Walking the temple of Lothal

[Melania]

Mei arrives at the temple on Lothal and lets out a low sigh. She nods at one of the Jedi guards as she walks past and into the temple itself. She closes her eyes as she steps in and let herself go to see if she can find anyone she knows through the force. She feels Emerald's presence and a small smile appears on her lips before it vanishes behind her mask of no emotion. She opens her eyes to see a young padawan looking at her.

when she raises an eyebrow at the young one she smiles at her and runs off most likely to either find her master or get to class. Mei lets out a slow sigh as she walks into one of the Knight Meditation rooms and its down and closes her eyes. She lets everything slip away as she lets the force flow through her letting her mind and ears hear all around her.

@Undine

 

[Undine]

The Jedi temple on Lothal was full of mystery and secrets, entire chambers and tunnels were closed off by unknown means and it constantly felt like the rooms were changing around when she wasn't looking. It had been nearly three weeks since the events on Nal Hutta, the Horansi Jedi Knight had been transported to this Jedi temple out on the edge of the galaxy to heal from the injury to her knee, having broken it fighting one of her own deranged sister in arms. The encounter had left more for her to recover from than a simple broken leg though, something even the famed Jedi healers could not fix. The death of the Neti Jedi on Nal Hutta had had more of an effect on her then she'd thought at first. With every passing day as she redeveloped her ability to walk again, Emerald was also growing more inward, attempting to understand what had turned the Jedi Knight to darkness.

Even as her knee had begun to completely heal under the watchful eyes of her healers, the last few moments of the Neti's life, the fear, confusion, and regret, it all hunted her mind. Filling her days with deep meditation and thought. Had it been the destruction of Tython? Had her connection to the planet been so strong that without it she could no longer see her way through the light? Or was it simply the overwhelming loss of so many Jedi that had broken her mind? Emerald still remembered when she'd heard about the planet's destruction. She'd been on Hapes escorting a Jedi Initiate as she'd visited her family. The two of them had gone to the Hapes system so the Initiate could come to terms with the murder of her sister, but before they'd left, it was like the very ground from under them had disappeared and they were just falling.

After the destruction of Tython the entire Republic, and many other worlds had mourned the fallen Jedi. Emerald had known no other incident in all of history where so many of her brothers and sisters had fallen. Perhaps some Jedi simply hadn't know how to move forward, and it pained Emerald more than anything to think that there were still others out there among their ranks who might also feel that way. How many would turn to insanity to quell their troubled hearts and minds? How many more would dull their pain by causing the deaths of innocents? Decades from now, there would be elderly Jedi that would still be breaking down and panicking over the horror that was the destruction of Tython. In an odd sense, Emerald was glad the Neti had died, her suffering ended, but their crimes she'd committed against the people of Nal Hutta would have seen her put in a cell in some Jedi asylum hidden deep somewhere.

The entire mental conflict was exhausting, far more so than any amount of physical therapy, and yet, in some way Emerald felt compelled to seek to learn something from the Neti's death, if only to provide it all with some meaning other than the end of the Neti's own suffering. There had to be a greater purpose to it all, something to be gained from her loss and her suffering. Emerald never wanted to see any life extinguished without a cause, much less blowout like the whisper of a candle's light simply meant to be forgotten by sunrise. Every life would have it's end, this was the rule of all living things, but when that end was forced upon someone, Emerald wanted to know why. Alas, there seemed to be no reason, no reason at all. The Neti woman had suffered a great loss, one that not even Emerald could fully understand, having only ever been to Tython once. She hadn't known anyone who'd died, she'd lost no friends or teachers. Every member of the Jedi she'd ever known was either based on Dantooine or wandered the galaxy only meeting other Jedi in passing.

Depression had threatened to take her mind, and Emerald had been keen to let it. She hadn't seen sunlight in weeks, the Lothal temple held its fair share of things to see, but she could only be sidetracked from her meditations by some sort of vision so many times before it'd become tedious. The longer she stayed here the more she came to understand that the Lothal temple was never meant to be a permanent home for any Jedi, it served a singular purpose, and she and other Jedi had come and ignored that purpose attempting to set up a functioning temple. Lothal was a sort of proving grounds, a way for Jedi to find guidance and wisdom from the Force itself. A place of secluded meditation and in depth learning, never a fully functioning temple. It held no dedicated living quarters or other necessary locations of day to day life, at least none the other Jedi had attempted to force upon the temple, which seemed to almost attempt to counter such efforts.

Emerald had a strange sense that the wall were watching her at all times, almost like the faint echo of a whisper could be heard on ever paused silence. The very air itself moved from room to room as if dancing so as to pull one Jedi or another down some tunnel or pathway no one had realized had been there. Even now, sitting in her wheelchair in one of the many meditation rooms, Emerald had to second guess her own eyes when Mei walked in, at first assuming it was another one of the temple's tricks. It soon became obvious that the young Jedi Knight was really the same one Emerald had worked with on Nal Hutta, almost as if the temple had called the Jedi Knight here to help Emerald understand the events of Nal Hutta. Turning to face the younger Jedi, Emerald offered a short greeting, not wishing to disturb any other Jedi intent on meditating. "Jedi greets Jedi, Mei O'hara, it's been a few weeks since we worked together, but Emerald is glad to see you again." The Horansi had no idea why Mei had come to Lothal, but she hoped she wouldn't mind a nice chat, as Emerald wanted to know if the younger Jedi had thought upon the twist of events on Nal Hutta as much as she had, or even at all.​

 

[Melania]

Mei smiled a little at Emerald and bowed her head. She was happy to see the Horansi again she saw she was still in a wheelchair which saddened her but she kept that emotion from showing. "I am fine, I have been trying to keep busy after Nal Hutta. I have not been successful at it," she said with a small sigh. She then rolled her shoulder a little and looked up at the ceiling. She could hear echoes all around this place but she shook her head to drive them out of her head. "I do not think I could stay here for more than a few days. The echoes of this place would drive me insane," she said and smiled a little bit at Emerald.

 

[Undine]

Emerald couldn't help but smirk at the Nagai's words, the temple here on Lothal was indeed a mysterious place, Emerald had half a mind to tell the young Jedi knight that those echos she kept hearing weren't the type of echos she thought they were, but she decided against it. There would really be no real reason to freak the younger Jedi out, at least for any reason other than Emerald's own amusement, which didn't seem fair. "You mentioned keeping busy, perhaps you could sneak Emerald out of this place and we could find something to occupy our time." Emerald stood up and limped her way across the room to the door, her leg had healed enough to walk on though it did become painful after a hour or so. "That grumpy old healer they assigned to fix Emerald's leg won't let this one have anything other than water. She says alcohol leads to dark tendencies." Emerald said with a laugh as she ducked he head out the door to see if said healer was nearby before sneaking off down the hallway.

Emerald didn't have to go very far to find her room, she shared it with an extremely elderly Nautolan woman named Master Sydella. Sydella had been one of the few pleasant surprises to be found on Lothal, as the easiness of the temple off put even most Jedi, Emerald included. It was only just a couple days ago Emerald had been allowed to walk the temple perimeter to get some fresh air, but the old healer in charge of her care had managed to make even that reprieve ungrativing. Emerald walked into her room only to find Master Sydella already dressed as if to leave. The Jedi Knight was barely able to ask what the elderly Jedi Master had in mind before being cut off. "I'm going with you, I've been cooped up in here far longer then you have and I want a drink too." With well over a century of service to the the Jedi, it was no real surprise Master Sydella had managed to overhear the two young Knights speaking down the hall.

Emerald cracked a cheeky grin before moving towards her bed looking for her lightsaber and her outdoor robes. Quickly dressing herself, Emerald managed to introduce Mei and Sydella while putting on her boots. "Mei, meet Master Sydella, Sydella, meet Knight Mei O'hara. Jedi greets Jedi, now let's get out of her before Nurse Oldfart comes and finds us." Emerald got up and continued to limb her way down the hall, stopping at every corner as Master Sydella stayed on her tail, chastising the younger Jedi for not having more keen senses while pulling her back when nearly getting spotted. Emerald finally stopped to look at the elderly woman, "Would you prefer to lead?" Sydella simply pinched her for her obtuseness and moved on ahead, leaving Emerald snickering in her wake.​

 

[Melania]

Mei smiled and shook her head at the antics of the master Jedi she nodded her head at the master. She then began to walk with them as the sneak out of the temple to get some drinks. She shook her head again as she heard more echoes. She would be glad to be out of here. How Emerald could spend so much time here she did not know. She smirked at the master and Emerald as they had their little exchange. she walked next to Emerald and led in, "She is lively it seems."letting some of her amusement come through. She was happy they were leaving this temple it creeped her out but she was not going to voice that.

 

[Undine]

Master Sydella was an odd creature, even by Emerald's standards, the elderly Nautolan had told the Horansi tales of her past, how she'd once been swallowed by a sando aqua monster and cut her way out during a mission to help a Gungan village on Naboo. Master Sydella had also told her of other less adventurous wonders she'd seen in her time, such as when she'd once witnessed how the Cathedral of Winds would vibrate as it played the annual Concert of the Winds on Vortex. Emerald had seen and done many great things throughout her life in service to the Jedi, but Master Sydella it seemed had done and seen so much more. Decades of joy and wonder that no sith would ever take from her. On top of it all, the elderly Nautolan had taught nearly a hundred younglings, mentoring multiple generations of Jedi knights and masters, many of whom she'd outlived, a thought that terrified Emerald as much as it left her in awe of the frail woman.

Despite that perceived frailty, Sydella lead the way with haste, it was clear she knew the path her feet walked better than any other Jedi in the temple, possible any Jedi alive, but with every corner turned or hallway crossed, her steps changed from quick to silent then back again almost with the same rhythm as her breathing. Emerald had picked up on how attuned Sydella's senses really were weeks ago, it was obvious that the older Jedi was listening to the various other Jedi throughout the temple. If she had had the mind to do so, Emerald had no doubt Sydella would have been the greatest gossip ever. The Horansi smiled to herself as she snickered at the thought under her breath, there was just something about such an old Jedi leading them in their mischief that felt so exciting to her. Emerald mentally chastised herself for not thinking to ask the aquatic Jedi to join them in the first place.

The old crone was leading them down a hallway Emerald hadn't been to before, there didn't seem to be any other Jedi about either. Despite the ever growing sensation that they were in a part of the temple they shouldn't be, Emerald continued to follow the older woman, turning to look at Mei before speaking up about her concerns. "Sydella, where exactly are you leading us?" Her words faded into the air like whispers in a crowded room because just as she spoke the elderly Jedi halted her steps as a temple guard brandished their lightsaber, stepping into their path with a patient silence and a dominating presence. He or she wasn't a large being, definitely humanoid, though the two-toed boots revealed that they were not in fact human. They held their lightsaber almost as if it were a shield, meant more to keep them from moving forward than to appear threatening.

All Jedi could be called on to serve as temple guards, but when one in the position they held the regard of any and every Jedi, no matter their rank. Not even Emerald would have been foolish enough to challenge a temple guard, if for no other reason than that she didn't particularly like the idea of being imprisoned or exiled, not to mention the possibility of death. Master Sydella on the other hand had no such qualms about the prospect, Emerald finally thought that perhaps the old woman had truly gone senile when the Nautolan raised her hand and the temple guard's lightsaber pike flew into her hand. "Child, I have served at your very post for more than a decade, even served as a Warden and Sentinel generations before your master was even a youngling in this very temple. I will not be held prisoner in the healing halls by Jedi Healers who know nothing of what it means to heal true wounds. Now, stand aside." The authority in the elderly Jedi's voice was enough to make even Emerald's tail curl around her leg.

Emerald was torn, one the one hand she was slightly afraid of what would happen if the guard reported them, but at the same time she was afraid for the guard should he not do as instructed. Luckily, the guard bowed and stepped aside, and Master Sydella returned the saber pike to him with a nod of approval as she walked passed him. Still, Emerald's heart raced and she hesitated to follow the older woman's footsteps. She'd never know a temple guard to let their emotions be sensed by those around them, but as he stood like a silent statue watching them pass by, she sensed a great deal of admiration and joy from the jedi guard. Whoever the Jedi guard was, he nodded to her as she walked by, almost as if he could read her mind, something Emerald thought might very well be a possibility but turned to follow Master Sydella rather than linger on the subject. She almost laughed at the thought of what would have been going through Mei's mind that the temple guardian might have picked up on.​

 

[Soverin]

The force rippled upon the atmosphere, brushing the skin and pulling at the mind just a short ways outside of the hallowed temple.

It was universally true that Jedi came to Lothal to seek healing, though not all wounds were inflicted of the flesh. It pulsed again, this time stronger and with greater struggle. The sound of it swallowed the quiet air and resided in one's ears for a short spell. A dull thrum. Crimson skin tightened and stretched on his form as the initiate tried his power, torso bare to the cool breeze pushing and pulling the tall grass in it's back and forth dance.

He breathed hard through his nostrils, and again he tried. Both hands moved in slow course out before him, palms aimed at the broad side of a tall standing stone with blue runes painted upon it's face. The force bellowed out, but there was no shift in the pattern of blowing grass and singing winds. The stone stood mocking him, seemingly comfortable in it's ancient resting place.

The red skinned apprentice curved his bony brows down, scrunching his nose and shadowing silvery blue eyes. In a few short breaths the frustration building in his chest had been exuded -- absorbed and dispersed by the planet's own seemingly mystical energy. He had followed instruction, drawing upon all the knowledge he could recall in his studies, but there was something missing.

A passing thought drew his gaze down to his tense palms and he curled his fingers in and open wide once more. After a moment he slowly lowered to sit with both legs crossed close, palms flat in his lap. He took a breath to feel the air coursing in and out of his lungs, dropping his full weight to the floor and relaxing his shoulders. He felt the soft earth beneath him, and cherished the gentle winds. Both eyes closed in quiet contemplation, and once again he rose his hands, tilting both palms curled up slightly as if to collect the drops of an invisible rain. When he moved his hands forth once more, it was without force, but with guidance. He submit to the energy of the planet, and life around him, extending his arms to their full length before him. So lost was he in his gesture that it took a few seconds to open his eyes afterward.

There before the standing stone then lay an uncovered path of rich dirt, beset from the lush blanket that covered the rest of the area. If but for only a moment, a smile crept onto his features but was quickly replaced with an expression of wonder. His breathing returned to normal after a few quick pants and he collapsed with back to the ground. He had earned a few moments to rest and recollect.

Kos thought of the entire planet as one massive fluffy beast, whose swaying grass made a bed like thick fur. Extending his arms out wide at each side he ran his hands through it, feeling the cool blades glide between his fingers. Laying in that bed of grass he had made a long thought on decision -- green was his favorite color.

 

[Melania]

Mei giggled lightly as they walked. She then coughed as she heard the older Jedi master talk to the guard like that. She had never seen one of the Jedi Guards back off so quick. She followed behind and smiled at Emerald. "You're going to have to teach me how to do that master Sydella," she said in a half amused voice. She didn't open up much but maybe should could around Sydella and Emerald and not be judged by how she really was. Maybe could have fun with Emerald and be herself.

 

[Undine]

Master Sydella turned to the younger of the two Jedi knights with a grin at the girl's comment. "Mei my dear, I'd be more than happy to show a beautiful woman like yourself how to get men to do just about anything." Emerald was left rolling her eyes, there were just some things she simply never wanted to understand about humanoids, Sydella's innuendo included. Without much more hesitation, the elderly Jedi pushed a small section of the wall revealing a hidden switch. For a few seconds nothing happened, then the dull sounds of metal and stone moving about inside the walls could be heard before the stone roof above them started to lower itself, reforming to to a thin and steep staircase of sorts. A few bits of dirt and dust fell from above as Emerald moved to push open the metal door that had been revealed. It took a bit of force and much more dirt fell from above as the door finally budged, but with a screech of metal and the tearing of the thin roots of grass above, sunlight poured into the underground hallway.

Emerald grinned, it was an escape hatch, most likely one among many if she'd learned anything about the Lothal temple. The large feline Jedi noticed another Jedi just off and over the nearby hill, he seemed to be doing some sort of martial meditation by the looks of it. Emerald just hoped he wouldn't run off to alert someone of their escape. As she moved to let Sydella pass, she offered the elderly Jedi one of her paws in case to Master needed to steady herself. Master Sydella simply smiled and took her paw, though there didn't seem to be much need for it. Emerald offered the same kindness to Mei as well before turning and hollering over to the red skinned Jedi about a dozen meters away. "Jedi greets Jedi." Waving one of her massive paws at the humanoid boy. She hadn't met him yet, but she had been spending most of her time locked in the healing halls. Meeting the rest of the Jedi here would be part of the fun of her little adventure, or at least she hoped so.

Master Sydella seemed to pause for a second, closing her eyes and basking in the rays of sunlight. Emerald noticed a sense of renewed strength in the elderly woman that was beautiful to behold. The brush of the slight breeze against her head tendrils seemed to catch the elderly woman off guard though, almost as if she'd forgotten the sensation and Emerald wondered just how long the Jedi Master had been kept in the healing halls herself. That painful thought was brushed aside as the elderly Nautolan spoke. "Aw, Lothal, a world truly touched by the Force, is it not?" Emerald had to agree, in many ways the world reminded her of Dantooine, but it had a history to it that Dantooine was just starting to grow into and the people of Lothal were much more developed socially. Dantooine being little more than a few small farming communities outside the main cities.

There was something about Master Sydella that made Emerald appreciate her own experiences with the Jedi and the galaxy so much more. The last few years she felt like she was drifting from the Jedi, growing more cynical and disinterested in the war and the troubles of the sith. Emerald saw now that she'd grown to focused on her own experiances and what she was doing to truly be able to consider things as they were, rather then how she'd perceived them to be. Just spending time with the old fish had given her so much more to cherish. The Jedi weren't just some group of people that fought against the darkness, they were family, Emerald's family, and more than ever that was becoming more and more apparent to the Horansi Jedi Knight.​

 

[Melania]

Mei smiled at Sydella as they walked on after she told her that. She then raised an eyebrow at the boy meditating as she took Emerald's paw with a small smile. She showed no emotion as she looked at the boy though. She laughed softly when she heard Sydella made her comment but then shivered. "Damn voices" she mumbled under her breath as Emerald greets the young man. She had never seen him.

 

[Soverin]

Only a few moments of rest passed before a sudden beckoning caught his ear. It was immediately noticeable as it lept out of the chorus of alien birds and sifting winds -- a voice that spoke friendly enough. The sithblood loosely gripped the center of his saberstaves hilt and clutched his robes and effects, whisking them from the grass as he rose to a stand. The sun momentarily blinded his perception of the newcomers and forced him to raise a hand up over his eyes to shield them.

There they stood, three women, one elderly by his account. Perhaps a veteran healer, he thought. What he'd done to rouse attention flew into mind shortly after. Alas, his free hand slowly rose above head with fingers splayed haphazardly. "Greetings." He called over the short distance.

Starting his trek down the hill and away from the standing stones, he gestured back at his previous position and begun to explain: "I was just meditating. Practicing to push with the force." Kos stood firm a few paces away, things splayed over his shoulder. Providing explanation before it'd been asked for had become a second nature to him. Too many a time had sabers been drawn against him in vain, usually by fellow initiates... But it had made him cautious. A sort of unfortunate racial prejudice he had grown accustomed to. There was a kindred spirituality to the jedi, tenuous but faithful, as he stood there with steel eyes darting around at them.

 

[Undine]

Emerald had seen sith purebloods before, only ever on the opposing side of a battlefield, but the light side was ever present and undisturbed. Unlike most of her fellow Jedi, especially humans, the Horansi was never one to judge another by their race as she herself had been judged to be a simple minded beast by her peers early in her training. The large feline chuffed at the young boy as he greeted her in turn, and she led the group of Jedi to meet him halfway, they would be headed in his direction anyway, since the city lay beyond him. Emerald doubted Mei would be one to judge the newcomer either, since she herself was also one prone to judgement due to her species, sometimes it seemed as if the only species humans liked where their own.

Master Sydella similarly seemed unfazed by the red skinned Jedi, and since she'd lived during the last war with the sith, she had more reason to hate his people than any other Jedi Emerald could think of. If anything, the elderly Jedi seemed overjoyed to see him. "Ah, young man, seeing you here as a Jedi warms my heart more than you can imagine. It is an honor to meet you." Emerald nearly fell over, she'd never witness the old bat speaking so kindly to anyone before, there seemed to be a hint of attraction in her words as well. That was the moment Emerald remembered that Sydella had told her she'd been exiled from the Order at one point because she'd fallen in love with a sith, but she had never told her that the sith in question had been a sith pureblood. This revelation only made Emerald curious to see how the young Jedi would take the elderly woman's advances.

With that in mind, as they finally managed to meet up with him, Emerald offered her own name in exchange for his. "This one is called Emerald, you are?" Her words were offered alongside a hug, many smaller Jedi commented that her hugs were bear hugs, which only confused Emerald as she was not a bear, but she'd grown tired of trying to understand human references. "We are headed into town for some revelry, care to join us?" Emerald smiled down at the young man, as far as she was concerned, the more Jedi that opted to join in the better, it was always more fun that way. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Sydella would agree, and Mei had already said she was looking for something to do, one more to tag along couldn't hurt.​

 

[Melania]

Mei nodded her head at the young man, her hair falling over her face as she did. She tucked it behind her pointed ear looked at him in the eyes. "My name is Mei, and we would love for you to join us. Also, you do not need to worry about us judging you as both Emerald and me know what it's like. When I was an Initiate I was always called a Knife and told I would never fit in because I was brought from a Nagai Monastery when I was twelve. My people's Monasteries train the young to be assassins. but I am now a Jedi Knight and have proven myself to the order that I am a Jedi." she says hoping to ease him. She hears the voices again and shivers but makes it look like it's because of the cold air. Sometimes she hated having a strong connection to the force.