Open Yavin IV A Temple Venture

[Rej]

In the several weeks since Rej hid aboard a Jedi’s ship, he’d found himself a routine on Yavin IV. It was a lush, albeit slightly dangerous atmosphere outside the temple. He’d hunted plenty of game beyond the confines of the stoney spires many force-sensitives called home. He’d found plenty of tree leaves to perch on to watch life go by. He’d even enjoyed watching these strange people from afar, practicing their attempts to withdraw from the physical world to seek what lie ‘beyond’.

For Rej, it all made no difference whatsoever. Every day, he lived beyond the Temple’s entrance to yet again build a routine that worked. Each of those days were filled with the excitement of new discoveries and fears that awaited him. Fearless though he was, he was also exhausted. In the seven years he’d been alive, he’d seen so many loved ones come and go – or let him go. He’d seen many more parts of the galaxy than most loth cats his age. As the years wore on, however, he increasingly sought someplace to just be at peace. In some ways he was lonely. In others, he just wanted to be sure he was safe.

Unlike the chaotic, often dirty streets of Coruscant, where he spent some months, the Temple seemed to beckon him. In those weeks, he generally stayed away from going near its walls. Every few hours, it seemed to Rej, people came and went. Over the years, he’d grown tired of the racket starfighters made. Their engines overwhelmed his senses of the nearby dangers that lurked. In those weeks, however, and unbeknownst to him, he got closer to the Temple’s walls. Today, he felt confident in himself, TODAY, was the day he’d get a closer look. He glided behind the myriad shrubs that draped the Temple quadrangle walls. He stooped down several times to ‘feel’ his way toward the entrance. Hidden in a bush – seemingly the last before he would have to take the plunge and enter the Temple’s walls, he gazed at the opening, thinking of his next move.

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

When he’d first wanted to be a Jedi, it had been about going on adventures, playing mind tricks with the Force, and epic lightsaber duels. But ever since he’d arrived on Yavin, Quin found out that there was so much more. He’d certainly had his fair share of adventures— befriending a nexu(kind of), chasing after missing Banthas, exploring new temples, traipsing through a jungle that had come out of nowhere.

And, after all that, he’d come to realize that sometimes, the best days were the days that he could simply relax and do nothing.

So he had with him a book now, lying on a bench just outside the temple hangar while lifting the book directly over his face. It was quieter than usual today, not that he minded. The glare from the sun made it difficult to read, but he didn’t feel like getting up and moving to a better position. He could have easily used a datapad, but there was just something about flipping a real paper page that he liked.

But just as he was about to move on to the next one, he felt the presence of something else in the Force. A someone, maybe? Sitting up and putting the book down, Quin looked around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Hm. Probably just my imagination. With an inward shrug, he picked his book up again and resumed reading, though he couldn’t help glancing at a nearby bush. He swore that he saw it move just out of the corner of his eye, but it was still now.

I must be going crazy. Oh well.

@Rehber

 

[Maura Starwalk]

Every day at the Temple that she didn't have to go to class was a good day because it meant she could do the same things she did on days there were class without getting in trouble for skipping. Today was one of those good days. Instead of hiding out in random storage rooms, setting up pranks, or pounding her fingers away at her datapad, she'd chosen to roam around outside. Her only desire was to find someone to mess with—preferably by giving them a fright as she burst out of the bushes with a loud yell.

Eventually, Maura spotted Quin (@Sicadorito ) reading quietly to himself and marked him as her first victim. She'd never actually spoken to him before, but he looked vaguely familiar. Most everyone at the Temple did because even if she didn't know them personally, she saw them walking the halls or eating in the cafeteria. That didn't stop her from targeting him, keeping her eyes locked on him as she prowled through the landscaping. She was almost on all fours, stepping quietly as possible.

Just as she was about to position herself to scare him, her black eyes found something much more interesting (@Rehber ). A tail just barely poked out of a bush, and when she snuck up to stick her face inside, it lit up with joy at the sight of the creature. It was a lothcat! What was he doing here?

"Hiiii!" she whispered-shouted, her pupils dilating to account for the dimness in the shrub. "You're so cute! Are you hungry? I bet you're hungry! Stay right here!" Her voice grew continuously louder and just as quick as she arrived, Maura raced off. She ran through Quin's field of view as she ran off towards the cafeteria, intent on returning with food the cute little creature she'd just run into.

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Amid her gallivanting around the galaxy, such as either was, Vayla made it a routine effort to return to Yavin for more than just business.

It was a home away from home, one being the outer expanse as much as her starship, the Star’s Sanctum, and if Yavin was not the Jedi’s home then she would not know what else to call it.

There was the temple itself, no doubt, but also the jungles themselves; the moon that allowed the temple to dwell upon it, and in turn those Jedi who took care of it. That was only right as far as Vayla was concerned, and her efforts on this world were just as much focused on maintaining the temple gardens.

Though, there was a selfish element to that too; planting the seeds, watching them grow, comforting their stem and flower with a hand or two. I’m getting carried away already.

She smiled toward a plant, recognizing it for a Padawan, and those she could count on one hand. Don’t lose that smile, Vay. She would not, especially after feeling a familiar presence.

Outside the temple hangar, the Force permeated as much as within the walls, the air beneath the sky merely a conduit for shared signatures. That energy was isolated to one spot, one bench, and it stole the Knight’s gaze.

“Fiction or non?” Vayla’s voice cast over the boy on the bench. She had strolled forth to now stand a few feet beside it, smiling. Quin Leonkri just as well might have recognized her own presence unless the Padawan was distracted. Pad. Yes. That’s what I called him.


@Rehber @Sicadorito

 

[Rej]

There were few things more troublesome for a loth cat than not realizing they weren’t as camouflaged as they thought. How could it be helped? From their beady little eyes, colors were more subdued. Summer looked like autumn. The galaxy wasn’t much more defined for the feline than some near-sighted sentients. Any Cathar would understand. Rej wasn’t unlike the many stereotypes sentients had attributed to orange loth cats: affectionate, relaxed, chilled. Sure, he could hold his own in a fight and was far from the dumb tabby housecat. He still loved a hunt. And the size didn’t matter.

That bush was teeming with life. Teeny tiny creatures that weren’t worth Rej’s, effort except for a scritch from the back leg, were left to be on their way. But, oh, how there was a scrumptious looking frog in the distance. Quiet though it may have been, even Rej could *hear* and see its movements under a bench outside the temple hangar. The sturdy orange cat’s eyes dilated. The hunt was on, and he was hungry. His left ear twitched a bit, shoving off some insignificant annoying insect. He buried his chest to the ground. His bum lifted ever so slightly and waved to whatever lay behind him. It was about to go down.

Suddenly, a young boy sat on the bench (@Sicadorito ), holding a book. Rej’s view of the frog was disturbed by the youth’s legs. What to do? There wasn’t much time, in the feline’s mind. His eyes shifted between the last sighting of the frog and the boy’s boot. He wiggled his bum again, committed to his attack when suddenly: “Hiiii!”

Rej’s body froze. Oh. My. Sith. “don’t move, you’re fine. DON’T MOVE YOU’RE FINE” half his brain said. The other half, which had spent so many times in the arms of loved ones, calmed him down. His body began to relax. Eyes still locked between the frog and the boy’s boots, another, taller sentient stood next to the boy and began speaking to him (@Die Shize ). Still hunkered down on the ground, he knew this hunt was over. His front legs lifted him up. His puffy orange tail was the first to pop out of the bush. It twitched a bit as he looked up and as his gaze shifted to see another one of these tall beings towering over him (@lizziie ), his head tilted to one side as he let out a slightly broken “raaaa?” as if replying while the tips of his ears wiggled in excitement.

Whatever the being was saying, as she continued in her increasingly excited tone, the message to him was clear: “you’re safe. I’ll take care of you.” The frog no longer mattered. Nor the four boots that were in the target path. Rej reiterated interest with a “reeaaaah?” as the contrasting hair of the being waved slightly in the wind. The waves contrasted so much with the muted landscape that Rej, as the being ran away, immediately jumped gleefully out of the bush and followed.

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Putting his book down as he caught sight of something moving once more, he looked up to see a rainbow-haired girl dashing right past him. He’d seen her around before in the temple, though they’d never spoken. What was she running for? Was there something wrong? It didn’t seem like it— all he could feel was excitement.

He was about to get up and ask what it was when he heard a familiar voice coming from his side. He turned around, pleasantly surprised at the sight of the person standing there. Master Mirror? The woman’s smile was infectious.

“Fiction. I spend way more time in the real world,” he replied with a grin as he closed the book and set it to the side. But just as he was about to ask how she was doing, he spotted something running after Maura. Was that a loth cat?

“Whoa, what’s he doing here?” he exclaimed, abruptly getting to his feet as he looked at Vayla. Since when did we have loth cats on Yavin? He was half inclined to chase after the cat to try and catch him somehow, give him a warm place to sleep or something, but he didn’t want to scare him. Then again, he was probably long gone by now.

“Well, uh, it’s been a while,” Quin said, rubbing the back of his neck as he turned to meet Vayla’s eyes. “Sorry. I’ve just always wanted a loth cat.” The closest he’d gotten to having one was the nexu who’d attacked him, then ended up guiding him to his kyber crystal. That had been an interesting experience, but he’d always look back on it fondly. Maybe this loth cat was something special too. When it comes to the Force, nothing ever happens by accident.

@lizziie @Die Shize @Rehber

 

[Maura Starwalk]

Maura burst into the Temple, skidding across the smooth floor as she ran inside as fast as her little legs could take her. Her mind was on a singular track, mapping out the quickest route to the cafeteria, and she forgot to make sure the doors were shut behind her. She paid no mind to it though, and only increased her speed as she pulled the Force into her body to move her along. Rej would be able to waltz right in if he wanted to, though the many eyes of Jedi would fall upon him curiously.

"Maura! No running in the— Maura!"

The child paid no mind to the reprimanding voice either, just barely getting around the corner before the knight could yank her back through the Force. A fit of giggles could be heard getting more and more distant as she raced away and disappeared into the Temple complex. Her feet took her all the way to the caféteria, then back again with a bag full of scraps she swiped off someone's abdandond tray. This time though, the knight was ready.

"Maura!" The Force held her still mid stride, and her black eyes shot over to the man as a sheepish grin widend her lips. "Yes...?"

"You need to stop running in the halls! You could run into someone and hurt them or yourself. What in the world is so important that you have to run?" He released her from the Force stasis, and she stumbled for a second before she got her footing.

"I found a lothcat! I have to give him this so he won't be hungry!" Maura pointed excitedly at the bag of yummy scraps she'd acquired. The knight sighed, then gestured for her to leave. Maura happily left, walking as fast as she could without being flagged for running by him again.

She just had to find the lothcat!

tag: @Die Shize @Rehber @Sicadorito

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

The cat had all but conquered the conversation between two Jedi and, for that, Vayla had half a mind to tug it back with a few Force fingers and stroke it with said fingers. Cute little critter. Temperamental creatures, this one could be in any kind of mood as it took off running.

“I don’t blame you, Quin-Quin. Question is…is that one a stray or is the owner nearby?” She was as curious as concerned. If that loth-cat was not a new arrival then it was surely friendly enough for the Jedi to put up with it. Also a crafty little creature. Popping out from the bush like that.

Any concern was promptly wiped away with a broad smile. Beneath the daylight, amid the goings to and fro of fellow Jedi all around, and in the company of Padawan Leonkri, well, Vayla was in cheerful spirits to say the least.

“This calls for another adventure, Pad. We can catch each other up on the way. Let’s go find that cat!”

Though the young man seemed to be at peace reading his book, he had closed it and expressed his desire for a loth-cat so Vayla was sure he would be up for the hunt as she gave a playful pursuit.


@Rehber @lizziie @Sicadorito

 

[Juno]

Juno was at a loss. The thick underbrush of the moon’s forests constantly snagged and stained his robes, only adding further insult to his lack of progress. “I couldn’t have read it wrong twice! Could I?” Juno spoke aloud to no one in particular as he continued to mull over the datapad in front of him. Despite his learned Jedi senses, it seemed that locating the temple wasn’t as easy as he had hoped. Though, he supposed that only spoke volumes of the Jedi order’s ability to stay hidden from unwanted eyes.

Juno took inventory of his stock and the results weren’t any better. 1 Cantine of water, half-empty, and 1 food ration remained. He breathed an exhausted sigh and took a knee on a mostly dry patch of ground as the morning dew began to pear through the clouds above. “No…” Juno sat down. Perhaps the Temple didn't appear to him not because it was too difficult to find but because it didn’t want to be found. He may be a Jedi in name but he was ultimately a foreigner to these grounds. Maybe he could extend a greeting of sorts.

Juno gulped his remaining water and chowed on his last ration and began his meditation. “I will trust the Force.” He whispered. Juno didn’t even know if he spoke the words aloud or if they were an echo in his mind, but in the same instant he felt….everything. The insects burrowing underground, the soft hum of running water nearby, the spry mischievous nature of a lothcat. A lothcat? And the bubbling energy of an excited child. A padawan!? Juno sat still and lets the Force take him. Where? Well, he wasn’t afraid to find out.

@Rehber @lizziie @Sicadorito@Die Shize

 

[Rej]

Being in a ‘home’ after many years in volatile environs is always a shock. Whatever people made of loth cats, they always marched to the beat of their own drum. Or, as was the case for Rej when he jumped out of the bush, his tummy. He’d been in enough homes to know when he was gonna eat.

The weirdest sensation was realizing of the first time in his life that a scent matched the vibrant colors of her hair. She was fast – that could hardly be ignored. All the new life that teemed throughout the Temple was far more than he’d been accustomed to for some time. The structure was dark. Lengthy halls of stone whose floors were adorned with long carpets. The décor was unlike anything he’d seen in any other home he’d been in. It was spartan, at best. Throughout the halls lingered a thick, almost sleep-beckoning calm. It was a far cry from the forest which he called home. Everywhere, he felt new gazes in his direction. Yet, he felt no need to hiss. Nowhere else could he smell animals nor sense a nearby threat. He was a novelty – and that was enough.

Though all but overwhelmed by all these new senses, Rej’s were fixated on the vibrant sentient’s scent. He kept track of her through the halls, stopping momentarily at various intervals to self-peer-review his sensory standards. They were all checking out. But where had she gone? As he drew closer, it hit him: Oh. Those. Smells.

Whatever the little sentient was up to, Rej was suddenly fixated on the alluring aromas. It couldn’t be helped. And they had to be found. Still, he didn’t completely know whether this was a trap. He lingered behind a stone doorway next to the cafeteria. He saw the girl, sensing her excitement (@lizziie ). She’d grabbed something from one of the many tables, only to be briefly caught up in some strange state by a bigger sentient. Once released, the bright-haired being rushed back toward the door. Whatever she was doing, the little bag she carried smelled delicious. As she almost crossed the doorway threshold, Rej leapt from cover, his body stretched wide, legs fully spread. That bag, in his mind, was going nowhere…

@Sicadorito @Die Shize @TinFoilsAttackPosition

 

[Quin Leonkri]

If the all-wise Master Mirror was pursuing the loth cat, what was stopping Quin from going at it too? He only hoped that he wouldn’t scare him, with so many Jedi following after him.

“I bet you I’ll find him first!”

He did have the Force on his side, at least he thought so. He’d felt the presence of the cat earlier before, and he was confident that he would be able to recognize it again. Maybe. Either way, he knew the general direction that the cat had gone in, so he decided to start there. He’d been running after Maura, and there was bound to be someone who’d seen the younger Padawan dashing through the halls.

Making his way inside, Quin walked over to a man coming down the hall.

“G’day master, have you uh, seen a girl running in here, by any chance?” The older Jedi looked at him, gave him a look bordering on curiosity and confusion, then nodded.

“Maura? Yes. I saw her a while back there.” He pointed down the hall to a doorway.

“Thanks, master!” Turning to Vayla, he motioned for her to come along and made his way over to the hall. Just as he turned the corner though, he spotted the girl with a bag of scraps and the loth cat flying down towards it.

“Watch out!”

@lizziie @Die Shize @TinFoilsAttackPosition @Rehber

 

[Maura Starwalk]

It turned out that the lothcat did not have to be found. He found her, instead.

The fluffy Rej flew right for and collided with her, causing her to stumble over onto the ground. The contents of the bag, an amalgamation of foods, spilled out onto the floor. Her surprised expression quickly became one of joy as her big black eyes recognized the creature from before. Had it followed her?

"Kitty!" Maura quickly scrambled onto her knees and motioned excitedly to the spilled contents. "I got you food! I ran all the way to the cafeteria and back! I was going to try to find you, but you followed me!" The girl explained the reasoning and events of her actions, not once thinking about whether the lothcat could understand her or not. Her hand would eventually reach forward, hoping to give the cute little critter a scratch under the chin. If Rej had already started eating though, she would instead run her fingers along the lothcat's back.

It took a second, but Maura remembered the words "Watch out!" which had been yelled in her direction. Her ears would perk up, attentive, as her black eyes looked for the source. They settled on Quin, the boy she'd run past before, and the woman trailing him.

"Look! A lothcat! Isn't he so cute?"

tags: @Sicadorito @Die Shize @TinFoilsAttackPosition @Rehber

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Ah, there it was. Just like old times. Master Mirror and Quin-Quin, at it again. They could shift from serious to sportive in a moment, and such was the latter. Vayla couldn’t help but spread smile into a giggle as she jogged alongside her companion.

A pair of women walking opposite had to cut their conversation short and get out of the way. An old man wiggled his cane and mumbled something about no running in the hallway but the pair of Knight and Padawan were remiss to lectures at that moment in time.

Quin’s warning for the girl of vibrantly colored hair to watch out all but fell on deaf ears. The loth-cat and the child crossed paths and became one. A little envious, Vayla wanted to reach out and stroke that cat all to herself.

“Is it a he?” She didn’t feel like inspecting up close. Still, she crouched before the creature, looking from the fur to the rainbow-headed girl. She looked younger than Quin by five years or so, the boy getting the woman’s attention next.

“Well, Pad, I guess neither of us found the cat first.” Vayla chuckled toward the girl. “Though, clearly you’ve found a friend, youngling.”



@lizziie @Sicadorito @TinFoilsAttackPosition @Rehber

 

[Juno]

After only a few minutes of silence, Juno couldn’t fathom the complexity of what he was sensing. The pathways of the force were so vast, so intricate, and stood as a mighty labyrinth of energy vectors. Juno quickly realized that he would sooner be able to decode a Holocron without the use of the Force than he could find any singular place on this planet. Ok, perhaps a place is too broad. A person would be the next best option, but he had to tread the next few minutes with great caution. While Juno wasn’t a novice to the practice, he knew there was a certain “etiquette” for using the Force on the minds of others as there was just something a little more intimate about conversing on a telepathic level.

Juno had already felt a couple of energy signatures nearby and tried to pick up on them again. He could sense warmth. Happiness. And the satisfaction of a quelled appetite. It must be the Padawan. Or the cat? Or both? Nevertheless, Juno couldn’t delay any longer. He had already passed the point of no return and if he didn’t find shelter soon it simply become a race of what would take him first: The elements, or the hunger?

With what remaining focus he was willing to give at this moment Juno released his telepathic shout.

“Hello?... Can anyone hear me?”

@Rehber @lizziie @Sicadorito@Die Shize

 

[Rej]

Whilst in mid-air, Rej knew he’d slightly miscalculated his launch. But the smells from that bag the wild-haired sentient carried overwhelmed him. The synapses in his brain fired so quickly that he refocused mid-launch on the small pouch. When he collided with it, his claws digging deeply into the sack, the two kept moving toward the small sentient’s torso. An older cat though he was, he forgot how heavy his body’s momentum could take him. As the girl fell down, the bag opened onto the floor.

Concerned for the fallen sentient, Rej looked to her and let out a purr which evolved into a meow. The open bag’s aroma overwhelmed him. He then turned and dug his face deeply into the fallen contents. There were quickly some new sounds from other sentients looking after bright hair. None of them were threatening. He knew what love combined with excitement sounded like, and while eating his ears would, in tandem with his bushy tail, flutter with excitement. It had been a long time since he felt such emotions. While eating, his voice let out an almost kitten-like voice demonstrating his joy. Each time he lapped up the food, each time his mouth opened, a pleasing “ow” preceded inhaling the morsels that he inhaled. Once finished, he looked up to the group, all of whom looked to his face, the fur of his mouth laden with dripples of scraps. He licked the corners, missing the centre. Rej let out a soft “r-r-r-r-reeeeeoowww?” as his body wrapped around the firey-haired sentient’s boots.

@lizziie @Sicadorito @Die Shize @TinFoilsAttackPosition

 

[Quin Leonkri]

“So cute,” Quin said with a grin, half in response to Maura, half as a comment to no one in particular as the loth cat began to lap up the food. It was even cuter than what he’d seen on the holonet!

“There’s always next time,” he said to Master Mirror. The cat was wrapping himself around Maura’s boots, and Quin couldn’t resist reaching out a hand to pet him. However, before it could make contact, he felt something poking at his mind, as if someone was reaching out to him through the Force. He had only used telepathy a few times before, most of the time with his master, but this was what it felt like. But who could it be?

Who’s there? He projected the thought out to whoever had sent the first message, withdrawing his hand slowly as he straightened up again. His eyes were still on the cat, but it was out of focus now.

“Who’s there?” He realized that he’d said it out loud as well, and his cheeks reddened momentarily. Hopefully the others wouldn’t think he was going insane. He couldn’t have been the only one who’d felt it, right?

@lizziie @Die Shize @TinFoilsAttackPosition @Rehber

 

[Vayla Mirana]

Spoiler: Music OOC

[“Hello? Can anyone hear me?”] The telepathic shout was just that, no sugar-coating or cookie-cutting it or whatever-ing it or whatever.

It had not come without the Force or fortune of good time, rest assured. The way that cat was eating and purring and merely existing as a big fat ball of fluffy fur cute cake, well, the voice might have just saved its life; for, right then and there, at least one Jedi Knight was ready to squeeze it to death and never let go.

If not for telepathy then Master Mirror might just have cocked a brow at Quin-Quin on account of voicing his thoughts aloud. However, the Padawan was on the same page as the Knight, and good for him and his attuned senses.

Vayla sensed a nearby presence through the Force, this one bearing a Force signature, but that mattered little and less in a complex filled with Jedi. That, though, ought to only reassure this mysterious person to come out and play, no harm no foul.

[“Hearing you loud and clear, my friend.”] She did not want to presume upon the telepathy, all things considered. It could just as much be a shy student as a veteran in need of aid. [“I am Knight Mirana. Are you okay? If so, you are missing out on the cutest cat this side of Yavin.”]


@lizziie @Sicadorito @TinFoilsAttackPosition @Rehber

 

[Juno]

Just when the end seemed nigh, Juno was once again proven wrong by the guidance (intervention?) of the Force. "Yes! Hello there my friends. A thousand pardons for my being direct but I am stranded somewhere in the nearby forest thicket. I am Juno, a padawan seeking guidance in the ways of the Force. I am without rations and... duly need a bath. Juno spoke both aloud and in thought. Telepathy was quite a versatile technique but the duality between spoken conversation and thought-based remained a tricky distinction to manage.

And yes Master Mirana, I sensed that adorable scamp some time ago, and I eagerly await his embrace. I hope his fur is as warm as his aura. Juno was rambling and he knew it, but he didn't care. At this moment he was simply overwhelmed, not only had his prayers been answered, and proper guidance to a place he could call home would finally arrive but he was engaging in a telepathic conversation; his first-ever with another Force-sensitive outside his mother. But perhaps that last detail should be left out of his first impressions. How embarrassing.

@Rehber @lizziie @Sicadorito@Die Shize