Ask Breaking Bread

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera stood quietly behind the chassis of an old B-1 Battle Droid in the living quarters of a shuttle. The 'shuttle', an old Hammerhead Corvette stripped of most of its weapons and refitted for transport of passengers between systems, was taking Jedi Master Hera Albion toward a strange jungle world close to, but not inside, Empire space. Taking Hera Albion, and a young woman named Erin Lux, that is. The Jedi Master had requested the young masterless Padawan to accompany her on her mission in order to have a little bit of company.

Humming a quiet little tune as she worked, Hera reconnected wires and reattached refitted parts inside the practically ancient droid. Most of the internal workings had been replaced, though Hera had been careful to make sure the central processor was repaired, not replaced. She needed the information this little tan and yellow lined machine possessed in its memory banks. Dressed in her green armor with her blackened goggles hanging loosely around her neck, Hera utilized her pupilless eyes to track where power was moving inside the droid by heat signatures. 'Infrared vision does have its uses,' Hera thought, 'though I wish it could help me see why the processor has power, but won't turn the kriff on.'

Their trip had been, so far, fairly quiet. The Jedi Master had unfortunately engrossed herself so much in the work that she forgot to speak to the younger woman. They were close to their destination now and it had not occurred to Hera to actually tell Padawan Lux what their mission was. The ship shuddered as it exited hyperspace, causing Hera's two lightsabers to roll off her desk and onto the ground from the shaking. Still engrossed in her work, she decided to pick them up later.

If Erin wanted to get some information out of Hera, talking sooner rather than later would be wise.

@Aspire

 

[Erin Lux]

It was all the same to Erin, who took this opportunity to 'borrow' some training droids she had found aboard the Hammer. Her blue saber activated, she deflected saber bolts in tandem, back, forward, back, forward, spinning and exhaling with the effort of her solo training. Perhaps in her mind she expected some sort of 'action', although that was unlikely. Most Masters she had meant seemed reluctant to send their padawan anywhere there was even a remote chance of conflict. Although, hearing that she was requested personally was... Invigorating.

The shudder of the ship exiting hyperspace caused her to lose her concentration for just a moment, although the training droid didn't seem to get that memo, and loosed another bolt. Erin leaned at a clearly inhuman speed, and out of the way before raising a hand.

"Stop."

She commanded, to which both droids retracted their respective training blasters and descended to the ground. Erin put the droids back where she had found them, then got herself together before trekking out from the room she was in and searching out Master Albion. The woman had mentioned she had work to do, and Erin found herself somehow... Maybe intimidated wasn't the right word, but... Apprehensive, about the woman.

She seemed kind overall, but her face was... Hard, to Erin. A woman that had been through a lot and could probably break Erin in half with an arm behind her back and a blindfold on. As such, when the Master asked for time to work, Erin found something to occupy herself with. That said, now that they were dropping out of hyperspace, she felt as though she should catch up with her more. Considering what it was her latest friend Maura had suggested about Erin getting a Master. 'Just Ask, they can't all say no'

Erin looked both ways in the empty hallway, then straightened her posture, hands moving behind her back and clasping at the wrists before she moved to where the Master was.

As soon as she opened the door, she broke her stride, glancing down and spotting twin sabers lightly rolling on the ground, her head canting in surprise. She treated her sabers like prized treasures, and here it was the Master was more interested in her...

She looked over the droid a bit, finding the word for it, relic.

She leaned over, picking up the sabers one at a time, then walked towards the Master, placing them gently on the table beside her before standing back, finding it hard to not notice this woman was tall, and stocky. Erin couldn't help but smirk as she wondered how tall she would get herself... She was already short for her age.

"Master Albion, I-.. I just wanted to thank you again for giving me the opportunity to work with you. I won't let you down."

She said, clearly brimming with pride, and conviction. Dare one say, Erin was already showing a fair amount of Jedi zealotry, and couldn't help but idolize her superiors. Irregardless of their mannerism.

@Hera "The Joyful" Albion

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

The power moved through the machine like a song, it danced to the tune of a thousand little pulses of light and heat that, if Hera messed with her own tune a bit, could mesh with the song stuck in the master's head. So engrossed was she in her work that she didn't notice Erin coming back into the room and picking up the hilts of her blades. Perhaps treating her weapons, some of the deadliest in the galaxy, so flippantly was unwise. However, Hera had already categorized the place in which she stayed as a 'danger-free' zone. Accordingly, she allowed her focus to relax for these few moments.

Her focus, however, was broken off the droid when the young woman spoke up. Blinking a few times to adjust her eyesight, Hera looked over at Erin and grinned wildly. "Oh! Yes of course! Erin! Yes! You won't let me down, of course you won't!" Her mind slipped and tripped, throwing out a thousand different droid part names and positions in order to reassume some sort of social order. Slapping the back of the droid, she slammed his access port shut and decided she'd finish working on him later.

Looking around momentarily, she caught sight of her lightsaber hilts and moved to clip them to her back. They weren't exactly entering territory declared as friendly to the Jedi so the less she looked the part the better. Standing and picking up her brown cloak, she pulled it on and spoke to Erin with a gentler smile than before, "Erin Lux. I'm glad you came along! We're going on an adventure for sure, ah, make sure you put your blade someplace that it won't be seen so easily-"

Hera stopped for a moment, looking the girl up and down. 'She does have a blade? Right?' Hera wondered, 'Is that a training saber? No no that won't do.' Stepping away, Hera moved towards a footlocker at the base of her cot and cracked it open. Drawing from it a vibroblade, Hera moved over toward Erin and offered it up to her, "Use this for now. You can display it at your side and people won't look twice at you, or, well if they look twice at you they shouldn't just immediately assume you're a Jedi, ha!" Laughing, she stepped back and fixed her cloak.

Pausing again, Hera added, "Wait, did I tell you what we're doing?"

@Aspire

 

[Erin Lux]

Erin was standing there with her hands behind her back still, eyes alight with interest in the other, though clearly reactive to every little action the woman took. Slapping the back of the droid sent a visible tremor through the youngling, though she maintained her composure, and played it off like she didn't imagine just how much damage a slap on her noggin would've caused. Master Albion grabbed her sabers, and Erin smiled, wondering if Hera had even noticed it was her who put them there in the first place.

Well of course Erin was coming along, no way she was going to miss out on field experience, fully aware the next best option was... Gardening... Or... Filling food trays. She shuddered at the thought.

She needed to hide her saber? Admittedly, this threw Erin for a loop. She had heard that there were places Jedi weren't allowed to go, and even places where they were treated as hostile, but she didn't realize she would have been going to a place like that today. A pang of excitement struck her heart, and a fidgety hand grabbed her training saber before moving it to clip just under the outermost layer of her robes, just hidden beyond the cloth.

Then, Hera had stopped entirely, and seemed to be looking Erin up and down, which caused Erin to stand just that much straighter' self-conscious about her height. She didn't want the Master to look at her poorly because she seemed small. Quickly enough, Erin would realize that had nothing to do with it. Suddenly, she was presented with a vibroblade. She had held weapons like this to train with. However, she had never actually held one. She activated it, noting it's feel and look before turning it off and sheathing it at her side as directed.

She hoped she wouldn't have to use it. As macabre as it sounded, she was content with defending herself with a saber. She imagined the worst she would go through it smelling singed flesh, or hair with a lightsaber, but these weapons... She had snuck off to the archives and pulled up pictures, and footage of them in action. They called back to a more archaic time in the galaxy, and more often than not, left a horrific mess in their wake.

What were they doing? By the Force that was a good question.

"No, no I don't think you did. I mean... I would've volunteered anyway; I've been desperate to see more of the galaxy. I'm still a few months out on my trip to Ilum. I'm supposed to be getting an actual saber. Getting rid of my training blade. Instructor (insert NPC instructor name here) keeps pushing it back, I guess people need Jedi more and more these days..."

The youngling said, freely giving information to the woman. Not to mention giving enough information to suggest Erin was coming of age where the Order trusted she could handle an actual saber.

@Hera "The Joyful" Albion

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera nodded quietly in response to Erin, it was typical for the instructors to push these things off. It was of the greater opinion within the Order that Padawans needed to go find lightsaber crystals with their masters, but too many Padawans and not enough masters meant a few would fall by the wayside for too long. Sitting down on her cot, Hera smiled and responded, "Oh Ilum isn't there anymore, the archives may not be properly updated. Your master should take you to Tython, or Dantooine, or Kashyyyk."

Tapping her foot, she added, "Let me know if you aren't taken somewhere soon, and I will take you myself. A lightsaber is the most valuable tool a Jedi owns. More than just a weapon, it's a symbol of the peace they should be bringing with them everywhere they go." The ship shook again as it began setting down on the jungle world below. Standing, Hera picked up the old B1 droid and slung it over her shoulder.

"Come along! I'll explain more on the way." Hera remarked with a grin, heading out of their room and towards the side of the ship that contained the exit ramp. There weren't too many passengers on this vessel, but that suited the Jedi Master just fine. As they walked, Hera explained, "This is Akiva, little jungle world. During the clone wars, the separatists ran a droid factory out of this world. After the war was over, no one seemed to want to recover it except scavengers. However, I'm in possession of an original OOM unit B1 Battle Droid from this world. I'm hoping he can lead us to the factory!"

Hera seemed extremely excited at the chance to investigate a droid factory, more so than anyone else in this era might've been. But these were the things that interested Hera Albion, more so than people or places, it was machines. Luckily for Erin, they would also be seeing a significant portion of the planet in their travels, so the youngling would at least experience a bit more of the galaxy while Hera fluttered about following her whims.

@Aspire @Erin Lux

 

[Erin Lux]

That caught her by surprise, though the Master immediately offered reason as to why that snafu came about. Erin was still standing near Hera, watching her with interest, though was now given a bit to think about while she waited.

"Well I hope it's Tython, I've heard amazing stories about that planet."

She droned, before falling silent as the Master spoke again. Erin agreed entirely of course but didn't exactly have much of a say in her day-to-day dealings as things stood. When they said she was ready, she would be ready. Maybe... That said, Hera did sweeten the deal regarding her current situation by suggesting she would take the girl herself to get her saber. A single eyebrow raising slightly at the suggestion.

She didn't have much time to even agree with Master Hera before they were slinging the droid over their shoulder and heading out of the ship, to which Erin followed.

"The Clone Wars? Are you sure it's still standing? And what's the plan once we find it?"

She asked, trying to get to the actual reason Hera seemed so excited to find this factory. She didn't know the woman very well, so wasn't yet aware she was a techie. Within that thought, her eyes would snap ahead, thinking to herself.

'No way the factory could still be up and running, right?'

@Hera "The Joyful" Albion

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

As they approached the exit ramp, Erin asking her questions and Hera hauling the droid, the Jedi Master couldn't help but grin. "Tython is beautiful! I'm afraid I've never been there for good reasons, and the Jedi aren't exactly welcome. But if it's me taking you, I'd sneak you into that world. After all, you have to have a little excitement when you look for your crystal!" At that, they arrived at the customs check off the ship. Hera and Erin were waved through without much fanfare, their belongings already cataloged from when Hera boarded the ship in the first place.

As they walked down the ramp, the sounds of the jungle world could be heard all around them. Birds chirping, animals crying out, and a thousand untraceable, confusing noises concocted a cacophony of sound that threatened to overwhelm even regular people. Hera's only reaction, however, was to laugh. The noises reverberated well with her soul, and the intense feeling of life through the force emanating from the world seemed to calm her.

Looking over to Erin to check on her, she made sure the youngling was alright before continuing, "I'm sure the factory is still there, to answer you from earlier. I'm sure the stock has been plundered, for sure, but the machinery inside for creating droids shouldn't be too damaged from the expanse of time. But I suppose we will see when we get there!" Leaving the ramp, the pair was faced with a fairly large village. The houses were constructed of wood with dried leaves and grasses for roofing, even the larger buildings were constructed similarly primitively.

The only steel structure around seemed to be the spaceport they landed in. This too, Hera enjoyed. Beginning her trek towards the village, Hera asked Erin, "Tell me! Why do you want to be a Jedi?"[abox3]

@Aspire

 

[Erin Lux]

Erin of course listened diligently to Master Albion, the situation on Tython quickly reiterating what was becoming more and more evident all the time; the Jedi seemed more unwelcome in parts than welcomed.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't want to cause any trouble. Though... You're pretty strong, I'm sure you can handle just about anything."

She quipped, paying a passing attention to her surroundings, admittedly in a mental state of safety given her current company.

As they walked, the place became loud, though not only in the practical sense, at first she would glance to the Master with a quizzical look, wondering what was so funny, but only moments later would inhale, relaxing herself and utilizing Force Sight on her surroundings.

It was unrefined, but offered her a unique look at her surroundings. Eventually, this would cause her to chuckle slightly to herself.

Then the question came...

An odd question, as she was more used to answering the yes and no variety. It wasn't a hard question, and yet the answer didn't immediately come.

"I... Was chosen to be a Jedi, by the Masters who found me. The training was approved by my parents. I, I don't think I understand the question Master Albion. I just am what I am. What more reason could we need?"


@Hera "The Joyful" Albion

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

The village was alive with the hustling and bustling of people. Traders setting up little stands for the morning rush of people, dozens of women and children carrying baskets of goods around to wherever they needed to be, and a few groups of men moving towards various sections of the village to begin their manual labors. Hera blended well, despite her armor, as she made her way toward the outskirts of the village. Usually, the faster speeder rentals were kept farther away from the center of villages as to discourage youths from taking them on joyrides through the streets.

As Erin spoke, Hera couldn't help but smile. She was young and hadn't given the question much thought yet, and Hera couldn't blame her for that. Still, Hera decided to try her hand at teaching as she responded, "Being a Jedi is not your identity, it is your profession. It is a complex thing, filled with wonder, hardship, and the opportunity to make the entire galaxy a better place, but it is a profession nonetheless. To do what we do and be what we are when times get tough, we must have a good reason to fall back on."

Laughing, Hera interjected, "You can quit, you know!" Then, shifting the B1-droid from one shoulder to the other, Hera took on a little more of a serious tone and continued, "I became a Jedi, at first, because of the circumstances of my birth. I was placed with the order as a toddler and raised to be what I am, so I see all Jedi within the order as my family. But I did not need to stay a Jedi, once I became an adult I could've left. I am a Jedi right now because I want to be, I want to protect my family. If I can learn, grow, and help people along the way, then that's all the better. Do you understand what I mean?" She asked, looking at Erin for but a moment before continuing to walk.

The pair would reach the speeder rental hunt fairly quickly, and Hera was immediately disappointed with what she saw. There were no two-seater speeders at all, only small, single-rider vehicles. Though something else did catch her eye, a single Pijal varactyl slept quietly tied to a massive steel post off to the side. Moving towards the owner of the rental hut, she asked him, "Is it available?" while holding out a handful of credits. Wordlessly, the elderly human owner took the credits and moved over toward the beast. Gently patting her awake, he whispered something to the animal and gestured for Hera and Erin to get on her back.

@Aspire

 

[Erin Lux]

What wasn't Erin getting? She wasn't sure how to answer such an open-ended question and was convinced every question had a 'right' answer. In this case however Hera was trying to tell her something that the youngling simply couldn't grasp yet. A good reason to fall back on? Erin admittedly only ever needed the reason that she was a Jedi, but maybe the question was what kept her a Jedi when simply being one just wasn't enough. This caused some confusion, as she wondered in what situation this would even be applicable.

Her little head pivoted slowly as the woman suggested she could always quit. That wasn't an option. For so many reasons. She couldn't give up, her family... She hadn't seen them in at least a decade, and yet she felt as though she owed it to them, owed it to her family name. Hera gave some information about herself, and Erin didn't miss a beat then...

"And you became strong, you became someone that can protect others. I think that's all the reason I should ever need to maintain this path. I think I understand, but I... I'm not sure Master. Who could understand me like another Jedi? These..."

She offered a side glance to the civilians they were walking past, though tried to make this action somewhat incognito.

"People will always hear what I say, but they'll never really understand it. Feel what it is we feel. The Jedi are my family, and I intend on sticking this path till the end; whatever that may be."

Erin said finally, her resolve seeming to double in conversation as she spoke the words. Though, she would fall silent afterwards to watch Hera strike a deal for the Varactyl. Was this thing going to be safe to fly?

@Hera "The Joyful" Albion

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Without a thought, Hera lept onto the back of the feathered beast and placed her hands gently upon its neck. The Light side of the Force flowing like a river out of the Jedi, she imbued her calmness from within herself into the Varactyl, smiling softly as she did so. It reared for a moment before calming down with the Master. Reaching down, she offered to help Erin onto the beast.

She could tell Erin was, perhaps, a little too young to understand what Hera was trying to tell her. But that was alright. Smiling as Erin joined Hera atop the Varactyl, the Master spoke once more. "You have conviction, I will give you that much! Keep your heart in the right place, and you'll keep yourself on the right path."

At that, the Master would strap the B1 droid to the side of the Varactyl and spur it on. The animal yipped and, on its four feathered legs, started quickly crawling toward and through the jungle of the world. While they rode, Hera flicked a small switch on the B1 droid and watched as it slowly flickered to life. Still having issues with its power, it couldn't move any of its limbs, but it began talking nonetheless.

"Oh no! I'm dead! I'm dead and I'm in hell! This is my purgatory! Help meeeee!" Laughing, Hera reached down and patted the droid, "You're ok! I just haven't fixed you yet! Calm down!"

Immediately, the droid responded, "Oh goodness! What a relief!" And Hera laughed again, telling it, "OOM-17, direct me toward your origin of manufacturing, please!"

"Roger roger!" Came the response, and the little machine began giving 'left-right-left' directions from that moment on.

@Aspire

 

[Erin Lux]

Erin would only notice that the beast seemed calmer after Hera placed her hand upon it, but had no idea that anything in particular had been done. In fact, she was still a bit caught up on the question she was asked. She felt unsure whether the answer was satisfactory or not, though Hera seemed to push right past it, leaving Erin feeling as though she hadn't learned the entirety of the lesson, or perhaps had missed the point entirely; the latter being a dreadful thought to say the least.

Reaching out her own hand, she acquired a good base, and pulled herself up to sit behind Hera aboard their organic ride. Was this thing even safe? What if it got tired? Maybe these questions were better left unanswered.

When the droid awoke in a stupor, she couldn't help but crack up lightly. Quirky...

"Master Hera, have you ever encountered a Sith? What were they like?"

She asked, balancing herself mainly by holding onto whatever sturdy fabric or clothing was available from Hera. Better to ask any questions she had now while there was still time.

@Hera "The Joyful" Albion

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

The Varactyl clacked its beak as Erin spoke, as if reacting to the word 'Sith.' Though it was probably nothing more than a coincidence. Smiling from her seat, Hera nodded, "I have! They were, uh, what would I call them, huh..." Hera became quiet for a moment, finding herself deeper in thought than she initially considered. She hadn't thought about the Sith much, not even the ones she had encountered, but now Erin was asking a question of her and Hera needed to make sure her answer was accurate to the Master's feelings.

Snapping her fingers, she spoke, "I think I would call them, pitiable. The one I met was so consumed by anger and rage that he couldn't even think straight. He was someone close to the top of the Sith 'totem pole' per se, a true Sith Lord. They're so consumed by their own pain, their own sorrows, that they can no longer see the future ahead of them. Nothing exists for them outside of the Darkness."

Hera paused again, waiting for a moment before letting a small smile return to her face. "I don't think I can bring myself to hate them, they're just, sad." Suddenly, the Varactyl stopped. Before the trio was a large wall of vines and twisting roots. The B1 droid shouted "Found it! Hooray!" Before Hera reached down and turned him off. Dismounting the Varactyl, Hera offered to help Erin off before tying up the beast.

Looking at the wall of vines, Hera placed a hand on it. "Steel." She muttered, reaching back to withdraw her lightsaber. Igniting the blade, she began carefully cutting away vines and roots from the wall. Additionally, she motioned for Erin to take her own weapon and help.

@Aspire

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Spoiler: OOC

Wrapping up this thread as Aspire has become inactive. Rolled for condition of factory, 17/20

The droid factory on Akiva had been stripped of all storage and stocks long ago, most of the droid pieces being turned into makeshift armor by a tribe that once called the interior of this place home. However, the machinery used to make droids had been left largely untouched by the years and scavengers. The tribal warriors didn't know what to make of the massive crucibles and plate-smashing tools and local scavengers had never found this place.

As a result, Hera would be able to restore this factory to its former glory once she found the men and funds to do so. This was a near-total success for Hera, and there would not be much left needed for her to do. Leaving the B1-battle droid inside and turning on a private, secure homing beacon, Hera would leave the wonderful jungle planet of Akiva for now. However, she would return very soon with resources and men.

One more asset to countering the Killiks.