID10 droid floated casually along, following Jaal as he found a seat and relaxed to take in the rest of the expo.

TAG @Bardan_Jusik , anyone

 

Combo with @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha
IC: Semajj Nosrep and Vanora Cinali
After Reporting to the Council Semajj found his way to the initiate tournament in the gardens. As he approached the gathered group of Jedi observing the empty ring, he recognized Knight Al'Kesh preparing to leave. The Ongree nodded politely as the Devaornian passed him. It was good to see the scout had recovered from his ghoulish ordeal.

Semajj found his way to the edge of the gathering, he recognized Sarge standing nearby, speaking to one of the initiates. The Jedi Knight couldn't imagine taking a Padawan so soon after his own apprenticeship, though perhaps the human had other plans. In any case he decided not to intrude, just to be polite.
He looked around the gathered Jedi, and after a short pause came to the conclusion that nobody else was planning to step forward to show off their skills. Things were beginning to quiet down, and if the event was over it was in his interest to make up his mind about whether or not he was actually going to take a Padawan at all as soon as possible.

Yes he could reconsider later, but the Ongree's instincts told him that other priorities would take precedence soon. The dark side threat in recent weeks should not be overlooked, and whatever this Worlds Between was... he doubted further investigation on the matter would allow him the luxury of philosophizing on the merit of taking an apprentice.

Semajj took minute or so to clear his mind, before he began looking for the initiates.
If the force wanted him on this path, he would discover it here.
Vanora was impressed by the spontaneous compassion of Sanchari, whom she observed talking to Knight Bonaventure. Apparently, the Initiate demonstrations were at an end, as attendees and others were mingling.

She noticed Master Nosrep surveying the group and caught his eye, hoping to convey friendly greeting.
The Ongree stopped upon seeing the Togruta.
Her display had been impressive, and he sensed great potential with that.
After a moment he greeted her with a respectful bow. "Initiate Vanora, correct?"
"I saw you're performance. Form III if I'm not mistaken, very well done."

"Yes, I am Vanora Cinali. Thank you... that was Form III." Vanora smiled and added. "I was relieved I was not distracted by the audience and was able to perform with a measure of poise and competence."
"Hm." The Ongree allowed an imperceptible smile. "To focus on the force is to allow all outside distractions to wash away. It is just noise after all."
Semajj folded his arms and placed a hand on his chin in order to allow a physical manifestation of his curiosity. "Tell me apprentice, what is your story? How did you end up here, among the Jedi?"
"I was hoping to study to be a Healer when my instructors discovered I had a strong empathic sense. My Academy adviser suggested it might even be a Force sensitivity. It was agreed I should come to Saridona Prime. I am the middle child of three, and as far as I know, the only one with such ability. I do not know how deeply the talent runs, but I believe it's better to hone it to whatever degree possible. It can only benefit me and my patients in the long run."

"The art of healing is a noble pursuit." The Ongree recognized that for a fact, and briefly wondered if she might get further were she to train under Susruta, or one of the other healers. Yet for some reason he did not dwell on that possibility, perhaps it was the will of the force after all?

"Saridona is an isolated world, I traveled around the galaxy for years before I found my way here." Closing his eye's and trusting his instincts the Ongree hesitated for only a moment before continuing. "Yet the force always has a way of showing us the correct path in the end." He opened his eye's again, and attempted to get a read on the initiate in the force.
"You are on the path of a Jedi... and that requires one on one instruction to move forward. You require a Master."
Vanora felt a gentle probing. It wasn't invasive or even rough. It felt more like a gentle breeze or the rays of sunshine dappling through leaves.

"A Master," she echoed. "I've read of such Jedi partnerships in history classes. They were always forged of trust and respect and complementary skills and temperaments. The missions tended to take unexpected turns and twists." She laughed. "Something tells me more learning took place in the field than in the Library archives."
Vanora took a deep breath and asked tentatively, "How does one go about teaming up? How does that come about after one of these ... Initiate demonstrations?"

This earned a chuckle from Semajj. "I wouldn't dismiss the Archives so casually Vanora. There is much they can teach, though I confess reading about something is quite different than experiencing it."

He let the moment pass before returning to the subject at hand. "The Master-Padawan relationship is a cornerstone of our order to this day. Group exercises serve a purpose, but working in pairs allows for far greater flexibility especially in the field."
Semajj hesitated only briefly before answering her question, as he looked over his shoulder at the other Jedi gathered around, some speaking to initiates and others watching from the sides. "After the initiate offers a demonstration of skill, it is traditionally the Knight or Masters responsibility to volunteer to be their teacher."

The Knight gestured to some of those around them at the moment. "Most of the people here are probably at least curious, or contemplating taking an apprentice. If they are not simply attempting to show support that is. In fact, that is why I came when I did. I saw a holo of your performance and considered that your own style might compliment my own."
Vanora absorbed his observation about the usefulness of Library archives. She had to admit that delving into histories held a fascination; she had to remind herself not to emphasize the past at the expense of the current context. The two needed to be used in tandem to derive a clear perspective.

Then his words about his and her styles complementing sunk in, and she felt a rush of excitement tingle along her montrals. "If you are offering to be my mentor, I would be honored, indeed." She smiled warmly.
"Excellent." The Ongree offered another short bow to the prospective Padawan.
"We should inform the Jedi Council at our first opportunity, and perhaps get you a real lightsaber. Sadly I sense we will likely not have the chance to get to Illum in the near future, one from the Jedi Temple Armory should suffice for now."

Tags: @Bardan_Jusik, Anyone.

 

IC: Knight Cora
Leaving the Central Gardens, Temple of Light

Cora listened carefully; and looked between Knight Troi and Commander Taab. But what is happening on Mandalore could have major repercussions if it escalates. Cora thought carefully. She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side before she spoke. "Mother told me that my older sister Teagan is leading the clan, or soon will be. Perhaps we can see if Mother will let us have a meeting. They might have a better idea then we do."

But I have no idea how Teagan will react to her Jedi sister coming back home. Mother can still be distant, but she might allow me to help.

Tag: @Bardan_Jusik

 

GM Update:

​

IC: Beskaryc Taab/Knight Troi (NPC)
Central Gardens, Temple of Light

Goran (Knight Cora) crossed her arms in front of her and thought fort a moment before responding. "Mother told me that my older sister Teagan is leading the clan, or soon will be. Perhaps we can see if Mother will let us have a meeting. They might have a better idea then we do." Taab considered the Jedi Knight carefully before turning his gaze to Knight Troi. The last thing he wanted to do was get involved with clan politics. Still it seemed that was going to be inevitable if they were to bottom of whatever was going on back on Mandalore. Might as well start somewhere at least somewhat welcoming and familiar. Troi for his part nodded his head ion agreement with Goran's idea.

"I think that most wise," he looked to Taab with surprise as he sensed his unease. "If the situation there spirals out of control we will end up involved anyway, best to get a handle on things now." Taab pursed his lips behind his faceplate. He hated it when the jetiise were right. He finally nodded his assent. "Very well, meet me in the main hanger in three hours..."

---

several hours later...
Aboard the Unnecessary Force, en route to Mandalore

Taab was quiet as he sat behind the controls of the repurposed J-1 shuttle that he had called home even before his arrival on Saridona Prime. He had acquired it back on Ossus during the last Jedi purge, a purge he had at the time helped take part in. Those days had seen the installation of on board prison cells designed to hold Jedi against their will through the use of gravity along with a well stocked armory. Of course the shuttle, now emblazoned in a garish red and black paint scheme also housed Taab's own spartan living quarters and his impressive jetii'kad (lightsaber) collection, trophies taken from his fallen quarry. Now of course the cells went unused, though the armory had from time to time come in handy, while the trophies were best kept away from the prying eyes of the jetiise. After all, some of them had come from their friends in what to Taab seemed like a lifetime ago.

Behind them, Saridona Prime grew smaller and smaller as the navicomputers aboard the Unnecessary Force made the calculations for the jump to hyperspace. From here there would be no need to make microjumps or take other measures designed to hide their destination, the Jedi well knew what the trio of Mandalorians was up to. A beep from the computer told Taab that they were now ready. "Standby," he told his two cohorts and the Chiss Claudius, who had also agreed to come, as he reached for the activation lever. They too had been mostly quiet after coming aboard. It was an eerie sensation for the Mandalorians who were normally a more boisterous people.

Before Taab could activate the hyperdrive though the ship became bathed in a bright white light emanating from the planet behind them. Taab grumbled a string of curses in mando'a under his breath. It was the Beacon of Light, a bright light atop the Temple of Light's central spire that the jetiise lit off for special occasions. Knighthood or apprenticeship ceremonies in particular. Taab hated that shabla beacon, all it did was point the way to the Temple for any curious being already in system. His objections to it's use however were always noted, and then summarily overruled. Shaking his head he let out another low curse. For as much as he hated the place, it had still become his adopted home, but now was the time to return to his real home, now was the time to return to Mandalore, and so pulling the lever he vaulted the Unnecessary Force to lightspeed...

TAG: @TheSilentInfluence

OOC: Didn't want to leave and arrive at Mandalore in the same update. We'll get there in my next update, so in the meantime feel free to converse with Troi and Taab.

---

​

IC: Master Hector Zey (NPC)
Main Hall, Temple of Light

Master Zey's smile beamed as brightly as the freshly lit Beacon of Light overhead as he concluded the formal ceremonies joining so many masters and their new apprentices. It had been too long at the Temple since so many had been enjoined at a single time, and so he was very happy to be the one chosen by the Council to officiate the proceedings. Most of the Guardians still on Saridona Prime were here of course, the security forces had taken over their watches in critical areas like the TCC, though notably absent was padawan Floki, Master Chetan's padawan. Zey raised an eyebrow at that. He knew the Zordic padawan had been punished for his impetuous actions, Taab had assigned him to clean all the freshers with nothing more than an old tooth groomer and ordered him not to leave until they sparkled. Zey thought that perhaps a little harsh, the lad should have been allowed to attend the joining ceremony before returning to his punishment. From the looks of things though Floki was taking to his "corrective training", as Taab put it, quite seriously. He was attacking the accumulated dirt and grime in each fresher as if it were a Sith Lord. The enthusiasm was commendable, the string of insults and cries of triumph directed towards his task however may have been a bit overt the top. Zey's smile grew wider at the thought.

Now he came down off the pedestal at the front of the Grand Hall, congratulating each new master and apprentice pair individually. "Congratulations Knight Bonaventure," he started shaking the man's hand. It wasn't so long ago that he had passed his own Trials and been knighted, and already he had taken on an apprentice. "Padawan Sanchari," he shook the hand of the young Ryn girl. "Congratulations, I am sure this will be a learning experience, for you both." The latter he said with a twinkle in his eye. A Knight's first padawan often taught the Knight as much as if not more about him or herself than the padawan learned. This would be an excellent experience for the newly minted Knight.

He came next to the Ongree Knight, Nosrep and his new padawan, Vanora Cinali. "Congratulations," he said as he grasped the hand of the Ongree Knight followed soon thereafter by the hand of the young Togruta woman, "to you both." His warm smile showed his sincerity. "A wonderful match, I expect great things from this pairing." It was a vote of confidence from the old Jedi master, rather than a remark intended to put added pressure on the pair.

"Knight Iotasi and padawan Onduri," he shook both Mirialan's hands, "congratulations." It wasn't often a pair was made up of the same non human species, yet it seemed no surprise to the Jedi Master here. He hoped, though he did not say, that the pairing would help to temper Knight Iotosi's outlook, while also helping the padawan to push himself harder. Finally he came to the last pair.

"Master Grovaak," he said to his old friend, reaching up and patting his furry shoulder. "It is no easy task you're undertaking here." His smile dropped as his face now wore a stern expression. "Lieutenant...or should I say now padawan Volmiir." He reached out and shook the once again padawan's hand. "The Council deliberated long and hard over your petition to be reinstated. Don't let us," his voice now lowered to a whisper, "don't let me," he said making clear he had advocated for Volmiir's readmission to apprenticeship, "down."

TAG: @Coffee_Ninja @galactic-vagabond422 @Mitth_Fisto @Sarge @Rebecca_Daniels @TheRynJedi @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @ConservativeJedi321 @Bodhran777 @Ananta Chetan

OOC: All Jedi characters at the Temple, that should be all Player Characters (aside from Knight Cora and Taab), will be at the ceremony and party afterwards. Feel free to mingle with one another and describe the festivities as you all see fit. My next update will of course see you all called away for a mission. Speaking of which...

---

IC: Zhoul Al'Kesh (NPC)
Lothal spaceport, Lothal

The Devaronian Jedi trembled somewhat as the message he had heard just a few moments ago echoed in his brain. "The Vipers know you are here, bay 94." The voice message delivered from the little mouse droid in the recorded, sinister sounding voice was unnerving. What was even more unnerving was the way the little mouse droid had immediately scampered off, to be lost under the feet of a the bustling spaceport.

"The Vipers know you are here, bay 94." Al'Kesh looked back at the Devil's Due, his battered and bruised A-24 Sleuth Scout, sitting peacefully in the midst of Bay 94 now. The damage the vessel had taken so recently didn't look all that bad, really it was hard to make out among the other scars the well worn vessel bore. Though the now leaking fuel system meant he was stuck here on Lothal until repairs could be made. Of course those were of no concern to the Jedi now, not after he had received the mysterious and threatening message.

"The Vipers know you are here, bay 94."

Indeed, they did know where his ship was berthed, and they probably knew he was alone. But that didn't mean he had to stay alone, or that his would be the only Guardian vessel on the tarmac. His recent experience on Eventide was still fresh in his mind, and he resolved he wouldn't get caught alone and unaware like that again. So he quickly boarded his vessel and fired up the comm circuits. It was time to call in reinforcements from the Temple of Light.

TAG: No one...yet.

 

IC: Knight Cora
Aboard the Unnecessary Force, en route to Mandalore

Cora felt nervous about going back to Mandalore. It was one thing to go there for a visit, but this was more then that. And bringing Claudius was something else entirely. She hoped her parents would accept him, that Mandalorians usually didn't care who you wanted to bring into the Clan. But she didn't know her sister Teagan. Only what mother says about her.

She looked over at Claudius and stood up, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before wrapping her arms around his chest from behind the chair he sat in. He looked up at her, and placed his hands over her arms as she tucked her head against his shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?" Claudius asked quietly.

"Us." Cora admitted. I really do love him.

"A good thought." Claudius said with a small, sly smile. "I'm glad we have become so close."

"Shush." Cora said with a blush. She kissed him and pulled away, turning towards Knight Troi. "The last time I came to Mandalore my mother just about shot me. Do you think I'll fair better this time?"

Tag: @Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Jo Sodi
Main Hall, Temple of Light


The Padawan Ceremony was nearly stately and slow thing as the Master walked down the line of the pairs. Recognizing them and offering words of encouragement or expectations. As for him there was nothing much to do, but to watch, fill the Force with warm encouraging feelings, and drink from a small flask a silent toast to each pair as they were announced.

Once the last one was done it was time to move on to the celebration, something which he purposefully hung back on to let another lead the way and properly begin the festivities. Well, so long as that one was not Master Hochner, although he was sure everyone had agreed long ago on that notion, no one wanted a repeat of the grub themed entree's and some insects bile drinks that he had heard whispered about back before he had been accepted as a padawan.


TAG: @Coffee_Ninja, @galactic-vagabond422, @Bardan, @Sarge, @Rebecca_Daniels, @TheRynJedi, @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, @ConservativeJedi321, @Bodhran777, @Ananta Chetan

 

IC-- Vanora Cinali
Main Hall, Temple of Light

After the wonderfully moving ceremony Vanora moved to the long tables where refreshments were being offered.

She smiled in congratulations over at Padawan Sanchari and selected a platter of lightly salted crisps and settled on to the long couch in one of the conversation circles.

Tagging:
@Coffee_Ninja, @galactic-vagabond422,
@Bardan_Jusik, @Sarge,
@Rebecca_Daniels, @TheRynJedi,
@Mitth_Fisto, @ConservativeJedi321,
@Bodhran777, @Ananta Chetan

 

IC: Padawan Jaal Vlmiir, ID10, & Master Grovaak
Main Hall

It was strange, Jaal thought, not being assigned to a post while the ceremony was conducted. He’d been through several of these in his time on Saridona Prime, but mostly outside as part of the security team. The last time he’d been able to watch or participate was his original elevation to padawan status, and that had been a long time ago. Now, standing here again was surreal, like he had gone back many years to the past, yet he was older than before.

The Beacon of Light was lit and shone brightly on everyone gathered, and Jaal couldn’t help but think of how much Taab disliked it. He’d heard him talk once or twice about it giving away their location, being able to see it from orbit, and so on, and while he could see his point, he also knew there was no way the Guardians were going to not light it up on occasion. Still, he had to commend the commander on his persistence on the subject.

Beside him, Master Grovaak was smiling, watching the proceedings as he had for many years. Many times, he had been standing in the same spot he was now, to the point that Jaal wondered if his footprints were marked into the flooring. He’d seen such a thing once on a distant planet, where a religious monk had worn track marks into a wooden floor of a shrine from the number of times they had stood and walked the same pathways and spots.

Grovaak glanced at Jaal, noting how the very-soon-to-be padawan was in his thoughts about the ceremony. He knew the young man’s history with the Order, so he wasn’t at all surprised by the reaction he was having. No doubt this would bring up memories, good and bad, which he intended to fully address soon so that he could hopefully start fresh. No need to dwell on what was in the past. His reinstatement was about beginning anew and conquering what he was unable to before.

As Master Zey came down the line and stopped at Grovaak, the Wookie smiled to the Master, nodding his head at his words. True, this would not be an easy job, and plenty of people would have their opinions on the matter, but he believed worthwhile matters were rarely easy. This would be his first reinstated padawan, but he had trained challenging students in the past. Of the beads in his braid, the strongest metals were often representative of his toughest, but often most successful, students.

Once Master Zey spoke to Jaal, the new padawan took the offered handshake, noting the words he spoke. It was clear who had been his champion in the council, which honored, pleased, and somewhat terrified him all at once. With a nod, Jaal looked him in the eyes.

“I won’t, Master. Thank you.”

Once the ceremony ended, Grovaak looked to Jaal with a smirk, noting how his new padawan had switched from his usual armor to padawan robes for the occasion.

Well, it seems the Force, and the council, has given you a golden opportunity. I won’t lie, this won’t be easy. You have quite a bit to catch up on, so you can expect that I’ll be demanding much from you. However, given your grip on Force manipulation, previous training, and record with the security division, you at least have some real-world experience, which goes a long way. Still, we’ll have to work out a few details, such as your braid, to which he looked at Jaal’s short haircut, and your lightsaber, among other things.

Jaal nodded back, suspecting as much from his new master. He was rusty, he knew, on many subjects that padawans were expected to learn, not least of which was lightsaber combat. He figured many of the other padawans could probably fight circles around him with a lightsaber, as his backup knife was just that…a backup. Then he remembered the lightsaber he had deconstructed.

“I do still have the parts of a lightsaber. The one we spoke on before.”

Ah yes, Grovaak replied. Good thinking, keeping those. I’d suggest using those for a hilt until you can source parts more to your preference.

“One problem, though. The crystal is gone, and I get the feeling a quick trip to Ilum is out of the question for now.”

Jaal could remember his first trip to the planet, and how cold it was. Just walking outside on that ice ball was like going through the Trial of Flesh all over again. Grovaak, however, was already reaching into a pocket.

True, we probably won’t make that trip for a while. However, I did find this in the Temple stocks.

Opening his large hand, Grovaak produced a single small kyber crystal, handing it to Jaal, who took it and looked it over with a sense of awe. This one felt worlds different from the angry red crystal he had dealt with before, almost like a blank slate waiting to find the right user. As it caught the light of the Beacon, Jaal saw a flash of yellow from it, which his master saw as well.

Ironic, and perhaps a bit appropriate, that this one would be the traditional color of the Temple Guardians of older eras, given your former station. May it serve you well. Grovaak patted Jaal on the shoulder with a smile. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a platter of meilooruns calling my name. Enjoy the party, because training starts after.

As the Wookie headed off, Jaal gave the crystal one last look before stashing it in a belt pocket for later. Looking around the large hall, he spotted Knight Nosrep not far away, recognizing him immediately from the library. Picking his way over through groups of people, he finally stopped near the Ongree with a bow.

“Knight Nosrep, if I recall correctly? How did your report with the Council go?”

He hoped the information they had found on Lothal had been sufficient for his report, though he was a bit in the dark regarding what it pertained to or its importance.

“Also, congratulations on your new padawan.”

TAG:
@Bardan_Jusik @ConservativeJedi321

 

IC: Semajj Nosrep
Main Hall

The Ongree stood by the snack table tentatively, he grabbed a jogan fruit off the cake and took a bite, briefly savoring the flavor before looking around the gathered crowd. He saw his new Padawan by one of the refreshment tables, Jo Sodi watching from the sidelines, and the Wookiee Master Grovaak and his new apprentice not far away parting from Master Zey.

“Knight Nosrep, if I recall correctly? How did your report with the Council go?” The apprentice waved over to him as his Master moved off in a different direction from him. Semajj nodded in recognition at the Human who had helped him with his research. “Also, congratulations on your new padawan.”
"And to you, on your return to the order." Semajj offered a respectful smile. "The report was uneventful, the Council has surely taken appropriate action. I suspect they sent Al'Kesh off to scout Lothal for us. They requested his presence not long after I left, and he is one of our best scouts."

The Ongree looked back towards the crowd, and smiled as he noticed a couple younglings dancing in a silly manner at the center of the chamber. These kids were likely too young to have participated in the ceremony themselves, but likely knew some of the participants and were surely enjoying the afterparty now that their friends had taken their next steps along the Jedi Path.

Looking back at the new Padawan, a thought came to his mind. "I don't suppose you have seen Preiss, or if not him perhaps Knight Bonaventure around? I was hoping to inquire about acquiring a temporary lightsaber for my new apprentice. As the caretaker of the armory Preiss is the one to ask, though Sarge knows that area of the temple like the back of his hand I'm sure."
And since he had just took an apprentice himself the older human was surely present somewhere in the crowded celebration.

Tags: @Bardan_Jusik, @Sarge, @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, @Bodhran777

 

IC Liuna Iotasi
Main Hall, Temple of Light

It remained a strange experience, joining the Guardians in ceremonies that were familiar and yet still so different than what she was used to. The pairing of Padawans and Masters was a smaller affair on Chandrila, their numbers small enough that any extravagance ran the risk of being noticed. But they still tried to honour each pair, and dressing well was the least she could do for their welcome.

While she had few changes of clothes, most of them a similar dark design, Liuna could, at least, make the effort of containing her wild hair. A simple braid was easy enough, her new mechanical arm much more deft than she was used to at the task. A lot of things were easier, and she wondered what other things she was used to that the Guardians could make easier. They had so much knowledge and technology at their disposal, and while she sometimes missed the solitude of her homeworld, it was nice to have such a range of people around her again, on a world not corrupted by darkness.

And she had run into the Padawan again, Fen Onduri. While most she'd met in her time on Saridona had been friendly, the other Jedi were busy: they had Padawans, missions, studies to focus on. Liuna was out of place on such a calm world, her skills more suited to a hunt or a fight, and only so many had time for a sparring match. Fen, it seemed, had too much time on his hands as well, and while he seemed determined to pretend their conversation at the Initiate showcase hadn't happened, he'd been happy to take a meal together and show her more interesting parts of the Temple.

Which was why Liuna found herself unsurprised as she reached the entrance to the main hall at the same time as Fen, reaching for the door and waving him ahead. "Pulled out the formal robes for this, huh?" she teased. Most people in the hall seemed to look just a little bit nicer than usual today.

"Oh, yeah." Fen seemed distracted, searching the faces of those assembled. "I mean, um, there's not much of a chance I get picked today but, you know, just in case." His eyes finally settled on hers. "Oh, you- your hair looks nice."

"Thanks?" Why was he being so weird? If you were his age without a Master you'd be stressed too, she reminded herself.

"I mean, it's practical." He blinked a few times, and rubbed at his forehead. "Blast it all, I don't want to be here."

Yeah, definitely stressed. "Take a breath, it'll be fine and afterwards there'll be drinks, or so I've been led to believe."

"There's Initiates ten years younger than me getting chosen here, drinks aren't really going to help."

"Fen, take a breath," she ordered, and waited until he complied. "There's also students much older than you that are just starting. You have years of training already, you'd be an easy student to take on."

"That's the thing, I don't know if I want to go back," he sighed, calming with each breath. "I don't know if I'm more afraid of being chosen or not being chosen. I'm too old, I'm too injured, I'm too risky."

"That's not up to you. You can't control what the Council has planned for you, just how you respond to it. My Master always said that the Force takes you where you are meant to be, even if you don't know why. That's why I'm here. You are meant for more than archive duty, so trust that you will get there."

Fen let out a small laugh, and shook his head. "You know, when you say it I almost believe it."

"Good." She patted his arm. "Now go hang out with the other Padawans and we'll grab drinks later."

The ceremony began with the lighting of the Beacon of Light, and Liuna let her eyes be dazzled by the light. They had nothing like this back home, and she smiled at the grandeur of the ceremony. Maybe it was a bit much for those claiming to be above material goods, but like most places in the Temple, the beauty made up for it. It would be a moment all new Masters and Padawans would remember.

Her wandering thoughts were interrupted by the calling of her name. Liuna looked around in confusion, but stepped forward nonetheless. To her surprise, Fen was emerging from a gathering of Padawans himself, his name also called upon. They stood together, saying nothing but sharing the occasional uncertain glance, until Master Zey approached.

"Knight Iotasi and padawan Onduri," he shook both Mirialan's hands, "congratulations."

"Thank you, Master Zey," she said, and Fen echoed her words, both of them equally neutral in their greetings. As soon as the Master had passed out of earshot, Fen leaned over.

"You didn't plan this, did you?" he whispered.

"No! I'm not even part of your Order." Her voice, equally low, belied her sudden anxiety. "I didn't want a Padawan."

"Looks like we're stuck with each other, then."

And that was the crux of it. Neither of them even sure they wanted to go forward, thrust into continuing their Jedi paths. "This feels like something my old Master would do. I can hear him laughing from here."

The ceremony began to break up, and presumably all the pairings had been introduced, but Liuna hadn't heard a single one. "Maybe you should call him then, have him take over if you're so dead set against having me," Fen said, a hint of belligerence in his voice.

"Ten minutes ago you didn't want a Master, don't put this on me!" Fen looked sufficiently ashamed, so she lowered her tone. "It's just... we'll have to figure this out. Neither of us had planned for this so let's start by... getting some drinks."

"Really? That's your first instruction for your first Padawan?" Fen, at least, seemed to be letting the issue drop.

"Hydration is important. It's also a party, so drinks." She paused for a moment. "Technically, if you're my Padawan, you should get me a drink." But she let a small smile play out on her lips. "I'll let you off the hook this time, though."

"Oh, thank you ever so much." Fen rolled his eyes. "This is going to be great."

TAG: All at the ceremony

 

IC: Sir Peregrine Bonaventure
Padawhat?!

Master Zey was smiling at me and extending a hand. "Congratulations Knight Bonaventure, Padawan Sanchari. Congratulations, I am sure this will be a learning experience, for you both."

I blinked in surprise. My presence at the initiates' demo had been idle curiosity, not a quest for a Padawan. The new knight smell hadn't even worn off me yet, and now I had an apprentice of my own. Where to begin with her training? Well, I guess we'd start as I had, by celebrating with the others in the Grand Hall of the Temple.

"First things first, Sanchari. Let's enjoy ourselves. This is the first big ceremony you've been to here, right? The formalities are over, and this is where the fun begins. Lots of food and drink, dancing music, and fun and games as long as we want... within reason." Suddenly remembering her previous life, I added, "You don't have to dance if you don't want to. I find it's just as much fun to stand aside and watch how badly Jedi can dance."


TAG: @TheRynJedi

 

GM Update:
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IC: Beskaryc Taab/Knight Troi (NPC)
Aboard the Unnecessary Force, en route to Mandalore

Behind his faceplate, Taab didn't bother concealing his eyeroll at the displays of affection between Goran (Knight Cora) and Lovebird (Claudius). Ostensibly he had allowed the Chiss to come along as a conceit to the Mandalorian Jedi, but in truth it was mostly to keep an eye on him. If he was going to betray the Jedi it would be when they were on Mandalore, and Taab would kill him at the first sign of treachery. If not, well then maybe, just maybe, he could be trusted. Taab took the time to take a sideways glance at Knight Troi, wondering if he had figured out Taab's true intentions there. Possibly Taab mused, there was just enough mando'ade left in the jetii to see what the security chief was doing.

"We're coming out of hyperspace," Taab said as he brought his attention back to the shuttle's controls and pulled the elver dropping them back into normal space. Ahead of them should be a clear view of the planet, and indeed it hung there right where it should, but a pair of fast moving dark specks darted across heir path in front of them obscured the view for a moment.



"Bes'uliike" Taab said under his breath in reference to the fighters that were now taking up position behind them. He had owned one of the new age Mandalorian fighters for some time, though it had long since been folded into service back at the Temple of Light. "And that's a tra'kad..." Troi said in amazement at the small boxlike craft that blocked their path inwards towards the planet. He had never actually seen one of the ancient craft before. From behind them a pair of plasma bolts shot out in front of them from the fighters, barely missing the shuttle's nose as the radio crackled to life. "By order of the Mandalorian Protectors, identify yourselves." The no nonsense transmission came in from the Mandalorian transport ship. "It's acting as a command and control ship." Taab stated the obvious to the jetiise. "What do I tell..." he began to as the Jedi Knights who were technically in command of the mission when the fighter's opened fire again. Yellow bursts of plasma scorched the rear hull of the Unnecessary Force causing Taab to snarl in anger. "Those weren't warning shots!" He pushed the throttle forward, trying to gain speed even as he threw the shuttle into a series of evasive maneuvers. The move seemed to work for the moment as another series of shots from the fighter's missed wide to the left, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hold off the agile fighters for long.

"Gev!" Taab commed out over the radio, imploring the Protectors to stop firing, though his order was ignored by them as they reoriented to a better attack position. More laser fire ripped into them as Troi reported that the aft shields, belatedly raised after they had been hit the first time, had now failed completely. "You won't fool us jetiise," the word came back from the tra'kad whose guns tracked the Unnecessary Force throughout the engagement but had as yet refrained from firing. Probably in fear of hitting the Bes'uliik fighters pursuing the old Jedi shuttle. "A fresh coat of paint doesn't hide your shuttle's origins very well, I had thought jetiise smarter than that." These shabla di'kutla cabure had recognized that this had once been a Jedi shuttle sure, but hadn't thought that it had been captured by a fellow mando'ade. Instead they just fired when it had taken them too long to respond.

​

More fire hit the shuttle, and the console to Taab's right exploded in a shower of sparks as smoke began to fill the cabin. "Aft guns are offline," Troi reported sourly. They had never even gotten a shot off before being taken out, probably in the Protectors first volley. Taab jabbed at a button on his right, causing a pair of seismic charges to drop out of the shuttle's belly. They exploded sending shockwaves out behind the shuttle, forcing the mandalorian fighters to break off their pursuit for a moment. That however was the opportunity the tra'kad had been waiting for as it opened up on them now, peppering them with long range fire that began to worm it's way through their front shields.

"We're going to have to get out of here," Troi said. "We can't take much more of this." Taab grunted his agreement, his mind fully on the task of survival as the fire from the tra'kad slackened off. That means the fighter must be back behind them readying another attack run. "Hold on to something, I'm not out of tricks just yet." Taab ordered the jetiise as he held his had on the throttle and control yoke of the Unnecessary Force, looking to his scanners to watch the approach of the Mandalorian fighters. "Now!" he screamed as they started firing again at the shuttle's unshielded rear section. Pushing forward on the throttle he chopped speed as he pulled up on the control yoke suddenly. The move caused them to dump speed quickly, and wreaked havoc with the protector's firing solution on them. Yellow laser bolts shot out far ahead of them, followed by one of the fighters. Taab quickly lashed out at it with the shuttle's forward cannons, shredding it's shields and heavily damaging the craft which accelerated away adding additional speed to evade the slow moving shuttle. Taab though was confused, both fighters should have shot out in front of the Unnecessary Force, not just the one. Where was the other...?

The ship rocked under intense fire from the second fighter. It's pilot had anticipated Taab's tactic and rolled low in a reverse yo-yo, dumping speed while maintaining position behind the Unnecessary Force. The bes'uliik kept up a continuous stream of fire as it's wingman limped away. "How in the shab?" Taab asked himself before turning to the others. "We're in trouble." He called out as explosion after explosion rocked the besieged shuttle. The starboard engine exploded, tearing off the wing at the root. The fighter behind them roared past now, doing a victory roll as it did so. "ash'amur" Taab whispered to himself as he fingered the bes'bev hanging at his belt. It was over...

Or was it? Through the smoke filled cabin he saw possible salvation out beyond the windscreen Their evasive maneuvers had brought them near Concordia, one of Mandalore's moons. Pushing the throttle for the port side engine forward as much as he could Taab struggled to bring the shuttle into the moon's gravity well. If he could force the shuttle down before the Protectors could swing back around for another pass he might be able to save their lives. Without a pre planned approach vector the shuttle hit Concordia's atmosphere hard, shaking the Unnecessary Force again, though it was nothing compared to what they had already been through

"Lateral controls are out." Troi reported another nearly useless damage assessment. "No way we we can make a controlled landing." Taab shook his head as he fought to control the vessel as best he could, though it began to spiral now towards the hard surface below. "Not looking to land, just hoping to crash without exploding." he grunted in reply, hoping Goran and Lovebird were strapped in.

Back behind them the Protectors had given up their pursuit now, figuring them for downed and dead, though now Taab had other ideas. He could of course eject form the craft, try to use his own jetpack to control his descent, but that wasn't in the cards. That would do nothing for Troi, Goran or Lovebird, and while he didn't care about their safety personally, honor demanded he share their fate in this instance. As the ground neared Taab put everything he could into the repulsors in an effort to soften their landing somewhat. It worked, partially, as the Unnecessary Force slammed hard into the ground on it's belly as opposed to going in nose first.

Still the forward section of the nose crumpled as the shuttle struck and began to careen uncontrollably though the section uninhabited forest they had found themselves in. Trees in their way splintered, slowing the shuttle as it dug a trench in the dirt. The port side wing struck a large tree with deep roots, sheering the wing off the shuttle cleanly and causing the shuttle to start to roll. Taab lost consciousness at that point and missed the aft section of the shuttle breaking away from the forward section, where he and the Jedi all were. It exploded behind them in a huge fireball that lit the pre dawn sky. Finally the forward section lost it's momentum and came to rest in te bank of a small stream. A trickle of water, no more than a half a foot deep poured its way into what remained of the cabin as it settled into the creekbed. Taab blinked himself awake. He was battered and bruised but alive. A quick check around the remains of the forward section of his craft told him the others were in a similar state.

Removing his buy'ce (helmet) he looked around the remains of his ship. He had lost everything, his home for the last 20 years, his armory, his trophies. Everything. As the others addressed their own wounds and looked on he dug feverishly through the wreckage. There was one trophy that he honestly wished he didn't have but he couldn't afford to lose. With a sigh of relief and foreboding he lifted the trophy, the hilt of a lightsaber, up out of the rubble and hung it from his belt beside the bes'bev where hopefully it's importance would be overlooked and it would be seen as just another trophy.

Spoiler

Troi too had scavenged through the rubble, managing to find a pair of mandalorian blaster rifles, one of which he handed to Taab while he gave the other to Lovebird. Taab nodded his thanks as he apprised them all of the situation, in case they didn't know where they had crashed. "We're on Concordia, stronghold of House Vizsla." It was all he could say before he ran out of breath. Cracked ribs for sure he thought to himself. He was finding it harder and harder to breath, though he would somehow manage through the pain. "We need to find a ship, and a way to find someone friendly, find out what is going on here." He looked off into the distance. If they followed the stream they would eventually find a settlement he though to himself as they were overflown by the tra'kad that was clearly searching for them. "And after the reception we just had, I doubt many in House Vizsla will be friendly." He trudged off along the stream's bank, leaving the wreckage of his life behind even as Troi said to Knight Cora with a smirk.

"You asked if you'd fare any better this trip home." He gestured at the wrecked shuttle. "I think it's safe to say no."

TAG: @TheSilentInfluence

---

OOC: Moving us on to Lothal here as it's been too long since my last update

IC: Master Noma Runa (NPC)
Arriving on Lothal, landing pad 87.

Deep in meditation, Master Noma Runa opened his eyes as the Aurora Dawn, padawan Volmiir's transport, settled down onto her landing struts. He exhaled loudly, a wet raspy sounding breath. They had at long last arrived on Lothal. After the research headed up by Knight Nosrep had indicated the planet might be the key to discovering more about the World Between Worlds the Council had sent on their best scout, Knight Al'kesh, on ahead to find out what he could. The Devaronian had barely touched down himself though before he had called for reinforcements, a full Jedi team, to assist him in his quest. To Runa it hadn't seemed likely he had uncovered anything extraordinary enough to warrant such a response, but he had noted, as had the rest of the Council, how unsettled the normally flippant Jedi scout had sounded in his message. So they had decided to honor the Jedi's request and send on a group of Jedi to assist him, a group led by Master Runa himself.

Master Runa though wasn't the only master who had come out this far. Master Chetan, the erstwhile keeper of the Temple vault had also been sent along. His expertise on the types of items often found in the vault was seen as vital to the intended mission. Runa himself felt that if they encountered a similar vault, it was rumored there had once been a Jedi temple on Lothal after all, was found here the Master might be able to better access it than anyone else found in the Temple of Light. Unlike many of the other Jedi assigned to the expedition, Master Chetan had left his own padawan behind, a sort of punishment to the Zordic who had stowed away on the last offworld expedition.

Naturally given his research project that had pointed to Lothal, Knight Nosrep had been assigned to the mission along with padawan Cinalli, his new apprentice. Runa knew the Jedi Knight had no issues with attachment, but still seeing through his research to the end by actually coming to Lothal would surely be appreciated by the Ongree Knight. Likewise Knight Bonaventure, so newly knighted himself had also been assigned with his new padawan, Sanchari. The powerful young Ryn bore watching, and Runa hoped the match proved to be a fruitful one between the two. Normally a padawan with such a strong connection to the Force would have been assigned a more seasoned master, but Sarge as he was known throughout the Temple, had knowledge from his time before he was a Jedi. Knowledge that the Council felt would prove beneficial in his teaching of the young Ryn. besides, the force itself seemed to have brought the pair together, and who was the Council to argue with that?

Master Grovaak was the third master to have been assigned, more as a conceit to the use of his new padawan's ship as the form of transportation here. The Aurora Dawn and padawan Volmiir had proven themselves out on Noris, though now the padawan was fulfilling a different role, one far greater than a simple pilot and scout for the Temple's Security Forces. Now he was a once again a member of the Guardians of Light. Hopefully this mission would reward the faith the council had put in him by granting his request to return to the Order.

Knight Iotasi meanwhile had been assigned to join the expedition due to her own unique skill set, one which probably surpassed those even of Knight Al'kesh as a scout and spy. She had however up until now not officially joined the Guardians of Light. It was hoped that the assigning of a padawan in their order, Onduri would help to bring her closer to the Guardians and spur her to stay on with them. Even if that weren't the case, the Mirialan would do well to heed her teaching. It would make him a better Jedi in the long run, whether she stayed or not. Runa was glad to have them both along.

Rounding out the team was Knight Sodi, the Kage Jedi. He was the only one along that had no apprentice to call his own (aside form Runa). So while the other's attentions would be split between their duties as a Jedi and the training of their own apprentices, Sodi's mind could be fully devoted to their reason for being here. That focus should prove beneficial Runa thought to himself as the outer hatch of the transport opened, allowing a warm earthy scented breeze access to the ship.

Stepping outside the Mon Cal Jedi master was greeted by warm sunlight on his face as he took in a deep breath of fresh air. Lothal it seemed was a rather pleasant place to be he thought to himself, at least on first impression. Looking to the other Jedi as they too disembarked the Aurora Dawn it struck him suddenly that Knight Al'kesh was not here to greet them. "Curious." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He would have thought that Al'kesh would be here at the landing pad, especially given how anxious he had sounded in his message to the Temple. "I do hope nothing has happened to him."

TAG: @Ananta Chetan @Mitth_Fisto @ConservativeJedi321 @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @Sarge @TheRynJedi @Bodhran777 @Rebecca_Daniels

OOC: Fast forwarded us here a bit to get us to Lothal. For players I didn't tag (due to inactivity), your characters will still be back at the Temple. I'll be able to give them tasks to accomplish as needed. Just PM me and I'll tag you back into the game with your character there at the Temple of Light.

 

IC: Jo Sodi
Lothal, Landing pad

The trip here had been uneventful, which often meant the trip itself was destined to be anything but. Runa was the first to disembark and so was ahead of them as the outer hatch of the transport opened, allowing a warm earthy scented breeze access to the ship.

Stepping outside the Mon Cal Jedi master was greeted by warm sunlight on his face as he took in a deep breath of fresh air. Lothal it seemed was a rather pleasant place as far as surface dwellers cared, As for Jo and his old Master Hochner the world was terribly bright and for Jo personally the earth was far too loamy in scent. Nothing like a proper Quarzite cave, but still, the Force was even in this and so he did his best to embrace it and not let his own prejudices color his point of view as he pulled his hood down a little bit further over his eyes. Looking to the other Jedi as they too disembarked the Aurora Dawn Runa seemed to be struck by a thought "Curious." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I do hope nothing has happened to him."

Well if nothing had before it had now. Jo wryly thought to himself as began paying a more hypervigilant attention to their surroundings and the Force. "Indeed. Do we have alternate ways to contact and find him?" he gently enquired.

TAG: @Ananta Chetan , @Bardan_Jusik , @ConservativeJedi321 , @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha , @Sarge , @TheRynJedi , @Bodhran777 , @Rebecca_Daniels

 

IC: Jaal Volmiir, Master Grovaak, ID10
Lothal – Landing Zone

The Aurora Dawn bounced lightly as the ship broke atmosphere and cruised toward the surface of Lothal. At the helm, Jaal, and ID10 in a droid socket built into the copilot console, guided the ship down, with Master Grovaak behind him watching his padawan work. The last time he had been on this ship had been to unload cargo, and Jaal’s attention had been too divided to know who was helping him. The memory amused him greatly. After docking instructions were given via the comms channel with air control, Jaal turned over landing duty to ID10 and stood up, his new lightsaber now visible on his hip in addition to a Jedi robe over his armor.

Looking around the control room and walking through the ship toward the ramp, Jaal couldn’t help but notice how busy his ship had become. Typically, the ship was full of cargo, if nothing else, and he and ID10 would have long stretches of space with no one else on board. Now, he felt like half the Temple was crammed into the ship. It was strange, but he enjoyed the company.

As the company departed the ship, Grovaak heard Master Runa mention that Knight Al’Kesh was nowhere to be found. That, he thought, does not bode well. He should have been here by now.

Perhaps we should pay a visit to his ship, to see if we can find or sense anything that may tell us where he is.

As Jaal exited the ship, he paid a visit to his weapon locker, selecting his Relby-k23 blaster and slipping it into the holster at his side. He had a lightsaber, of course, but he knew his skills were rusty, and knew a backup would be a smart idea. Grovaak had encouraged him to practice with his new lightsaber, but the time before the mission had been short. During that small window of downtime, Jaal had squeezed in as much time as possible in the training rooms, and though he had regained some of his former ability, he was far from the point of giving up his blasters entirely.

TAG:
@Bardan_Jusik, All

 

IC: Knight Cora, Claudius
Aboard the Unnecessary Force, en route to Mandalore

Cora felt a little nervous as they approached Mandalore, and sat back in the seats behind Claudius making sure to strap herself in. When they started getting fired upon, Cora winched physically. Taab was doing his best to dodge but that had only worked out for so long before they were hurtling toward the surface. There was a crash and Cora found herself momentarily knocked out. When she came too, she was laying in the wreckage, out of her seat; and a sharp throbbing pain coming from her right leg.

"Cora." Claudius came into her vision, a few minor scraps on his face as she knelt down beside her.

"Hey." She tried to smile at him, but bit her lip as he placed a hand on her leg. "I think it might be broken." It sure feels like it anyway.

"You have a good cut on you're leg but it missed anything vital." Claudius said softly. He looked around and made sure she was lying back as he took out a small knife. Claudius cut away at some of her tunic and tied it tightly around her leg to slow some of the bleeding until they could get bacta. "We've crashed on Concordia." Claudius repeated, though the name of the moon didn't mean much to him, but then again Claudius had only been to so many places outside of Chiss space.

"Oh." Cora answered, but then swallowed hard. Great. We've landed in the one place that hates Jedi. Cora struggled for a minute and stood; pushing through the pain even though Claudius put his arm around her to take some weight off of her leg. She looked at Troi as he spoke about Death Watch, and almost laughed at their situation, how they had not fared better this time. "I'm just glad we're somewhat okay." She looked at the wreckage and felt a pang of sorrow for Taab.

Tag: @Bardan_Jusik

 

IC Ananta Chetan
Lothal

I finally lowered the macrobinoculars after one last repeated pan of the horizon.

Nothing.

Emitting an audible sigh, I crouched and lifted a handful of loose Lothal soil in my hands, slowly letting it sift through my fingers.

Where are you?

Devaronians weren't exactly know to be the most rational and cautious in their choices. Still, Al'kesh was a tried and trusted Knight. There had to be a simple explanation.

Perhaps we should pay a visit to his ship, to see if we can find or sense anything that may tell us where he is. Master Grovaak's suggestion seemed the most practical.

Nodding at the Wookie Master's words, I momentarily closed my eyes to listen to and feel any vibrations rippling through the Living Force of our missing comrade.

Ending my brief meditation, I turned back to the group.

Do we still have a hard copy of Al'kesh's message to the Temple? Play it again. Perhaps there's something subtle we missed.


TAG @Bardan_Jusik @Mitth_Fisto @ConservativeJedi321 @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha @Sarge @TheRynJedi @Bodhran777 @Rebecca_Daniels

 

IC: Semajj Nosrep
Lothal

As the large group of Jedi disembarked the Aurora Dawn, the Ongree Jedi stood next to his new Padawan learner. Knight Al'Kesh was not there to meet them, which perturbed the Knight, who shifted on his feet in an attempt to regain focus. Master Runa had taken in the oddity of it as well, as he stated "Curious. I do hope nothing has happened to him." Al'Kesh was a capable scout for sure, though after how his last mission had ended Semajj was starkly aware of the fact that anything could go wrong.
"Indeed. Do we have alternate ways to contact and find him?" Jo Sodi inquired, which illicited a response from Master Grovaak "Perhaps we should pay a visit to his ship, to see if we can find or sense anything that may tell us where he is."

Master Chetan agreed, adding his own wisdom to the discussion. "Do we still have a hard copy of Al'kesh's message to the Temple? Play it again. Perhaps there's something subtle we missed."
At first glance this seemed unlikely to Semajj, but then it was not an inconceivable scenario.

"In any case we should be ready for anything." He reached under his robe, retrieving a cylindric lightsaber from the right side of his belt. Handing the spare weapon to his apprentice Vanora, he spoke carefully. "If Al'Kesh is not here there is probably a reason, hopefully benign. All the same, if something has happened there is surely a trail to follow somewhere."

Tags: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, @Bardan_Jusik, @Mitth_Fisto, @Ananta Chetan, @Sarge, @TheRynJedi, @Bodhran777, @Rebecca_Daniels

 

IC: Vanora Cinali
Lothal

Vanora debarked with the rest onto the attractive and tranquil world of Lothal. The sky was clear, the sun bright overhead.

The Masters discussed amongst themselves the worrying fact that Master Al'Kesh was not there, as expected, and they discussed the best option to discover the reason for the no-show. In her opinion, usually there was an ominous reason, but she hoped their search would not end tragically.

Master Nosrep handed her a spare lightsaber, and she smiled in thanks and slid it into her side-pouch.

Tags for:

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@Bardan_Jusik
@Mitth_Fisto
@Ananta Chetan
@Bodhran777
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