Open Yavin IV Get Over Yourself!

[Lani Tallis]

Open to the Jedi who'd have any reason to talk to the characters involved, or just to be around.​

"It's quite the view," Galania mused to herself, taking in the sight that the second level of the Jedi Temple could provide. Just slightly above the treetops, the Zeltron could see the endless green of canopies spreading in all directions; ending either with the mountains or with the giant red orb of the gas giant Yavin.

But apart from that, there was another part of the view: the landing platform down below, with ships coming and going occasionally, and the Jedi going to and from the nearby forests on the business of their own. Approaching the edge carefully, Galania crouched, intent on sitting down and letting her feet dangle over. But after a moment, the Zeltron reconsidered. Instead, she stood up and walked off to the side, towards the nearby wall. Leaning against it, and far enough from the treacherous edge.

This wasn't the same Galania Tallis that people used to know. She was unrecognizable, despite wearing the same clothes. Her leather jacket now had the traces of rough stitchwork. Once dark-brown and pristine, parts of the jacket were now greyish-white; tribal patterns on the back were now almost eclipsed by scratches and burn marks. What once was a stylish outfit, surpassing the Jedi robes, now arguably looked more like a tramp's choice. It being oversized didn't help to smoothen that impression. But in truth, Lani didn't care.

For the moment, she just stood there, waiting for a friend or two who had promised to show up.

 

[Drastus Drahr]

Drast spent a lot of his life being late. It was a fact of life, one that would decide the course of his life as if the gods toiled needlessly. But this, was not one of those days. Firstly, Master Voran was always punctual. So the trip back from Coruscant and the little soiree was on time and well-planned. He had freshened up on the ship and was far too excited to see his friends.. to see her.

He had power walked briskly through the-no, he definitely ran. There was no decorum, no shout of surprise. He hit every stop on his way to the meeting place: a bag of special candies for Rupert from Naboo, a new satchel for Master Sati, left in her office, some carved rune for Felix that he held onto for the time being. And finally.. the rooftop. His own bag had gotten lighter but he felt as if he'd been carrying it forever.

Reaching the rooftop, he'd stop as he saw her approach the ledge, the faint glimmer of the young woman he had known briefly shining through. And then she was gone. As she reached the wall, he'd approach, keeping most of his emotions in check, save for the excitement of seeing her. "Hey, you. Miss me?" Hed say casually with a grin as he leaned against the wall beside her. "Sorry I couldn't bring ya with. How was Kashyyyk?"

@Catbert

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ow.

Ow, ow, ow.

Ruzaan limped gingerly though the temple, gritting his teeth as he slowly ascended to the second level. His was dressed for a workout, wearing a sleeveless, dark grey tunic and matching shorts that ended just above the knee; and his body bore the marks of a very losing sparring session. Minor burns covered his arms and legs, with one particularly nasty burn shining on his left kneecap and a matching one just below his right cheekbone. He was hot, sweaty, and frustrated; lightsaber combat was decidedly not his strong suit, and today he'd been the lucky recipient of an extended training session with a senior Knight who was a master in Form II. Ruzaan felt a surge of resentment as he recalled the ease in which he had been repeatedly disarmed, outmaneuvered, and generally humiliated by the older Jedi.

So Ruzaan did what he always did when he felt like he was losing control of a situation; head to the second floor of the temple with its gorgeous view out over the treetops of Yavin IV, sit on the ledge, and discreetly watch the traffic flow in and out. He wasn't exactly sure why he'd fallen into this particular habit, but it helped to center and calm him down.

With one final, slow step, he reached the top of the staircase and stepped out onto the roof. To his dismay, the rooftop was not empty. Even worse, he'd been spotted by the two older Padawans occupying the space.

I must look like a fool to them Ruzaan thought, trying to mask his feelings with a smile (even that hurt!) and a wave. "Sorry! Didn't mean to interrupt anything" he called out, then turned to head back inside.

Maybe the 3rd floor ledge will be open. Based on how this day was going, it wouldn't be.


@Catbert @Rhogar

 

[Lani Tallis]

Kashyyyk. The Zeltron only managed to nod to Drastus's greeting so far, but exhaled abruptly through her nose with a smirk at the mention of her own mission. Indeed, how was it? At first it seemed that Galania would be able to convince the Wookiees to lend their aid through persuasion alone. But little did she know that Wookiee persuasion came in many forms. Talking, for one. But also, climbing a tree. Or fighting two Wookiee warriors in the arena on top of the tree.

"Mmmmm, it's a mixed bag," she shrugged indecisively, raising her gaze to meet Drast's with a hint of a weak smile. "With ups and downs. Apparently, I still have a long way to go." At that, she sensed that herself and Drastus had that much in common during their short stay in the Jedi Order. "You were on Coruscant, right?" she asked in turn, remembering something vague about Drastus being sent to visit the planet that had once been Lani's home, and brought up some of their fondest memories. "How was it?"

But before Drastus could reply, there was another arrival. A Togruta. Seemingly a few years younger. With quite a few superficial injuries, indicating either an adventurous nature, or a recent training session. The Zeltron's keen sense for emotions suggested the latter; Lani had caught on to an apparent chip on the boy's shoulder, even if it was unexpressed.

"It's... ok," the purple-skinned Padawan replied, casting a sideways glance at her companion. "It's not like we lay claim to this part of the temple, or anything. You're welcome to do your thing." Turning her head towards Drast briefly, Lani shrugged and slid down the wall, resting her back against the wall. The landing platform was now out of sight of the Zeltron, and vice versa. All that remained were the canopies, the blue sky, and the giant red orb of Yavin beyond them.

@Rhogar @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Drastus Drahr]

Drast would remove his bag and set it down gently before sliding down the wall gently. "Should have thrown my name around. I'm a known friend of the Wookies. Or even Master Tionson's name." Hed say with a smile. He briefly glanced over at the young kid and offered a wave. "Hey kid, yeah we don't own any of this."

"I ended on Coruscant. But I went a few other places too." He wasn't going to mention anything in detail with other ears around. "But I picked up something for you and Xi along the way."

@Catbert @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan didn't share Zeltron's innate talent for reading emotions, but he was fairly sure that the two older Padawans weren't meeting on the second story roof of the temple in order to have a conversation with a relative stranger around.

At least, he guessed that they were both Padawans. One was Drastus; Ruzaan recognized the Corellian from some of the higher-level lightsaber classes that he wasn't allowed to take yet, and the other....? She looked familiar, but Ruzaan didn't have a name to go with the face.

"No, no, it's ok." he said, noting their matching postures adjacent to the wall. They clearly knew each other, he decided, and he wouldn't get the alone time he was seeking with them present. Better for all involved if he excused himself. "I should probably go through a shower anyways".

Ruzaan ducked out of the room and slowly made his way back to the room. He knew that he wanted to get to know some of the other Padawans better, especially the older ones, but that hadn't seemed like the right moment to do so.


Some ten minutes later, Ruzaan stood under a stream of hot water, allowing the heat to ease his aching muscles and the privacy to ease his wounded pride. He tried to let his mind wander, but it kept coming back to the two Padawans on the roof; in particular, the Zeltron. He knew her face, but her name was missing from his memory.

Missing. Ruzaan wasn't a gossip, but he'd heard rumors of an influential Jedi Knight who had mysteriously disappeared. She'd been a Zeltron, too... perhaps the missing Jedi had some connection to the Zeltron on the second story? Maybe he could help....

Ruzaan's walk back towards the second story room was significantly quicker than his first visit there.

@Catbert @Rhogar

 

[Lani Tallis]

The Padawan chose to leave for the time being, giving Lani and Drast some time to catch up. "Then clearly they sent the wrong Padawan on this mission," she drawled back, turning her head towards Drastus briefly. "I just had to make do." The subtle bragging and the mention of Master Tionson didn't help to lift Galania's spirits.

What did help was the mention of "other places" and "something for Lani and Xi". "Is that so?" the Zeltron tilted her head curiously, a familiar glint of curiosity in her brown eyes. "Go ahead then, I'm all eyes and ears." Hopefully, Drastus would manage to tell the story before any prying eyes and ears would arrive. Force knew there was something he was eager to share.

@Rhogar @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Drastus Drahr]

"Please, I'm sure you 'making do' is still better than most peoples attempts. Ya got a way with people." he would say with a warm tone. He would then remove his bag before crouching to dig through it. "So... I went to Naboo for some pet project of mine.. it didn't pan out well.. but I think it may yield something down the line. But first, I got you something." He would carefully remove a wrapped bundle.

The paper it was wrapped in was a shiny pink, with a cord that bound the package being the color of her hair. Rising to his feet, he offered her the bundle. "Here Lani. I saw this and well, I thought of you."

He would wait for her to take the package and begin to open it when he spoke again. "I met with Corran on Coruscant.. We should probably grab Master Izel.. make our trip to the Core kosher." This time when he spoke, he would allow her to feel the excitement at them heading to Coruscant, it was even accompanied by one of his trademarked grins, something that looked far more reminiscent of the old him. "I promise I will explain everything on the way, I just need you to trust me, yeah? And open that."

@Catbert

 

[Lani Tallis]

A way with people. "So I've been told," Galania agreed with a slight shrug, continuing to listen to what Drastus had been up to. "Naboo, huh? You always get the best assignments," the Padawan commented, completely oblivious to the fact that Drastus very well could've gone there without permission or the accompanying Jedi Knight. The notion of doing something like that was ridiculous.

When Drastus stood up, so did Lani. Looking curiously at the pink package and indigo cord, the Zeltron briefly smirked at the idea of him thinking about her when seeing it. "If it came package like that, I can't possibly imagine why." She started opening the gift, going through the wrap, and almost catching a glimpse of what was inside... But then Drast said something that made absolutely no sense.

What Corran? What trip to the Core? Why grab master Izel (supposedly Thral)? And most importantly, who and why authorized that whole thing? "I just need you to trust me" didn't quite cut it; it resulted in mishaps like Ajan Kloss; a lesson that Galania had learned all too well. Needless to say, she didn't even get a good glance inside the gift wrap before she had to reply to Drast's flurry of thoughts and plans. And there was only one way she could answer that.

"Hold on, Drast," she replied with evident confusion, raising her free hand in the air. "What is all this about? Not the gift, I mean... The whole trip to the Core. And who's Corran? The name rings a bell, but... I'm just a little lost right now." Drastus would have to do better than that if he wanted to talk the Zeltron into some unauthorized misadventure.

@Rhogar
@SlagathorTheUnknown (I believe we're still in that 10-minute frame, but you're welcome to rejoin whenever you feel like it)

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Spoiler: OOC note

I want to give you two some time to converse in-character. I'll continue to monitor the thread and will pop in when you've had time to discuss things.

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Drastus Drahr]

Drast would laugh "Nah, the package didn't come like this, I wrapped it like this. The thought of you, came from what's beneath the wrapping." his arms would cross as he watched her unwrap it, then the questions came. He should have eased into it, sure. But, here they were now. "Ya know, the narc on Coruscant. The one you gave your real name to, the one we blew off after promising to meet up with him? Any of that ringing a bell?"

He sighed. "Well, I met up with him to fulfill that promise to meet. He wanted to speak with you, in person. The way we disappeared, I guess it bothered him. Not because we stood him up, but you had mentioned a missing sister and then you all but disappeared. He was worried it was some elaborate abduction scheme. And since he can't come here, we need to go there. And well... Nara was there with him. I figured both you and Master Izel would want to see her and since we need a Knight or higher to travel, boom. She solves that necessity."

@Catbert

 

[Lani Tallis]

Of course! That guy from Coruscant. So much had happened since the time, that Galania had completely forgotten the name. "Yeah, now that you say it... It does ring a bell," Galania replied thoughtfully, as Drast's elaboration somewhat eased her into the whole thing. The Zeltron continued unpacking, listening to Drast's explanation with a half-ear. Some cop thinks we bailed on him. Wants to talk "because he's worried". Can't come to Yavin IV himself. Good, can't bring me in either then. We... need to go to Coruscant? Why? Nara... What Nara? The Nara, Allam, Kori's friend?

"I, uhhh..." Galania mumbled indecisively, so focused on unpacking that she had missed half of what Drastus had told her and why it was important. On the bright side, she was done with it now, putting the cover aside. And what she saw inside captivated her, making the Padawan forget about all that cop trouble, whatever it was.

In front of her, Lani held a brand-new leather jacket. Dark-brown and heavier than Lani's current one; with a wide collar of white fur, and the same padding on the inside and at the ends of the sleeves. Bronzium buttons and zippers, as well as a black patch with a golden lion-esque stitching on the shoulder completed the picture.

For a few moments, Galania simply stared at the gift in awe. Then she'd take a step back and reach up to Drast's neck, whapping her arm around it in a half-hug. "Thanks! I'm loving it," the reply was genuine, with the doom and gloom gone from her voice for a while. "Could you hold mine while I try it on? And tell me why exactly I need to meet a cop that we blew off?" Even if her reason for disappearing from Coruscant was plausible, from Lani's point of view a return to Coruscant seemed like surrendering herself to the authorities... For no reason at all.

@Rhogar

 

[Drastus Drahr]

It was pretty amusing watching her multitask, in fact, it brought him some happiness seeing second by second as the old Lani began to crawl forth from her self-made prison. And for the first time in awhile, Drast himself, forgot about the war, everything. Here she was, the woman he cared most for looking at his gift like it was some impressive thing, when in reality, he personally thought she deserved more.

When her arm wrapped around his neck, his would wrap around her waist to complete the hug. "I'm glad you love it." He smiled at her question and would adjust his stance to take her jacket. "Anything for you, Lani." he'd say as he stuck out a hand to take the jacket from her. "I'll even wait for you to pull it on before I talk cop again."

@Catbert

 

[Lani Tallis]

Galania simply shrugged and took off her—actually Kori's—oversized and tattered leather jacket, handing it over to Drastus along with the packaging of the new one. "Nah, keep going. You got me curious, actually," the Zeltron replied as she put the leather jacket on. Even without a mirror, Lani could tell it was a good fit. Not weathered and oversized, unlike her older sister's jacket; another difference was that it felt warmer. Perhaps even too warm for a planet like Yavin IV, especially in summer.

Still, the Zeltron would wear it for a few moments longer, before taking the new jacket off again and folding it, almost with a certain reverence. "I'll take good care of it..." the young woman replied warmly and paused, taking a look at the once-pristine jacket that Drastus was holding. The continuation was in a much more serious tone: "Better than I did with the previous one. So, why would I want to meet a cop we bailed on? And who'd even authorize the trip? How would they justify it to the Council?" The Zeltron tilted her head, the eyes peering at Drastus with a degree of suspicion.

@Rhogar

 

[Drastus Drahr]

Drast would take the tattered vestment with a level of reverence, the wrapping.. not so much. He would crumple it up and tuck it away in his vest, allowing himself the ability to gently fold the jacket. "Alright, fine. I'll keep going." He didn't. He would take a moment to admire how she looked in the jacket. "Ya know, I didn't even think about the fur.. I just thought that jacket would look good on you, didn't really take the climate into consideration." he'd say with a laugh.

"Well, why wouldn't you? I started the riot. You just forgot the keys to the apartment that belonged to your sister. Besides, he looked in well.. real bad shape." he laughed. "I think he was genuinely concerned about your safety. But I think you would want to see him, more to see Nara, since she's kinda like family to you, right? And family.. It's important. Take it from someone whose entire family is dead, you don't want to miss the ability to reconnect. And I figured Master Thral would since she's friends with Nara, and I don't think masters need justification from the Council to take Padawans here and there. We just need them to leave."

So far, he hadn't lied. Nor did he plan to, he just wasn't sure how to convince a woman to seek out the sister she thought was dead. It didn't help that every lead he'd caught wind of happened to come from some whackadoo claiming every zeltron in the cosmos was the lost Jedi.

@Catbert

 

[Lani Tallis]

"I'll just have to go somewhere where I can sport it then," Lani turned around in the jacket, a smile on her face serving as the best evidence that she loved it. "Just not where it can get slashed by Wookiee blades." For the moment, she was determined to wear the new one at least until she could get back to her room. Meanwhile, Dratus elaborated on what was going on.

"I never met Nara," Lani replied in a more serious tone, once she finished spinning and looking at herself in a new jacket. "Only Izel, and only twice, you being there once," the Zeltron paused, thinking back. "Kori used to tell me about her. One of the few people from the Jedi that she mentioned. I think Nara was one of her best friends."

The thought of Kori and her inevitable grim fate brought the Zeltron back from "the land of the happy" to "the land of the Jedi". "Yeah... I think I... might want to meet her. You say she's on Coruscant? And that you can get us there without breaking curfew?"

After the mishap at Ajan Kloss, curfew was important.

@Rhogar

 

[Drastus Drahr]

"Tell ya what, you could probably wear that on Coruscant, as it was a little cooler when I was there." He'd say with a smile. She did look great in the jacket, but then again, he was extremely biased. "Speaking of Wookie blades, did you get hurt over there?" He'd ask a little concerned.

"She's on Coruscant, and I promise that we won't leave here without a Knight or Master escort." he'd pull out his comm, pulling the contact information for Master Thral from one of the directory boards. He wanted her to feel comfortable about the entire thing, from start to finish and so far, it was. "I could go scrounge about, but who has the time, am I right?" he asked with a grin.

Finding Master Thral's information he'd hit call.

@Catbert @Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel had been having a busy few days herself. Originally being dispatched to Coruscant on a mission to raise funds for the Order's Mercy Ship Initiative, she had fallen in with her old friend Nara Allam and been swept up in a storm of chaotic events. Hunting down a slicer, receiving ominous visions of Nykoria Tallis in grave danger, immersing herself in an ongoing and deeply connected investigation into Sith affairs. It was all exhausting, and when her comlink rang it felt like her hotel room had been hit by a sonic boom.

The Vratix squirmed and chittered in irritation, reaching out from beneath the sheets of her bed and clumsily clawing at the objects on the end table. Eventually she grasped the offending device and brought it to her face, antennae twitching with confusion as she read Padawan Drahr's name. She groaned with discomfort as she sat up. "Now you want to talk?" She said to herself with a hint of annoyance. The last time they met she had offered assistance to the seemingly ailing Padawan, but he had dodged her after that. This was a much less convenient time for him to come asking after her. Nevertheless she sighed and collected herself before answering the call.

The voice Drast would hear was calm and attentive, not showing any indication of weariness. "Padawan Drahr?" She asked. "I'm glad to hear from you. Is there something you need?"

@Rhogar @Catbert

 

[Drastus Drahr]

Boy, did that comm ring for some time. He was even looking down over the ledge of the Temple as he tried to see if he could maybe hear her comm going. Nope. Nothing. Kriff. Then.. after he had nearly aged a year or two, she answered his comm.

"Ohh Master Thral, glad to know I blind called the right Jedi. Sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you could accompany Lani and I to Coruscant.. We uhh.. We have a meeting with Lt. Velt of the Sector Rangers and Kni-err Nara." he'd say into the comm to her. "Oh wait, hold on." he'd hold out the device and put it on speaker. "Lani, say hello. I got Lani here with me."

@Catbert @Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel almost laughed as Drast explained his need to get to Coruscant and meet Lieutenant Velt and Nara. She had just spoken to them the other day. She wondered why though. Did they know about the investigation? Just how many people had been keeping this from her? But as Drast mentioned that Lani was there with him already her mood immediately changed to a more serious one. Was she aware? Had she had the vision too? No doubt it only could have been causing her great pain.

"Galania's with you?" She asked quickly in response. Her voice was much less calm now, more harried. Then the insectoid shook her head. "Yes. I'm already on Coruscant, I've met with them myself. Tell the Council I requested your presence, they shouldn't stop you." She paused, worrying over the young Zeltron.

"How have you been Galania?" She asked, not sure what else to say. "Have you fully recovered?" She wondered if she should just tell her now, or if she was already aware. She found herself in a very strange position all of the sudden, and she was still feeling awfully groggy from the wakeup call.

@Rhogar @Catbert